Apr 14, 2016 | By Alec
3D printing in space. It sounds like something straight out of Star Trek and completely unrealistic, but it has actually been around for a while already. NASA has been experimenting with a zero-gravity 3D printer aboard the International Space Station since 2014 and recently even sent up an upgrade. But other space-exploring nations are not far behind, as China has just successfully tested their very own zero-gravity 3D printer during an extensive testing program held in Bordeaux, France.
If you completely missed out on zero gravity 3D printing, you might be wondering what it’s good for. In a nutshell, it could be a solution for one of the most significant obstacles faced by the Mission to Mars: the immense costs involved. Sending necessary supplies into space is extremely expensive, but those costs could be significantly reduced if you only have to send up a few basic materials that are used for on-demand 3D printing. It will, scientists agree, facilitate deeper space exploration through efficiency and flexibility. That is exactly why European and American space programs have been working on zero-gravity 3D printing, and FDM plastic 3D printers by Made in Space are currently on trial in the ISS.
Those advantages are also being recognized by scientists from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing. One of their research teams has therefore been working on their very own zero-gravity 3D printer, in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology (CIGIT) and with sponsorship from CAS and the China Manned Space Program. Their functional prototype has just been tested during a series of 93 parabolic flights using reduced gravity aircraft. The test flights were carried out from 22 February until 5 March, at a test site in France.
According to CAS, those tests in microgravity were very successful. A total of five different materials and two 3D printing technologies were tested, and all chosen samples were 3D printed exactly as predicted. The parabolic test flights created microgravity environments that lasted for about 22 seconds at a time. During the tests, a team of scientists continuously collected material data relevant for additive manufacturing in space, and will be using that for subsequent programs. The flight opportunity was enabled by the German Space Agency DLR, as part of an international cooperation framework. Technical support was provided by Novespace, the French National Space Studies Center.
So what kind of 3D printer is it? According to professor Wang Gong from the CSU, it is a completely Chinese-developed 3D printer, and the same can be said for its 3D printing mechanisms. “3D printing has a very efficient and flexible character, and is expected to become one of the most important tools in spacecraft manufacturing technology. But due to the special nature of the space environment, it is currently difficult to directly use 3D printing technology in space,” he explained. “We needed to reform our materials, our equipment and control systems to make them suitable for a space environment. All of them need to be tested extensively.”
Though the CSU began working on zero gravity 3D printing later than the Americans, Gong Wang argued that their technology is certainly not inferior to Made In Space’s 3D printer. In fact, the Chinese model can produce larger objects than its competitor, thanks to a 220mm x 140mm x 150mm build platform. It can also work with a wider variety of materials, including fiber reinforced polymer – which NASA has not yet tested.
These successful tests have made Wang Gong optimistic about their possibilities. “Through this 3D printing solution, we can 3D print parts in space when they are necessary, and do so quickly enough to meet maintenance demands. We can also create new payloads and facilitate various scientific experiments,” he explained. “In the future, you might even be able to 3D print bricks and other building materials for structures on other planets.”
So what’s next for the Chinese research team? According to CAS professor Cheng Tianjin, they are currently looking into options for recycling 3D printing material in space, which would also significantly reduce waste inside the space station. They could, he suggests, use empty water bags as a new raw material for further 3D printing. They are also working on optimizing their technology, Wang Gong added. “Our next step is to build more domestic units, to facilitate more research on the technology’s advantages and improve its strength, accuracy and speed. This will enable new breakthroughs in space material manufacturing in the near future,” he concluded.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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@observer Innovation is what we need. The Chinese are certaining coming up with new and innovative ideas for 3d printing in space.
observer wrote at 4/14/2016 8:51:03 PM:
lol looks cheap and chinese, compared to The Made In Space printer.
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