Do you wear hearing aids ? They are made on a massive array of 3-D
printers. Each design is custom. I want to say that 16 sets of hearing
aids are made at a printing. The resin molds are made inside the ear
and was once cast in investment and done one or two at a time,
then take a week to refine them and populate with electronics.

I have a picture of a metal jet engine that was made by 3-D printer.
They expect to get it working and hope to discover this and that - and
make changes. Better than simulation, it works or it doesn't. Doesn't
have to drive a plane just produce power for a short time.

Artificial arms, legs are being made with 3-D printers. It is dropping
the cost for more to have them.

Martin

On 4/28/2015 2:01 PM, jon_banquer wrote:
On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 11:52:43 AM UTC-7, F. George McDuffee wrote:
On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 08:50:24 -0700 (PDT), jon_banquer
wrote:

On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 9:04:15 AM UTC-7, jon_banquer wrote:
http://3dprint.com/59177/makerbot-layoffs/

More over-hype being exposed. 3D Systems stock is getting slammed and the w=
orst isn't over yet:
snip

Will 3d printing replace injection molding? Of course not.
Will 3d printing revolutionize prototype production, pattern
making, and limited production? Will consumer 3d printing
introduce a new generation to the concepts of modern
manufacturing? It already has.

Some observations:

(1) Try not to confuse the valuation of the stock of the
American companies that manufacture 3d printers with the
value of the technology.

(2) A new technology seldom abruptly replaces an existing
technology/methodology. It generally acts synergistically
with the existing technologies, and may gradually replace an
obsolete technology, e. g. shapers and planers.

(3) A FWIW -- note that many of the YouTube examples of 3d
industrial use and development are foreign, and are our
largest competitors, e. g. PRC, Japan, Germany, and
increasingly Korea and Brazil. ==It's get hot or go home
time for American companies.==

Much of the consumer level products were developed as public
domain products, including the control boards/circuits
http://tinyurl.com/ygxhzk as well as the basic physical
machines http://tinyurl.com/ybfxw9n . While this gave an
enormous boost to the development of these products and
methodologies, particularly the FFF [fused filament
fabrication] genre, it also meant that the low cost
manufacturers could dominate the business. Indeed, what we
are seeing is that the PRC is able to produce assembled and
tested 3d consumer grade printers for less than the U. S.
retail cost of the required components.
http://tinyurl.com/qb4sxkl To be sure, these are like most
consumer PRC produced machine tools in that these require
some TLC to be fully functional.

The domestic US companies that pioneered the consumer 3d
printer are in the same position that the US companies that
pioneered the personal computer were. Some domestic
companies, which of course use many imported components such
as the control boards and steppers, include
http://tinyurl.com/bk5o9wq

The technology is developing rapidly, and the 3 axis
orthogonal consumer machines are now being challenged by the
delta machines. http://tinyurl.com/ct7wztz PRC produced
units are available. http://tinyurl.com/obpop5s
http://tinyurl.com/k39dc2j
http://tinyurl.com/k6cmx4e

FFF has industrial applications
http://tinyurl.com/pssq5vv
http://tinyurl.com/ob87m42
http://tinyurl.com/pzmxv59
printing houses
http://tinyurl.com/pt4dmyg
printing casting patterns
http://tinyurl.com/l6gws9q
http://tinyurl.com/mbwb2bl

This also extends to extension of the technology to other
computer controlled consumer priced machines
http://tinyurl.com/o7bwfe7





--
Unka' George

"Gold is the money of kings,
silver is the money of gentlemen,
barter is the money of peasants,
but debt is the money of slaves"

-Norm Franz, "Money and Wealth in the New Millenium"


Have you ever done 3D printing for a living or is 3D printing a hobby for you?