Feb_March_AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 8 7 MANTIS SHRIMP INSPIRE NEXT-GEN COMPOSITES A research team led by Professor David Kisailus, University of Califor- nia, Riverside, has identified a unique structure that wraps around the club of a mantis shrimp to protect it from OMG! OUTRAGEOUS MATERIALS GOODNESS need for castings. Developed in re- sponse to demand from automotive and aerospace manufacturers, the H1 prototype can print parts up to 10 or more inches on a side using various metals, including stainless steel, nickel, and iron alloys. GE plans to build sev- eral more iterations of the H1 before releasing it later this year. The new ma- chine is already faster than any binder jet on the market. ge.com/additive. damage as it crushes hard-shelled prey. Kisailus is studying the shrimp clubs as inspiration for next-generation com- posite materials. In previous research, his team showed that the dactyl club is a multi-regional composite made of mineralized chitin. The exterior serves as a hard, crack-resistant coating that lets a shrimp inflict damage by transfer- ring its momentum upon impact. The club’s interior is comprised of a periodic region and a striated region. In the new study, researchers show that the striat- ed region contains highly aligned fibers that wrap around the club and stop it from expanding upon impact, like a boxer with a wrapped hand. ucr.edu . SPEEDY BINDER JET MACHINE COMING SOON GE Additive has released the first image of a binder jet prototype that it believes will eventually challenge the First prototype of a new binder jet printer designed by GE Additive. A mantis shrimp. Courtesy of Silke Baron.