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NASA's JPL Develops Multi-Metal 3D Printing Process
yyzmcleod (1534129) writes The technology to 3D print a single part from multiple materials has been around for years, but only for polymer-based additive manufacturing processes. For metals, jobs are typically confined to a single powdered base metal or alloy per object. However, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory say they have developed a 3D printing technique that allows for print jobs to transition from one metal to another in a single object. From the article: In JPL’s technique, the build material’s composition is gradually transitioned as the print progresses. For example, the powdered build material might contain 97 percent titanium alloy and 3 percent stainless steel at the beginning of the transition. Then, in 1 percent increments between layers, the gradient progresses to 97 percent stainless steel and 3 percent Ti alloy by some defined point in the overall 3D printing process.
Yep, I'd like to see that. Never-mind why, I just want to see that.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
I'm not an industrial/mechanical/aerospace engineer.
Are there any existing manufacturing processes that allow the creation of a metal gradient of this sort? Is this unique to 3d printed constructions?
I've got enough of an understanding of statics to grasp how it might be useful to transition from sturdier heavier components to lighter more fragile materials, so I could see how if this was new, it'd be revolutionary.
actual interesting things that "3D printing" can achieve, even though it's an industrial process that requires huge machinery and a factory floor and staff, ie not the common nerd dream of the lone geek in his garage with his 300$ hot glue gun and open source CAD.
This will hardly revolutionize anything except for a few niche applications were you can save 100 grams from some arcane strut in a rocket.
But I'll bet the Space Nutters already have their pants around their ankles flying a Full Space Erection because *now* we'll colonize the universe!
It was the lack of mixed metal bolts that was holding us back, dontchaknow.
Right now, you basically can't build a machine that can build itself, because almost all machines need multiple metals AND needs parts that touch but are not bonded. A simple motor for example needs metals that are magnetic and non-magnetic and also needs something that can spin.
With this technology, a machine may actually be able to create a copy of itself that does not need any other parts added, nor will it need human assembly.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
The Russian aerospace industry has been doing this for quite some time (the Soviets were incredibly advanced with their metallurgy, if not much else) but the process involved basically heat grafting progressively biased alloys onto each other, which proved almost impossible to automate and required a lot of manual intervention by incredibly skilled technicians along the manufacturing chain - it proved so difficult and expensive (even if it WAS revolutionary for the time), they only used the method on an incredibly small number of projects such as the MiG-25 jet interceptor and the early versions of the Soyuz rocket.
Many of those problems will not be resolved. The most important one, and one that will always be worse in the case of 3D printing compared to traditional mass manufacturing methods, is the extreme energy inefficiency. For example, when printing with plastic, a 3D printer uses 50-100 times more electricity than an injection molding machine making the same part, not to mention that it wastes a lot of material left in the print bed that's not recyclable as feed for the printer because its properties have been corrupted. Home and office use should also be discouraged because of the emittance of ultrafine particles. Want your place of living/work's air even more polluted? Source for these: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/3d...
There are other problems as well, including cultural ones. From the article:
3D printing might someday encourage a new kind of pollution: rapid garbage generation. Engineers being trained to respect their raw materials are taught "Think twice, cut once." When people get ahold of easy production tools, however, it’s easy to not heed that wise old adage.
Like we don't have enough of a throw-away culture as it is.
3D printing should only be used to manufacture objects which cannot be made by other methods.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
A separate metal for each nozzle.
The layout of the metals will need to plan for internal corrosion. Whilst, both titanium and most stainless steels have a corrosion proof film (it is why these materials are so useful, particularly when used alone), the use of two different grades WILL set up an electrochemical potential between the parts and this will provide an opening for corrosion to occur.
While the stainless steel transition to Invar may be a good idea, the stainless steel to titanium transition mentioned (hypothetically one hopes) is a bad idea. The fusing of the stainless steel to titanium will generate brittle iron-titanium (Fe2Ti) intermetallic compound.
I publish information about 3d printing and I've just written an article on the NASA website ( http://www.priximprimante3d.co... ), I find the process interesting even similar to previously developed by Irepa Laser technique.