News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
The world’s largest 3D construction printer has been installed at a school construction site in Doha, Qatar. Manufactured by COBOD International and operated in partnership with UCC Holding, the BODXL printer was unveiled at a special VIP event this week.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) are using 3D scanning and printing to make breast prostheses more accessible and affordable for women who have undergone mastectomies.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have created a 3D printed pen that detects subtle tremors in handwriting, offering a potential tool for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease.
Irish medical device manufacturer Croom Medical has revealed TALOS, a new laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) platform for 3D printing tantalum (Ta). The company’s press release hails TALOS as a breakthrough for medical implants and industrial applications.
Researchers at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), in collaboration with international partners, have launched a groundbreaking initiative to develop sustainable construction materials from the rubble of war-torn buildings. The project, titled ‘Development of New Approaches and Construction Materials for the Restoration of Ukraine’s Damaged Infrastructure with Consideration for Environmental Sustainability’, aims to create advanced concrete mixtures for both 3D printing and traditional construction techniques.
According to UCL, a paper in Science Robotics has introduced Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial AM) as a disruptive force in the construction industry. Developed by researchers from EPFL, Empa, Imperial College London, and University College London, the study explores how aerial robots equipped for 3D printing can address global housing and infrastructure challenges through scalable, sustainable solutions.
Lithoz, a ceramic 3D printing company headquartered in Vienna, has secured ISO 13485 certification for its quality management system, aligning its operations with international standards for medical device manufacturing. The certification, regarded as the benchmark for regulatory compliance in healthcare production, enables Lithoz to meet FDA Quality System Regulation (QSR) requirements and expands its role in supplying 3D printed components for medical and dental applications.
Coastal cities like Miami are urgently looking for solutions to help combat ecological issues like flooding and erosion. One particularly promising answer is the installation of advanced seawalls designed to protect the coast from the impact of waves and tides while still fostering aquatic biodiversity. Such is the solution being explored at Florida International University (FIU), where a team of architects and marine biologists has developed BIOCAP (Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance), a 3D printed modular tile system that can minimize wave impact along existing seawalls while promoting the growth of local marine species.
Inside Boston Children’s Hospital, 3D printing and digital planning are “transforming” pediatric care. The 156-year-old institution uses Materialise’s Mimics software to turn two-dimensional patient scans into detailed 3D models, streamlining preoperative planning and enhancing surgical outcomes.
When we talk about concrete 3D printing generally, the larger the build volume the better. It makes sense: the technology is typically used for large-scale applications, like printing walls or architectural features, such as the recent 5,000-square foot expansion of a Walmart supercenter. But there are also areas where size is less important and where cost and accessibility are far higher priorities. Such is the case in many R&D labs, particularly when it comes to material development. To meet these needs, Indian 3D printing company Deltasys E-Forming has launched a new tabletop concrete 3D printer.