Motorbikes, ships, scandium and NDT: inside Additive Manufacturing journal Oct. 2018

As seen from the highly efficient 3D printed batteries at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Missouri University of Science and Technology, the October 2018 edition of ScienceDirect’s Additive Manufacturing journal is now in progress. Volume 23 currently includes the work of 9 innovative research groups from leading institutions all around the world, including projects from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT), the University of Cádiz and […]

3D printing creates “major advance” for longer life batteries

Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Missouri University of Science and Technology have applied 3D printing to produce high capacity lithium-ion batteries. Deemed “a major advance in 3D batteries” by the study’s authors, the findings have the potential to transform all portable electronic devices, from smartphones to laptops and games consoles. 3D printing a potential world first […]

University of Huddersfield proposes universal language for additive manufacturing

Researchers from the University of Huddersfield in the UK are developing a new language to help streamline the additive manufacturing process. According to Dr Qunfen Qi, a research fellow at Huddersfield’s EPSRC Future Advanced Metrology Hub, “The research can provide a smart language that enables designers, [additive manufacturing] engineers and inspectors to truly communicate with each other in […]

High speed metal 3D printing earns award for Fraunhofer ILT

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) and RWTH Aachen University have won an award for development of Extreme High-Speed Laser Material Deposition (EHLA). In place since 2000, the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis is one of the most prestigious awards in laser technology, and is presented every two years by a panel of experts from science and industry. Stressing […]

Reptilian or rifle? Artificial Intelligence algorithm duped by 3D printed models

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California (UC), Berkeley have used 3D printed objects, including a turtle, to test an Artificial Intelligence (AI) image recognition algorithm. Although identifiable as a turtle by the human eye, the AI algorithm recognized the 3D model as a rifle, demonstrating the software security […]

Electron beam on ice emerges as new nano 3D printing technique

While manufacturers have little problem creating large scale metal 3D printed parts, producing metallic objects at a scale to rival the width of a human hair is an altogether more complex process. By combining ice and electron beam technology, researchers at Zhejiang University, China, are proposing a new method of 3D nanofabrication – and it’s simpler […]

McKinsey Global Institute identifies gap in Industry 4.0 adoption

Digital manufacturing is increasingly discussed with reference to the 3D printing industry. Companies operating in advanced sectors have taken action in combining additive manufacturing processes within Industry 4.0. However, a recent survey published by McKinsey & Company, a New York-based management consulting firm, suggests that few have yet to successfully adopt digital manufacturing processes. “Despite this […]

Sounds odd? Your 3D printer could be hacked

New research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, that previously showed how easy it is to hack 3D printed drones, is proposing the use of “audio fingerprints” to help 3D printing avoid cyber-attacks. The team’s research is valuable to concerns surrounding the security of 3D printing – a discussion that has tremendous value in industrial […]

Is 3D printing really as ecofriendly as we think it is?

A recent study by German environmental association, Umweltbundesamt (UBA), gives information on 3D printing and the environment. Titled 3D Printing Trend report for assessing the environmental impacts, this study details the burdens and benefits of additive manufacturing within the environment, and its impact on personal health at home and in factories. The UBA Founded in 1974, the UBA […]