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Improving 3-D Printing By Copying Nature

Posted by samzenpus on from the build-it-better dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Biologist Janine Benyus is excited about the 3-D printer revolution and she thinks it can be improved by modeling natural processes. 'Benyus, who wrote Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature and co-founded the institute Biomimicry 3.8, would like to see a transition in manufacturing—from big, smoke-belching factories to small, clean desktop printers. The key to making it truly sustainable, she said, lies in mimicking how a natural ecosystem functions. "Nature uses life-friendly chemistry, which is nontoxic and water-based, and which does not require high heat," said Benyus. In contrast, most of the products people use today have been forged in industrial-size furnaces, with a plethora of toxic solvents. A potato chip bag may seem like a simple item, but it is actually made up of several thin layers of different materials, one to make it strong, one to make it airtight, and so on.'"

10 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Nature uses life friendly.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Nature uses life-friendly chemistry, which is nontoxic and water-based, and which does not require high heat." So where is the water-based oil, coal and natural gas? What a load of hooey.

    1. Re:Nature uses life friendly.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They are called "sugars" and "vegetable oils". Plants and algae make them from water and carbon dioxide.

      They can be used as is or further transformed into alcohol or biodiesel, respectively.

    2. Re:Nature uses life friendly.. by 0123456 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Is there anything that hasn't 'been shown to cause cancer in animals'?

  2. But I like big, smoke-belching factories by drwho · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Great granddaddy left the crappy farm and came to the USA and worked in the factory. Finally, his family had enough food to eat, a roof over their heads, and people weren't trying to kill them every other week. But the factories are all going away now. No more forges, no more assmbly lines, no more smog, no more jobs. Unless you're lucky, and move to Silicon valley, and manage to strike it rich and not develop a disease, go insane, or burnout before you hit age 30. At age 30, you either reture to a beach somewhere on your IPO cash, or are shuffled off to jobs that can't keep up with inflation, as your job functions are moved overseas.

  3. More important than using recycled stuff by sandytaru · · Score: 5, Insightful

    -- is ensuring that whatever we end up using for our 3D printed parts can, itself, be easily recycled. The problem with a lot of hard plastics is that they're difficult to recycle. Using softer polymers in 3D printing, and engineering their structures to create the strength (as the article discusses with the abalone shells) will allow us to create objects that can be used until they are no longer needed, then melted right back into the tank for new stuff. Having objects made from natural materials is all good and well, but the material has to be suitable for the purpose. I don't think I'd want a gear for my car made out of wood chips.

    --
    Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
  4. Non-toxic? by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If nature does things in a "non-toxic" manner, it's only because other life adapts to the things that were toxic.

    Case in point: oxygen in the atmosphere

    I don't have a problem with sustainable practices, because that will be better for all concerned, but lets steer clear of justifying it with Gaianism crap.

  5. Please quite making asinine statements. by nashv · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate such noob statements ""Nature uses life-friendly chemistry, which is nontoxic and water-based, and which does not require high heat," These are essentially teleological arguments.

    Nature (the environment) uses what is available. Life evolves to survive, or it ceases to exist. Simple as that. You are a biologist, quit with the Mother Nature-Goddess Gaia worshipping nonsense.

    --
    Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
    1. Re:Please quite making asinine statements. by drwho · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd mod you up.

      There's the whole problem of what is 'nature' and what 'use' means. Is not man a part of nature? Are we not just clever monkeys? The only thing outside of nature is the supernatural, but last I checked, neither gods nor ghosts were making much of anything.

      life-friendly chemistry. WTF does that mean? "nontoxic and water-based" - ok, so now it's all about what solvents are involved? Water is a great solvent, but right now I am enjoying it mixed with some ethanol. Than you, yeasts. Yeast is natural, right?

      What is the matter with high heat? Are you afraid of fire, Ms Benyus? I think you are. Fire from coal is pretty intimidating, for sure, but also very useful. Coal, iron, and steam changed the world but people like Benyus probably don't think it was for the better. You worship the sun, the wind, the moon. You don't want to think about the fire from the earth, the fire beneath the earth, energy that comes from other tan your god, Sol. You don't like coal, or petroleum, or nuclear power. But you won't tell yourself why. You just don't think they're 'natural'.

  6. Life-friendly chemistry? by PPH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I know of a few animals and plants you'd better not mess with or risk getting sick/dying.

    Why is it that the greenies always seem to equate natural things with healthy things? Nature will kill you, given half a chance.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  7. Janine Benyus is not a biologist by brillow · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Janine Benyus has a BS in Natural Resource Management and english lit from Rutgers.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janine_Benyus