TOMSK, 16 May (BelTA - TASS) - Russian specialists have developed a prototype of the country's first 3D printer to print large metal items, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tomsk-based TETA research company Grigory Semyonov told TASS on Monday.
Such devices can eventually be used for printing items in hard-to-access localities on the Earth and at lunar stations, he said.
"This is a unique device for Russia," the TETA head said.
TETA is one of the companies engaged in this 3D printer development.
As compared to its desk-based rivals, the device developed in Tomsk can produce items "of an unlimited complex shape" weighing up to 1 tonne and with dimensions of up to 3 cubic meters, its developers say.
According to him, such printers can be especially of interest for the space and rocket sector and the atomic industry.
Currently, 3D printers based on the electron beam additive technology are already used by major aircraft-building corporations and defense enterprises abroad, In Russia, this area is weakly developed so far and the Tomsk device is set to close this gap, Semyonov said.
