It’s like a robot sculpting metal pottery:
Released last year, DMG Mori’s Lasertec 65 3D, uses two interchangeable heads to print then perfect metal parts. The first head makes 3D shapes by shooting metal dust onto a print surface and liquifying it with a laser. The machine then switches midstream to a 5-axis mill bit to smooth and perfect the part.
The company says their metal 3D printing method is significantly faster than competing methods. And by working mid-process, the machine can mill sections that are not reachable once the part is finished.
In short, the machine combines the flexibility of 3D printing with the precision of a milling machine to allow “additive manufacturing in milling quality.”
On the topic of 3D printers:
There’s a video of a 3D printed resin ‘Sand Beast’ here from the Netherlands which featured on QI a few years ago. It moves along via the power of wind and is ready-to-roll immediately after printing.
There’s also a video of a 3D printed concrete house here from China.
Heh.