SCI-TECH & ENGINEERINGLARGEST SOLID 3D-PRINTED ITEM
A trim tool measuring 2.33 m^3 (82.28 cu ft), designed for
use during the manufacture of the Boeing 7 77 aeroplane
wing, was printed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the
Boeing Company (both USA) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA,
on 29 Aug 2016. It took 30 hr to print out the tool on the Big
Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine.
EARLIEST MONARCH
RECONSTRUCTED
USING 3D PRINTING
In 2010, National
Geographic commissioned
model‑maker Gary Staab
(USA) to create an accurate
3D‑printed replica of
the Egyptian pharaoh
Tutankhamun (c. 1 341–
23 bce). He used CT scans
of Tutankhamun’s mummy,
which were converted
into a 3D computer
model and printed using
a stereolithography
machine. The printed
model was then shipped to
Staab’s studio in Missouri,
USA, where he applied
colour and texture details.LARGEST
3D-PRINTED BOAT
The annual Seafair Milk
Carton Derby in Seattle,
Washington, USA,
challenges entrants to
build the best boat out
of recycled milk jugs.
In Jun 2012, a team from
the Washington Open
Object Fabricators group
(WOOF) entered the 42nd
Derby with a 3D‑printed
creation made from melted
milk jugs fashioned into
a single piece of floating
plastic. The boat, which
measured 7 ft (2.13 m)
long and weighed 40 lb
(18.14 kg), came second
in its category.FIRST 3D-PRINTED BRIDGE
On 14 Dec 2016, a 3D‑printed bridge was inaugurated in
Castilla-La-Mancha park in Madrid, Spain. Spanning 12 m
(29 ft 4 in) long by 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in) wide, it was built by a team
from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
(ESP). The pedestrian bridge is constructed from eight
segments consisting of layers of fused concrete powder
micro‑reinforced with thermoplastic polypropylene.FIRST 3D-PRINTED CORAL REEF
In 2012, experts from international consortium Reef Arabia
sank two 3D-printed coral reefs off the coast of Bahrain.
Weighing some 1,100 lb (500 kg) each, the artificial reefs are
made from a non‑toxic patented sandstone‑like material
designed to be more attractive to coral larvae and other
marine creatures. And, unlike traditional concrete artificial
reefs, their 3D counterparts are pH neutral.LARGEST 3D-PRINTED SKELETON
On 15 Jan 2016, the American Museum of Natural History
in New York City, USA, unveiled its latest exhibition: a
3D‑printed full skeleton of a titanosaur dinosaur. The
creature was discovered in the Patagonian Desert in
Argentina and is believed to have lived during the Late
Cretaceous period. At 122 ft (37 m) long, the replica skeleton
is slightly too large for its exhibition room. Its neck and head
extend out towards the lift, where it can surprise visitors.MOST POPULAR
3D PRINTER
According to 3D Hubs, a
Dutch company that facilitates
transactions between 3D‑printer
owners and potential users, the
Prusa i3 was the most
used globally in Jul, Aug
and Sep 2016. A total
of 2,795 Prusa i3s were
used, accounting for
8.3% of all 3D‑printing
jobs. The Prusa i3 is
open source and part of
the RepRap project. The first
model was designed in 2012
by Josef Průša (CZE).The titanosaur
was 3D ‑printed from
a lightweight fibreglass
material. Mounting the original
fossils would have been
impossible owing to their
sheer weight.