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Kijenzi, a start-up formed at Penn State’s University Park campus, is helping medical facilities in Kenya access CAD files and manufacture medical devices and replacement parts for medical equipment using 3D printing. Kijenzi was originally formed to create a mobile 3D printer that could be used to quickly produce equipment like braces, clamps and vacuum pumps at remote hospitals in…
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Researchers at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering have developed 3D-printed rubber material that can repair itself, potentially increasing the longevity of items like tires, shoes, and other items that are frequently fractured or punctured, while decreasing manufacturing time. Assistant Professor Qiming Wang led the research team. The new material is manufactured with a 3D printing method…
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Developing and certifying new materials are ongoing challenges in the additive manufacturing (AM) space. The same material may perform differently depending on which 3D printing process is used, and different applications may require unique material properties. In January, St. Petersburg, FL-based Jabil announced it was offering a new solution for creating and validating custom engineered materials for AM, and opened…
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MIT has long been a source of important 3D printing research and advancements, with scientists there working on everything from printing in glass to developing new 3D printheads. MIT also offers well-regarded coursework for students and professionals related to additive manufacturing. Last year, MIT announced it was forming a new industry consortium to focus on additive manufacturing—the Center for Additive…
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Portugese and Norwegian scientists have created a 6-axis 3D printer that can produce large metal parts for automotive, aerospace and other applications. According to the scientists, the device can print parts from any angle and plane. The Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s research/development partner SINTEF collaborated…
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Projects that leverage additive manufacturing and 3D printing to create really big objects have gotten a lot of attention. Massive robotic printing systems have been developed to create everything from cars to entire buildings. Those big 3D printers are impressive, but printing very small objects is actually a lot harder. Getting high resolution at smaller scales is difficult, and there…
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Metal 3D printing is expanding its reach by air, by land, and now by sea if the U.S. Navy sees positive results as it tests additive manufacturing for ship-building applications. Back in October, Naval Sea Systems Command announced it had approved a 3D-printed metal drain strainer for use on the aircraft carrier the Harry S. Truman. The prototype part was…
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As more companies use additive manufacturing (AM) processes to create end-use metal parts (not just prototypes), quality and scrappage issues associated with AM have become a bigger issue. Many 3D printing technologies have demonstrated high degrees of variability regarding consistent parts creation, and because design for AM skills are often in short supply at most companies, there is great trial…
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The use of 3D printing for medical models has emerged as a key application in the healthcare space. Hospitals, universities and other organizations use printed models to help visualize injuries and damaged organs, as well for surgical planning, practice and tools. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has so far cleared only one 3D printing software for creating anatomical…
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Researchers at Purdue University have come up with a method to more efficiently print with thick, viscous materials while also improving safety and reduce environmental damage. Jeffrey Rhoads, a professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering, and Emre Gunduz, a former research assistant professor at the school have launched a new startup (Next Offset Solutions Inc.) to make printers and…
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Glucose monitoring is critical for diabetics. In the past, they had to test their glucose via painful finger pricks or using embedded sensors under their skin. There are now biosensors that measure glucose levels in sweat, which are less painful and invasive, but these flexible sensors are typically created via screen printing, a process that is wasteful and relies on…
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Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. gave the media a peak inside its new Advanced Manufacturing Center, a $45 million facility in Redford that will use 3D printing, virtual reality, simulation and collaborative robots to create new innovations in vehicle production. “More than 100 years ago, Ford created the moving assembly line, forever changing how vehicles would be mass-produced,” said…
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Industrial 3D printer company voxeljet AG has agreed to deliver up to five of its new VJET X printers over two years for the large-scale production of complex sand molds and cores for a German automotive manufacturer. The customer has also ordered another two printers for installation in 2019. “The 3D printing industry is at an inflection point and this…
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Lockheed Martin Space has qualified a 3D printing process to build titanium fuel tanks for satellites. Sciaky (a Phillips Service Industries subsidiary) announced that its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) process had achieved qualification for making the tanks after testing that was part of a multi-year development program with Lockheed. Lockheed Martin printed both halves of the 46-in. titanium fuel…
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General Motors (GM), like other automakers, is using 3D printing technology to create parts for its new vehicles, and has already leveraged the technology for prototyping and other design-related activities. The company also plans to expand its use of the technology to improve manufacturing processes at its production facilities. According to an article in Automotive News, the company believes the…
From geometry preparation to AI-assisted analysis, integrated CFD workflows…
Software-based GripperAI manages mixed picking through basic geometry
Safety, communication and motion control components enable smooth operation
North America’s largest robotics and automation event winds down
