At the St. Petersburg Technopark, experts have developed a 3D printer called the Sokol-1 that can create metal parts. This device was designed to print parts of an exoskeleton that was recently presented to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Norilsk. This exoskeleton allows a person to lift loads of up to 65 kg without much effort.
The main challenge, according to center director Sergey Varlamov, was creating the right shape for the details. He explained that traditional manufacturing methods are not suitable for such stainless steel parts. The printer uses a laser that gradually “melts” the metal powder and shape. The process takes place in an inert argon atmosphere, which prevents the metal from oxidizing when heated.
The creation of Sokol-1 took about a year. Using this 3D printer, it was possible to quickly produce parts for the exoskeleton in just two days. Varlamov stressed that while the center may help exoskeleton manufacturers, large-scale industrial production is not currently planned.
Source: Ferra
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