3D Printing

After extensive testing, Panasonic have implemented Viscom's closed-loop interface into it's printers and placement machines. The interface, developed by the two companies, provides a closed control loop between solder paste inspection (SPI) and printer. This allows the print process to be inspected and immediately optimised. To automatically correct the printing process, data is sent from the SPI directly to the printer. 

3D printing is hot and has emerged as manufacturing technology with a thousand uses, spread across a very diverse user base. 

A brand of OK International focused on 3D printing, Quant3D announces the launch of the company's website and online store. Quant3D printers easily and quickly produce a wide range of 3D models for various applications used within industries such as architecture, medical, consumer, automotive, industrial, education and prosumer.

A 1.5m wide prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been developed by engineers at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield. Created with a 3D printer, the engineers have claimed that the polymer craft could form the basis of cheap and potentially disposable UAVs that could be built and deployed in remote situations potentially within as little as 24 hours.

According to research in the '3D Printing 2014-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players' report, IDTechEx have forecast that the market for 3D printing equipment, materials and software will grow from about $1.5bn (USD) this year to $4bn (USD) in 2025. While the automotive industry will remain the largest client sector, growth will be led by the sectors transitioning towards the use of 3D printing for final product applications, including medical/den...

  Metcal announce that it will introduce several new features for the Scorpion Rework System during the IPC APEX EXPO. The Scorpion System redefines precision and addresses the technical demands presented by component manufacturers today.

RS Components is placing a bet on the forecast growth of 3D printing with the introduction of an array of 3D printers and print technologies to its product offering. The new introductions are from 3D Systems, a provider of 3D content-to-print solutions including 3D printers and print materials designed for professional, educational, and personal use.

According to Richard Hague, Professor of Innovative Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham, the UK is leading the world in 3D printing research. A luminary in the field of additive manufacturing (the technical term for 3D printing), Richard recently delivered the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Young Professionals’ lecture at the Royal Institution and outlined its future potential as a core driver of industry ...

3D printing has come of age, surpassing $1B in revenues during 2012 and with growth expected to continue across all target markets to 2025. Across the board printer manufacturers are reporting a surge in sales, some cannot meet demand, as awareness of the technologies and what they offer grows.

Saelig has introduced the award-winning Afinia H479 Rapid-Prototyping 3D Printer - a self-contained unit that provides an immediate availability 3D prototyping experience. The H479 3D Printer comes fully assembled, with easy to install software for both the PC and Mac, and can prototype a part up to 5 inches in each dimension, accurate to within .2mm (.008). A heated build platform prevents model warping during printing.