Schlagwort: 3D Printing in Space

  • ESA Now Testing a Prototype Microgravity 3D Printer

    ESA Now Testing a Prototype Microgravity 3D Printer

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    The European Space Agency (ESA) is testing a 3D printer designed to work under microgravity and fabricate with engineering polymers featuring high end mechanical and thermal properties.

    A prototype 3D printer capable of printing in microgravity has been handed over to the European Space Agency (ESA) for use on the International Space Station (ISS).

    Developed by leading Portuguese 3D printer manufacturer BEEVERYCREATIVE and an international consortium of partners, the microgravity 3D printer has been two years in the making.

    The goal of the MELT project — Manufacturing of Experimental Layer Technology — is to design, develop and test a fully functional 3D printer that can work under the microgravity conditions on the ISS (International Space Station).

    It must be capable of 3D printing demanding engineering polymers with high end mechanical and thermal properties. And it needs to be simple enough to operate and maintain by astronauts on board the ISS.

    The international consortium, made up of Portugal’s BEEVERYCREATIVE, Germany’s SONACA Space, Germany’s OHB-System and Portugal’s  Active Space Technologies has now delivered their prototype machine  to ESA for testing.

    ESA
    ESA

    ESA is Going to MELT Plastic in Space

    Moving forward, BEEVERYCREATIVE plans to leverage the knowledge gained from the MELT project into developing a new, industry-oriented 3D printer for product development needs and rapid prototyping.

    This new printer is being developed by the Portuguese start-up with the support of Instituto Pedro Nunes, who are a member of ESA’s Network of Technology Transfer Brokers. They facilitate the commercialization of space technology in non-space markets, and disseminate the best and most promising space technologies and competencies of Portuguese space companies and academies.

    The institute also coordinates the ESA Incubation Center in Portugal, where startups that transfer space technology to terrestrial sectors are supported, as well as new companies wishing to enter the commercial space market, called New Space.

    The new 3D printer from BEEVERYCREATIVE will be aimed at industries like automotive, footwear, electronic and many others, who require rapid prototyping with high-end properties, ease of use, material diversity and design flexibility. Overall, these industries will benefit from time and cost reduction in the product development processes.

    esa
    esa

    Source: BEEVERYCREATIVE

    License: The text of „ESA Now Testing a Prototype Microgravity 3D Printer“ by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

    Subscribe to updates from All3DP

    You are subscribed to updates from All3DP

    Website: LINK

  • Made In Space Receives NASA’s “Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year” Award

    Made In Space Receives NASA’s “Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year” Award

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    NASA’s Johnson Space Center this week awarded Made In Space, the space manufacturing company, with the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award for performing well on every NASA contract.

    Made In Space is responsible for the Additive Manufacturing Facility which was sent into orbit in March 2016. As a result of their hard work, Made In Space has won the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this week.

    The Additive Manufacturing Facility is a second-generation 3D printing device. Both modular and upgradable, it can be adapted during long missions to new technologies. Now, it has been a permanent fixture aboard NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) for two years.

    Although it’s owned by Made In Space, NASA and partners use it. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which nominated Made In Space, oversees Additive Manufacturing Facility operations.

    The Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award is given to companies which work cooperatively, are responsive to contractual agreements and perform well on every NASA contract.

    “We’re honored to win this prestigious award… We’re grateful for NASA’s confidence in our team and look forward to success with AMF and other programs for many years to come,” said Mike Snyder, Made In Space co-founder and chief engineer.

    Made In Space
    Made In Space

    Digitally Launching 3D Models into Space

    The space manufacturing company state in a press release that the integration and operation of the Additive Manufacturing Facility would not have been possible without ISS crew members and Johnson and Marshall Space Flight Centers’ support.

    Once a print is created, it is put into the print queue before being “digitally launched” to the printer on ISS. The Additive Manufacturing Facility then prints using multiple feedstock polymers. For example, ULTEM (PEI/PC), ABS and Braskem Green PE.

    Impressively, Made In Space has manufactured over 100 parts for government and commercial customers using the Additive Manufacturing Facility which it operates on a weekly basis.

    So far, on-orbit manufacturing has resulted in spare parts, complex tools, medical devices and multi-part assemblies. One such print was radiation shields.

    Read more about Made In Space on All3DP or visit their website to find out more about their work.

    Source: Press Release

    Made In Space
    Made In Space


    Website: LINK

  • 3D Print Your Own Tricorder from the TV Series “The Orville”

    3D Print Your Own Tricorder from the TV Series “The Orville”

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    A Reddit user 3D modeled and printed a replica comscanner from Star Trek inspired TV series The Orville without having anything to base his dimensions on other than screenshots from the show. 

    Any fans of The Orville, the American sci-fi comedy-drama inspired by Star Trek, will know the difficulty of procuring memorabilia. The show, which was created by and stars Seth MacFarlane (known for the “Family Guy”), was premiered in the fall last year. By some, it is considered to be truer to the lore and legacy of Star Trek.

    But, it’s not yet as popular as Star Trek… meaning there are no collectibles, replicas or souvenirs available other than those which have been made at home.

    One such impressive DIY replica is from Reddit user JohnSmallBerries who created the Orville communicator from scratch using Blender, a 3D printer, some paint and a few LEDs. This feat is particularly impressive considering the fact that John had no official measurements to go off.

    His work is based entirely on screenshots from the show. John jokes, “Had to guess at the scale, since they inconsiderately failed to write an episode that required a character to hold a ruler next to a comscanner, but it looked about the size of a large cellphone.”

    Comscanner
    Comscanner

    From 3D Printed Parts to Realistic Comscanner

    John used Blender to model the design, Cura for slicing and an Ultimaker 2+ for 3D printing his parts which he describes as “pricey, as FDM-style 3D printers go, but fantastic print quality and reliability”.

    He printed with 0.12mm layers to save time on printing. But, he adds it’s possible to go down to 0.02mm layers to minimize sanding time. However, he was on a time crunch as he wanted his Orville communicator ready for C2E2, the 2018 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, which is taking place from the 6th to 8th of April.

    After printing, John smoothed and painted the parts. Just sanding the outer surfaces smooth took over 20 hours. He adds: “If I had a resin printer, I probably wouldn’t have had to do any sanding, but they’re a bit out of my price range.”

    Comscanner
    Comscanner

    The device uses two LEDs for the scanner screen and four for the main screen. To power the LEDs, he used a 12-volt A27 battery. The interior also has a spring-assisted retractable display and a screen-accurate user interface.

    However, John adds that the assembly of the interior is messier than he’d hoped but “at least it works”. He also designed a holster to make the comscanner practical to carry around. The holster is also based on the show and lined with felt to prevent it from scratching the scanner’s paintwork.

    John explains that, in total, he spent under $30 for parts and materials. However, it’s a time intensive project taking around a week to complete. He’s now in the process of tweaking the design and will then make it available for download on Thingiverse.

    Source: Hackaday

    License: The text of „3D Print Your Own Tricorder from the TV Series “The Orville”“ by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

    Subscribe to updates from All3DP

    You are subscribed to updates from All3DP

    Website: LINK

  • Austiwawa 3D Prints and Launches CO2-Powered Rockets with Onboard Camera

    Austiwawa 3D Prints and Launches CO2-Powered Rockets with Onboard Camera

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    A popular YouTuber named Austin used 3D printing to create rockets that launch with compressed CO2. He tried to modify the rockets to include an onboard camera, and his entire trial and error process was captured on video.

    Not only is 3D printing technology being applied to industries across the world, it’s also commonly used to take us beyond orbit. From experimentation on SpaceX’s Dragon to 3D printed rocket engines used to deploy satellites, 3D printing technology has helped reignite the exciting space race.

    But you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to 3D print and fire up your own functional projectile. There are plenty of projects and experiments out there for those who want to launch DIY 3D printed rockets.

    One of the latest attempts come from Austiwawa, a popular YouTube channel with 43k subscribers, created by an adventurous maker named Austin. Most of his videos feature interesting DIY projects that involve a mixture of electronics, engineering, and of course, 3D printing.

    One of Austin’s most popular uploads is a video in which he makes 3D printed rockets and launches them using CO2 cartridges. In his latest video, he tries modifying this creation by installing both mini pen and USB cameras.

    Rather than 3D printing a brand new rocket, Austin opted to make an extension piece for his existing design. His rockets were 3D printed on a Creality CR-10, and operate using a spring-loaded firing mechanism and 12 gram CO2 cartridges, the same that are normally used in paintball or airsoft guns.

    Unfortunately, the 3D printed rockets weren’t successful at capturing much usable footage, but the project makes for an interesting showcase of trial and error, as you can sense Austin’s refusal to give up throughout the 13-minute video.


    CO2 Rocket

    3D Printing Mini Rockets for CO2 Lift-Off

    Although the first, second, or even the third tests didn’t work out as planned, Austin went back to the drawing board to come up with some improved rocket designs.

    After the initial failure, the YouTuber modified his rocket design to include longer fins and space for the CO2 container at the top, changing the center of gravity. He tried out three varying designs equipped with different sized nozzles. Next, he tested out which design would work best before mounting the camera.

    This time around, rather than using a pen camera, Austin opted for a USB camera. After further testing, he decided to attempt new modifications to the rocket design, but kept facing issues with the 3D printed rocket.

    Austin attributes this failure to the fins not cutting through the air enough to keep the rocket stable, while the footage is compromised due to the rocket’s continuous post-launch spin. Finally, after seven unsuccessful trials, he decided to switch from the DIY rocket to a model rocket to see if it would offer more stability to the camera.

    This model rocket held the unused pen camera and managed to launch upright, unlike most of the more inconsistant 3D printed versions. Strangely enough, once launched, this rocket was never found, providing a suspenseful and humorous ending to the video. However, on this final attempt, we do get to see some exhilarating footage before the rocket spins out of sight.

    Unfortunately, Austin was unable to capture any worthwhile footage from the 3D printed CO2 rockets. We still certainly admire his perseverance, which is necessary with advanced DIY projects like this one.

    Needless to say, with just a little bit of patience, creativity, and a 3D printer, you can also watch your own DIY projects soar high into the sky.

    If you have any tips or suggestions for Austin, he asks that you kindly leave them in the comment section of his video, which you can watch below.

    Source: Makezine

    Website: LINK