Engineers at the University of Liverpool are using a new manufacturing process to turn steel, titanium and other metals into light customized components. This technology, based on selective laser melting (SLM), allows to assemble parts with lattice-like structures. These components are 50% lighter as those built with conventional processes even if they are as strong. And as the resulting parts are built layer by layer, the engineers can build components for almost anything, from miniaturized chemical reactors to heat sinks for computers, and from composite components for the automotive industry to lighter planes. Read more for other details and some pictures of these ultra light structures.
Sources: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) news release, December 12, 2005; and various web sites
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