KUKA Robots Are 3D Printing Rockets!

Written by Rhonda MacDonald on April 6, 2023. Posted in AYVA, Engineering.

Did you hear about Relativity Space launching a rocket earlier this month? It was out of this world!

Pictures of the Rocket Launch that occurred on March 22, 2023 (Taken from Relativity Space’s Twitter)

Using KUKA’s robotic arms, Relativity Space 3D printed a rocket that is 85% 3D printed by mass. This rocket nicknamed, “Good Luck, Have Fun”, is the first-ever rocket that was 3D printed and launched into space! This is one of the biggest advancements in aerospace technology in the last 60 years!

Before this extraordinary event took place, 3D printing on this scale had never been done before, and never with this goal of making it to space. Thanks to KUKA’s technology, Relativity Space was able to melt layers upon layers of a custom aluminum alloy together – making a rocket that stands at 33.5 meters tall and weighing approximately 9,280 kilograms!

Traditionally, rockets can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years to manufacture. Using 3D printing, manufacturing rockets takes as little as 60 days!

Here is a video of the rocket launch that occurred on March 22 2023!

As illustrated in the video, the 3D printed rocket reached a peak velocity of 7,448 kilometers per hour. It made it past the 100km Karman Line before crashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the first methane fueled rocket to successfully complete stage 1 flight and reach space. Demonstrating that this is the beginning of a new endeavor for aerospace technology! Relativity Space will learn from this experience with the collected data from “Good Luck, Have Fun” and improve their operations to strive for the goal of 3D printing a rocket 95% by mass.

We hope you had a blast reading about this story! We are looking forward to seeing Relativity and KUKA reach their new goal!

"Bosch Rexroth’s hydraulics bench is really great! Robust, easy to use, and it offers the possibility to expand and add components to keep up with new technologies. My students are always motivated while working with the bench and I now understand why it has such a strong reputation. It is impossible to regret this purchase!"

Marc Boudreau
Kativik School Board

"I have used AYVA wireless dataloggers in my biomedical labs and found that the reliable signal processing capability was well suited to my research requirements. I appreciated the prompt delivery and the excellent service that I received from your team before and after the sale. I am hoping to purchase additional units."

Dr. Pierre Savard
École Polytechnique de Montreal

"Our mechanical engineering department recently wanted to upgrade our Gas Dynamics Laboratory in conjunction with our newly added aerospace program. After extensive research, we decided to purchase the AF27 Nozzle Flow Apparatus and the AF300 Intermittent Supersonic Wind Tunnel from TecQuipment with all the accessories including the VDAS Data Acquisition System. We are happy to report our investment has been well worth it. A perfect fit for our undergraduate laboratory. Students are raving how “cool” the units are and the relative ease to obtain accurate data. The laboratory size supersonic wind tunnel has been a big hit. At Mach 1.8, viewing the shock waves and expansion fans on an airfoil using the included Schlieren Apparatus has never been easier and more clear. The people at AYVA were amazing in helping us install the equipment. They answered all our question in a timely manner and delivered on time. The equipment is very well designed and built to last for a long time."

Peter Sakaris,
Concordia University

"We appreciate Pignat's willingness to partner with the university to customize a pilot training system that fits both our needs - and our budget. I want to thank AYVA for arranging a visit to Pignat's factory in France so I could meet the design engineers and see first-hand the attention to detail at every step of the manufacturing process. I especially want to thank my hosts at Pignat for their hospitality during my stay in Lyon. I really had a good time testing our CO2 absorption/stripping unit and seeing all the nice equipment in the plant."

Dr. John Zhang
University of Waterloo

"In recent years, there has been a growing demand for engineering equipment in the undergraduate labs at the University of Guelph as we have expanded our program. AYVA has been proactive and assisted us diligently in addressing all our equipment needs. We now proudly showcase both PASCO and TecQuipment products in our teaching labs. The quality of the equipment and teaching material is exceptional. AYVA offers a broad range of equipment well suited to our various engineering disciplines and we look forward to exploring their extended product offering in the future."

Dr. Shohel Mahmud
University of Guelph

"I’m often running two lab sessions at one time in two different rooms. Being able to use the base module like TecQuipment's Hydraulic Bench and quickly be able to switch out the experimental modules makes running a tight schedule of laboratory sessions possible. With a few of my own modifications like adding quick connects and valves I can make this changeover even slicker. The AVYA experience is great! Their post-sale technical support is unparalleled."

Dean Milton,
University of Regina

"I am a long-time user of TecQuipment products - in particular the Modular Structures Range as well as other Materials Testing equipment. I find the modules (over 10) very easy to set up and, more importantly, my students find them extremely easy to use as they move from station to station conducting a wide variety of measurements related to structures and materials. Each experiment can be completed in 30 to 45 minutes and I can accommodate several students working in groups of three. It is a great addition to both my Basic Structures and Hyperstatic Structures courses."

Dr. Gérard Poitras
University of Moncton

"All of the students that have the opportunity to see the [Eridès] Refrigeration Trainer in operation and do their lab report based on readings really get a lot out of it. Interesting to note: Our refrigeration tech was fascinated by the unit. He is a very experienced technician, and he was simply amazed at seeing the thermodynamic cycle in action. Typically, refrigeration technicians follow pressure and temperature readings, and gauging from his reaction, they most times give little thought to the phase changes that take place inside the guts of the unit.'

Daniel Saulnier
CCNB

Daniel Saulnier
CCNB

"AYVA has provided us with excellent support in getting training equipment that will enhance our chemical engineering labs. We have had the opportunity to work with their knowledgeable staff as well as representatives from TecQuipment and PIGNAT. We especially appreciated Sean McLaughlin, Technical Services Manager’s time and expertise when we purchased the H83 from TecQuipment. He was extremely responsive and resourceful during the on-site installation."

Sivasubramaniam Ganeshalingam
University of Waterloo

"I’m very pleased with the fast and professional service that I’ve received from AYVA Educational Solutions. I am able to contact an AYVA representative any day of the week and receive a prompt response. AYVA’s representatives are happy and willing to accommodate any changes, modifications and suggestions. I highly recommend using AYVA Educational Services to meet your educational needs."

Sonny Hegde
SAIT Polytechnic

"I have worked with the AYVA team since they launched in 2008 to equip our Science and Engineering labs. They have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that we were prepared to meet our curricular goals and deadlines. I have been impressed by the breadth and quality of the lines they represent. We have purchased both PASCO and TQ equipment to enhance our teaching labs."

Andrew Orton
Sheridan College

"I have worked with the AYVA team to upgrade my Mechanical Engineering lab. We have not only been provided with excellent pre-sale service but we also received valuable support after we placed our order. We were provided access to a number of resources which we were able to use to develop our own customized labs for the students. The structures equipment from TecQuipment is being used to teach student groups in several courses at the undergraduate level. There is minimal setup required and students are easily able to switch between experiments. The excellent quality of the TQ manuals has enabled us to design our labs with relative ease. The equipment was delivered on schedule and the AYVA team has been very diligent in following up and providing us with the resources we need in a timely fashion."

Dr. H.J. Kwon
University of Waterloo

"Out of all the data acquisition systems I'm aware of, nothing approaches the convenience of the PASCO 850 interface. Between the broad range of available sensors and the simplicity of starting data acquisition, a wide range of tasks that would be incredibly complicated otherwise can be automated in minutes ... We have dedicated computers and 850 interfaces at each station in our labs so that data acquisition can be accomplished easily by our students whenever needed."

Gideon Humphrey
University of Toronto

"We have recently acquired six KUKA robots for our Controls and Robotics Lab at the University of Toronto. Not only we are very impressed with the quality and performance of the units, but we are also very pleased with the level of service and professionalism we encountered from AYVA. They have provided a continuous channel through which we could interface with KUKA and fulfill our technical demands from the time of procurement, through to installation, training of personnel and commissioning. It has been a textbook case on how to support laboratory work in higher education."

Bruno Korst, P.Eng.
Director, Teaching Labs

"TecQuipment's structures line was chosen to enhance the learning experience of our engineering students. The products were delivered in a timely manner and were easy to set up. After-sales support has been very accommodating, allowing us to modify the experiment manuals as we saw fit, giving us flexibility in learning objectives. Students have shown great interest, and have found operating the units to be easy and simple."

Riad Rajab
York University

AYVA Educational Solutions | 7-233 Speers Road, Oakville ON L6K 0J5 | Toll Free: 1-877-967-2726 | Phone: 905-337-8486