That is fantastic! I am just a hobbyist desktop 3D printer, but I am very interested in using 3D prints as tools, so things like this are right up my alley The fact that you can get 0.5mm accuracy is IMPRESSIVE when you're talking about something that big I don't think people understand how utterly incredible 3D printing is and will become As soon as I "got it" as far as the usefulness of 3D printers are, I knew that there WILL come a day when you buy a house and the garage is the 3D printer I want a Seadoo Print Order other components from a site like an electric engine and a battery Comes out in the style I want, in the colours I want, and one day will be near 100% recyclable and I will just re-use the material for whatever else I want
The printer is more efficient than milling tooling foam. And you can build internal structure and make a large mold , like a wing skin mold, that is lighter.
If you're going to pay this much for a "3d printer", you might as well get a CNC mill and use that to cut perfect molds out of steel instead of this 17 step process that nets you substandard molds. Why on earth would you make molds from 3d printed forms, when you have a 7 axis CNC that can cut into 50x cheaper foamboard?
Steel and tooling foam are hardly cheap. Also they're very heavy. Invar for tooling us extremely expensive. Tooling foam is also a pain to use for high temp curing because its cte. This process works great for prototype molds and one offs. I wish i had this tech whilst building molds.
Don't get me wrong I love 3d printing technology(have 3 myself) but surely the 7 axis CNC can do all the work(and faster). It really just looks like the 3d printer is creating a big chunk of plastic in the rough shape(ie a coarse milling pass). Why not start with a block of plastic and mill it, particularly for simple shaped molds like that one.
@@lach808 cause it's wasteful and slow? Having made and used molds in a prototype situation, i wish i had access to this tech. The turn around on a mold from this new process is going to be faster for prototype and short runs. Ive also done parts with invar tools and carbon tools, they are great. Every process has its application. You wouldn't use a hammer to drive a screw 🪛 it's nice having options. Look up thermwoods LSAM, they use a printer and mill that are separate. The parts can from machine right into the autoclave. Their mold also have more of a structure. Again each process could be useful to the right application . My 2 cents 😅
@@lach808 also, with a high temperature mold, controlling the thickness of the mold is critical in ensuring even temps in the oven. With a monolith piece, they need to be pocketed, which flipping a 5000+lb piece of metal is probably fun. These printed parts are lighter and dont need flipping around. So its not just the simple form on ine side that gets machined.
@@samuela6271 I think you may confusing me with the original poster with respect to steel molds. I never suggested them, the plastic versions clearly work beautifully. I just accidentally replied to the thread :) I understand for complex parts and prototyping the 3d-print and mill process would be amazing (I watched a few of those LSAM videos, very nice!). I was just commenting on the application they showed here - using it for a relatively simple convex shape such as the rudder mold. I thought milling it from plastic stock would be quicker - for this shape. Thank CNC cuts it like a hot knife through butter. Anyway, I'm sure they have more complex shapes in mind. Also they said they reuse any plastic scrapped, so not as wasteful to mill a large chunk of plastic. Very exciting stuff though.
That is fantastic!
I am just a hobbyist desktop 3D printer, but I am very interested in using 3D prints as tools, so things like this are right up my alley
The fact that you can get 0.5mm accuracy is IMPRESSIVE when you're talking about something that big
I don't think people understand how utterly incredible 3D printing is and will become
As soon as I "got it" as far as the usefulness of 3D printers are, I knew that there WILL come a day when you buy a house and the garage is the 3D printer
I want a Seadoo
Print
Order other components from a site like an electric engine and a battery
Comes out in the style I want, in the colours I want, and one day will be near 100% recyclable and I will just re-use the material for whatever else I want
Additive Hybrid Manufacturing is the future and Cure Marine is doing it, not just talking about it !!
Amazing work there, Dave! Well done Cure!
Man, big boy toys! You can barely call that working!
I recommend talking with prototyp3 about getting some consulting on your settings/design for better bead control / quality to reduce your machine time
Better, faster, more accurate and consistent
How do you get a glossy finish on this material?
Why not use stock bulk material and directly mill it as is commonly done? Skip this extra step...please share :)
Had the same thought. Seems like it would be so much faster so I suspect the reason not to do that would be very interesting.
My guess is weight reduction, so your mold is basically a shell 20mm thick rather than a solid block.
Milling from a block would use considerably more material. 3D printing allows us to overprint and cut with less wastage.
The printer is more efficient than milling tooling foam. And you can build internal structure and make a large mold , like a wing skin mold, that is lighter.
If you're going to pay this much for a "3d printer", you might as well get a CNC mill and use that to cut perfect molds out of steel instead of this 17 step process that nets you substandard molds.
Why on earth would you make molds from 3d printed forms, when you have a 7 axis CNC that can cut into 50x cheaper foamboard?
Steel and tooling foam are hardly cheap. Also they're very heavy. Invar for tooling us extremely expensive. Tooling foam is also a pain to use for high temp curing because its cte. This process works great for prototype molds and one offs. I wish i had this tech whilst building molds.
Don't get me wrong I love 3d printing technology(have 3 myself) but surely the 7 axis CNC can do all the work(and faster). It really just looks like the 3d printer is creating a big chunk of plastic in the rough shape(ie a coarse milling pass). Why not start with a block of plastic and mill it, particularly for simple shaped molds like that one.
@@lach808 cause it's wasteful and slow? Having made and used molds in a prototype situation, i wish i had access to this tech. The turn around on a mold from this new process is going to be faster for prototype and short runs. Ive also done parts with invar tools and carbon tools, they are great. Every process has its application. You wouldn't use a hammer to drive a screw 🪛 it's nice having options.
Look up thermwoods LSAM, they use a printer and mill that are separate. The parts can from machine right into the autoclave. Their mold also have more of a structure.
Again each process could be useful to the right application .
My 2 cents 😅
@@lach808 also, with a high temperature mold, controlling the thickness of the mold is critical in ensuring even temps in the oven. With a monolith piece, they need to be pocketed, which flipping a 5000+lb piece of metal is probably fun. These printed parts are lighter and dont need flipping around. So its not just the simple form on ine side that gets machined.
@@samuela6271 I think you may confusing me with the original poster with respect to steel molds. I never suggested them, the plastic versions clearly work beautifully. I just accidentally replied to the thread :)
I understand for complex parts and prototyping the 3d-print and mill process would be amazing (I watched a few of those LSAM videos, very nice!). I was just commenting on the application they showed here - using it for a relatively simple convex shape such as the rudder mold. I thought milling it from plastic stock would be quicker - for this shape. Thank CNC cuts it like a hot knife through butter. Anyway, I'm sure they have more complex shapes in mind. Also they said they reuse any plastic scrapped, so not as wasteful to mill a large chunk of plastic.
Very exciting stuff though.