News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Swedish furniture giant IKEA has recognized the benefits of 3D printing, launching limited 3D printed collections and exploring the technology with partners such as UNYQ. Most recently, the company released a series of DIY 3D printed add-ons to make its existing products more accessible to those with special needs.
Within the transport industry, German railway leader Deutsche Bahn was an early adopter of 3D printing technologies—five years ago, it even founded its own 3D printing division. As of 2018, the company reported having 3D printed nearly 15,000 spare parts and other products for its trains, including coat hooks, headrests, cable boxes and more. Now, the company is aiming to ramp up its additive efforts by extending its partnership with software provider 3YOURMIND.
3D Systems has announced the appointment of Malissia Clinton to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Clinton currently serves as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Los Angeles-based The Aerospace Corporation.
Copenhagen-based MONOQOOL brings the effortlessly sleek and functional elements of Danish design into the eyewear field with its stylish 3D printed frames. Founded in 2008, the company has been working with 3D printing for roughly eight years, initially using the technology to prototype new eyewear designs and eventually transitioning into full-scale production.
A team from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia has successfully demonstrated the ability to 3D print a replacement lug directly on an automotive headlight assembly. The achievement was carried out through the university’s Repairbot project.
It’s been a tough week for the Energica Motor Company and the rest of the MotoE community, after a fire at a paddock at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain on March 14th destroyed the majority of the motorcycles and equipment inside.
Saudi Arabian construction company, Elite for Construction & Development Co., placed an order for COBOD‘s BOD2 construction 3D printer. The system will be delivered by the end of May and the 3D printer will be the first of its kind in the country. It will be the biggest in the world, able to print buildings of 12m (w), 27m (l) and 9m (h)
On March 7th, the Stratasys User Conference took place. The event, organized by the 3D printing giant, showcased some interesting use cases for Stratasys‘ AM technologies. The main purpose of the event was to highlight, through the direct experience of its customers, the competitive advantages offered by the Stratasys’ technologies, both in the prototype phase and in the production itself. Judging by the response, it was a winning idea.
Israeli startup Nanofabrica has introduced a new micro 3D printing platform that addresses many of the challenges typically associated with nano-printing processes: cost, limited size, speed and mass production. The company says its new platform will open up numerous applications in the areas of optics, semi-conductors, microelectronics, MEMS, microfluidics and life sciences.
With the International Dental Show (IDS) well underway in Cologne, there hasn’t been a shortage of dentistry-related additive manufacturing news. Already, Prodways introduced a new modular solution for mass producing dental aligners and Carbon announced a partnership with Keystone Industries through which it will 3D print clear nightguards and splints. Now, Delaware-based 3D printing company Mogassam has unveiled the new DentCase 3D printer, designed specifically for dental applications.