3D-Printed Silent Propulsion System
Jul-03-13
Researchers have discovered a process to build a silent propulsion system, inspired by octopods, at a low cost and created in a single step with a 3D printer.In order to produce its complex geometry amorphously with soft plastic, the researchers opted for the fused deposition modeling generative production process, or FDM for short. With this approach, the plastics to be processed are heated and liquefied in an extrusion head , and are transformed into a thin filament in the pressure nozzle. This filament is then applied in layers, from bottom to top, to produce a complex 3D component.
How it Works
Water is sucked into each actuator or elastomer ball through an opening ; a recirculation valve prevents reflux. A hydraulic piston contracts the integrated cable structure like a muscle.
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