Here are the disadvantages of 3D printing compared to molding parts:
1) ABS plastic is not as durable as the polyurethane we use when molding
parts.
2) When molding, there's a 5 minute cycle time for a batch of parts (we
do 8 parts per batch), each "part" will probably take at least 15
minutes on a 3d printer.
3) The plastic used by the printer is more expensive per pound than that
used for molding.
4) If necessary, you can easily add a strip of fiberglass to molded
parts to increase strength. That is not possible with printing.
Basically, when it comes to mass-producing parts, molding is the
cheapest, fastest and most flexible approach.
As Joe said, the real winning combination is to use a 3D printer to make
the master part, then make molds from them. We've done that for a
couple of parts (drive cog, experimental pumps) and it works great. If
you do get a Thing-O-Matic, you should expect a never-ending stream of
3D requests from Maryland for master part production (in exchange for
mold making if you want).
Frank P.
On 11/1/2011 10:36 PM, Doug Conn wrote:
The Thing-O-Matic uses ABS plastic and produce parts the
required size and thickness.
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