Nick Walker sheds some light on the world of 3D printing and its applications within automotive restoration. Read on to find out more.
It seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that the concept of 3D printing had to be explained to me. Which makes it all that much more amazing that just a few years later I would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t understand what it is.
3D打印已经很快就可以作为一种快速而简单的方法来创建所需的零件。现在，从濒危动物的假肢到抽象艺术的所有事物现在每天都用3D打印机生产。
尽管如此，3D打印机根本无法做到很多作品。
当然，3D打印机能够打印出1921年Bentley 3升传输的替换4档，但是该确切的物理副本是什么？即使使用新Filamet™铜或青铜丝打印3D，它也根本不会具有相同的强度，磨损和耐热性金属零件的特性。
将一个3 d印刷汽车传动装置是什么ideal for mockup purposes? Absolutely! But the unfortunate truth is that for the most part 3D printing has not advanced to the point that the specifications of that gear will be acceptable for use in real world applications.
Even if made with a much more advanced type of 3D printing process such as direct metal laser sintering, the cost would be astronomical and multiples would have to be made so that the part’s strength could be extensively tested before installation.
这意味着在无数情况下，3D打印不会削减它。而且，几乎可以在任何地方都需要具有高耐热性和强度的零件。
So what’s a person to do if they need a replacement part that meets the original specifications? Or if a custom high strength, heat resistant part is needed to improve on a particular design?
当然，答案是需要从可以充分承受应用到其上的力的材料中加工零件。
这正是实现埃里克·霍尔珀特（Eric Halpert）（不是他的真名），当时如何创建他对法拉利288 GTO的现代解释。与那些打算从一辆毫不振奋的大众甲壳虫，丰田MR2或庞蒂亚克·菲洛（Pontiac Fiero）建造复制汽车的人不同，这不是Eric的意图。取而代之的是，计划是将许多人认为是1987年的法拉利328 GTS，并将其“ Restomod”为“ Restomod”，并进入他梦dream以求的法拉利288 GTO。尽管无论如何都不是一项廉价的努力，但当前优质法拉利288 GTO的价值从$ 2,000,000.00到$ 3,000,000.00之间，RESTOMOD选项可获得更多。
为了实现他的目标，需要解决一些非常有趣的工程挑战。有很多，但也许最重要的是，为了降低汽车的重心并转换为干燥的污水池，必须从横向变为纵向，将328 GTS的发动机取向更改。在做出这一更改时，需要删除328 GTS的变速器，并替换为可以接受纵向安装的高性能发动机的变速器。
如果您没有汽车机制的背景，那么您可能不会意识到这样一个项目的认真程度。如果您确实有汽车机制背景，您可能会说，找到一种方法来赚取$ 2,000,000.00至3,000,000.00美元购买原始的Ferrari 288 GTO可能是一个更容易的目标！
After doing a bit of research, Eric settled on a transmission pulled from a Ferrari 360 Modena. In theory, a transmission from any manufacturer could be used so long as it had the proper gear ratios and could handle the power that would be put through it, but there was a strong desire to keep the car a Ferrari through and through.
Although both the engine and transmission were manufactured by Ferrari, no one had ever tried to mate this particular combination together. And there’s a reason that this is not something that is commonly done. As you can imagine, a Ferrari 360 Modena transmission doesn’t just mount perfectly to a Ferrari 328 GTS engine. So in order to mate these two pieces, a custom made, high strength, heat resistant adapter plate would need to be designed and created.
尽管适配器板本来可以用塑料打印出3D，但埃里克对零件的设计充满信心。即使从理论上讲，这部分可以使用直接的金属激光烧结制成，但使用这种方法制造适配器板的成本不仅非常昂贵，而且在规格方面也可能会带来一些未知数。
那么，埃里克（Eric）做了什么来解决他的问题？像任何优秀的工程师一样，他找到了一种使其正常工作而无需重新发明轮子的方法。
埃里克（Eric）知道，为了满足或超过所需的规格，他唯一真正的选择就是拥有一个由知名机械车间定制的固体铝制适配器板。快速的Google搜索和一些研究导致他Emachineshop, a reputable NJ-based machine shop who’s been making custom parts since 2003. Although eMachineShop offers free parametric CAD software to design and price parts, Eric had already asked his engine builder to take the necessary measurements and create the schematic for the transmission adapter plate as well as for an air intake adapter plate he would need using another CAD program. So he just submitted the files to eMachineShop for quotation.
埃里克（Eric）收到了报价，对它们进行了审查，并下达了他的命令。Emachineshop必须在磨碎零件上工作，并且在两个适配器板被运送到他家门口后不久。
It’s always a bit exciting to get a package delivered, but one can only imagine what it might feel like when that package allows you to mate a Ferrari 360 Modena transmission to a Ferrari 328 GTS engine and top it off with a horsepower-boosting cold air intake.
对于那些想知道埃里克（Eric）是否正在使用他的嵌合体prancing马上的任何3D打印零件的人，答案是：“仍然有时间和质量满足所需的规格。”尽管Frankenferrari项目仍在进行中，但汽车通过完成完成。因此，请睁开眼睛，看上去像法拉利288 GTO。如果幸运的话，您将能够听到3D打印机中伺服电机的抱怨的改良法拉利328 GTS发动机的喉咙咆哮。
