3D Printing

Many great artists have gone through rough financial times historically, and on occasion, artists have been forced to paint over previous works in order to save on materials. This was the case with Vincent van Gogh, who 135 years ago, had decided to paint over a previous work with a picture of some flowers. The picture hidden beneath the flowers was of two wrestlers, and was known to have existed historically via the artist’s own writings. A team of researchers with some experience of using AI and 3D printing to restore such lost masterpieces has turned their attention to the Van Gogh painting and has successfully replicated some approximations of the original. We say “approximation” because there is no real point of reference to confirm, but more on that later. You can see the restored image below. “The Two Wrestlers” – artwork restored with 3D printing (Image credit: UCL) The…    read more 

Anycubic is celebrating its 7th anniversary on 2nd September 2022 with a new online product launch. Let’s take a look at the special anniversary offerings from the Shenzhen-based 3D printer company. Anycubic Photon D2 First up is the Anycubic Photon D2, which is the company’s second generation DLP printer. The Photon D2 is an upgrade to Anycubic’s previous Photon Ultra. The Photon D2 continues to use Texas Instruments’ lighting solution for an in-depth exploration of a revolutionary advancement in the 3D printing industry. The Photon D2 offers multiple advancements over its predecessor. Take a look at the list of features on the new DLP system below. Dual Algorithms for Superior Precision The latest light uniformity compensation algorithm significantly enhances light uniformity to 92%, which means the energy in every exposure location is almost the same, thus contributing to a more consistent print result. Additionally, the 16-step gray anti-aliasing algorithm ensures…    read more 

A new paper published by researchers from Thailand has summarized various options for 3D printing magnets. The paper gathers together different methods and processes for the 3D printing of magnets including Stereolithography, binder jetting, selective laser melting, electron beam melting, extrusion free-forming, and FDM. Let’s have a look at what your options are should you ever find yourself in need of a printed magnet. But first, let’s look at why you would 3D print one in the first place. Traditional Magnets The paper is titled “Recent Developments in 3D Printing of Rare-Earth-Free Permanent Magnets” so it is concerned with magnets that are always “on”, rather than electromagnets and softer ferromagnets, the latter of which can lose magnetism over time. Magnets from common elements such as iron, cobalt or nickel or other alloys, are examined in the paper, and rare Earth materials such as neodymium and samarium are ignored. Rare Earth…    read more 

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a technique that allows them to print 3D wooden structures that change shape as they dry. It is fascinating to watch the prints curl and bend and may be a way to manufacture furniture in the future! 3D printed wood warped seed pods. (Image credit: Wood Warping Composite by 3D Printing) The group lead by Doran Kam, a Ph.D. student working under Dr. Shlomo Magdassi at the university, has found a way to turn wood shavings into a printable ink that warps as it dries. It is done in such a way that they can control how it bends and twists by adjusting the speed of the print and the orientation the part is printed at. It’s a process the wood naturally exhibits, and the researchers took advantage of it for their new printing technique. Watch flat 3D-printed wood twist into…    read more 

Purdue has recently partnered with VELO3D to 3D print a fuel injector that can replicate hypersonic conditions in their lab. This is a large step forward for hypersonic research and will allow the group to iterate hypersonic designs faster than ever before. Purdue has been leader in hypersonic research space for awhile and recently invested heavily ($18 million dollars to be exact) to establish The University’s Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (HAMTC) with the help of Lockheed Martin, GE Additive, Dynetics, Aerojet Rocketdyne, GE Edison Works, Boeing and others on the technology to get the facility off the ground. Associate Professor Carson Slabaugh at Purdue’s HAMTC (Image credit: Purdue University) Over the few months since the initial funding, it sounds like the facility has made massive strides. However, they were still hampered by a large issue; testing parts at an above Mach 5 level. They found this region hard to…    read more