3D Printing News & Discussions

[weatheriscool]

3D printing technology achieves precision light control for structural coloration
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-3d-techno ... ision.html
by National Research Council of Science & Technology

The world's first 3D printing technology that can be used in transparent displays and AR devices has been developed, which implements the physical phenomenon of chameleon's changing skin color or peacock's beautiful feather color.

Dr. Jaeyeon Pyo's team at KERI has succeeded in realizing a three-dimensional diffraction grating that can precisely control the path of light based on "nanoscale 3D printing technology." This is a novel technology that can utilize the principle of structural color observed in nature for advanced display technology. The research was published as a cover article in ACS Nano.

[weatheriscool]

NASA is Working on Technology to 3D Print Circuits in Space



POSTED ON JULY 30, 2023
BY LAURENCE TOGNETTI

A collaboration of engineers from NASA and academia recently tested hybrid printed electronic circuits near the edge of space, also known as the Kármán line. The space-readiness test was demonstrated on the Suborbital Technology Experiment Carrier-9, or (SubTEC-9), sounding rocket mission, which was launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on April 25 and reached an altitude of approximately 174 kilometers (108 miles), which lasted only a few minutes before the rocket descended to the ground via parachute.

The test consisted of humidity and electronic sensors that were printed on two attached panels along with the payload door, all of which transmitted data to the ground during the brief flight. The mission was deemed a success and holds the potential to help scientists and engineers improve design efficiency for smaller spacecraft.

“The uniqueness of this technology is being able to print a sensor actually where you need it,” said Dr. Margaret Samuels, who is an electronics engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and co-led the experiment with Goddard aerospace engineer, Beth Paquette. “The big benefit is that it’s a space saver. We can print on 3-dimensional surfaces with traces of about 30 microns – half the width of a human hair – or smaller between components. It could provide other benefits for antennas and radio frequency applications.”

The humidity-sensing printing ink was produced at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center while the circuits were created at the University of Maryland’s Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS), who each coordinated their efforts with Dr. Samuels and Paquette, demonstrating the collaborative effort undertaken for the project.

More:
https://www.universetoday.com/162601/na ... -in-space/

[weatheriscool]

Tesla Breakthrough 3D Printing With Sand For Single Piece Casting of Complex Underbody
September 15, 2023 by Brian Wang

Reuters reports that Tesla has combined a series of innovations to make a technological breakthrough for single casting of the complex underbody of the car. Tesla already can gigacast the front and the rear of its cars. This would mean a further reduction in parts and complexity. This will enable faster and cheaper car production and will reduce the factory space needed for car manufacturing.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2023/09/t ... rbody.html

[weatheriscool]

Researchers 3D print moon rover wheel prototype with NASA
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-3d-moon-r ... otype.html
by Greg Cunningham, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with NASA, are taking additive manufacturing to the final frontier by 3D printing the same kind of wheel as the design used by NASA for its robotic lunar rover, demonstrating the technology for specialized parts needed for space exploration.

The additively manufactured wheel was modeled on the existing, light-weight wheels of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, a mobile robot NASA plans to send in 2024 to map ice and other potential resources at the south pole of the moon. The mission is intended to help determine the origin and distribution of the moon's water and whether enough could be harvested from the moon's surface to support people living there.

[caltrek]

Recent University of Houston Graduate Develops 3D Printable Prostheses to Restore Amputees’ Finger Mobility
October 13, 2023

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A groundbreaking, easy-to-use 3D printable finger prosthesis created by a recent University of Houston graduate could offer amputees a low-cost solution to restore finger functionality. David Edquilang first designed Lunet, which doesn’t need metal fasteners, adhesives or special tools to assemble, as an undergraduate student at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. While standard prostheses can cost thousands of dollars, Edquilang aims to make his design open access on the internet, instead of selling it.

“Not every good idea needs to be turned into a business. Sometimes, the best ideas just need to be put out there ,” said Edquilang, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design last year. “Medical insurance will often not cover the cost of a finger prosthesis, since it is not considered vital enough compared to an arm or leg. Making Lunet available online for free will allow it to help the greatest number of people."

Edquilang’s mentor at UH was Associate Professor Jeff Feng, co-director of UH’s Industrial Design program. Through a partnership with Harris Health System, Feng learned of a patient who had her fingers amputated due to frostbite. Inspired by working on an upper limb prosthesis Edquilang previously developed with student Niell Gorman, working closely with Professor Feng, Edquilang created prosthetic fingers that returned mobility to the patient, allowing her to pick up objects again.

“It feels great knowing you have the capability to positively impact people’s lives and give them help they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get,” said Edquilang.

Months later, Edquilang was laser focused to make an even better product. Over the course of two weeks, under Feng’s advisory, he designed and tested 60 prototypes before reaching a final design that was more durable, easier to configure and assemble, and had improved functionality.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1004707

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Scientists 3D print self-heating microfluidic devices
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-12-sci ... vices.html
by Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT researchers have used 3D printing to produce self-heating microfluidic devices, demonstrating a technique which could someday be used to rapidly create cheap, yet accurate, tools to detect a host of diseases.

Microfluidics, miniaturized machines that manipulate fluids and facilitate chemical reactions, can be used to detect disease in tiny samples of blood or fluids. At-home test kits for COVID-19, for example, incorporate a simple type of microfluidic.

[weatheriscool]

Optimization of hard–soft material interfaces: A 3D printed imitation of bone–tendon connections
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-optimizat ... es-3d.html
by Delft University of Technology

Most people can relate to having a laptop charger break right where the flexible cable meets the solid adapter. This is just one example of how difficult it is to effectively interface hard and soft materials. Using a unique 3D printing process, TU Delft researchers produced hybrid multi-material interfaces that reached a remarkable closeness to nature's design of bone–tendon connections. Their research findings, recently published in Nature Communications, have numerous potential applications.

Despite the great difference in hardness between bones and tendons, their intersections in the human body never fail. It is this bone-tendon connection that inspired a team of researchers from the faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Material Engineering (3mE) to explore ways to optimize the hard and soft interfaces of man-made materials.
Design inspiration

Whenever there is a mismatch between two connected materials, it results in a stress concentration, explains Amir Zadpoor, Professor of Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics. That means the mechanical stress goes to the connection point and usually results in failure of the softer material. One of the things seen in nature is a gradual change in properties at an interface.

[caltrek]

University of Wisconsin-Madison Researchers First to 3D-print Functional Human Brain Tissue
by February 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) MADISON — A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue.

It’s an achievement with important implications for scientists studying the brain and working on treatments for a broad range of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

“This could be a hugely powerful model to help us understand how brain cells and parts of the brain communicate in humans,” says Su-Chun Zhang, professor of neuroscience and neurology at UW–Madison’s Waisman Center. “It could change the way we look at stem cell biology, neuroscience, and the pathogenesis of many neurological and psychiatric disorders.”

Printing methods have limited the success of previous attempts to print brain tissue, according to Zhang and Yuanwei Yan, a scientist in Zhang’s lab. The group behind the new 3D-printing process described their method today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Instead of using the traditional 3D-printing approach, stacking layers vertically, the researchers went horizontally. They situated brain cells, neurons grown from induced pluripotent stem cells, in a softer “bio-ink” gel than previous attempts had employed.

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1033175

For a presentation of study results as published in Cell Stem Cell: https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/ful ... l%3Dtrue

[caltrek]

3D-printed Pneumatic Modules Replace Electric Controls in Soft Robots
February 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) In the future, soft robots will be able to perform tasks that cannot be done by conventional robots. These soft robots could be used in terrain that is difficult to access and in environments where they are exposed to chemicals or radiation that would harm electronically controlled robots made of metal. This requires such soft robots to be controllable without any electronics, which is still a challenge in development.

A research team at the University of Freiburg has now developed 3D-printed pneumatic logic modules that control the movements of soft robots using air pressure alone. These modules enable logical switching of the air flow and can thus imitate electrical control. The modules make it possible for the first time to produce flexible and electronics-free soft robots entirely in a 3D printer using conventional filament printing material. The team led by Dr. Stefan Conrad, Dr. Falk Tauber, Joscha Teichmann and Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck from the Cluster of Excellence “Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS)” has published its results in the renowned journal Science Robotics.

“Our design makes it possible for anyone with 3D printing experience to produce such logic modules and use them to control a soft robot without the need for high-end printing equipment,” says Conrad. “This marks a significant step towards completely electronics-free pneumatic control circuits that can replace increasingly complex electrical components in soft robots in the future.”

Modules can perform Boolean operations and direct airflow into movement elements in a targeted manner

The modules consist of two pressurised chambers. A 3D-printed channel runs between these chambers. By compressing the channel, the expanding chambers can stop the air flow in it and regulate it like a valve. By opening and closing the valve in a targeted manner, the modules can perform the Boolean logic functions “AND”, “OR” and “NOT” in a similar way to electrical circuits and direct the air flow into the movement elements of the soft robot. Which function the individual module performs is determined by the chambers into which air pressure is applied. Depending on the material selected, the modules can be operated with a pressure of between 80 and more than 750 kilopascals.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1033109

[weatheriscool]

3D printed nanocellulose upscaled for green architectural applications
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-3d- ... tural.html
by Chalmers University of Technology

For the first time, a hydrogel material made of nanocellulose and algae has been tested as an alternative, greener architectural material. The study, from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, shows how the abundant sustainable material can be 3D printed into a wide array of architectural components, using much less energy than conventional construction methods.

The research is presented in a paper titled "Robotically 3D printed architectural membranes from ambient dried cellulose nanofibril-alginate hydrogel" published in the journal Materials and Design.

The construction industry today consumes 50% of the world's fossil resources, generates 40% of global waste and causes 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions. There is a growing line of research into biomaterials and their applications, in order to transition to a greener future in line with, for example, the European Green Deal.

Nanocellulose is not a new biomaterial, and its properties as a hydrogel are known within the field of biomedicine, where it can be 3D printed into scaffolds for tissue and cell growth, due to its biocompatibility and wetness. But it has never been dried and used as an architectural material before.

[Time_Traveller]

Exploring the Sustainability of SLS 3D Printing Using Recycled Polypropylene: A Research Analysis

March 4, 2024

Andaltec, a Spanish research center specialized in plastics, has introduced the RECYPPOWDER project. This project aims to investigate the potential application of recycled polypropylene in additive manufacturing.

Polypropylene, recognised for its resilience and lightweight characteristics, has found wide application in different industries for prototyping. However, merging recycled polypropylene into additive manufacturing practices, specifically SLS, is still a fairly new idea. Pioneered by Innomaq 21 and partnered with University of Barcelona and Andaltec, the study wishes to design affordable and sustainable substrates that are fit for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology, through the utilization of recycled materials.

Recycled polypropylene for sustainable SLS 3D printing

As per the company’s statement, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) represents a flexible 3D printing technique, famous for its skill to create extremely accurate and intricate components. It belongs to the powder bed fusion (PBF) family of additive manufacturing technologies, functioning by warming up powder within a chamber underneath its fusion point. A roller then puts down a thin layer onto a build platform, and a laser selectively sinters the powder, subsequently forming a part’s cross-section upon solidifying. Thereafter, the platform descends, and the procedure occurs repeatedly, layer by layer, until it finishes. Once completed, compressed air cleans off the component, and the remaining powder is collected for future use, thereby reducing waste.

Nevertheless, there are limitations with SLS 3D printing in terms of the appropriate raw materials. At present, polyamide, which is more commonly known as nylon, is the popular choice, frequently enhanced with additions such as aluminum or glass to improve the final part traits. But, there is a significant lack of commercial polymer powder originating from recycled polypropylene for the use in SLS applications.

Understanding this issue, researchers intend to formulate co-polymers mixing commercial and recycled polypropylene, refining their particle size and traits for laser processing. It involves addressing the inherent variability of recycled materials as compared to their original versions. In addition to this, feasibility studies will investigate the possibility of replacing the transportation of parts with the transmission of printing data to decrease carbon emissions.

https://3dprintingnews.com/2024/03/04/e ... -analysis/

[wjfox]

World's First-Ever 3D Printed Mosque Opens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Published on March 15, 2024

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now home to the world’s first 3D-printed mosque, spanning an area of 5,600 sqm. Located within the Al-Jawhara suburb of Jeddah, the mosque stands as a tribute to the late equestrian Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. The project by Forsan Real Estate utilizes cutting-edge 3D printing technology from Guanli.

The mosque's construction was completed within six months and spearheaded by Wajnat Abdulwahed, the spouse of the late Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. Aimed at fostering serenity amongst worshipers while integrating natural light, the mosque also features distinctive minarets, creating a landmark within the neighborhood.

The inauguration of the mosque positions Saudi Arabia as a technological hub, surpassing the United Arab Emirates’ projected timeline for a similar endeavor. Dubai announced an initiative to construct the world’s first 3D-printed mosque last May. As a new and complex technique, the successful completion of the world’s 3D-printed religious infrastructure holds potential for the future of architecture and design.

https://www.archdaily.com/1014542/world ... udi-arabia

[weatheriscool]

Giant robotic arm 3D prints a 27-foot-tall house
By Michael Franco
March 20, 2024

A new 3D construction printer from Icon can whip out two-story concrete buildings faster and cheaper than its previous Vulcan printer. It has already been used to build a 27-ft-high structure called Phoenix House, now on display in Austin, Texas.

Since introducing its first 3D-printed house at the SXSW festival in Austin in 2018, Texas-based Icon has become a leader in creating 3D-printed structures. Using its Vulcan 3D construction printer, it has now built over 130 homes across the US and Mexico and has plans to build the world's largest 3D-printed neighborhood in its home state. It has also been part of a NASA project to build a model habitat for Mars and is working on the development of 3D-printed Moon-based structures including landing pads, roads, and habitats as part of Project Olympus.

https://newatlas.com/architecture/3d-pr ... n-phoenix/

[weatheriscool]

In a world-first, wooden items get 3D-printed out of wood-only ingredients
By Ben Coxworth
March 20, 2024
https://newatlas.com/3d-printing/wooden ... gredients/

Scientists have developed a new "ink" that allows objects to be 3D-printed out of wood. The material could reduce the amount of wood that gets wasted in the manufacturing of various products, plus it could utilize existing wood waste that would otherwise end up being burned or dumped.

First of all, the use of wood in 3D printing media isn't a new idea.

Among other things, we've previously seen wooden-ish objects printed out cellulose derived from wood, along with a 3D-printed guitar made of sawdust mixed with a bio-epoxy resin. Scientists at MIT are even developing a method of growing lab-cultivated wood into predetermined three-dimensional shapes.

Researchers at Houston's Rice University, however, are claiming that they are the first people to 3D-print truly wooden objects out of a material made up solely of wood's natural components.

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Researchers 3D print key components for a point-of-care mass spectrometer
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-3d- ... meter.html
by Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mass spectrometry, a technique that can precisely identify the chemical components of a sample, could be used to monitor the health of people who suffer from chronic illnesses. For instance, a mass spectrometer can measure hormone levels in the blood of someone with hypothyroidism.

But mass spectrometers can cost several hundred thousand dollars, so these expensive machines are typically confined to laboratories where blood samples must be sent for testing. This inefficient process can make managing a chronic disease especially challenging.

"Our big vision is to make mass spectrometry local. For someone who has a chronic disease that requires constant monitoring, they could have something the size of a shoebox that they could use to do this test at home. For that to happen, the hardware has to be inexpensive," says Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal research scientist in MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL).

He and his collaborators have taken a big step in that direction by 3D printing a low-cost ionizer—a critical component of all mass spectrometers—that performs twice as well as its state-of-the-art counterparts.

[weatheriscool]

Smart 3D printer tunes itself to build with unfamiliar materials
By Ben Coxworth
April 08, 2024
https://newatlas.com/3d-printing/automa ... ing-media/

A recently developed system could revolutionize the world of 3D printing, by streamlining the adoption of new print media. Such materials could include ones made from all-renewable ingredients, or that are more recyclable than current options.

Most 3D printers utilize a process known as fused filament fabrication (FFF). This involves heating a polymer filament to its melting point, then extruding it through a nozzle. Successive layers of the molten material are deposited one on top of the other, forming a single solid object as they cool and fuse together.

It's not quite that simple, however.

Depending on the formulation of the polymer, the filament will have to be heated to a specific temperature, placed under a certain amount of pressure, and extruded at a certain speed.

[weatheriscool]

New 3D-printing method makes printing objects more affordable and eco-friendly
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-3d- ... endly.html
by Karen Dooley, University of Florida

University of Florida engineers have developed a method for 3D printing called vapor-induced phase-separation 3D printing, or VIPS-3DP, to create single-material as well as multi-material objects. The discovery has the potential to advance the world of additive manufacturing.

Yong Huang, Ph. D., a professor in UF's department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said the printing process he and colleagues developed allows manufacturers to create custom-made objects economically and sustainably. The novel approach is reported in the journal Nature Communications.

"It is more economical and much simpler than current counterpart technologies," he said. "It's an affordable process for printing advanced materials, including metals."