3d printing + metal foundry, a wizard in action.

[a10 gf]

Am impressed, by tech, by people's creativity 
Thinking about all the possibilities for reproducing vintage parts etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvi8A2XCK94

[terryg]

That's a very neat demonstration of 3D printing used to fabricate casting patterns. A newish process replicating a very old job = pattern maker.

Reading around 3D printing recently I was surprised at how well developed printing directly in metal currently is, missing out the  solid pattern and casting process altogether. The pattern being the CAD model, used to print straight to metal.

[Topdad]

Technology moving ever onwards particularly when you have seen a pattern maker in his process .I was in a foundry where my brother was in charge and was facinated by the skill of these guys .There they were making patterns for massive pumps and valves for thr oil industry . This just gives so many future possibilities.

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
My Grandad would turn in his grave. He was a pattern maker still working when I was a youngun. He could keep tolerances of a thou or two, making patterns of train wheels/bogies to lace luggage rack supports. He built our house single handed but couldn't change a spark plug!
Cheers

[chaterlea25]

Hi All
Attached 3D print and original J.A.P oil box cover, A couple of friends did the print for me at 105% of original size
I then sent the print off to get a couple castings made
I did not want to risk losing the original in the post
It all worked out really well
I cannot find a pic of the new castings just now though !!

John

[BagONails]

3D printing opens up a whole new world of possibilities.  Short runs of a few hundred pieces are now possible and economic with virtually zero tooling investment or labour time to be paid back. Also parts can now be designed and printed that are not even possible to cast or mould. i.e. no need for special angles and clearances to extract internal cores etc. It is a new industrial revolution for sure.

[BSA_54A10]

3D printing opens up a whole new world of possibilities.  Short runs of a few hundred pieces are now possible and economic with virtually zero tooling investment or labour time to be paid back. Also parts can now be designed and printed that are not even possible to cast or mould. i.e. no need for special angles and clearances to extract internal cores etc. It is a new industrial revolution for sure.

Very much dependent upon the actual part.
Pattern making is one thing, making a replacement part thta will stay together in use is a whole different ball game

[Greybeard]

I haven't forgotten getting a monochrome ink jet printer for my computer. At work, a bank of dot matrix printers continued to scream in the print room for years.
3D printing seems like magic.