Using 3D Painting To Repair Or Alter Metal Parts

Ahhmmm, yeah.... Put some load on that "paint-on" thread and watch it disappear into dust in 0.009 min...;)
 
Yeah, those idiots at GE, what are they thinking spending millions of dollars on something like that when they could have been using rustoleum? /sarc

This is not paint, it's actually metal. The resulting part should be just as strong as a cast or milled version. That's the whole point of this technology - to repair worn out parts. According to the article the first application is in oil and gas drilling.
 
The resulting part should be just as strong as a cast or milled version.

And that is the 64 dollar question... is it in fact just as strong. I know they got engineers and scientists way smarter than me, but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around how that spraying metal particles will be stronger than a bond form when a piece of metal is melted and allowed to cool either in a cast or later milled.
 
How does the metal know where to bond to build the part, this some kind of physics trick at play?
 
How does the metal know where to bond to build the part, this some kind of physics trick at play?

Well GE developed the technology (or bought it from someone who did) so you know they're not going to tell you shit, and they have all the IP rights to anything remotely related to it well before that video hit the internet.
 
Well GE developed the technology (or bought it from someone who did) so you know they're not going to tell you shit, and they have all the IP rights to anything remotely related to it well before that video hit the internet.

Knowing GE, they will probably license out the tech 5 years after ROI.
 
Yeah, those idiots at GE, what are they thinking spending millions of dollars on something like that when they could have been using rustoleum? /sarc

This is not paint, it's actually metal. The resulting part should be just as strong as a cast or milled version. That's the whole point of this technology - to repair worn out parts. According to the article the first application is in oil and gas drilling.


I do realize it's not "rustoleum"..... And I also realize that in the world of physics, a part made out of a solid piece of steel will always be stronger than some "cold spray" metal flake imitation... Article mentions NOTHING about strength testing... Cool idea, wrong implementation...
 
Sounds like the kinetic energy of each metal particle is converted to just enough thermal energy on impact to actually weld itself into place. Not too far fetched an idea, is it?
 
I do realize it's not "rustoleum"..... And I also realize that in the world of physics, a part made out of a solid piece of steel will always be stronger than some "cold spray" metal flake imitation... Article mentions NOTHING about strength testing... Cool idea, wrong implementation...

I don't think it's the same process but there's already something similar that uses a high strength epoxy to similarly spray on very fine metal powder to build up work pieces. It's not as strong as whole metal, but it's not weak.

I'm not sure this is the "wrong implementation" if it's going to make them a bunch of money and provide some use for industry?
 
Thats actually pretty old tech .
Back in 80's had a machine shop and they were going around offering this tech . At time was mainly for adding X thousands of inch of a another metal on top of what you have .

You could for example have a soft shaft and then coat it with a much harder material for wear or whatever reason . You could also repair with it too , like if a bearing spun on the shaft grooving it .

It could come in handy depending on your needs .
 
Sounds like the kinetic energy of each metal particle is converted to just enough thermal energy on impact to actually weld itself into place. Not too far fetched an idea, is it?

It's cold sintering. The kinetic energy turns into energy to bond the atoms together at the molecular level (or heat energy which THEN bonds the atoms together). The energy doesn't necessarily have to turn into heat first, but it may. An ideal cold sinter would NOT turn into heat first, because then there are thermal distortions. The best part about sintering (even heated sintering, like we do with hard ceramics like Silicon Carbide or Tungsten Carbide) is that you can make exact net shape parts or very near net shape parts (usually surface finish is the only thing left to improve) because it's such a precise and accurate process.

As far as questions of strength, sintering is a direct molecular bond between the metals, so you literally couldn't tell the difference between a milled part and a sintered part as far as strength and properties go. Once you sinter two things together, they are a single piece on the molecular level.
 
I've enjoyed seeing 3D printers advancing over the years... however I'm curious to know how the world will react when millions, if not billions (China) being unemployed one day when the technology advances to the point where we can create most products easier, cheaper, and faster than today..
 
Yeah, those idiots at GE, what are they thinking spending millions of dollars on something like that when they could have been using rustoleum? /sarc

This is not paint, it's actually metal. The resulting part should be just as strong as a cast or milled version. That's the whole point of this technology - to repair worn out parts. According to the article the first application is in oil and gas drilling.


Haven't you figured out yet that all the geniuses inventors of world hang out here? Amazing how much research $$$ could be saved if they would only check with hardforum members first.
 
Would love to see stress testing. I know that MIM parts are typically not as strong as their forged counterparts.
 
maybe cheap ass parts, i don't think he would last with high pressure strength is required.
 
Thats actually pretty old tech .
Back in 80's had a machine shop and they were going around offering this tech . At time was mainly for adding X thousands of inch of a another metal on top of what you have .

You could for example have a soft shaft and then coat it with a much harder material for wear or whatever reason . You could also repair with it too , like if a bearing spun on the shaft grooving it .

It could come in handy depending on your needs .

Why do you put a space after each sentence?
 
About $3.52

a buck two seventy five ...

:confused:



but, this has been around for quite some time. all they did is add some cnc automation and refine the process.

im sure there is some sort of magnetic (for ferrous metals) or electrical field (for aluminum) in the nozzle that directs the particle stream, raster-scanner style.

wonder if there would be any benefit to sintering or tempering the part afterwards...
 
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