Now the 3D printer that is on the #internationalspacestation is #3dprinting actual tools for them on the #iss . Within 4 hours, the file was designed and sent up to be printed. Really cool!
Probably enough. I don’t really know how much vibration a space station feels but I doubt it’s very much.
It was designed for 3 in-lb
It was printed on the handle as part of the design.
Here comes Theseus mission! I’ve had an argument recently with a guy who was stating Peter Watts’ Blindsight wasn’t hard enough sci-fi.
Can’t believe all those engineers onboard the ISS can’t design a wrench themselves.
I’m sure they could, but probably didn’t have the time or experience
designing for 3d printing.
@Cassidy_S I thought the point of the whole exercise was to learn new techniques. These aren’t ancient skills, it’s new for everybody.
@Glen_Helgeland No, the point was to simply demonstrate the feasibility of the technology in low gravity. Once it proves that it achieves all the objectives (comparing parts printed on the ISS to ones printed on Earth which hasn’t happened yet) then they will probably train someone to make new parts while on board the ISS. But for now the design time is better spent on Earth.
From the NASA project page. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1115.html)
This project provides:
*The first demonstration of additive manufacturing in space
*A detailed analysis of how acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic resin behaves in microgravity
*A comparison between additive manufacturing in Earth’s gravity and in consistent, long-term exposure to microgravity (insufficient in parabolic flights due to “print-pause” style of printing)
*Advance the TRL of additive manufacturing processes to provide risk reduction, and capabilities, to future flight or mission development programs
*The gateway to fabricating parts on-demand in space, thus reducing the need for spare parts on the mission manifest
*A technology with the promise to provide a significant return on investment, by enabling future NASA missions that would not be feasible without the capability to manufacture parts in situ
*The first step towards evolving additive manufacturing for use in space, and on Deep Space Missions.