Evolution of technologies of additive manufacturing

3D - printing

Process of transition from classical technologies – cutting, stamping, forging, casting to managed C began the help of computers to a shaping of products with 3D - printings, as with the most obvious solution. The future seems iridescent, but so far it is still difficult to us to provide possible synergy effect when 3D - printing integrates with process of creation of new materials and the new principles of designing of products. We can only assume the future, looking at the "printed" car.

The car of Local Motors Strati company "is printed" for 75%

The first commercial 3D-printer was offered by Object Geometries company in 2000, later it merged with Stratasys though printing history 3D as technologies, is twenty years more senior.

In May, 1989 the Japanese scientist Hideo Kadama made attempt to patent a method of fast creation of prototypes: he created three-dimensional objects, layer-by-layer lighting liquid plastic a beam of the UV laser, causing thus assignment. Was not enough for it for registration of the patent of money, as a result there were only articles where Kadama described the basic principles of a stereolithograph (stereolithography, SLA).

In 1984 approximately similar researches and so unsuccessfully for authors were conducted in France by group where mathematicians and physics Alan Mesho, Oliver de Vit and Jean Claude entered, their work was recognized unpromising and in the patent him too, as well as to Kadama, refused. And further, as it often happens in the history of inventions, the request for a stereolitogafiya practically along with them, with time difference for only three weeks was submitted by American Chuck Hall and he was more successful, having taken out in the subsequent several tens of patents. In 1988 he created the company specializing in SLA.

The idea of SLA is rather simple – the basis is formed by the vessel standing on the platform, it is filled with liquid plastic and in the course of work step by step rises, and on each step the beam provides layer-by-layer hardening.

In 1988 Karl Dekard offered more practical method which received the name the selection laser agglomeration (Selective laser sintering, SLS). Its essence in agglomeration of fine powder material using the laser.

In the first embodiment SLS powder was layer-by-layer poured in a form and baked by a beam, and then the platform was understood on the layer thickness which depends on properties of material and laser power. In the subsequent numerous different ways of building up of material (cladding process) were created. If SLA works only with liquid plastics and rubbers, then SLS is more various, it is possible to use metals and alloys.

For the next years three-dimensional printing passed an enormous evolutionary way, having separated into two main directions – fast creation of models (prototypes) and additive manufacturing (Additive Manufacturing. AM). This way is in details described in the material "History of additive manufacturing".^[1]

In parallel with development 3D - printings arose relatives on sounding of version 2.5D, 4D and even 5D. According to Gartner 4D is among the most perspective directions, but practical results are expected not less than in about 10 years.

2.5D-printing

The technology 2.5D is developed by Casio company, it is called textural (textural printing) or relief printing (elevated printing). In printing process separate fragments, from here 2.5 slightly rise, and various coverings and paints are applied on a surface (up to 16 million options) that allows to create relief surfaces with the most different texture. The purpose of such printing consists in the help unseeing and in creation of various decorative items, for example, of copies of painting.

The technology received the name Mofrel, in it as the carrier two-layer paper is used, between its layers there is a powder from the polietilenglikoltereftalat better known as PET, one of the cheapest plastics used for the most different purposes, the most mass application – bottles for water. The auxiliary covering at first is applied on paper about 2 mm thick, it is lit by infrared light source, further when heating powder in the right places is blown up and turns out a relief, and then the image is applied. Printing of the sheet A4 takes about 5 minutes.

The first industrial samples 2.5D of printers appeared at the end of 2017, they are used in any design processes of products for prototyping of surfaces which in real products can be leather, fabric and others that excludes pilot production and significantly simplifies transition from CAD to CAM (from automated design to automated production).

2.5D-printer and models of future products

4D-printing

In 4D-printing to three coordinates the fourth coordinate – time increases, it means that the three-dimensional products printed on technology 4D in the subsequent can change under the influence of these or those external factors, for example, temperature, humidity, sunlight or other radiation. The main works in area 4D are concentrated in laboratory on self-assembly (like molecules) Self-Assembly Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in also in research division of one of leaders in production of printers for 3D Stratasys and in software division of Autodesk.

The Self-Assembly Lab laboratory was created by Skaylar Tibbitts in the international center for design of International Design Center in MIT. She specializes in problems of autonomous assembly and creation of materials with programmable properties. Works on creation of the polymers capable to remember the root form were the first results. Such materials can be used for point delivery of medications and during creation of medical implants.

Noticeable interest in 4D-printing is shown by U.S. Army, she sponsors the researches in this direction pursuing the purpose of creation of new types of ammunition and the arms changing the form.

5D-printing

Normal three-dimensional printing is generally static, in the course of formation of a product the platform can rise and still misting nozzles can move. Five-measured, more precisely on five axes, additive manufacturing (five-axis additive manufacturing) differs in the fact that the created subject can rotate along two axes or on the evaporated powder corrective action too on two axes is made.

5D-printing

The easiest way of 5D-printing is shown in the drawing above, on it it is visible that the platform with the created cover can bend in two directions – back and forth and to the right-to the left. Even when using the simplest technology with fusing of plastic in a cover the structure increasing it durability many times over is formed. It is simple to imagine as far as durability will increase if at printing for reinforcing to use the corresponding materials, something will turn out like steel concrete.

The author of a method is William Erazunis from Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs. According to it, the cover executed on technology 5D is 40 times stronger than a cover with normal horizontal layers. According to Erazunis, for use of advantages of 5D-printing it is necessary to be based on knowledge of construction mechanics.

In printing process from metal there is a place for an ultrasonic additive technology (Ultrasonic additive manufacturing, UAM) which allows to create materials with programmable properties, alloying microparticles among themselves or peeled them.

Works on such hybrid materials are conducted by national laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In more detail the UAM technology is described in article "Exploring the mechanical strength of additively manufactured metal structures with embedded electrical materials".^[2]

See Also

• 3D - printing in medicine
• 3D - printing in medicine (world market)
• 3D-printers (world market)
• The 3D projects are printings
• AMT Specavia
• Apis Cor
• Additive manufacturing (Additive Manufacturing)

Notes