3D printers.. Anyone play with them ?

[Ortin468]

Keeping it in the Locksmith industry, anyone play with 3D printers or have a practical use for them ? I can't see the plastic ones making cylinders just yet, but what about parts or other stuff ?

I can imagine spacers and shims maybe some trim.. Any other applications for the locksmith ?

[KPick]

I've seen 3D printers being used to make pinning trays.

[jeffmoss26]

We have a 3D printer at work. Mainly used for prototyping of products. I know a few people with their own Makerbots or similar machines. Micro Center even sells them at their stores!

[GWiens2001]

I've seen 3D printers being used to make pinning trays.

I have a pinning tray printed with a 3D printer, made by a friend who also printed out a couple of combination safe locks for me. And some key blanks.

There are a number of useful possibilities with locksmithing.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

Now that you mention it I recall what used to happen with those plastic credit card keys. They were a real money maker, both when being purchased and later on when you get to fish the broken pieces out of the car ignition.

[globallockytoo]

Keeping it in the Locksmith industry, anyone play with 3D printers or have a practical use for them ? I can't see the plastic ones making cylinders just yet, but what about parts or other stuff ?

I can imagine spacers and shims maybe some trim.. Any other applications for the locksmith ?

what about broken lock parts. Scan into 3D scanner, convert to CAD and print away.

Then there are pin tumblers (if you cant get the ones you need from a supplier)

discs for wafer tumbler locks.

push plates, kick plates etc.

Door stops

the list is endless.

[billdeserthills]

Good One Globallockytoo, yeah I bet you'll sell a truckload of plastic colored kick plates & I can't wait to see how many times you can insert a key into a cam lock with thin plastic wafers-ditto with plastic pin tumblers.
Let's not forget all the high quality plastic cylinders and tailpieces. Of course we could just skip on using plastic parts and not have endless callbacks for warranty service--Yes, that's what I'm gonna do.

[YouLuckyFox]

Though 3D printers are often used to make a plastic model that can be used to represent a prototype or aid in the speed of a part that will be sand-cast, 3D printers are certainly able to print numerous metal alloys:
http://www.3dprinterhelp.co.uk/what-materials-do-3d-printers-use/

I will add, though, that from what I understand 3D printers do not all seem to have the same tolerances, though many exceed the precision of some shop-room mills and lathes. It seems one of the major limitations on 3D printers is the manufacturing speed of mass-producing parts. This is generally because with removal processes like milling and turning, you are taking off less of the stock than you leave on; whereas in 3D printing you are constructing the entire mass of the object. Of course, as with a broken clock being right twice in a day, there are exceptions. Certainly though, there are some major advantages. You could NEVER make a hollow sphere with removal processes and casting it would not have the same precision as 3D printing. Another side note may be that the strength of the final material will never be close with any additive process than with removing material from a stock piece. There seems to be a lot on the table with regard to 3D printing, but I really don't know all about it that I could. Anyway, just wanted to clear that up about 3D printing metal. Here's an interesting article that I neither support nor disagree with:
http://gizmodo.com/why-3d-printing-is-overhyped-i-should-know-i-do-it-fo-508176750

[globallockytoo]

Good One Globallockytoo, yeah I bet you'll sell a truckload of plastic colored kick plates & I can't wait to see how many times you can insert a key into a cam lock with thin plastic wafers-ditto with plastic pin tumblers.
Let's not forget all the high quality plastic cylinders and tailpieces. Of course we could just skip on using plastic parts and not have endless callbacks for warranty service--Yes, that's what I'm gonna do.

Bill,

the point being that if you cant get the supplier provided parts in a timeframe that suits you and your customer, you could 3D print the items in a shorter time. So what if the parts only work for a short time? If they work until suitable replacement parts can be found....both you and the customer win.

Although, there are many manufacturers that make plastic parts for cylinders, Weiser comes to mind. Those parts seems to work for years, right?

And as foxy points out, 3D Printers are starting to come with metal alloy stock instead of plastic stock for production.

I know of automobile manufacturers who use 3D printers to create moulds for mass producing other parts. They can print a 3D mould in 1 day as opposed to the 2-3 moths to make out of other materials and methods.
Based on our cost concious society, people want what they want now for as cheap as possible. if you can supply a solution in two days instead of 3-6 weeks, wouldnt the customer come to you, instead of your competitor?

Just for comparisson sake, take for example the number of elcheapo electronic residential access control (keypad) locks available today. Compare them to the better quality Trilogy, well known for their quality and longevity. People want to have their needs met now, for cheap prices. They really dont care about a 1-2 year lifespan....which is obvious....otherwise everyone in the world would use Grade 1 products that are warrantied for life, no?

[billdeserthills]

Mold making would be cool, but I can count them number of molds I've needed and can't justify the expense for that,
I like the metal making idea until I envision a pot metal like substance but even weaker than normal--But maybe I'm wrong about the metal.
How many times could you have sold a one-off item? I can only think of a few & I make the parts on the lathe or milling machine and those parts have never needed replacement

[cledry]

I was thinking a practical use might be to make router templates and such.

[pbh4]

I built myself a mendelmax 3d printer a couple of years ago. Great fun and useful for lots applications but I would not think the tolerances would be suitable for pins, tumblers, kes etc. I get about 0.1mm accuracy.

The 3d part I use most is a plastic coin with a segment removed and a handle added that I use for picking the locks on supermarket trolleys so I do not have to remember to take a pound coin.

[Smrtz]

Then there are pin tumblers (if you cant get the ones you need from a supplier)

discs for wafer tumbler locks.

push plates, kick plates etc.

Door stops

the list is endless.

I feel like pins would be a bad idea. The resolution probably wouldn't be good enough, and in my experience the layers are still kin of, brittle? I don't know the word for it, but you can sometimes pull the printed part apart along the layer lines.. Keep in mind I've only got experience with hobbyist grade gear.

Maybe if you sanded each part down a bit to smooth it out. If someone wants to send me a model I'll try printing it and post my results.

[Squelchtone]

I don't know the word for it, but you can sometimes pull the printed part apart along the layer lines..

I think that might be called cleavage delamination, at least when applied to metallurgy and geology.

Squelchtone

[Smrtz]

I think that might be called cleavage delamination, at least when applied to metallurgy and geology.

Squelchtone

Sounds right, at the vary least it makes more sense than 'brittle'.