This is simply incredible!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw

Amazing with extra awesomesauce!

What they can print an object that has moving parts!? that is too cool!

awesome. that is too cool. Now print me a fairchild 670 8)

How does it scan the internal parts of the mechanism?

They probably disassemble things and scan them...

Wow! That is too cool. I need a new printer.

what if someday we just print entire circuit boards. complete with components.

forget the need for a mill or commissioning a machine shop, I NEED TO GET ME ONE OF THESE  8)

what if someday we just print entire circuit boards. complete with components.

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as insanely star trek as that sounds, I can see it a possibility someday.  If you told me you could print a working crescent wrench from powder an hour ago, I'd have told you to take the bus.

We have one here at work.  I'd try to do something cool on it but it's always broken.

I wonder about the sonic properties of the material. Say for example you printed out a mic body, I would  how  it would effect the sound

Ptownkid said:

They probably disassemble things and scan them...

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They sure don't seem to be disassembling anything.  They captured the wrench with a HANDHELD scanner and not only did it replicate it's form perfectly, but it replicated it's function to a tee, including it's inner workings. 

Hmmmmm... I'm not saying it's fake, but the object capture must be more involved than what's being shown here. I'd love to learn more.

I've seen CAD scanners that will do all of your drafting from scanning an object, I do not know how accurate they are but the video posted boasted accuracy to 40 micron.

the game design nerds have one here and they "Print" their design at the end of a class. there are many very disturbing looking creatures in the some of the trophy cases are campus. pretty impressive technology and artwork.

Amazing! But yes, how does it scan the insides? Just moving the scanner over it and the next minute you've got a perfect 3D model sounds a little too good to be true to me.

living sounds said:

Amazing! But yes, how does it scan the insides? Just moving the scanner over it and the next minute you've got a perfect 3D model sounds a little too good to be true to me.

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They maybe don't show that there is some tweakage on the 3D program...

Beside the process, funny nobody tought of some of those Stockli and Marconi knobs.
Pretty damn doable with this, finish will be different of course but who cares haha

I'm also interested in the properties of the materials that are making up the objects.

How does it stand up to urethane/polypropylene etc....  is it going to turn back to dust from say 10 years of UV exposure?

MicDaddy said:

... is it going to turn back to dust from say 10 years of UV exposure?

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One would imagine that just like thermoplastics, there will be a first generation with problems, and then the properties will get better and better as understanding grows.

Did anyone else notice that the red screwthread did not look exactly like the original? Other than the colour that is.

Did anyone else notice that the red screwthread did not look exactly like the original? Other than the colour that is.

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Bingo, i've noticed but didn't look back to confirm, so that means tweakage on 3D program...
And then maybe even more "secret" unsaid stuff...
But anyway if you're going to buy, then you're going to test drive, i mean knowing the huge price that these must be...

vs



The screwthread is different - three rather than four. I guess that tells us something about the mechanical strength of the materials.

Tweakage nonetheless, it is a mightily impressive process!

I guess in a few years from now, once everyone got one of those in their home, this opens up a whole new box of possible intellectual property infringements...