Assessing the Capabilities of Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Coral Studies, Education, and Monitoring

Abstract

Additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing is becoming an easily accessible method to produce 3D objects ranging from medical devices to jet plane parts. However, this implies the creation of an accurate 3D digital model by Computer Assisted Design (CAD) or direct acquisition of a 3D model as well as a correct understanding of the various 3D printing technologies available with their pros and cons. Here, we present a method for editing and printing of 3D models of coral colonies for the generation of accurate and enhanced 3D models suitable for research and education. This is a follow-up from other papers where 3D scanning was performed on fresh coral samples from field trips and coral skeletons from museum collections using different imaging techniques (multi-image photogrammetry and Micro CT scanning). 3D scans of colonies and samples of Turbinaria sp., Leptoseris incrustans, Oulophyllia crispa, Echinopora sp., Siderastrea savignyana, and Platygira daedalea were used to produce multi-material and multi-scale 3D prints. Moreover, we studied the best practices for the 3D printing processes, and potential technologies most suitable for specific attributes in this practice. Additionally, we show the innovative application of 3D printed inert reactive corals able to indicate environmental changes, along with insights into the potential uses for the proposed method and related systems in biological fields and sharing with an online community.

A 3D Printer in the lab: not only a toy

“…But you will want more once you have dipped your toes in 3D printing. Scanning for literature at this point will return plenty of 3D printable objects: molecular structural models, [4,5,6] , corals, [7] crystal structures and 3D printed chips for obtaining crystals, [8] which are valuable models for teaching, and give the student a physical model of chemical structures, etc (Figure 2b). There are, for example, instructions on how to convert crystallographic data to 3D printable models (Figure 2c) [9][10][11][12] or even how to convert NMR spectra to 3D prints (Figure 2d).…”

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Coral Restoration through 3D Printing and Fabrication

“…Recent research includes the printing of scleractinian coral skeletons with Colorfabb co-polyester (nGen, XT), PLA-PHA, and Proto-Pasta PLA-based filaments as an exploratory study for coral reef behavioral research and the printing of 1 m coral-shaped structures for reef restoration. , Other studies incorporate the printing of coral specimens at their natural size by the tangible props method with epoxy and plaster using inkjet-based printing. , Conventional approaches include materials like sand, plaster, plastic filaments, cement, and basalt fiber. , Similarly, cement, sandstone, and PLA have been used for the 3D printing of coral skeletons from Turbinaria and Oulophyllia species. The construction of coral units with the powder-bed fusion method has been achieved using sandstone powder, and by inkjet-based printing with ceramic clay. ,,, Moreover, printing of several coral species by FDM, SLA, laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and binder jetting have been reported . To date, most attempts of 3D printing coral structures used synthetic materials with some reports of printing with plastic-based filaments…”

“…Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology presents a valuable addition to coral restoration. , However, current limitations to this technology include scalability, feasibility, and environmental impact within the marine habitat . Bringing 3D printing from an exercise in the production of coral-like objects to a technology that can support coral reef restoration on a broader scale requires assembling interdisciplinary teams, including expertise in marine biology and ecology, engineering, biotechnology, material sciences, chemistry, and computational sciences.…”

3D-Extrusion Manufacturing of a Kaolinite Dough Taken in Its Pristine State

“…The three-dimensional (3D) printing is transforming the manufacturing technology space. It brings original concepts and promotes the emergence of native materials (and taken in their pristine state), such as biomaterials, within new possibilities of CAD engineering (Guvendiren et al, 2016;Bourell et al, 2017;Bose et al, 2018;Gutierrez-Heredia et al, 2018;Ngo et al, 2018;Harris et al, 2019;Jovic et al, 2019;Wasti and Adhikari, 2020). As example, Bose et al, in 2018 classified selected Addititive Manufacturing (AM) (binder jetting, direct energy deposition techniques, material extrusion and jetting, powder bed fusion and vat polymerization) and presented some combination of AM and biomaterials (ceramics, metallic biomaterials, polymers) to finally focus on applications of AM in biomaterials and biomedical devices (metallic implants to improve osteointegration, hard tissue engineering, soft tissue engineering).…”

“…As example, Bose et al, in 2018 classified selected Addititive Manufacturing (AM) (binder jetting, direct energy deposition techniques, material extrusion and jetting, powder bed fusion and vat polymerization) and presented some combination of AM and biomaterials (ceramics, metallic biomaterials, polymers) to finally focus on applications of AM in biomaterials and biomedical devices (metallic implants to improve osteointegration, hard tissue engineering, soft tissue engineering). Gutierrez-Heredia et al, in 2018 presented a method for printing 3D models of coral colonies; they generated accurate 3D models suitable for research and education. Ngo et al, in 2018 discussed the revolutionary applications of AM (fused deposition modelling, powder bed fusion, inkjet printing, and contour crafting, stereolithography, direct energy deposition, laminated object manufacturing) in trending applications, i.e.…”