Following January’s vision of the year ahead, February 2018 was a month of 3D printer releases.
In this month, Stratasys shared material details of its upcoming metal 3D printer, and HP expanded its range of Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) systems to include full color 3D printers.
This month, we also marked the 20th anniversary of SOLIDWORKS World, hosted by Dassault Systèmes in LA, and many more innovative applications from across in industry.
3D printing finds new applications, seeks skilled workers
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, the USA Luge Team applied 3D printing to their sled design; and award winning software company Autodesk opened a multi-million-pound Advanced Manufacturing Facility in the UK. Wikipedia also turned 3D in this month, allowing people to contribute their own 3D models to the site.
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven) gained attention for two different stories, one in which a professor cracked the code for 3D printed concrete, and, in the second, the Noah became the “world’s first circular car” incorporating 3D printing into its sustainable construction.
Coventry’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) opened its call for submissions to build an additive manufacturing competency framework, and close the skills gap in the UK.
Further driving innovation
Contributing to automotive’s apparent rise in uptake throughout 2018, German luxury car manufacturer Porsche launched a rare and classic spare parts production initiative.
Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne received a grant of $994 thousand USD to fuel its development of automated, 3D printed car repair technology.
And Hackrod, the car building technology startup, launched a capital crowdfunding campaign with the aim of raising over $1 million.
3D printing improves healthcare
Reporting on research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) we asked: is 3D printed bacteria the future of electronics?
The British NHS and North Manchester General Hospital reported $166,000 in savings by switching to an in-house 3D printing lab.
And Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland, became home to a specialist 3D bioprinting facility with he support of Johnson & Johnson, and AMBER.
Would you like to see any of the entities mentioned above in the running for 3D Printing Industry Award? Make your nominations now for the 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards. If you’d like to join us for the annual dinner next year you can also contact us about ticket sales.
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Feature image shows example metal 3D printing use cases from an Additive Metals infographic by Stratasys. Image via Stratasys
