A fabricator (or fabber) is an ultra-modern machine that makes things automatically. Fabricators use raw materials and computer data to generate three-dimensional, solid objects you can hold in your hands, submit to testing, or assemble into working mechanisms. They are being used by manufacturers around the world for low-volume production, prototyping, and mold mastering. They are also used by scientists and surgeons for solid imaging. Space-based fabricators are not limited to operation on the surface of a celestial body, but could also include orbiting facilities. The cost of lifting raw materials off of small bodies like the Moon is very much smaller than for Earth. Thus, in cases where there are advantages for operating a fabrication process in the microgravity available in orbit, this also becomes a canditate location. Fabricators today are categorized as either subtractive or additive, depending on whether they work by carving away material from a solid block (CNC machining, computerized numerical control) or by building up the desired object from an amorphous material. There are three basic categories of additive fabrication technologies: aimed deposition, selective sintering, and selective curing. These are briefly described in the subsections, along with comments on their use in space. As a commercial technology, additive fabricators are less than a decade old on Earth. The various methods are undergoing very rapid refinement and improvement. These methods present new possibilities for building up objects from celestially available materials. This new capability will allow explorers to venture forth with fabricators to build their homesteads and their industrial facilities. It has long been recognized that machines with such capability would be necessary to really make space settlement feasible. It may be that fabricators will be the breakthrough that finally cracks the barrier to space habitation.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Using fabricators to reduce space transportation costs


    Additional title:

    Einsatz sog. Fabrikatoren zur Senkung der Transportkosten im Weltraum


    Contributors:
    McKay, D.S. (author) / Davis, H.P. (author) / Burns, M. (author)


    Publication date :

    1996


    Size :

    8 Seiten, 1 Bild, 12 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English





    Gulf Marine Fabricators Graving Dock

    Colwell, A.B. / Hearn, D.C. / Ocker, C. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2010


    Engineering power plants to reduce transportation costs

    Elmer, Jr., W. / Weber, E.R. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1966


    UK fabricators face frosty future

    Potter, N. | Tema Archive | 1987


    Certification of Aluminum Welding Fabricators in Canada

    Bonneau, R. / Aluminum Association | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1997