SPIE Photonics West 2022 Preview

The main Photonics West exhibition opens on Tuesday, January 25.

Handheld 3D Skin Printer Accelerates Healing of Burns

The handheld printer deposits sheets of skin to cover large burn wounds.

Swimming Living Robots Can Self-Train

Biobots based on muscle cells can swim at unprecedented velocities.

Directed Energy Deposition Offers Advantages for Efficient Additive Manufacturing

Learn what to look for when selecting computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programming software for the DED manufacturing process.

Vote for Tech Briefs Product of the Year 2021

These 12 products are the nominees for the 2021 Tech Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year.

2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Medical Category Winner — Halo Speculum

The Halo replaces all metal retractors with one simple, one-size-fits-all design.

Metallic Glass Gears Up for Cobots, Coatings, and More

A bulk metallic glass could slash prices of collaborative robots and lead to advanced 3D-printed metals.

Monitoring Additive Manufacturing with an Optical Microphone

Learn about a membrane-free, broadband microphone for the highest ultrasound frequencies.

“Fingerprints” for 3D Printers

Printers can be identified by their unique hot end, aiding intellectual property and security.

Moving Platform for 3D Printing Reduces Waste and Costs

A low-cost, dynamically controlled surface for 3D printers reduces waste and saves time.

Sustainable 3D-Printed Magnets

An alternative, environmentally friendly production method creates permanent magnets.

Cladding and Freeform Deposition for Coolant Channel Closeout

This method is a faster way to manufacture combustion chambers and nozzles for aerospace propulsion as well as heat exchangers in oil and gas applications.

3D-Printed Biodegradable Battery

The battery can withstand thousands of charge and discharge cycles and years of storage before being composted.

What Does Resolution Mean in 3D Printing?

Resolution is an often discussed but seldom understood value in the world of 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Getting Specific About Where 3D Printing Hits the Mark

Learn how to reuse more material without recycling.

Light-Based “Tractor Beam” Assembles Materials at the Nanoscale

The size and shape of the nanostructure can be controlled as it is assembled piece by piece.

Liquid Metal Lattice

The new metal lattice material can be used to create models that regain shape after being crushed.

Overhang Support Designs for Powder-Based Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)

The supports enable the production of higher-quality, less-expensive parts via additive manufacturing.

Software Improves Accuracy of 3D-Printed Parts

The software could help reduce cost and waste for companies using additive manufacturing to mass-produce parts in factories.

Making Laser Processes More Sustainable

Thanks to new innovations in measurement technologies, manufacturers and users now have a wide range of options for proactively measuring the laser beam.

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Medium Entropy Alloy

This additively manufactured alloy is tailored for high-temperature applications.

3D-Printed Nanosatellite Thruster Emits Pure Ions

The thruster provides a low-cost, extremely efficient propulsion source for miniature satellites.

Tiny 3D-Printed Bricks Enable Bone and Soft Tissue Repair

Flea-sized, hollow blocks can be filled with materials that improve healing.

Rapid 3D Printing of Biomedical Parts

The structures’ small size and porosity make them well-suited for building components such as replacement joints.

3D Printing of Gels and Soft Materials

A new method could jump-start the creation of tiny medical devices for the body.

2D Materials Capable of Forming Complex 3D Shapes

Synthetic materials can mimic how living organisms expand and contract soft tissues, achieving complex 3D movements and functions.

Q&A: Printable Flexible Batteries

Professor Shirley Meng explains why there's a demand for stretchable batteries.

3D-Printed Working Heart Pump with Real Human Cells

The functioning human heart pump provides a model to track and trace what happens at the cell and molecular levels in the pump structure.

3D-Printed Smart Gel Changes Shape When Exposed to Light

The invention can become color-changing “artificial muscle.”