perpetualstudent wrote on May 28
th, 2019 at 1:31pm:
that they're a worthwhile addition to my toolshop. There's some really interesting stuff done with the metal sintering tech at the industrial level and the new wax printing to then be cast is somewhat interesting but I haven't been impressed with the 3d printer objects I've held.
well it's plastic versus metal.
A lot of it depends who printed the object and what settings they used.
The hinged moulds I'm making are really solid. I'm using a much thicker skin, denser infill and a solid layer every 10 layers. This makes them really strong and solid feeling while still retaining the anti-shatter effect of a mesh infill.
My usual settings tend to produce much lighter objects.
It also depends what materials were used.
The brackets on my slinging target are made from a fairly stiff - but flexible - plastic. It's pretty much indestructible, incredibly tough, to the point that sanding it just doesn't work.
While being rigid enough to hold shape, but flex when necessary.
The metal sintering processes are almost as expensive as the laser sintering machines.
But again there are some seriously tough plastics around. The current bad boy is a material called PEEK.
Poly Ethylene, Ether Ketone.
It's frequently used as a direct metal replacement.
You do need a specialist machine to print with it. But if you bear in mind that peek can be used to make fully working injection moulds - then it comes back in perspective.
A really nice PEEK capable machine can be had for under $10,000 - when you consider that a machined aluminium mould can cost a few thousand bucks a pop - then the benefits are pretty clear.
For basic desktop printers, there are polyurethane plastics that produce parts easily lighter and stronger than injection moulded.
The thing is that 90% of people with 3d printers, haven't done any research, don't have a clue about anything beyond pla. pet-g and (spits) abs and don't really know how to print those properly either.