3D printed laboratory equipment to measure bulk materials in extreme conditions

Due to relatively new solutions in the field of 3D printing, there are few studies on the possibility of using printed elements in measuring devices. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of using instruments made by material extrusion 3D printing method for measurement of selected mechanical-physical properties of bulk materials. Study explores the feasibility of measuring bulk material mechanical-physical properties when there are obstacles for printing original or modified measuring instruments in common practice. To achieve the goals a series of experiments such as Schulze’s ring shear tests, Freeman’s FT4 shear tests, compressibility tests, and Flow Rate and Stability tests were performed with use of original aluminium or steel made instruments and 3D printed instruments from polylactic acid and acrylic styrene acrylonitrile materials, using lunar regolith simulants LHS-1 and LMS-1 produced by CLASS Exolith Lab as a sample material. The results obtained from tests with original and printed instruments were then compared. The compared values of tests showed applicability of the 3D printed measuring instruments in a 5% range of measurement deviation. The biggest advantages of the 3D printed measuring instruments were the lower weight, the ability to print on the spot, to replace a damaged part with a new 3D printed part on-demand if extremely fast results are needed or due to the logistical unavailability, customization of the standardized tests for better understanding the behaviour of the particulate materials, and cheaper manufacturing costs.