Watch as Bugatti torture-tests a 3D-printed titanium brake caliper
Bugatti turned to 3D-printing to make stronger, lighter brake calipers out of titanium. The 3D-printed caliper is still at the prototype stage, and it's being torture-tested ahead of its official release. It can withstand rotor temperatures of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit without warping or melting.
Makerbot is back with a new 3D printer that’s faster and more precise than ever
MakerBot's new Method 3D printer aims to bridge the gap between home 3D printers and more industrial 3D printing. It promises some of the features that were previously available exclusively to industrial printers for a price that’s more in line with what consumers would expect to pay.
Ford’s new Shelby GT500 Mustang will have 3D-printed brake parts
Ford's new $45 million Advanced Manufacturing Center will focus on emerging technologies, including 3D printing. One of the staff's first jobs is to print parts for the 700-horsepower Shelby GT500 Mustang. The facility will also work with robots and virtual reality tech.
3D printing could help regrow bones of injured combat veterans
John Szivek, a scientist at the University of Arizona is investigating ways to mend broken bones using 3D printing and adult stem cells. The research is geared toward helping veterans who suffer combat injuries, which can often lead to prolonged ailments and bone defects.
Israeli startup believes it mastered the art of vegan steaks
Do you love meat, but worry about the impact that it is having on our planet? A new Israeli startup, Jet-Eat, has created technology for 3D printing its own vegan beef steaks. No animal death required. Here's when you can expect to get it on your local supermarket shelves.
Take your vinyl on a high-tech spin with this 3D-printable record player
Want to really prove your hipster credentials? Check out the Lenco-MD, the world’s first 3D-printed record player. Boasting a module design, users can upgrade their turntables by adding features like speakers and Bluetooth wireless streaming. Here's how you can get your hands on one.
Novameat’s 3D-printed ‘steak’ looks gross, but could it save the planet?
A new Spanish startup called Novameat is developing a 3D-printed beefsteak, made using a paste composed of vegetable-based materials like rice, peas, and seaweed. It sounds unusual, but the company's founder is convinced that this is the foodstuff of the future. Here's why.
The world’s first 3D-printed titanium wheels are so intricate they look fake
HRE Performance Wheels and GE Additive have teamed up to create the world's first 3D-printed titanium wheels. Called HRE3D+ wheels, they are not only impressively light due to their innovative creation process, but also very durable. Sadly, you'll have to wait to get your hands on them.
Shipping crate filled with 3D-printing robots may be the future of construction
Autodesk has created a robot-filled shipping container which may very well represent the future of construction work. Being shown off at this week's Autodesk University Las Vegas event, the crate contains two robots which can be used to 3D print custom components for building.
‘Bionic mushroom’ can generate electricity without using fossil fuels
Researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey have come up with an unexpected way to produce electricity without fossil fuels: A mushroom covered with bacteria. The mushroom provides a safe environment for special cyanobacteria that generate electricity when light is shone on them.
20 things you’ll never have to buy again if you own a 3D printer
The internet is filled with millions of designs for ready-to-print objects. Here, we rounded up a few of our favorites. Enjoy!
There’s finally a way to trace ‘untraceable’ 3D printed guns
3D printers could be used to manufacture firearms without any traceable serial number. To help track these weapons, researchers have developed a new algorithm which is able to identify which 3D printer was used to print an object, based on its unique fingerprint. Here's how.
This 3D-printed house made of earth and rice husks costs less than an iPhone
Looking for a new, affordable house? Italian 3D-printing company WASP has just 3D printed a hut structure using a combination of 3D-printed concrete, rice husks, and a mud-based material. And, of course, its giant, crane-based 3D printer. Total cost of the build? Around $1,000.
3D-printed paste could hold buildings together amid natural disasters
A 3D-printed cement paste could one day be used to make buildings more resilient to natural disasters, claim researchers from Purdue University. Although it sounds paradoxical, the paste actually gets tougher the more it cracks. That makes it a potentially invaluable new building material.
Make the most of your compost by transforming it into 3D printing filament
Could 3D printing have a role to play in disposing of food waste? Indeed it can, claims a new startup Genecis, which has developed a way to transform today's compost into tomorrow's 3D printing filament. Here's how it works -- courtesy of a little bit of high-tech biology magic.
Forget hands — this 3D-printed clock keeps time using nothing but marbles
Based on the innovative rolling ball clock design created by Harley Mayenschein back in the 1970s, this awesome 3D-printed variation is yours to make at home, courtesy of free online instructions. Because who needs a super straightforward way of telling the time after all?
Want a peek into the future? Watch these robots 3D print concrete structures
How do you 3D print a large object without having an even larger 3D printer at your disposal? Researchers from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have come up with a way -- and like all the most exciting tech solutions, it involves a pair of robot arms. Check it out.
There’s a new way to 3D print graphene, the strongest material on Earth
Researchers from Virginia Tech and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have come up with a new way to 3D print super material graphene -- that allows for more intricate, detailed objects to be created. Here's why that is so exciting for realizing graphene's potential.
This 3D-printed robotic hand can make lifelike movements
Bionic prosthesis company YouBionic created an amazing new 3D-printed robot hand prosthesis that's capable of carrying out just about all the functionality of a regular human hand. It could one day be used to help people with missing or partially functioning limbs.
Mammoth undertaking: Company to 3D print a full-size skeleton of elephant ancestor
A Belgian 3D-printing company, Materialise, is putting its additive manufacturing skills to the test by helping to create a life-size replica of a mammoth skeleton for public display later this year. Here's how they carried out their, err, mammoth feat. No pun intended.
This tale ends happily, with a new 3D-printed tail for a 7-foot-long alligator
Researchers from Midwestern University in Arizona recently helped dramatically improve the life of an injured alligator -- by using cutting-edge 3D scanning and 3D printing technology to create a new tail prosthesis for him. They believe his original was probably lost in a fight.
Weekend workshop: Make this 3D-printed side table, even without a 3D printer
You can't 3D print a full piece of furniture, but you can 3D print joints that make building your own furniture a snap. In this article, we'll show you how to do just that, and create an awesome tripod end table that's partially 3D printed
These 3D-printed houses could be one-tenth the price of regular homes
Could 3D printed houses be the way of the future? Researchers from Estonia have created a 3D printable concrete-style material that’s created from milled peat, oil shale ash, and silica nanoparticles. The results could reduce the construction costs of houses by around 10 times.
Lockheed Martin 3D printed an impressive titanium dome for satellite fuel tanks
Lockheed Martin has just taken 3D printing to new heights, printing an enormous titanium dome meant for satellite fuel tanks. It's the largest space part the firm has 3D printed to date, and measures 46 inches in diameter. This month, the new structure passed its last rounds of quality testing.
This 21-year-old’s 3D-printed aquatic jetpack makes scuba fins look prehistoric
For his final year Product Design class at university, Archie O’Brien built a 3D printed underwater jetpack, capable of propelling you through the waves in style. And very soon he hopes that he'll be able to sell you one. Here's everything you need to know about his awesome project.
In the future, potholes could be repaired by asphalt-printing drones
Driving on roads covered in potholes is no fun. Researchers from the U.K. think one solution might involve drones that are able to fly to the site of an impending pothole and 3D print some new asphalt. Sound like the most over-engineered solution around? Not necessarily.
Skip the trip to REI. You can 3D print this camping and backpacking gear at home
There's all kinds of little knickknacks and doodads for camping that cost way too much than they probably should, so we dug through Thingiverse to find the best camping and backpacking gear that you can 3D print yourself
LM Industries works with U.S. Marines, others to become Amazon of manufacturing
The founders of Local Motors, the company that brought us out-of-the-box vehicles like the Rally Fighter, Strati, and Olli, are launching a new company called LM Industries that will use high-tech manufacturing methods. LM is working with the United States Marine Corps, Allianz, and Airbus.
What is 3D printing? Here’s everything you need to know
Haven't caught up on the 3D printing craze yet? If you've been wondering, "What is 3D printing, anyway?" You've come to the right place! We're going to go over the basic definition, the different types of 3D printing, and the coolest ways 3D printing is being used today!
3D-printed mini-submarine can move in water without a motor
A motorless minisubmarine has been created by researchers from ETH Zurich and the California Institute of Technology. The 3D-printed vessel moves using a new propulsion concept designed for swimming robots, enabling it to briefly paddle without requiring electrical engine power.
Homes in the Netherlands are concrete example of 3D printing’s potential
A small community of 3D-printed concrete houses is coming to the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Dubbed Project Milestone, the construction project will include five homes built sustainably and energy-efficiently using some of the latest techniques in 3D-printing technology.
World’s first 3D-printed cornea made from algae and human stem cells
Researchers have mixed stem cells, collagen and algae molecules to create a bio-ink, which they used to 3D-printed an artificial cornea. The research is currently just a proof-of-concept but lays the groundwork for future techniques to create low-cost, easy-to-produce bionic eyes.
Carbon fiber bikes may become a whole lot cheaper with 3D-printed frames
Silicon Valley startup Arevo is gearing up to become a force in 3D manufacturing, and to demonstrate its capabilities it has created a new bike frame made from carbon fiber that it says it more affordable and efficient than making traditional carbon frames, potentially changing the bike industry.
Ride with confidence on a 3D-printed bicycle tire that will never go flat
When you're out on your bicycle and far from home, the last thing you want to hear is that horrible hiss of air as your tire goes flat. Well, a company the German city of Berlin recently showed that it's now possible to 3D-print an airless tire that lets you dump the pump.