> I'm not sure that trying to 3d print the whole thing will turn out. Why? Because you need replaceable parts. You need to be able to tear down, inspect, and replace parts as each part of the rocket has a different lifetime. If you make the rocket as one giant piece, and use efficient methods (reduce weight, size, etc), that it would be much less serviceable over its lifetime.
I think the idea is to 3D print parts that are currently welded together. I don't see anywhere that they are planning to print as one piece anything that is ever disassembled with current practices.
> I think the idea is to 3D print parts that are currently welded together. I don't see anywhere that they are planning to print as one piece anything that is ever disassembled with current practices.
I would agree that 3d printing smaller parts and putting them together by hand seems more reasonable, but I don't get the impression that is what they're doing (but it's hard to tell from the article).
This is what led me to that conclusion:
"Ellis and Noone say a handful of the arms can work together to create the rocket’s entire body as a single piece, guided by custom software that monitors their speed and the metal’s integrity."
Entire body - single piece. I don't hear any talk of welding or putting it together (which would involve multiple pieces).
Also just as a point of reference, making the bodies or the fuel tank is actually the easier part. It's either metal or carbon fiber. What takes a long time is assembling complex engines, and getting the whole thing together (including wiring).
I think the idea is to 3D print parts that are currently welded together. I don't see anywhere that they are planning to print as one piece anything that is ever disassembled with current practices.