3D printing-manufacturing mechanical parts on the moon

Professor Bandyopadhyay of the School of Mechanical Materials Engineering at Washington State University and his colleagues recently published a paper in the journal Rapid Prototyping, verifying how to use materials from the moon to print parts.　　 In 2010, NASA researchers began to discuss with Bandyopadhyay whether they could use lunar rocks to print 3D objects. Because space travel is extremely expensive, researchers have tried to minimize the load carried by the spacecraft. Building a lunar or Mars outpost requires the use of construction and maintenance materials, and 3D printing manufacturing technology can be introduced at this time.　　3D manufacturing technology is also known as additive manufacturing, allowing researchers to directly produce complex three-dimensional objects under computer-aided design (CAD) models, and print the objects layer by layer. During the manufacturing process, laser printing in the material is heated to a high temperature and printed into the required shape like a melting candle.　　 To test this idea, NASA researchers provided Bandyopadhyay and others with a 10 pound [converted] imitation of the lunar weathering layer rock. Bandyopadhyay et al. paid attention to how lunar rock materials composed of silicon, aluminum, calcium, iron, and magnesium oxides would melt, and found that the melting behavior of rocks is similar to that of silica. Researchers hope that lunar materials can be used for remote repairs in the future. This research was supported by US$750,000 in funding. Read more articles: 3D printing laser sintered aircraft parts