News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Vinmec Healthcare System, a private Vietnamese hospital network, has performed a Total Femoral Replacement (TFR) using a patient-specific 3D printed implant on the world’s youngest recorded osteosarcoma patient. The implant was designed and manufactured domestically, making it the first such biomedical product developed entirely within Vietnam.
According to the University of Bristol, scientists have used the UK’s largest shaking table to mimic conditions of a medium-magnitude earthquake to assess the potential damage to a 3D printed building. Traditional concrete design has well-established seismic behaviour, but 3D printed concrete introduces new variables such as layered deposition, unique material properties, and non-traditional geometries. As such, assessing how these factors influence structural integrity under earthquake loading is vital.
UltraThineer, a 3D printing-based dental product developed by Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), has demonstrated success in treating severe tetracycline staining through a recent clinical case. Dr. Tai Ha at Newport Beach Dental Studio applied UltraThineer’s no-prep, zirconia veneers to rehabilitate a 49-year-old patient dissatisfied with her smile due to deep intrinsic discoloration from childhood antibiotic use.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) and the University of Hawaii System recently formalized a collaborative initiative to enhance warfighter survivability and effectiveness. This partnership, strategically focused on leveraging biomaterials and advanced manufacturing capabilities, aims to strengthen defense efforts, particularly in support of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, which is headquartered in Hawaii.
The Progress Group, a specialist in precast concrete manufacturing and a (lesser-known) innovator in binder jetting technology, has unveiled its latest innovation in construction: the SPI (Selective Paste Intrusion) process. This new 3D printing technology brings more precision and flexibility to producing concrete components and opens new design horizons for architects and builders worldwide.
The world’s largest 3D construction printer has been installed at a school construction site in Doha, Qatar. Manufactured by COBOD International and operated in partnership with UCC Holding, the BODXL printer was unveiled at a special VIP event this week.
While most 3D printed construction projects we cover rely on cement-based materials to build structures layer by layer, a Dutch company is proposing an alternative method that uses bio-based composites to print compact homes and office spaces. The company, Silva.builders, recently erected its first official build: a 3D printed break shelter for Qbuzz bus drivers in the town of Oosterwolde, southwest of Groningen.
National Grid, a British multinational electricity and gas utility company, is working with Hyperion Robotics, a 3D concrete printing company, and the University of Sheffield on a UK-first trial to manufacture, install, and test 3D printed substation foundations, which have the potential to reduce construction-driven carbon emissions and reduce costs to consumers of network construction. This is part of National Grid’s commitment to leverage innovation to future-proof the network.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) are using 3D scanning and printing to make breast prostheses more accessible and affordable for women who have undergone mastectomies.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have created a 3D printed pen that detects subtle tremors in handwriting, offering a potential tool for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease.