Change Is Additive—Week of 7/7/2017
CHANGE IS ADDITIVE—A 3D Printing News Series by Fathom
3D Printing a Heart Valve, Microgels and Additive, Generative Design, Growth of Manufacturing and the 3D Printing Market, Mass Customization of End-Use Surfboard Fins
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 Printed Heart Valve
The Georgia Tech and Piedmont Heart Institute team claim to have developed an integrated materials design and 3D printing technique for making heart valves that can closely mimic human heart valve function. “These 3D-printed valves can be used by doctors or surgeons for surgery planning, such as selecting the most matching prosthetic valve and determining the location of the stent to be inserted in the aortic valve in a transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR) procedure,” said Georgia Tech engineering professor Chuck Zhang / / Read More // Watch Video
A Look at the Stratasys 3D Demonstrator for Higher Volume Production
This video offers a closer look at the newest Stratasys additive manufacturing system, the Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator. Pat Carey, Senior VP at Stratasys, discusses many of the features that enable this system to meet the fast build needs of customers / / Watch Video
3D Printing with Microgels
Researchers have created a new microgel to support 3D printed structures. CNN claims that the development is a breakthrough that could drive down the costs of customized medical devices / / Watch Video
3D Printing for a Concrete Canoe Utilizing Generative Design
A research team from ETH Zurich used 3D printing to create molds for the skeletal framework of an all-concrete boat, which won first prize for design innovation at the Concrete Canoe Regatta. The boat race takes place every other year on the Rhine river in Cologne, Germany, challenging participants to create the lightest and fastest vessel and race 200 meters without sinking. The competition allows no other material than concrete to be used / / Watch Video
3D Printing Transforms the Economics of Manufacturing
In this piece, The Economist showcases some of the industries in which lightweighting is most economically lucrative, including automotive manufacturing. Pictured above is a lightweighted brake pedal for a Formula 1 team, only made possible by the use of 3D printing. According to the article, in Formula 1, shaving a kilogram of weight from a part is worth more than $120,000 / / Read More
3D Printing Market Worth 32.78 Billion USD by 2023
According to the market research report 3D Printing Market by Offering (Printer, Material, Software, Service), Process (Binder Jetting, Direct Energy Deposition, Material Extrusion, Material Jetting, Powder Bed Fusion), Application, Vertical and Geography – Global Forecast to 2023, published by MarketsandMarkets (TM), the 3D printing market is expected to be worth $32.78 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 25.76 percent between 2017 and 2023. The growth is attributed to the factors such as the ease of development of customized products, ability to reduce overall manufacturing costs and government investments in the 3D printing projects for the development and deployment of the technology.
Manufacturing Surges in June, ISM Says
US manufacturing surged in June as gains in new orders spurred increases in output and employment, the Institute for Supply Management said today. The institute’s PMI, which measures economic activity in manufacturing, advanced to 57.8 percent last month, up from 54.9 percent in May, according to a monthly report. It was the 10th consecutive month of growth / / Read More
Shifting Surfboard Fin Production with 3D Printing
3D printed surfboard fins have been made using a wide range of thermoplastic polymers, such as ABS and PLA. 3D printing allows a surfer to tailor-make a custom fin suited to their particular style of surfing, while being able to control the mechanical properties of the materials involved / / Read More
Mechanical Horse on GrabCAD
This fully 3D printed, functioning mechanical horse makes for an interesting print // Download
To start a conversation about a project or discuss a quote for 3D printing, CNC machining, urethane casting, rapid tooling, injection molding or R&D contract services, send us a request for quote. Fathom is also an authorized partner of Stratasys. Get a quote for a professional 3D printer today!
Imagery and News Sources: Georgia Tech, Piedmont Heart Institute, Stratasys, CNNMoney, University of Florida, ETH Zurich, Concrete Canoe Regatta, The Economist, MarketsandMarkets, ISM, MarketWatch, GrabCAD and User G15, AdvancedManufacturing.org, The Conversation
