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A deep dive into polymer 3D printing: technologies, promising developments, applications, and more.   2019 promises to be the year of polymer 3D printing. As major chemical companies are now joining the 3D printing world and industry mainstays are further advancing the capabilities of the technology, polymer 3D printing is given a tremendous boost.   To …

Industry 4.0: spend any time within additive manufacturing, or manufacturing more generally, and chances are you’ve come across the term. But what does “Industry 4.0” mean in reality? Is it merely an industry buzzword, or is it truly a meaningful description for the digital technologies currently disrupting manufacturing?   In this article, we examine 4 …

2018 was a successful year for additive manufacturing in many ways. From the development of new technologies to innovative software solutions, the year saw the industry begin to deliver on its promises of providing an industrial manufacturing solution.   In spite of these positive trends, there are still important questions for the industry going forwards …

What does the future of automotive production look like? Ford Motor Company may just have the answer.   In the summer of 2018, the car manufacturer opened its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Michigan. The 135,000-square-foot facility, worth a reported $45 million, brings together an array of technologies, including collaborative robots, VR and AR.   3D …

2018 was the year in which 3D printing quietly solidified its position as a commercially viable, industrial manufacturing technology. With key developments across hardware, materials and software last year, 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is becoming an increasingly important part of the manufacturing process.   With an impressive year for 3D printing in 2018, what …

2018 has been a year of growth and maturity for the additive manufacturing industry.   The 3D printing hype of previous years, where consumer 3D printing was predicted to lead to 3D printers in every home, famously gave way to a wave of disillusionment when this turned out not to be the case.   Since …

For a long time, post-processing has been referred to as 3D printing’s ‘dirty little secret’. With so much focus on the first two stages of the additive manufacturing process — design and production — the post-processing stage has often gone under the radar.   While additive manufacturing is often lauded for its embrace of digital, …

The world of electronics is a young yet burgeoning area for 3D printing. From drones and satellites to laptops and smartphones, electronic devices are playing an ever-greater role in our lives. However, to operate, these devices depend on electronic components such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), antennas and sensors.   3D printing is redefining the …

Additive manufacturing is powering the shift towards distributed, digital manufacturing. The ability to produce parts from digital files opens up new and exciting opportunities for agile manufacturing, from virtual inventories to on-demand, localised production.    The agile, lean manufacturing approach facilitated by AM is understandably appealing. With traditional manufacturing, storing and maintaining physical inventories of …

Before and after: 3D-printed parts following post-processing using PostProcess Technologies’ automation solutions. Image credit: PostProcess Technologies   Post-processing is a vital stage of the additive manufacturing process – and yet perhaps the most time-consuming. According to one statistic, current post-processing methods account for between 30-60% of the additive manufacturing process.   One key reason for …