<
https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2024/04/23/umaines-new-3d-printer-smashes-former-guinness-world-record-to-advance-the-next-generation-of-advanced-manufacturing/>
"Surpassing its own 2019 Guinness World Record for the largest polymer 3D
printer, UMaine unveiled a next-generation printer that is four times larger
than its predecessor to catalyze the future of sustainable manufacturing in a
number of industries.
The new printer, dubbed Factory of the Future 1.0 (FoF 1.0), was unveiled on
April 23 at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) to an audience
that included representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S.
Department of Energy, the Maine State Housing Authority, industry partners and
other stakeholders who plan to utilize this technology. The thermoplastic
polymer printer is designed to print objects as large as 96 feet long by 32
feet wide by 18 feet high, and can print up to 500 pounds per hour. It offers
new opportunities for eco-friendly and cost-effective manufacturing for
numerous industries, including national security, affordable housing, bridge
construction, ocean and wind energy technologies and maritime vessel
fabrication. The design and fabrication of this world-first printer and hybrid
manufacturing system was made possible with support from the Office of the
Secretary of Defense through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
FoF 1.0 isn’t merely a large-scale printer; it dynamically switches between
various processes such as large-scale additive manufacturing, subtractive
manufacturing, continuous tape layup and robotic arm operations. Access to it
and MasterPrint, the ASCC’s first world-record breaking 3D printer, will
streamline manufacturing innovation research at the center. The two large
printers can collaborate by sharing the same end-effectors or by working on the
same part."
Via Wayne Radinsky, who wrote "“Continuous tape layup” refers to how fiberglass
and carbon fiber composite components can be manufactured by unrolling a “tape”
“pre-impregnated with adhesive resin”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
