3 D Printing & Additive Manufacturing

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing/Robotics/Automation Category Winner — RadiBond

RadiBond technology, based on nanometer-thin coatings, provides ultra-strong and ultra-tight bonding between metals and plastics.

Articles: Aerospace

20 Years of Science on the International Space Station

We explore the major scientific breakthroughs achieved during 20 years of human presence on the ISS.

Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New on the Market: December 2020

Mixed-signal oscilloscopes, 3D printers, DC/DC converters, and more.

Q&A: Photonics/Optics

Q&A: A New Method for 3D Printing of Tiny Gel Structures

See how Dr. Andrei Kolmakov and his team are using low-energy electron beams to 3D-print tiny gel structures in liquids.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Flexible, Sturdy Robot “Grows” Like a Plant

The robot’s extendable appendage can wind through tight spaces and then lift heavy loads.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Vote for Tech Briefs Product of the Year 2020

These 12 products are the nominees for the 2020 Tech Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Facility Focus: Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego

Jacobs' scientists are helping to make contract-tracing apps, emergency-use ventilators, and even squid-bots.

INSIDER: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Printing Paper Structures for Mechatronics

Natural motion in plants occurs because of cellulose fibers absorbing and releasing water. Scientists developed a simple method to produce self-folding origami structures based on this concept....

Podcasts: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Here's an Idea: A Bug-Inspired Building Material for Mars

We spoke with Javier Gomez Fernandez from the Singapore University of Technology and Design about how Mars explorers – and even those of us on Earth – can make the most out of chitin.

Briefs: Materials

Wool-Like Material Remembers and Changes Shape

The material could be used in smart textiles, medical devices, and tissue engineering.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Robotic Assembly of Photovoltaic Arrays

Adaptable automation reduces manufacturing time and costs.

Briefs: Materials

Janus Particles Improve Paints and Coatings

Other applications include cosmetics, 3D printing, and drug formulations.

Briefs: Aerospace

Self-Healing, Recyclable, Shape Memory Polymers

This versatile new material family could build realistic prosthetics and futuristic Army platforms.

Facility Focus: Communications

Facility Focus: Rochester Institute of Technology

Learn about RIT's achievements in cybersecurity, imaging science, and personalized healthcare tech.

Products: Electronics & Computers

New on the Market: November 2020

VOC sensors, panel-mount connectors, 3D printing cloud software, and more.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Ring Detects Finger Location to Track Hand Movements

The technology, which could be added to smart watches, could detect the onset of Parkinson’s disease or help with stroke rehabilitation.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

3D-Printed Sweating Robot Muscle

This form of thermal management can help enable untethered, high-powered robots to operate for long periods of time without overheating.

Podcasts: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Here's an Idea: 3D Printing in Space

In this episode of Here's an Idea, NASA's Tracie Prater wants to leave spare parts back on Earth...and 3D print them in space.

Products: Software

New on the Market: October 2020

Tubing plugs, displacement measurements, CAM software, and more.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Products of Tomorrow: October 2020

Nanowire masks, underwater imaging, and tiny 3D-printed block that repair bone breaks.

Briefs: Energy

3D-Printed Soft, Rubbery Brain Implants

This technique may enable speedy, on-demand design of softer, safer neural devices.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Method Turns Nearly any Object into a Data Storage Unit

This technology makes it possible to save extensive data in objects such as shirt buttons, water bottles, or the lenses of glasses and then retrieve it years later.

Briefs: Materials

Laser Inversion Enables Multi-Material 3D Printing

The technique could enable the printing of circuit boards, electromechanical components, and robots.

Briefs: Materials

3D Additive Manufacturing with a High-Power Electron Gun

Applications include rapid prototyping, medical, aerospace, and automotive.

Briefs: Materials

AI Software Enables Real-Time 3D Printing Quality Assessment

The software assesses the quality of parts in real time, without the need for expensive characterization equipment.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping of Cable and Connectors for Unique Applications

Standard commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) connectors continue to be a great resource for quick prototypes and reference designs.