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Developing rapid prototyping center for space
When astronauts need to fix broken parts in orbit using specialized tools, the replacement parts and necessary equipment traditionally must be delivered to them from Earth, delaying science and adding to the cost of the mission. Chicago native and engineer Curtis Manning and the Rapid Prototyping research team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., are developing ways for astronauts to simply push a button - and quickly create the required part or tool right on the spot.Manning works in the Marshall Center's Rapid Prototyping Laboratory. The lab consists of seven state-of-the-art machines, each of which can build - without benefit of any kind of mold - intricate, detailed pieces of hardware using metallic dust, liquid resin and even a special kind of plastic that looks like fishing line. "Instead of starting at a drawing board, we start with a computer- aided design, or CAD drawing," Manning said. "We program our computers and machines with that CAD drawing, and the machine builds solid, three-dimensional objects with incredible detail, even hollow piping or a threaded hole for bolts." The machines can build small models, full-sized machine parts or ready-to-work tools. The technology permits engineers and designers to see their concepts realized in three dimensions. They can even perform basic testing on the prototype before committing to traditional construction or fabrication of parts. Once the process is perfected, Manning believes it's just a matter of time to make rapid prototyping cost-effective enough to perform in space. "We're relatively inexpensive," he said. "In the future, we could devise a process that would use raw materials in space to create whatever an astronaut might need." That way, instead of waiting for a misplaced or worn-out part or tool to be delivered from Earth, or returning a satellite to the ground for repair, an astronaut may simply upload CAD drawings or programs, feed them into a rapid prototyping process, load the raw material and quickly build the part or tool to finish the job. [..] Posted by: 3dc 2006-08-29 |
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