Future Links CW 9: 3D Printing Edition
3D printing technologies remain unstoppable. This is why our weekly future links revolve around their advancement and versatile application possibilities. Be it movies, police work or design processes from Los Angeles to Hong Kong – we illuminate this diverse topic in all its facets.
Direct-Print Photopolymerization for 3D Printing
Researchers from University of Akron have recently developed a new 3D printing method that is called “Direct-Print Photopolymerization for 3D Printing”. It works in opposite way to traditional stereolithography that often uses resins containing solvents, and therefore is not suitable for all applications, i.e. in medicine. The concept behind this process relies on engineering the rheological properties of an ink, which is liquid when being extruded, but quickly becomes solid to allow the formation of layers.
More at 3D Printing Industry
Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry 3D Prints the Oscar Statuette
In 2016, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first relied on 3D printing to produce the Oscar statuettes. For this year’s ceremony, Polich Tallix Fine Foundry was in charge of manufacturing the iconic award. In order to create statuettes as close as possible to the original art deco design from 1928, the team used digital scans and 3D printers. Thanks to the 3D printing technology the manufacturing process was much faster than in the past – it took just three months to make fifty statuettes.
More at 3DPrint.com
Hong Kong Police Use 3D Printing to Reconstruct Crime Scenes
Hong Kong’s police announced to use two 3D printers to reconstruct crime scenes soon and help making scale models for investigations. The police briefing support unit exists since 1988 and has already built 18 scale models for court inquests by now. Normally, the manufacturing process takes up to a week, but with the new technology the police aim to speed up the production.
More at South China Morning Post
Conceptualizing a Design Charging Hub with 3D Printing Techniques
For developing their compact and sleek charging hub, Eclipse, Native Union has used 3D printing techniques. This new device is a three-port USB hub, which also keeps USB cables and devices organized and accessible. Thanks to 3D printing the tech accessory design studio was able to test internal parts and mechanisms and thereby accelerate the prototyping, and design process.
More at 3ders.org
Bringing Ghost in the Shell geishas to life with 3D Printing
Ghost in the Shell is a famous manga series from 1989. In 1995, an animated film of the series has been released and a live-action remake is supposed to be published this year. In order to make this movie as realistic as possible, the film crew went for 3D printing technologies. For instance, they used 3D scanning to create the preliminary design of the mask for the character of Niihama. Then it was 3D-printed, milled and handcrafted to ensure its detail accuracy.
More at 3D Printing Industry
