3D Printed Boxster Parts

[Nine8Six]

A bit faked from GE but nonetheless here goes a glimpse of the upcoming new 3D Printing technology and what it can do -the later being very real. Those are the adaptive machines (similar) that HQ have put on order last October, we expect receiving those in July 2016. If all goes well, we'll have Aftermarket Jet Engines as a replacement for depo taillights.

Well, maybe it is not all that faked, who knows. Wonder how they printed the air-bearing (33k RPM lol) and fuel injector, etc etc. Regardless, still a good start/demo and worth showing in its current form.

Welcome to the future! and p.s. no it is not going to be plastic printers as many believed :/ give those another 5 years and they are all dead - you'll have laser and metal dust instead

[jaykay]

Wonder how they are getting the metal grain properties for strength they need with laser printing. I guess it's a demo and the mass are a lower than a normal sized engine.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by jaykay

Wonder how they are getting the metal grain properties for strength they need with laser printing. I guess it's a demo and the mass are a lower than a normal sized engine.

Well spotted Jaykay. Atm there is only a handful of material that you can use. If part needs postprocessing either by hand or traditional CNC equipment, the only materials that can be used is those that does not “work-harden” during processing. And there is not a whole lot of those. That is why (I suspect) this engine is 100% made out of aluminum (non-functional, demo purposes). Bringing along material properties of specific metal/alloy in the adaptive technology is something that remains a great mystery for many of us here.

Melted steel becomes brittle “as glass” (some grades anyway). Try to process this stuff in a conventional CNC milling machine afterward for fun

Like I said all a little faked but still worth showing. That’s why you see patterns being ‘etched’ instead of being 3D printed for real. Regardless the concept (top secret) is pretty obvious along with Siemens NX showing the laser add-on module performing. In fact I don’t blame them for hiding the true manufacturing methods, I’d possibly do the same thing.

RE this engine; I bet nobody was allowed in-or-near that room when they fired-up. You wouldn’t want to introduce any sort of vibrations when this aluminum thing spins above 30K. At those revolutions there is a whole new centrifugal force, vibration and harmonics taking place (not your average Porsche IMS). Can you imagine the explosion lollll

50% Hollywood and 50% real. Again, just a glimpse. The reality behind this is; what’s coming your way – sooner than you can imagine!