Roger Janssen of 3DX Printing gave us a really interesting insight into the world of 3D printing. His company will print three dimensional objects in metal. It is a complicated process and it goes something like this – You feed the printer a bunch of instructions, fill up the hopper with little metal balls, push the start button and magic happens. Then out comes a three dimensional object, with luck the one that you wanted. Well maybe not exactly that way.

This is known as an additive process. It all starts with powdered stainless steel balls 30,000 microns (.0004”) about the diameter of a human hair, we’re told. Then this magic machine “prints” layers of these balls bound with super glue only stronger, until the object is complete. Then it bakes at 385 degrees for 35 minutes or until done. Well seriously this reporter failed to note the exact temperature and time required. This is done to allow the object to cohere. It is sifted out of the bin of all those billions of stainless steel balls, taken to a real oven – more like a furnace and roasted until it is solid metal.

The advantages of this process are at least four in number: 1. it solves problems 2. It gives the customer a competitive advantage. 3. It creates opportunities and 4. It fuels innovation. It is not a cheap process costing from $1 to $7 per gram. But it does things that are more costly and time consuming in the old way a subtractive process in which you take a block of metal and whittle away until you get the shape you desire.

One example Mr. Janssen gave was the GE ELAP engine. GE now prints the fuel nozzles for these jet engines, creating a lighter, stronger nozzle in a faster time. GE-with all its deep pockets, built their own 3D printers. 3DX did not; they bought theirs at a cost of over $1 million a copy. Certainly more expensive than the Canon desktop printers we are all acquainted with.

As stated, the presentation was in its way, riveting. Thank you, Roger Janssen.