“The trouble is you can print many items but the mechanical properties will be nothing like the original intent and strength.” - I have to disagree with you on that. There are actually good quality plastic filaments with extra strength characteristics like this Nylon Filament that can be used to create a full bicycle body. Take a look at this filament material from 3D2PRINT: http://www.3d2print.net/shop/product/taulman618/.

Well if you think that a bicycle frame material is capable of taking the stresses and forces involved in an impact situation on a car then you have just made my point for me.

This is just plain dangerous.

Ok we are talking about small parts and not hulking great stress members, but would you want a brake part made of a material not specifically designed for the task?, or put your kids in a car where a steering component has been made from a material which has not gone through years of testing?

No you would not and you would be a fool if you did.

Most parts on any car have gone through extensive development and trials, crumple zones, flexation of cabin parts so they do not collapse and fracture in an accident and become sharp projectiles, linkages and bodies which will not denature under heat or with exposure to UV / fuel or oils / brake fluid, power steering fluid (intercooler O-rings being an example rubber or Viton?) the list just goes on.

You can make a flywheel which looks great, but spin it up to 6 or 7000 rpm and have centripetal force increase the rim weight by a factor of 2-300 and see if it doesn't shatter?

Some people are diving in far too quickly without a full understanding of what is involved, and the companies that supply parts may supply materials spec sheets but do they do a stress and suitability study for each component?,?....

Make a suspension part and tell me the exact forces it will be under in operation, then tell me the environment it will have to operate in (temp / humidity etc.), tell me the materials properties : extension, porosity, compressibility, elasticity, hardness, tenacity, brittleness and malleability and then the suitability of each of these properties for the task the piece is asked to do.

Most can not, as they take a model or drawing, print it and put it in the post with a thank you very much. (but at least you can make the parts in some pretty colours)...

I have spent a good part of the last 10 years considering materials properties in mechanical design and you will not get me knowingly getting into a car where an aftermarket printed part has been fitted to a critical system.

I would trust them as much as a candyfloss seatbelt.

In my honest opinion.

I don't think the point here was to print the engine and the brakes using any sort of machine our members could afford.

It would be very handy however for duplicating door handles, clips and bits of trim, bulb holders, knobs, etc.

I also don't agree with the idea that printed materials will be inherently weak, the technology of laying down lines of material like that has been used for decades by welders refacing heavy cutting tools and it's perfectly good. As for plastics, ABS and Nylon are both common and those are well known for being tough.

Now if you could print metal you could print otherwise impossible structures. For example you could print a honeycombed metal chassis, made of materials otherwise too heavy to use like 1090 steel, with an incredible strength to weight ratio and no welds. You could even print the brake lines into the middle of the metal if you want. This technology will make possible very efficient designs that couldn't be built otherwise.

NASA was one of the first to 3d metal print rocket parts that have been successfully fired.
Newer industrial 3d printers now print carbon fibre parts.
Domestic 3d printers may well remain a niche area mainly used for prototyping but industrial units are being installed in established manufacturers plants making products as unlikely as complete vehicle bodys.
I for one welcome the new manufacturing overlords :)

As they can now already print bearings with working ball races and even with the grease in them, it may only be a matter of time before someone with a big enough printer can print a whole car, except for the electronics of course.

The great thing about 3D printing with multiple materials is that you no longer have to design for manufacture. A 3D printed engine, if it were possible, could have no cylinder head, no sump, no bolts, just printed with all the captive parts inside one solid shell.

There would then no longer be the manufacturing defects caused by poor production line management, any failure would be entirely down to the design of the part, as each one would be identical.

If you’re interested in 3D printing technology, the best thing to do is to own one. It’s a great investment that will save you a lot of money in the long run. You can use it in building any stuff you need at home or at work. You can even use this machine to start your own business.

I'm very excited about the potential of 3D printing.
Who knows where it'll be in a few decades time.

Now I just need to get my CAD skills up to scratch...

Just ordered one, but no stock:mad: Back to the internet .

If 3D printers and the products they produce are to become the next big breakthrough, you can be pretty sure F1 will among the first to use them, until then, I remain a sceptic.

I think they already are - http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...05080296858896

TC