3D Printing

When most people think of 3D printing, they think of fused deposition modelling, wherein an object is built up in successive layers of molten plastic. A new computer system is able to tweak that process, in order to build structurally stronger items.

Concrete is a popular building material, enough so that one of its key ingredients – sand – is in short supply. Scientists are thus now exploring the possibility of replacing that sand with glass waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

A team of Dutch scientists has taken on the grueling task of designing the perfect piece of chocolate, using novel 3D printing techniques to create designs that shatter in the most pleasurable way when bitten. Clearly, extensive testing is required.

When most people think of 3D printing, they likely picture a relatively chunky object being built one layer at a time. A new technique, however, allows much more intricate items to be produced – and it does so by changing the color of laser light.

Fabricating models and design prototypes on a desktop 3D printer in the home or workplace can be a great time-saver, but prints can still take many hours to complete. Anker has entered the 3D printer space to change that with the AnkerMake M5.

If you're 3D-printing metal parts for use in aircraft or other critical systems, then those parts had better not be defective. A new system allows such items to be checked for structural flaws, quicker and cheaper than ever before.

German designer Stephan Henrich has a wild, futuristic approach to form. Take these 3D-printed sneakers: little more than flexible socks up top, but their elevated, phalanged soles are designed to leave bystanders mystified when they see your tracks.

Barcode stickers may provide valuable information on products, but they're rather unsightly, and they peel off over time. An experimental new alternative, however, is 3D-printed right into the item, and is invisible to the naked eye.

Presently, OLED screens are manufactured by trained technicians in large high-tech factories. Now, however, scientists have managed to 3D print a flexible OLED display, paving the way for small businesses to one day be able to do the same thing.

It's no secret that finding a comfortably fitting bra can be difficult, often requiring multiple attempts. That's where the Braave system comes in, as it uses 3D printing and scanning technology to produce client-specific custom-fit "Fusion Bras."

As 3D-printed construction becomes more common, it's being used for everything from housing to schools and bridges. Advanced Intelligent Construction Technology offers another use for the tech with what it says is the world's first 3D-printed park.

If you wanted to 3D-print an object that was magnetic in some areas only, you'd have to print two items out of different metals, then join them. A new technique, however, allows for the printing of single objects with gradient magnetic qualities.