The nRugged, aFactory in a Tool(FIT) 3D manufacturing system developed by Florida-based micro-dispensing technology firmnScrypt, has been demonstrated to the Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy, as a potential production tool for the美国军队.
该机器是为恶劣环境设计的,由LTC Jason Barnhill提出United States Military Academy’sDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science (West Point), in association with theUniformed Services University(USU)’s 4D Bio3 Program andThe Geneva Foundation.
Barnhill demonstrated the capabilities of the nRugged by 3D printing an orthopedic screw. According to Dr. Ken Church, nScrypt’s CEO: “nRugged is so much more than a 3D printer. Because it is a version of our Factory in a Tool, it solves the problem of building a precision product, not just a part, and does it in harsh environments. For example, a complete electronic device or a bioactive bandage can be digitally manufactured in the same machine, with automatic tool changes.”
nScrypt microdispensing technology
NSCRypt成立于2002年,致力于开发添加剂制造,微分解和生物打印技术。雷电竞充值微分分解涉及将墨水液滴沉积在少于一个微晶的体积中,这有助于多材料3D打印。该过程还允许制造smart devices,conformal antennas, andmicrofluidic devices.
The company’s FiT systems are a composition of microdispensing, material extrusion, micro-milling, and pick and place tool heads with multiple cameras, for an autonomous, hybrid manufacturing process. The machines leverage nScrypt’s patentedSmartPump microdispensing工具头,capable of dispensing10,000 commercially available materialswith volume control up to 20 picoliters. Recently, using a new conical pen tip on the SmartPump tool head, nScrypt announced it had successfully 3D printed solder and adhesive dots in the50-micron range.
nScrypt has previously provided a total of 6 FiT systems to variousArmy bases and labs, including a3Dn-1000 machineto the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal base in Alabama for manufacturing phased array antennas.
The nRugged system
nScrypt’s nRugged system was demonstrated to the Secretary of the Army as part of the 4D Bio3 program, a project run by The Geneva Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports medical research and education within the U.S. military. 4D Bio3 aims to promote the development and application of bioprinting, biofabrication, and biomanufacturing technologies for research relevant to Department of Defense (DoD) priorities. The program is based at the USU on America’s Medical Campus in Bethesda.
The nRugged is a ‘ruggedized version’ of nScypt’s FiT digital manufacturing platform. It has been built to withstand and operate effectively in harsh environments, thus making it suitable for deployment in the field during Army operations, thanks to its mobility: “The real advantage of this tough machine is mobility, rapid mobility, while maintaining precision,” explains Church.
“No crate, no riggers, no heavy equipment movers, no technicians to set it up and calibrate. Roll it into position, remove the top, plug it together, and start printing. Move it again and start printing right away. And again, with precision.”
The system can be equipped with up to four tool heads in any combination, including tools for microdispensing material extrusion, milling and polishing, and pick-and-place. It features a 150 x 150 mm print bed, and can also be configured for bioprinting as well.
以前,NSCRypt开发了其自定义版本BioFabrication Facility bioprinter, called theAustere BioAssembly Tool(ABAT), in order to biofabricate medical products in an austere military environment as part of a 4D Bio3 pilot program.
提名届e2020 3D印刷行业奖are now open. Who do you think should make the shortlists for this year’s show? Have your say now.
Subscribe to the3D Printing Industry newsletterfor the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us onTwitterand liking us onFacebook.
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D Printing Jobsfor a selection of roles in the industry.
Featured image shows the nRugged FiT system on the back of a truck. Photo via nScrypt.