3D Printing
Hair-like structures can be produced with 3D printer
Researchers in MIT's Media Lab have found a way to bypass a major design step in 3D printing, to quickly and efficiently model and print thousands of hair-like structures. Instead of using conventional CAD software to draw thousands of individual hairs on a computer—a step that would take hours to compute—the team built a software platform, called "Cilllia," that lets users define the angle, thickness, density, and height of thousands...
3D-printed polymer turns methane into methanol
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have combined biology and 3D printing to create the first reactor that can continuously produce methanol from methane at room temperature and pressure. The team removed enzymes from methanotrophs, bacteria that eat methane, and mixed them with polymers that they printed or molded into innovative reactors. The research, which could lead to more efficient conversion of methane to ener...
Computrol triples inspection capability
Computrol has purchased three KY-8030-3 in-line, fully automated SPI systems from Koh Young Technology. The KY-8030-3 uses patented Koh Young shadow-free inspection technology and software to deliver 100 percent 3D inspection of solder paste.
3D printer to make 'endless' house
A Dutch architect unveiled a unique 3D printer with which he aims to construct a large building "without beginning or end" shaped like an infinite loop. "It's just like a normal printer," architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars told AFP as he presented the tool he hopes to use to build what he has dubbed the "Landscape House". "But instead of putting ink onto paper, we are putting a liquid onto sand which solidifies wherever the liquid has been ...
Thor is the world's first 3D-printed aircraft
Dwarfed by huge jets all around, the mini-plane Thor was nonetheless an eye-catcher at the Berlin air show—the small Airbus marvel is the world's first 3D-printed aircraft. Windowless, weighing in at just 21 kilos (46 pounds) and less than four metres (13 feet) long, the drone Thor—short for "Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality"—resembles a large, white model airplane.
3D-printed weather stations fill gaps in developing countries
Scientists have successfully installed the first wave of low-cost weather stations that are designed to provide critically needed information to farmers and other residents in developing countries. The stations are built largely with 3D-printed parts that can be easily replaced if they wear out in the field. They were created by weather experts at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its managing entity, the University Cor...
3D printing introduces advances to membrane technology
A type of 3D printing will make it possible for the first time to rapidly prototype and test polymer membranes that are patterned for improved performance, according to Penn State researchers. Ion exchange membranes are used in many types of energy applications, such as fuel cells and certain batteries, as well as in water purification, desalination, removal of heavy metals and food processing.
3D print system prints during design process
Cornell researchers have come up with an interactive prototyping system that prints what you are designing as you design it; the designer can pause anywhere in the process to test, measure and, if necessary, make changes that will be added to the physical model still in the printer.
3D-printed wheelchair has made-to-measure seat and foot bay
Benjamin Hubert's London studio Layer has released photographs and a video of its made-to-measure 3D-printed wheelchair. The Go chair, which Hubert claims is the "world's first 3D-printed consumer wheelchair", was presented at Layer's exhibition at 155 Clerkenwell. It is the result of a two-year project carried out by the studio's research division, LayerLAB, and has been created in collaboration with 3D-printing company Materialise.
3D printing helps you get ready for summer
With the summer months and (hopefully) sizzling temperatures just around the corner, we’ll soon be reaching for the sun tan lotion and sunglasses, heading off to the beach and firing up the barbecue.