Our interest in 3D printing is initially for the production of plasma diagnostics at much reduced cost. However, the technology is maturing, and so the application of the techniques to a wider range of subsystems that are relevant to fusion energy development could potentially impact costs for fusion energy itself.
http://www.finelineprototyping.com/services/equipment.php
Objet Connex 500 - our next purchase, methinks.
http://materialise.com - 3D print company
http://MakeXYZ.com - CrowdSourced 3D printing.
http://Ponoko.com - Laser cutting and 3D printing
http://Shapeways.com - 3D print company
http://Sculpteo.com - 3D print company
Uprint SE Plus - Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Model material: ABSplus in ivory, white, blue, fluorescent yellow, black, red, nectarine, olive green or gray Support material: SR-30 soluble Build size: 203 x 203 x 152 mm (8 x 8 x 6 in.) Layer thickness:.254 mm (.010 in.) or .330 mm (.013 in.)
Dimension SST 1200 ES - Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Model material: ABSplus in nine colors Support material: Soluble (SST 1200es); breakaway (BST 1200es) Build size:254 x 254 x 305 mm (10 x 10 x 12 in.) Layer thickness:0.33 mm (0.013 in.) or .254 mm (.010 in.)
Uprint SE - Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Model material:ABSplus in ivory Support material:SR-30 soluble Build size:203 x 152 x 152 mm (8 x 6 x 6 in.) Layer thickness:.254 mm (.010 in.)
Stainless steel UHV DMLS
Tungsten UHV DMLS PFC
Vanadium UHV SLS
OFHC Copper UHV SLS
Titanium UHV DMLS
Aluminum UHV DMLS
Indium HV DMLS
Molybdenum UHV DLS PFC
Chromium UHV SLS
Tantalum UHV SLS
Gold UHV DLS
Niobium UHV DMLS
Cusiltin UHV DML
Inconel UHV DMLS
Glidcop UHV DMLS
Interesting alternative to normal sintering - a light cured polymer with ceramic or metal filler is made and the polymer is later burned off and the filler sintered. Claims that the parts are better than parts where each layer is sintered separately.
LENS system - already in production system for producing and fixing metal parts and full strength. Looks like a very expensive system (large build areas produced in vacuum, etc.). LENS website
Microscale
Two of the LUXeXceL patents: EP2469309 B1 EP2412767 A1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDraco#SuperDraco http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inconel http://www.efda.org/2012/01/inconel-600/
3d printed structures - electronics too
Metal printing of tiny batteries and other electronic components - Lead professor is Jennifer Lewis at Harvard who has patents on a number of inks including ones with suspended metal nanoparticles (like lithium and silver). Appear to be printing with an extrusion system
Gallium indium alloy that prints liquid metal at room temperature (interesting, not sure how applicable)
given that we have about 6 circuits to prototype in this contract, and the mandate is go after AM technology, am starting to think through the use of AM circuit printing. The technology is not very mature, so there might be opportunities here. What I can glean is that the technology has three main thrusts:
1. 2D printing with inkjet deposition of silver nitrate and ascorbic acid leaving tracks of silver (e.g. Argentum Microsoft AgIC )
2. 3D printing components and extruding conductive materials into the build with 2nd head (e.g. RabbitPro microscale: UoI-CU)
3. 3D printing circuit boards and using conductive paint on the underside (e.g. Instructable )
pros and cons:
1. 2D Inkjet pros: track size OK for ICs, print on any substrate, tracks smallest printing on standard circuit substrates cons: silver layers are 5x more resistive than copper tracks, unproven cost: 2000 for the 1st generation printer
2. 3D Extrusion pros: can to mechanical and electrical simultaneously cons: track sizes still too large for ICs cost: $350 for the head
3. Extrusion then post-process pros: simple to do cons: no automation, can't send a kicad or gerber file to be printed, looks too amateur.
3mm filament is easier to print with (than 1.75mm): more rigid, cheaper, faster prints, fewer tangles (Note, our machine only takes 1.75mm anyway)