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Re:Printers Meant to Make Rockets by zdkl on Friday October 20, 2017 @04:50AM (#15514392)
I don't think that would be practical. I assume the volume to be milled out is pretty convoluted if you want yo do it mono-bloc. If you break it down, you're back to welding issues.

That said, I'm not a rocket scientist.

Re:Printers Meant to Make Rockets by Banthum on Friday October 20, 2017 @05:04AM (#15514441)
I just had an image of a bunch of insect-like robots crawling over and through a giant metal block, chipping away at internal spaces with precision cutting tools to produce the desired shape, carrying away waste material, like an robotic ant colony digging a smooth steel nest.
Re:Printers Meant to Make Rockets by jlebrech on Friday October 20, 2017 @08:29AM (#15515207)
they wouldn't have to carry anything, you can blow air into the cavity to get the material out. they could have wheels and drive up and down the cramped cavity with a drill on the end. in the end I think additive has won.
Re:Printers Meant to Make Rockets by Varcht on Friday October 20, 2017 @01:06PM (#15517361)
You can print voids then flow mill it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrasive_flow_machining