anti gravity machine solves need for support material?

I was just thinking, "In space, no one can hear you scream... or joy that you don't need support material when 3D printing".

Or would we? I suppose that depending on the method of fabrication, any movement would cause material to wiggle out of place.

Lincoln

Build a 3D printer for space applications...
...sounds like fun! Anybody willing to sponsor a physicist for that?

I'd volunteer to try it out too

If I'm not mistaken there is already one on ISS. One interesting story I read was to land a 3D printer on the moon or mars, that uses native material to build shelter for future visitors. It would be interesting not having to fight gravity but suddenly having to fight momentum. (Yes I understand there is gravity on the moon and mars, I just read what I wrote and it made me sound like I didn't know that)

One downside to no support material in zero G, how does the material stop at where it is needed?

[edit] oops, Mike mentioned momentum - must read more fully

How long it take to put down a layer of material? If it is just a fraction of a minute, you could do zero-g printing on an airplane. Just load the printer on a "Vomit Comet" :twisted:

Greetings
Karl Heinz

Well, machines that use powder or open vats of resin aren't going to work too well in zero gravity, so that leaves the injet type machine and we all know just how well they work at putting material in just the right place even with the help of full earth gravity.............