Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert Mariner
How much space could be conserved if a time traveling BEM brought back the plans for a 3D printer to be incorporated into the mobile fabrication shop?
|
Not that much. Even assuming you can print plastic parts in a 3D metal printer, you still have at least three machines, each measuring about 3' x 3' x 2', the printer, the debinder, and the furnace. In many cases you need to polish the surface smoother, so you need a machine for that. This setup only lets you make items that fit in an approximately 12" x 7.5" x 7.5" envelope.
The other factor is supplies. The 3D printer would require specialized materials to make anything. More traditional machines could work scavenged metal by cutting, grinding, or even rough milling the outside to get to the good metal in the center.