News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
A joint team of researchers from ETH Zurich and MIT have developed material architectures which could feasibly be the stiffest material structures possible for a given weight. The innovative lattice structures could be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques.
Shopping for an SLA 3D printer can be something of a daunting task. On the one hand, there are a handful of trusted, recognized printer models, but most of them come with a hefty price tag. While on the other hand there are a number of low-cost SLA machines (sub $1,000) but their reliability and quality can sometimes be questionable. Panda3D, a China-based startup specializing in SLA-based technology, is hoping to make the choice for low-cost SLA printing easier with the launch of its Paladin 3D printer.
Within just a few years of its founding in 1975, Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd, a publicly listed company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, reached a leading position as a manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting machines for the sign/graphics, industrial and textile/apparel markets. The company’s solutions cover the entire value chain, from hardware, to software, to the associated consumable items, such as inks and cutting blades. Mimaki’s UV-curable inkjet technology, developed since 2005, has garnered particular interest in recent years and was on display at Formnext 2018 in Frankfurt.
New York-based ceramic 3D printing company Kwambio has unveiled a new binder jetting 3D printer for ceramics. The new machine, to be presented at CES 2019, is the Ceramo Zero Max, a smaller, desktop-friendly version of its original CERAMO ONE 3D printer.
3D printer manufacturer MakerBot has announced its latest piece of AM hardware for the professional market: the Method 3D printer. The machine, marketed as its “first performance 3D printer,” aims to bridge the desktop and industrial markets by offering professional quality printing at a more accessible price point.
ExOne, a specialist in binder jetting technologies, has introduced the X1 25PRO, a new 3D printer that combines the company’s INNOVENT+ fine metal injection molding (MIM) technology with production volume capabilities. The new machine was developed with MIM, powder metallurgy and manufacturing clients in mind and is well suited for production environments.
PostProcess Technologies (PPT) has announced a new partnership with CUBRC, a not-for-profit scientific corporation specializing in machine learning research, development, testing and systems integration. PPT will utilize its new partner’s Heartwood Analytics suite to advance its own software platforms. The goal of the partnership is to improve PPT’s software offering for the automation and digitization of AM post-processing.
Nanoscribe, a German company specializing in micrometer 3D printing, has introduced the successor model Photonic Professional GT2, a microfabrication 3D printer capable of larger print volumes.
As one might expect, creating a virtual 3D world is a laborious process that requires not only time and effort but also a high level of skill. Look at any video game, and the graphics will have required thousands and thousands of hours of work on the part of developers specialized in 3D rendering, lighting, textures and more.
Rapid Application Group (RAG), an Oklahoma-based additive manufacturing company, has significantly increased its production capacity with the installation of a 3D Systems’ Figure 4 Standalone 3D printer. The recently added polymer AM platform will enable RAG to improve its services and turnaround times for clients in the aerospace, defense, healthcare, motor sports and oil and gas sectors.