USA

3D-printed robots

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In accordance with Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new method that doesn’t require any special equipment and works in just minutes to create soft, flexible, 3D-printed robots.

The innovation comes from rethinking the way soft robots are built: instead of figuring out how to add soft materials to a rigid robot body, the UC San Diego researchers started with a soft body and added rigid features to key components. The structures were inspired by insect exoskeletons, which have both soft and rigid parts–the researchers called their creations “flexoskeletons.”

 

U.S. Air Force – The first approved project was printed on the Stratasys F900

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According to Travis’s release,” The first approved project was printed on the Stratasys F900, which can print parts with dimensions up to 36 inches x 24 inches x 36 inches made of Ultem 9085, a specialized plastic known for its extra flexibility, density, and strength. The 60th Maintenance Squadron at Travis AFB, Calif., is the Air Force’s first-ever field unit equipped with a Federal Aviation Administration- and USAF-certified 3D printer capable of producing aircraft parts. Typically, parts that don’t keep the aircraft from performing their mission don’t have as high a priority for replacement.”
According to MSgt. In the release, John Higgs, the squadron’s metals technology section chief, said, “We already have a list from the Air Force level to help them print and backfill some supplies. This will ensure other bases can replace items sooner than expected with our help.”

 

Travis Maintenance Squadron First to Produce Certified, 3D-Printed Parts