News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
The days of the ubiquitous cup trophies could be limited. Austrian steel technology company voestalpine AG will be awarding the winner of the “voestalpine European Races” with a one-of-a-kind 3D printed trophy. The race series, sponsored by the company, is part of the second half of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
Twin robotic arms work together as part of a project to construct what will be the largest, most complex object ever 3D printed in titanium: a test version of the 3-m diameter ‘optic bench’ at the heart of ESA’s Athena X-ray observatory.
GKN Powder Metallurgy is extending its partnership with PostNord AB, a provider of communications and logistics solutions in the Nordic region, to accelerate the accessibility of additive manufacturing with the goal of fully revolutionizing supply chains. Automation will be a key focus of the collaboration going forward.
Just weeks after 3D printer manufacturer Markforged reported an $82 million investment, the company has announced a significant expansion with the opening of its first official European headquarters. The new HQ is based in Dublin, Ireland and is being launched in cooperation with the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
AMT-Specavia, a Russian company specializing in construction 3D printing technologies, is partnering with a team in South Korea with the aim of producing artificial coral reefs for the Yellow Sea. The 3D printing effort, which it utilizing high-strength hydrophobic concrete to create the artificial coral, aims to rehabilitate the quickly deteriorating coral reef ecosystem in the Yellow Sea.
UPM, a Finnish biopolymer specialist, is demonstrating large scale robotic 3D printing of wood composite applications, using its granulate biocompatible cellulose material. The project was developed in collaboration with ABB and Prenta and is being presented at the Nordic 3D Expo in the Espoo Dipoli Congress Centre.
Aerospace company Diehl Aviation has delivered the largest 3D printed part for a passenger aircraft to Qatar Airways. The 3D printed part in question is the Curtain Comfort Header, an enclosure for the curtain rail that separates seating classes, which can measure up to 1140 x 720 x 240 mm.
Onshape, the leading cloud product development platform, introduced four new releases during the first quarter of 2019. The automatic product updates, which are delivered to customers every three weeks, include new Release Management functionality, collaboration tool enhancements, CAD features, improvements to user interface and performance, bug fixes, and updates to Onshape Drawings and FeatureScript (the open-source programming language to create custom features).
Desktop 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot has launched a new certification program aimed at promoting 3D printing in education. The initiative, called MakerBot Certification Program for Students, is designed to give middle and high school students a foundational knowledge about 3D design and 3D printing.
The NextGenerationSpaceframe 2.0 project by Siemens and EDAG was presented today at Hannover Messe and is set to significantly streamline the integration of modular AM elements in automotive production via digital twin. Last year at Hannover Messe (where Siemens plays at home), the German giant had presented a number of key application cases for automotive manufacturing and beyond, including a very fascinating one with Bugatti.