News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Icing is an issue that has plagued aircraft manufacturers and operators for a long time. Evidently, I’m not talking about cake icing or the hockey infraction. Rather, icing refers to the phenomenon when ice forms on an aircraft’s wings on the ground or in flight. Today, aerospace engineers and researchers are taking significant steps forward in understanding and tackling icing issues, thanks in part to 3D printing.
Additive Industries North America sold 6 MetalFAB1 systems to an undisclosed aerospace company located in California. Considering the cost of a MetalFAB1 system is over one million dollars per unit there aren’t many companies that could afford such a purchase. The list of large aerospace companies with facilities in California includes Northrop Grumman, CDG (a Boeing company) and GKN Aerospace (near San Diego), all of which are investing significantly in expanding their internal AM activities. In particular, GKN is a likely candidate as the Group had been a Beta client for Additive Industries, purchasing its first MetalFAB1 system in 2016, to make automotive parts.
3D printing company Carbon and American bicycle manufacturer Specialized are tackling the issue of uncomfortable bike seats with the help of 3D printing. Together, the companies are developing the “first digitally printed bike saddle” which is designed to improve not only comfort for the rider, but also performance and protection.
UK-based company axial3D is taking another big step in its mission to help the healthcare sector adopt 3D printing technologies. Working with the Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeons at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, axial3D will provide a new in-house 3D printing facility to serve Newcastle Hospitals in England.
XTreeE, a France-based specialist in 3D printing concrete and construction, is reportedly working on a new project for a customer in the Caribbean. The project in question—a joint effort by XTreeE, Martinique-based telecoms infrastructure company Art & Fact Innovation and engineering firm Lamoureux & Ricciotti—consists of 3D printing 12-meter-tall telecom towers that blend seamlessly into the environment.
3D Systems recently revealed that Stockholm-based product design firm Splitvision Design was one of the first companies in the Nordic region to adopt its Figure 4 Standalone 3D printer. Since installing the scalable additive manufacturing solution, the Swedish agency has seen drastic improvements in its product development and prototyping processes—especially for products in the medtech sector.
Born as the 3D printing business unit of Cytosurge AG, a Swiss company specializing in scientific measurement tools, Exaddon has now been officially spun off into a new autonomous company, Exaddon AG. The new company will focus exclusively on the development of processes and systems in the field of additive manufacturing of microscopically small metal components, leveraging Cytosurge’s proprietary FluidFM technology for metal micro-scale 3D printing (µAM).
Born as the 3D printing business unit of Cytosurge AG, a Swiss company specializing in scientific measurement tools, Exaddon has now been officially spun off into a new autonomous company, Exaddon AG. The new company will focus exclusively on the development of processes and systems in the field of additive manufacturing of microscopically small metal components, leveraging Cytosurge’s proprietary FluidFM technology for metal micro-scale 3D printing (µAM).
Engineers from UCLA have received a $1.5 million research grant to develop an eco-friendly 3D printable concrete material that uses carbon dioxide as part of its binder. The large grant was funded by the National Science Foundation, which hopes the research team will find a more sustainable solution for the production of 3D printable building materials.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is something of a mysterious disease. The demyelinating condition affects more than two million people around the globe—often with debilitating symptoms—yet has no known cure and the cause of the disease is still unknown. Recent research advances, including an effort from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the U.S., are trying to better understand the disease in order to find a treatment solution.