Future Links CW 4: 3D Printing Edition
Here comes a special edition of our weekly future links revolving around the most important news from the 3D printing industry. They feature 3D-printed phone cases working as cancer detectors, adidas’ revolution of the shoe manufacturing sector, MIT’s development of an undo function for 3D printing, and Titan Robotics’ new 5-print-head 3D printer.
3D-Printed Phone Case Works As Cancer Detector
Researchers from various universities developed a 3D-printed phone case to detect cancer-related genetic mutations. With a microscope attached to a mobile phone, they achieved the same results as during traditional cancer screenings. This technology uses battery-powered lasers, LED lights, the basic camera lens, an external lens and a 3D-printed microscopy platform. The mobile phone microscopy might also allow the identification of mutations and viruses or bacteria in remote locations.
More at 3ders.org
Adidas Revolutionizes Shoe Manufacturing With 3D Printing
In 2016, Adidas already used 3D printing to produce the Ultraboost Parley and the 3D Runner. Now, the sports manufacturer makes a huge leap forward in speeding up the breakthrough of 3D printing in shoe manufacturing with Speedfactory. This concept revolves around industrial factories where 3D printing and robotics produce sneakers on-demand. Among the main reasons for Adidas’ commitment in this sector is reducing the time-scale of developing a new sneaker product.
More at 3D Printing Industry
MIT Engineers Develop Undo Function for 3D Printing
A new technique invented by engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology aims to tackle the challenge of 3D printing’s finality. After the production process, a 3D-printed object’s shape and characteristics were meant to be unchangeable for a long time. Thanks to a special type of polymer, that can be added to the original item, now manufacturers are now able to alter the material’s chemical composition and mechanical properties and thereby modify 3D-printed objects.
More at WIRED
Titan Robotics’ 5-Print-Head 3D Printer to be Launched in February 2017
The large format 3D printer manufacturer Titan Robotics recently announced its Cronus 3D printer to be commercially available with five print heads by February 2017. Autodesk’s Project Escher is the technology behind this innovation and enables customers to 3D-print in a more efficient and, above all, in a significantly faster way. Due to the implementation of Project Escher, the Cronus manages to 3D-print a build size of 77 x 30 x 20 inches and is capable of printing a complete object in one step because the five heads move independently of one another.
More at 3D Printing Industry
drupa Newsroom’s 3D Printing Archives
Be it trends and developments in 3D printing technologies, 3D-printed flexible bone implants, and fiber optics, or the environmental potential of 3D printing: On our blog, we gathered many texts on excited approaches and the future of this field. Navigate through interesting articles about innovations in the 3D printing industry in our archives!
More at drupa Newsroom
