AM is bringing unprecedented capabilities to the industrial world but its technologies are still mostly experimental and much is being researched. Nonetheless, these bottlenecks are being addressed as we speak through sheer research and, on a higher level, by achieving the proper certification to make it into the real world. Researchers are putting under the spotlight every step of the AM process and have discovered a flaw which, if fixed, could dramatically speed up the whole process. Crucial certifications’ specifics have been met by the team at Norsk Titanium in providing flight proof structural aircraft parts, the first to ever do so. Similarly, the complex system for complete AM industrialization is being finalized by Adidas to bring 3D printed shoes to mass-production.
New Research Could Help Speed Up the 3D Printing Process
A team of researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York and MIT have identified some bottlenecks in 3D printers, that, if improved, could speed up the entire process. “We found that the rate at which a polymer melts is limiting in many implementations,” said Scott Schiffres, Binghamton Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “The pressure required to push the polymer through the nozzle is a sharp function of temperature. If the core is not hot enough, the printer will not be able to squeeze the polymer through the nozzle.”
Read the full article here.
Norsk Titanium 3D prints world’s first approved, structural, titanium components for commercial flight
Norwegian aerospace additive manufacturing specialists Norsk Titanium AS has released details of a parts order from multinational aircraft corporation Boeing. According to Norsk, the ordered components will make the Boeing 787 Dreamliner the “first commercial airplane to fly with certified additive-manufactured titanium parts in structural applications.”
Read the full article at 3D Printing Industry.
How 3D Printing Will Optimize Your Next Pair of Running Shoes
In the second half of 2017, Adidas is bringing [a new] level of customization to the U.S. with its Speedfactory, a production facility in the Atlanta area. Its goal is to deliver cutting-edge manufacturing and produce more shoes with “advanced complexity in color, materials, and sizes” for U.S.-based retailers and consumers. “The vision of Speedfactory is about making customized and personalized footwear for all people,” says Ben Herath, vice president of global design. “We’re bringing shoe manufacturing closer to the people and speeding up the manufacturing time.”
See the development story of 3D printed shoes here.
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