Slicing the latest 3D printing news you may have missed, today we have: Rocket Lab, Tiko, atum3D, 3D Center, TechSoft, America Makes, Lucideon, and Sintavia.
Tehran add bioprinter
Researchers at the Royan Institute in Tehran, Iran have announced they have created their own 3D bioprinter. The device may be capable of 3D printing skin cells, similar to the 3D printer developed recently at a university in Madrid.
Project Manager, Majid Halvaei spoke about the 3D printer,
The ultimate objective in developing [a] bioprinter is to emulate the giants of the medicine in reconstruction of body parts which is generally called ‘Reconstruction Medicine;’ medicine has gained most from 3D bioprinting; this is a revolution in science in other sectors such as industries which makes constructing complex products with ease and precision,
Concerns mounting over Tiko
Backers of a Kickstarter project for the Tiko 3D printer are concerned as the company looks less and less likely to complete their pre-orders. The Kickstarter campaign raised a massive $2.9 million back in 2015. However, Tiko are very late in shipping the printers, with only few of the thousands of backers receiving one thus far. The company have given very little clarity on their progress and the updates they have given, have been unprofessional and sporadic.
It doesn’t end there, the few printers that have arrived are reportedly not working as promised. There has also been news now that some staff have been fired and the company are running out of funds. Unlike the NexD1 crowdfunding campaign which ended with Kickstarter suspending the project, the project remains on Kickstarter.
atum3D partner with 3D Center
DLP printer manufacturers atum3D has announced a partnership with Northern Europe retailers 3D Center. The Swedish brand sells 3D printers to professionals in the automotive, dental and jewelry industries.
The companies share the goal to make life easier for their clients, which means 3D Center will not only offer atum3D DLP Stations, but can also meet any wishes for on-site installation, training and service.
Tetra4D 2017
TechSoft has announced an update to their Tetra product line. The software company is also responsible for the HOOPS toolkit that was also updated recently. The Tetra4D 2017 includes Tetra4D Converter, Tetra4D Enrich and Tetra4D Automate. Enhancing Tetra4D Converter and Tetra4D Enrich to enable interactive 3D PDF documents. The update improves the functionality of the applications and also concentrates on improving its use for 3D printing.
The company states that, “being able to support 3D printing workflows is important for manufacturers, especially for prototyping processes.”
3D printing vertebrae
Indian doctors have successfully implanted a 3D printed vertebrae in a 32-year old patient. The part was 3D printed in titanium and was used to treat a patient who suffered from spinal Tuberculosis.
Speaking on the surgery, Senior Consultant Dr V Anand Naik said,
It was a very complex surgery and the patient’s condition was deteriorating by the day. It would not have been possible to do it without 3D-printing technology.
Sintavia adds CT Scanning
Metal additive manufacturing company Sintavia adds CT scanning to their end-to-end AM services. The CT scanner will enable higher manufacturing quality is ensured for their aerospace and defense applications. The scanner “offers porosity analysis as well as nondestructive examination of the complex internal networks of AM manufactured components.” This allows the company to ensure the quality of their 3D printed parts before sending them to clients.
Doug Hedges, Sintavia’s President and COO said,
Adding this high-fidelity scanner to our comprehensive manufacturing and testing suite allows us to meet and exceed customer quality specifications.
Lucideon Teams up with America Makes
The U.S’s National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, America Makes, teams up with materials company Lucideon. The company, which has facilities in North Carolina, New York and the UK, “has a team of experts who specialize in supporting manufacturers throughout the AM supply chain.”
Tiffany Westbay, membership director at America Makes, explained how the partnership will work,
They bring expertise in a number of materials and technologies. Every new America Makes member helps us to develop a balanced community of diverse organizations. We are certain Lucideon will bring value to the America Makes mission to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing in the U.S.
Rocket Lab shipping first Electron rocket
Rocket Lab has shipped their first orbital launch vehicle to their Launch Complex 1. The testing facility is located in the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand and the rocket arrived from Rocket Lab’s Auckland facility.
The space startup has recently been in the news for their attempt to stop New Zealanders recording footage of their spacecraft. The Electron is a carbon-composite rocket that can carry 150 kg in payloads and has been given the apt codename ‘It’s a Test’.
Rocket Lab’s CEO, Peter Beck, explains the name choice,
We put it out to our team to name the vehicle. We wanted to acknowledge the intensive research and development Electron has undergone and that continues with these test flights.
Now it has arrived at the complex, the rocket will be subjected to three trial launches.
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Featured image shows the sliced logo over an image of the Electron rocket. Image via Rocket Lab.
