Microsystems Technology Laboratories / MIT
What just happened? A new 3D printer developed at MIT can create a functional electric motor in one go — and the cost of materials is around 50 cents per motor.
3D printing has become very adept at creating shapes, but when it comes to manufacturing complex machines With moving parts, this is where most printers reach their limits.
However, a team of MIT researchers has now developed a platform for multimaterial extrusion capable of producing a fully functional electric motor in a single processwith just a small post-printing step.
The team, from MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories, demonstrated the system by printing a linear electric motorthe type of motor that generates movement straight, instead of rotating an axis, explains the .
Linear motors are used in pick-and-place roboticsoptical positioning equipment and transport systems, where the ability to accurately move from A to B is more important than rotations per minute.
What distinguishes this approach from the usual “multi-material” process is that it is not limited to alternating between 2 types of plastic. The printer uses 4 extrusion tools capable of work with different raw materialswhich allows five functional materials to be deposited in a single automated construction.
Among these materials are a structural/dielectric material for structure and insulation, a conductive material for the current paths, a soft magnetic material to guide the magnetic fields, a hard magnetic material for permanent magnet behavior and a flexible material for areas where deformability is useful.
This combination is a puzzle for conventional systems. Conductive materials often work best in the form of paints, which require pressure dispensing, while standard filament and pellet extruders rely on heat.
Insulation materials can also degrade if exposed to excessive heat or UV radiation. AND even small alignment errors can transform an engine into something more like art modern.
MIT’s approach is based on multiple sensors and a control framework that ensures that Every nozzle change stays exactly where it should belayer after layer.
A single post-processing step required is magnetization of the hard magnetic material after printing is finished. From there, the engine runs.
According to researchers, the device performed as well as (and sometimes better than) comparable linear motors that require more complex manufacturing processes.
The team estimates that the process will cost around 50 cents in materials by engine.
This innovation does not mean that industrial motors or actuators are about to be replaced, but points to a future where it will be possible to prototype or replace custom electromechanical components on site, sdepending on the supply chain.
MIT’s next goal is integrate magnetization into the process itself printing and move from linear designs to rotary motors fully 3D printed.
We are not yet at the level of Star Trek replicatorsbut the possibility of printing replacement engines in an emergency, rather than waiting for them to be delivered, is now much closer to reality.
