Have you ever used any of the processes that we discussed in the video? If so, what was your experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to follow Gordon on LinkedIn for great engineering and manufacturing tech updates and explainers - www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-styles-091b552/
Hi Gordon, love this video never knew your success started with SLA! SLA is still King and companies like Formlabs seem to be pushing SLA to create low volume injection molds. So it's like a bridge between Vacuum Casting and spending $$$ to actually CNC that Injection Mold. But I think there's potential the future will be dominated by FDM just because how much innovation there is with the design - mainly due to how cheap it is compared to the other types of printing. There are just so many different FDM printing companies nowadays. It's like how the personal computer revolution dominated minicomputers. Innovations like Core XY and Non-Planar are currently the next step towards getting a higher resolution with the part. But we're still years away to seeing if FDM can match the resolution of SLA.
In terms of prototyping, and rapid local manufacturing, FDM is IMO a mature enough technology for any application that doesn't need the final finish / tolerance of SLA. In fact, I think it's likely to become a very disruptive technology soon. There are many projects already available online for open source tools, where FDM parts are the glue that holds together the components (motors, electronics, batteries). With logistics getting more expensive, certain tools such as drills or small CNCs should already be cheaper to produce locally in a workshop than mass produced and shipped.
I almost closed the video when you said serious engineering for serious engineers...I though "that isnt me" but then the voiceover made me laugh! Thanks for this
@@starrapid thank you. I'm a high school drop out that cant stop making things...mechanical things and I have a problem with feeling down on myself. thanks, you made my week!
Great video 👍 as always 🦾 I'm passionate in Vacuum Casting so much that I built my own machine to test the process. Which technology you use to make master patterns? You should mention about PolyJet. Great innovation as well 🧐
Hey Pawel. Thank you. We mostly use Stereolithography (SLA) to make our master patterns. The footage you see in this video is one of our Vacuum Casting projects.
@@pawetrznadel7770 Yes, it is possible to use SLS/MJF. In fact, any physical solid, made by any method would work, so long as the physical solid can take a little bit of heat and doesn't shrink or deform too much. It does not matter what method is used.
Clear plastic can be used in CNC machining, SLA. Vacuum casting can be used to pour clear plastic copies, but they might not be "perfectly" clear. But they can be vapor-polished after making a copy, but only if they are made with PC, acrylic, ABS. Vapor polishing will also remove machining marks.
