Talk:3D printed beehives

Concerns: How much does the plastic cost versus local wood? How much is heat used in beekeeping (heated knives to open honeycomb) and is it hot enough to warp or destroy the polycaprolactone build material used by RepRap etc.? Is it possible to build a (heh) honeycomb structure which maintains the outer surface contour of "standard" beehive components, and thus be compatible so beekeepers could mix-and-match printed versus traditional components in their hives? Using a hollow-but-reinforced printed structure could reduce weight while maintaining enough strength. But this requires research. A frame loaded with wax and honey has considerable weight. How much? How strong do the frames need to be to resist the load placed on them?

Surfaces: Can RepRap printed objects be sterilized to eliminate bacteria, fungus, etc which attack hives? Do they provide crevices for mites etc? And the big one: will the bees accept the material and build in printed hives?

Perhaps we'd be better off focusing on 3D/2.5D _routed_ wooden hives. A single CNC router could produce many many hives to be distributed in an area for the cost of the wood/plywood/MDF/OSB/foam material used to make the structures. Wolfrick 13:48, 27 February 2011 (PST)