Additive manufacturing can be used with a wide range of materials, from high-performance thermoplastics like PEEK to aerospace-ready metals like titanium. Sometimes, however, engineers want to combine the properties of two different materials, and one of the best ways to do this is by using composites. Used in processes like FDM and SLS (as well […]
How accurate is 3D printing? The answer to that question depends on many factors, such as the type of 3D printing technology, the quality of the model of 3D printer, the 3D printing material, the complexity and practicality of the design, and the user-defined printing parameters. Because 3D printers depend on a myriad of moving […]
3D printing is a digital prototyping and production technology that fabricates plastic or metal parts one layer at a time. It is also known as additive manufacturing because material is gradually added to build the part, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing processes — such as CNC machining, laser cutting, plasma cutting, water jet, stamping etc. […]
From industrial gaskets to the soles of your shoes, elastomeric parts are both ubiquitous and unique. Made from elastomers, a group of rubber-like polymers, these flexible, stretchy, and shock-absorbing components are easy to make — and can be produced in several ways. One of the ways to produce elastomeric parts is injection molding. Not the […]
Thanks to advances in resin 3D printing technologies, additive manufacturing is becoming a staple technology in the field of dentistry — both in dental practices via “chair-side” 3D printing and in off-site dental laboratories for more demanding print jobs. Dental practices and laboratories can today use 3D printers for a wide variety of applications, from […]
Injection molding is the world’s most popular process for manufacturing plastic parts. Using durable metal molds, injection molding makes it possible to create hundreds of thousands of units in a short space of time. And molding isn’t expensive. At least, injecting a shot of material into a mold isn’t: the process is lightning-fast, and pellets […]
The ability of 3D printing to easily create figurines, models and plastic electronic casings has been a massive boon to the toys and games industries. Manufacturers and enterprising makers have been employing the technology to make a whole bunch of unique tools for gamers to make the most of their play. Customized Miniatures & Tabletop […]
Today’s companies have more options than ever to manufacture parts from almost any materials. And when it comes to producing parts from plastics, most end up opting for either injection molding and 3D printing. While the 3D printing option is generally more well-known because of its availability to even consumer-level users, the injection molding market […]
As we enter a more eco-conscious era of manufacturing, there are tons of concerns that new technologies are possibly taking us backwards. The concerns often levied at 3D printing put its abundant use of plastics and power usage under fire, and sometimes these arguments are valid. However, players within the industry are doing their best […]
In the US alone, the sports goods industry makes about $45 billion dollars annually, requiring the creation of all sorts of gear, fashion and accessories. The worldwide estimates can go as high as $300 billion. As with most manufacturing industries, the worlds of games and sports are waking up to the possibilities additive manufacturing has […]
While 3D printing is largely associated with manufacturing and prototyping, it has garnered some attention for its ability to reconstruct, renovate and repair objects as well. This makes it a fairly useful resource for museums, curators and historians looking to reconstruct objects, artifacts and even fossils with the use of printing, scanning and digital models. […]
If you live in a house or apartment in a developed country, chances are your building was built from bricks and mortar — the traditional way, with traditional materials. But if you’ve read much about 3D printing, you’ve probably read a few stories about 3D printed buildings: additive architectural phenomena that forgo bricks and mortar […]
3ERP has covered many of the different ways automobile manufacturers are benefiting from the advantages 3D printing brings to the forefront. As technology is gaining a more mainstream foothold within the automobile industry, many companies are taking note, but many are using it in different capacities and for various purposes. These needs can encompass anything, […]
As the 3D printing industry grows, new trends are emerging and the overall uses of the technology are evolving. Companies around the globe are expanding their efforts in new directions and are embracing what it has to offer in end-use products, prototyping and tooling among its many other uses. Here’s a look at the specific […]
3D printed lattice structures are one of the biggest selling points of additive manufacturing. They are easy to fabricate using the unique process of 3D printing, and there are many practical benefits to using them. Lattice structures are essentially infill patterns — ways of structuring the internal geometry of a 3D printed part. Instead of […]
With the growth of additive manufacturing technologies, there are very few industries that have shown as much promise as that of jewelry production. 3D printing allows for the creation of novel, new forms in these fashion accessory items with a whole range of molds and sometimes direct materials processing. Additive manufacturing has also given various […]
Commercial travel and vehicle manufacturing is about as heavy and factory-intensive as industries get. Even the smallest car is a massive undertaking with tons of components, never mind massive airplanes or locomotives. These vehicles are meant to operate indefinitely and over long periods of time (sometimes decades). This also means that many of these vehicles […]
In a recent game-changing operation in healthcare and the 3D printing industry, a team of surgeons in South Africa has completed a successful middle ear transplant using titanium. Surgeons at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa reconstructed the hammer, anvil and stirrup ossicles for a patient from 3D printed titanium. The team […]
Stereolithography (SLA) is a versatile and high-quality manufacturing and prototyping process. Although less widely used than extrusion-based additive manufacturing technologies like Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), SLA was actually the original incarnation of 3D printing, first appearing way back in the 1980s. Today, desktop SLA printers have been popularized by brands like 3D Systems and Formlabs, […]
Construction printing has seen a lot of great initiatives in the past few years, from 3D printing drones to massive cable driven, infinite-build machines. However, taking construction to the next level isn’t solely about improving the hardware but also the input materials. It’s no secret that the construction industry can be wasteful, being one of […]
