That is certainly true - if you want true fibres, rather than a layered
approximation to a fibre without any molecular alignment along the
faux-fibre's axis.
However, as soon as you move away from the flat layered approach of RP
you abandon its single principal advantage. This is that - if you know
you are always dealing with a flat-topped object - all the algorithmic
problems of automated manufacture become unimaginably easier (the most
radical computational improvement you can make to solving any problem is
to reduce its dimensionality).
But if you have living cells in the mix, then maybe a faux-fibre could
be turned into a real one by having the cells align its molecules
post-manufacture...
Best wishes
Adrian
On 20/08/12 11:17, Julian Vincent wrote:
> Having read the short bit I posted, I realised I hadn't been clear enough about 3D structures. At present (as far as I can see) RP machines of whatever ilk produce a layer at a time and the layers are all flat. But if you want to have fibres orientated in the third dimension (which insects do by effectively using a curved surface as the former) then you have to move the printing head (or whatever) in all three dimensions rather than the current 2D followed by a step-change in the 3rd D. Hence the comment about laser-ranging or whatever.
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