Some in the medical industry are using silicone rubber molds made with a 3D-printed master pattern for low-to-mid production runs of cast polyurethane device housings.
Constant refinement of medical machining from tooling design to finished product requires not only the ability to handle a broad range of plastic and metal materials but also to achieve predictable results—particularly in the face of strict regulations.
The use of additive manufacturing (AM) in the medical industry is well established in making dental implants, artificial hip joints, and molds for invisible braces.
Industry analyst firm SmarTech Publishing has just issued a new report that examines the current market for automotive additive manufacturing market including prototyping and tooling applications while focusing specifically on production of final parts.
A new report urges the United States invest in emerging manufacturing technologies, saying the private sector can’t preserve US manufacturing by itself.
The world is undergoing some radical transformations related to the concept of “motorized transport.” This term was once synonymous with the automobile and the internal combustion engine, along with the conventional infrastructure supporting this technology like asphalt roads, filling stations and repair shops.
The only users who’ve clocked more time with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion additive manufacturing system than service bureau GoProto Inc. (Portland, OR) may be the actual developers of the technology.
Basic trends in modern manufacturing are driving growth in 3D optical metrology. “One is the highly complex and high-tech material that manufacturers are using today. For example, in the aerospace turbine blade market, they simply cannot touch the part like they used to—the surface finish of the material is too readily affected by any kind of contact metrology."
The precast concrete industry is looking at using 3D printing, Additive Manufacturing magazine said. Gate Precast used 3D printed forms during construction of a 42-story building in New York, the magazine said. The publication said Gate Precast determined 3D printed tool worked “for a job requiring high repeatability over many concrete pours.”
Stratasys Ltd (Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel), the 3D printing company, said Tuesday its CEO is leaving, with no permanent replacement named and amid financial losses.
