3D printing of sewing machine parts
06-14-2013, 11:29 AM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
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3D printing of sewing machine parts
I have been in a discussion with a few folks on Needlebar regarding the future of replacement parts for old machines using 3D printing.
I did some searching on Shapeways(the site i use for 3D printing of stuff) and lo and behold...
http://www.shapeways.com/model/10600...ductBox-search
This is a top bevel gear for a singer 306... How is that for cool
Printed in Stainless Steel it is $35.52 (currently)
Lots of room for improvement, but what a start.
I have been designing 3D parts on my PC for a while in anticipation of this process.
I may print a couple Wheeler Wilson 8 parts to test them out.
I did some searching on Shapeways(the site i use for 3D printing of stuff) and lo and behold...
http://www.shapeways.com/model/10600...ductBox-search
This is a top bevel gear for a singer 306... How is that for cool
Printed in Stainless Steel it is $35.52 (currently)
Lots of room for improvement, but what a start.
I have been designing 3D parts on my PC for a while in anticipation of this process.
I may print a couple Wheeler Wilson 8 parts to test them out.
06-14-2013, 01:01 PM
#5
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 1,382
Printing in 3D involves a machine that lays down multiple layers of material, usually some form of plastic, that eventually builds up into whatever shape you wanted to print.
Not sure how a solid stainless steel part would get printed.
Not sure how a solid stainless steel part would get printed.
06-14-2013, 01:21 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
Wanna clue us in Steve?
06-14-2013, 02:43 PM
#9
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
Quick lesson in 3D printing....
Imagine a cake decorator (bag of frosting with little tiny plastic/metal tip)
Use the cake decorator moving back and forth to lay a layer of frosting in the table
Let it cool a bit
Add a new layer on top
repeat this until you have a cube of frosting
You just 3D printed a "cube"
Now make it a machine not you
Now make it plastic instead of frosting
Now make the hole at the end of the "decorator" 1/10 of a millimeter across
That is for plastic printing
Metal is done the same way but it is ultra fine metal powder mixed with a bonding agent(epoxy)
after making it they sinter (HIGH temp bake) it to remove the moisture and fuse it back into solid(ish) material
Fine metals like Silver are done with the printer printing the "wax master" and then using traditional lost wax casting make the silver part.
Imagine a cake decorator (bag of frosting with little tiny plastic/metal tip)
Use the cake decorator moving back and forth to lay a layer of frosting in the table
Let it cool a bit
Add a new layer on top
repeat this until you have a cube of frosting
You just 3D printed a "cube"
Now make it a machine not you
Now make it plastic instead of frosting
Now make the hole at the end of the "decorator" 1/10 of a millimeter across
That is for plastic printing
Metal is done the same way but it is ultra fine metal powder mixed with a bonding agent(epoxy)
after making it they sinter (HIGH temp bake) it to remove the moisture and fuse it back into solid(ish) material
Fine metals like Silver are done with the printer printing the "wax master" and then using traditional lost wax casting make the silver part.
06-14-2013, 02:51 PM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
I use a free 3D drafting program called eMachineshop. I design the part, have the program save the design as a .STL 3d data image, upload it to Shapeways, they validate the design in 10 minutes or less, then you can order it. My parts have been coming in about 2 weeks.
The really amazing use of this is in artificial knees and such. they can do a MRI of the knee, superimpose the 3dCAD drawing of the base replacement joint, adjust the design to fit the patient, and then have it produced using a more expensive method called "laser sintering" to produce a flawless Stainless steel part in 48 hours... AMAZING!!!
Laser Sintering is where they take a "box" of tightly packed metal powder and aim three lasers at it. one from the top, one from the side, one from the end.
ONLY where all three meet is it hot enough to melt the powder.
they keep the lasers moving back and forth like the above printing until done.
They literally lift the fused metal part out of the powder. (Think of it as greenware ceramics)
then they fire it in a furnace to complete the fusing until it is solid, really solid.
then a polish and ship...
The really amazing use of this is in artificial knees and such. they can do a MRI of the knee, superimpose the 3dCAD drawing of the base replacement joint, adjust the design to fit the patient, and then have it produced using a more expensive method called "laser sintering" to produce a flawless Stainless steel part in 48 hours... AMAZING!!!
Laser Sintering is where they take a "box" of tightly packed metal powder and aim three lasers at it. one from the top, one from the side, one from the end.
ONLY where all three meet is it hot enough to melt the powder.
they keep the lasers moving back and forth like the above printing until done.
They literally lift the fused metal part out of the powder. (Think of it as greenware ceramics)
then they fire it in a furnace to complete the fusing until it is solid, really solid.
then a polish and ship...
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