[IrishCop]

They've fired 50 rounds through it so far...

The next step in firearms manufacturing?

World?s first 3D-printed metal gun successfully fires over 50 rounds | The Verge

 

[Ratfink2u]

:dunno:
Now the important question, where do I find and purchase one of these computers?

 

[William R. Moore]

'Tain't the computer, it's the printer. Wonder what 4130 steel ink costs per printer cartridge?

 

[Skeptic49]

I think it would be cheaper to play Bill Ruger and print components in wax and then use the casting process.
Geoff
Who watched the process on TV from Jay Leno's garage.

 

[Ratfink2u]

'Tain't the computer, it's the printer. Wonder what 4130 steel ink costs per printer cartridge?

I gotta believe there's a computer program runnin that printer right?

 

[IrishCop]

The first time I ever saw one used was, believe it or not, on a Jeff Dunham special. He used it to manufacture the head of Achmed the Dead Terrorist's son.

He first sculpted the head in clay, then used a scanner to scan a 3D image into his computer. Used that program to make refinements and cuts and spaces required for the mechanics inside the head. Pressed print, and in about 20 hours or so, had a product ready for final fitting and painting.

Have NO idea how it works with metal.

But here is a link to one I found on the interweb...

MakerBot Replicator

 

[Diamondback]

Basically, it prints in a kind of powdered metal in a resin carrier solution IIRC, and then uses a laser to melt the carrier solution and sinter the metal together into a solid piece.

I'm thinking the "SLP a wax master then cast' approach might be easier, depending on the maker's available skills--I for one am lacking in the heat-treatment department, for example.

 

[CaptainGyro]

So, basically, even though the process is different, what you get in the end is an entire MIM pistol that costs about ten times what a conventionally manufactured steel pistol costs.

It's certainly an impressive demo, but I'm not ready to invest.

 

[Skeptic49]

But, if you needed a yoke for a 1944 war emergency Blaupunkdt pistol to restore it to operation, it might be worth the cost.
Geoff
Who warns folks there are no 1944 war emergency Blaupunkdt pistols at all.

 

[bearcat6]

I think I may have a 1944 Blaupunkdt war emergency pistol in the back of my safe somewhere.

 

[Ratfink2u]

"So, basically, even though the process is different, what you get in the end is an entire MIM pistol that costs about ten times what a conventionally manufactured steel pistol costs".

Kind of sounds like the current administrations policies on health care don't it?:-?

 

[Diamondback]

The advantage for manufacturers, when the technology matures, will be in not needing specialized tooling--Ruger could run say, a 1911, a P345 and a 10/22 one right after another on the same line. Significantly less need of human involvement in machining ops, in theory the only thing you need people for is cleaning the printer heads periodically.

For the home-gunsmith set, the advantage is that they can print as many as they want, knowing that they've never been registered anywhere and thus aren't "in the system"--just like when you finish an 80% PCR.

BUT... the rub is ultimately cost. This exercise reads to me as a pure "Can it be done AT ALL?" rather than a "Can it be ECONOMICALLY done?"--proof-of-concept, a first baby step as it were, and now that they know the technology works they can start looking for ways to make it less expensive. Combine this with plastic / bio SLP, and... well, THIS is our road to Star Trek replicator technology.

 

[DavidE]

Diamondback, I agree. Expensive and tough? Yes, but close to that dream of "Yes Number One, let's beam down for target practice. Computer, one Webley Fosbery .455, and a 1911 for Mister Data."

 

[shep854]

Yikes-- Read up on 'von Neumann machines'...throw in a little AI... mg:

 

[DavidE]

Yikes-- Read up on 'von Neumann machines'...throw in a little AI... mg:

Oh yeah... :shocked:

If you ever get the chance, you might want to read this:

The Forge of God: Greg Bear: 9780765301079: Amazon.com: Books

 

[shep854]

Oh yeah... :shocked:

If you ever get the chance, you might want to read this:

The Forge of God: Greg Bear: 9780765301079: Amazon.com: Books

Another one: Von Neumann's War John Ringo & Travis S. Taylor. Baen Books, 2006.

 

[Skeptic49]

I think I may have a 1944 Blaupunkdt war emergency pistol in the back of my safe somewhere.

Don't mind the cat, he is reputed to have gone deep into one of his strongrooms and said, "Funny I don't remember collecting THAT war!"

Geoff
Who really should get a bigger unit.