Hi guys, let me first introduce myself by way of an apology for not really belonging on this forum. But I need your help.
We debut our new 3D metal printer at the Automate 2015 show in Chicago in about 11 days. (That's not what I'm asking for help with.) It is a large scale near-net-shape printer with a build envelope of 600mm H. x 900mm D. x 1200mm W. and uses a MIG gun for the extruder. The machine table is fitted with copper plates to allow direct deposit and includes a quenchant tank to control the part tempertature. (Patents are applied for.) Stainless is used extensively in the construction, the motion package is Parker Automation Controls. It is a five axis machine with the standard 3 axis Cartesian plus the table and a wrist for instrumentation. We have been using the Slic3r program embedded in Repetier to prepare our G-code files but a post processing script and a good bit of hand coding is needed and the results are less than optimal for a number of reasons.
This machine competes in the castings, forgings, weldments, and stamping die markets among others. For a picture of the size of that market, consider that if we were to capture only 1/4 of 1% of the castings market in the US, we would need to supply 7000 machines to satisfy the demand.
Now here is where the opportunity comes in. We need a competent person to help us develop the g-code generation package to fully take advantage of the machine's capabilities, and although there are great similarities between this and the plastics printers, there are also some very significant differences. For instance, we have the need for a pattern generation which allows interrupted deposition, as well as making some changes to the way the print head approaches and leaves the print area. More advanced concepts will undoubtedly follow.
Our company name is +Mfg, LLC and is privately financed with an extremely low debt overhead. We have been on this project for 2 years and now have a fully operational machine ready for production. We are willing to consider an exchange of equity and other arrangements for development work to optimize the deposition process. Please contact me directly if you have the skills/ability/desire/time to contribute. I'm guessing that there will be a relatively small number of forum gurus who may be interested in this challenge, you may well decide among yourselves who is best suited, and I'd like to assure you that we are good people to work with, and that this is an excellent opportunity to get a piece of the action. Come and see us in Chicago if you can, our machine will be in the Parker Automation booth showcasing their newest controller system and we have a complimentary booth 6 spots away where we will be displaying a 1/4 scale model of the machine enclosure that gives it complete environmental isolation. You could park your desk right beside it and be happy doing it. It's a technology that is needed, and the time is now.
Jim Blackwood
Co-Founder
+Mfg, LLC
Jim@BlackwoodLabs.com
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2015 12:35AM by Jim Blackwood.
