3D Printing

3D Printing News Sliced: Pier 9, HP, Johnson Matthey and Tiangong II

In today’s Sliced 3D printing news digest: Renovis Surgical Technologies, Autodesk Pier 9, PrintMyRoute, University of Otago, HP, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Narbon, Tiangong II, the  Australian National University, Make to Care contest, the C-Turtle, Johnson Matthey, Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Johnson Matthey approves ceramic 3D printing as sustainable technology

Multinational technology and chemicals specialist Johnson Matthey has opened a state-of-the-art ceramic 3D printing facility in the UK.

Sam O’Callaghan, Research Group Leader says, “This new laboratory is a great step forward for Johnson Matthey.”

“The cutting-edge technology will help us develop our 3D printing capabilities and offer customers truly bespoke solutions.”

3D printed ceramic samples. Photo via Johnson Matthey
3D printed ceramic samples. Photo via Johnson Matthey

A gold standard for 3D printer cyberattacks

A recent study from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Georgia Institute of Technology proposes the use of gold nanoparticles to ensure the safety of 3D printed products.

A full paper on the research can be read online at this link.

C-Turtle to be sent to Mars

The latest robot hoping to make its way to the sandy surface of Mars is the C-Turtle developed by researchers at the University of Arizona.

Facilitated by 3D printed hinges (seen in red in the clip below) the bot is in its third generation, and hopes to overcome the common all-terrain challenges posed to man-made machines.

Clip from “C-Turtle – From the Lab into the Desert” via KS Luck on YouTube

Make to Care contest open for applications

American biotechnology company Sanofi Genzyme and the Fondazione Politecnico of Politecnico di Milano have launched a competition asking makers to create devices fulfillinf unmet needs in the medical sectors.

Applications are open through September 2017 and winning entries will be exhibited at  Maker Faire Rome held 1 -3 December 2017.

Excerpt of the MAKEtoCARE contest guide. Image via Make to Care
Excerpt of the MAKEtoCARE contest guide. Image via Make to Care

Study of 3D printed fish fossil reveals 400 million-year-old evolutionary secret 

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports evidences the use of 3D printed models to create comparisons between extinct and modern day fish species.

At the Australian National University (ANU), researchers Yuzhi Hu and Gavin Young have gleaned early evolutionary information about the development of jaw bones now evidenced in beluga sturgeon, ocean sunfish and giant groupers.

ANU's Yuzhi Hu hold the 3D printed modle of fossilized fish jaw. Photo by Stuart Hay
ANU’s Yuzhi Hu hold the 3D printed modle of fossilized fish jaw. Photo by Stuart Hay

3D printed greenhouse environment yields lettuce in space

An experiment on China’s Tiangong II space station has proved that produce can be grown in space.

The development could be could be a key discovery toward plans to sustain life on Mars, and deepen the distance of space exploration.

Lettuce grown in a 3D printed environment on the Tiangong II space station. Image via China Daily
Lettuce grown in a 3D printed environment on the Tiangong II space station. Image via China Daily

Spanish 3D printing service preserves ashes in ceramic

With 3DMemories, people grieving the loss of a loved one can now turn a portion of their ashes into a timeless piece of jewelry.

The service, provided by Narbon, Madrid, is capable of making beads, pendants and stones suitable for wearing on necklaces, bracelets and in rings.

Ring, bracelet and necklace stones instilled with the ashes of loved ones. Image via Narbon/3DMemories
Ring, bracelet and necklace stones instilled with the ashes of loved ones. Image via Narbon/3DMemories

3D printed device turns smartphones into a diagnostic tool

An attachment invented by researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is capable of performing medical-grade inspections.

Speaking to Phys.org, Professor Brian Cunningham says “Our TRI Analyzer is like the Swiss Army knife of biosensing. It’s capable of performing the three most common types of tests in medical diagnostics, so in practice, thousands of already-developed tests could be adapted to it.”

The mobile-powered TRI Analyzer from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Photo via Lab on a Chip
The mobile-powered TRI Analyzer from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Photo via Lab on a Chip

A full paper detailing the device’s capabilities has been published in the journal Lab on a Chip.

HP patents 3D printer-ready PC

An application for HP’s Sprout PC with integrated 3D scanner and printing has surfaced from the U.S. Patent Office. While the Sprout has been around for a while now and at 3D Printing Industry we’ve seen the latest version at several trade shows, the patent application shows the technology may become more widely available.

As Patently Apple reports, the company proposes tablet integration to the scan platform of the computer, bringing the technology down to a more affordable price point.

The current sprout setup will be upgraded with a tablet in place of the table map seen above. Image via Thinkworth
The current sprout setup will be upgraded with a tablet in place of the table map seen above. Image via Thinkworth

3D printing for breast cancer research

The Mackenzie Cancer Research group at the University of Otago, New Zealand, is using 3D bioprinting to model the shape of breast tumors.

Speaking to local news source TVNZ, Dr. Elisabeth Phillips says, “At the moment we’re looking at how chemotherapy agents that are already available can impact on the cancer in 3D.”

“Normally we would grow cells in a 2D sheet and they grow as one layer what we’re doing here is growing them in a 3D environment so the cells are in a more realistic environment.”

More than just jelly - this 3D printed sample combines cancer cells with fatty tissue for further study. Screengrab via TVNZ
More than just jelly – this 3D printed sample combines cancer cells with fatty tissue for further study. Screengrab via TVNZ

 

Autodesk Pier 9 project 3D prints an Impossible

The twists and turns of a skateboard have been committed to metal by a project between Autodesk’s Pier 9 and Convivial Studio in the UK.

1000 fps capture of an Impossible. Clip via Adam Shomsky on YouTube.

Cyclonic visuals of the tricks were captured by an on-board sensor, 3D printed and then milled in aluminum, preserving the motion forever.

The whirling pattern of a skateboard trick captured by Convivial Studio. Image via Instructables
The whirling pattern of a skateboard trick captured by Convivial Studio. Image via Instructables

The project is indicative of fluid and aero dynamics research conducted at the University of Chicago to understand flow patterns around air and water borne vehicles.

Similarly, maps of exercise routes can also be 3D printed with thanks to a startup called PrintMyRoute.

Custom linear route design. Image via PrintMyRoute
Custom linear route design. Image via PrintMyRoute

FDA clears another 3D printed spinal lumbar cage

EBM 3D printed implants from California’s Renovis Surgical Technologies have become the latest in a line spinal products to achieve 510(k) clearance from the FDA. The certification means that the products are cleared for market and sale throughout America.

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Featured image: Sliced logo over a cropped aerial image of China’s Tiangong II space station. Original image via CAS/CMS/Xinhua