Technology

Large-scale 3D printing is slowly coming to the fore as a cost-effective and flexible solution for manufacturing large parts and components. That said, with the majority of the 3D printers currently available having been developed for smaller parts, what is the outlook for 3D printing technologies that can print larger parts like turbine blades and …

Industry 4.0, IIoT, and digitisation are currently some of the most-discussed and yet least understood topics within manufacturing today.   With still a lot of confusion surrounding Industry 4.0, today we’ll be exploring the key technologies behind Industry 4.0, as well as real-world applications.   Industry 4.0 in a nutshell Industry 4.0 is signalling a …

Stereolithography (SLA) and Digital Light Processing (DLP) are two of the most popular 3D printing technologies around. Sharing a number of similarities, both SLA and DLP fall into the vat polymerisation family of 3D printing technologies. The two technologies have undergone a huge evolution in the last decade, stepping beyond their rapid prototyping origins to …

Quality assurance (QA) is arguably the most important and yet one of the most challenging steps in 3D printing.   With 3D printing being increasingly used in high-performance industrial applications, the technology must consistently and reliably deliver high-quality parts with the properties needed to meet demanding applications. When it comes to metal 3D printing, however, …

3D printing is breathing new life into a variety of consumer products. Fuelling new trends and innovation, the technology is creating exciting opportunities for the future of the consumer goods industry.     The consumer goods industry has long seen the benefits of 3D printing in product design and development thanks to rapid prototyping. However, …

Just a decade ago, few believed that metal 3D printing could ever be a serious contender for serial production. However, the technology has seen a rapid evolution, particularly over the last few years. Now, with metal parts being used in applications as wide-reaching as medical, automotive and aerospace, the technology is gearing up for production.   …

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), or Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) as it’s more commonly known, remains one of the most popular 3D printing technologies. And as the technology continues to evolve, FDM is finding more industrial applications on the manufacturing floor. The development of new polymer materials is a key factor behind this development.   In …

Imagine buying shoes that can self-adjust to your feet or developing a medical device that can perfectly adapt to a patient’s anatomy when triggered by a specific stimulus. These are just some of the potential uses of 4D printing — an exciting, growing area of research.    While 4D printing may seem like something out …

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 …