3D printing of complex copper parts for use in medical imaging and treatment, the electrical grid, satellite communications and more are on the horizon.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory with other collaborators are developing 3D copper printing techniques to build accelerator components and vacuum electronic devices.
“We’re trying to print a particle accelerator, which is really ambitious,” Diana Gamzina, a staff scientist at SLAC said.
Traditionally, each copper component is machined individually and bonded with others using heat to form complex geometries. But it takes a great deal of time, precision and care.
3D printing of copper components could offer a solution by layering thin sheets of materials on top of one another and slowly building up specific shapes and objects.
No specific tooling, fixtures or moulds are needed for the procedure. As a result, 3D printing eliminates design constraints inherent in traditional fabrication processes and allows the construction of objects that are uniquely complex.
“The whole point of 3D printing is to make stuff no matter where you are without a lot of infrastructure. So you can print your particle accelerator on a naval ship, in a small university lab or somewhere very remote,” Gamzina said.
The next phase of the project will be driven by the newly-formed Consortium on the Properties of Additive-Manufactured Copper. The consortium currently has four active industry members – Siemens, GE Additive, RadiaBeam and Calabazas Creek Research – with more on the way.
Detail: https://scitechdaily.com/could-3d-printers-create-the-next-generation-of-particle-accelerators/
Consortium: https://www.mae.ncsu.edu/cpac/