Sunday, January 18, 2015

The Power of 3D printing

I think that the power of a 3D printer has been lost in the sales hype.
Below is a very good example of how an idea goes from a 3D model to a working prototype.
It is 4.5in tall and 2in wide. It is made up of 10 printed parts, actual nuts, bolts and 1 threaded rod.
The assembly opens, closes and I am pretty sure if I wanted to I can make it actually hold water. 
It took about 5 hours to create the 3D model and 6 hours to print all the parts. About 11hrs in total. 
Despite what marketing will lead you to believe, 3D printing still takes time, effort and a pretty advanced knowledge of CAD and be comfortable with mechanics and programming.
My point is why kill yourself, when someone else can do all the work for you!!
(Sorry I had to sell myself a little bit.)




The top left picture is the 3D model of the valve I designed.
The top right picture is the finished assembly.
The bottom left picture gives you a good idea of the size of the valve and
the bottom right picture shows you all the internal parts.
ENJOY!!

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