A new study describes 3D printing of Shape Memory Polymers to produce active meta-materials that can be programmed to form versatile shapes and are then able to recover their original state when heated to above their activation temperatures. This innovative combination of 3D printing, thermoviscoelastic meta-materials, and programmable design to create 4D shape-transforming structures is…
Elon Musk’s Vision Of A Self-Sustaining City On Mars Published In New Space
The Commentary entitled “Making Humans a Multi-Planetary Species presents the vision of Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, for future manned trips to other planets and specifically what will be needed to create a self-sustaining city on Mars. The article, drawn from Mr. Musk’s presentation at the 67th International Astronautical Congress, is published in New Space, a peer-reviewed…
Molten Glass 3D Printer Produces Optically Transparent Glass
A new additive manufacturing technique uses an innovative process for printing molten glass at sufficiently high temperatures, layering it to produce strong 3D-printed glass objects able to transmit light. The modular, scalable printer, combined with a Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) printing process, makes it possible to tailor the size, shape, and properties of the printed glass…
Novel 3D Printing Process for the Consumer Market
Lower-cost 3D printers for the consumer market offer only a limited selection of plastic materials, while industrial additive manufacturing (AM) machines can print parts made of high-performance metals. The application of a novel process called Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS) in a consumer-priced metal AM machine is described in an article in 3D Printing and Additive…