Photos: Making small parts by printing them

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Small, printed parts

Small parts made by EoPlex with an offset printer. Each side of the squares measures 30 millimeters. By printing such parts, the company hopes to cut the cost of making them.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Printing template

A printing template that can produce 1,000 components at once. In this process, components are built up layer by layer. Each layer consists of polymers and another material, such as a ceramic or metal. When heated, the polymer vanishes, leaving a pattern.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Rendering of micro fluidic device

No, it's not George Hardie's sleeve art for the latest Pink Floyd album, it's an anonymous rendering of a micro fluidic device, for transporting or sampling drops of fluid.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
A printed micro fluidic device

And here's the finished device as printed by EoPlex. One advantage of printing over manufacturing is that the design can be changed rapidly.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Fuel cell

A fuel cell. Methanol cycles through channels inside the fuel cell reformer (the white housing) until it hits a membrane. The reaction with the membrane releases electrons. The reformer pictured here consists of a few hundred layers of ceramic and metal materials printed successively.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Another view of the fuel cell

Another view of the fuel cell.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
The EoPlex manufacturing line

The EoPlex manufacturing line. Costing about $1 million, it is relatively inexpensive.

Published: July 20, 2006 -- 14:48 GMT (07:48 PDT)
Caption by: Bill Detwiler