Research & Education
Additive manufacturing is transforming how products are designed, produced, and serviced. AM lets us produce on-demand, without dedicated equipment or tooling. This unparalleled flexibility enables new digital design and production tools that can create components and products with breakthrough performance: in order to truly unlock the potential of AM, research & education is of fundamental importance.
Knowledge of the fundamentals of AM, its design principles, applications, and implications is one of the greatest barriers to its wider adoption. In recent years the key importance of integrating additive manufacturing in educational curricula has begun to be considered worldwide.
Additive manufacturing centered research & education initiatives by both governments and corporations – as well as individuals – have begun to focus on raising the next generation of additive manufacturing designers and engineers.
The main areas of exploration for educational activities are in software and hardware. While AM hardware learning is currently mostly limited to exploring the current additive production process and its applications, the software offers some of the most significant opportunities in terms of learning to fully exploit the AM process in the future.
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The 2021 MakerBot grant guide is designed to make it easier for educators and administrators to find and secure valuable grants year-round. Researched and compiled by MakerBot, the Grant Guide includes information, links, and deadlines to grants for K-12 and higher education; academic awards and contests; educator grants, scholarships, and…
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CollPlant Biotechnologies released a letter from its Chief Executive Officer, Yehiel Tal, to its shareholders. The letter summarizes a strong year for the company and its shareholders, which has benefitted from the uptick in 3D printing research and interest throughout 2020 to position itself for an even stronger 2021. The letter…
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Zortrax signed a letter of intent with Skriware, an innovation leader active in the education sector. Starting from Q3 of 2021, Zortrax M200 Plus 3D printers will become a part of Skriware range of solutions aimed at educators around the world. The first joint project of Zortrax and Skriware is…
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The University of Wolverhampton’s Additive Manufacturing Functional Materials (AMFM) research group has developed an antiviral material based on copper-tungsten-silver, which can be 3D printed and kills the Covid-19 virus. The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for materials and surfaces that kill or suppress the virus to help reduce airborne…
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America Makes launched a new Rapid Innovation Call (RIC) worth $185K in total funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division, to advance qualification and certification (Q&C) of additive manufacturing (AM) materials, processes, and products throughout the supply chain. “We have…
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Researchers from DTU Health Tech have repurposed an optical component from an Xbox gaming console to develop an affordable 3D printer that can print 3D objects with nano/microscale structures. This legacy Xbox 360 3D printer approach can replace conventional expensive optics in research equipment to lower the threshold for more…
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Reducing vehicle weight reduces CO2 emissions and remains a key concern for auto manufacturers. FEV and its partners in the LeiMot (Lightweight Engine) research project use additive manufacturing to demonstrate further combustion engine emission economies. FEV engineers were able to make engine functions, such as cooling or oil circulation, more…
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In this month’s AM Focus on Bioprinting—and the eBook edition which will be released on March 1st—we will take a deep dive into the different bioprinting technologies that are commercially available today. Starting with 3dpbm’s map of bioprinting technologies and companies. When cell cultures went 3D 3D cell…
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Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with Swedish graphene materials company Graphmatech, demonstrated a potential breakthrough in the printability of copper for laser additive manufacturing (AM). The discovery significantly lowers copper powder’s reflectivity to achieve denser printed parts. Professor Ulf Jansson’s research group at Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, has carried…
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A group from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) developed an autonomous system that prints functional, custom-made devices and robots. This single system, known as the LaserFactory uses a three-ingredient recipe that lets users create structural geometry, print traces, and assemble electronic components like sensors and actuators. Two…
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