3D Printing News
A note of caution to our viewers: many of these products are only available for pre-ordering and have yet to be manufactured. Others are only hopes/dreams. Hyperbole is the language of choice, so be careful!
A new study has just confirmed that emissions from 3D printers can cause harm to respiratory systems. Scientists from Purdue University and the Chemical Insights Research Institute recorded DNA damage and inflammation, both causative factors in Asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 10 ways to improve indoor air quality are suggested.

A huge 3D printer is building sustainable wooden houses in Maine. The wood comes from wood waste from local lumber yards. Maine has estimated that it will need 80,000 new homes during the next 5 years.

A new 3D printing material is said to be elastic enough to withstand the constant beating of a human heart, strong enough to hold the weights usually placed on human joints, and flexible enough to be custom-shaped to fit the needs of the patient. It also sticks to wet tissue. The new tissue was modeled on worms, which easily tangle and untangle themselves around each other in a mass called "worm blobs". The blobs have both liquid and solid properties. Goals include repairing heart defects, bringing tissue-regenerating drugs directly to cartilege or organs, or even during surgical procedures that don't inflict the type of damage that you see with needles and sutures.

Surgeons at South Worwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have used a patient-specific wrist implant for the first time. The print was designed to fix a post-traumatic wrist deformity. The doctors initially used X-raays and CT scans which were digitized into a 3D model using custom software. Benefits to the patient included better functionality, quicker recovery time and less pain.

A multinational group of scientists has created a new 3D printing ink that makes easily recyclable electronic circuits without heat, light, or toxic materials. Eliminating toxic substances is a huge step forwrd since they can injure both the patient and the environment.

At the moment, the International Space Station can only accommodate 11 people at one time. A not-for-profit organization called the Aurelia Institute is working on a habitation that can be output in stacks of flat tiles and can then assemble itself while in orbit. The goal is to reduce the complex and time-consuming process now required to build something like ths ISS. The task is also hazardous to humans who first have to clothe themselves in an extravehicular suit. Aurelia, based in Cambridge, Mass., is showing a model of a space habitat called TESSERAE, which means Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments. The mock-up looks like a huge soccer ball one story high. Once in space, the tiles would be tossed into a balloon-like structure and theoretically would snap together due to their magnetic edges. Optimistically they would configure the correct shape in their first attempt. If not, a current would pulsate through the magnets to break them apart and try again. Once correctly in place, plumbing and electrical components would be hand installed.

Lamborghini has used 3D printing for its SC63 Hypercar at the 24 hours of Le Mans 2024. Specifically, Lamborghini used the services of a local company to 3D print parts that were essential but unavailable elsewhere. The SC63 is a hybrid model with a 3.8 liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the most advanced racing car that Lamborghini had ever manufactured. The 3D printed parts included 2 air ducts, and 2 guides for the pneumatic lifting system. Lamborghini found a material called TPU 95A which offered both flexibility and strength.

One of the "holy grails" of organ transplanting has been creating a funtional human organ outside the body. Engineers have now devised a new process to 3D print vascular networks. These networks are made up of interconnected blood vessels with a special shell. The shell itself contains smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells; the cells surround a hollowed-out core, to be embedded inside human cardiac tissue, and allowing for the flow of liquids. The complex method is revealed in detail in this report.

The structure and function of bone tissues is a hot topic in orthopedic circles today. It is known that bones are formed in high-strain areas and removed in low-strain areas, but bone loss and injuries are familiar occurrences and extend beyond the body's ability to heal and recover. Scientists are experimenting with 3D micro environments utilizing printed scaffolds that imitate natural bone, specifically nervous system glia like Schwann cells (SCs).

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have devised a new simple method that uses a solution of salt water and ink to create solid structures. Their custom ink is needle-extruded into a calcium chloride salt solution that immediately solidifies when it comes into contact with salt water. This fast solidification is called the salting-out effect. It requires no specialized equipment, no heat, no pressure, in fact no additional steps at all to create a solid form. The process is also reversible: the solids can easily return to their liquid state.

One note of caution: many companies are using high-tech and confusing language to disguise the fact that plastics are part of their product or their process, especially in the food industry. Buyer beware. Demand an easy-to-understand explanation before you eat or buy.

We review many hundreds of articles each month, culling the most significant for you. We also welcome suggestions from our viewers for products and processes that we may have missed.

c.Corinne Whitaker 2024