Portable on Orbit Printer 3D: 1st European Additive Manufacturing Machine on International Space Station

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies represent a solution for enabling astronauts to manufacture parts in situ, as needed, starting from feedstock material. The importance of these capabilities are particularly evident in manned space exploration missions, e.g. on human Mars missions, for which cargo capacity is paramount key factor in order to supply the astronauts with everything they may need during the mission, but at the same time is a severely constrained resource. Also, AM technologies enhance freedom of shape optimization for mass savings, compared to conventional manufacturing processes, thus helping in reducing overall mass at launch. The capability to make parts in space, during the mission, would allow a dramatic reduction of the mass transported to the destination site and would also help astronauts in solving any unexpected problems that may occur during a space mission: if the Apollo had been equipped with a 3d printer, the filter housing with a suitable interface could have been easily manufactured by astronauts using Additive Manufacturing technology. The Portable on-Orbit Printer 3D represents the first European additive manufacturing experiment in space. The Printer implements the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process for the fabrication of parts using PLA, a biocompatible thermoplastic polymer. The objective of the experiment is to validate the 3D printing technology in microgravity and to pave the way for an Italian and European development of the additive manufacturing technology on board the ISS and, more in general, in space. This paper will present the results of the demonstration activities performed with “Portable on-Orbit Printer 3D” while its permanence on board the International Space Station. It also presents the analysis performed on the on orbit “printed” part, in comparison with the same part “printed” on ground.