5 ms·

The First 3-D Printer in Space Makes Its First Object: A Spare Part

89 points by lelf 12y ago

qewrffewqwfqew 12y ago
spare, adj. > A spare part ... is an interchangeable part that is kept in an inventory and used for the repair or replacement of failed units. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part > kept in reserve, as for possible use > being in excess of present need; free for other use [1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t A replacement part made on demand is by definition not "spare". Let's not have this word go the way of "drone", please?
- ygra 12y ago
  It wasn't made on demand, it was made as a demonstration and to have a spare.
danjayh 12y ago
I wonder if they can print without using support structures? I would have expected layer bonding to be an issue due to no gravity, but if it's really not a problem (as indicated in the article), I think that 3D printing should work better in space.
- stevenrace 12y ago
  I suspect you'd still need 'supports' added when slicing - as often it's not so much gravity, but movement from the print head that causes things to go awry. As for layer/bed adhesion. Even here on Earth, the RepRap MendelMax/Lulzbot [1] can print upside down. I imagine that's true for most of the units made from aluminum extrusions. And there have already been prints done in parabolic 'zero-g' flights using a Makerbot looking printer [2]. [1] http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_product_4-8-131323.jpg http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_p... [2] https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/ https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/
adamwong246 12y ago
I know theres some really tantalizing ideas about using metal 3d printers which melt powdered metal with a laser in space. By varying the composition of the powders, it's possible to make pieces which are gradient alloys- Imagine a pipe thats copper at one end, silver in the middle and gold on the other. Opens up a lot of possibilities for mining asteroids.
DontGiveTwoFlux 12y ago
A few years ago I met some folks at the Huntsville, AL Hackerspace who were working on turning the consumables into 3D printer feedstock. All of the food containers, etc would be turned into valuable materials. Right now they have to ship all of that waste back down to Earth. The potential for this kind of reuse is huge.
AaronFriel 12y ago
The utility of this can't be understated. In space, no one can hear your call to AAA. Like everything else with 3D printing, the first things will be small and I doubt NASA will forego incorporating redundancy in favor of sending more printers. But I imagine the space (and cost) saving potential is huge here. I'm guessing the space station requires a number of redundant and common parts. That has a cost, a common part is more easily replaced, but has to be made to the lowest common denominator. Niche parts have to be carried in duplicate or triplicate, I'm sure. If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the case. If my supposition is true, then this means fewer parts need share common components, and this means less weight and more room for everything else. Now if only they could 3D print better meals and more dignified sanitation for the brave members of the ISS, I'm sure they would appreciate that.
- robodale 12y ago
  Agreed. This first part is point 1 on an exponential curve of advancement in this area.
- krschultz 12y ago
  All of that is very true, plus there is one more huge advantage. Everything in space is currently designed for launch loads. Strapping something to the top of a rocket puts massive stress on everything - even small things, so they have to be overbuilt relative to the loads they experience in space. Manufacturing things in space (3D printing or other technologies) allows building the minimum required part for space. Imagine how much smaller and lighter simple things like equipment mounts could be if they didn't have to survive launch.
- lucaspiller 12y ago
  > If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the case. I'd be interested to know this too. I'm guessing there aren't that many vital parts made from plastic though, unless they've secretly built the ISS out of Lego :D
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    Next step would be a laser sintering device (additive metal manufacturing). Floating powder might be a problem, but could be solved with rotating the device to use centripetal force to hold the powder against a surface during the process.
ommunist 12y ago
Very handy to have spare parts to be 3D printed. Reminds me of the Bob Shaw's short story "Put part A into part B", where the crew have to assemble a robot capable of assembling anything, but it comes disassembled to the space station.
- sbierwagen 12y ago
  I'm not finding anything by that title written by Bob Shaw: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw
  - kristianp 12y ago
    Googled "short story Put part A into part B", second result is an Asimov short story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B
    - ommunist 12y ago
      That's the one, thanks. Human memory is weak, apologies. But the story plot is quite relevant.
ourmandave 12y ago
We can't say, "Tea, earl grey, hot" yet, but we can make the cup. It's a start. Small steps Sparks, small steps.
- fudged71 12y ago
  You can even make a cup with your voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao
gpvos 12y ago
Not only a spare part, but a spare part of itself. How nicely meta. :)
- ygra 12y ago
  Thinking about it, it's probably the first thing you should have spare parts for, given that if something breaks you cannot make more ;)
jimktrains2 12y ago
I wrote a little piece on my thoughts on 3d printing in space last year: http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-spaceflight http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-spaceflight I really do believe that 3d printing and malleable computing will enable long-term space exploration. It's extremely exciting to see the start of this!
mvklingeren 12y ago
Even while they can 3D print, they still can't live without Duct tape up there!

89 points by lelf 12y ago

spare, adj. > A spare part ... is an interchangeable part that is kept in an inventory and used for the repair or replacement of failed units. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_part > kept in reserve, as for possible use > being in excess of present need; free for other use [1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spare?s=t A replacement part made on demand is by definition not "spare". Let's not have this word go the way of "drone", please?

ygra 12y ago
It wasn't made on demand, it was made as a demonstration and to have a spare.

danjayh 12y ago

I wonder if they can print without using support structures? I would have expected layer bonding to be an issue due to no gravity, but if it's really not a problem (as indicated in the article), I think that 3D printing should work better in space.

stevenrace 12y ago
I suspect you'd still need 'supports' added when slicing - as often it's not so much gravity, but movement from the print head that causes things to go awry. As for layer/bed adhesion. Even here on Earth, the RepRap MendelMax/Lulzbot [1] can print upside down. I imagine that's true for most of the units made from aluminum extrusions. And there have already been prints done in parabolic 'zero-g' flights using a Makerbot looking printer [2]. [1] http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_product_4-8-131323.jpg http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ/photos/upside_down/Lulzbot_p... [2] https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/ https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/technologies/4/

adamwong246 12y ago

I know theres some really tantalizing ideas about using metal 3d printers which melt powdered metal with a laser in space. By varying the composition of the powders, it's possible to make pieces which are gradient alloys- Imagine a pipe thats copper at one end, silver in the middle and gold on the other. Opens up a lot of possibilities for mining asteroids.

DontGiveTwoFlux 12y ago

A few years ago I met some folks at the Huntsville, AL Hackerspace who were working on turning the consumables into 3D printer feedstock. All of the food containers, etc would be turned into valuable materials. Right now they have to ship all of that waste back down to Earth. The potential for this kind of reuse is huge.

AaronFriel 12y ago

The utility of this can't be understated. In space, no one can hear your call to AAA. Like everything else with 3D printing, the first things will be small and I doubt NASA will forego incorporating redundancy in favor of sending more printers. But I imagine the space (and cost) saving potential is huge here. I'm guessing the space station requires a number of redundant and common parts. That has a cost, a common part is more easily replaced, but has to be made to the lowest common denominator. Niche parts have to be carried in duplicate or triplicate, I'm sure. If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the case. If my supposition is true, then this means fewer parts need share common components, and this means less weight and more room for everything else. Now if only they could 3D print better meals and more dignified sanitation for the brave members of the ISS, I'm sure they would appreciate that.

robodale 12y ago
Agreed. This first part is point 1 on an exponential curve of advancement in this area.
krschultz 12y ago
All of that is very true, plus there is one more huge advantage. Everything in space is currently designed for launch loads. Strapping something to the top of a rocket puts massive stress on everything - even small things, so they have to be overbuilt relative to the loads they experience in space. Manufacturing things in space (3D printing or other technologies) allows building the minimum required part for space. Imagine how much smaller and lighter simple things like equipment mounts could be if they didn't have to survive launch.
lucaspiller 12y ago
> If someone could chime in, I'd like to know how much that's the case. I'd be interested to know this too. I'm guessing there aren't that many vital parts made from plastic though, unless they've secretly built the ISS out of Lego :D
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  Next step would be a laser sintering device (additive metal manufacturing). Floating powder might be a problem, but could be solved with rotating the device to use centripetal force to hold the powder against a surface during the process.

ommunist 12y ago

Very handy to have spare parts to be 3D printed. Reminds me of the Bob Shaw's short story "Put part A into part B", where the crew have to assemble a robot capable of assembling anything, but it comes disassembled to the space station.

sbierwagen 12y ago
I'm not finding anything by that title written by Bob Shaw: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Bob_Shaw
- kristianp 12y ago
  Googled "short story Put part A into part B", second result is an Asimov short story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insert_Knob_A_in_Hole_B
  - ommunist 12y ago
    That's the one, thanks. Human memory is weak, apologies. But the story plot is quite relevant.

ourmandave 12y ago

We can't say, "Tea, earl grey, hot" yet, but we can make the cup. It's a start. Small steps Sparks, small steps.

fudged71 12y ago
You can even make a cup with your voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKjj5eakao

gpvos 12y ago

Not only a spare part, but a spare part of itself. How nicely meta. :)

ygra 12y ago
Thinking about it, it's probably the first thing you should have spare parts for, given that if something breaks you cannot make more ;)

jimktrains2 12y ago

I wrote a little piece on my thoughts on 3d printing in space last year: http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-spaceflight http://jimkeener.com/posts/fpga-spaceflight I really do believe that 3d printing and malleable computing will enable long-term space exploration. It's extremely exciting to see the start of this!

mvklingeren 12y ago

Even while they can 3D print, they still can't live without Duct tape up there!