Rapid prototyping

**typhoon_driver** · 4th November 2009, 15:21

I was shown this in a university lecture yesterday and couldn't believe how cheap it was!

http://www.rapmanusa.com/index.html

$1500 for a rapid prototyping machine? Not long now till we get desktop printers for our robots

**razerdave** · 4th November 2009, 19:18

In antweights we already have

Andy Hibbard has created 3 robots from rapid prototyping, Anticide, Kwijebo and Cataclysm. Pics below:

http://windisch.co.uk/robots/rrc/rrc19/ ... wijebo.jpg

http://windisch.co.uk/robots/rrc/rrc19/ ... ticide.jpg

http://windisch.co.uk/robots/images/rrc18_Cataclysm.jpg

**Marien** · 4th November 2009, 20:36

I've had a frame printed for an AW but haven't finished to build it yet. Are these rapid robots strong enough?

**joey_picus** · 4th November 2009, 21:27

They seem to be, although direct hits can break/snap off bits (as happened to Kwijebo at Richmond) but the advantage is that you can just order a new chassis and have everything slot back in from the old one

Andy says they're slightly weaker than polycarb bur have the advantage of being one piece as opposed to having joins.

**typhoon_driver** · 6th November 2009, 19:10

Lol turns out that they are crap (not too surprising I suppose). My university actually has one along with a couple other rapid prototype machines. Got to get a good look at them today. One had produced a chain with no breaks that was able to work as a chain. Only made of an ABS type plastic but still very impressive.

**simon_windisch** · 7th November 2009, 20:20

Also see Makerbot for a Â£600 3D ABS printer.

I'll be up for getting one of these when they make the software/hardware interface less painful.

Simon

**Mouldy** · 10th November 2009, 19:18

Didn't see this thread before, I rapid prototyped the hubs for my powertool drag racer years back at college, a few other people did there Iva projects using a rapid protoype machine also and droped there component while being clumsy. they shatter pretty bad. I'm sure I read somewere someone was developing a rapid prototype machine that could print titanium. That would be handy tool

**grant_ploughbot** · 10th November 2009, 20:03

I made the prototype for predator's disc on the one at our college dave, came out pretty good although james's dropped it and it cracked.
The one at our college was more like Plaster that added layers of epoxy between powder to built it up. Its actually pretty acurate, much more so than the plastic type that gary linked to. That just lays a thick slither of plastic ontop. The proper prototyping machined that activate a liquid with a laser are awesome, and i believe thats a similar method to the ones that can now do aluminium. I presume its a pretty terrible grade and quilities, although super nice for non stressed parts.
I loved the 3D scanner at college, scan an object, and print in in 3D

**typhoon_driver** · 10th November 2009, 20:12

One of my mates graduated and got a job with Maclaren F1 racing. He told me that they recently purchased a titanium rapid prototyping machine for a good few million. The parts that come out of it are just short of being as strong as machined parts.

Incredible!