Materials & Manufacturing

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Explore innovations supporting advances in manufacturing and rapid prototyping. Access the developments and solutions that have an impact on applications in 3D printing and automation.

Stories

Briefs: Defense

Foldable Mechanical Devices

These “developable mechanisms” are built into the surfaces of structures.

NASA Spinoff: Photonics/Optics

Space Station Garden Shines Light on Earth-Based Horticulture

NASA’s LED lighting system enables food and other crops to be grown indoors in places like skyscrapers.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Method Enables Conductive Gels to Stick When Wet

A new way of making polymers adhere to surfaces may enable better biomedical sensors and implants.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Defects Enable High-Performance Infrared Photodetectors

A highly sensitive, CMOS-compatible, broadband photodetector was created by tailoring material defects.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Organic Material for Printed Electronics

The material combines two polymers with different properties.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Wi-Fi-assisted Inertial Odometry (WIO) Measures Speed and Distance of Indoor Movement

The technique could be used to improve navigation for robots, drones, or pedestrians.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Autonomic and Apoptotic Highly Distributed System

Applications include distributed computer systems, computer security, and commercial satellite systems.

Articles: Wearables

Executive Roundtable: 3D Printing

Tech Briefs posed questions to 3D printing/AM industry execs, to get their views on issues like metal printing, new materials, and environmental sustainability.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

High-Efficiency Laser for Silicon Chips

Applications include optical data transfer, infrared and night-vision systems, environmental sensors, and breath analysis for medical diagnosis.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Artificial Intelligence Finds and Labels 2D Materials Instantly

The AI system can help shorten the time required for 2D material-based electronics to be ready for consumer devices.

Briefs: Medical

Nanostructured Rubber-Like Material to Replace Human Tissue

The material consists solely of components that have already been shown to work well in the body.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Device Tests Drugs on Tumor Tissue

An inexpensive 3D-printed microfluidics device could be used to personalize cancer treatment.

Briefs: Software

VoroCrust v.1.0 Meshing Software

This program generates a mesh that conforms to a complex model without clipping.

Special Reports: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Medical Manufacturing and Outsourcing - May 2020

How are advances in automation/robotics, welding, 3D printing, and other fabrication technologies shaping the future of medical device manufacturing? Find out in this Special Report – a...

Technology Leaders: Photonics/Optics

The Configurable Laser — A Universal Manufacturing Tool

Laser technology will remain at the forefront of tomorrow’s digital manufacturing processes.

Technology Leaders: Photonics/Optics

Using Lasers in the Automotive Manufacturing Industry

Ever since Henry Ford introduced the first moving production line to the industry in 1913, automotive manufacturers have been constantly striving to streamline their processes,...

Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Can Solar-Powered Desalination Solve Water-Scarcity Challenges?

“Seawater is a very abundant resource for clean water, but the problem is how to desalinate it,” MIT researcher Lenan Zhang told Tech Briefs in our April issue.

Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Have You Cloud-Connected Your Equipment and Processes on the Shop Floor?

Our April Motion Design feature article highlights how manufacturers are reimagining robotics in a connected world, employing processes like real-time analytics, predictive maintenance, online support and diagnostics, and cloud backups.