News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd in Lincoln, England recently turned to 3D scanning and additive manufacturing technologies to restore a hundred-year-old Ruston Hornsby motor car. The car, originally introduced in 1920, was one of the first products released by industrial equipment manufacturer Ruston & Hornsby Limited, now part of the Siemens Group.
Lockheed Martin has embraced a 3D printed titanium dome for satellite fuel tanks so big you can’t even put your arms around it. The 46-inch- (1.16-meter-) diameter vessel completed final rounds of quality testing this month, ending a multi-year development program to create giant, high-pressure tanks that carry fuel on board satellites.
3D printing enables a level of customization beyond your wildest dreams! However, the success of these types of products is very challenging to navigate because the meaning and value of “customization” is very different per industry.
Xaar PLC, a supplier of industrial inkjet printheads, has just announced it has launched a new 3D printing company, Xaar 3D Limited, in a joint investment with Stratasys. The newly formed company will reportedly be developing additive manufacturing solutions based on High Speed Sintering technology.
A team of scientists from the University of Tartu and the Estonian University of Life Sciences have developed a new construction 3D printing material which has the potential to drastically decrease construction costs for private homes. The material, made from milled peat and oil shale ash, is not only low cost but could pose environmental benefits as well.
Italian accessories designer Giulia Ber Tacchini has worked in the luxury fashion world for years, designing accessories for a number of well known brands. Fortunately for us, she branched out in 2016 to found her own luxury accessories brand: MAISSA. Now, I say fortunately for us because with the freedom to design her own pieces, Ber Tacchini has created some truly unique handbags and jewelry which have leveraged the creative possibilities afforded by 3D design and printing.
Xaar PLC, a supplier of industrial inkjet printheads, has just announced it has launched a new 3D printing company, Xaar 3D Limited, in a joint investment with Stratasys. The newly formed company will reportedly be developing additive manufacturing solutions based on High Speed Sintering technology.
Desktop Metal has announced that Jeffrey Immelt, the former Chairman and CEO of the General Electric Company, has been elected to its Board of Directors. The metal 3D printing company, which already comprises some illustrious and innovative members, says it seeks to benefit from Immelt’s over 40 years of experience in global business and technology.
Xometry, the largest on-demand manufacturing platform, has acquired MakeTime, another leading on-demand manufacturing company. This acquisition brings together the country’s two top manufacturing network platforms. The combined company will operate under the Xometry brand name and have offices in Maryland and Kentucky.
While many innovative designers are looking for ways to slow the environmental destruction of our planet, some are looking ahead to come up with products that could serve humankind when climate change consumes the earth. Biomimicry designer Jun Kamei from the RCA-IIS Tokyo Design Lab falls into the latter category as he has designed a 3D printed amphibious garment which enables humans to breathe under water.