EOS filled materials that contain a hollow filler can reduce weight even more. Don Vanelli, president of EOS-owned Advanced Laser Materials, said:
For many years there wasn't much choice of filled materials on the polymer side: perhaps two or three, mostly nylon, with a choice of adding glass or aluminum as fillers. So we developed new polymers, as well as mixing, blending, or providing secondary processing to make them more usable for a specific application. We aim at low-volume production parts and single customized production parts.
EOS's aerospace customers are now fully utilizing a printer's capacity, helping to make parts less expensive. Vanelli said:
If I turn the machine on and build one part that uses only 10 percent of the space, I could theoretically add another nine parts to fill that space and increase efficiency. Laser sintering has become a viable way to make end-use parts, not just prototypes, so demand is increasing, and the cost is going down. Also, on the hardware side, machine scanning speeds and accuracy are going up, so the time to build a part is getting shorter.
Customers are finding they can do parts consolidation because of laser sintering, said Andrew Snow, director for EOS of North America. They can reduce the overall parts cost and secondary operations for assembly or finishing, or secondary welding and brazing operations. Although the machines are getting better and faster, adopting the technology can also dramatically reduce parts count and inventory.
For example, Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems and its sister company, Northwest Rapid Manufacturing, used EOS's FORMIGA P 100 plastic laser-sintering system to build a complete UAV generator set. The set consists of a combustion engine that drives an electrical generator. It increases fuel capacity with a plastic tank design that maximizes available space and incorporates both the fuel tank and its enclosure in a single part.
In other military applications with a medical slant, DARPA has bought some Stratasys printers for making scaffolds, rib spreaders, and other handheld medical devices used by doctors on the front lines. DeGrange said:
They want to see if it's possible to send a file to a printer in an Afghanistan tent city, build the tool in the machine, and make sure they're sterile. They're working with a special material that can compound particles such as silver into the plastic to kill bacteria.
In Stage 1 studies, DARPA is using Stratasys's uPrint machines to test the concept and the material, but wants to shift to smaller Mojo printers that can run off a HUMVEE's DC power. That would let the technology be deployed in mountains or other remote areas not only in tent cities. "We already have medical-grade ABS plastics that meet ISO 10993 guidelines, but users don't typically run those on the uPrint or the Mojo," said DeGrange. Being able to print on-demand sterile medical tools could also be valuable for disaster areas, search-and-rescue efforts, and first responders.
Nice indepth account of how 3D printing is really changing the game when it comes to creating production parts from a wide variety of materials and in a much shorter time span. Beyond the implications in the aerospace applications you mentioned, Ann, the experimentation going on to use less expensive and more portable 3D printers in army applications, in the field, as a means of helping troops with extra parts they need or more significantly medical care is really exciting.
Thanks, Beth. The DoD's desire to make 3D printing accessible and useful for soldiers is apparently one of the main forces behind the formation of NAMII, the additive manufacturing initiative/consortium we covered: http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1392&doc_id=251513
Seems like the dual forces of interest from the DoD and the commercial business sector could do a lot to advance the cause of 3D printing and additive manufacturing well beyond where it is today. Couple that with all the activity on the consumer front and you've got the real makings of a market.
I agree--the fact that 3D printing, in all its variety, is now on the radar of so many people and organizations bodes well, as does the spread of machines, and more and more materials, across the different market segments.
I really like the new materials. that's been my fascination with 3D printing thus far. The software advancements are good, but the materials determine what you can make. Wonder what's next?
One more thought. One thing that comes to mind to me, being an ex-machinist is the precision i.e. tolerances they can hold. I am betting they get better at that. You can print something all day long with whatever material, but if you can't hold certain tolerances then it isn't good for precision work.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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