Now the first 3D printer is installed on the International Space Station, and scientists will use it to print something that makes sense: a buckle that guarantees the health of the astronauts. Designed by former flight physician and astronaut Yvonne Cagle, the buckle is designed to tighten the compression band under weightless conditions, prevent muscle damage and maintain heart rate, which is important for a healthy life in the space station. Cagle said, "Until we can print the human body, we must ensure that people's physical condition can work long hours in space."
When designing the buckle, Cagle and her team faced engineering challenges: how to make the equipment meet the demanding requirements of space flight. “In order to meet the requirements you have to find something that is stable enough, but also requires a small enough size and a simple enough style to be repaired and printed when needed.â€
Cagle and the 3D printing company Made in Space, as well as partners at Singularity University, have completed a simple design that allows for the specification of the product and assesses how much pressure the person needs during the period of weakness after weight loss. restore. 0
Buckle the body
The buckle is designed to hold large muscle groups and is part of the seat belt retraction system. Astronauts can adjust themselves according to their own conditions. Cagle calls it a fixed muscle wear technique. Sometime next year, it will be printed and installed in three separate print zones on the space station, each about 4.5 inches in size.
"If there is no buckle, the spacesuit is a very cool coat, it can't protect the muscles and nerves," she said.
Printing in space can handle the damage of related components during launch while avoiding extra things from the Earth. Cagle and Autodesk have begun to consider the advantages of buckles on the ground. “It can be used not only in space exploration or commercial space, but also in people who need to rest or recover from bed.â€
The buckle program will be printed by the space station's second-generation printer in the second quarter of 2015. Cagle said she intends to analyze the data from the start of printing to the end of the buckle to select the appropriate printed material.
Her friend Knowles has been working on space-building tools for the past six years. He worked as a consultant for four members of Made in Space and later became the company's first investor.
“We are interested in building permanent manufacturing equipment on the space station, and Yvonne's design is a milestone in manufacturing,†Knowles said.
Next step: asteroid printing materials
Cagle spent three years researching the materials and processes of 3D printing in order to adapt to the gravity environment of the space. Cagle said that in space, the printer can make everything faster, no need to go to the manufacturer.
According to Knowles, current printers only support ABS plastic as a printing material, and next-generation printers can print more materials, even raw materials mined from asteroids. “If you want to create the future, you have to make progress on materials. Some patents are about to expire. We want to make breakthroughs in materials, but there is no clue.â€
Cagle also plans to design homes that can be used on space stations: inventory monitoring equipment that alerts when there is insufficient supply, first-aid equipment like splints, long-handle cutlery that avoids astronauts and spacecraft that get a mess at dinner time.
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