Good idea, I hope in a near future a similar company will ask for the review, I can ask same parts manufactured with CNC and SLM. (or maybe again PCBWAY(?) )

Sorry about the broken link, I can fix this only in 4-5 hours from now, when I get home from workplace.

Consumer "grade" is definitely there already. The problem is consumer "price". It's only reasonable for high end consumers who need custom parts. E.g. if you wanted a custom sprocket for your bike with a nonstandard number of teeth, metal 3D printing could make it for you at a price that is reasonable in the context of bicycle building. I'm referring to ordering parts from 3d printing services. Metal 3D printers are too expensive for ordinary people.

Most of the powder printers tech is tied up with a patent so unless someone comes up with a method that they open source or one of the patent holders makes a consumer grade machine we will be waiting over a decade at least.

SLM printing is not and will probably never be a consumer grade process. Beside the lasers and high precision optics, the materials are inevitably expensive due to the powdering process and the machines consume a lot of Nitrogen or Argon gases. In terms of use it involves handling very fine metal powders that are potentially risky for your health and can explode if mishandled. You need safety equipments and very clean work practice as well. Finally, making good quality parta in SLM is not trivial. There are way more elements/parameters to think about (heat buildup/transfer, sag, residual stresses and thermal deformations, annealing steps) to make a good part. This is aerospace grade technology and thus come as a premium. For more consumer / lower cost applications, binder / sintering methods (fdm with binder/powder blend or binder jetting on powder bed) seem more appropriate. But due to the equipment required and complexity of the binder removal/sintering steps, those steps are ideally used as a service. Some filament makers have developped that strategy (buy filament, then send part to their partner for sintering).

@@jcugnoni Also there will always be much less demand for metal 3D printing. Normal people need an order of magnitude fewer metal objects than plastic objects.

​@@frankbauerfula sprocket would make more sense to get laser or water jet cut, which I think is far cheaper than 3d printing metal. But clearly all of these things still aren't that cheap, even if it is less expensive than metal 3d printing.

In my case, it was 3 weeks (to EU)

:-)

Thank you, I am glad that you find it interesting. I was curious too.

@@MyTechFun as a designer it's (PCBWay) a useful resource for prototyping. Never have used them yet, because we have most our own machines, but great to see their accuracy. i may have missed it, but what was the turn around time from ordering to delivered?

It was approx 16°C

@@MyTechFun Temperature tests would be awesome to see on your channel if you also find that an interesting question. Mine failed at about 4 days of 15°-20°F...not sure what that is about -6° or 7°C? Love the channel. Glad to see you still at it all this time later. Congrats!

Yes, the cheapest option is if you can do it yourself ;-) But it is good to know the possibilities, if you really need something from Alu for example, you can do an order.

Yes, and I am sure, that they are not damaged during shipping. Packaging is great.

Yes, I agree. Probably next time I will design some custom lathe cutting tool, with some shape on it (like waves or similar..)

Good thinking, but stainless steel would be much better for this (with space for carbide inserts). But precise surfaces should be worked out. 3D printing don't have nice surface like CNC machined parts.

@@MyTechFun I was also shocked to see the deformation and warping in the parts. Must be from the sintering?? after file is printed?

Average Chinese SLM 3D printing service, I tried several (not EU or US, they are more expensive)

Same thinking we have. I already wrote to PCBWAY about this request, I hope they will accept it. Alu and Stainless steel what I am curious about. At least 1-2 test objects (per material) shouldn't break the PCBWAYs budget ;-)

If you take a closer look of the surface, you will see how rough it is. Not good for accuracy as it is now. If we really need an accurate tool, functional surfaces should be smoothed.

@@MyTechFun Figured as much but if the diameter is precise and concentric then custom flat-bottom countersinks, annular cutters and other things that are easy to sharpen could be a real possibility as for most cutters the shape/flutes tend to be the most complex part and the actual cutting edges tend to be relative simple by comparison.

Already suggested earlier and wake up my curiosity, sooner or later I will test this. About heat threat, probably not.