3D Printing Applications

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. Instead of printing metal, a team of scientists in Switzerland grew it from a gel – and the result is 20x stronger than previous methods. Using a water-based hydrogel as a scaffold, researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) created complex structures that can be infused with metal salts. After several rounds of soaking and heating, the gel vanishes – leaving behind dense, ultra-strong metal or ceramic. Traditional metal 3D printing often results in porous structures with serious shrinkage. This new method dramatically reduces those flaws, producing durable, precisely shaped components with only 20% shrinkage. It also opens the door to building with a wide range of materials – the same gel template can be used to grow iron, silver, copper, or even advanced composites. The technique could revolutionize how we make complex, high-performance parts for energy systems, biomedical devices, and next-gen electronics. It’s also a shift in mindset: rather than designing around the limits of printing materials, this approach lets researchers build first, and choose the material later. The team is already working on automating the process, aiming to bring this breakthrough into real-world manufacturing. Read the study "𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑙‐𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐿𝑜𝑤 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠, 2025 https://lnkd.in/eian6kVx

Engineering for social good... Here’s a nice little example of using hard-core engineering software for something it may never have been intended for. We used nTop to create an automated breast prosthetic generator for mastectomy patients. It works by letting the user import a 3D scan of the patient, and the workflow then uses the good breast to reconstruct a mirror image of it, and subtracts off the scar tissue from the back of it for a perfect fit. It also incorporates an optional lattice texture on the back of it to allow air to circulate between the prosthetic and skin, and has options for choosing solid, or lattice filled prosthetics depending on the application and 3D printer being used. The workflow could also easily be modified to work with double-mastectomy patients providing a pre-op 3D scan was done.   Although the prosthetics can be printed with any suitable soft-material printer, next week I will be doing a few test-prints out of some QTS Flex 8A Silicone-Like Ultra-Soft Resin, supposedly the softest currently available resin, just to see how it performs. And, yes, if tested on a person, it will have a skin-safe backing applied to it. #cdamlab #UniversityofAuckland #Engineering #MechanicalEngineering #MechatronicsEngineering #ResearchAndDevelopment #uoa #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #dfam, Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Design, Wohlers Associates, Powered by ASTM, University of Auckland

Concrete… that can be printed… underwater. Australian researchers from the University of Wollongong, in collaboration with Luyten, have successfully developed an experimental 3D concrete printing system that works directly beneath the surface without washing away. Unlike traditional underwater concrete methods that depend on chemical anti-washout additives, this innovation uses a specially engineered mix that remains cohesive and stable in water. The material holds its shape and cures layer by layer, making true underwater additive manufacturing possible. This breakthrough could reshape marine construction, especially in building seawalls, bridge pylons, artificial reefs, and offshore energy foundations. Printing structures directly in place may significantly reduce costs, labor intensity, and environmental disruption. Although still in early testing stages, the technology shows promise for addressing rising coastal infrastructure demands as sea levels and extreme weather events increase globally. Engineers are closely watching its potential for sustainable marine development. If successfully scaled, underwater 3D printing could become a game-changing tool for future ocean engineering projects. #3DPrinting #MarineEngineering #ConstructionTech #UnderwaterInnovation #FutureInfrastructure #EngineeringBreakthrough

3D printing is quietly revolutionizing our labs Not so long ago, if you wanted to centrifuge flasks in a rotor like this one, you’d be out of luck. The standard inserts simply didn’t exist. You either had to buy expensive custom accessories (if available at all) or transfer the cells in falcons bottles etc which is extra plastic used. 👉 But today? A quick 3D print of a well-designed adaptor, and the “impossible” becomes possible. That’s the beauty of additive manufacturing in science: It lowers barriers. It accelerates innovation. It puts problem-solving literally in the hands of every researcher. From centrifuge adaptors to tube holders, from pipette organizers to microfluidic chips — 3D printing empowers us to create what we need, when we need it. No long waits, no inflated costs, no compromise. For me, this is more than a convenience. It’s a mindset shift: Instead of asking “What’s available?”, we start asking “What can we make?” And that question opens doors. 🚀 Have you used 3D printing to solve a lab problem? I’d love to hear your examples — maybe we can build a small library of DIY solutions together.

What is the most established and successful application of additive manufacturing for personalized production? It might be the 3D Systems Corporation Littleton, Colorado facility making PATIENT-SPECIFIC GUIDES FOR MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY. Every surgical guide is different, tailored to patient geometry and the plan of the individual surgeon. They are 3D printed in titanium via the 43 laser powder bed fusion machines at this facility (which are used for plenty of other types of production as well). I toured the surgical guide operation with an eye toward what can be learned about mass customization, and the way forward for this important promise of AM. Several conclusions: ➡ Balancing personalized production and repetitive production is a new type of capacity-allocation challenge that most manufacturers (doing only repetitive production) don’t have to face. ➡ Engineering and/or systems on the front end, translating each custom part into a design for production, are instrumental for success. AM is the vital enabler, but not necessarily where the challenges or secret sauce occur. ➡ AI, as an aid to the rapid design of personalized products, will enable further future success in mass customization. AI and AM go together, and here is another of the ways. ➡ In a mass customization application employing 3D printing, the actual 3D printing step might well be the easiest part of the process. I explore and develop all these points in my report of my visit to the Littleton site: https://bit.ly/4g12qcV Thank you Joseph Dopkowski, Joe Fullerton, Jeph Ruppert and Nicole York for hosting me!

3D Printing: The First Layer of a Surgical Revolution 3D printing can transform CT scans into tangible, patient-specific bone models—but that’s just the first layer of the onion. The true power lies in what comes next: the ability to design custom surgical tools, plan complex resections, and even simulate the corrected outcome before ever entering the operating room. In this case, a multilobular tumor of bone was virtually removed, and the skull was digitally reconstructed to its optimal shape. This process allows cranioplasty plates to be formed to the ideal bone contour, preserving both function and aesthetics after surgery. It’s not just printing—it’s virtual surgery. #vetmed #veterinarymedicine #veterinaryneurology

This is DIP, Doc... Dynamic Interface Printing (DIP) is an innovative 3D printing technique that leverages an acoustically modulated air-liquid interface to create centimeter-scale structures within seconds. This novel method eliminates the necessity for complex feedback systems and specialized optics, streamlining the biological 3D printing fabrication process. DIP boasts several key advantages, including high-speed fabrication without the need for intricate chemistry & versatility across various materials, such as soft hydrogels. DIP enables the creation of complex geometries that are unachievable w/ traditional 3D printing methods. The printing mechanism of DIP involves a hollow print head submerged in a liquid prepolymer solution, with the air-liquid meniscus serving as the print interface where polymerization occurs. The shape & position of the meniscus are dynamically controlled through pressure modulation. Acoustic modulation is critical in this process, generating capillary-gravity waves that enhance mass transport and material influx, thereby improving print speed and fidelity. This technique allows for 3D particle patterning and overprinting capabilities, significantly expanding the potential applications of DIP. DIP is compatible with various materials, including PEGDA, GelMA, and HDDA, and has demonstrated high print speeds exceeding 700 μm/s for hydrogels. It is effective for hard and soft materials, making it particularly relevant for biologically significant hydrogels. The print speed in DIP is influenced by various factors such as optical power, material viscosity, and photo-initiator concentration, enabling linear print rates that are well-suited for high-viability tissue engineering.   Translational neuroscience needs advanced technological solutions like DIP, we increasingly recognize the importance of precise, high-resolution constructs for various applications, including tissue engineering and the creation of biocompatible scaffolds for neural regeneration. DIP's ability to rapidly fabricate complex geometries and high-resolution structures in situ makes it an invaluable tool for developing models that can mimic the intricate architecture of neural tissues. Moreover, the demonstrated low cytotoxicity and high cell viability of DIP-printed structures ensure that these constructs can be safely integrated into biological systems, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in neural tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The potential for high-throughput applications, such as simultaneous fabrication in multi-well plates, further underscores the scalability and versatility of DIP, making it an ideal candidate for research and clinical applications in neuroscience and psychiatry. Future work may explore sophisticated patterning strategies & enhanced acoustic modulation techniques, unlocking new possibilities for the treatment of brain disorders and the development of personalized medicine.

3D printing: Breaking free from Gravity 3D Printing - Unlocking a New Creative Frontier A new 3D-printing model now lets you print inside a gel, creating objects as if gravity didn’t exist. This matters more than most people realize. When you remove gravity as a constraint, you don’t just improve manufacturing; you unleash human creativity to an entirely new tier. Here’s why this changes everything: 1. Midair printing becomes possible Objects can now be created in any direction, even floating geometries suspended in space. 2. No support structures needed No more scaffolding. Less material waste. Faster builds. More freedom. 3. Bioprinting gets a massive boost Cells, tissues, and soft materials can finally be printed in stable suspension. This is the start of how we’ll make exact replica organs in the future. 4. Complexity becomes effortless Intricate shapes that were once “impossible” become single-motion prints. We’re entering an era where manufacturing isn’t limited by physics, only by imagination. We’re finally shifting from what’s possible to what’s imaginable. And here’s the kicker: If gravity is no longer the bottleneck, the bottlenecks become certification, precision, and repeatability. That’s where things will get far more interesting, or far more complicated, than the demo videos suggest. Either way, say hello to the next 3D printing frontier with this new addition to the 3D-printing family. p.s. The Matrix suspension gel and feeder tubes are now a reality. 

Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed 3D printed brain phantoms using embedded 3D printing — a technique that uses a jelly-like support bath to hold soft polymer ink in place, enabling precise reproduction of the brain's heterogeneous stiffness, soft folds, and grooves. The custom polymer-based ink captures mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties close to real brain tissue — and can be crosslinked using heat or UV light, eliminating the traditional freeze/thaw cycle. Joplin Globe Current models are ~15% of actual brain size; a full-scale version is targeted within a year. Applications include surgical training, traumatic brain injury research, concussion modeling, and tumor-specific pre-surgical practice from patient MRI scans. VoxelMatters 📄 Medscape / University of Missouri, March 20, 2026 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gZAxsYYV #MedicalTraining #3DPrinting #Neuroscience #BrainSurgery #SurgicalSimulation #MedTech #SoftRobotics #PersonalizedMedicine