pic: Is this currently legal or considered exotic?
 

Dave, you continue to amaze me! Just one question ... are those black spots I see holes? And if so, are they supposed to be there? I suppose it may be good enough for government work, but I wouldn't expect anything but perfect from you ;)

Maybe we could make our whole frame from that next year? Instead of welding our robot together, our robot would be weld material! Ingenious!

Anyway, on a more serious note ... the rules don't concern machines you use, but materials, so it all depends on if the aluminum is allowed. And due to the relexed restrictions on allowed materials, my understanding is that it would be allowed. The critical thing is cost, I suppose ... how much does something like this cost? (needs to be under $400 for an individual part).

Stephen

that part doesnt need to be under $400 because he didnt buy it, he manufactured it.

Cory

Well, the labour has to be under $400. That shouldn't matter in this case, though, since he's on our team, and NASA is donating the time (assuming they will donate the time, of course).

Also, the raw materials still need to be under $400, don't they? That is, if the aluminum costs more than 400 dollars, then it isn't allowed. I really have no idea how much NASA pays for the stuff, so it may be way under the $400 limit.

Stephen

PS.

That is insanely cool.

Ok, I get how it was made, now I'm just wondering why....
What will they be used for?

And that's a pretty incredible way to make something, but it makes sense.....


S Cubed

Wow...thats about all i can say...except for 'that is so freaking cool'

Some answers
 

Yes, those are intentional mounting holes that are showing because I used an existing mounting fixture and wanted the full 1/4" of thread in the hole to safely hold the part for the lathe work. "Good enough to BE goverment work" I was hoping.

This "part" is typical of the types of contoured
nozzles and wind tunnel aerodynamic models that we make for researchers at NASA Langley but is not a
part we will now put to use for testing of its airflow properties, but it is likely to be tested for it's metalurgical properties as this is the ongoing effort with this developmental technology.

The material is inexpensive 2219 aluminum wire to be exact in this case but could be nearly any grade of aluminum or any type of metal or metal alloy wire.

We are about to try shape memory wire (Nitanol)
which when bent will return to it's original position when heated! In the machine we have two wire feed systems that we hope to prove can vary the alloy at will though the part. So the piece could start out as titanium let's say, and then at a thin hinge area it could blend to Nitanol then go to titanium again! If that works you would have a motorless hinge! Doors or flaps could be
opened by an electric heat source.

Any other ideas for this technology?

Re: Some answers
 

That nitanol wire stuff sounds promising! A couple years ago I was tinkering around with some robotics stuff, and built a robot that moved by providing electric pulses to nitanol wire (I got a book, and it had a kit in it with all the parts). I don't remember all the stats and all, though. How much force will the nitanol provide? Anyway, if you get any samples of that, I'd love to see them!

Stephen

OMG Thats like the coolest thing i have ever seen!!!!!!!!

I have heard of this stuff, it is awesome to mess around with. There is some similar material that is being used in biomedical applications, such as to clear blocked arteries by having it start in a straight wire, but when heat is applied to turn into a coil. there are many other applications for this technology. Some are being discussed at a conference this week in CA. I learned about this from my dad who learned about it at a conference in Paris.

Nice job, that looks awesome!