3D printed basketball hoop

The company's only 3D printer, the 6m tall Stargate, has been in the company's service since it stepped out of the shadows in 2017. But now it's almost out of action. There are four new, unused models in a nearby building. Each of them is covered with long black doors that run from the ceiling of the warehouse to the floor, and betray their newness with a sharp smell of plastic. On one of them hangs a small toy basketball hoop - as if until now it has more often played the role of a basketball backboard, and not a 3D printer for rockets. nine0003

A huge graphic covering the entire wall gives a glimpse of the company's vision for the future: the entire warehouse is filled entirely with Stargate printers, small printers and robotic arms. Paradise for an engineer, but a nightmare for a mechanic. These are the slogans “robots are taking away our jobs” in the form of drawings on the wall.

Giant machines seem to smirk at the thought of decades of building rockets. During the Apollo program, engineers faced enormous challenges trying to achieve the perfect weld for the Saturn rockets. Even experienced welders were forced to receive special training in order to make long, precise welds. Now, all welding is done by a robot. nine0003

The Stargate 3d printer and its descendants use a variant of a technology called direct material delivery. Traditional production methods are to cut the finished product from a block of material. Instead, when 3D printing, an object is formed layer by layer, which allows you to create lightweight objects with complex internal structures that cannot be made in any other way. The most common form of 3D printing is called FDM (molten material modeling) - material (often plastic) is melted and extruded from a nozzle into the exact position of the object being created. Combine this with welding and you have direct material delivery technology. nine0003

Welding is based on a continuous flow of metal wire on one side and heat on the other. The Stargate printer does this automatically by feeding the wire from the extruder to the end of a tall robotic arm. The metal is heated using an electrical plasma (and sometimes a laser) and then laid out under computer control. The combination of electronic control, thermal cameras and sensors installed near the material supply site allows you to control the printing process of the created object. “Our vision for 3D printing is software-controlled manufacturing automation for the aerospace industry,” says Ellis. “It stretches in the direction of a long-term vision of 3D printed rockets on Mars. These are exactly the tools that we will need for real construction on other planets. nine0003

The way Ellis talks about his company is reminiscent of Elon Musk's exaltation over SpaceX and Tesla, with the only difference being that Ellis says he fills in a part of the Mars exploration picture that Musk hasn't mentioned yet. “The idea is to have two products. One is a rocket. The second is a factory,” he says. “Over time, we will see that the factory can get smaller and smaller until it becomes something that we can send with a big rocket.” In other words, you make a machine that makes other machines. And then send it to Mars. Everything is very simple. nine0003

Relativity last month took a small step towards that vision by announcing that it signed a nine-year lease with NASA for a 2-hectare facility in Mississippi that will house its first stand-alone rocket factory.

But other companies that are actively using 3D printing (so-called additive manufacturing) are not entirely sure what the future looks like. Rocket Lab, one of a small number of small companies that launch commercial satellites, uses additive manufacturing to create engines, valves, nozzles and a range of other complex components. Its president, Peter Beck, says: "There is no way we could, without resorting to 3D printing technology, produce engines of the size and performance that we produce today." But to make the entire rocket entirely? “It doesn’t make sense to 3D print an avionics unit, or a tank, or something like that, because there are much more efficient processes for such work,” says Beck. “I don’t want to spoil Tim’s holiday, I sincerely wish him good luck, but from an engineering point of view, this approach does not make any sense for us. ” nine0003

Ultimately, it is customers who need proof of the wisdom of Relativity's approach. Like most rocket companies, before its first launch, Relativity offers its customers only test data and an assembled team of specialists. “Ultimately, we have to use faith and take decisive action,” says Ellis. - Well, yes, the confidence is great enough. And definitely, this process will lead us to the goal.”

Naturally, some customers will want to take this drastic step. Relativity has already announced three customers that have booked launches in 2021 and 2022: Canadian telecommunications company Telesat, Washington-based Spaceflight (which launches navigation satellites as part of larger launches), and Thailand-based mu Space. Noon says that once Relativity shows that it can deliver successful launches in 2020, it plans to increase its annual launch rate from 12 to 24.

Aggressive plans of this sort are based on the history of the company. Three years ago, shortly after Ellis and Noone left their first post-college jobs at Blue Origin and SpaceX, respectively, they emailed investor Mark Cuban for seed funding for the new company. The subject of the message was: "Space is attractive: 3d printing of the entire rocket." Cuban, who did most of his business by email, responded five minutes later saying he was willing to invest $500,000. Which he did two months later. According to Cuban, it wasn't the element of additive manufacturing that attracted him. “The idea itself was unique. I would like it to be offered by me,” he says. “The guys were qualified, they were local (Ellis himself is from Texas, where Cuban lives). nine0003

Since its inception, Relativity has "never taken its foot off the gas pedal." Last year, its staff grew from 14 to 80. Today, the company's team includes Tim Buzza, an early SpaceX employee and former vice president of rocket launches at SpaceX and Virgin Orbit. Also on the team is David Giger, who spent 12 years at SpaceX as senior director of engineering for the Dragon capsule.

People are still involved with the Stargate printers - at least for now

Ellis, who is in charge of recruiting and raising capital, seems to have no problem winning over people at all levels. He is a member of the White House's National Space Council User Advisory Group, which helps keep contracts and funds flowing into his company. Relativity has completed another $35 million fundraising round. She signed a contract with NASA to test her engines at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi (the very center where her autonomous factory is supposed to move), and received permission to launch at one of the most prestigious launch sites in the world: Cape Canaveral in Florida. nine0003

The company's latest achievement, announced in January, was the launch queue for Terran 1 from the famous Launch Complex 16, which launched the Titan rockets, the Apollo program, and the Gemini program. As a result of these notable moves, Relativity's name began to appear in conversations about companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance, which used to be the only companies to get the right to launch from Cape Canaveral.

Building a rocket with a 3D printer means making test pieces, cutting them into pieces, and doing more testing. Did we mention testing?

The Rise of 3D Printing

Relativity is far from alone in its hopes that 3D printing will propel it into the ranks of the elite of spaceflight. Newcomers such as Virgin Orbit, Firefly, and Electron are also keen to prove that they, like Rocket Lab, have what it takes to launch small satellites into space. Even established companies like Aerojet Rocketdyne are trying to demonstrate that 3D printing is as good, if not more reliable, than traditional manufacturing methods. nine0003

But no company has come as far or as fast as Relativity. Aerojet builds engines under government contracts, and human-flight rockets like NASA's Space Launch System, which must have added compatibility and reliability. The company says that more than 60% of its research and development work in the field of 3D printing is just compiling a database of chemical and structural properties of various materials. “Others may ignore such work. And it is their right to take a position that accepts possible risks,” says Aerojet senior program manager for advanced programs, Jeff Haynes (Jeff Haynes). nine0003

In contrast, at Relativity, “if we put a fully printed engine on a test rig, successfully launch it, and then take it off, then that would be a success for us,” Noon says. “You could make hundreds of spec sheets telling you how to make it and how to make it, but we go our own way. I don't want to deal with specs instead of trying something and demonstrating that it works."

This "going fast, contrary to tradition" approach causes insomnia for most rocket designers. Relativity's rival Virgin Orbit uses 3D printed parts in its first rocket, LauncherOne, but it doesn't want to abandon the technology. “The production of the LauncherOne rocket engine today uses very reliable methods that have been tested by NASA since 1950s and 1960s because the top priority for a first rocket launch is reliability,” says Virgin Orbit's head of modern operations, Kevin Zagorski.

Other companies are also pursuing additive manufacturing, from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin - where Ellis, during his internship, had a hand in buying the company's first metal-printing 3D printer - to a small new company, Launcher, that claims to produced the world's largest 3D printed rocket engine. Major players in the field such as SpaceX, NASA, Rocket Lab, United Launch Alliance, and ArianeGroup have also entered the 3D printing ring. nine0003

The reasons most of these organizations are turning to this technology are twofold: you get the ability to build something with less detail, and you get the ability to change designs faster. Early on, Rocket Lab's Beck saw that additive manufacturing was getting a bad rap because it was used inefficiently. “Someone takes a subtractive manufacturing component and tries to 3D print it. It turns out to be more expensive and takes more time,” he says. – But, as with any new technology, everything is connected with new processes. The 3D printed parts are great where you face very high complexity and assemble a lot of parts into one.” nine0003

For its part, Relativity claims that the Terran 1 rocket will have a hundred times fewer parts than a standard rocket. Its engine, the Aeon 1, is made up of only three parts joined together.

It's hard to say what proportion of the advertising hype is here. It is very tempting to announce that you have done something for the first time, especially for a small, new company. For example, Relativity claims to have built the largest metal-printing 3D printer — as do Sciaky and Titomic, two non-aerospace industrial hardware companies. “Everyone wants to try and stand out, trying to get ahead,” says Beck. “If someone wants to talk about 3D printing, that’s fine, but sometimes it’s funny.” nine0003

Even if 3D printing an entire rocket isn't practical, "I'm really sure it's going to be useful anyway," says Dan Erwin, head of aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California. Irwin ran the university's rocket lab when Ellis and Noon were students, but didn't work with them after that. "I intuitively feel that this is one of the 'If you can do it, it will go' kind of stuff," he says. Whether or not Relativity can launch its rocket next year is forcing a slow-moving industry to take notice of a possibly superior technology already in use outside of aerospace. The end result of these efforts may just be a new generation of 3D printers. But maybe there will be a rocket to fly to Mars, which everyone promises us. “Life is too short to just wait for the future to come,” says Ellis. “We have to create it ourselves.” nine0003

Source

molten material modeling), Rocket Lab Company

Printing jewelry on a 3D printer - an overview of the most interesting models

The times when 3D printing of jewelry seemed like something fantastic is over. Today, more and more designers are using 3D equipment to bring their ideas to life. Some printers work with filament, others use powder, and still others print with liquid resin or wax. 3D printed jewelry looks and feels exactly like traditionally molded pieces. nine0003

White and black Gemino & Orbis Nylon earrings printed in SLS nylon resin. The material has a very light weight, which makes the jewelry comfortable, ideal for everyday wear. An interesting design will organically fit into both a classic and a shocking look.

3D printed wedding rings. Original custom-made symbols of eternal love accurately convey the details that are important for the newlyweds. With a unique asymmetrical line and elegant twists, Ray's ring will appeal to fans of the original designs. For lovers of clean, minimalist silhouettes, the Clio is the way to go. For connoisseurs of unconventional solutions, the Amar diamond ring will suit, the design of which forms a loose knot of two lines that merge, symbolizing an unbreakable union. nine0003

Gorgeous 3D printed face jewelry by Iris van Herpen. Cellchemy 3D printed jewelry designs look like a mask and the way it sits on the face of the wearer looks like something otherworldly. The wire masks are printed with a high resolution multi-material printer. Each part of the mask, custom-designed for a specific runway model, was created using a generative design process after a 3D scan of her face. nine0003

Guinness World Record-listed diamond ring. India's major 3D printing service provider Imaginarium helped Kotti Shrikant win the Guinness World Record for having the most diamonds set in a single ring. The process of developing a masterpiece called "Divine - 7801 Brahma Vajra Kamalam" went through several iterations. The design team chose the Himalayan camellia flower, which strikes the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary forms. Computer-aided design (CAD) was then used to calculate the number of diamonds. Imaginarium managed to make petals of gold and helped to set the intended number of stones. nine0003

18K Gold Charm 3D Print "Honey Bee Charm" by Elizabeth Landis. The spectacular pendant reminds of natural harmony and succinctly complements the luxurious look. Honeycombs are formed into an openwork pattern, and the figure of a bee symbolizes wisdom, diligence, purity.
Frog Ring 3D Gold Plated Brass Object by Peter Donders. The designer rejects classical forms and traditional solutions. He uses 3D printing to revolutionize the jewelry industry, be it in the areas of jewelry making or designing finishes. The frog ring emphasizes the grace, sense of humor of the fair sex. nine0003

A charming decoration that can effectively complement a creative look.
"Opposites" collection by Francesca Paolin "spring-summer 2015", printed in polyamide. The MA in Fashion Design from Domus Academy channeled her creativity into creating body jewelry from alternative materials using 3D technology. The author drew inspiration for the development of the collection from ancient history and culture.

Solar nylon bracelet. The Septem brand offers unique fashion items from designers around the world. All products are made on 3D printers. The customer can choose their favorite materials, colors, sizes from the list. The original bracelet attracts with its futuristic design and adds creativity to the image. nine0003

N-E-R-V-O-U-S necklace is a 3D printed necklace made up of 175 unique pieces. It is a 21st century piece of jewelry designed and manufactured using methods that did not exist until recently. The necklace is built in layers of durable yet flexible nylon using selective laser sintering technology. The design comes out of the printer fully assembled. The necklace attaches simply and securely with a hidden magnetic clasp.

Plumeria Nylon Earrings have a matte texture, ideal for original, bold looks. You can choose any color from 12 possible. Earrings with a floral pattern will appeal not only to young fashionistas, but also to elegant ladies.

Ide Bag Nylon is a stylish element of the look. A model that imitates openwork knitting will add charm to the ensemble, plus it will allow you to create a harmonious, feminine, exclusive look.

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