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I know that these key cartridges are NLA and have been for a long time, but I was wondering how difficult it would be to have a copy made in a 3D printer. I know nothing about 3d printers other than the most basic, and I realize that the key cartridge would have to be taken apart since it has internals.
I know I have come accross a couple of topics of people who have made their parts in a 3d printer. Does doing this sound possible?
Problem is the technology is not to the point where its as simple as putting the part in the box and pushing the copy button. You'd first need to get a high-resolution 3D scan, then most probably a CAD technician to clean up and "tweak" the file, perhaps a few iterations before you had a satisfactory copy. The cheapest 3d printers use a fused deposition process, basically melting a plastic wire, which results in a bit of a rough surface that then has to be tumbled and/or hand-finished which also adds to the final cost. (and may not be the right material for every application). It can be done, but still kind of labor intensive for one part and thus can get expensive to pay someone to do it for you. Perhaps someone will have a contact for you to get an estimate.
What I expect to see in the near future however is that the all-in-1 machines like the Da Vinci that both scan and print are coming down in price now to the point that hobbiests who restore their own cars will start buying them (not just Jay Leno), learning the software, developing parts on their own and then sharing them via sites like Shapeways. I've been thinking along these lines to become an early adopter myself but like the auto industry in the early 1900s, there's a bazillion manufacturers, models and technologies right now and its hard to figure which one is going to be around for a while to support their product. I expect also that the same business model for paper printers will be prevail, sell the printers themselves real cheap and then rape you for the price of proprietary refill cartridges.
I am still hoping there may be an opportunity to 3d scan this. I have an engineer who is also Master CAD tech who can do that part for free. Just need to find somewhere to "3D" scan and then actually 3d print here in Houston
BCC9959 key cartridge...3D printer ?
