Anybody ever used their wire feeder as an improvised 3-d printer?

[rankrank1]

CNCDan description was closest but when I say 3-d printing I do not mean running beads for parts build up (that can even be done with a stick welder). I am talking metal added to complex shapes at the droplet size level and to shapes that are not confined with boundries like a hole somewhat is either. (quick burst pause quick burst pause...etc).

To elaborate further: Machinists start with a big hunk of metal and wittle away at it with cutters to make a complex shaped part that is smaller in size than what the original hunk of metal was. 3-d printers start with absolutely nothing and start with one drop of plastic resin and keep adding drops of resin to build a part with close tolerances that are amazing. This capability is truly amazing in the Engineering world for building proto-types rapidly. Shoot pick the proper plastic resin and you can even build an engine manifold. Will it last decades and millions of miles (No). Will it last long enough to prove the computer models and design is valid sound concept (yes) so that the part can be built out of better materials once the design is finalized.

With using the mig welder like a handheld 3-d printer it is often possible to make complex shapes from nothing. Obviously close tolerances are not possible using the human hand but a little grinding does wonders. Is it textbook procedure (No). Can it work on repairs that would otherwise be time consuming to do it the proper way (Yes). That said the 3-d droplet method is not fast either but it can sometimes be quicker and cheaper than doing it by the book and especially when one lacks lots of fabrication tools.

 

[Arc weld]

On aluminum it's done all the time with TIG. Had the steering stop on my dirt bike shear off and took it to a friend who's a really good TIG welder to build it back up. I just used a file to finish it and you couldn't tell it wasn't factory.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I've seen a lot of aluminum cast parts "built" in...where a piece flew out or was missing...ground down, looked factory.

 

[oosik]

Well, finally - I think I might understand what you are talking about. And I can definitely say no - I've never attempted that procedure.

 

[sparc]

I actually saw (or read?) something the other day where they were experimenting with true 3-D part fabrication with MIG, but of course there were issues. IIRC, it was an article on WW (yes they have articles) about it. I'd imagine it would require a lot of final part machining to get things in tolerance...But who knows? MIG may be crude process used to develop a whole new welding process to create parts. Sounds expensive, but what do I know?

I could visualize a process similar to MIG to create a part, which uses jetted air, or a water jet to "freeze" and true the product after the weld metal is deposited....hey wait, can I patent that idea?

you could have if you had'nt put it out there on a public forum such as this. now its public domain and the first one to file owns it.

I'd write more but I'm busy typing an application that I am about to send off to Washington.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Sparc you are wrong. By publishing an invention you make it prior art which bars it from becoming a valid patent claim for someone else. In the US the publisher has a 1 year grace period to file after publishing or offering to sell.
One Year Grace Period Under the America Invents Act

Here's a link to an article on the original topic. A Rostock Welding 3D Printer?

 

[Redneck in training]

Metal 3D printing. Here is an example of current state of the technology 3D printing with metal: The final frontier of additive manufacturing | ExtremeTech

 

[Tor Arne]

I actually saw (or read?) something the other day where they were experimenting with true 3-D part fabrication with MIG, but of course there were issues. IIRC, it was an article on WW (yes they have articles) about it. I'd imagine it would require a lot of final part machining to get things in tolerance...But who knows? MIG may be crude process used to develop a whole new welding process to create parts. Sounds expensive, but what do I know?

I could visualize a process similar to MIG to create a part, which uses jetted air, or a water jet to "freeze" and true the product after the weld metal is deposited....hey wait, can I patent that idea?

Something like this?

http://youtu.be/p9vTCra47PE

 

[rankrank1]

Something like this?

http://youtu.be/p9vTCra47PE

Excellent link Tor Arne. Obviously, I can not accomplish what that robot arm can do, but that is the concept.

Yes it is slow when doing it with the human hand but if I am dealing with a repair that would require cutting a piece apart with a plasma or a torch (I do not have these tools - mothballed my torch years ago), making a trip to the metal store to buy metal, extensive cutting, bending, shaping, fitting of replacement parts, and then finally welding it together then a little creative 3-d welding is not really so slow in comparison.

On vintage parts that no longer exist or would be hard to find, I have even used all the broken pieces to make a rough mold and then use the wire feeder to literally remake the part encapsulation style with improvised 3-d printing. Some parts have done very well in high impact high stress environments too.

I will finally add that mig is the better process over flux core, but it can be done with flux core too (although chances of slag entrapment are high) slag entrapment may be a problem on some builds but on some things it may not be so critical at all.

 

[yomax4]

I've made mini euro mount type deer skulls with antlers out of silicon bronze with mig and a tig cleanup. I guess that's 3D.. Not much printing however.