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Some attempts at DIY laser sintering from 2010 with a 250mW laser, plastic powder and thermo-gel. It was noted that 1kg of powder costs about 3-5 Euro and 50ml of gel cost about 5-6 Euro. Since then some advancements were made by other in the field., but it is interesting to see early experiments.

GE is intensively researching and using various forms of 3d printing. This is new approach where they use "cold spray" technology to spray metal particle paint layers on metal part and form a shape. Since it can be applied on metal surfaces, it can be used to repair a part as well as make a new one. This could result in huge savings in complex metal parts repair or maintenance.

From GE site:

Spray technologies are particularly attractive for the production of large structures, which are challenging for today’s powder-bed additive manufacturing processes due to equipment size limitations. 

The cold spray technique has the potential to scale up to build larger parts, with the only limitation being the size of the area over which metal powders can be applied.
Cold spray—also known as 3D painting—demonstrates a unique marriage of materials, process, and product function which can, in the immediate future, transform repair processes for industrial and aircraft components such as rotors, blades, shafts, propellers, and gear boxes.

Since cold spray does not require heat, like common repair processes such as welding, it allows a repaired part to be restored close to its original condition. In GE’s Oil and Gas business, GE researchers are exploring cold spray as an alternate way to repair or coat parts involved in oil and gas drilling and turbo machinery.
Cold spray’s future benefits include extended product lifespan and reduced manufacturing time and material costs, all of which translate into significant customer benefits.

Source:

http://www.genewscenter.com/Press-Releases/GE-Researchers-Experiment-with-3D-Painting-to-Build-Up-and-Repair-Parts-43b7.aspx

Update:

here is the video about Cold Spray additive manufacturing technology layering process in super slow motion:


From video description:

See the Slow Mo Guys film GE researchers demonstrate a process called "cold spray", in which metal powders are sprayed at high velocities to build a part or add material to repair an existing part. GE researchers are exploring this 3D painting technology as an alternate way to repair or coat parts involved in oil and gas drilling and turbo machinery. To see the process on film, the Slow Mo Guys spray copper particles 10 times bigger than normally used for this process.

The author of Focus printer project concluded that it lacks technology and key parts for successful laser powder printing, he changed directions and developed it into inkjet powder 3d printer. He now uses ZCorp powder (similar to gypsum) and HP C6602 inkjet cartridges with water-glue-alcohol binder.







From project thingiverse page:

Focus is converted so it uses HP C6602 inkjet cartridges. It is currently hooked up so it uses only one nozzle and prints with ordinary Gcode. As soon as I have more results, I will get the right slicers and firmware to print more like a printer, but for now this will do.
It prints with Zcorp powder and binder. This works by printing with binder (water, alcohol and glue) in Powder (glorified gypsum) to make a model. This model is then cleaned and impregnated with CA glue to make the model strong. It works great, but since a new layer currently takes 30 seconds to deposit and I print with only one nozzle, even small things take forever. The maoi is 40 minutes, the creeper 30 minutes. Plans are already being made to make a new printer specially for 3DP powder printing that is at least 30 times faster, but this will take several more months.

Thingiverse page: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:151259

More details on inkshield and working with ink cartridges for this project:

http://nicholasclewis.com/projects/inkshield/theory/

3DP printhead with HP inkjet cartridge

3DP print results

3DP 3d printer