VPI 3D tonearm

I have no idea if the VPI tonearm is complex or not, or if it sounds good, but I do know that the 3D process allows for much more complex structures than casting or machining would allow. I also know, that after a given production, 3D printing is less economical. That production point depends on the cost of the tooling or molds required for other processes. However, that tooling or mold is required whether you build 10 or 10 thousand and can be prohibatively expensive to prototype, which is really the purpose of 3d printing, not mass production, at least yet. But, when you can tweak a design, and have a working prototype in a day, for little expense relatively, that allows a designer to try various options in something resembling their final form.
I just dont get why anyone would be down on Harry for building and selling turnables and arms when he could just as easily be buying stuff from China or making some other widget for Walmart to sell. Its his money, he takes all the risk, and is entitled to whatever profit he can derive. if you think you can do better, then take your own money, roll the dice and have at it.

+1 Manitunc

Manitunc

That production point depends on the cost of the tooling or molds required for other processes. However, that tooling or mold is required whether you build 10 or 10 thousand and can be prohibatively expensive to prototype, which is really the purpose of 3d printing,

The point here is that you can perhaps use drawings for existing or modified parts to input into the computer, but there is an equivalent to tooling costs in that the more complex the shape the longer it takes to design the part in order to get the information into the computer.

I am familiar with modelling and prototyping techniques, and the advantage of 3D printing (and laser cutting, and CNC machining generally) is that because nowadays almost all products are designed on computer it is possible to extract from the drawings enough information to quickly see what a product will look like with regard to its external dimensions, but to integrate all the various drawings of all the parts is a bigger task.

Peterayer

there are some complex shapes and sectional changes in the arm tube interior that are not possible to produce by other methods.

That would be the advantage - by incorporating webs, coaxial tubes, and varying wall thickness it would be possible to alter dimensions to increase strength and rigidity without adding to effective mass, while reducing resonance. What it appears is that the original drawings have been tweaked, rather than a new concept considered based on the technology. Which is fair enough, and a reasonable starting point.
J

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I am definitely am interested in this arm. As far as material is concerned, isn't Continuum tonearm using similar type of material? I thought somebody even mentioned in the past that Copperhead arm may actually be the first 3D printing arm or at least used some earlier technology along 3D printing line?

So far, all the account that I heard from people who attended the NY demo was all positive so I am a bit surprise at all the negative comment so far. I guess once the arm becomes available, I am looking forward to hear them at my local dealer and see what happen!

The fact of the matter is VPI, despite the hype and numerous upgrades, has never made anything more than an ordinary tonearm. Nice turntables, average tonearms.

Let's not expect anything different this time.