Burnet63

Who has been able to 3D print parts for their cars? I imagine that if anybody did it they would have to be used for something that doesnt involve high heat or a lot of pressure since 3D parts are just thin plastic.

Stocker

3D parts can be solid plastic though

Tibbi

This depends on the type of print media and printer. I have a fairly cheap consumer 3D printer that I've modified to print reliably with ABS. Using this method I can print just about anything. In fact I've been working on a plenum and ITB system for nearly a year now. The trick is to use the ABS prints as a plug to create molds then fill those molds as desired. In my case I've spent all of 2016 building a workshop just for working with carbon fiber. With the correct epoxy blends and treatments, carbon can be made to withstand those kinds of temperatures. The thing that's really misunderstood about the technology is that 3D printing is not a sudden gateway to creating anything. Prints are often very brittle. Not to mention you need to pay close attention print resolution and fill techniques. The only printer capable of the kind of size and quality needed to mechanical devices still range far out of any reasonable persons budget.



Technically you could build a DIY aluminum foundry and fill the molds with aluminum. But even those casts are brittle in comparison to a fine billet CNC job. It may work for a race car that you build on the cheap and don't mind throwing out broken parts all of the time, but for a road car it's a terrible idea and potentially dangerous. Not to mention the danger of working with molten aluminum in the first place.

ThePooseJuicer

Accura Bluestone looks like a contender for 3D printing something like an intake manifold. Good up to 250 Celsius with a high tensile strength. Even advertised as useful "under the hood".



http://proto3000.com/assets/uploads/...aBluestone.pdf