News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Research from the University of Nottingham has demonstrated the viability of 3D printing for fabricating structures using advanced materials that switch states when exposed to different environmental stimuli such as light. The innovative research project could have far reaching implications for the future of 3D printed electronics, medical devices and quantum computing devices.
Norsk Titanium (NTi), the world’s first FAA-approved supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components, announced today a major milestone in qualified production. NTi’s Plattsburgh, New York Development and Qualification Center (PDQC) site was officially added to Boeing’s Qualified Producers List (QPL) on May 1 and initiated qualified production on May 15 by manufacturing its first part under the Boeing contract. This milestone is a culmination of recent company successes including certification under AS9100D and the October 2017 dedication of PDQC by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Founded in 2015 by RenJie Huang and HanYuan Tsao, Architchen is a Taiwanese architectural design studio that has developed a particular affinity for 3D printing ceramics. What sets Architchen apart from many of the other designers working with 3D printed ceramics is that it is not just interested in using the technology for producing pottery and homewares. Rather, it has leveraged ceramic AM to express and create parametrically designed tiles which fulfil an architectural purpose.
The new platform – created in partnership with Guangdong Lanwan 3D Printing Collaborative Innovation Platform in Dali – will exclusively use HP’s multijet fusion technology for a new digital manufacturing center in China, accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Additive manufacturing pioneer 3D Systems has introduced its new On Demand Anatomical Modeling Service for medical 3D printing applications. The newly launched service provides medical professionals access to 3D printable and highly detailed anatomical models for improving surgical planning as well as patient education.
SAE International has announced the release of its first suite of Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) additive manufacturing materials and process specifications which will support the certification of aircraft and spacecraft critical parts by providing a framework to protect the integrity of material property data and provide traceability within the aerospace supply chain.
AddUp, the French metal AM solutions company started by Fives and Michelin, has announced its acquisition of BeAM, a Strasbourg-based specialist in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology. AddUp says that the 100% acquisition of BeAM will enable it to broaden its existing portfolio of metal additive manufacturing technologies—it now offers both DED metal and powder bed fusion AM—and subsequently better serve the needs of its clients.
Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) is a fascinating company founded in 2000 to exploit and commercialize the use of poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) through additive manufacturing for medical and industrial applications. The company developed a high-performance additive manufacturing (HPAM) process (a modified laser sintering approach) to produce fully functional, end-use structural parts. Now the company is furthering its expansion into key Asia markets: business development of OPM Asia, a partnership with Tokyo-based JSR Corporation (JSR), is now led by experienced medical device sector executive Curt Jennewine, who will serve as will serve as OPM Asia’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
With increasing life expectancies across much of the globe, the need for medication and treatments for age-related degenerative muscle and tendon diseases is growing. And though much research is being done on that front, medical scientists have faced consistent challenges in developing effective drugs for muscle degeneration. Fortunately, a team of researchers in Switzerland is conducting microplate bioprinting research that could offer a solution to one of the main challenges in developing treatments.
As forest fires increasingly rage through forests and towns around the world—currently Colorado and New Mexico are battling intense wildfires—it is starting to sink in that they are a reality of climate change and something we will inevitably be seeing more of. To reckon with increasingly powerful and frequent wildfires, firefighters require more powerful and high-quality equipment that they can rely on.