Super Discovery: Very Large Format 3D Printing for military UAVs

After reading the title of this post, you may be thinking that the Super Discovery is merely a very large version of a standard 3D Production System.

Well, this is not the case: Some of the Super Discovery’s specifications are a bit unusual for 3D Production Systems. The minimum layer size, for example, is 0.5 mm, which may be perhaps not surprising. But the largest possible layer size, one that might be used when 3D printing large items, is 10 mm.

The manufacturer has installed a hot end that is capable of hitting an astonishing 450 ºC, making the Super Discovery able to attempt 3D printing of many strong engineering materials... in huge sizes. Their high-performance material capability is extremely interesting because it opens up the possibility of 3D Printing large production components for military UAVs, among other applications.   

This enormous 3D printer that uses pellets as input material, is developed and produced in Spain by a company that began developing 3D Printing technology five years ago. Prior to that, and still occurring, is their marketing of other manufacturing equipment, including CNCs, lasers, and the like.

What is the price of this massive machine? Well, it depends, because each machine is custom built. But you will find more info at:

http://integral3dprinting.com/impresoras-3d/gama-discovery-3d-printer/super-discovery/

Enhancing aerospace engineering students' learning with 3D printing wind‐tunnel models

The purpose of this paper is to present the benefits offered by Rapid Prototyping (RP) models for wind‐tunnel testing as part of fourth‐year aerospace engineering student projects.

Ways of overcoming some of the difficulties associated with the 3D Printing Technology are also discussed.

(Read more)

Additive Manufacturing to create metallic glass alloys

Researchers have now demonstrated and exposed in the paper "Additive Manufacturing of an iron-based bulk metallic glass larger than the critical casting thickness," the ability to create amorphous metal, or metallic glass, alloys using 3D Printing technology, opening the door to a variety of applications in the UAV industry, such as more efficient electric motors, better wear-resistant materials, higher strength materials, and lighter weight structures. The paper is published in the journal Applied Materials Today. The paper was co-authored by Harvey West, Timothy Horn and Christopher Rock of NC State; Lena Thorsson, Mattias Unosson and Peter Skoglund of Sindre Metals; and Evelina Vogli of Liquidmetal Coatings. The work was done with support from the National Science Foundation under grant number 1549770.

The technique works by applying a laser to a layer of metal powder, melting the powder into a solid layer that is only 20 microns thick. The "build platform" then descends 20 microns, more powder is spread onto the surface, and the process repeats itself. Because the alloy is formed a little at a time, it cools quickly - retaining its amorphous qualities. However, the end result is a solid, metallic glass object - not an object made of laminated, discrete layers of the alloy.