3D Printing
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has advanced rapidly in recent years, allowing companies to quickly produce working prototypes and home hobbyists to produce various bits and bobs for the home. While plastic remains the dominant printing material, additive manufacturing with materials including metal, cement and even glass, enables the production of everything from tiny screws to engine components to entire houses ... and it's only just getting started.
3D printing technology is set to have a real impact on the worlds of building and construction. Adding to the mix of possibilities is a new proof-of-concept bathroom unit, which scientists in Singapore were able to 3D print in its entirety in a single day.
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We're increasingly seeing 3D-printed metal components being used in fields such as aviation, where failures could be catastrophic. It's therefore very important to check those items for structural flaws before they're installed, and the best way of doing so may involve freezing them in ice. -
In an effort to scale up the manufacture of biomaterials, researchers at UC Berkeley have combined bioprinting, a robotic arm, and flash freezing that may one day allow living tissue and even whole organs to be printed on demand.
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In use since at least the 4th century AD, dichroic glass displays different colors depending on how it's being viewed. Now, Dutch scientists have produced the effect in a material that can be used to create 3D-printed objects – and it's not just a novelty, as it could have practical applications.
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Almost 6 years after launching on Kickstarter, WobbleWorks has announced some new product lines, and an iOS/Android app that will have 3Doodlers creating 3D pen art directly on smartphone or tablet screens.
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Researchers have developed 3D-printed materials that can repair themselves after becoming fractured or punctured, which have the potential to be a game changer in the shoe industry, tire manufacture, soft robotics development and perhaps even electronics.
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Most 3D printers work by either depositing or melting building material in successive layers. Unfortunately, this results in the finished objects looking kind of chunky, as the ridges between layers are visible. A new process, however, uses light to create smooth-edged items out of resin.
