The month of August welcomed various medical innovations within the 3D printing industry. The automotive and aerospace sector also further integrated additive manufacturing through Bugatti’s latest supercar, the Divo, and NASA’s cube satellite set for space from the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Sciences.
Moreover, Reebok andBASFbegan production of its 3D printed sneaker, the Liquid speed.
Medical 3D printing innovations
In a proof-of-concept project, theUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) for military healthcarebegan applying 3D printing to develop artificial lungs. Upon developing 3D printed chips devices for organs, Dr. Joseph Potkay, a biomedical engineer at theVA Ann Arbor Health Care System, Michigan, said:
“The flexibility in design afforded by 3D printing gives us more freedom and thus the ease to build artificial lungs with a small size and pressure drops that are compatible for operation with the body’s natural pressures.”
In other news, theUniversity of Sydney’sSave Sight Institutereceived a $1.15 million (AUD) grant from theNew South Wales (NSW) Government’sMedical Devices Fund(MDF) to progress commercialization of its3D corneal biopen.
Dubbed as the “iFix Pen”, the hand-held co-axial 3D printer is capable of extruding bioink directly onto an eye to aid in the regeneration of cells on corneal ulcers. The pen also creates a biological barrier towards ongoing cornea damage caused by infections.
Similarly, theMcAlpine Research Groupfrom theUniversity of Minnesota(UMN) successfully3D printed optoelectronic devicesusing polymer photodetectors on hemispherical surfaces. Thisdevelopmentwas marked as a significant step towards “bionic eyes” to aid the visually impaired.
Investments and aerospace
Within business, the city of Querétaro, Mexico, became the host ofthe first Additive Manufacturing Consortium(Conmad) in Latin America. Investing over $13 million, the Conmad includesCinvestav, Mexico’s National Center for Research and Advanced Studies,CIATEQan Advanced Technology Center, andCIDESI, a Center for Engineering and Industrial Development.
The main aim of Conmad is to validate and explore viable 3D printing technology for production to implement new additive manufacturing infrastructure in North-Central Mexico.
Additionally,Digital Alloys, a Boston based developer of metal 3D printers, received a$12.9 million investmentduring a series B financing includingG20 Ventures,Boeing HorizonX Ventures,Lincoln Electric, andKhosla Ventures.This financing is being used to developDigital Alloys’ new metal additive manufacturing approachcalled Joule Printing.
Developing one of the lightest satellites in the world, Indian 3D printer manufacturer3Ding, and students at theHindustan Institute of Technology and Sciences, created a3 d打印一个立方体卫星set for launch on a NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility at Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Known as Jai Hind 1-S, the cube, weighing 33.3 grams, was crafted as a submission forCubes in Space, a free, global competition for students ages 11-18.
The Liquid Factory
Causing excitement in both the 3D printing and fashion industry,Reebokand its materials providerBASFreleased details about itsLiquid Factory sneaker 3D printing technology. Acting as a step towards production, Reebok opened a Rhode Island facility where 3D printed shoes will be made.
The Bugatti Divo
Also drawing attention to the capabilities of additive manufacturing atthe Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.was the Bugatti Divo. With a price tag of €5 million, the Bugatti Divo supercar displayed 3D printed fin taillights, which were designed for optimum handling performance on winding roads.
“The Divo is a further example of our design philosophy ‘Form follows Performance‘. In this case, the engineers and designers aimed to create a vehicle focusing on cornering speeds and lateral dynamics,” said Achim Anscheidt, Director of Design at Bugatti.
Facebook’s stance on 3D printed guns
Contributing to thedebate over 3D printed guns,社交媒体巨头Facebook成为最新的或ganization to weigh in on the discussion in an update to its Community Guidelines. The platform stated: “Sharing instructions on how to print firearms using 3D printers is not allowed under ourCommunity Standards,” much toCody Wilson’s dismay.
Finally, in hardware developments,Aleph Objects, the Colorado-based manufacturer of theLulzBot range of desktop 3D Printers, unveiled a new, high-precision tool head atSIGGRAPH 2018in Vancouver – theLulzBot Aerostruder v2 Micro.
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Featured image shows the Bugatti Divo, complete with 3D printed taillights.