0.7 21st century technology, digital displacement, and the role of  (Page 5/17)

Additive manufacturing of the same aircraft begins with titanium powder . Then, software instructs the 3-D printer to spread a very thin first layer (0.02 mm) on a tray. Then the powder is fused by lasers. Then added the first layer is another layer, and another, and another, etc.

The additive process uses only 10% of the titanium raw material used in subtractive manufacturing. And the part is lighter , requires much less energy to make, and can be customized very cheaply. In addition, this will eventually mean that firms no longer need to hold expensive inventories of parts. Rather, they will just print what you need, when you need it.

How appealing is this for the 21st century for say, the aircraft industry.

• Environmentally it is very good. It saves energy and avoids depleting titanium reserves.
• It can be commercially cheaper. Because prototypes or parts can be easily made, can slash development costs for new products, sharply reduce waste of materials and eliminate tooling costs.

An example of the simplest types of additive manufacturing would be non functional plastic prototypes for almost anything. Consider firm Alpha in Houston, TX: Engineers design a T-pipe, using Solidworks 3D program. Then firm Alpha sends the file electronically to a 3D printer located at firm Beta in Lexington, Massachusetts. This printer uses powdered ABS plastic (very cheap). The part is produced layer by layer.

• The access T-pipe is a miniature of a much larger solid pipe.
• The prototype bearing is made to see if it will fit into the machine properly. If the plastic prototype works, then make the real thing by using metal powder.

By 2014, surprising new applications are appearing. Engineers at the University of South Hampton in England recently printed a flyable aircraft (not yet including its engine). The firm Rolls Royce however has been developing a process to use 3D printing in making aircraft engines. In 2015, the U.S. metals producer had developed a 3-D printing process to make gas turbines for jet engines. The results have been striking with additive manufacturing Alcoa has managed to a) cut in half the time required to manufacture the part, b) reduced costs of the process by 25%, and c) a process that once required half a year can now be completed in two to eight weeks, enabling large increases in output. See Fortune, “Using 3-D Printing to Make Jet Engines”, November 13, 2014. The automaker Audi now is 3D printing parts of its autos. 3D printers can print new teeth for you 3D printers can print a customized hip replacement or knee replacement for you (at no greater cost then now). 3D printers are also used to print sensors on military armor, to make plastic water tanks using embedded electronics to measure how full the tank is, with pumps to turn water on and off. At major NASCAR races, technicians have been using 3D printers to replace in real-time needed racecar parts that have been damaged during races.