Originally Posted by
cashs_mom
I'm sure they are doing metals now. I'm also sure it's very expensive. 3D printing is fine for one off's. If you are having a part made for your own personal use and are willing to pay the price it's good, but for doing thousands of pieces its just not that cost effective now. Maybe at some point in the future the costs will come down, but right now . . . .
You'd be surprised at how few sizes of parts there actually are in Japanese machines, regardless of manufacturer. The hook drive gear that I need for my National Princess will fit at least a hundred other machines, so no, not a one-off at all. Zig zag gears and internal cams are other parts that are the same couple of sizes across a spectrum of machines. No, there will be a market for these parts. Even if some end up being made of the same substance they were originally, well, they lasted 60 years or better so new ones will last another lifetime.
Cari