News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Despite the many advances in Laser Powder Bed Fusion technology in recent years—including multi-laser capabilities and even support-free builds—powder bed fusion has remained limited by certain factors, namely, consistency. In fact, speaking to many people across the industry, consistency and reliability are two critical points that keep coming up as hurdles to the full industrialization of AM.
Swedish company Sandvik has just announced it has acquired a 30% stake in Beam-IT, an Italy-based provider of metal additive manufacturing services and 3D printed end-use components for a range of industries, including automotive, energy and aerospace.
Whilst 3D printing may not be new technology, the uptake of 3D printing for surgical applications is growing and offering novel, creative opportunities for personalized care. 3D printing technologies have been making their mark in medicine in many different areas, from pharmaceutical design to personalized, bioresorbable implants. Facilitating surgical teams both inside and outside the operating room, the adoption of 3D printing in surgery solutions is on the rise and is well positioned to be a fundamental instrument in the operating room of the future.
Though you may know him best as the founder of NY-based 3D design firm Studio Bitonti, Francis Bitonti has a much wider professional repertoire, including a research position at the Digital Arts and Humanities Research Center at Pratt Institute and a teaching job at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Architecture, USA. Bitonti’s name is now also emblazoned across the cover of a newly published book, entitled 3D Printing Design: Additive Manufacturing and the Materials Revolution.
In March 2018, so just a little over a year ago, Desktop Metal received funding for $65M in an investment round led by Ford Motors. Although that news did not make huge headlines, the deal is now starting to bear fruits as Ford just showed off how they have been using several Desktop Metal Studio systems for prototyping and are now implementing Desktop Metal’s Production system for, well, part production.
Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has officially launched the all-new Mono R – a higher-performance, lighter and more advanced new generation of the iconic Mono. Mono R features parts 3D printed using DSM filaments and resins and offers world-beating performance on the road and track.
Humans have long wanted to put a person on Mars, and today many steps towards achieving this decades-old goal are being taken. Things like housing, food, construction materials and medical treatments will be necessary in order for humans to exist on Mars, and researchers from space agencies and companies around the world are coming up with novel solutions to address these basic issues. NASA, for instance, recently awarded AI SpaceFactory first place in its 3D Printed Habitat Challenge for developing a 3D printed housing solution that could be viable on Mars or the Moon.
FIT Additive Manufacturing Group and Mitsui & Co. Machine Tech Ltd., a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co., Ltd. have announced their cooperation in Japan. The partnership aims to provide Japanese manufacturing companies with the additive manufacturing solutions of FIT, the German AM specialist.
M. Holland, a distributor of thermoplastic resins, has appointed Haleyanne Freedman to the position of Market Manager, 3D Printing. In her new role, Freedman will oversee the company’s growing 3D printing team, as well as develop a market strategy and expand M. Holland’s 3D printing portfolio. Freedman will also be responsible for working with industrial clients, providing guidance on the adoption of additive manufacturing.
Rocket Lab, a small satellite launch company, has announced the successful completion of its 100th Rutherford engine, the world’s first 3D printed, electric turbo-pump-fed engine. The company is celebrating the milestone, emphasizing how far it has come since it first started developing the innovative 3D printed rocket engine in 2013.