Shielding in the shape of the job
Industrial radiography, nuclear maintenance and research labs keep running into the same problem: the shielding they need doesn't come in a catalogue shape. Rapid 3DShield prints it on a standard FFF printer, and parts are used as printed.
Nuclear maintenance and operations
Printed tungsten pipe guards, valve covers and camera shielding follow the exact contour of the component. Nuclear maintenance applications have been cited at 20–30% reductions in worker exposure. Lead-free material also avoids lead handling and disposal.
Industrial radiography and NDT
Typical parts are collimator inserts, source-housing components and equipment shields. High-energy sources need substantial thickness. Size parts from measured green-state data, not solid-metal tables, since a print at 7.8–9.2 g/cc needs roughly 2.1–2.5× the thickness of solid tungsten. See the test data.
Research reactors, neutron sources and beamlines
Use Rapid 3DShield Boron Carbide for neutron masks, detector liners and sample-environment absorbers, and tungsten for gamma collimation. Layer the two for mixed fields. See our multi-element guide.
Deploying printed shielding responsibly
- Characterise the field: source, energies, dose rates.
- Design from measured material data and print at 100% infill.
- Check printed density. For tungsten, the calibration model should weigh 5.5 g or more.
- Measure dose rates with and without the shield.
- Document the material, density, drawings and measurements for your Radiation Safety Officer and any regulator involved.
Working on a shielding program or ordering by PO? Email [email protected]. · Tungsten filament · Boron carbide filament