Re: 3D printers : mold reversal

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Jan 20 2003 - 11:23:24 MST


--- avatar <avatar@renegadeclothing.com.au> wrote:
> Unfortunately I deleted the relevant email, but in one of the 3D
> printer posts someone referred to his dad making gun and golf club
> parts from a 3D printer (think it was wax/polymer layers) currently,
> using AUTOCAD for design, with good accuracy for wax models for
> molds.
>

Speaking..

> It makes one wonder whether this feature in conjunction with the
> scanners available (one machine I read of mapped 100,000 points on a
> human body shape, this may not be much now???) ought to be great for
> making, mapping and distributing sculptural art including for
> buildings (relief blocks for facades) including non-bronze materials.
> Also, I was wondering whether the print could actually alternate
> between a solid and a meltable 3-D dot, so you could either make the
> mold itself rather than the product and then the mold from that (I'm
> assuming the printing process itself is more expensive and slower
> than an injection mold).

The printer produces a wax rendition of the part. This is then sprayed
with a silicate solution that hardens into a mold and the wax is melted
and drained (this is a modern version of the lost wax method). From
this mold, you could cast the part you want, or a master part of
harder, higher temp material to use to make a form for producing wax
parts en masse.

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