News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Rolls-Royce is best known as a luxury car maker based in the UK. What some may not fully realize, is the the British multinational also plays a significant role in the aerospace industry, designing and manufacturing power systems for aircraft. As part of its effort to ring in new innovations in civil aerospace, the company has increasingly turned to additive manufacturing.
In a time where connected devices and IoT are becoming increasingly mainstream, the idea of an object that tracks information is not wholly surprising. If, however, I told you that the object tracking the information did not integrate any electronics or batteries, I’d certainly expect some quizzical looks. But that’s exactly what researchers from the University of Washington have achieved in a recent research project involving 3D printed objects that can monitor how they are used.
October is known for a few things: autumnal foliage, Halloween and—of course—the launch of Stratasys’ annual Extreme Redesign Challenge. The contest, which has been sponsored by Stratasys for the past 15 years, aims to promote the use of 3D printing for reinventing and radically redesigning existing objects.
Jumbo Group, a UAE-based electronics company, announced today it is launching a new additive manufacturing division, Jumbo 3D Manufacturing. In parallel with the new unit, the company has also opened what it called the first 3D printing facility in the Jebel Ali Industrial Area. The new 3D print farm is reportedly equipped with HP 3D printing technologies and will be producing products for the dental and architecture industries, among others.
GE is preparing to begin the mass production of 3D printed parts for the GEnx jet engine that powers Boeing 747s. The 3D printed GEnx part, a rib-sized bracket that holds the engine cover open during servicing, will mark the first program certified by GE for its Concept Laser metal AM system. GE Aviation will begin producing the parts this month at its factory in Auburn, Alabama.
Boeing and Thermwood are collaborating on employing additive manufacturing technology to produce a large, single-piece tool for the 777X program. The project is based on a new process going by the acronym VLP (vertical layer printing) and is demonstrating that additive manufacturing is able to generate production-quality tooling for the aerospace industry.
As we’ve so many times reported in the past – and in our dedicated Construction 3D Printing section – this unique segment of additive manufacturing is booming and represents one of the most significant revenue opportunities for AM on a global scale. In order to promote the use of additive manufacturing in the construction industry as well, Formnext and the Technical University (TU) Darmstadt have agreed on a joint venture. This means that in the next few years the construction industry will become a stronger theme of the leading international trade fair for additive manufacturing and the next generation of industrial production.
Construction 3D printing technology by AMT Spetsavia, one of the most prolific companies in this segment, was used to restore – almost from scratch – a gorgeous water fountain in the ancient Russian city of Palekh, in the Ivanovo region. This marks the first time 3D printing of cement materials was used to work on such a large landmark in Russia and the first largely 3D printed water fountain in the world.
Is 3D printing truly going to become a technology for mass production? And if so, when? What and how many final parts have been 3D printed? GE is helping us shed some light on this topic. After the company’s additive and medical divisions reported that 100,000 hip cups have been 3D printed to date, now GE Aviation is reporting that 30,000 fuel nozzles have been 3D printed for its LEAP engines.
For decades, Britain automotive brand MINI has kept its vehicles stylish, timeless and, of course, mini. But the continued popularity isn’t by mere chance, as MINI has diligently stayed the course, knowing what its customers want and delivering on those wants. The latest car model to be introduced by MINI is the Cooper S GT Edition. The limited edition car has just been launched in France.