Future Links May 23rd

3D printing is changing the world in unexpected ways
Predictions are attempts to look into the future but they are notoriously unreliable. A few years ago, experts predicted that 3D printers would be used at home to print replacement parts and every day items. That has not happened yet; instead, 3D printers are, for example, used in a funeral home in Shanghai to print body parts for damaged or disfigured corpses.
More at Tech Radar

Johnson & Johnson has plans to use HP’s 3D printers
After HP presented its 3D printers, a number of companies including BMW and Nike said they would use the printers for prototypes and parts. The newest addition: Johnson & Johnson. The company plans to 3D print sunlight-enabled personalized contact lenses. While the excitement for the technology is clearly there, J&J chairman Sandra Peterson said the customizable, on-demand manufacturing technique poses regulatory challenges.
More at Medcity News

Kodak will emphasize inkjet book printing at drupa 2016
Kodak will use drupa 2016 as a platform for driving a new generation of book printers to adopt inkjet. After a year that saw the first increase in printed book sales since e-readers and tablets disrupted the space, Kodak is increasing its commitment to helping printers of higher-quality books, including high-quality travel books, cookbooks, science journals and more, evolve using inkjet.
More at Graphic Repro Online

EU provides funding for 3D printed medical devices
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) states that more than four million EU patients get healthcare-associated infections every year, resulting in 37,000 deaths annually. One of the main causes of the infections is microbial biofilm that is present on many surgical devices. The EU is now supporting an initiative that is trying to reduce the problem with a 2.3 million Euro grant. The initiative called Print-Aid aims at developing a new generation of safer 3D printed personalised medical devices with antimicrobial functionalities.
More at 3D fab + print

EFI and Riso form inkjet partnership
Global digital and software specialist, EFI has entered a partnership with Riso Kagaku to supply its Fiery digital front end technology for Riso’s new inkjet printer range. At drupe 2016, the Japanese printer manufacturer will demonstrate EFI’s latest advancement, the Fiery FS200 Pro platform integrated into its new high speed inkjet printer series ComColor GD. Manager of research at Riso, Yukimoto Sakata, says the deal was struck because EFI’s technology was deemed to ‘fit well’ with its new printer range.
More at i-Grafix

CCL Industries acquires Euker and Pharma Druck
CCL Industries, a provider of specialty label and packaging solutions, has signed a binding agreement to acquire the German companies Euker GmbH & Co. KG & Pharma Druck CDM GmbH. Euker is a supplier of folded leaflets, specialty booklets and pressure sensitive labels to pharmaceutical companies in German-speaking Europe. The purchase price is estimated to be around 31 million Euros. The deal is expected to close in July 2016.
More at Narrow Web Tech

New on the drupa blog: Printed electronics and 3D printing combined
As electronics are getting both smaller and more powerful, electronics manufacturers are searching for new ways to increase performance. One way to still push the performance forward is by improving the architecture of the electronic components by stacking multiple structural layers on top of each other. Beta Layout GmbH is using 3D printing technology to manufacture and test prototypes of innovative circuit carriers and printed circuit boards.
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