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3D Printing News
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3D printed braids can now be squeezed to half their diameter and regain 90% of their shape. The superelastic braids can be printed in just one step. One possible use is seen as a pathway to personalized implants that fold into a catheter and open inside the vessel. The new braids push against vessel walls far more gently than the currently used lattice structures, meaning lessened occurrence of clots and less damage to the vessel.

A scientist in Zurich is using bacteria to turn sand into solid architectural elements. The bacteria turn into a "mineral glue" composed of interlocking microscopic calcite crystals in a process called biocementation. The idea is not new, but the ability to produce an architectural material that stands on its own is innovative. Two different manufacturing methods are described here.

ModelSplitter can split 3D models into parts and show you how to put them back together. The tool is free and browser-based. Other slicers, like PrusaSlicer, have been available, but ModelSplitter claims to work with larger and more difficult files.

New advances in 3D printed footwear are shown in the Flexora, which claims to use both algorithmic design and 3D printing techniques. The new design employs a biomorphic pattern said to seamlessly adapt to the geometry of the foot. The result is lightweight and flexible, described as comparable to a second skin. Gucci, the luxury Italian designer, has also introduced a 3D printed sneaker for men, called the Cub3D Limited edition, available in several colors. And Syntilay tells us it uses more than 5,000 data points with AI design and precision scanning.

Pharmather is building a network for rare disease, shortage and emergency medicines. Launched in Canada, the network plans to cover North America, beginning with compounding pharmacies and continuing with hospitals, manufacturers, research institutions and government facilities.

This article asks how many washes are really necesssary for resin 3D printing. "Washes" refers to removing the toxic stray liquid resin that remains on the surface of the print. The usual procedure involves washing the print in a bath of IPA, drying, and then curing in a UV chamber. A two-stage wash is recommended, although some users prefer more.

Fashion designer Danit Peleg uses bio-based material, on-demand production, and AI-designed work flows to 3D print waste-free clothes. Beginning with a graduate runway show, she has developed a structural vocabulary to output soft flexible fashion. Her current 3D printed fabric is composed of hemp, algae, and castor oil.

Engineers at Bangladesh University have resolved one of 3D printing's thorniest issues, discharge printing, which pours hazardous chemicals into the environment. The researchers have discovered that discarded peels from oranges and pineapples, boiled in water, can sharply reduce the amount of toxic agents discharged, like formaldehyde-releasing compounds and sulfur-based salts. Currently 20 to 30% of discharges are released per cycle.

A new process allows 3D printed materials to find and map damage. Called "self-sensing", the procedure tracks how the damage develops in real time. It senses factors like weight, strength, impact resistance, and flexibility. Potentially it could provide essential reports as materials age or degrade over time. The method sends electrical current through carbon nanotubes via electrodes attached to the materials, in a system called electrical impedance tomography (EIT)

Searching for alternative building materials to use in other space environments, engineers are looking at yeast and gelatin as potential housing sources for Mars. The recipe includes Martian rocks as well. The new material, once dried and hardened, is as strong as low-grade concrete and can be broken down and recycled for further construction. The process was inspired by freeze-drying.

The FDA has approved the first heart valve that grows with children. Up to now, children with congenital heart disease out grow their valves and require repeat open heart surgeries to remove the old valves and implant larger ones. The new Edwards Lifesciences Autus surgical pulmonary valve is designed to expand through a "minimally" invasive transcatheter procedure. It is being called a game-changer.

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 2026