News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
3D printing has already proved useful in the mass production of nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing, but now a team from the School of Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton has taken the medical devices to the next level. In short, it has developed a 3D printed smart swab that can self-adjust to make the awkward swabbing process more comfortable for the patient.
Sintavia, a metal AM provider specializing in aerospace and defense applications, is partnering with Siemens Digital Industries Software to develop an end-to-end additive manufacturing software solution. The software program, which will be informed by Sintavia’s testing and technical feedback, will be included in Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio. As part of the collaboration, Sintavia will also become one of Siemens’ preferred AM partners and gain access to the software before its market release.
KW Special Projects (KWSP), a UK-based engineering services provider, has announced its plans to open a Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) in Silverstone Park in Q1 2021. The new facility, which will house state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technologies, is aligned with the UK’s Industrial Strategy to focus increasingly on advanced manufacturing.
voxeljet AG sold another sale of its VX4000 3D sand printer to one of the largest foundries in western India. The VX4000 is among the world’s biggest binder-jetting systems for industrial production, with a build volume of eight cubic meters (4 x 2 x 1 m).
As a pioneer in the AM space, Dr. Joseph DeSimone’s resume is already highly impressive. Not only is he the co-founder of innovative 3D printing company Carbon, but he has also enjoyed a 30-year career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State University. Now, Dr. DeSimone has revealed he has joined Stanford University’s faculty.
CT imaging has emerged as a valuable weapon in the war against the novel coronavirus, because of the modality’s ability to detect the “ground glass” white spots in the lungs that are a sign of COVID-19. To support patient access to CT exams, Dunlee has increased 3D printing of tungsten anti-scatter grids, which are an important component of quality CT systems. With a thickness of only 100 microns, Dunlee’s anti-scatter grid significantly improve CT images by absorbing scatter radiation that can degrade image quality.
Barcelona-based 3D printing company BCN3D Technologies has signed a distribution agreement with Italian company Crea3D, which will enable it to grow its presence in the southern European region. Crea3D will now distribute BCN3D’s 3D printing systems, based on its IDEX technology, to the Italian market through its established B2B and B2C channels.
Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc. (AMI), a Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG) subsidiary, appointed Stephan Biller, Ph.D. as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Biller will report directly to MTDG President Dean L. Bartles, Ph.D., FSME, FASME.“I have had the extraordinary pleasure of knowing Stephan as both a colleague and a friend for many years,” said Dr. Bartles. “He is a technological visionary. Stephan possesses all the leadership qualities, a strong commitment to excellence, and an extensive background in digital transformation technologies needed to grow AMI into the trusted and recognized leader of digital and smart manufacturing solutions. I am excited to be working with Stephan in growing the organization and empowering all manufacturers to implement digital innovations that will enable them to better compete in the global economy. From all of us at the MTDG family of companies, we extend a warm welcome to Stephan.”
Florida-based company nScrypt has entered into a distribution and OEM agreement with South Korea-based ANI Motion. The collaboration gives the company the exclusive rights to sell nScrypt’s 3D printing and bioprinting systems in South Korea as well as nonexclusive rights to sell its products across Asia. ANI Motion will also begin to manufacture nScrypt systems locally for sale in the region.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019, Covid-19, outbreak has battered the world’s economies, instilled widespread fear and caused change in public and company policy to protect individuals from exposure to a highly infectious disease. Personal protective equipment (PPE) runs scarce due to a spike in Covid-19 related illnesses and hospitalizations, which leaves frontline healthcare professionals to risk the lives of their patients, their families and themselves by reusing single-use PPE.