Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

3D-Printed Aircraft Tool Sets Guinness World Record (networkworld.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the world-record dept.

coondoggie quotes a report from Network World: A 17.5 foot long, 5.5 foot wide and 1.5 foot tall the 3D printed aircraft design tool has earned the title of largest solid 3D printed item by Guinness World Records. The 1,650 lb. apparatus known as a trim-and-drill tool is comparable in length to a large sport utility vehicle and will ultimately be tested for use in building the Boeing 777X passenger jet. Basically the tool will be used to secure the jet's composite wing skin for drilling and machining before assembly, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ONRL) who developed the tool. "The existing, more expensive metallic tooling option we currently use comes from a supplier and typically takes three months to manufacture using conventional techniques," said Leo Christodoulou, Boeing's director of structures and materials in a statement. "Additively manufactured tools, such as the 777X wing trim tool, will save energy, time, labor and production cost and are part of our overall strategy to apply 3D printing technology in key production areas."

29 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. I look forward to the day... by fredgiblet · · Score: 2

    ...when I can 3D print an entire plane for myself.

    1. Re:I look forward to the day... by ArylAkamov · · Score: 3, Funny

      But...you wouldn't download a CAR, would you?

    2. Re:I look forward to the day... by saloomy · · Score: 2

      This story is false, you can print yourself a house. Concrete is most definitely solid, and weighs more than 1,650 lbs. Airplanes will be next once the solution to print using metal powder comes to meaningful cost/quality. Well, the body of the airplane at least.

    3. Re:I look forward to the day... by iggymanz · · Score: 2

      I see your house, and raise you one 3D printed office building

      http://www.cnet.com/news/dubai...

    4. Re:I look forward to the day... by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      laser sintering of powdered metals for aircraft parts (and other engine and tool & die parts) has been done for quite a while..what do they define as "printing"?

    5. Re:I look forward to the day... by fredgiblet · · Score: 1

      You're implying that I haven't already downloaded a car. I've downloaded hundreds of cars.

    6. Re:I look forward to the day... by saloomy · · Score: 1

      Well played iggymanz, well played.

    7. Re:I look forward to the day... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I hope you've invested in longevity treatments as well.

    8. Re:I look forward to the day... by RabidReindeer · · Score: 1

      Considering that they've already 3-D printed functional rocket engines, I think that 3-D printing an airplane would a lesser challenge.

    9. Re:I look forward to the day... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      what do they define as "printing"?

      Something without the current secondary steps such as hot isostatic pressing (as with engine parts for a current Boeing jet) - which is really an update of old fashioned forging.
      Sintered powder parts are full of holes which really sucks for a lot of applications, so for those applications you do something later to remove the holes.

      The dream of 3D printing is to put powder in and get a part out without any other steps. Sometimes that's fine and sometimes that's either no good enough or the contortions required to avoid secondary steps just for the sake of it are not worth it.

    10. Re:I look forward to the day... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      I would be interested in a link to that. It seems a bit unlikely to 3D print that to completion - just as the 3D printed ABS "guns" do not include barrels.

    11. Re:I look forward to the day... by BenFenner · · Score: 1

      I was thinking the same thing, but this is the largest 3D printed tool. Only in the loosest sense would we call a house a tool.

    12. Re:I look forward to the day... by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      http://www.3ders.org/articles/...

      Not sure what you mean by 3d print to completion, unless you mean no other steps than printing and then using.

      As far as the ABS guns, my understanding was that the only metal parts were the ammo and firing pin.

      https://3dprint.com/139537/3d-...

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    13. Re:I look forward to the day... by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      http://www.acronymfinder.com/C...

      Not sure what you mean by CAR, but I would download a Car in a heartbeat if the technology was there to print it.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    14. Re:I look forward to the day... by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      Central African Republic of course!

      Who doesn't want their very own African Republic?

    15. Re:I look forward to the day... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Thank you for the link.
      What I mean is having to do subsequent forging on the powdered metal parts after fabrication. If that can be avoided (and I doubt it can as yet - even laser sintering leaves a bit of porosity) than that could be a huge cost saving on current methods.
      It's a huge deal because these materials are very difficult to work.

      The "liberator" (what an attention seeking manipulative prick choosing a name like that) stunt of a "gun" is more or less a small grenade shaped like a gun since ABS plastic is not as strong as many types of wood. It's impractical and an exercise in gaining attention and making regulators nervous in the quest for fame at the cost of fucking things up for everyone else. You could make a better gun with hand tools after a trip to your local hardware and a week or so learning how to use hand tools.

  2. so Guinness now has a section by rossdee · · Score: 1, Funny

    For the worlds largest tool

    and its much bigger than Anthony's Wiener

    1. Re:so Guinness now has a section by TimSSG · · Score: 1
      The category is world's largest tool; not world's smallest! So, Anthony might still be in the running. Tim S.

      For the worlds largest tool

      and its much bigger than Anthony's Wiener

  3. world's largest tool by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    is a better click bait title

    1. Re:world's largest tool by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      world's largest tool is a better click bait title

      The editors were worried that people would think it was a story about Donald Trump.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  4. So... it's a jig? by piojo · · Score: 1

    It's a jig. It holds things in place, like a glorified clamp. It may be big, but it's not very interesting.

    --
    A cat can't teach a dog to bark.
    1. Re:So... it's a jig? by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2

      Well, apart from being really really big which is in and of itself interesting.

      Also, jigs are an *incredibly* important part of manufacturing. And this shows that new tech can cut a serious amount of time and cost off the tooling.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    2. Re:So... it's a jig? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, check out the process for making a propeller from a wooden mold sometime. It's slow and expensive, and still done today. 3d printing could cut both the time and the cost of making the mold substantially.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  5. 17.5x5.5x1.5cm ? by MayeulC · · Score: 1

    Honestly, I have no clue what those values mean.

    For the curious among you:
    According to google, it is 5.33m long * 1.68m wide* 45.7cm tall. It weights approximately 748.4 kg.

    1. Re:17.5x5.5x1.5cm ? by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      Do they not have feet in your part of the world?

    2. Re:17.5x5.5x1.5cm ? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Do they not have feet in your part of the world?

      Pseudopods are a better metric.

    3. Re:17.5x5.5x1.5cm ? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Do they not have feet in your part of the world?

      Most of the feet in the world are much smaller than a foot, which is size 15 or 16 in the USA which is way way way up in the upper percentile — most shoe stores only carry up to about a size 13. My feet hit size 15 while I was still 15 myself, but they luckily stopped at 16 while I was 17.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  6. Largest solid 3D printed object by freeze128 · · Score: 1

    Why is the category for the largest *SOLID* 3D printed object? You really can't 3D print anything with a liquid or a gas... Is there some 40 foot 3D printed chocolate bar or pancake somewhere?

  7. I love the fact there's a Guinness record for this by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 1

    I picture a couple Irish dudes coming over... drunk as hell on Guinness Stout and some Smythwicks... "yep, sure is big all right (burrrrp) now where's the nearest pub"