3 d printers and bumper guards...?

S

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
Is this the next innovation in tennis?

depending on the hardness of the plastic used, wouldn't this be the next logical development?

even fairly sophisticated 3d printers are now under $1000.00 and decent ones are even under $500.00.

every racquet has a unique bumper guard design, but I doubt seriously they are patentable. all it would take is one photograph.

even more, butt caps, grommet strips, individual grommets for older designs, handle pallets., etc. etc. etc.

thoughts? ideas? is anybody doing this already?

Will we be replacing bumper guards with every string job soon?
 
my school uses them... machines are reasonable.. the expense is the filament. and to make a durable head guard from one would require the a denser material which i assume is available but pricey.
 
And you could make the same one and play around with weight.

A pro shop could buy a machine and make and sell you official copies.
 
What would be the benefit though? I can't think of a single one. Grommet sets are $5-$8, so unless you have a 3D printer sitting around, love modeling bumper strips in CAD or 3D Studio, and extra filament sitting around, it doesn't seem like it would do abything.
 
You could play around with weight and colour with a printer.

It could also be done on the spot and grommets for racquets seem to disappear after a racquet is discontinued.
 
Well you have to model the bumper guards yourself, so for discontinued rackets it wouldn't help unlees you had a extra set laying around. And yes, you could have them "3d scanned ", but that's not a cheap or readily available process at this time.

I agree that it sounds like a great idea. I just don't think it'll happen anytime soon except for a fanatic with access to all the equipment who wants to try it out as a proof of concept. So if that fanatic happens to be you, please update us here at TT!!!
 
funny. just yesterday i talked to another player about it since his bumper guard is busted and its an old racket so it is close to impossible finding a replacement.

we kinda liked the idea, mainly because we have access to 3d printers via our universitys and the prices are pretty cheap.

i dont think it is worth it on a relativly new frame, but i can see the benefit of older models.
 
I was thinking older models, but also pallets, etc.

fiddleing with weights, colors, a good idea too.

Just speculating on the future......the price of 3d printers is going to come down just like laser printers did...

and the filament is just plastic, right? the price of that is going to come down big time too..... just like toner, (mxrxtlxne . cxm $14.95 toner vs. $99 factory toner)

have a design that has built in channels for lead tape strips, etc.......
 
Bumpers guards? LOL They are starting to print kidneys now with bio cells why print a grommet when you can print a racket. It won't be long before you can download a racket and print it out, or design your own and print it out.

EDIT: I'm sure some of you are skeptical watch this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9RMx31GnNXY
 
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Soundbyte said:
What would be the benefit though? I can't think of a single one. Grommet sets are $5-$8, so unless you have a 3D printer sitting around, love modeling bumper strips in CAD or 3D Studio, and extra filament sitting around, it doesn't seem like it would do abything.
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There are many older frames that you can't get grommets for anymore. That is the main advantage. A lesser advantage is that you could make them in a color that isn't available.

Most inexpensive 3D printers aren't going to make them of the same quality as a molded part. Many also don't have a big enough build window so you might have to make them 2 piece instead of 1 piece.
 
Irvin said:
Self replicating 3d printers. On this page a guy used a 3d printer to print 3d printers for his friends.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/03/cartilage-printing-machine-wake-forest_n_2201930.html

Do you think you would ever need spare parts or tools if you were in outer space on a space craft?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aghzpO_UZE
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I doubt that a 3d printer can print another complete 3d printer. It's not just reproducing plastic parts to make the printer.

Edit: Yep, confirmed. You just print the plastic pieces. Metal framework and electronics still need to be bought. http://reprap.org/
 
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idono1301 said:
I doubt that a 3d printer can print another complete 3d printer. It's not just reproducing plastic parts to make the printer.

Edit: Yep, confirmed. You just print the plastic pieces. Metal framework and electronics still need to be bought. http://reprap.org/
Click to expand...

And how did they print a kidney? Maybe it was a plastic kidney. Point is nothing is impossible, and they guy printed a printer with an old CNC printer. I remember talking to someone 50 years ago and saying there would never be a flat TV you could hand on a wall. LOL
 
Irvin said:
And how did they print a kidney? Maybe it was a plastic kidney. Point is nothing is impossible, and they guy printed a printer with an old CNC printer. I remember talking to someone 50 years ago and saying there would never be a flat TV you could hand on a wall. LOL
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Well if it's the article I read the kidney they printed is the size of your thumb. It's a start but biology of this nature is not easy to scale up. It is great news since you probably can make replacement parts out of your own cells so no need to worry too much about your body rejecting it, but I don't believe it's anywhere near ready for general public use.

Back to bumper guards, sure it's a great idea but if it's a current model it's just cheaper to buy it. $8 got me the bumper guard and grommet set. For a 3D printer you have to factor the cost of sourcing the printer, the material, and spending the time to model the guard. If you screw up the model you have to do it again and waste more time and money. If you pick the wrong material the bumper will crack or break down in UV / humidity and have to do it again. If you get inferior material it just might not last as long.

So yes it's doable and fine if you have time and money to burn, but for a bumper guard it will be cheaper to buy. Kidneys, however, are not very easy to come by and people are willing to shell out quite a bit more than $8 bucks for a good working set so the cost of 3D printing one is not as much of a factor. It is generally way cheaper to stamp out or mold in large quantities than to individually create an item piece by piece.
 
Dimcorner said:
Well if it's the article I read the kidney they printed is the size of your thumb. It's a start but biology of this nature is not easy to scale up. It is great news since you probably can make replacement parts out of your own cells so no need to worry too much about your body rejecting it, but I don't believe it's anywhere near ready for general public use.

Back to bumper guards, sure it's a great idea but if it's a current model it's just cheaper to buy it. $8 got me the bumper guard and grommet set. For a 3D printer you have to factor the cost of sourcing the printer, the material, and spending the time to model the guard. If you screw up the model you have to do it again and waste more time and money. If you pick the wrong material the bumper will crack or break down in UV / humidity and have to do it again. If you get inferior material it just might not last as long.

So yes it's doable and fine if you have time and money to burn, but for a bumper guard it will be cheaper to buy. Kidneys, however, are not very easy to come by and people are willing to shell out quite a bit more than $8 bucks for a good working set so the cost of 3D printing one is not as much of a factor. It is generally way cheaper to stamp out or mold in large quantities than to individually create an item piece by piece.
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Ah... but I will argue otherwise...

If the technology gets to the point where grommets can actually be printed, I think outfits like Tennis Warehouse would prefer to "print on order" with license vs keeping a stock of a gazillion different grommet. A couple of big benefits...
  • Grommets are never out of stock or backordered.
  • Zero depreciating inventory sitting on the shelf.
I have my doubts that printed parts will ever have the same properties as fabricated ones but the potential of this technology is huge when it comes to inventory management.

The most interesting application is 3D printed food. Some basic protein, sugar and carb material and the printer does the rest.
 
Irvin said:
And how did they print a kidney? Maybe it was a plastic kidney. Point is nothing is impossible, and they guy printed a printer with an old CNC printer. I remember talking to someone 50 years ago and saying there would never be a flat TV you could hand on a wall. LOL
Click to expand...

Again, printing a "kidney" isn't the same as electronics. I'm sure if you were well-versed in the construction of transistors to build logic and microprocessors, that you would be able to understand why it's not going to happen for a while. PCBs being made in a home have been possible for quite some time (see toner transfer and etching), but processors? Unlikely.

That's a nice story, but having someone that could very well be ignorant of future technology advancements claiming that something would "never happen" is a red herring to this discussion of whether or not one can totally replicate a 3d printer using only another 3d printer.

On topic, this would be a great advancement. Particularly, the idea of having a retailer such as TW getting licensed from racket manufacturers and printing to order is intriguing. The difficulty is getting manufacturers to agree. I'm sure in corporate's eyes: "no grommets = buy new rackets = profit"
 
idono1301 said:
Again, printing a "kidney" isn't the same as electronics. I'm sure if you were well-versed in the construction of transistors to build logic and microprocessors, that you would be able to understand why it's not going to happen for a while. PCBs being made in a home have been possible for quite some time (see toner transfer and etching), but processors? Unlikely.

That's a nice story, but having someone that could very well be ignorant of future technology advancements claiming that something would "never happen" is a red herring to this discussion of whether or not one can totally replicate a 3d printer using only another 3d printer.

On topic, this would be a great advancement. Particularly, the idea of having a retailer such as TW getting licensed from racket manufacturers and printing to order is intriguing. The difficulty is getting manufacturers to agree. I'm sure in corporate's eyes: "no grommets = buy new rackets = profit"
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In one of the videos I watched yesterday they said that in the future you could bring an iPad. Someof the big sponsors of this technology is NASA and many Fortune 500 companies. Open your eyes and remember I told you so.

Getting the manufacturers to agree? There are no patents on grommets. Scan one once and print it forever in any color or hardness you want. You can even put your own logo, name, or design into it if you want.
 
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If it is a concept that seems like it will make headway you can be sure the racquet makers will patent any future bits and pieces to control the printing of them, whether by a retailer or a consumer with a license to do so.
 
Irvin said:
In one of the videos I watched yesterday they said that in the future you could bring an iPad. Someof the big sponsors of this technology is NASA and many Fortune 500 companies. Open your eyes and remember I told you so.

Getting the manufacturers to agree? There are no patents on grommets. Scan one once and print it forever in any color or hardness you want. You can even put your own logo, name, or design into it if you want.
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Ah, a video said so huh? Media cannot always be believed. I've had experience in both Fortune 500 companies and in aerospace and know that they are not looking at 3d printers for anything more than printing replacement plastic or metal pieces. At this point, it's even risky to print gears because of all the shearing force present.

As a researcher and doctoral candidate, my eyes are quite open. You can believe the sensationalist media and interviews with people that are supposed to be SELLING their product. Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to work researching the future technologies that someone like you could possibly use in our lifetime! Thanks for the laughs, and remember that I told you so.

As for grommets, if they aren't covered by IP then that's great.
 
I know the companies have patented technology incorporated into the frames. But TBH, I can't see the Patent Office doing that for bits of plastic since they are not innovative, new application, etc.
 
esgee48 said:
I know the companies have patented technology incorporated into the frames. But TBH, I can't see the Patent Office doing that for bits of plastic since they are not innovative, new application, etc.
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It could be covered under proprietary intellectual property, so yeah not a patent per se but something already covered in a lot of manufacturing.
 
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