3D Printing †Applications for Space Exploration

3D Printing Applications for post explorationPuneet Bhalla3D Printing or analogue Manufacturing (AM) was inaugural tested in 1983 by inventor Chuck Hull. Conventional subtractive manufacturing involves carving egress items from a single block of material, whereas AM involves adding p give outic or metal layer by layer according to a computer generated jut out to manufacture a product. Over the years a number of processes that disagree in the method of depositing of layers and their binding prolong been developed. The technology in the in the first place years did not evolve enough for it to find mainstream support and its manipulation was restricted to production of computer generated models and prototype research. Advances in metallurgy, miniaturisation and touch support now made it a much than viable contest to conventional manufacturing. It is yet beingness called the third industrial revolution.Commercial enterprises having recognise the transformative potential of 3D stamp, twain in designing and manufacturing, ar progressively come outing in it. It allows faster design iterations, providing flexibility for refinements and variations and conveys more veracious 3D scaled models for testing. This helps in accelerating product development and manufacturing with corresponding comprise benefits. It helps overcome constraints of conventional manufacturing and allows for more precision in manufacturing to produce more complex move. The process allows for more cohesive structures and components derriere be constructed using a great deal fewer parts, making them lighter, sturdier and more efficacious. Large factories with their assembly lines croupe to a fault be done away with. Existing parts potty now be redesigned and designers can be more audacious in their pursuits, stepping beyond the constraints of conventional design and manufacturing, era seeking innovative solutions or accurately un mappingd capabilities. The manufactur ing process requires less material, reduces wastage during production and is more brawn efficient, making it potentially more environment friendly. Objects can be created on demand, thereby eliminating tolls, logistical complexities and wastages related to surplus inventories. Initial pressmans were capable of use single materials sole(prenominal) however the multi-jet technology is allowing combining of materials to produce change material properties mechanical, thermal and chemical. Nanotechnology coupled with 3D picture promises exciting opportunities in the proximo. Already, availability of cheaper printers has made the source of designing and producing publicly available. This democratising of manufacturing has the potential to urge on innovation. Market researcher Gartner forecasts that worldwide spending on 3D mental picture go out rise from $1.6 billion in 2015 to around $13.4 billion in 2018.1 Despite the excitement, there atomic number 18 experts who say that the technology might only evolve to supplement the conventional mass manufacturing methods that leave behind continue to be faster and cheaper. They instead favour its suitability for niche and customised production.Space exploration has always been costly due to its requirement of low volume, customised and at clock unique components. 3D mental picture is being seen by the position effort as enabling to the development of next space infrastructure. Various RD efforts both for ground based as in addition in orbit manufacturing atomic number 18 being supported with an aim to develop parts that could meet the slopped high performance and high reliability criteria postulate for space operations. NASA on with US garden come up engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully tested a rocket engine injector and an advanced rocket engine thrust put up assembly using copper alloy materials, in different configurations.2 The components turn out themselves in tests where they were subjected to pressures of up to 1,400 pounds per square inch and temperatures up to 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit to produce 20,000 pounds of thrust.3 NASA has claimed that 3D technology enabled designers to create more complex injectors while at the uniform time reducing the number of parts from 115 to middling two.4 This resulted in more efficient processes and also provided better thermal resilience. plot of ground the traditionally constructed injectors cost about $10,000 each and took six months to variant, the 3D printed versions cost less than $5,000 and reached the test stand in a matter of weeks.5 These tests feel provided confidence in the technology and paved the way for its use in replacing other complex engine components.Already, many small 3D produced parts are flying in space onboard US and European orbiters and more are being developed. ESA and European Commissions Additive Manufacturing Aiming Towards Zero Waste Efficient Production of High-Tech Metal Produc ts (AMAZE) project, has 28 European companies as partners that are looking at perfecting 3D printing of high quality metal components for aerospace applications. NASA is also evaluating using the technology for manufacturing coordination compound CubeSats. China has also started investing in this technology and on its last manned space mission in 2013, their taikonauts occupied customised 3D printed seats. In December 2014, Chinese scientists have claimed to have produced a 3D printing machine, which could be used during space missions. Private companies the world over are investing heavily in the technology for aerospace applications.Japanese Space Agency JAXA along with Mitsubishi is working at producing 3D components for a mod large-scale rocket that the two are expected to develop by 2020. Swiss lodge RUAG Space has built an antenna support for an primer observation (EO) satellite that will replace a conventionally manufactured one later on tests. The engine chamber of Supe rDraco thruster to be used on the bunch version of SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft, capable of producing 16,000 pounds of thrust, is manufactured using 3D printing. A team of engineering students from the University of Arizona, with help from 3D printing smart set Solid Concepts, recently assembled a 3D printed rocket within a day and successfully tested it. Planetary Resources, a mystic friendship seeking space exploration and asteroid mining has collaborated with a company, 3D Systems for developing and manufacturing components for its ARKYD Series of spacecraft using its advanced 3D printing and digital manufacturing solutions.All these efforts are providing solutions that are cheaper, have lesser parts and have comparatively shorter developmental timelines.In the future, the technology could be used for entire structure fabrication that would involve integrating many of the systems geometries into structural elements during production. This would reduce the number of parts, elimin ate virtually joints or welds, change the design and production, reduce the number of interfaces and make the system more efficient and safer. Such vehicles would better sustain the rigours of put in and space exploration. Integrated structures would even enable reconceptualising space architectures, impacting on their design, sizes and functionality.The most exciting opportunity is 3D printing of objects in space an idea that has the potential to cause a paradigm change in the way we look at space exploration. The concept has been debated for decades and NASA has also conducted rough experiments since theSkylab space stationof the 1970s. In 2010, it collaborated with a US company Made in Space to develop and test a 3D printer that could operate in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. The microwave oven sized printer, previously tested on suborbital flights, was installed on board the station on 17 November. After two standardisation tests, on 24 November 2014, on command from the ground controllers, the printer produced the first 3D object in microgravity. The object was a faceplate of the printer itself, demonstrating that the printer could make replacement parts for itself. Initial results have sh declare that layer stick might be different in microgravity, but this would have to be substantiated by further testing on more such produced parts in the future. These parts will subsequently be returned to Earth where they will be compared with similar samples made by the same printer forward launch and also analysed for effects of microgravity on them. This would help in evaluating the variant and possible advantages of elongate manufacturing in space and in defining the roadmap for future developments. Meanwhile, Europes POP3D Portable On-Board Printer designed and built in Italy is also schedule for installation aboard the ISS next year.Producing parts and structures in space potentially provides a host of benefits. Structures being constructed on Earth have to be built in an environment that is different from where they would operate. These parts also have to survive the vibrations and high g stresses of launch. Freed from these constraints, novel space architectures, more optimised to the microgravity environment, can be imagined and developed. 3D printers in space would enable astronauts manufacture their own components and tools, undertake repairs, replace broken items and respond to evolving requirements without being dependent on support from Earth. This would bring down logistical requirements related to deployment of structures in space, while improving mission efficiency and reliability. NASA is even funding research into the incident of making food in space using a 3D printer. This would overcome the current issues related to food shelf life, variety and nutritionary requirements. It would be possible to have human missions of longer duration and venturing much further into space. Made In Space has an ongoing project R3DO that seeks to reuse 3D produced broken or redundant parts to create new ones, thereby helping reduce space waste. The technology in the future could be used for space based construction of large structures even entire spacecraft in space.Another concept being envisaged is the use of 3D printing for construction of large housing structures, roads and launch pads using the resources available in-situ on celestial bodies. Concrete houses being produced through 3D printing have already been demonstrated. Both NASA and ESA are exploring printing of objects using Regolith, the powdery substance that covers much of the surface of the moon. in any event the huge savings in cost and time, such habitats would be more suited to the local hazardous environment. The printers could either be controlled from Earth or make use of automation technology on robots or painted intelligence. These capabilities would be a great step forward for human interplanetary exploration.3D printing is making rapid strides and its applications are being treasure by industry. Scientists are working to smoothen out the inefficiencies and shortcomings of the processes as also evaluating potential opportunities. Developments in the space domain are promising but these would have to be put through rigorous testing in the lead being cleared for regular use. Qualification and verification standards that would eventually be defined for this new industry would have to be more demanding for use in space. More complex printers will have to be devised for construction of large parts. Currently, most construction is focussed on mental synthesis frames and structures but in the future would also require manufacturing techniques to producing working electronic components.6 For production in space, bigger printers would bring forth issues of mass, volume and power requirements, each one of which is critical for space launch and operations. Some methods would also have to be devi sed to bring together the parts so produced. The new technology provides an avenue for space industries the world over to graduate to gross standards of bundle as well as hardware. This would allow a larger pool of scientists and engineers coming together learning and benefiting from each other. At the same time, and the policy makers would also have to come up with requisite restrictive framework.In India, 3D printing technology is still in its early childhood and its penetration is low among industry is low. Most institutions continue to use it for producing 3D Computer Assisted Design (CAD) models and for prototype testing. Some global additive manufacturing companies have gained foothold in India through collaborations and there are some indigenous initiatives too. Isolated research is being undertaken by some private and public sector entities including the DRDO. Private companies are collaborating with some engineering institutions similar IITs to promote research. There is also the Additive Manufacturing Society of India (AMSI) that seeks to promote 3D printing Additive Manufacturing technologies. Applications for Defence and Aerospace are two important sectors that most companies are focussing on. ISRO chairman, after the successful Mars Orbiter Mission, mentioned 3D Printing as one of the technologies that he wishes to see Indian engineers build upon in the future. India has lagged behind in conventional manufacturing and metallurgy. It could leverage its advances in software technology and collaborate with international experts to initiate activities in this sunshine sector. spot increased awareness and commercial benefits will drive industry to invest in the sector, space initiatives would require the government to play the vital livelihood role while seeking participation from industry and academia. Investments would be required in planning and executing the supporting infrastructure required to enable fabrication processes, in creating kno wledge and capabilities through education and training and for cooking of adequate RD facilities.1 From earphones to jet engines, 3D printing takes off, 09 November, 20142 3-D Printed locomotive engine Parts Withstand Hot Fire Tests, 14 November, 20143 TheAerojet Rocketdyne RS-25engine powered NASAsSpace Shuttleand will power the upcoming Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift, exploration-class rocket currently under development to take humans beyond Earth orbit and Mars.4 ww.space.com/22568-3d-printed-rocket-engine-test-video.html5 http//www.space.com/22119-3d-printed-rocket-part-test.html6 http//www.space.com/26676-3d-printing-international-space-station.html