✦Crazy Wisdom

Crazy Wisdom

How long until we have the ability to print anything anywhere with 3D printing? - Justin Liguori

October 17, 2022 · 55 min

MP3 · Apple Podcasts · Spotify

About this episode

Justin is the Principal Materials and Manufacturing Engineer at Ursa Major Technologies and used to run materials at SpaceX

Questions we cover on the show
  1. Is it possible to 3D print engines or motors using additive manufacturing with metal? 
  2. Do those engines/motors have different design constraints?
  3. What time frame would it be until a consumer/tinkerer could get their hands on something affordable that could help them build motors/engines at their house?
  4. What is the impact of AI on the design process for additive manufacturing?
  5. Who are some other people I should interview in the space to get an idea of where this is headed?
  6. Ursa major exists because of 3D printing
    1. Shortens the window
  7. Will this change the automotive industry?
  8. Will 3D printing ever challenge traditional manufacturing?
  9. Powdered fusion
  10. How many other companies have been created 
  11. What is a thrust chamber?
  12. What are the key components to a rocket?
  13. What are the downsides to making 3D parts?
  14. Are those downsides changing with material sciences?
  15. What is the future of space mining and are we going to get there?
  16. How much is a metal 3D printer?
  17. How is all of this going to change China’s future? Is china keeping up with the US in terms of 3d printing?
  18. What is going to happen with Germany?
  19. What about asteroid mining? Does Ursa Major
  20. What does it mean to have a high capacity, low launch cost?
    1. Falcon engine is heavy
    2. Dragon capsule is the only returnable part of the engine
  21. What is your optimism or pessimism for humans conquering the solar system?
  22. What are the industries that are outside of satellites?
  23. How do you find the problems that AI is good at solving?
  24. Why did you get into this?
  25. What do the manufacturing 
  26. What is the percentage of parts of a rocket that are off the shelf?
  27. What are the major innovations in materials development?
    1. New alloys
    2. Tailoring alloys to specific needs
  28. What is the future of manufacturing?
  29. How has AI changed tailoring alloys?
  30. What are the jobs of the engineer that will be AI’ed out?
  31. What is the role of craftmanship as AI changes things?
  32. How is titanium helping medical additive manufacturing?
  33. What is directed energy deposition (DED)?
    1. Wire fed DED
    2. CNC plasma 
    3. Powered bed binder jet
      1. Ceramic
      2. sand
  34. How far away are we from a star trek future where we can print anything?
Episode transcript
Stewart Alsop III00:00

Welcome to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast. This podcast is for you. If you have an insane drive to find the truth of things, it's not the good answers that we seek, but the good questions. I interview a range of different guests from many different fields, all with the intention to uncover the simple truths that are hidden in plain sight. Most people don't want to go there. I go there, my guests go there, and you benefit. Please let me know if you enjoy these episodes and as always, subscribe on itunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to the podcasts. Welcome to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast. My guest today is Justin Liguori. He is the principal materials and manufacturing engineer at Ursa Major Technologies. Welcome to the show, Justin.

Justin Liguori00:47

Thank you.

Stewart Alsop III00:49

So today I'm really excited because we're going to talk about additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry, particularly in space, space and satellites. Is that, that's what your company Ursa Major does, right?

Justin Liguori01:00

Yeah, that's correct. We make a variety of different rocket engines for use primarily on launch vehicles. We're not doing any in space propulsion right now. So it's primarily ground launched or air launched engines at this point.

Stewart Alsop III01:15

Did you say in space?

Justin Liguori01:16

Yeah, in space. Like the thrusters on a satellite, for example, or on a spacecraft like a drone, Dragon capsule or space station. We don't do those kind of thrusters. They're all ground based.

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