We would like to congratulate Toby Nunn for the successful completion of his degree in Automotive Design at Coventry University and winning Best Interior in Show.
Toby's final year piece shown at the Industrial Design Degree Show 2012 was titled Experimental Luxury inspired by botanical forms based around the concept of families needing more time to socialise and interact with each other. With travel being their best opportunity, the interior provides a space for the family to interact, communicate and relax improving their moods for the day ahead.
The original design was transferred to CAD by Matt Chandley and the quarter size model built by a private racing company and Laser Lines on a Fortus 400 in ABS.
I imagine you’ve heard something recently about a certain rover successfully landing on Mars. Curiosity is currently tooling around on the red planet taking snapshots and doing analysis. Part of the purpose for the rover’s visit is to determine what challenges need to be overcome to send astronauts to Mars.
Designing a vehicle sturdy enough to survive the launch from Earth, through the vacuum of space and onto the surface of Mars itself is no small feat. It must be rugged enough to function, yet still light enough to get off the ground. NASA is currently in the planning and testing phase of the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) and has turned to additive manufacturing (AM) to fulfill specific design demands for between 60-80 different parts.
NASA's Space Exploration Vehicle undergoing testing. Courtesy of Stratasys.
The SEV is essentially an oversized SUV designed for two passengers. The astronauts will live and work onboard the SEV, ushering in a new chapter in manned space exploration. NASA is taking advantage of AM because of the possibilities it offers for design.
“Sometimes traditional manufacturing methods don’t really work for some parts that you want to build, where you can do it with additive manufacturing and it’s really simple,” said Christopher Chapman, NASA test engineer. “It really takes no effort for what would otherwise be a very complex process.”
NASA turned to Stratasys and its Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process to build parts such as flame retardant ducting to create a safe environment for the pilots. As well as end-use parts, NASA uses AM for rapid prototyping to ensure each part functions in the manner for which it was designed. NASA also uses rapid prototyping to ensure the parts they order from manufacturers will fit properly in the SEV, which reduces costs.
Added to the usual benefits of using AM, if NASA finds room in the SEV for even a small 3D printer, the crew can create parts on the go. NASA has already begun to investigate the possibilities for creating new parts using AM. The benefits of being able to create a replacement part when the nearest storeroom is millions of miles away are pretty obvious.
Below you’ll find a video that discusses the SEV and the role AM is taking in its construction.
Technological advancement moves along at a dizzying pace. A large number of factors combine to determine which technology develops fastest, but one of the biggest drivers of innovation in the United Statesis the military. Any technology that has a military application is likely to find funding for research and development.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is definitely an emerging technology that has the military’s attention. It has multiple potential uses for aviation alone, and the Defense Department is a major investor in President Obama’s planfor a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. Now, the U.S. Army has made an investment in AM to act in a support capacity for troops on the ground.
REF Expeditionary Lab - Mobile is contained within a 20 foot shipping container. Courtesy of U.S. Army.
The Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is responsible for providing quick solutions to specific problems for soldiers in the field. In theaters like Afghanistan where a forward operating base can be set up almost literally in the middle of nowhere, the REF mission is vital to operations. The newest addition to the REF toolset is the Expeditionary Lab – Mobile.
The Expeditionary Lab – Mobile includes fairly standard workshop equipment such as plasma cutters, welders, magnetic mounted drill-presses, electric hacksaws, routers, circular saws and jig saws. The lab also boasts more high-tech equipment in the form of a CNC machine and a 3D printer, along with engineers to operate the machinery.
“The soldiers out there, they know how to do stuff; they know how to fix stuff and they know what they need to be able to do, but what they don’t have is the technical expertise in many cases to do it themselves,” said Col. Pete Newell, commander of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force at Fort Belvoir, Va.
“It’s really difficult to connect the guy who is building the product to the kid who really needed it to begin with, so what we went after is to connect the scientist to the soldier,” said Newell. “Rather than bringing the soldier home to the scientist, we have uprooted the scientist and the engineer and brought them to the soldier.”
Each lab is housed in a 20 ft. shipping container with workstations that can be rolled out. The lab also contains satellite communications equipment to allow the scientists in the field to communicate with REF officials and engineers off-site, bringing more know-how to the operation without adding to personnel on the ground. In addition, each lab comes complete with an electricity generator and air conditioning/heating system.
The Expeditionary Lab – Mobile cost around $2.8 million to build. The first one was deployed at Regional Command South near Kandahar. Other labs are being constructed, with one intended to remain in reserve to assist with future disaster relief efforts.
Below you’ll find an REF video about the new labs.
