Since the initial news flurry about how a network of Italian 3D printing users came to the rescue of a hospital on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak in Northern Italy, a number of new stories have come out about how additive manufacturing (AM) is or could be used to help medical workers. Here … Read more
As small 3D printing businesses and individual users jump at a chance to support efforts to manufacture critically needed medical supplies, larger corporations also see opportunities to lend aid. Among the names involved are HP, Airbus, and Ford. Emergency Bagger and Splitter A consortium of Spanish companies has developed an emergency bag valve mask featuring … Read more
One of Spain’s leading biotech companies, Regemat3D, has been developing custom biofabrication systems and regenerative medicine solutions since 2011 to fulfill unique research requirements and offer customized solutions for patients’ needs. Now, the Granada-based startup has launched a new service to produce bioreactors for maturing tissues. The bioreactors are called Bmap’s, which is short for … Read more
We must be mindful that just because we can make a design that this design is not necessarily the right one. While I’m buoyed by the 3D printing industry’s efforts to come up with solutions to COVID-19 I’m also skeptical and feel that we must be more careful. Just because we can make a shape … Read more
Around five weeks ago I made a decision for us to not write at all about Covid-19/Corona Virus. I had seen the fear the in sunken faces of friends and seen mathematical models that we’re terrifying. At the same time, disinformation was abundant as was a kind of ‘fog of pandemic’ that muddled everyone’s thinking … 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 from the University of Chemical Technology in Beijing continue the growing trend for strengthening existing materials with additives, outlining their findings in the recently published ‘Polycaprolactone/polysaccharide functional composites for low-temperature fused deposition modelling.’ While there are a wide variety of composites in use today, ranging from combinations like bronze PLA to carbon and epoxy—and … Read more
If industrialized society is determined to maintain its industrial activities, its engineers will need to completely rethink how parts are designed in order to improve energy efficiency. This is true regardless of whether or not this energy comes from fossil fuels (which must be phased out starting yesterday) or renewable sources. For this reason, additive … Read more
Call me sentimental, but I am a sucker for a good story where 3D printing is used to help an animal get back on its feet, especially when the animal in question is a dog. Case in point – the tale of Ping, the paralyzed puppy. The Role of 3D Printing in Medicine Prior to … Read more
We’re beginning today’s 3D Printing News Briefs with a little research, and then moving on to business. An international team of researchers has been experimenting with 3D printed medications that have interesting modified release properties. Moving on, Shapeways has achieved an important certification, and CGTrader has just reached 1 million 3D models. To round things … Read more
The idea that 3D printing could be used to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic may have first been triggered by work being performed in Chiari, Italy. Our friends at 3D Printing Media Network broke the story that local 3D printing users were able to provide 3D-printed valves for reanimation devices at a hospital in … Read more
Janne Kyttanen is a pioneering designer in 3D printing who has brought us some of the world’s first 3D printed furniture, lamps, consumer objects and textiles. As an independent designer and working with Materialise and later 3D Systems to whom he sold his company FOC, Janne has left his mark on our industry. Right now Janne is onto … Read more
Gaining a competitive advantage is at the core of most businesses. That is why the financial world has a section dedicated exclusively to study the behind-the-scenes of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Between 1893 and 1904, the first wave of M&As became commonly known as the “great merger movement” in the US business scene, particularly the … Read more
The news on everyone’s mind these days is the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Its proper name is SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and it seems like the whole world is grinding to a halt in its wake. The pandemic is causing many countries, and US states, to enter a state of … Read more
Researchers from the Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University are delving further into 3D printing resins for the dental field, detailing their findings in the recently published ‘Acrylate/Methacrylate Content Among a Variety of 3D Printing Resins.’ Production processes and the level of speed have changed drastically for dentist’s offices today as they are able to … Read more
Earlier in this series, we’ve discussed how we’re drunk on consumption, how we use up too much material and that recycling has some constraints. Now we’ll look at how creating and using high valued goods using recycling and sustainable materials is key. Whereas a lot of the especially wasteful waste of today is used on … Read more
At the moment, there are news stories about various ways that 3D printing is being used to address the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Many of these stories are being sent to us directly, hoping to spread the word. For this reason, we will be publishing a series of articles discussing some of the ways that additive … Read more
Normally, this is the time of year when we’re fielding a constant flood of press releases, firming up travel plans, and starting to set interview schedules for the annual 3D printing extravaganza that is RAPID + TCT. But SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as COVID-19 or the coronavirus, has changed all that. On top of nearly all … Read more
In trying to prevent the total collapse of our natural ecosystem, we can work toward building a circular ecosystem of goods production and consumption. The goal of a circular economy is to produce no waste and have no negative impact on our ecosystem. At the moment, we have very minor hints at a circular economy … 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
Yangyang Luo recently submitted a dissertation, ‘Application of Halloysite Nanotubes in Bone Disease Remediation and Bone Regeneration’ to Louisiana Tech University. Focusing on what can be a very challenging field, Luo looks at new methods for encouraging bone regeneration with customized patient therapy. Putting together two areas of research and treatment that have offered success … 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
In the recently published ‘3D bioprinting and its potential impact on cardiac failure treatment: An industry perspective,’ authors Ravi K. Birla and Stuart K. Williams explore the potential for tissue engineering in cardiac medicine, and the eventual assembly of a bioprinted heart. While heart failure usually requires a transplant, it can be challenging to find … 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