3D printing

3-D printing with metals achieved: "Researchers have found a way to 3D print structures of copper and gold, by stacking microscopically small metal droplets. These droplets are made by melting a thin metal film using a pulsed laser. 3D printing is a rapidly advancing field, that is sometimes referred to as the 'new cornerstone of the manufacturing industry'. However, at present, 3D printing is mostly limited to plastics. If metals could be used for 3D printing as well, this would open a wide new range of possibilities. Metals conduct electricity and heat very well, and they're very robust. Therefore, 3D printing in metals would allow manufacturing of entirely new devices and components, such as small cooling elements or connections between stacked chips in smartphones."

3D printed cars are now a reality, the small model can reach up to 40km/h and be made on 44 ours from ordering the vehicle

It's impressive how rapidly this industry is improving!

I saw an article titled "Is 3D printing just a passing fad?" How stupid, I thought. Then I realized it was written from an investor's perspective. As in, 3D printing may change the world, but it won't do much for shareholders. Oh well. I'm not the biggest fan of shareholders anyway.

Variable surfaces: Smooth or bumpy on demand: "Scientists have developed a way of making soft materials, using a 3-D printer, with surface textures that can then be modified at will to be perfectly smooth, or ridged or bumpy, or even to have complex patterns that could be used to guide fluids."

MX3D is to 3D-print a steel bridge over water in Amsterdam: "MX3D is an R&D startup focused on 3D-printing metals and resin in mid-air, without the need for support structures. They pride themselves in 'robotic technology with which we can 3D print beautiful, functional objects in almost any form.' Now they say 'We are going to print a steel bridge in Amsterdam.' The robots will be printing in steel and the robots will print that bridge over water in Amsterdam. The project team sees the metal bridge as serving as a showcase for present-day capabilities in software, engineering and design."

edited 15th Jun '15 3:02:41 PM by rmctagg09

Impressive. I wonder how much this will lower the costs of making things?

On the 3d metal printing. That isn't new. Solid Concepts has been doing that for a few years already. Using a high end 3d printer they made a fully functional 1911 pattern hand gun out of stainless steel. It used laser metal sintering and the fire arm has reportedly fired over 4k rounds. They provide additional services the gun was to show off capability and garner attention.

Check em out

edited 15th Jun '15 8:29:32 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Cellulose from wood can be printed in 3-D: "A group of researchers have managed to print and dry three-dimensional objects made entirely by cellulose for the first time with the help of a 3D-bioprinter. They also added carbon nanotubes to create electrically conductive material. The effect is that cellulose and other raw material based on wood will be able to compete with fossil-based plastics and metals in the on-going additive manufacturing revolution, which started with the introduction of the 3D-printer."

That's a big one. Shows a lot of promise for 3D printing in general. And while I'm not an engineer so I don't know the exact benefit electrically conductive wood could have, if nothing else it would be pretty cool.

Biotech Firm 3D Prints Fake Rhino Horn That's Genetically Identical To The Real Thing

So now even poachers will be out of business?

I'm Okay with that.

3-D heart printed using multiple imaging techniques: "Congenital heart experts have successfully integrated two common imaging techniques to produce a three-dimensional anatomic model of a patient's heart. This is the first time the integration of computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) has been used in this way. A proof-of-concept study also opens the way for these techniques to be used in combination with a third tool — magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)."

7 ways 3D printing is already disrupting global manufacturing

It's already being used for custom things and for incredibly rapid prototyping, in some cases lowering the cost of making a prototype by over 93%. I really hope to see prices somehow lower if the cost of manufacturing goes down enough, and nimble competitors swoop in to take advantage of that.

I still want to make my own table top figurines.

The 12 years old kid in me hopes I get to 30 years old with money enough to buy a 3D printer.

This is a very good point, and one I hadn't considered. I was thinking that 3D printing wouldn't really improve recycling until some sort of "3D shredder" was invented, but it's easy to forget how many things are scrapped just because of one or two missing parts. Refrigerators are a good example, but once 3D printing cars and car parts gets better, then fixing one faulty part on your car won't cost a week and a thousand dollars any more.

Companies hate the idea of someone buying a product once and owning it forever. They won't want to make the replacement parts, and they won't, unless they're legally compelled to do so, or if doing so while competitors presumably do not is part of their business plan (which I don't see happening, but hey, maybe we'll get a good company out of this if competition is big enough).

However, I can see hobbyists making replacement parts, or small companies that specialize in such, creating a new industry.

There are a number of companies that build their business model off of selling products with lifetime warranties. Not as big as fridges, usually, but it's good PR. My point is that companies find ways to profit off things. They won't be giving these replacement parts for free, they'll be selling them. And like you said, maybe we'll get an indie replacement part market.

New era in robotics: 3-D-printed robot is hard at heart, soft on the outside: "Engineers have created the first robot with a 3-D-printed body that transitions from a rigid core to a soft exterior. The idea of blending soft and hard materials into the robot's body came from nature.The rigid layers make for a better interface with the device's electronic brains and power sources. The soft layers make it less vulnerable to damage when it lands after jumping."

Nature isn't perfect, but it does have some good ideas we could learn from when building things.

If nothing else, its product testing is more rigorous.

The FDA has approved the first drug made by a 3D printer: "3D printing, a technology still in search of a market, may have just found a home in the world of medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration approved an epilepsy medicine called Spritam that is made by 3D printers, making it the first 3D-printed product that the FDA has approved for use inside the human body."

It's totally a fad, u gaiz.

Anyway, impressive. I hope this brings down drug prices.

It's hard to say. The majority of drug costs are based on the overhead—all the research and development costs that went into making the drug in the first place. It's not particularly expensive to manufacture the actual drug.

Hopefully, though, it will help. I'm worried about people at home mis-prescribing medicine to themselves. And I guess sooner or later recreational drugs will start being printed...

To print it you need access to the drug in powdered form, so we don't have to worry about people printing their own.

I think it will be great to combine multiple medications together into one pill, to make it way easier for people.