New video on Wired.com

Here is a link to a video on Rapid Prototyping from wired.com .

[www.wired.com]

Bob Teeter

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Bob Teeter
"What Box?"

If Wired had put that clip out 15 years ago, it would have been interesting. But now... sheesh!

Forrest - But notice that they use ABS and a support material that is removed by an acid bath. Who what when how.. We do ABS. What support material are they using? Also notice that they have at least set a standard with the parts they displayed. Why can't we make those items also.

Bob Teeter

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Bob Teeter
"What Box?"

bobt Wrote:
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> Forrest - But notice that they use ABS and a
> support material that is removed by an acid bath.
> Who what when how..
>
I don't see that as a so much a big technological achievement as one that simply took some sweat equity to develop. If I were going to do that I would do a mix of ABS and a filler that would easily dissolve in a bath like they use. I experimented with fillers with PCL some years ago and discovered that I could get a usable filament with as much as 60% marble dust added.

I noticed from the video that it could take as much as eight hours for the support material to dissolve depending on the nature of the print. I've not had hands on with that process but suspect that you will find some ABS dross at the bottom of their bath after the filler dissolves out.

As I said, no big deal. You've just got to spend the time coming up with the formulation that does that job. If you do it, though, I suspect that you will have to be very careful not to violate their patent, which I probably still has a number of years to run.

> We do ABS. What support
> material are they using?

The people at Stratasys have told me in the past that their support material is simply a different formulation of ABS. I suspect that the old, non-dissolving support material is just ABS with maybe 40-50% marble dust added along with a bit of blue pigment. I have peeled the support material off of some Stratasys prints and it seemed to have the same sort of brittleness that I encountered with my PCL/Marble dust mixes.

> Also notice that they
> have at least set a standard with the parts they
> displayed.
>
I'm not sure what you mean when you say this. Stratasys has spent over 20 years perfecting their FDM process. We've had barely less than three and are getting some very high quality products already.

My advice is that if you want to meet and exceed their "standard" that you get busy and start doing a lot of printing like Nophead is doing and pay enough attention to what you are doing to add to the knowhow.
>
> Why can't we make those items also.
>
No reason. We just haven't put the hours in yet. Get busy!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2008 12:12AM by Forrest Higgs.

Forrest - Thanks those are the answers that I was looking for. The main thing that I saw was what was possible to make. Some people do not have the imagination or vision to think of what is possible and why you would want to do this process. Again thank you for the information.

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Bob Teeter
"What Box?"

This has always been my favourite Stratasys printed object.

Forrest - That is a delight to my eyes. Did they make each part and put it together or fabricate it all at once and save some assembly required?

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Bob Teeter
"What Box?"

bobt Wrote:
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> Forrest - That is a delight to my eyes. Did they
> make each part and put it together or fabricate it
> all at once and save some assembly required?
>
I have no idea.

However, seeing as how the sprinkler has a black cap on the right end and a steel screw adjustment on the rocker arm, I'd suspect that some assembly was involved.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2008 10:52PM by Forrest Higgs.

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Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas A. Edison

Stratasys SST's don't use really use an acid bath to dissolve support material, they use a strong base bath, specifically NaOH(aka lye).

Forrest, you should try to dissolve 60% marble dust PCL with acid(vinegar might work).