News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
SLA 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D will be presenting its newest 3D printer in North America for the first time at CES 2019 this week. The machine, the NXE400, is reportedly capable of print speeds six times faster than competing printers and has a build volume 2.5 times larger than comparable machines on the market.
Massive Dimension, a Vermont-based company specializing in large format 3D printing, recently released a new pellet head extruder, the MDPH2. The new product, a direct print pellet head extruder specifically developed for large format 3D printing, offers higher productivity and faster print times for large-scale jobs.
EOS North America is introducing the Integra P 400 polymer Additive Manufacturing (AM) platform developed to meet customer demands specifically for the North American market. The fast, flexible powder bed AM platform gives organizations the ability to process applications using a wide range of materials that offer characteristics such as high abrasion or chemical resistance, low-temperature performance, high elasticity, and transparency.
Through various partnerships with Universities around the world, the Johnson & Johnson 3D Printing Center of Excellence program has been advancing 3D printing and bioprinting technologies on many different levels. Bearing the fruits of this innovation, the Group’s top skincare brand is unveiling the most personalized skincare product ever, the Neutrogena MaskiD at the Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES) in Las Vegas. This patent-pending 3D printed sheet mask is powered by user data to deliver the highest clinical efficacy.
France-based 3D printing company Prodways Group announced the acquisition of Surdifuse-L’Embout Français, a leader in hearing aid technology and specifically in the production of 3D printed custom ear tips for hearing aids.
BMW’s Individual Manufaktur customization facility in Garching, Germany is known for producing some pretty amazing and unique vehicles, but its latest car is, to be blunt, out of this world. The vehicle, dubbed the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky, integrates some truly stellar features, including actual extra-terrestrial fragments and innovative 3D printed components.
UK-based metal AM company Renishaw revealed today it has been working in partnership with the University Dental Hospital of Wales (UDH) to 3D print custom maxillofacial implants and surgical guides. In the context of the hospital, Renishaw’s additive manufacturing technologies and services are helping UDH to overcome certain challenges surrounding surgical implants.
In addition to process efficiency and material development, design is a key factor for industrializing additive manufacturing. A simulation-driven design approach has become indispensable and only the comprehensive consideration of manufacturing constraints assures a successful product development. Therefore, software company Altair has as its main goal to make performance and cost saving potential accessible in the early stages of the decision-making process.
RUAG Australia, a subsidiary of technology company RUAG, is teaming up with Australian research groups to explore the utilization of the laser metal deposition (LMD) process for aircraft repairs. The project, carried out in partnership with members of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) and RMIT University, will specifically look at using LMD to produce spare parts for aircraft using steel and titanium.
For some time now, MIT’s Mediated Matter Lab has been working on developing an additive manufacturing platform capable of printing 3D structures made from glass. Despite having become something of a ubiquitous material in the 19th century thanks to new manufacturing innovations in the Industrial Revolution, glass has remained a tricky material in terms of fabricating complex geometries or custom shapes. In its research, the Mediated Matter Lab has set out to find a solution to these challenges.