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Desktop Metal gets $65 Million financing from Ford Additive Manufacturing

Desktop Metal, the company committed to making metal 3D printing accessible to manufacturers and engineers, has received $65 million in new financing led by Ford Motor Company, with participation from existing investor Future Fund. Since its inception, Desktop Metal has raised a total of $277 million in financing to further accelerate the company’s rapid business growth and adoption of its end-to-end metal 3D printing systems. In a related announcement, the company also announced Ford’s Chief Technology Officer will join the Desktop Metal Board of Directors.

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ActivArmor May Have Finally Cracked the 3D Printed Cast/Orthosis Riddle Additive Manufacturing

Ever since affordable 3D printing became a thing, a plethora of startups began envisioning it as a tool for producing truly customized orthopedic supports. Some efforts actually reach their goal but only in tailor made single solutions, not as a mass customization device. Now a company called ActiveArmor may have finally cracked that riddle, creating a 3D printed cast/orthotic support device for injuries and pain that is meeting with the favor of the medical community.

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How the Next Gen of Affordable Systems Is Making PBF 3D Printing Available to All 3D Printing Processes

The inception of RepRap in 2005 was also the birth of a subsequently increasing trend to make 3D printing more accessible, by way of smaller hardware platforms, lower capital and running costs and ease of use. Obviously, RepRap was, is and likely will continue to be much more than that, with its inherent philosophy of self-replicating machines. However, this trend of increasing accessibility to 3D printing for a much wider audience is, arguably, currently the most impactful consequence of RepRap to date.

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GE9X, the largest and most 3D printed jet engine ever, is flying Additive Manufacturing

The world’s largest jet engine took its maiden flight over the Mojave Desert on Tuesday, March 14. The GE9X engine – which has been known in the 3D printing world in particular as a case study for its 3D printed fuel nozzles – is a showstopper. At 134 inches, its fan diameter is so tall and wide that Shaquille O’Neil would fit inside the engine’s cover with Kobe Bryant sitting on his shoulders. The whole engine is as wide as the body of an entire Boeing 737.

Mixed Dimensions 3D Printed Collectable Starships from Star Trek Online Now Available Consumer Products

Mixed Dimensions 3D Printed Collectable Starships from Star Trek Online Now Available Consumer Products

Last month we reported that Publisher Perfect World and developer Cryptic Studios are partnering with the company Mixed Dimensions and its GamePrint service. Today, Perfect World and Cryptic rolled out the new feature for PC players, along with more pricing, details, photos and a video showing how it is done. The companies are introducing custom 3D printed Star Trek starship collectibles to the community of fans. The resulting 12” collectible ships are made of resin, and can be ordered in three tiers: a single-color version, a primed model ready for painting at home, or a hand-painted version painted by the artists at Mixed Dimensions.

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Aidro Hydraulics and Fraunhofer Win Design for Additive Manufacturing Challenge 3D Printing Events

During the awards dinner of the 6th edition of the Additive World Conference, Chairman of the Jury, Ultimaker co-founder, Erik de Bruijn, announced Aidro Hydraulics and Fraunhofer Institute winners of the Additive World Design for Additive Manufacturing Challenge. All six finalists, three in the student category and three professionals, pitched their designs in front of the 5 member jury. After deliberation they made a well-advised selection in both categories. The awards, a set of gears and a hydraulic manifold, were for redesigns of very common industrial parts where the impact of the design for additive manufacturing would be substantial.

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BigRep Producing Large-Scale Auto Parts Additive Manufacturing

The Automotive industry continues its ongoing race to find ways to accelerate the process of designing and developing new and better vehicles. If we examine a modern car design closely, we see that it contains around 30,000 components, of different sizes and materials, manufactured using a range of techniques. Introducing 3D printing into the process of designing a machine with this number and diversity of parts can make that process of moving from new concept to marketable product much more efficient.