3D printers, printer modifications, hardware reviews and updates
If you’ve never heard the term steganography, join the club. It’s the practice of concealing a file, message, image, or video within another…very James Bond, if you ask me. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to keep reading. Four Ukrainian researchers explained steganography as a “method of transmission of the coded information … Read more
One of the most exciting developments in 3D printing is non-planar 3D printing for FDM. Fused Deposition Modeling (FFF, Material Extrusion) is the most popular, affordable and widespread 3D printing technology. FDM can print many different materials and has a large number of possible applications. There are some limits to FDM however. Z-axis strength is … Read more
Creality has announced the launch of a new FFF desktop 3D printer: the CR-5 Pro. With enhanced improvements of hardware, the CR-5 Pro is designed to be a consumer-friendly machine that incorporates a number of important features, making it fit for families, schools, and individual makers alike. “We are noticing a growing demand for better … Read more
Researchers Thomas Campbell and James F.X. Jones, both of the School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland, have a created a new 3D printer for the medical field, detailing their work in the recently published ‘Design and implementation of a low cost, modular, adaptable and open-source XYZ positioning system for neurophysiology.’ The authors have created … Read more
Dutch 3D printer manufacturer Tractus3D specializes in making Delta-style, large-format systems that are, according to its website, “more reliable, versatile and future proof than most others in the market.” The company is the 3D printing market leader in outdoor signage, though its tough, high quality printers can also be found working in the automotive, construction, … Read more
Amir S. Azer and Heidar Shahin explore topics in dental restoration, detailing their findings in the recently published ‘Fit of Laser Sintered Metal Restorations: A Systematic Review.’ As 3D printing becomes increasingly more popular in the area of dentistry, dental restoration, and orthodontics, the use of metal materials offers a host of advantages. Fabrication of … Read more
University of Chile researchers Maximiliano Vélez, Efrén Toala, and Juan Cristóbal Zagal have developed a new angle for fabrication in construction, developing a novel machine that pairs a climbing robot with a 3D printer. Releasing their findings in the recently published ‘Koala 3D: A continuous climbing 3D printer,’ the authors attempt to streamline methods for … Read more
It has been years in the making, but finally, we know more about HP’s highly awaited bioprinting system. In the last years, HP has moved heavily into the research of microfluidics and bioprinting technology, leading to the development of their first bioprinter called D300e BioPrinter, which was recently used by a team of scientists at … Read more
Chinese researchers from the School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering at Lingnan Normal University are examining ways to improve the use of microfluidics, outlining their research in the recently published ‘3D Printed Reconfigurable Modular Microfluidic System for Generating Gel Microspheres.’ In this study, the research team developed an interconnected network of microfluidics meant to prevent … Read more
Lynette Kucsma (Image: Natural Machines) 3D printing technology could challenge the way we eat in the future, making recipes trivial and letting the imagination run wild. It will basically disrupt the kitchen. When Paul Bocuse, one of the most celebrated French chefs of all time, reshaped the style of cooking at restaurants, many weren’t happy. … Read more
With a growing directory of space companies gaining momentum, research and development in rocket science, aerospace engineering, and space travel are at an all-time high. After a continuous decrease in orbital launches since the early 1990s, companies began sending payloads into orbit in the mid-2000s, and whether successful or not (although usually successful), the sharp … Read more
I do love a good Star Wars 3D print, and I know many others do as well. A popular character in the Star Wars universe is obviously Jedi Master Yoda, and many people around the world were excited to see him in a new light when The Mandalorian live action series premiered on Disney+ this … Read more
LD-002R——CREATE a Resin 3D Printer Craze Each 3D printer user must dream of two printers: one FDM 3D printer for making large projects, another an LCD 3D printer for delivering delicate and precise objects. Creality 3D introduced its entry-level resin 3D printer LD-002R on December 19th, aiming to create a craze of resin 3D printing … Read more
If we could visualize the future of medicine, drug testing, and artificial tissue and organ development, we would most certainly find bioprinters in the spotlight. Part of the vanguard vision of many companies and researchers alike is that the machines will become a familiar resource used in every bioengineering lab, university and even school around … Read more
Canadian medical doctors Adnan Sheikh and Bruce B. Forster examine the growing importance of 3D printed models and instruments like surgical tools, outlined in the recently published ‘Holding It in Your Hand’’: Musculoskeletal Applications of 3D Printing.’ Noting the impacts digital fabrication offers to the medical realm, the authors see 3D printing as one of … Read more
Known in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry for its quality assurance software and hardware products, Sigma Labs has made steady progress in proliferating its QA technology across AM. The latest development in this trend comes in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Sigma Labs and Materialise, an AM software developer and … Read more
University Medical Center Utrecht is working with two European startups in the development of an end-to-end solution for radiation-free pre-operative planning in orthopedics. With a grant from European Eurostars, MRIguidance and Axial3D will be collaborating on the project to create accurate 3D printed medical models. The team will rely on imaging software from MRIguidance, the … Read more
Creality CR 10 V2 Along with competitors Anet and XYZPrinting Creality form a trio of manufacturers that dominate the low-cost 3D printing segment. Only a few years ago 3D printers under $500 were rare, but these firms have made them accessible and have sold hundreds of thousands of them. In this segment, there are often … Read more
North Carolina researchers worked together recently to create tactile teaching tools (TTT), outlining their work in the recently published ‘Building the lac operon: A guided-inquiry activity using 3D-printed models.’ By incorporating 3D printing, the scientists were on a mission to ‘level the playing field’ for visually impaired and otherwise disadvantaged students—as well as others who … Read more
German chemical giant BASF has steadily been saturating the 3D printing industry with its presence. The latest partnership established by the world’s largest chemical company is with machine tool manufacturer Cincinnati Incorporated (CI). The two inked a distribution deal in which CI will supply ABS, carbon fiber PET and recycled PET materials from BASF 3D … Read more
Canadian researchers used 3D printing to create anatomically correct models of human organs, detailing their findings in the recently published ‘3D Printed CT-based abdominal structure mannequin for enabling research.’ Attempting to improve the medical imaging process, as well as offering more comprehensive education, the team created 3D printed organ ‘shells’ for the mannequin. When treating … Read more
While 3D printing, 4D printing, bioprinting, and additive manufacturing processes abound in the US and around the globe, some programs are not previously as well-known but are also real powerhouses of digital fabrication. Offering two main campuses and four centers, the Kentucky-based Somerset Community College has just announced that their additive manufacturing program has completed … Read more
Chandler Alan Warr recently submitted a thesis to Brigham Young University, outlining a comprehensive focus on bioprinting in ‘Development of a Novel Bioprinting System: Bioprinter, Bioink, Characterization, and Optimization.’ Warr’s goal in the study was to develop an entire bioprinting system, including not only the printer itself but also the materials (bioink), and a feedback … Read more
In the recently published Radiological Characteristics of Materials Used in 3-Dimensional Printing with Various Infill Densities,’ researchers from the Veterans Health Service Medical Center in Seoul, Korea are assessing new materials for 3D printing. With a focus on how infill densities affect 3D printing techniques, the research team considered a wide variety of materials, evaluated … Read more
A handheld 3D skin printer developed by the University of Toronto (UoT) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre engineering researchers recently demonstrated accelerated healing of large, severe burns. According to the research recently published in the IOPscience Biofabrication journal, titled “Handheld instrument for wound-conformal delivery of skin precursor sheets improves healing in full-thickness burns,” the scientists … Read more