In response to competitive pressures, manufacturers constantly strive to reduce the cost of their products. However, these efforts typically have a direct impact on the risk of product failure. To combat this risk, many companies are looking to simulation software to find the ideal balance between reducing part cost and protecting product reliability. “Premature failure…
Saying Goodbye to One Adventure & Saying Hello to Another
Dear Readers, Alas, it is time for me to say goodbye. It’s difficult not to get nostalgic when leaving a job that has introduced me to so many new friends, colleagues, cities, and innovative technologies. As I look around my cubicle here in Madison, Wisconsin, I see a binder of old print issues I…
Infographic: The State of the Industrial IoT
According to a new report by the Genpact Research Institute, 81% of business executives believe that successful adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is critical to their company’s future success, but only 25% have a clear IIoT strategy. The results were taken from 173 senior executives from manufacturing companies worldwide. The following infographic…
Building a 3D Printed Rocket Engine
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, has pioneered space exploration and rocket advancements since it was established in 1960. Serving as one of the space agency’s largest centers, MSFC was responsible for various components of crucial missions, such as developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program and leading…
Engineering Newswire 198: First-Ever Smart Golf Shoes Can Cure Your Bad Swing
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re plugging blimp holes with a spider robot, improving our golf games with smart shoes, monitoring alcohol levels with a temporary tattoo, and saying goodbye to the one and only Kaylie Duffy. Lockheed’s ‘Spider’ Robot Plugs Blimp Holes Imagine trying to find a needle in a haystack. That’s exactly how it…
Engineering Newswire 196: World’s First Golf Cart Jetpack Takes Clubs to New Heights
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re enjoying a robotic massage, taking a ride in the world’s first golf cart jetpack, and herding cattle with a rugged robot. Massaging Robot Hits the Right Spot Say hello to Emma – your new massage therapist! She’ll never tire or forget where you need applied pressure. How is this possible?…
BAE Systems Wants to ‘Grow’ Military Drones in Chemical Vats
BAE Systems and the University of Glasgow are conducting cutting-edge research that combines drones, 3D printing, and nanotechnology. Their research is focused on looking at a faster, cheaper way to produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, there’s a catch. Instead of constructing the UAVs, the institutions are looking for a way to grow them in…
Engineering Newswire 194: World’s Largest Radio Telescope Ready to Seek Alien Life
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re completing construction of the world’s largest radio telescope, combating digital eye strain with new contact lenses, and investigating how race car drivers see the track with special goggles. Lens Combats Digital Eye Strain According to contact manufacturer CooperVision, more than seven in ten adults experience the discomfort that comes with…
Engineering Newswire 193: Unmanned, Modular Robot to Tackle Tough Terrain on Battlefield
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re testing out the latest modular military robot, brushing our teeth with a Bluetooth connected toothbrush, and developing the world’s first child-sized exoskeleton. Connected Toothbrush Knows Which Teeth You’re Brushing The recently announced Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected toothbrush from Philips is designed with sensors that track your brushing in real-time. In…
Engineering Newswire 192: Autonomous Sikorsky Helicopter Completes 30-Mile Flight
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re shooting burn victims with a stem cell gun, flying in an autonomous helicopter, and sailing across the Atlantic in an autonomous, solar-powered boat. Solar-Powered, Autonomous Boat Crossing Atlantic While many of you may be monitoring the progress of the solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, that is currently flying around the…
Engineering Newswire 191: Anti-UAV System Disables Drones 6 Miles Away
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re riding around on a super smart bike, chatting with the latest home robot, and beaming down pesky drones. ‘Unstealable’ Smart Bike Some of you may be familiar with the pain and annoyance of having your bike stolen. Thankfully, Dutch manufacturer VanMoof understands your pain, and has developed a smart solution.…
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How 3D Printing Is Driving the Growth of Small Businesses
Over the past two decades, 3D printers have revolutionized the world of prototyping and small scale manufacturing. In an interview with John Hornick, author of 3D Printing Will Rock the World, PD&D explores how 3D printers can empower small businesses to make big things and re-democratize manufacturing. Hornick has been a counselor and litigator in…
Photos of the Day: Seattle’s Two-Story, Partially Completed Subterranean Highway
An enormous tunnel-boring machine known as Bertha is being used to drill a two-mile-long underground tunnel in Seattle. The subterranean, two-story highway is set to open to the public in 2018. Recently, the Washington State Department of Transportation released a four-minute video of a drone flying through the partially completed tunnel. The never-before-seen footage provides…
Innovations in Metal 3D Printing
The 3D printer market is rapidly transforming, and nowhere is this more evident than in the metal 3D printing segment. Competition among the largest market players is one of the major reasons new technologies are arising at such breakneck speeds. “There is so much innovation going on in 3D metal printing right now. It’s almost…
Fireside Chat: 3D Printing Beyond the Prototype
Xaar, a developer of piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet technologies and industrial digital inkjet printheads, has appointed Professor Neil Hopkinson to a new role as Director of 3D Printing. PD&D caught up with Professor Hopkinson to ask about his new position, the future of Xaar, and his thoughts on the industry. PD&D: First of all, congratulations on…
Infographic: 3D Printing in Healthcare
A new report by Allied Market Research projects that the worldwide 3D printing healthcare market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.2% from 2015 to 2020. The following infographic details the fastest growing technologies, materials, and applications in healthcare 3D printing.
4 Hottest 3D Printing Technologies at AMUG
The annual Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference just wrapped up this week in St. Louis, where some rather innovative and groundbreaking 3D technologies were displayed and introduced. With an abundance of new products exhibited at the conference, PD&D combed through every display and booth to bring you the four hottest 3D printing technologies from…
The Art of Creating Clones with Additive Manufacturing
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to wander the halls of St. Louis Union Station for the 28th annual Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference. While there, I heard two great keynotes from Legacy Effects’ lead systems engineer Jason Lopes and T.A. Grimm & Associates’ president Todd Grimm. In particular, Lopes gave an inspiring presentation…
Photos of the Day: Longest Train Tunnel in the World
The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest train tunnel in the world, will enter into service on December 11, 2016. The 35.4-mile tunnel is at the heart of the New Trans-Alpine Railway Link (NRLA) project, with the aim of improving the north-south rail link through the Alps. Base tunnels enable shorter and flatter rail routes so…
5 Hot Trends to Watch at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference
Each year, the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) hosts its annual Conference, which features presentations, workshops, competitions, vendor break-out sessions, and the AMUGexpo. The conference’s roots date back to the early 1990s when the founding industry users group was called 3D Systems North Stereolithography Users Group. Although the original users group was solely focused on…
What to Expect at the 2016 AMUG Conference
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) is an independent, industry-wide users group that gives its members a forum for learning, information exchange, and establishing professional connections in the industry. To better assist its members, AMUG hosts an annual AMUG Conference, which serves as a venue to exchange ideas and provide technical sessions and workshops. Product…
Engineering Newswire 181: World’s Largest Aircraft Readies for Takeoff
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re unveiling the world’s largest aircraft, testing out the first ever smartphone-powered 3D printer, and donning Panasonic’s latest exoskeleton suit. World’s Largest Aircraft Unveiled Journalists were recently given a sneak peek of a newly-constructed airship known as Airlander 10. The 302-foot-long behemoth was unveiled fully assembled in a massive hangar north…
Infographic: The State of U.S. Plastics Manufacturing
Each year, Ray Products releases an annual plastics manufacturing industry survey. More than 4,000 professionals at companies across the U.S. were surveyed. Check out the infographic below to learn more.
Engineering Newswire 179: Stealing 3D Printed Designs with Sound
Today on Engineering Newswire, we’re developing a guide collar for the blind, creating bionic fingertips for amputees, and eavesdropping on 3D printers. Toyota’s Guide Collar for the Blind It comes as no surprise that those with limited vision are set to benefit from autonomous cars. However, getting around after exiting the car will still be…