I have a CNC machine for making patterns , 3600 x 1600 x 500mm . The machine was designed to make patterns for aircraft parts with glass fibre reinforced plastic . All I have to do is take the router off and use a printhead . If you go to big dimensions you use 2 printheads . What is difficult , you need a well calibrated aluminum plate to glue the first layer . You have to paint the aluminum plate with some special glue for the first layer , and the plate need a little heat like 50 celsius . Printing is slow , but compare to CNC milling , I can not see a big difference . And who cares if the machine runs over night . I am building crankcase patterns for aircraft engines up to 1,3 meter long for the last 25 years . And I can say , I am able to print parts so easy where I have problems to do it with a CNC machine . I can print core boxes ready as a negative . 1 kg of the material cost 25€ . So printing is very cheap . My small printer runs almost 24 hours , and we all are fascinated . No tool change , no tools ! No big blocks of material to clamp down . Just a roll of 3 mm plastic and press the button , hours later you have it . In the Netherlands is a designer , he prints chairs with a self made printer .
Sand printing , one core for a T57 is about 50€ . All together for a T57 is about 2000€ .
In Italy is a company , they make a scan from a 6 cylinder cylinder head and you get the casting unmachined for 2500€ .
Scanning and printing is a big future business . Go next time to the Euromold exhibition in Frankfurt . And it looks like a science fiction movie if you see all the possibilities we have today .
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