• Articles
  • Motorcycles for Sale
  • Motorcycle Parts
  • Motorcycle Manuals
  • Models
  • Collectibles
  • Contact

The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

3D printers and Fab labs

By Paul Crowe

A while back I said easy access to advanced software made smaller shops capable of high level design and engineering and used the Motoczysz C1 and Hayabusa V8 as examples. Well, hold on to your hat, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Some time ago I read a few brief articles on 3D printers and thought, hmm… interesting, after which I pretty much forgot about them. Seems a few folks have been thinking about them a lot and doing some actual work in the area. A 3D printer can build a 3D object by printing successive layers of different materials until the entire object exists as a hard copy. Blueprint to finished piece at the touch of a button. Think of the possibilities. Actually, some people have thought a lot about the possibilities and speculated about the outcome. Of course, these machines are self replicating. Think about that! Think about jobs and a whole different economy. But on a more mundane level, with the proper input you could build almost anything, … mundane, right. I noticed this over at Marginal Revolution and started following links. The future is coming fast and it’s interesting, very interesting.

Posted on March 21, 2005 Filed Under: Alternative thinking, Science frontiers, Workshop & Tools

-- Subscribe to The Kneeslider --

You'll be the first to know when something's new!

Be sure to check out The Kneeslider's new motorcycle models listings.

« Spring opens with snow
New Snell helmet standard for children »

Comments

  1. aaron says

    March 22, 2005 at 10:22 am

    i was at a motorcycle dynamics seminar with tony foale in vancouver a few weeks back. in attendance were a few engineers workiing in the motorcycle and aftermarket fields (norton and motobits are the ones i recall right now, there were a few others….) in one on my discussions over a lunch break, rapid prototypers came up. what blew my mind? apparently there is one that prints a female image. in a glue and sand material. full size with thermal expansion factors for the desired final material. pour in molten metal, and go!

    you don’t just get a plastic piece for display and fit use, or making a female sand mould by hand, you get a sandcast mould ready to go. wow…..

Subscribe to The Kneeslider

Be the first to know when something's new!

Search articles on The Kneeslider

Do You need motorcycle parts?

Everything from normal maintenance items to hard to find out of production parts, look here first.
Be very specific for best results! Use part numbers if you have them.

Recent Comments

  • Rod Newstrom on Can Synthetic Fuels Save Your Internal Combustion Engine?
  • Paul Crowe on Harley Davidson Certified Program Backs Pre-Owned Motorcycles with a Warranty
  • todd on Harley Davidson Certified Program Backs Pre-Owned Motorcycles with a Warranty
  • Rod Newstrom on Can Synthetic Fuels Save Your Internal Combustion Engine?
  • Rimar Motors on Rimar Motors 600cc 2 Stroke V-Twin Project

From The Kneeslider Archives

These 4 into 4 pipes complete the retro look

Make Your New CB1100 Look Like a Classic CB750 with This Kit From Whitehouse

125cc inline 4 monkey bike

Honda 125cc Inline 4 Cylinder Monkey Bike

Motorcycle Engine Powered Cars

Copyright © 2021 · The Kneeslider · Website by Crowe Computer Services
US Army veteran owned and operated
This website proudly Made in the USA!
Made in the USA