Sonke sakhe izinqaba zesihlabathi ogwini lolwandle: izindonga ezinkulu, imibhoshongo emikhulu, imisele egcwele oshaka. Uma ufana nami, uzomangala ukuthi amanzi amancane anamathelana kahle kangakanani—okungenani kuze kube yilapho umfowenu omkhulu efika futhi ewakhahlela ngenjabulo ebhubhisayo.
Usomabhizinisi uDan Gelbart usebenzisa amanzi ukuhlanganisa izinto, yize umklamo wakhe uqine kakhulu kunombukiso wasebhishi wangempelasonto.
Njengomongameli kanye nomsunguli weRapidia Tech Inc., umhlinzeki wezinhlelo zokuphrinta zensimbi ze-3D eVancouver, eBritish Columbia, naseLibertyville, e-Illinois, uGelbart usungule indlela yokukhiqiza izingxenye esusa izinyathelo ezithatha isikhathi ezitholakala kubuchwepheshe obuncintisanayo ngenkathi enza kube lula kakhulu ukususwa kokusekelwa.
Futhi kwenza ukuhlanganisa izingxenye eziningi kungabi nzima kunokumane uzicwilise emanzini amancane bese uzinamathelisa ndawonye—ngisho nasezingxenyeni ezenziwe ngezindlela zokukhiqiza zendabuko.
UGelbart uxoxa ngomehluko oyisisekelo phakathi kwezinhlelo zakhe ezisekelwe emanzini nalezo ezisebenzisa izimpushana zensimbi eziqukethe i-wax engu-20% kuya ku-30% kanye ne-polymer (ngomthamo). Amaphrinta e-Rapidia anekhanda eliphindwe kabili ensimbi akhiqiza i-paste kusuka kumpushana wensimbi, amanzi kanye ne-resin binder ngamanani asukela ku-0.3 kuya ku-0.4%.
Ngenxa yalokhu, wachaza, inqubo yokuhlukanisa edingwa ubuchwepheshe obuncintisanayo, evame ukuthatha izinsuku eziningana, iyasuswa bese ingxenye ingathunyelwa ngqo kuhhavini oshisayo.
Ezinye izinqubo ikakhulukazi zisembonini "yokubumba injection molding (MIM) ende edinga izingxenye ezingahlanganisiwe ezingahlanganisiwe ukuthi ziqukethe izilinganiso eziphakeme ze-polymer ukuze kube lula ukukhululwa kwazo ku-mold," kusho uGelbart. "Kodwa-ke, inani le-polymer elidingekayo ukubopha izingxenye zokuphrinta kwe-3D empeleni lincane kakhulu—ingxenye eyodwa kweziyishumi yephesenti yanele ezimweni eziningi."
Pho kungani uphuza amanzi? Njengoba kunjalo ngesibonelo sethu se-sandcastle esisetshenziswa ukwenza i-paste (i-metal paste kulesi simo), i-polymer ibamba izingcezu ndawonye njengoba zomile. Umphumela uba yingxenye enokuqina nokuqina kwe-sidewalk chalk, eqinile ngokwanele ukumelana nomshini wokugaya ngemva kokuhlanganiswa, umshini wokugaya ngobumnene (yize uGelbart encoma umshini wokugaya ngemva kokuhlanganiswa), ukuhlanganiswa ngamanzi nezinye izingxenye ezingakaqedwa, bese kuthunyelwa kuhhavini.
Ukususa ukususa amafutha kuvumela futhi ukuthi kuphrintiwe izingxenye ezinkulu nezinodonga olukhulu ngoba uma kusetshenziswa izimpushana zensimbi ezifakwe i-polymer, i-polymer ayikwazi “ukusha” uma izindonga zezingxenye zinkulu kakhulu.
UGelbart uthe omunye umenzi wemishini udinga ubukhulu bodonga obungu-6mm noma ngaphansi. “Ngakho ake sithi wakha ingxenye enobukhulu begundane lekhompyutha. Uma kunjalo, ingaphakathi kuzodingeka libe yimbobo noma mhlawumbe uhlobo oluthile lwe-mesh. Lokhu kuhle kakhulu ezinhlotsheni eziningi zokusebenza, ngisho nokukhanya kuyinjongo. Kodwa uma kudingeka amandla angokomzimba njengebhawodi noma enye ingxenye enamandla amakhulu, khona-ke [umjovo wempuphu yensimbi] noma i-MIM ngokuvamile akufaneleki.”
Isithombe esisanda kunyatheliswa sibonisa izinto zangaphakathi eziyinkimbinkimbi ezingakhiqizwa yiphrinta yeRapidia.
UGelbart uveza ezinye izici eziningana zephrinta. Ama-cartridge aqukethe i-metal paste angagcwaliswa futhi abasebenzisi abawabuyisela eRapidia ukuze agcwaliswe bazothola amaphuzu nganoma iyiphi into engasetshenziswanga.
Izinto ezahlukahlukene ziyatholakala, kufaka phakathi insimbi engagqwali engu-316 kanye ne-17-4PH, i-INCONEL 625, i-ceramic kanye ne-zirconia, kanye nethusi, i-tungsten carbide kanye nezinye izinto eziningana ezisathuthukiswa. Izinto zokusekela – isithako esiyimfihlo kumaphrinta amaningi ensimbi – zenzelwe ukuphrinta izinto ezingasuswa noma “zishiswe” ngesandla, zivule umnyango wezinto zangaphakathi ezingenakuphinde zikhiqizwe.
I-Rapidia ibilokhu isebenza iminyaka emine futhi, kuyavunywa, isanda kuqala. “Le nkampani ithatha isikhathi sayo ukulungisa izinto,” kusho uGelbart.
Kuze kube manje, yena nethimba lakhe basebenzise izinhlelo ezinhlanu, okuhlanganisa eyodwa eSelkirk Technology Access Center (STAC) eBritish Columbia. Umcwaningi uJason Taylor ubelokhu esebenzisa lo mshini kusukela ekupheleni kukaJanuwari futhi ubone izinzuzo eziningi ngaphezu kwamaphrinta amaningana e-STAC 3D akhona.
Uqaphele ukuthi ikhono "lokuhlanganisa ndawonye ngamanzi" izingxenye ezingavuthiwe ngaphambi kokuzicwilisa linamandla amakhulu. Unolwazi futhi ngezinkinga ezihambisana nokususa amafutha, okuhlanganisa ukusetshenziswa nokulahlwa kwamakhemikhali. Nakuba izivumelwano zokungadalulwa zivimbela uTaylor ukuthi abelane ngemininingwane yomsebenzi wakhe omningi lapho, iphrojekthi yakhe yokuqala yokuhlola yinto abaningi bethu abangase bayicabange: induku ephrintiwe nge-3D.
“Kuphume kahle,” esho emomotheka. “Siqede ubuso, sabhoboza imigodi yomgodi, futhi sengiyawusebenzisa manje. Sihlabeke umxhwele ngekhwalithi yomsebenzi owenziwe ngohlelo olusha. Njengakuzo zonke izingxenye ezisikiwe, kukhona ukuncishiswa okuthile ngisho nokungalungi kahle, kodwa umshini wanele. Ngokuqhubekayo, singazilungisa lezi zinkinga ekwakhiweni.
Umbiko Wokwengeza ugxile ekusetshenzisweni kobuchwepheshe bokukhiqiza okwengeziwe ekukhiqizeni kwangempela. Abakhiqizi namuhla basebenzisa ukuphrinta kwe-3D ukudala amathuluzi nezinto zokwakha, kanti abanye basebenzisa ngisho ne-AM ekukhiqizeni ngobuningi obukhulu. Izindaba zabo zizovezwa lapha.