3D-printed material is stronger than steel?

[Vixremento]

Okay so I like that it is 'sometimes' stronger than steel...that's progress. Of course I'd really ask 'is it as soft as flesh?'. Right, let's move on from my perv fantasies.

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has leveraged a new type of nanoscale 3D printing to push the limits of material science forward. Using a process developed by a German company called Nanoscribe, Jens Bauer and his team developed a new material that is less dense than water, but as strong as some forms of steel. This is the first evidence that these theorized materials can actually exist.

Right, so two things to take from that...items stronger than 'some forms of steel' and 'nanoscale'. So cool but only on a very tiny scale. Let's move on though...

Every material is characterized by its range of strength and density. In most instances, things get stronger as the become more dense, which has led to materials scientists searching for ways to buck the trend. Something that is very strong and not very dense is great for building anything where overall weight is a factor. In the graph below, the middle density line at 1000kg/m^3 is water. So the best material designed by Bauer and colleagues is toward the upper left, indicated by the pink dots.

Okay so I'm to lazy to post an image of the graph but if you REALLY want to see it you can go here...or you could watch this youtube clip which kinda bored me:


Do you reckon we'll eventually be able to craft out own [pseudo-strike-through]porn[/pseudo-strike-through] friends in the future?

[Snare]

Will never cease to amaze me how new and amazing technologies always cycle back to how things are done in nature.

[Tom]

3D printing really is incredible... I was reading an article on the us army in Afghanistan, and apparently instead of taking spare parts for vehicles or weapons, they now take a printer and anything they need, they get a file emailed to them with the part design, and they just print it and use it.... done....

I thought that was incredible...

[addam]

Yeah, 3D printing seems like it's going to be a big part of the future. I went to a talk on it and there's a team that is attempting to 3D print new organs for people by using stem cells and organic matter and building it up layer by layer. Imagine no more donor lists and no more replacement organs being rejected because they're tailor-made to work in your body!

[Tydmors]

Yeah, 3D printing seems like it's going to be a big part of the future. I went to a talk on it and there's a team that is attempting to 3D print new organs for people by using stem cells and organic matter and building it up layer by layer. Imagine no more donor lists and no more replacement organs being rejected because they're tailor-made to work in your body!

damn that would be amazing.

[Tom]

Yeah, 3D printing seems like it's going to be a big part of the future. I went to a talk on it and there's a team that is attempting to 3D print new organs for people by using stem cells and organic matter and building it up layer by layer. Imagine no more donor lists and no more replacement organs being rejected because they're tailor-made to work in your body!

Thats the coolest thing iv heard regarding 3D printing... If this becomes a reality it will change our lives considerably! But jeez where does it end? Could you then "print" a new limb for someone and attach it? Not referring to prosthetic's here...

[Ike_009]

Thats the coolest thing iv heard regarding 3D printing... If this becomes a reality it will change our lives considerably! But jeez where does it end? Could you then "print" a new limb for someone and attach it? Not referring to prosthetic's here...

So far they have printed ears and bladders but it's still in it's infancy with what they can do.

[Hiro]

So far they have printed ears and bladders but it's still in it's infancy with what they can do.

yes, but can it make "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot"

[Ike_009]

yes, but can it make "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot"

Nope, if they did it would be on my desk going overtime with coffee

[Ike_009]

Its going to be awesome when we can get to nano level printing, we all know nano tubes but imagine serious nano scale construction.
When we can get to that level imagine the strength and lightness in vehicle construction for example.

I just loving seeing these stories, thanks for the link