Just curious about injection molding or casting

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Thu Aug 30 06:35:03 2001

> On Sat, 25 Aug 2001, Tony Duell wrote:
> >
> > Yes, I know it's nice to be able to make replacement parts (one day
> > there will be no more spares), which is why I intend to investigate
> > injection moulding at home.
>
> If only we had Star Trek's replicators!
>
> I'd say that personal manufacturing is bound only to get easier and less
> expensive. Some day, even before the advent of replicators, it will be
> feasible and cheap to build most any replacement part. I would expect
> that to have a revolutionary effect on many fields of old stuff
> collecting.

Within another ten years, surplus stereolithography machines (and other
"Santa Claus" machines) will be available to us. Good ones go for $250k,
but a friend of mine and I thought we could engineer one to sell for about
$25k, and others are likely having the same idea...

For those you you who aren't familiar with these, think of them as
"3d plotters". Some carve away at a block of material until the object
of desire remains; others deposit tiny beads of metal that are sintered
(?) together; my favorite uses a polymer fluid and a UV laser; the laser
draws a cross-section on the fluid, which hardens the polymer; a tray
under the first cross-section lowers slightly, the laser draws the next
cross-section, and so on, until you have The Object. I think another
spews plastic beads in a fashion similar to the sintered metal.

Anyone have any hands-on experience with them? I could watch, but they
wouldn't let me touch... ;-)

-dq
Received on Thu Aug 30 2001 - 06:35:03 BST