3D-Printed Rocket Engine Part Passes Key NASA Test

[buster]

Link

3D printing may be the next big thing. Call me optimistic but it will change the world like the internet did.

In any construction field, there will be no more use for molds, dies, tooling. One-off prototypes can be done in one day as opposed to weeks. Plus, intricate shapes can be made easier and cheaper. Cylinder heads can be made thinner with smoother intake and exhaust ports. Intake manifolds can have better transitions and intricate mechanisms for controlling high and low velocity air flow. It's going to be incredible for the automotive industry alone.

 

[The_Jeff]

Just like the adult film industry brought us VHS home movie machines I wonder if the "novelty" industry will spur 3D printer sales.

Then, what next? A home X-ray/ Ultrasound/ MRI unit so you can "copy" stuff? Nah, they'd never trust us, we'd have to go to Staples to have them scan it.

 

[A_Harman]

We have been using a 3D printer for prototype parts where I work for at least 10 years. It's nice to have such capability in the prototype phase, but 3D printing does have its limitations. The process is slow and unsuitable if you need to make more than a couple of dozen small parts. If you have to make 200,000 cylinder heads for an engine in production, permanent mold castings are still the best way to go. Of course, this doesn't mean that 3D printing can't be used to make the molds for the permanent mold casting process.

It's very nice to be able to go directly from a designed 3D solid model and get test pieces in a few days, but right now, the material choices are limited, so the rapid prototypes might not be exactly what the designer intended.

 

[Astro14]

As I look at the number of unique parts on the Packard that simply can't be found any more, it's no wonder that Jay Leno has one...and the antique car hobby will be a big area of expansion as this gets cheaper...

By the way, Jay has a Packard too...

 

[Pablo]

The injector is not a highly stressed part. But additive manufacturing has its place. Ultimately in some applications you can save a lot of material and reduce the waste/recycle stream.