NOAA
The Experimental Reef Lab
Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) are using Formlabs 3D printing to help achieve repeatable, customisable parts for coral reef research and monitoring.
Two Form 2 and two Form 3 SLA printers are being utilised as well as the Fuse 1 SLS printer. The team at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) print structures built to study coral fitness and methods to enhance coral resilience in the face of rising water temperatures and extreme conditions of a changing climate.
The structures printed by the team of Nate Formel and his colleagues include heavy-duty sampler housings, jigs for experimental sensors and equipment, and customised components for in-house aquaria.
Corals are colonial organisms, typically made up of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of individual polyps, each with a complex consortium of microorganisms that contribute to their health and nutrition.
Coral are vital to the health of the global ecosystem, but a study published in One Earth discovered that since 1950, over half the global population of coral has been wiped out.
The AOML Coral Program where Formel works is partnered with the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) has turned to 3D printing to facilitate their field and lab research. The organisation has stated that using Formlabs printers has helped standardise, as well as improve the accuracy and comparability of experiments and facilitate the development of new technologies.
The program began with a desktop FDM unit but was quickly halted by the issue of FDM prints not being watertight. The way the print nozzles lay down materials creates small gaps between layers, allowing water to seep in, damaging the delicate internal electronics and sampling motors.
“We now have these very customised 3D printed components that have the necessary connection points and through-holes to allow us to collect water samples. The original sampler design that motivated all of this, we stopped making it for $1000 and started making it for $220. That means I can now put out five samplers when I used to only be able to put out one,” said Formel.
NOAA
Members of the NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
Being able to 3D print watertight housings and assemblies allowed the team to introduce automation into husbandry of the experimental aquariums. 3D printing housing for splash proof feeders means the automation of the feeding of corals throughout the night.
Another 3D printed creation was a waterproof stir-plate housing. They wanted to be able to control water mixing in a closed chamber within their tanks. The submersible stir-plate was incorporated into a novel open-source chamber system for rapid assessment of coral fitness. This allowed the technology to remain accessible whilst keeping costs low, alongside standardising and streamlining the research.
Talking about the affordability of the Fuse 1 machine, Formel said: “We haven’t had to get more material since purchasing the machine. The recycle rate is so helpful, and we shoot for optimal packing density. It translates directly into a low cost per part.”
Formel also spoke about the desire to innovate, saying: “The potential for new things to get created that no one has thought of before has increased with 3D printing because of the accessibility. Prior to this job, I’d never invented a part, and now I do it all the time.”
As part of encouraging that same spirit of invention and innovation for future generations, NOAA AOML and the University of Miami brings students from middle school through graduate school to the lab for educational lessons and tours. The organisations aim to open the eyes of future scientists, engineers and innovators to 3D printing technology while witnessing first-hand how the science of climate protection and restoration works.
NOAA
Students visit lab
Formlabs 3D printing is used for a variety of different applications, it was recently utilised in the film and tv industry when Dreamsmith Studio acquired a Form 3L to create props for Raised by Wolves Season Two.
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