About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2021 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium (SFF Symp 2021)
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Symposium
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Process Development
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Presentation Title |
Feasibility Study of Large-format, Freeform 3D Printing for On-orbit Additive Manufacturing |
Author(s) |
Declan N. Jonckers, Oliver Tauscher, Enrico Stoll, Aditya R. Thakur |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Aditya R. Thakur |
Abstract Scope |
Large scale, on-orbit additive manufacturing (AM) and assembly is being considered as a modular and resource saving approach to facilitate permanent human presence in space. To realize this, a novel AM approach to freefrom fabricate large, functional structures in space has been developed. Combining the outreach of a free-flying CubeSat with a collaborative robotic arm and a 3D printer, large support-free thermoplastic structures can be manufactured beyond the size of the setup itself. The feasibility of the proposed fabrication approach was established using the Experimental Lab for Proximity Operations and Space Situational Awareness (ELISSA) system, where a modified fused filament fabrication setup was mounted on a free-flyer to 3D print free-standing structures. Using continuous navigation path incorporating infinite fabrication loop, over two meters long, support-free trusses were produced to well demonstrate the potentials of the proposed method in boundless direct printing of complex structures, independent of gravity or printing orientation. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Definite: Post-meeting proceedings |