Lockheed Martin Space Systems has used 3D printing to make a titanium tank. The effort was detailed in an article here and discusses the experiments to determine if the 3D printed parts could have the same or better quality compared to traditionally forged parts. Continue reading
So there you have three of the aspects of a great commercial: wit, misdirection and kids. However, in many ways it is truly descriptive of what GE Additive is setting out to do. According to their website:
As a leading user of the additive technologies, we offer years of experience and a commitment to accelerating additive’s adoption around the globe. That’s why we now supply innovative machines, materials and engineering consulting services to industries ranging from power and medical to aerospace and automotive.
In the beginning of this blog I mentioned the first time I ran across 3D printing in person in 1996, but this Youtube classic predates that. It’s amazing how much has changed in 30 years, but also how much hasn’t. Continue reading
Perhaps you have been following the news of China’s recent landing on the dark side of the moon. The complex Chang’e4 setup has a rover and uses relay satellites to send the information back to Earth. This is just part of a series of missions, however, with subsequent Chang’e missions looking to do things such as bring moon rocks back to Earth with the overall goal of establishing a base on the moon. Perhaps most exciting to us is that the Chang’e8 is scheduled to have a 3D printer on board to look at 3D printing structures for a moon base. Continue reading
A new helmet is coming from Riddell called the Diamond. Made from a ton of lattices, these helmets can potentially customize protection areas to the playing habits of an individual player. You can read a great report about these new helmets here. These helmets won’t be available until next year and maybe one even makes an appearance in next year’s Super Bowl!
I love some Weird Al, but this song actually made me think of a medical application of 3D printing. I’ve seen a number of articles recently about surgeons using 3D printing to help practice complex, new and unique surgeries. Continue reading
In space resources are limited. I’ve had a chance through friends who work at NASA to explore the Houston mock-up of the ISS. It’s surprisingly large, but imagine having to keep everything a group of people might need for months. Continue reading
