3D printing took off bigger than ever last year. Among other things, bridges, an artificial heart and shoes were 3D printed. We have listed some of the most extraordinary 3D-printed objects for you.
Ship's propeller
It was certified at the end of November: the world's first 3D-printed ship's propeller . The propeller was conceived and made at the Innovation Dock on Rotterdam's RDM site. This is part of RAMLAB, an innovative workshop. The propeller consists of 298 layers of metal printer-welded material.
Artificial heart
ETH Zurich introduced a 3D-printed artificial heart in mid-2017. It is a soft silicone heart that beats almost like a human heart. The developers think it is going to be a solution for those who have to undergo heart transplants. The artificial heart weighs 390 grams and has a volume of 679 cm3. 'The silicone monoblock has a complex inner structure,' says one of the creators. The heart has a right and a left ventricle, just like a real human heart, although they are not separated by a septum but by an extra chamber. This chamber is inflated and deflated by compressed air and is needed to pump fluid from the blood chambers, replacing the muscle contraction of the human heart.
NASA material
NASA showed this year that it also understands textiles. The space agency developed a 3D-printed metal 'space fabric' where the functionalities have already been co-printed. At first glance, it looks like a combination between a link chain and small metal tiles. These fabrics have the potential to be very useful for large antennas and other devices because the material is foldable and the shape can be quickly adjusted. The fabrics could also eventually be used to protect a spacecraft from meteorites, for astronaut uniforms or for collecting objects from the surface of other planets.
Bicycle bridge
Gemert had a special world first this year: the very first 3D-printed bicycle bridge was installed in the Brabant town. The bridge, developed by TU Eindhoven and BAM Infra Nederland. is 8 metres long and 3.5 metres wide. The printing process was developed in such a way that the reinforcement is printed along with it. While laying a concrete strip, the concrete printer immediately inserts a steel cable. With those cables, the bridge is 'pre-tensioned', so that no tensile stress can occur in the concrete.
Submarine
The US Navy presented a 3D-printed hull of a submarine earlier this year. The object was printed in just a few weeks. A large industrial 3D printer was used for the printing. The team started working on it in August 2016 and used the large 3D printer to make six parts out of carbon fibre. Those parts were then assembled, giving shape to the proof-of-concept.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Maakindustrie.nl, Designboom, ETH Zurich
Photo: Additive Industries
