Catch-All 3D printing thread

[RavynousHunter]

@John: Wait...your dad's 3D printer has a die that has 6 sides, or your dad made a d6 with his new 3D printer?

[JohnE]

He made a d6.

[Cerim Treascair]

I can't imagine that rolls terribly well... it'd be mighty light.

[Damen]

So it seems that now that the patents for metal 3D printers is about to expire, someone has built a 3D printer that prints with carbon fiber.

For a long time it was metal that eluded the 3D printing industry, then high quality metal, then high quality metal from an affordable machine. We are just approaching the last of these goals when a new challenger has appeared to one-up the achievement.

MarkForged, founded by Gregory Mark, showed off a new 3D printer called the Mark One at this week’s Solidworks World conference. Its main feature is the ability to print parts in carbon fiber, a relatively expensive but extremely durable material that could enable all sorts of new printed objects.

Carbon fiber can be many times stronger than steel, per unit of weight, and it has directional strength as well — meaning that it stands strongest against force applied along one particular axis. The substance is so strong and lightweight that racing cars incorporate carbon fiber parts to reduce weight — a high-performance vehicle using carbon fiber wherever possible can reduce weight by up to 60%. Its chemical properties also make it an ideal material for printing medical implants and other bio-compatible technology.

There are two major reasons carbon fiber isn’t used more than it is: it’s expensive, and it’s difficult to work with. The properties of the material are such that mass production is difficult, and parts often need to be made by hand. With a 3D printer, at least the latter of these options could be eliminated.