Change Is Additive—Week of 8/5/16
CHANGE IS ADDITIVE—A 3D Printing News Series by Fathom
LLNL Developing 3D Printed Microfluidic Solar Power Collectors, 3D Printing in the Rio Olympics, Flight-Critical 3D Printed Parts in NAVAIR Test
With so many weekly developments in a fast-changing industry like additive manufacturing, the headlines can really stack up. To cut through the clutter of 3D printing news, check out these staff picks of the week. What do you think is the most impactful development?
3D Printing in the Rio Olympics
Large athletic equipment brands are incorporating 3D printing into their product development processes more than ever and the 2016 Rio Olympics will feature a number of pieces of equipment and apparel created with 3D printing. Brooks Running, Adidas, Nike and Under Armour will all be represented in the games by athletes using equipment connected to additive manufacturing technology // Fathom & Brooks Running / / Nike & Adidas / / Watch Video
Robotic Weavers Bring 3D Webs to Life
The Mobile Robotic Fabrication System for Filament Structures was developed at the University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Computational Design. “We are only at the very beginning of exploring the true architectural potential of this fabrication system,” said ICD director Achim Menges // Read More / / Watch Video
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Giant Leap Technologies Receive Grant to Develop 3D Printed Microfluidic Solar Power Collectors
The United States Department of Energy recently allocated $11 million in funding for the research and development of advanced solar power technologies. The LLNL/GLP project aims to replace the massive steel and concrete sun trackers with less expensive, lightweight and smaller devices using Giant Leap Technologies’ patent-pending Digital Glass technology, which utilizes microfluidics to direct fluids through tiny channels inside solid panels for a refractive effect, “steering” sunlight to a solar receiver. Pictured above is the model for the plant, a solar energy plant in Ivanpah, CA // Read More
3D Printed Anatomy Kits Drawing Interest from Hospitals and Universities
An Australian university has created a 3D printed anatomy kit that is now available to the public and in high demand. Monash University and partner Erler Zimmer have made their 3D Printed Anatomy Series available for sale. Professor Paul McMenamin, Director of the Center for Human Anatomy Education at Monash and his team used CT and laser scans of real human bodies to create the full-color replicas, which have garnered a great deal of interest from medical schools and institutions / / Read More
NAVAIR Celebrates First Successful Flight with 3D Printed Parts
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the successful flight demonstration of an aircraft which housed a “flight critical” component made with additive manufacturing technologies. Due to its overwhelming success, the component–a titanium, 3D printed link and fitting assembly for the engine nacelle–is set to remain on the aircraft for further evaluation following the test flight. The link and fitting assembly are one of four parts that ensure a V-22 engine nacelle is securely attached to the aircraft’s primary wing structure / / Read More
Fully Assembled 3D Printed Ball Bearing
This downloadable ball bearing can be completed in a single print and is fully functional immediately after removing all support material. Created by Swedish Designer Daniel Noree // Cults3D Page
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Imagery and News Sources: 3Ders.org, 3Dprint.com, 3D Printingindustry.com, Cults3D, LLNL, NAVAIR, Wikipedia, Daniel Noree, Monash University, University of Stuttgart, USDOE, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Brooks Running
