lpetrich
Contributor
Relativity Space - an entirely 3D-printed rocket. Not just a rocket engine, but an entire rocket.
World’s largest 3D metal printers - rockets built and flown in days
Some traditional techniques are "subtractive manufacturing", like cutting and abrading (using sandpaper and the like).
3D printing has emerged as a cost-effective alternative to traditional techniques for special orders and small runs. It can be used with subtractive techniques for final shaping. It may even be used to make originals for molding and stamping and the like.
World’s largest 3D metal printers - rockets built and flown in days
3D printing or "additive manufacturing" is construction of objects bit by bit from a computer-software model. The raw material may be a liquid, a plastic, or a powder. It is then solidified, or else melted then solidified, or else sintered (fusing powder together with heat). Not only plastics and similar materials can be 3D printed, but also metals and ceramics.Relativity's proprietary Factory of the Future centers on Stargate, the world’s largest metal 3D printers, that create Terran 1, the world’s first 3D printed rocket, and the first fully reusable, entirely 3D printed rocket, Terran R, from raw material to flight in 60 days. Relativity’s Stargate printers’ patented technology enables an entirely new value chain and innovative structural designs that make Terran 1 and Terran R possible. By developing its Factory of the Future and rockets together, Relativity accelerates its ability to improve design, production, quality, and speed.
Zero fixed tooling and radical part count reduction
- Faster design iterations and part optimizations
- Real-time quality control and part inspection
- Sensor and analytics-driven machine learning
Some traditional techniques are "subtractive manufacturing", like cutting and abrading (using sandpaper and the like).
3D printing has emerged as a cost-effective alternative to traditional techniques for special orders and small runs. It can be used with subtractive techniques for final shaping. It may even be used to make originals for molding and stamping and the like.