News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Presented in 2021, the Tor Alva – White Tower («Weisser Turm») is an over 24-meter tall building that is 3D printed using concrete extrusion. Designed for Fundaziun Origen, the tower offers space for art installations and for music and theater performances. Visitors ascend a spiral staircase through a series of colonnades to reach the stage of the high, vaulted hall on the top floor.
A new study from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, and the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, shows how a hydrogel material made of nanocellulose and algae can be used as an alternative, greener architectural material. The abundant material can be 3D printed into a wide array of architectural components – using much less energy than conventional construction methods.
Chinese drug 3D printing firm Triastek has announced that its T22 3D printed gastric retention product has become the first drug of its kind to receive Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
UK-based robotics company Open Bionics has announced that its 3D printed finger device has been adopted for the first time by a hand amputee from London.
Edinburgh-based tumor 3D printing specialists Carcinotech has successfully raised £4.2 million in an investment round led by Eos Advisory (Eos) and the Investment Fund for Scotland (IFS).
In an initial proof of concept, voxeljet and ParaStruct GmbH have successfully tested the 3D printing of recyclable residual materials from the construction industry. For this purpose, voxeljet’s binder jetting 3D printing technology was used. The material tested was the Ecomould material set from Parastruct GmbH. This material set consists of biogenic production residues from the construction industry and a mineral binder, which was developed by the Austrian start-up.
3DXB Group, a leading UAE construction 3D printing company, has reportedly achieved a Guinness World Record for the largest 3D printed villa, located in the Al Awir 1 area of Dubai. The company created the four-meter-high, 303-square-meter residential villa in one seamless printing session.
Medical equipment manufacturer Kallisio has announced the FDA 510(k) clearance for its Stentra, a 3D printed oral stent tailored for Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients undergoing radiation therapy.
3D printer manufacturer Stratasys has announced that its J5 MediJet 3D printer is being used by the University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) to 3D print tailored cutting guides used in craniomaxillofacial tumor surgery.
Metal 3D printing technology from Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) has played a key role in the production of the world’s first flexible robotic system for minimally invasive brain surgery.