3D Printing Metal Parts

[Sven Strobbe]

Guys

Good news...
Found a firm in Belgium 3Km from my door wich can produce 3D metal parts.
The firm is QuickTools.

http://www.quicktools4p.com

Just spook to the person in charge of the firm and he told me that anything is possible.The price of a piece depends of the weight of material used.
Normaly they make moulds but due to the crises they have more time to do this kind of job.
To give the man an idea of what to make he asks some designs or drawings so he can make an offer what the price is going to be.
If someone wants parts made this way you can send me your drawings or 3d files and i will handle them with confidance.

If you have the measerements i can draw a 3D sketch too...

I am also looking for details about the bracket of the King Tiger as it is that what i want to make as the original one on scale 1/6...

Regards

Sven

[Per Sonnervik]

Hi Sven,

Interesting and good news, I´m jelous, I´d really like to have a company like that next door.

The things that pop up in my head are track links, muzzle brakes and M.G. 34´s. Track links need a mould so they are going to be quite expensive (see Olaf´s post) but muzzle brake and M.G. 34 can be made as one offs (rapid prototyping).

Which bracket your talking about doing?

/Per

[Sven Strobbe]

Per

Good to hear from you...
I was suprised too...The firm itself is so close to me...
And they claim they can compete with the Chinese...
Almost everything is possible. The principle is a bit like the 3D printing of Plastic parts but then with Metal...
Haven't seen it at work but as soon as i have something to show i'll contact them and see what comes out of it...

A tracklink would be interesting
I've seen the post also and yes its a budget...

I'm gonna collect as much info and drawings as possible so i can show what we want and see what is possible...

The bracket on wich the Suspension bars are connected.
Or Roadwheel arms as they say.



They can also make pieces hollow that also reduces the price...

Regards

Sven

[Tim Bowman]

Hi Sven,

I had both my early style Panther idler and Panther track links quoted here in the U.S. at a 3D metal/rapid prototype company very similar to the one in your link. The beauty of the process for both those parts are it enables the complex undercuts that are on the cast, real thing you would never get these from machining the part. Also almost any metal can be used in the process. However it was, unfortunately, not cost effective. This is why I went back to the turned aluminum wheel design with cast hub inserts on the idler. This is the version of my design Bob is now making (although his aluminum part is CNC as opposed to lathed.)

Also, the finished surface in the 3D printed parts I saw was not that great. The fillets and radii on the parts had that "made from computer" look. Not that it couldn't be cleaned up.

Incredible process and I hope you have better luck over there and look forward to what you come up with.

Kind regards
Tim

[Sven Strobbe]

Well Tim the same over here..
It is not possible to make every form in metal.
An arch is possible but a U-shape has to be build as an arch and then filled away...
The price is something else...9€/cm³ and 50€/h.
The normal time to make a piece is minimum 1 hour depending what size you go.
So if you're someone who has money to spend this is it.
Die Cast is cheaper.
The quality is good and has something of the tectured or rolled plate form if the piece is not threated.

I think the company is good to make moulds for the plastic modellers.
Big quantity and if you have to much money they will make your piece...

Regards

Sven