3D printing weekly update - 12.14.15

This Week in 3D Printing
Week of 12/14/2015

This Week’s Contents
! In the News
! Research Insight of the Week
! 3D Prints of the Week

In the News
Summary and Analysis of Headlines around 3D Printing

Airbus Uses Autodesk to Create 3D Printed Space-Saving Dividing Wall
We all know the airline industry loves two things: increasing the size of space inside the cabin of an
airplane to squeeze in more customers, and reducing the weight of an airplane so they can
squeeze another few paying customers into the airplane. Earlier this month Autodesk showed off
the results of their recent collaboration with Airbus to use auto-generative design to create the
world’s largest 3D printed airplane cabin structural component. Using the generative design
algorithms, Airbus created a new dividing wall that separates the main passenger seating area
with the plane’s gallery and flight attendant jump-seats. The so called ‘bionic partition’ mimics
biological structures in nature. It won’t be long before the design is implemented into Airbus
airplanes.
Source(s): 3DPrint.com
3Discovered and 3D Scanning AS Partner to Make Cruise Ships Safe
Norwegian company 3D Scanning AS, best known for their high-tech 3D scanning services
to companies in several industries ranging from maritime to civil engineering, and
3Discovered, a relatively new start-up that can easily replicate hard-to-find or obsolete
parts, have partnered up to provide cruise ships the ability to allow for equipment, both
new and retrofitted, to be installed on cruise ships more quickly and accurately. The goal
being to eliminate errors and the type of corner-cutting that has been responsible for a
variety of cruise ship mishaps over the last few years.

Laboratory Successfully BioPrinting Blood Vessels
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently began delving into the complex world of
bioprinting. With the goal of one day being able to 3D print organs for transplants, researchers at LLNL have put
their complex 3D printing skills towards creating 3D printed blood vessels. Without blood vessels, new parts and
implants cannot integrate and grow successfully within the human body. Monica Moya, research engineer and
principal investigator in the project, is currently in the last of a three year research project to develop a printing
process capable of producing the precision necessary to create such small vessels. Thus far, the team successfully
developed tubes the enable nutrient delivery which allow cellular structures to begin normal functions. While still a
rather disorganized network, the ultimate goal to develop a more realistic network of blood vessels will require
more advanced technology. Hence, the team at LLNL is in the midst of creating a new bioprinting lab capable of
more advanced large structures, offering the impetus for bigger breakthroughs.
World’s First In-Office ‘Paperlab’ Created by Epson
Epson has developed the first compact office papermaking system in the world. The
PaperLab system is a 3D printer that ‘prints’ paper for regular printers to print on. It works by
essentially taking old office wastepaper and transforming it into brand new, useable
sheets of paper using a dry process that is similar to 3D printing. The company believes that
this is a promising step towards reducing our impact on the earth, and contrasts to the
current recycling process that involves a extensive, external system that sees waste paper
transported from the office, to a collection facility, to a recycling facility and back again.
The PaperLab shrinks the recycling loop by creating a completely localized system that
can be installed in an office, and promises to securely destroy documents and then turn
them into office paper without using water.
Source(s): 3ders.org

Apple Patent Reveals Plans for Full Color 3D Printer
International software and hardware giant Apple recently applied for a patent with the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office that outlines the company’s research into developing a 3D printer
capable of full color additive manufacturing. The patent, called “Method and apparatus for
three dimensional printing of colored objects,” may represent a huge leap in advancing 3D
printing technologies where we could one day see Apple introducing 3D printing technologies
into the mainstream consumer world. The patent proposes the use of two print heads, one to
deposit and layer materials like a standard 3D print head, and the other to apply color to the
print. This is quite different than standard consumer 3D printers which print only using one color
filament. If the company continues work and ultimately releases a product, it’s sure to affect the
industry as a whole.
New Balance Announces New Partnership to Perfect 3D Printed Midsoles
Just weeks after announcing a 3D printed running shoe that will be unveiled at the 2016 Boston Marathon,
New Balance has announced a new partnership with Somerville, Massachusetts based design studio
Nervous Systems to perfect a 3D printed midsole. Nervous Systems co-founder Jessica Rosenkratz stated
that the company is creating a proprietary system “to generate midsole designs from pressure data from
runners, making it possible to create variable density cushioning that is customized to how a person runs.”
New Balance approached Nervous Systems seeking to improve their 3D printed midsoles through analysis
of a large amount of performance data from test runners. The company then examined pressure data
from a runner’s foot strike via a set of floor sensors upon which the runner steps. The sensors register the
distribution of force across areas of the foot as it lands and then pushes off the ground. The team found
that simply adding a denser midsole would not produce a useable solution, instead focusing on
customizable 3D printed foam structures capable of adapting to different forces. The research will be
incorporated into the 2017 launch of customizable New Balance running shoes.

American Library Association Released Paper Emphasizing Role of 3D Printers in Communities
The American Library Association (ALA) has released a four-page paper emphasizing the increasingly important
role public libraries play in the ‘democracy of creation,’ creating new opportunities for education and economic
development by providing access to 3D printing technology to the general public. The paper, the third on libraries
and 3D printing, was authored by Charlie Wapner, and highlights the 3D printing leadership of libraries, urging
public and private sector leaders to look to librarians for collaboration and partnership in advancing education,
science, engineering and entrepreneurship through 3D printing. The study found that 428 branches across the
United States provide 3D printing services, which is up from 250 the year before. As the paper states “Anyone
seeking to take advantage of the full creative capacity of 3D printing must have at least a basic understanding of
how to operate this technology. Libraries not only provide instruction in how to print a design, but also in how to use
a software program to build a 3D model from scratch.” Hopefully policy makers and other civic leaders take note.
Source(s): ALA.org
Scientist 3D Print Giant Pollen for Future Research Insights
With Spring around the corner, the word pollen is enough to make any allergy sufferer shudder. For
scientist and doctors around the world, the tiny speck of yellow dust is actually a highly complex
structure that can vary in size and shape, having dramatically different structures depending on
the plant species. The size leads to difficulty for researchers to correctly identify the pollen particles
under microscopes. This lead Dr. Katherine Holt and her team of Massey University scientists to
develop a process to blow up pollen particles to thousands of times their original size with the help
of 3D printers. Dr. Holt has created 3D models of four types of pollen granules, which then were
printed with a SLS printer to create a high-resolution model, as well as molten polymer deposition
for a low-resolution model. The hope is these large models may lead to additional insight into
pollen and its affect on agriculture and on humans.

Brooklyn Startup Experimenting with 3D Printer Filament from Potato Chip Bags
The world throws out over 50 tons of household waster every second, which is expected to double by 2030. While 3D
printing has been touted as the next industrial revolution, many of the materials currently available to manufactures
are virgin, non-recycled plastics. A small startup called 3D Brooklyn hopes to change all of this. The company has
been experimenting with 3D printer filament that’s produced entirely from potato chip bags. The company has
begun selling the 80% recycled polypropylene/ 20% recycled polyethylene mix online. 3D Brooklyn began their
efforts when old food containers kept piling up in their office, leading to the realization of the potential for recycling
for 3D printing. partnered up with New Jersey based TerraCycle, which works with more than 100 major brands
around the world to collect used packaging and products destined for landfill, and repurpose the waste into new
and innovative materials and products. The filament is currently being used to create bottle openers that are sold
around NYC, but the future of the filament, and the recycling movement in 3D printing, is bright.
Doctorial Student Uses 3D Printing to Envision the Sounds of a Dinosaur
A collaborative research project between safety science organization Underwriters Laboratories,
the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, is
underway to determine the impact of 3D printing emissions on air quality and human health. The
two-year research project was designed to evaluate the impact of 3D printing emissions on
human health by characterizing the chemical and particle emissions from 3D printers and defining
measurement and evaluation methodologies for 3D printer emissions. The project is slated to be
complete in 2016, potentially changing how 3D printer manufacturers and industrial 3D printer
uses employ the technology and regard the safety of their employees.

Research Insight of the Week
Quantifying the 3D Printing Landscape

The market size of metal 3D printing
is expected to grow to $2,240.28
million by the end of year 2020 at
double digit CAGR
Source: Research and Markets, 2015

3D Prints of the Week
Showcasing some of the most interesting applications of 3D
Printing, from the amusing to the artistic to the innovative

3D Printed Keys to the City of Long Beach
! Cities across the world have made a
tradition of honoring residents through
ceremoniously presenting them keys to the
city.
! Long Beach has taken the tradition to new
heights, culminating in a year long process
utilizing 3D printing to create the most
ornamental keys known.
! Mayor Robert Garcia presented three of the
3D printed keys to Former California
Governor George Deukmejian, his wife
philanthropist Gloria Deukmejian, and
former LBUSD Board President Bobbie Smith
earlier this month.

3D Print Your Own Snowflakes
! With Winter and the holidays comes snowfall
and the infinitely beautiful snowflake.
! Laura Taalman, known as Mathgrrl on
Thingiverse, has created an algorithm and
interface that allows users to easily generate
3D snowflake designs at home.
! The so called Snowflake Machine, crates
beautiful and realistic looking 3D printed
snowflakes that are prefect for decoration or
as gifts.

3D printing weekly update - 12.14.15

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