3D bullet proof printing

[coliver988]

https://gizmodo.com/researchers-3d-printed-plastic-cubes-with-complex-patte-1839858999

more fun armor possibilities

 

[whartung]

https://gizmodo.com/researchers-3d-printed-plastic-cubes-with-complex-patte-1839858999

more fun armor possibilities

Have folks seen the episode of "Savage Builds" where he builds an Iron Man suit out of 3D printed titanium? They tested it to be bullet proof to at least a .45 pistol (with some caveats).

Pretty fascinating, the entire suit weighed only 25 lbs.

 

[Timerover51]

Have folks seen the episode of "Savage Builds" where he builds an Iron Man suit out of 3D printed titanium? They tested it to be bullet proof to at least a .45 pistol (with some caveats).

Pretty fascinating, the entire suit weighed only 25 lbs.

That does require a 3D printer capable of handling Titanium, which is not likely to be in the average person's computer set-up, and a supply of Titanium, which is not cheap. Then there is the fact that the .45 ACP round has never been noted for armor-piercing qualities, as Japanese WW2 body armor would also stop it. The body armor would not stop a round from the much maligned M-1 Carbine, and definitely would not stop a .30-06 Ball round, much less an armor-piercing load. Stopping a .45 is just not that hard.

 

[Straybow]

Way cool. Dunno how I missed this thread. Interesting that merely changing the macroscopic structure radically alters the ballistic characteristics.

 

[aramis]

Way cool. Dunno how I missed this thread. Interesting that merely changing the macroscopic structure radically alters the ballistic characteristics.

It's worth noting that that's true for other important properties.

For example, the Atlas V has an isometric grid, subtractive manufacturing, flat, then rolled in a rolling mill to round it...

The new vulcan uses a lighter, rectangular grid, because the computer tech allowed minimizing the grid for the needed strengths.... (changing it for Atlas, while doable, would require re-rating it... and the vulcan is a replacement for Atlas.)

Materials science is still developing newer and better understandings

 

[coliver988]

thread resurrection (edit: guess it is not that old, so never mind!). Similar article. Just points out that we may not be able to do a linear progression as to how armor works.

Link to phys.org

1st paragraph: Tiny, 3-D printed cubes of plastic, with intricate fractal voids built into them, have proven to be effective at dissipating shockwaves, potentially leading to new types of lightweight armor and structural materials effective against explosions and impacts.

 

[vegascat]

The forces in explosions are not easy to predict as they are 3D expanding wave forms that will react at hyper speeds to unexpected external forces. A blast wave has many different things going on. Wave speed and propagation, the normal propagation speed through the medium, how it handles surface reflections and surface imperfections and weaknesses.
The shock wave of the blast front is always much faster than the normal propagation speed. Think the speed of sound through air, water, dirt and stone are all different, and all much slower than a blast wave through those items. A basic damage effect is compressing whatever is in the way, then releasing the compression redirecting the blast wave front.
Designing personal armor to withstand a blast wave is a very difficult military problem Flaws in connections or overlaps will allow the blast wave to dismember the victim. Titanium armor plates will flex, ballistic cloth will compress, fluids will rupture containers leaving the victim in need of a top quality hospital in a formally safe combat zone.
Be very skeptical before accepting any armor when you have not seen a real test against the unexpected.