Product Development
3D Printed Tennis Racket Serves a Collaborative Win
The collaboration between All Design Lab and Protolabs led to the creation of a 3D printed tennis racket via direct metal laser sintering, called Hìtëkw. This project not only pushed the limits of additive in terms of design capabilities but revealed how important active communication between customer and manufacturer can be for a project’s success.
Fiona Lawler
Associate Editor, Additive Manufacturing
Titanium Golf Club Line Leverages AM to Boost Clubhead Performance
Japanese lifestyle golf brand Designer utilizes Farsoon 3D printing to optimize the design and production of its latest titanium golf club line.
Read More4 Ways Augmented Reality and 3D Printing Intersect
Augmented reality (AR) is bringing benefits to additive manufacturing, and vice-versa.
Read MoreIndyCar's 3D Printed Top Frame Increases Driver Safety
The IndyCar titanium top frame is a safety device standard to all the series' cars. The 3D printed titanium component holds the aeroscreen and protects drivers on the track.
Read MoreMaterialise Develops CO-AM System for Holistic Process Quality
Formnext: QPC users can collect and monitor data during the different stages of product development —including research, validation and production — giving additive manufacturers a holistic view of their process and its interrelationships.
Read MorePostPro SFX Desktop Vapor Smoothings Enhances Parts’ Visual, Functional Properties
Formnext 2023: This desktop chemical vapor smoothing machine features a compact benchtop design, making it well suited for R&D and low-volume prototyping projects.
Read MoreHP Works With Brooks Running to 3D Print Performance Footwear
HP has collaborated with Brooks Running to create the Brooks Exhilarate-BL which features 3DNA, a 3D-printed midsole technology that delivers a propulsive, bouncy ride.
Read MoreComplete Speaker Lineup Announced for the 3D Printing Workshop at NPE2024: The Plastics Show
Presentations will cover 3D printing for mold tooling, material innovation, product development, bridge production and full-scale, high-volume additive manufacturing.
Stephanie Hendrixson
Executive Editor, Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing's Evolving Role at Fathom Now Emphasizing Bridge Production
Bridge production is currently the biggest opportunity for additive manufacturing, says Fathom Manufacturing co-founder Rich Stump. How this service provider leverages AM while finding balance with other production capabilities.
Read MoreFoundry Lab: How Casting in a Day Will Improve the Design of Metal Parts (Includes Video)
The company’s digital casting process uses 3D printing, but the result is a cast part. By providing a casting faster than a foundry, the company says effective prototyping is now possible for cast parts, as well as bridge production.
Read MoreFaster Iteration, Flexible Production: How This Inflation System OEM Wins With 3D Printing
Haltec Corp., a manufacturer of tire valves and inflation systems, finds utility in 3D printing for rapid prototyping and production of components for its modular and customizable products.
Read MoreMC Machinery’s Wire-Laser Metal 3D Printer for Efficient, Versatile Processing
The printer applications include rapid prototyping, mold and die, one-offs, short runs, mass manufacturing, maintenance, repair, tooling and more.
Read MorePowderCleanse Concept Delivers In Situ Powder Analysis for Metal 3D Printing
A collaborative project developed a prototype solution for measuring particle size distribution on the production floor, as part of the sieving step typical to additive manufacturing processes using metal powders.
Read MoreAM Companies Collaborate With Wilson to Create First Airless Prototype Basketball
General Lattice’s enterprise solutions team worked with Wilson to bring its concept to life by streamlining the design and iteration process through the use of its computational design tools and workflows.
Read MoreSinter-Based Additive Manufacturing Finds a Place Alongside MIM, Press and Sinter at APG
Powder metallurgy company Alpha Precision Group (APG) is applying a particular class of metal 3D printing technology for both rapid iteration in development and flexibility in production.
Stephanie Hendrixson
Executive Editor, Additive Manufacturing
Protolabs’ Software Provides Instant Manufacturability Analysis for 3D Printing
The automated design feedback helps accelerate product development and avoid unnecessary production costs by making design adjustments early.
Read MoreSigma Additive Solutions Partners With SLM Solutions to Optimize Quality Solutions in AM
Sigma’s PrintRite3D technology and SLM Solutions’ 3D metal printers will enable users to standardize product development. The shared goal is to integrate certified quality assurance software for the use of additive manufacturing machinery.
Read MoreWhy This Photopolymer Developer Wants Prototyping to Go “Massless”
High-performance materials supplier polySpectra is embracing augmented reality (AR) with a new tool called Massless intended to reduce unnecessary 3D printing.
Read MoreDefense Department Looks to Additive Manufacturing to Propel Hypersonic Systems
The DoD is requesting prototype solutions for its Growing Additive Manufacturing Maturity for Airbreathing Hypersonics (GAMMA-H) challenge as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to expand manufacturing processes for intricate hypersonic weapons parts.
Read MoreHow to Build 10,000+ Shot Molds in Hours
Rapid tooling isn’t so rapid when it takes days to 3D print a metal mold, and then you still must machine it to reach the necessary tolerances. With Nexa3D’s polymer process you can print a mold in hours that is prototype or production ready and can last for more than 10,000 shots.
Read MoreGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems Establishes Additive Design, Manufacturing Center
The center focuses on additive manufacturing applications, R&D, large-scale tooling and next-generation flight hardware to streamline the manufacturing of unmanned aircraft systems.
Read More4 Weeks from Design to Molded Part for Medical with Metal 3D Printed Tooling
Mold builder Westminster Tool applied the Trueshape process from Mantle to produce tooling to take a medical device from prototype mold to full-scale production in a matter of weeks.
How Hybrid Tooling — Part 3D Printed, Part Metal Shell — Accelerates Product Development and Sustainability for PepsiCo
The consumer products giant used to wait weeks and spend thousands on each iteration of a prototype blow mold. Now, new blow molds are available in days and cost just a few hundred dollars.
Read MoreVelo3D Adds StarHagen to Contract Manufacturer Network
StarHagen is a provider of high-quality production parts for aerospace companies and specializes in manufacturing with extreme precision for prototype and production-volume manufacturing.
Read MoreCovestro Sells Additive Manufacturing Business to Stratasys
The sale includes R&D facilities as well as offices and employees in Europe, U.S. and China.
Read More3DEO Adds Design for Additive Manufacturing as Core Service
IMTS 2022: New offering opens 3DEO’s technology to customers across all stages of product development.
Read MoreAzul 3D’s Lake Printer Offers a Single, Streamlined Production Platform
IMTS 2022: Azul 3D says its Lake printer enables manufacturers to transition from prototyping to mass manufacturing on a single, streamlined production platform.
Read MoreHybrid Metal 3D Printer Enables Quick-turn Prototyping
IMTS: Matsuura Machinery’s Lumex Avance hybrid metal 3D printers are said to enable lights-out production for highly accurate parts from metal powders.
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