15Oct/13Off
Amaze project aims to take 3D printing ‘into metal age’
Tungsten alloy components that can withstand temperatures of 3,000C were unveiled at Amaze's launch on Tuesday at London's Science Museum.
At such extreme temperatures they can survive inside nuclear fusion reactors and on the nozzles of rockets.
"We want to build the best quality metal products ever made. Objects you can't possibly manufacture any other way," said David Jarvis, Esa's head of new materials and energy research.
- Computer-aided design software determines shape of 3D model using cross-sections
- Laser etches the shape of cross-section into metal powder and heats it so it solidifies and creates a solid layer
- More powder is spread to create the next layer and so on until the 3D object is created
- By leaving one non-solid layer in between, interlocking structures can be created
See the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24528306