Hello!

My name is Andrew Rogers and I represent an online service bureau called printapart.com. Our company offers 3-D Printing services through an online interface. Our website accepts Stereolithography files (*.STL) that were output from your 3-D CAD Package (ex. AutoCAD 3D or SolidWorks). Our system takes your STL file, processes it and gives you an instant price quote with a ship date. We will then build your parts on our 3-D Printer, finish and ship them to you.

Our standard timeframe for shipping your parts is next day. We also offer an express service which will build, finish and ship your parts in the same day (if ordered before 11am EST). We also have an economy service which will save you money, but your ship date will be 3-5 business days from the time you place your order.

Printapart.com uses 3-D printers that are made by 3D Systems, Inc. The machines are called InVision HR 3-D printers. These machines work much like an ordinary desktop inkjet printer, except that they build with a third dimension. Quite simply, our InVision HR system creates your 3-D part or model using tiny droplets of a special polymer "ink" jetted into place according to your 3-D design, each droplet flash-cured by ultraviolet light before the release of the next. Your part is thus built, dot by precision dot, in very high resolution—656 dots per inch in the drawing plane, 800 layers per inch of height. Thus, we are able to create prototype pieces with very small, fine features, such as jewelry, medical devices, and electronic connectors.

Please visit our website, http://www.printapart.com for more information about services. You may also send me an email to [email protected] or give me a call at (919)781-7702, ext. 116 if you have questions that our website cannot answer.

Here are some links to a few documents that might answer some more of your questions:
http://www.printapart.com/files/papfaq.pdf
http://www.printapart.com/files/papflier.pdf

Andrew,
Wow... facinating. Can you tell us what scale or size that engine block is and how much that piece cost to produce?

Thanks,
Jim

Have you made any prototype patterns for the foundry industry? I may be interested...

Shaun

I think that's totally amazing.
I'd be mesmerized just wacthing it being made. :-)

Jim,

Thank you for asking! The engine block was scaled to about a 1/25th scale. I just ran the STL file through the printapart system and it says it would cost $21.32 for one copy of the part scheduled to ship next day business day.





Could you clarify your question? I'm not exactly sure what you are asking.

Hi Andrew!

This is very interesting! I always thought this was the future of our hobby... and maybe it's death in some way!
Do you think everyone could have his own 3D printer in the near future?

Jean-Luc

WOW, I'm gobsmacked. As Dave has said
.
Definitely benefits model industry .
Andy

http://www.ems-usa.com/ZPrinter_310.html
click on
watch a video tutorial

Prepare to be mesmerised then. I think the cheapest machines cost about $20,000 so it'll be a while before we all have one
Dave Harper of Hardcorps models is offering working tracks for the LVT with this method for @$100

http://www.planetarmor.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2535

Stay Tuned everyone - Doing research on this process and company now. Data and report to follow.

The link to the machine you posted is similar to the machine that we run at printapart.com. Here is a link to the machines that we are currently running:

http://www.3dsystems.com/products/multijet/invisionHR/index.asp

If you have questions about the machine, you can get good information here!

Thanks for the video Pat, very interesting.
I think I'll pass on the $100 tracks though. :-)

Really really Interesting

This could open a all new amount of possibilities!!!
Thanks for sharing, Andrew

Skipper

You would probably fall asleep. I can take 6-12 hours to complete a rapid prototype depending on size and depth.

TOP
:=)

The machines that I use can make parts about in a 10" cube. So bigger parts are made by gluing together smaller sections. There are different processes that use various materials. For a pattern there are at least two routes you can go. For investment casting you can use FDM with wax and create a wax part that you coat with ceramic, bake and pour metal into. You can also make conventional green sand patterns that will hold up for a few impressions.


TOP

FineScale did an article about a year ago or so on this technology.
Its not cheap, especially to do one offs , but it also gets more expensive if you have to hire someone out to do the CAD work, if you're not computer saavy (like myself). Nonetheless, the results are stunning. I've seen the HCM tracks and they are beautiful. New World Miniatures also did the wheels on their M1200/M1117 this way, to include the M4 rifle in their 120mm Stryker figure. Good stuff!

You can count on it. First will come the low cost household version, then the low cost household version that prints in color. Download plans for your model, artwork, collectible, ashtray, whatever off the internet...print it on your home 3D printer...done. It will not completely eliminate the need to assembly complex items, but it will certainly simplify the process.

-Doug

I saw some samples at the US IPMS Nationals in Virginia Beach last summer. They were beautiful. This is a benefit to modeling.

Realistically I don't see this technology becoming main stream for quite some time. It is really possible, but the cost of the machine and the 'ink' will be prohibative. It's expensive enough now wiht inkjet cartridges.

Is it currently a bit pricey - yes a bit, but worth the cost to get unique pieces. I made a canon barrel that would have been really tough to scratch. There are ways to reduce the cost too, lower resolution, good part planning (vertical vs horizontal pieces are better [if I remember correctly])