Can You 3D Print a Magnet? | The Cool Parts Show #38

Magnets are key to many everyday objects, from the mundane (a refrigerator seal) to the complex (smartphones). But conventional magnets are restricted in their geometries by the tooling needed either to mold or cut them to a final size. Could 3D printing provide an alternative manufacturing method? Work being done at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Center with a polymer composite material has demonstrated that it is possible to 3D print magnets in different shapes and sizes and even with variable properties. Learn how it works in this episode of The Cool Parts Show.
This episode brought to you by Carpenter Additive. www.carpenteradditive.com/
LEARN MORE ABOUT:
- The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
www.ornl.gov/facility/mdf
- Another episode involving 3D printing work done at the MDF
www.additivemanufacturing.med...
- Other examples of cool parts made with Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM)
• Flight Simulator Made ...
• Autonomous Underwater ...
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[@nonsquid]

Instead of attaining remanence after BAM printing you could get anisotropic alignment and remanence using a permanent magnet at the printer head to orient the particles while they are floating in the liquid polymer material then the particles get fixed in the permanent magnet flux prior to solidification of the polymer. As long as the print head doesn't rotate, the magnetic anisotropic alignment would be fixed to the x or y axis of printing and the domains would be aligned with the permanent magnet flux.

[@alfonsoPina]

yes sure, the "BAM" machine stands for Big "Area" Manufacturing. Well it's definitely huge.

[@kingarthurthe5th]

Another cool use could be using a more flexible polymer to make flexible magnets.

[@ManojKumar-ii4yd]

Inspirational work!

[@markbass_trojanthinking]

My 3d printed shapes was once held by magnet, I had a magnet like that I guess I could hold up different prints now. Namely gold plated steel ones

[@kingarthurthe5th]

have they considered using resin printers for making magnets? Similar to how some porcelain resins work? (There's a youtuber called integza that uses them to make small rocket nozzles)

[@kokopelli314]

I noticed a lot of printing happens at room temperature.
Perhaps printing at the Curie temperature of neodymium then remagnitizing as the material cools?

[@zhinkunakur4751]

sounds promising to me but I think there is more to it

[@MaxisMBQ]

Been wondering for so long whether it's really possible

[@donaldsanders5436]

Hello my name is moooonshinnne.
If you make a shaft out of magnets.
Using the Archimedes screw style.
With the Tesla turbine blades. At 5 to 10°angles...
You have a magnetic shaft with an archtesla
Design..
Manufacture the shaft to fit inside water pipe..
With any amount of flow of water it will turn magnetic Archtesla shaft inside the water pipe...Waterproof a coil that will fit on the outside of the water pipe.....
Hydro generator made out of nothing but a specially designed magnet spinning in water flow and a coil of wire around the outside of the pipe pulling electricity out of the spinning magnet...
The oceans title flow alone is enough to power the world.
Not to mention all the creeks and rivers that are just waiting to be harnessed