- Location
- Ontario Canada
ET Art used to machine supercharger impellers on his 5 axis machine so I'd say it's doable
Billet stainless props. Has it been done?
- Thread starter Jcary85
- Start date
wsuwrhr
Purveyor of the Biggest Brapp
- Location
- Alta Loma, working in Upland
Yeap, beautiful parts too, Aluminum, and waaaayyyy smaller dia. GodSpeed to him as well.
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
What 3d software are you using? I've been teaching myself 3d cad using solidworks for makers. It isn't free however it is much more user friendly than any other cad program I've used so far. I've tried most of them and found solidworks to be the best so far. But definitely like to hear other opinions.
- Location
- Glenmoore pa
I use fusion. Its manufacturing tools are very good. They all have their quirks and there are many I don’t like in fusion but I’m too invested now to easily switch to something else.
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
I've heard fusion is also really good. That's the one I haven't tried yet. But I've tried tinkercad, free cad and I believe onshape. All three were difficult to learn. We have solidworks at my job and was able to get a coworker to show me some basic things and I was able to figure out the rest.
wsuwrhr
Purveyor of the Biggest Brapp
- Location
- Alta Loma, working in Upland
Lets see a picture of that GT Fairlane
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
A thought that comes to mind is that stainless aftermarket impellers are in the 400 series stainless because they're hardened. To harden stainless there are only a few options, either work hardening it which is the result of essentially destroying the metal through friction and heat like burying a drill bit into the stainless and turning it cherry red, stainless with virtually a zero percent ash content which isn't technically hardening it, it's just very near impossible to machine, or adding ferrous metal into the stainless recipe so it can be hardened through tradition methods like 440 stainless knives. If you use 300 series stainless, it won't rust and if you notice inside the hub on most stainless impellers you'll see they do rust which means they must be in the 400 series and hardened to resist flexing, the 300 series stainless is not going to be a good option to resist flexing or wear from sand from the beach or whatever else goes through the pump. Also, if something like a stone goes through the pump tunnel, 300 series stainless being softer will take damage really easily. While I am a fan of 316, 304 or 303 stainless, it definitely has limitations and I don't believe it would make for a good impeller. It wouldn't surprise me to see the blades actually contort out of spec by quite a lot and rather immediately. Titanium would be an interesting test piece but the cost would be ridiculous. But I do like the idea of a billet impeller for the better control of accuracy and balance across the entire part.
In my biz pump shafts are always 400 or higher grade for exactly the reasons mentioned. We have had customers who couldn’t accept the lead time on replacement shafts attempt to copy them with non-harden grade stainless and every one failed resulting in more damage to the pump.
Anyone have insight as to the cost and viability of additive/printed titanium? Atherton mountain bikes use printed titanium lugged construction with carbon tubes in a high stress application, so at least in mtbing it’s cost competitive…