3D Printing News
As 3D printing pushes medical implants into more complex geometries, LS Manufacturing’s latest CNC claims point to the continuing need for machining, inspection, and traceability in implant-related production.
but indulge me a moment as two passions of mine have inexplicably collided: 3D printing and Rocket League.
While the just-launched season 23 of the game brings the expected roster of unlockable goodies including goal celebration animations, car decals and titles, there's also, for reasons unknown, a Benchy.
Available as a topper (read: hat) for your car, the model – now famously public domain – is an odd inclusion for a game about rocket-powered car soccer. Credit to Redditor Ok_Debate9268 for first flagging it on the r/3Dprinting subreddit.
A paper published in ScienceDirect's Additive Manufacturing Letters journal details the algorithmic benefits of wave-inspired path planning for flat, unsupported overhangs – similar to arc overhangs we've seen before, but cleaner.
As with arc, seeing it up close it looks nothing short of magic. The paper's author points to OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer forks with the feature enabled, so you can try it out (provided you're comfortable compiling the software yourself.)
FDM’s dirty little secret is Z-strength: layers that cool too quickly before the next layer arrives making prints delaminate like a stale croissant. Researchers at Germany's OTH Regensburg want to fix that with a laser-enhanced FDM printhead that preheats the surface just before fresh filament lands. Laser-assisted FDM has been studied for years and shown to improve layer bonding, so why is it still mostly trapped in the lab? Cost, safety, and reliability may all be culprits. Still, if this approach works commercially, FDM’s Z-strength problem might finally meet its Bond villain.
Navigating America Makes’ collaborative project calls is becoming the defining strategy for securing a piece of the nation's surging additive manufacturing funding calls.
We dug through hundreds of World Cup-themed 3D prints to find our favorite free trophies, mascots, accessories, party prints, and fan-made keepsakes.
Are 3D printed guns something to be concerned about? We break down the news, facts, history, and fast-moving legislative battles now reshaping the future of 3D printing.
Inside the launch: All3DP spoke with Formlabs’ SLS product manager to examine the engineering behind the Fuse X1, its innovations, and its substantial performance claims.
Last week I asked what your primary printer for personal use is. A resounding 44% of you said Bambu Lab is your go-to, with Prusa Research second place with just shy of 15% and Creality marginally behind that.
In a remarkable sign of how fortunes can reverse, Snapmaker is in fourth place with 5% of the tally, above Elegoo and Anycubic. The U1 bounce was real – and a useful toolchanging segue to this week's question.
Creality has joined the toolchanger craze, revealing K3 with KliTek. We know color printing isn't a regular use-case for the majority – so, who actually wants a toolchanger?
Just a beat after announcing the its ColorMix implementation of FullSpectrum color interpolation printing, Prusa has announced a neat ColorMix Shading web app that lets you dramatically shade prints to achieve filament mix-like effects. Just upload your STL, set the colors you're using, and reposition the "light" to set new shaded perspectives on your model. It's quick, easy, integrates directly with EasyPrint, PrusaSlicer or, for non-Prusa users, exports directly to 3MF. Read more about it on the Prusa blog.
The company regularly launches via Kickstarter: that's typical. But the Pop 4 is a decidedly atypical budget 3D scanner, packing near-infrared, VCSEL, blue laser, plus 3D gaussian splat modes all in one.
Google just dropped 2D CAD drawings for its new Fitbit Air as an open invite for makers to design their own bands, so expect unofficial STLs to hit the usual model repositories fast. Just note: Long-term skin contact means sweat, friction, heat, and overnight wear, and very few 3D printing filaments are actually certified for that job. Look for materials, such as Siraya Tech’s Flex TPU 85A with ISO 10993 biocompatibility documentation.
There’s a new toolchanger in town – or, rather, there will be, when Creality releases its next flagship printer, the K3, later this year. Powering the toolchanging is a new system the company calls KliTek.
This new filament is the company's Jet Black TPU in evening wear because sometimes your RC tires, phone cases, and bendy little shock-absorbing bits deserve to feel like they’re walking a red carpet. The new Prusament PTU Galaxy Black filament keeps the serious stuff under the sparkle, including Prusa’s in-house production and tech specs, plus refill-friendly NFC-tagged spool, and costs $37.99/500g — a small price to pay for adding just enough bling to make your functional parts whisper, “I’m not like the other black filaments.”
Driven by defense and energy sector part demand, Incodema3D’s latest investment underscores a growing industry-wide transition toward standardized, repeatable metal AM supply chains.
Designing garments based on body data — from curves and sweat zones to sun exposure — Laura Civetti and Juan Daniel Cabrera Cobo, with additive manufacturing partner Stratasys, generates textile patterns tuned to the wearer’s needs. This design research project is part fashion, part performance gear, and part glimpse of a future where your clothes don’t just fit — they respond. Printed on a Stratasys PolyJet 3D printer in 18 pieces then assembled.
A new update to Snapmaker's OrcaSlicer fork for its U1 toolchanger 3D printer integrates the community-developed FullSpectrum color printing technique, letting you combine filaments in a print to achieve new colors. A long (and excellent) post on the Snapmaker blog digs deep into how it works with tips and tricks for how to achieve the best results. It's well worth a read.
The company scales up its budget range further with the A2L, a larger build volume printer with H2-series module compatibility. Just don't expect a laser.
Nike is testing a new initiative that uses additive manufacturing to create a flexible, digital platform for limited-run sneaker designs and customer personalization.
What's the primary brand of printer you're using, day in, day out, for your own personal printing? I'll list the common, popular desktop brands in the poll, but feel free to add your own if it's not listed under the "other" option.