I haven’t kept you up to date on the new things going on with 3D printing- you know, where you can “print” a real object.  Sometimes called rapid prototyping, sometimes called additive layer manufacturing, these “printers” can use cells (as in living things), plastics, or other materials to construct the desired shapes or objects.  The objects are “built up” by printing very thin layers repetitively- of the same material or different materials (to yield flexibility, strength, implantation, etc.) until the desired thickness is achieved.

Objet is one of the premier 3D printer manufacturers.  And, one of their R&D engineers has developed his own airplane.  No, a model plane (but parts for real airplanes can and have been made on 3D printers).

Shai Hirsch made his open truss masterpiece containing various parts- fuselage, wings, wing tips, canopy, and stabilizer/elevators.  The wingspan is 120 cm (which is about 1 cm for every foot of a real airplane) and its length is 70 cm  (about ½ the length of the new 737’s, using the same scale).  And, this plane weighs less than a pound (405 g), until we add the batteries.  The motor is 1400 KV, and the battery is 1000mAh.  And, all the moving parts have been produced via 3D printing, as well.

Up until recently, if you wanted to produce an object with integrated electronics, you had to print the object and then insert the electronics.  Well, a joint venture between Optomec and Stratasys may allow us to produce the products in one ‘print’.   They are working to include conductive materials within the print- with the development of a drone.   This drone will be 3D printed, containing conductive paths (instead of wires)- which should render the drone lighter and less expensive than our existing units.  The Optomec Aerosol Jet process affords one the ability to employ complex geometry using “jets” of material that are deposited on the object’s surface.   (The depth ranges from tens of nanometers to a few microns and about 10 microns wide.)

By the way, about a month ago Stratasys and Objet merged into one company- making this new entity the largest 3D printing company in the world (in valuation, about $ 1.2 Billion!).

But, you know there are many other objects that can be 3D printed besides airplanes- models or otherwise.  In the past, I’ve discussed the medical applications (artificial organs) and concrete fabrications, among others.  One of the newer areas that will be benefiting from  3D printing soon is dentistry.

Just imagine if the dentist can provide you with a crown or other prosthetic, without sending it out to the lab.   (For even more information about the potential for 3D printing, search for “printer” in my index to the right of this page.)

But, given my years of experience working with food and beverage (from water to pop to medical foods and kosher delicacies), I was floored at this new development from Dr. Liang Hao of the University of Exeter (England).    Called ‘Choc Edge’, this beauty can print 3D chocolate confections for catering, restaurants, or you!   One of the unique design considerations for this printer was dealing with the viscosity and temperature conditions of chocolate- which would be critical, since we plan to eat these objects.  (We don’t want to char the chocolate or destroy its delicate savor.) The first ten printers from ChocEdge, Ltd are being sold right now on eBay.  (The current price [as of this writing] is about $ 400, and the bidding ends on 4 May, 2012.  After that, the next printers will be available for conventonal purchase.  I believe they are using this eBay auction in an attempt to find the ‘perfect price’.  [You can find my article, What’s the right price for my product or service here.])

If these articles have tempted you to buy your own 3D printer, you can find a selection (with pricing and lead times) posted here.   But, I should also warn you that this 3D printing is a tricky process.  The produced part often needs a fair amount of ‘clean up’- unless you have sophisticated CAD/CAM software and know how to use it.  (If you think Photoshop is tough to master, well you ain’t seen nothing yet!)  Many of the design diagrams have stray data points, sometimes the surface is not perfect, or the model may have some holes (which will absolutely confound the printer).  I’ve already talked about the wrong view for the external aortic stent– and that was an easy problem to fix.  If you want to see what it’s like to clean up a produced part, you can watch Tony Buser’s video here.

But, this is going to prove to be a wonderful ride!

Share this: