Future Links April 22nd

Online course prepares next generation of 3D printing experts
Many high schools and universities have 3D printing labs where students can learn critical skills for tomorrow’s economy. But what about professionals who are already working in industries in which 3D printing quickly is becoming a competitive advance? The Colorado State University is now offering an online course for students and non-students alike. The online course can help companies to learn how to implement the technology to its full potential.
More at 3D Print

Packaging is critical for e-commerce success
E-commerce is not only about user-friendly website and fast delivery anymore. Some two-thirds of Americans (66 %) believe the packaging of their shipment shows how much the retailer cares about them and their order. Packaging that delivers maximum performance with minimal size will not only be favorably perceived by consumers but also save companies money over time.
More at MH&L News

Siemens develops 3D printing robots
This new development clearly has a science fiction side to it, yet it comes from one of the oldest and most established engineering companies. A team of researchers from the Princeton campus of Siemens Corporate Technology has created a cluster of fully mobile spider-like 3D printing robots. The spider-bots, dubbed SiSpis, have been designed to work autonomously and collaboratively, and can even recharge themselves. According to the company, each robot is powered by Siemens’ NX PLM software and comes equipped with a 3D printing extruder, designed to print polylactic acid, a biodegradable thermoplastic which can be derived from corn starch, sugarcane, and other natural sources.
More at 3ders

Ferag will showcase innovations at drupa 2016
Swiss company Ferag will present extended inserting systems that have been improved in numerous details. The company also promises to show the one2out line, which will be revealed to the industry for the very first time at drupa 2016. The one2out manages the precollecting process for advertising products that are merged from two different production strands. Ferag’s solution is designed for inserting supplements into newspapers, for insert-into-insert processing, or when readying advertising titles for direct mail.
More at Packaging Europe

Constantia invests in film-based packaging machinery
Constantia Flexibles is investing in new capacity at its manufacturing site in Weiden, Germany, to serve growing demand from the confectionery industry for film-based packaging. The upgrade includes a new 10-color gravure press scheduled to start production in the second quarter of 2017, and the duplex lamination machine installed in 2014 extended to a triplex machine in the second half of 2016. Following the upgrade, Constantia says it will be able to produce three-layer laminates for various applications.
More at Labels & Labeling

Bebop shows sensors directly printed onto fabric
In an interview with IdTechEx, the VP or operations for Bebop sensors explains how the Berkeley, California, start-up managed to develop a sensor technology in which the sensors are directly printed onto fabric. The pressure sensitive fabric sensors are, for example, used in the insoles of shoes to analyze gait and walking efficiency. Bebop with working with DuPont on the conductive inks.
More at Printed Electronics World

New on the drupa blog: Bionic designs elevate 3D structures
Festo in Germany has long looked to nature to find superior solutions for the design of complex structures. Recently, they analyzed how spiders and butterfly caterpillars create intricate shapes for webs and cocoons. The company then used these processes as 3D printing models for a noteworthy innovation: The 3D Cocooner.
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