News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Rocket Lab, a small satellite launch company, has announced the successful completion of its 100th Rutherford engine, the world’s first 3D printed, electric turbo-pump-fed engine. The company is celebrating the milestone, emphasizing how far it has come since it first started developing the innovative 3D printed rocket engine in 2013.
Australian company Titomic Limited is partnering with Danish engineering company and mining equipment producer FLSmidth to explore the use of Titomic Kinetic Fusion technology (TKF) for manufacturing high-wear resistant parts for mining applications. The companies will initially collaborate through a production trial agreement to assess the potential of the TKF additive process for the mining sector.
Last month, UK-based metal AM powder manufacturer Metalysis appeared to be in dire straights, as it announced it was placed into administration. Since then, things are looking up as mining company Power Resources Group (PRG) has announced it is buying the metal AM company out of administration.
Chinese sportswear brand PEAK Sports Products introduced a new model of fully 3D printed sneakers – upper, midsole and outsole – in the domestic Chinese market. As leading Chinese 3D printing media Nanjixiong reports, the first 600 pairs of the new FUTURE FUSION PEAK3D sneakers were briefly available on the company’s online store, on July 5th, for 1,299 Yuan (about $190) and sold out in a matter of seconds.
Australian startup Hearables 3D—a spin out of a research initiative at Swinburne University—has developed a process for 3D printing custom fitted ear devices, such as earphones and hearing aids, in less than an hour. The technique relies on smartphone 3D scanning and ultra-fast stereolithography 3D printing.
In April 2019, German engineering conglomerate thyssenkrupp announced its plans to open an AM TechCenter Hub in Singapore, expanding its operations in the ASEAN region. To mark the recent launch of the new additive manufacturing center, thyssenkrupp has published a white paper that investigates the potential of AM in the region.
Carnegie Mellon has been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lead a research team dedicated to examining new ways to build and power aircraft of the future, through NASA’s University Leadership Initiative. As part of the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, Carnegie Mellon will help solve the nation’s most pressing problems in aviation.
Ai Build announced a new version of AiMaker with AiCell Medium, the latest addition to its fleet of autonomous large scale 3D printers. This new solution is being demonstrated to the public with a live furniture 3D printing show at Future Lab, during the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019.
Despite all the logistic benefits of additive manufacturing, including streamlined supply chains, reduced inventory needs and shipment costs, the technology introduces a set of new challenges related to security. Especially in industries where stringent qualifications are needed, security risks—including compromised or stolen part files—must be addressed through sophisticated authentication and protection processes.
Founded by Bradley Rothenberg just four years ago in New York, nTopology has rapidly become one of the most appreciated generative software tools. In order to expand capabilities beyond lattice design, to address the entire engineering workflow, the company is now introducing the nTop Platform, which enables users to create lighter, higher-performing parts with functional requirements built right in.