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V O L . X X V I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 0 14 WO R K P L A C E T E C H N O L O G Y Working on machines that each cost around $750,000, the process allows for the creation of geo- metrically complex parts that are lightweight and strong, and allows prototypes to be created as a single entity rather than in multiple parts. e process moves quickly; from concept to final prototype takes about a week. For example, a total hip joint replacement involves implanting a hip cup that has hitherto been cast and then machine-coated afterward — a time-consuming process of perhaps six steps. "We can just print the part with a 3D porous coating directly on the hip cup in a single step and then machine it," he explains. "It's two steps." At the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center, 3D print- ing is reaching new levels. Last fall, the center unveiled the largest 3D printer in the world. Made by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, Ill., the $2.5 million machine extrudes molten, paper-thin filament, at 500 pounds per hour, to produce objects up to 100 feet by 22 feet by 10 feet. To demonstrate its capabilities, the center printed a 25-foot, 5,000-pound boat, which took just three days. Although non-functional, it's the largest 3D printed object in the world. Potential commercial uses include military, boatbuilding and energy applications. Tolerances are within 1/6,000 of an inch, says Habib Dagher, the center's executive director. In general, pro- duction time is cut from months to weeks. "I don't know of any other printer that has that capability," he says. e center is developing new software and hardware technologies to integrate with the printer. at includes high-performance computer connections for even faster and more precise printing, and artificial intelligence and sensor capabilities to make the printer "smart," able to automatically adjust print patterns as needed, and able to produce "born certified" parts, meaning the end-product is ready for real-world use. "We're developing that technology as we speak," says Dagher. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E F O C U S The The University of Maine's University of Maine's new 3D printer is the new 3D printer is the largest in the world, capable of producing objects largest in the world, capable of producing objects up to 100 feet long by 22 feet wide by 10 feet high. up to 100 feet long by 22 feet wide by 10 feet high. P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R The fiber can be 30,000 of an inch and it has to hit a hole in the needle that's a couple of microns wide. — Mitch Sanborn Lanco Integrated

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