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Science & Tech.
Mahesh

12/05/24 19:45 PM IST

ISRO successfully tests 3D-printed rocket engine

In News
  • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested a liquid rocket engine made with the help of additive manufacturing technology — commonly known as 3D printing.
3D printing
  • 3D printing is a process that uses computer-created design to make three-dimensional objects layer by layer.
  • It is an additive process, in which layers of a material like plastic, composites or bio-materials are built up to construct objects that range in shape, size, rigidity, and colour
  • To carry out 3D printing, one needs a personal computer connected to a 3D printer.
  • All they need to do is design a 3D model of the required object on computer-aid design (CAD) software and press ‘print’.
  • The 3D printer does the rest of the job.
  • 3D printers construct the desired object by using a layering method, which is the complete opposite of the subtractive manufacturing processes.
  • Think about the great Italian sculptor Michelangelo making his masterpiece sculpture David.
  • He famously carved out the colossal statue from one single block of marble.
  • This is an ideal example of the subtractive manufacturing method.
  • 3D printers, on the other hand, build from the bottom up by piling on layer after layer until the object looks exactly like it was envisioned.
  • The (3D) printer acts generally the same as a traditional inkjet printer in the direct 3D printing process, where a nozzle moves back and forth while dispensing a wax or plastic-like polymer layer-by-layer, waiting for that layer to dry, then adding the next level.
  • It essentially adds hundreds or thousands of 2D prints on top of one another to make a three-dimensional object.
Applications
  • The technology helped ISRO bring down the number of parts in the engine from 14 to a single piece.
  • The space agency was able to eliminate 19 weld joints and saved 97% of raw material. It also reduced the overall production time by 60%.
Source- Indian Express

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