Explore the fast-paced developments in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Access the essential technical briefs and resources for design engineers working in manufacturing and medical industries.
New research shows the possibility of using 3D ice printing to help create structures that resemble blood vessels in the body. 3D ice printing generally involves adding a stream of water to a very cold surface.
MIT researchers say their technique, liquid metal printing (LMP), is at least 10 times faster than a comparable metal additive manufacturing process. It involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path into a bed of tiny glass beads.
Inventors at the NASA Langley Research Center have developed a novel method to model and ingest point-wise process data to evaluate an additive manufacturing build and its file for issues by highlighting potential anomalies or other areas where the build may have issues with fusion of the material.
Researchers at The Ohio State University have fabricated the first wearable sensor designed to detect and monitor muscle atrophy. This new study published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering suggests that an electromagnetic sensor made out of conductive “e-threads” could be used as an alternative to frequent monitoring using MRI.
A first-of-its-kind robotic glove is lending a “hand” and providing hope to piano players who have suffered a disabling stroke. Developed by researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, the soft robotic hand exoskeleton uses artificial intelligence to improve hand dexterity.
From AI to digital twins to extended reality (XR), an array of new technologies are coming together to shape the future of manufacturing. Read all about it in this compendium of articles from the...
The Create the Future Design Contest recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. In this special report, learn about the...
See what's new on the market, including a new feature for RJG's CoPilot process control system, Renishaw's expanded RenAM 500, AIRMAR's three medium ultra-wide transducers, Coilcraft's molded power inductors, VP810 vapor phase soldering systems from ASSCON, and more.
Using kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of folding and cutting paper, MIT researchers have now manufactured a type of high-performance architected material known as a plate lattice, on a much larger scale than scientists have previously been able to achieve by additive fabrication.
Recent experiments by a team from the West Virginia University focused on how a weightless microgravity environment affects 3D printing using titania foam, a material with potential applications ranging from UV blocking to water purification. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces published their findings.
A new method for metal 3D printing aims to make more efficient use of resources by allowing structural modifications to be “programmed” into metal alloys during 3D printing, fine-tuning their properties without the “heating and beating” process that’s been in use for thousands of years.
The research team from the National Eye Institute printed a combination of cells that form the outer blood-retina barrier — eye tissue that supports the retina’s light-sensing photoreceptors. The technique provides a theoretically unlimited supply of patient-derived tissue to study degenerative retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.
Early additive manufacturing (AM) adopters in the aerospace industry are leveraging advanced 3D printing technologies from industry leaders like HP and...
Michael Kirka and a team of researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are the first to 3D print large rotating steam turbine blades. They achieved it with robot-controlled wire arc additive manufacturing.
See what's new on the market, including Keystone Technologies' THM Test Points, Nikon IMBU's CT systems for non-destructive inspection, Renesas' SoCs and MCUs, Rad Source NDT's X-ray Inspection System, the Precision Specimen Loader from Instron, and more.
See the videos of the month, including one on FibeRobo, a novel body-temperature shape-changing fiber based on liquid crystal elastomers; one on 3D printing extremely viscous plastic solids; one on using digital twins in EV battery design and testing; and one on flexible sensors screen-printed onto a stamp-like flexible surface.
Using a new type of dual-polymer material capable of responding dynamically to its environment, researchers have developed a set of modular hydrogel components that could be useful in a variety of soft robotic and biomedical applications.
Javier Ramos, CTO, and his team from Inkbit Corporation, Medford, MA, along with researchers from MIT and ETH Zurich, have developed a 3D inkjet printer that uses contact-free computer vision feedback to print hybrid objects with a broad range of new functional chemistries.
Choosing a present for an engineer is almost as daunting as performing the tasks of an engineer. With that in mind, we here at Tech Briefs aim to make your life easier with regards to the former.
Cornell researchers have combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex, and outleap its electric-driven competitors.
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments, and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique.
AM/3D Printing is fundamentally changing how products are prototyped and produced in aerospace, medical, electronics, and many other fields. To help you keep pace with the latest advances, we present...
There are numerous advantages to using multiple print technologies as part of a holistic additive strategy to effectively service medical industry applications. This...
See the videos of the month, including one on a 3D-printed heart, one on a gripper that grasps by reflex, one on an intelligent soft robot that can self-escape from challenging mazes, and one on microfliers.