2024-05-05T10:47:17-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150165904/the-university-of-maine-sets-three-world-records-by-3d-printing-a-25-foot-long-boat Katherine Guimapang 2019-10-21T19:20:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/eb/ebe9684a096ce586217c15f17cca4b4e.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The possibilities of 3D printing and fabrication have propelled design by pushing the limitations of digital computation and construction. Earlier this month, the University of Maine's&nbsp;<a href="https://composites.umaine.edu/" target="_blank">Advanced Structures and Composites Center</a>&nbsp;used the world's largest 3D-printer to break a whopping three world records by producing a 25-foot-long, 5,000-pound ship. Named the 3Dirigo, the 3D printed dream boat won three Guinness World Records for the World's Largest Prototype Polymer 3D Printer, the Largest Solid 3D-Printed Object, and the Largest 3D-Printed Boat.&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <p>The success of the project was not only due to the size of the 3D print, but also because of the materials used to accomplish it, wood. Yes, wood. The pivotal detail within the project is the implementation of using bio-based materials like wood as an alternative building material for large scale constructions that use metal.<br></p> <p>Besides the accolades and recognition, the project helped realize a design alternative for manufacturing infrastru...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/80141432/mit-accelerates-multi-material-3d-printing-software Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2013-08-23T17:40:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6l/6lj93h4zg75odbgf.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The breakthrough not only allows an object made up of many different materials to be printed, but also lets the user change the look and feel of a single material used to print an object. It's possible to print an object with hard and compressible sections out of a single material, even if the raw material isn't flexible in itself.</p></em><br /><br /><p> Now you can 3D print a single object with multiple materials and varying densities, thanks to MIT's <a href="http://www.csail.mit.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL)</a>. Through an adapted software called Spec2Fab, the designer can specify precisely which materials are to be used in each part of the printed object.</p> <p> As if MIT isn't impressive enough, check out their work with&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/79607750/if-you-think-3d-printing-is-disruptive-wait-for-4d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4D printing</a>.</p>