A team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and Texas A&M University have developed an innovative new approach to defect detection in 3D printed parts. Using real-time temperature data, together with machine learning algorithms, the scientists were able to make correlative links between thermal history and the formation of subsurface defects during the laser powder […]
Liquid magnets made possible by Berkley lab 3D printing
A team of scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a Department of Energy (DOE) office lab managed by the University of California, have used a modified 3D printer to produce liquid droplets imbued with magnetic properties. Their research, published in the Science journal, could potentially lead to the use of 3D printed devices in […]
LLNL researchers use X-ray imaging to mitigate defects in metal 3D printed parts
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) and Ames Laboratory are researching X-ray imaging to examine metal parts during the laser powder bed fusion process. The research paper is part of a partnership between the laboratories to identify the causes of defects in metal 3D printed parts and understand how those flaws […]
ORNL and Lincoln Electric to advance large-scale additive manufacturing technology for metal tooling
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tennessee, and Ohio-based manufacturer of welding products Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ: LECO), have announced a new agreement to advance the development of large-scale metal additive manufacturing technology. Established at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing InnovationXLab Summit, the collaboration aims to increase the throughput of large-scale additively manufactured industrial metallic […]
ExOne and ORNL collaborate to develop new binder jet 3D printing technology
Leading industrial 3D printer provider ExOne has announced it will be collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance binder jet 3D printing. The aim of the collective is to develop a new binder jet technology benefiting both sand and metal 3D printers. As part of this, the two teams will enable the 3D processing […]
ORNL Develops a New 3D Printing Material and Showcases Several Others
Lignin is a complex organic polymer that is an important part of the cell walls of many plants, making them woody and rigid. It’s also a 3D printable material, much like cellulose, another building block in plant cells. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a research organization that has done a great deal of important work with 3D printing, has developed a new 3D printing material using lignin.
[Image: Ngoc Nguyen/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy]
The plant-based material, according to ORNL, has excellent printability and performance. Lignin also happens to be a byproduct of the biofuels process, and could become a valuable coproduct with its use as a 3D printing material.
The material is made by combining lignin, rubber, carbon fiber and ABS. Components 3D printed with the material have 100 percent improved weld strength between layers compared to ABS alone.
“To achieve this, we are building on our experience with lignin during the last five years,” said ORNL’s Amit Naskar. “We will continue fine tuning the material’s composition to make it even stronger.”
The details of the patent-pending process have been published in a paper entitled “A general method to improve 3D-printability and inter-layer adhesion in lignin-based composites,” which you can access here. Authors of the paper include Ngoc A. Nguyen, Christopher C. Boland, and Amit K. Naskar.
More of ORNL’s 3D printing expertise was in the spotlight recently as Secretary of Energy Rick Perry traveled to the facility to dedicate Summit, the world’s fastest and smartest scientific supercomputer. Perry didn’t stand at any ordinary wooden podium – he stood behind a futuristic 3D printed podium, courtesy of ORNL. With the exception of the microphone and the wiring, every part of the podium was 3D printed, using different technologies and materials.
The top of the podium was 3D printed with 20% carbon fiber ABS, using a Blue Gantry large-scale polymer deposition system. The printing took six hours, and then the piece was coated with a Tru-Design sand coat with clear paint and a flattening agent. The pedestal was 3D printed with 30% bamboo reinforced with 70% PLA, also using a Blue Gantry System and Tru-Design clear paint and a flattening agent. The component took three hours to 3D print. The Department of Energy seal on the podium was 3D printed from a titanium alloy using an Arcam electron beam melting system. It took nine hours and 44 minutes to print.
The podium is a showcase of the speed and effectiveness of 3D printing, no matter what the technology used. The complex DOE seal traditionally would have to be cast, but 3D printing it was much faster and did not require the use of a die. Attendees at the presentation were able to see how ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility saved money, time and reduced waste through its use of technology. The final product is attractive, with a twisting, multi-sided brown pedestal and a silvery top with the DOE seal prominently displayed. It’s also a highly functional podium, sturdy and durable, with the advanced coatings applied to it making it resistant to rain, sun, or other outdoor elements.
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[Sources/Images: ORNL, Department of Energy]