Baker’s Dozen: The 13 most viewed posts on The Additive Report website in 2021

Of the hundreds of pieces posted to The Additive Report website in 2021, the most popular was an article about 3D-printed parts made from refractory metals that could allow aircraft to travel from Los Angeles to New York in 12 minutes.

Other viewer favorites include a personal account of a patient who received a 3D-printed knee implant, video reports with AM expert Todd Grimm, and installation of Xerox’s first 3D printer. You can view—or re-view—all 13 reports by clicking on the links in the following story descriptions.

1. 3D-printed parts made from refractory metals can handle the heat

The melting point of refractory metals exceeds 2,200 degrees C. Their heat-handling capabilities would allow jet engines incorporating parts made from these metals to propel aircraft at Mach 15 (11,509 mph).

One downside to these metals is that they are a bear to machine. They can be readily 3D-printed, though.

2. How 3D printing and robots improve knee replacement surgery

Additive Report Editor Don Nelson underwent knee-replacement surgery late last year. He provides a personal account of why his implant—printed from a propriety titanium alloy and installed with the aid of a robot—is better than earlier-generation models.

3. Looking at 3D printing three-dimensionally

Regular contributor Kip Hanson contends that for AM to gain a solid foothold in manufacturing, users have to begin thinking in 3D instead of 2.5D. He wrote that probably won’t happen until a new generation of engineers populates the industry.

4. Why shared knowledge about additive manufacturing helps metal fabricators

The host of the Additive Report Advisor video series, Todd Grimm, interviews Vince Anewenter, director of the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Rapid Prototyping Consortium. They discuss the importance of metal fabricators and job shops tapping into a shared knowledge base to help them adopt 3D printing technology.

5. The world’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge is unjustly criticized

A group of additive manufacturers who printed the world’s first stainless steel bridge were trash-talked for their efforts. “Ostentatious and dreadfully designed. A waste of materials,” carped one critic.

These 3D printing pioneers “should be applauded instead of nitpicked because of design aesthetics,” we countered.

6. The pros and cons of 3D printing for metal fabrication shops

The Additive Report Advisor talks to Mark Abshire, an applications engineer at Computer Aided Technology, to discuss how fab shops can “connect the dots” to leverage additive manufacturing.

7. Robotic 3D printing system builds large, lightweight structures in free-space

Branch Technology’s goal is to provide architects unprecedented design freedom through the use of its proprietary technology. The patented process combines industrial robots, powerful algorithms, and the company’s Freeform extrusion process to print 8- by 8- by 35-ft., support-free structures.

8. The advantages of DLP 3D printing

Digital light processing is a 3D printing process that’s rapidly gaining popularity. One reason is that DLP allows much faster build speeds while eliminating the need for lasers. The author interviewed the main players in this burgeoning area of AM.

9. Xerox’s first 3D printer lands at a California Navy college

The ElemX metal printer builds parts from aluminum wire. The first 3D printer developed by Xerox, it is in service at the Naval Postgraduate School.

“With liquid metal printers like the ElemX, the Navy will be able to print parts onboard ship, so if you are in the middle of the ocean and you don’t have a spare part, you can make it relatively quickly,” the co-director of the Center for Additive Manufacturing at NPS told our writer.

10. Experts share advice about bringing 3D printing in-house

Most shops have heard stories about the myriad capabilities of additive manufacturing. But for manufacturers new to the technology that are more interested in what AM can do for them than in gee-whiz tales about the technology, they need to know the best way to get started with 3D printing and successfully integrate it into their conventional operations. This article offers guidance.

11. Additive manufacturing has a positive impact on the process and business sides of the manufacturing industry

3D printing is changing traditional supply chains. An analyst explains how and details four key benefits of AM compared to conventional manufacturing technologies: greater design freedom, less waste of materials and energy, greater accuracy, and shorter manufacturing cycles.

12. Will a new 3D printing process end high school wood shop as we know it?

Binder-jet printing technology is being used to additively manufacture wood objects. A new process, championed by 3D printer builder Desktop Metal, can digitally reproduce nearly any wood grain, including rosewood, ash, zebrine, ebony, and mahogany.

End products are printed from two wood waste streams: sawdust and lignin.

13. ‘Software silos’ work against additive manufacturing interoperability

Standardizing 3D printing software would help speed the technology’s acceptance.

“Each brand of 3D printer—and sometimes the different models and vintages within those brands—often has different file formats and workflows that determine how you transform a CAD file into the finished part,” said a source for our article. “Every machine OEM does things differently, and the technology itself keeps evolving, so it’s tough to standardize.”

Thanks for visiting the AR website in 2021. We look forward to bringing you the latest news on the additive manufacturing industry in 2022.