[Ducati Scotty]

Is this a mill or a 3D printer?  One day from CNC plan to part in hand is pretty cool.

Scott

[ace.cafe]

Is this a mill or a 3D printer?  One day from CNC plan to part in hand is pretty cool.

Scott

5 axis CNC.

[High On Octane]

Awesome Ace!  This is super exciting stuff! 

Just my 2 cents here......  I would still plan on making the full 535 version.  Initially.  Here's why.  First and foremost, you already have a lot of planning into the 535 design.  But more importantly, you are now working with new age equipment.  After you have a few 535s in use and overhead costs are cleared, it will be VERY easy to go back into CAD, redesign for the 500 cylinder with literally just a few clicks and a different valve train.  Hell, you could even do the 350 in time.  The advantage of CAD drafting and 5 axis cutting is that every head can be exactly the same, and then with a few clicks and a couple of hours time, you now have a whole new design with no more worries of new molds or anything associated with old school designing costs.

And Scotty is right.  With CAD 5 axis technology you be able to go from design, to cut, to build to bolt on in just a few days.

[ace.cafe]

Awesome Ace!  This is super exciting stuff! 

Just my 2 cents here......  I would still plan on making the full 535 version.  Initially.  Here's why.  First and foremost, you already have a lot of planning into the 535 design.  But more importantly, you are now working with new age equipment.  After you have a few 535s in use and overhead costs are cleared, it will be VERY easy to go back into CAD, redesign for the 500 cylinder with literally just a few clicks and a different valve train.  Hell, you could even do the 350 in time.  The advantage of CAD drafting and 5 axis cutting is that every head can be exactly the same, and then with a few clicks and a couple of hours time, you now have a whole new design with no more worries of new molds or anything associated with old school designing costs.

And Scotty is right.  With CAD 5 axis technology you be able to go from design, to cut, to build to bolt on in just a few days.

The 535 is the first priority because the larger bore is always better.
We will try to accommodate the 500 bore with the most minimal change, if possible.

Yes, I have already pointed out that when the CAD is done, the rest will come along quickly after.

[heloego]

Dude! This is exciting news! 
Ever since I got my C5 I've been drooling over this!

[ace.cafe]

For more in-depth update, see this link below.
You may have to scroll up a few posts.

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,20474.msg237890.html#new

[Arizoni]

For what it's worth, it takes a hell of a lot more than "a few clicks" to change a 3D solid model to redesign things.

I know because I spent over 25 years as a design engineer designing and making 3D solid models of jet engine parts and assemblies using the most advanced 3D solid modeling systems available.

I might also mention that the 3D printers make plastic parts.
The only way a 3D printer can make a solid metal part is to use the plastic part (with shrinkage allowances built into it) as the expendable mold for an investment casting mold.

The plastic part is melted out of the ceramic casting mold thru the gates and risers that must be a part of the model before the molten metal is poured into it.

[AussieDave]

Arizoni you may be interested in this .... I can't find the link on my mobile but at the recent airshow in Victoria a team from monash Uni displaced a jet turbine they had designed and printed with titanium alloy using a laser process they are developing ... I think the laser fuses together the powdered metals or alloys .. In any case there was a great deal of interest show from the large manufacturing sector .... People queried the strength of the product ... From memory I think it was stronger than a forging . I'll try and find the link when I get home .

[Ducati Scotty]

Arizoni, don't you know that everything in software is easy and fast to do?  Just ask any manager who has never done any of the work

I don't think I can count how many times something someone thought was a little change made me re-factor half the system while they kept asking, "What's taking so long?"

[armando_chavez]

id like to also add that there are 3d printers that print in metal

[ace.cafe]

Okay guys, we aren't going to 3d print, and we are going to try to do what we can with the one program to cut the heads. The different valve sizes should be able to be accommodated, or at least the bore can take a notch relief for de-shrouding. We will report and advise what we recommend for 500 use.

[1 Thump]

Okay guys, we aren't going to 3d print, and we are going to try to do what we can with the one program to cut the heads. The different valve sizes should be able to be accommodated, or at least the bore can take a notch relief for de-shrouding. We will report and advise what we recommend for 500 use.

Ace,
You probably already know all of this and have already factored it in but I thought I'd put it out there: Kevin Mahoney had mentioned at one point that the GT has "warmer" cams. I am guessing they have a higher lift than the the 500 cc UCE motor.....but I could be totally wrong. This might also influence which rockers you use, final lift, and need for notching the piston.

[ace.cafe]

Ace,
You probably already know all of this and have already factored it in but I thought I'd put it out there: Kevin Mahoney had mentioned at one point that the GT has "warmer" cams. I am guessing they have a higher lift than the the 500 cc UCE motor.....but I could be totally wrong. This might also influence which rockers you use, final lift, and need for notching the piston.

Yes, when the GT finally was released here, I pressed Kevin on the various rumors about the differences, and he said positively that the cams are the same on the GT and UCE 500. The only differences are the 535 bore size and the larger throttle body. And the larger throttle body is only about 2mm more.

But, regarding your point about different rocker ratios, that will be possible, and so that will open up the possibility to use other cams, as long as the max valve lift stays within  its maximum limits of around .510". 
With the 1.7:1 ratio we plan as std, it will use pretty much the whole available valve lift with the stock cams(.300"in, .280"ex, lobes x 1.7). Other ratios such as 1.6, 1.52,  and probably some others could be substituted. If some other cams from another vendor have compatible lobe lifts which could allow  them to use their taller lobes with a shorter ratio and still fit under the .510" valve lift limit, then it might work. At this time, I have no info on any aftermarket UCE cam specs, so I can't comment any further about that.
The rocker ratio might also be reduced if a lower performance level might be desired by someone, for whatever reason he may have. Several options of rocker ratios provide several performance stages to be easily implemented on the same head.
So, there is some inherent flexibility from different rocker ratios that could be creatively used for different tuning strategies, and easily done.

[heloego]

Thanks, ACE. Been following that thread, too. 

[nigelogston@gmail.com]

Wow   I just realised that I totally missed all the action on this string because, after being absent from the forum for  a while,  my attention was grabbed by the 535 head project string under the Continental GT bulletin and I did not look any farther .  All eyes on Roeland then.

Nigel Ogston