This is a post by John Chilson on PTC site.
Some of our favorite product design stories this week.
Now printing: Stainless steel
When you think of 3D printing materials, plastic and porous steel are the usual suspects. However, says a new piece in Science magazine, researchers have developed a way to 3D print tough and flexible stainless steel, “an advance that could lead to faster and cheaper ways to make everything from rocket engines to parts for nuclear reactors and oil rigs.” Researchers designed a computer-controlled process to create dense stainless steel layers that allows a “printer to build in tiny cell wall–like structures on each scale that prevent fractures and other common problems.” Tests showed that under certain conditions the final material was up to three times stronger than that made by conventional techniques and yet still ductile.” Bottom line: Game changer.
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