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Learning the possibilities of 3D printing at the IET Prestige Lecture 2015.

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I recently joined the IET as an apprentice member and while looking through their website found many great events and lectures which are free to attend, both for IET members and non-members. Still very new in the engineering world I naturally want to learn more about new technologies and when I found the event, 'Additive manufacture - Beyond the Hype', and saw it was being held at the nearby Rose Bowl (one of Leeds Beckett university's buildings) attending was a no-brainer..

Arriving

Upon arrival there were refreshments and a buffet where the attendees congregated before the lecture began. This was a great opportunity to socialise with the other attendees and I even saw a few familiar faces from other events.

Introducing the IET

The president of the IET, Professor William Webb, gave a brief introduction of the institute and the principles it stands for. He explained how as engineers we should be working together to engineer a better world while inspiring tomorrow's engineers. One point he made was how we should be informing others of the possibilities a career in engineering holds. He also said how they want to work with mothers, who can influence and inform the next generation — and especially women!

The main lecture then began and was delivered by Professor Iain Todd, who is the head of the Mercury Centre at the University of Sheffield, which researches advanced manufacturing. Professor Todd began to speak of the huge hype surrounding 3D printing and also the opportunities which it holds, from printing houses to body parts, the applications appear endless.

So what is 3D printing?

3D printing is the process of designing three dimensional objects in a computer aided design package (CAD) and then 'printing' thin layers of the material to build three dimensional objects.

How it works

This method described used five main steps:

  • Step 1 — 3D data is loaded into the printer controller

  • Step 2 — Powdered material is loaded into the printer and a vacuum is created

  • Step 3 — A wiper spreads a thin layer of powder across a platform and an electron beam melts the powder at particular XY coordinates

  • Step 4 — The platform is lowered and step three is repeated until a three dimensional object is formed

  • Step 5 — The object is cooled while the excess material powder is extracted and stored for use on another print.

There are other processes which use a variation on this, such as extruding plastic filament to build up layers to create a three dimensional object.

Examples of how it can be used

One fantastic example of how engineering giants Rolls Royce are using this technology is that later this year they plan to fly the largest 3D part to be flown! They have built a 1.5m diameter by 0.5m depth titanium front bearing housing which contains 48 aerofoils, that is incorporated into a Trent XWB-97 engine.

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One particular area that 3D printing seems to be making a massive breakthrough in is in the medical industry. . This technique is literally engineering better lives for people, from printing prosthetic limbs to printing guides which can help restore function in nerve-damaged patients. There is a company which designs and creates multi-cellular, dynamic and functional human tissue! Also Will.i.am has said that “eventually 3D printing will print people...” I particularly enjoyed this part of the talk as I have a keen interested in medicine.

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I learned a great deal during this lecture. From seeing how 3D printing works and the ways it can be used, I think it holds huge potential for engineering and current uses are just the tip of the iceberg !

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I will definitely be attending more lectures hosted by the IET and hopefully in the not too distant future.

Trainee Electronics Engineer, currently studying towards my degree in Electronic Engineering at the University of Hudderfsield. Completed my HND in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Bradford College 2017. Love to try new things and build interesting projects!
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