University of Minnesota Duluth Receives Orbital Composites Robotic 3D Printer

Orbital Composites, a provider of advanced carbon fiber and robotic 3D printers designed for space additive manufacturing applications, has just announced that it has shipped one of its Robotic 3D printers to the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). The printer, along with Orbital Composites’ commercially available Orbital S AM platform, will facilitate UMD’s research into polymer and composite additive manufacturing. This event is a milestone for both UMD and Orbital Composites. This is because the acquisition of the robotic 3D printer will play a key role in the university’s endeavor to expand its teaching and research capabilities in large-scale, out-of-plane robotic 3D printing of thermoplastic polymers. It also marks Orbital Composites’ first commercial shipment of a turnkey robotic 3D printer.

UMD’s research will be conducted under the guidance of Dr. Gireesh Menta, professor of Mechanical Engineering. According to Menta, the 3D printer “not only enables us to conduct research in this exciting next-generation manufacturing technology but also allows us to bring true interdisciplinary instruction to our classrooms. We expect this technology to improve UMD’s competitiveness in the Additive Manufacturing field and result in job opportunities with students gaining extremely valuable skills in robotics, AI, and additive manufacturing.”

Orbital Composites’ robotic 3D printer has now been shipped to UMD.

Orbital S is a multi-talented platform, compatible with modular, robotic, additive, and subtractive manufacturing. As such, it will enable students to gain hands-on knowledge of a variety of subjects including robotics, software programming, material science, and, of course, 3D printing of polymers and composites. Equally the students will receive interdisciplinary learning experience in mechanical and electrical design, chemistry, programming, as well as other subjects, by learning to operate the robotic 3D printer.