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UPS is using 3D printing to transform their industry, production of auto components accelerated by 17%, and innovative 3D printing inks open a vast new world for metal printing.
While it is still early days for this type of service, creative logistics is what UPS is known for. Not only is this an evolution of the 3D printing service provider market, but it’s a complete disruption of the light manufacturing, shipping and fulfilment markets as well. We agree with 3Dprint.com that if anyone can successfully proselytize the benefits of using this type of business model to their clients it is going to be UPS. It reminds us a lot of this great project we worked on with Lowe’s Innovation Labs for Orchard Supply Hardware:
Czech Republic-based Innomia, a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) specialist, has been using EOS additive manufacturing technology to help companies in the automobile supply chain to produce high quality components. A recent tool insert cooling system developed by the company, made using additive manufacturing techniques, has resulted in a 17% increase in productivity for Magna, a supplier to Škoda. 3Ders article about it is worth the visit.
Researchers have been steadily refining the process, and now a team at Northwestern University has come up with a process that even allows the use of inexpensive rust powder, which is more lightweight, offers greater stability, and is safer and more affordable in comparison to other iron powders.
Findings regarding this new process were recently discussed in a paper, ‘Metallic Architectures from 3D-Printed Powder-Based Liquid Inks,’ by Adam E. Jakus, Shannon L. Taylor, Nicholas R. Geisendorfer, David C. Dunand, and Ramille N. Shah, just published in Advanced Functional Materials. 3DPrint.com has a great write up on the findings.
Closing our Week in Review, we want to invite you to visit Layer0, our tech team blog. This week we have posted a 3Diax screencast for engineers, on how to the platform works and how the modules interact with each other. If you like code, 3D modeling and 3D printing, Layer0 is the place to go. Every Tuesday a new blog post will be waiting for for you.