A 3D printing apparatus comprises a housing 202, a movable seal 204 – or piston - partitions the housing into first 206A and second 206B fluidically isolated chambers, and a nozzle 208 in fluid connection with the second chamber. The first chamber comprises a gas having a pressure P1 and the second chamber comprises a printing material 210 (eg. a liquid photopolymer). When the 3D printing apparatus is exposed to an external environment having a pressure P2 less than the pressure P1, the pressure difference exerts a force on the seal thereby extruding the printing material through the nozzle. The nozzle preferably comprises a temperature control module 218 and a curing device such as an ultra-violet light source 220; the pressure P1 may be less than 1atm such that the apparatus may operate at pressures lower than atmospheric pressure, such as in outer space. A system for positioning a satellite component – such as a folded solar panel, or a stowed antenna - comprising the 3d printing apparatus arranged to print an elongate structure to move a printing platform 212 away from an attachment point on the apparatus to deploy the satellite component such as by unfolding or unrolling of the component. A method of operating the apparatus is further provided.


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    Title :

    3D printing apparatus


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2024-04-10


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    B29C Formen oder Verbinden von Kunststoffen , SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS / B33Y ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING , Additive (generative) Fertigung, d. h. die Herstellung von dreidimensionalen [3D] Bauteilen durch additive Abscheidung, additive Agglomeration oder additive Schichtung, z. B. durch 3D- Drucken, Stereolithografie oder selektives Lasersintern / B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS



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