Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.
On May 17th 2022, the University of Chicago (UChicago) spoke of geophysicist Sunyoung Park and her collaborators using 3D printing to investigate how seismic waves with different frequencies propagate through the ground during earthquakes. Park argued that it is difficult to properly model earthquake damage due to its computational intensity and the physics of what happens at the level of up to a mile across not being properly understood. Furthermore, Park contended that experimenting with physical models of the ground is limited due to the impracticalities of making an accurate replica with many different kinds of rock.
The team made an 8-inch-long, 250,000 to 1 scale replica of the Los Angeles basin using a 3D printer that heats metal powder with a laser, varying the laser’s intensity and scanning speed to simulate different kinds of rock. They found that higher-frequency seismic waves become diminished within the basin and reflected off and amplified near its edges, which Park argued was almost the exact opposite of what was previously thought.
For further work, the team are investigating the effect of geographic features like mountains and valleys on the propagation of air waves, intending to improve the scientific community’s understanding of volcanic and man-made explosions. Park contended that her team’s technique can be used for more than just earthquakes, for example simulating similar events on Mars and the Moon. Park and her team’s research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.
Disclaimer: Featured image of “Ademollo-Earthquake” is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The author of the work of art itself died in 1911, ergo it is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.
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