News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
NASA astronauts have reportedly installed the first combination 3D printer and plastic recycling system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The device, called the Refabricator, was developed by Tethers Unlimited and will enable astronauts to not only 3D print in space but also recycle and reuse plastic materials.
3D printing company Carbon has just announced an exciting new collaboration with Italian sports car brand Lamborghini. Through the partnership, Lamborghini will leverage Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology to produce end-use components for its Super SUV, the Urus.
Raspberry Pi, makers of the popular open source electronic device that powers many DYI smart products (including many 3D printing related or 3D printed products), opened their first physical Raspberry Pi store in Cambridge, UK. The main goal of the shop is to raise awareness around the system’s computing possibilities and what users can do with it.
Arcam AB, the Swedish manufacturer of industrial 3D printers owned by GE Additive, has broken ground on its newest facility. The facility, which will enable the GE Additive company to meet demand increases, will be located in the Mölnlycke Business Park outside of Gothenburg.
If you are using 3D printers indoor on the manufacturing floor, in an R&D facility, in schools, maker spaces or offices where people are present, you – and all those around you – probably could benefit from reducing your 3D printer’s toxic emissions by using a new industry grade cabinet from Copenhagen-based Owlson.
French med tech company BIOMODEX has opened a new corporate headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. The new facility, which will house corporate offices and a state-of-the-art 3D printing laboratory, signals BIOMODEX’s entry into the U.S. market.
It seems that cumbersome plaster casts could soon go the way of the dinosaurs thanks to new innovations in the medical field. 3D printing, for instance, is being increasingly exploited for the production of patient-specific casts and braces. ActivArmor, a producer of next-gen 3D printed medical devices, is taking its products to the next level with a partnership with LINE-X, a leader in protective coatings.
GoEngineer acquired Advanced RP, Inc.’s Stratasys 3D Printing Sales and Support business. The operation was finalized on January 1st, 2019. GoEngineer is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, where it maintains a branch office and call center providing expanded hours of toll-free, centralized technical support and customer service to all customers.
EOS has acquired Vulcan Labs to further expand its bench of additive manufacturing experts in powder bed fusion technology. The new Vulcan Labs team members bring decades of industry experience into both EOS’ technical center in Pflugerville, Texas, and its ALM materials research and production facility in Temple, Texas, further strengthening its ability to ensure customer success in industrial 3D printing.
When David Bowie asked “is there life on Mars?” in 1971 you can bet he wasn’t thinking of humans. As it happens, we could very well be bringing life to Mars in the near future thanks to efforts being undertaken by NASA and 3D printing companies. One of those companies, NY-based AI SpaceFactory, is hoping it will be the one to provide homes for when humans do eventually step foot onto the Red Planet.