New FE Block, Heads, and Intakes on the horizon...

[Cyclone Joe]

or metallic printing, i know of a company that can print up to 762 × 393 × 393 mm for stainless steel

.  Thanks for the info!  Is the 762 dimension the Z or vertical build volume?  I've seen an Arcam machine that was a ~15"x15" platten but had a tall build volume, about that I believe. 

My new 3D printer is good for a 22" X 24" X 24" volume, using PLA, ABS, PVA, or nylon.  The foundry I work with is promoting 3D printed sand molds for castings (!), which is pretty cool.  Apparently they 3D print sand grains with some kind of a glue or binder, kind of the like the binder that holds airset sand together.

Jay, I've work with that type before as well.  The binder is somewhat fragile, then they spray a coating on it and bake it, which firms it up.  They're pretty neat.  We used them as form-tools in low temperature composite curing situations for a fast proof of concept and had good luck with them.

[Autoholic]

I'm not sure, as they don't specify but from the video I've seen of the company I think it's length. It's a powdered mental 3D printer that uses a binder to hold the metal together until secondary process solidifies the part. In a way, it doesn't matter. You can build the part on its side. I'd assume the X dimension because you always list in X, Y, Z. Length always comes first, then width and then height.

The company is Shapeways, out of NY.

[Cyclone Joe]

Joe,
Id never seen the one machine they're using as Im used to plastics, DMLS and EBM.  This technology is much different and I find it quite interesting.  It appears that it could have use for Jay as it actually prints the investment cast mold, and he could take it to a casting house ready to roll (so they claim).

http://www.3dsystems.com/quickparts/investment-casting-patterns

And it appears this could do the whole shootin match, assuming the material properties are sufficient.
http://www.exone.com/Systems/Production-Printers/M-Print

Thanks for sharing!
Joe

[Autoholic]

3dsystems also has the ability to print metal parts, out of titanium and stainless steel. Depending on the build envelope, you could print a set of heads with impossible design parameters. They might be able to do other materials too. Imagine a DOHC 427 FE with 4 valves... That is the magic of the 3D revolution, it allows one off production runs for a lot less money.

[Cyclone Joe]

Joe,
That's where there is the rub, even the 3DSystem is limited to 10.8x10.8x16.5in in DMP.  The Shapeways process could build parts but I dont know what you'd end up for material properties since its a sintered stainless that they then re-infiltrate with bronze.  Maybe it'll work?

EOS has the largest machines currently that do actual metal deposition and melting within the machine (either DMP/DMLS/EBM), which will yield the same wrought material properties for INCO718 and 625, various titanium alloys, niobium, a few different grades of copper.

I know the machine makers want to go bigger, but the technology just isnt there quite yet.  Itss getting there though, maybe in a few years.

[Autoholic]

But are there any companies that offer their services for such a printer?

[Yellow Truck]

I used 3D systems for some prototypes two years ago. I eventually found the name of the company they shopped the work out to in China and started using them directly. I did this because the finished product was very good (mostly CNC work), and 3D systems couldn't find enough ways to screw me up.

They shipped my parts to a competitor - TWICE. After I had a complete fit over it the first time, and got the strongest possible assurances it would never happen again, and how horrified they were at the mistake, they did it again. Then, some time later after I'd stopped using them, they shipped me parts for a different company.

On one of my orders they charged my credit card twice, and when I tried to explain to their accounting manager that they couldn't just process a credit, they had to actually reverse the transaction or it would incur several hundred dollars in exchange fees - USD to CAD - she asked me what CAD was. Now, many of you could be forgiven for not knowing the standard 3 character banking codes for currencies (USD, GBP, CAD, EUR, RMB, etc.) there is NO excuse for a senior manager in their accounting group to not know them.

Good quality work when I got it, and they were VERY convincing when they apologized - I gather they have a lot of experience.

[Autoholic]

Would you mind sharing the name of that Chinese company? I hate to say it but, Chinese work will probably be cheaper and sometimes just as good.

[Cyclone Joe]

Stratasys in Austin is great to work with.  Cal-RAM in the LA area have made good parts as well.

[WConley]

Jay -

Sorry for the late reply.  Joe explained the small holes in the siamese wall quite well.  On the 2.0L 4-cylinder engines we tested, the holes were only about .060" or so.  There were three, drilled fairly horizontally instead of at the angle Joe mentioned.

The NASCAR guys are certainly doing this to help with bore distortion ---> ring seal for a few more ponies.  It may still be worth checking out.

- Bill

[Yellow Truck]

Would you mind sharing the name of that Chinese company? I hate to say it but, Chinese work will probably be cheaper and sometimes just as good.

HLH Prototypes Co Ltd
Office: 1801 Xing Ji Building, Xin Sha Road, Shajing, Shenzhen
Factory: 2nd Floor, Bld 6, Hua Fa Industrial Park, 1st Fuyuan Road, Fu Yong Town, Bao' an District, Shenzhen,China
Tel: +86-755-82569129 Fax: +86-755-82569136
www.hlhprototypes.com info@hlhprototypes.com

What is nice is the manager (James Murphy) is English so talking to him is pretty simple. We had a few issues with them on some prototypes, but they fixed them very quickly.

[Autoholic]

Thanks for the information 

[Rich P]

This is great. I am very excited for any and all of this!  I would buy an offset block and some radical heads in a heart beat.
On another note if you wanted to make a canted valve or hemi style head or anything of that sort it can easly disguised under a SHOC valve cover and still keep that FE look.

[427HISS]

This is exciting news.
I'll jump on the bang wagon with others that I'm not wealthy enough to slap down $20,000 (++) for a engine, but to those of you that can, what an amazing motor it will be for you !

Now for us lower income guys. Like mentioned before, the newer FE and Side Oiler engine's today are almost out of reach for us to purchased.
The Shelby is way out of reach and the lowest price of $4,000 for the BBM a real stretch.

If indeed, we could get enough interest with Jay's block & heads, there's nothing in world that would make me happier than this combination sitting within the frame rails in my 427 Cobra replica.

Even if I could not afford this engine, this is very exciting for the FE world !   

[KMcCullah]

I think I see the reason for your financial issues.... DAAAMN dude! It's a good issue to have....