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Have 3D printed tabletop game miniatures finally come of age with HERO FORGE? Consumer Products

by Consumer

Coming out of a successful crowdfunding round at the beginning of 2020, HERO FORGE is a website for customizing and 3D printing tabletop miniatures and statuettes. Many have tried to build a business model around 3D printed figures before, but HERO FORGE may come at a time when the technology is finally ready to support adequately support it. I tested the website and it really does provide a seamless and fun, very much personalized, experience.

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MakerBot expands into carbon fiber composite 3D printing 3D Printer Hardware

by Technologies

3D printing company MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, is entering the composite 3D printing market with the launch of its latest product series: the METHOD Carbon Fiber Editions. MakerBot’s new offering, along with its new MakerBot Nylon Carbon Fiber material, will enable users to produce high-strength tools, jigs and fixtures as well as end use parts, including metal replacement parts for various applications.

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America Makes unveils top ‘Fit to Face’ 3D printed mask challenge designs AM Industry

by Business

As soon as 3D printing’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic started to crystallize, America Makes stepped up to help consolidate and coordinate 3D printing efforts. As part of this, the national AM institution teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the FDA and the National Institutes of Health to fast-track clinical reviews of 3D printed personal protective equipment (PPE) and other useful parts. The organization also launched the Fit to Face Mask Design Challenge in a bid to optimize the fit for face masks, a critical part of keeping medical and frontline workers protected.

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Skills needed for an environmentally sustainable AM industry Sustainability

by Business

As additive manufacturing technology has developed rapidly over the last decades, it has shown great potential for environmental sustainability. The benefits offered through reduced material waste, supply chain innovations and the use of recycled plastics and metals in materials can all position AM as a sustainable production solution for companies. In these times, where large companies are increasingly under societal and governmental pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, sustainability in AM is a great opportunity. It could even support the acceleration of the AM industry as a whole.