Future Links March 24th

3D printer will create visualization of the entire internet in space
The Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft that launched successfully from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has an unusual piece of equipment on board: A 3D printer that will print the Majestic Landscape, representing a data visualization of the entire internet. The project is named #MajesticInSpace (MIS).
More at Majestic

First 3D print of silion nitride for medical applications
Amedica Corporation, a company that develops and commercializes silicon nitride ceramics as a biomaterial platform, announced its first fabrication of complex, three-dimensional structures by a 3D printing process called robotic deposition, or robocasting. The final products have been examined under scanning electron microscopy to confirm the integrity and validity of the 3D printing method, and have been shown to achieve similar attributes to the traditionally manufactured silicon nitride fusion devices currently in use.
More at Yahoo Finance

Case study: Managed print services help water utility achieve savings
Bristol Water used to spend a lot on print with 500 staff generating a large number of reports and copies on a daily basis. In an effort to save and to achieve a more sustainable business operation, Bristol Water contracted with Annodata’s professional services. The team implemented a solution that included Canon’s print management software uniFlow and would almost completely eradicate desktop printers, rationalizing the number down to just three, and replacing the others with 11 Canon MFDs.
More at Channel Biz

Six packaging pointers for retail success
Consumer packaged goods companies succeed or fail based on split-second consumer decisions made at thousands of points of sale. An article on Packaging Digest provides tips how to increase the changes of success at retail. They include designing packaging for the right price point, raising the profile of the packaging and helping consumers use the product once they get home.
More at Packaging Digest

New food packaging recycling toolkit launched
Recycling rates in the foodservice industry are not as high as they could be. That is why the Foodservice Institute launched the Foodservice Packaging Recovery Toolkit that provides free resources for recovering foodservice packaging, thanks to a multi-year effort with input from many stakeholders. The toolkit, developed by FPI’s Paper Recovery Alliance and Plastics Recovery Group, is separated into different sections based on target audiences.
More at Bezinga

Allkotes expands range of metallic colors and finishing solutions
Print finishing specialist Allkotes has developed a new Matte Gold LustreKote print finish in addition to its current offering of Matte Silver. Customer demand for spot metallics have been strong, the company also plans to coincide its launch of Matte Gold with the release of a range of metallic colors. LustreKote was developed a number of years ago as an alternative to foil stamping.
More at i-Grafix

Siegwerk acquires Actega Colorchemie
Siegwerk is acquiring printing inks manufacturer Actega Colorchemie and its subsidiaries from the Altana group. The purchase further expands Siegwerk’s position in the European market for water-based printing inks. Actega Colorchemie develops and manufactures water-based flexo printing inks, particularly for printing on corrugated board packaging.
More at Labels & Labeling