Future Links April 14th

MetalFab1 gets boost from 3DSIM print simulation software
Additive Industries has already made a splash with their large MetalFab1 3D printer. Now, they are enhancing its performance even further: MetalFAB1 is the first industrial 3D printer to incorporate first-of-its-kind simulation software from University of Louisville spin-off 3DSIM, according to the company.
More at Engineering

Videojet launches new ink for flexible packaging
Videojet Technologies introduced the Flex Solvent ink for its thermal inkjet (TIJ) range of printers in response to the growing demand in the flexible packaging segment. The ink has been formulated to improve adhesion on several consumer packaging substrates, particularly materials common in glossy packaging or flexible films. Dry time on these materials is often between one and two seconds, so these applications are suitable for printer integration into web production processes, according to the company.
More at Pharmapro

Artists get creative with printing equipment
Here comes the steamroller: For some artwork, even the largest printing presses are too small. That is why artists used a steamroller for their work in Houston, which is presented at the Print Matters annual printing fair. “The steamroller acts as a make-shift printing press, as most printing presses cannot accommodate a block as large as the ones our artists are carving,” says Print Matters president Katherine Rhodes Fields.
More at Houston Press

Google awards grants to 3D printed solution for people with disabilities
Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the global tech giant, selected the 29 most promising proposals from more than 1000 that were submitted for the Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities. The challenge with grant money of more than 20 million USD asked for 3D printed, crowdsourced, data-driven, and other technological solutions for the one billion people worldwide living with disabilities. Among the organizations that receive grant money to further develop and scale their inventions are makers of 3D printed kids’ prosthetics and of tactile maps for the visually impaired.
More at 3ders

Goss highlights the value of partnerships at drupa 2016
‘Achieving more together’ is the theme of Goss International for drupa 2016. Goss will demonstrate how bringing complementary brands and solutions together is the most logical way to support Goss customers and prospects considering investments in new products and services. The company will also showcase its unique commercial, newspaper and packaging press portfolio, for which these partnerships also provide great value and added benefits for new and existing customers.
More at Graphic Repro Online

Shapeways CEO sees a bright future for 3D printing
In an interview with 3D Print, Shapeways CEO and Co-Founder Pete Weijmarshausen explained his view of the future. He said that we have barely begun to scratch the surface of what this technology is capable of and the role it will play in our lives and world. Weijmarshausen believes that the industry is expanding rapidly and that we are on the cusp of a wave of innovation.
More at 3D Print

New on the drupa blog: Screens on paper as the future of packaging
Successful packaging provides valuable space for brands to communicate with the consumer and to convey product information. Researchers from the University of Sheffield partnered with experts from the design and technology company Novalia to develop electronic screens for paper-based packaging that could change the way brands attract and interact with customers.
More in the article