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Comment by iamgopal | Hacker News Reader

The problem with 3D Printer is, it is no match to the existing manufacturing technologies. Imagine, the sub micron accuracy of iPhone, which in no way achievable with current 3D printing technology. The technology in to which 3D printer can really revolutionize the world right now is Electric Motor. ( Here I have said it, please don't patent it. :P ) I am actually doing it. If interested, drop me a mail. :)

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The real killer app for 3D printing is rocket engines. The engines for the Space-X Dragon spacecraft are 3D printed. Rocket engines are mostly plumbing, much of which is internal - the combustion chamber usuually has cooling channels in the walls. The traditional way of making engines has far too many parts and welded joints, just to make an object that's one rigid piece. This is the best case for 3D printing of metal.

I'm curious how you are using 3-D printing for an electric motor. Most of the key components, steel laminations, copper windings, magnets, commutator and brushes (if you are going old school :-) ) don't lend themselves to 3-D printing. I just see some mounting hardware being usefully printed.

Induction motor as currently built are actually pretty good. Nothing to improve there, as they are usually fixed speed motors. When you think about automative or very variable speed motors, which have much higher power density and energy density, in those situations rotor cooling problems, eddy current losses, hysterisis losses are very fun problem to solve in context of 3D printing. Im not sure how much improvement can be done, but lets see..

If you are just curious, then look at these videos of two kinds of motors (low-voltage and high-voltage) by lasersaber:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m73MaNoSIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMK0dEKWJdY

They are meant as prototyping tools, and some do quite well beyond that.

The trouble is, we can't 3D print PCBs .. not safely anyway. There are quite a few more toxic chemicals to deal with, not to mention the complexities you'd run into trying to make multi-layer boards.

Also I think people forgot plastic still cost money.

That's not how they were being hyped a few years ago. Everyone was talking about machines building themselves and "everything factories" sitting in people's garages.

I just sat there and thought "they finally managed to invent an automated manufacturing process that's even more slow and expensive than machining."

They make PCB etching lasers, just FYI.

So the real problems are in more than 2 layers (since cameras and marks/holes can align both sides of a 2-layer board).

The lasers, as you'd guess, are for prototyping and a few specialty purposes.

Check out LPKF[1] for all kinds of neat toys.

[1] http://www.lpkfusa.com

I would like to learn more! Can you email me at tom.bielecki@gmail.com?

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