3D Printing – A 3D-Print Brain

A 3D-Print Brain is now in the market – it was innovated with free government library can now be downloaded, shared and edit files for use in 3D printers from a new government website. The site has files that can be used to create models of anything from a human brain to deadly viruses.

The website, launched by the National Institutes of Health, is called theNIH 3D Print Exchange, and contains a library of files that a 3D printers can read and print. The files all relate to health and science; the available files include models of a human femur bone, the West Nile virus and a white matter section of the brain.

Users can also share their own files, edit exiting ones or create files using a tool that can convert scientific data into ready-to-print 3D files.

"We created this website as kind of a way to have a YouTube-like experience, but instead of exchanging and sharing and commenting on and remixing videos, instead we are doing all of those same things with 3D-Print files," said Darrell Hurt, a researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who helped build up the 3D Print Exchange.

A 3D printer generates three-dimensional objects from digital replicas by "printing" material one layer at a time.

The NIH already uses 3D printing for several purposes, including making special lab equipment and creating anatomy models that doctors can then use to plan medical procedures. Scientists who study very small things, like proteins, bacteria or viruses, can also enhance their understanding by creating 3D models.

"A researcher who's been using a computer model of this for 15 years learns something as soon as they put their hands on a real, tangible model," Hurtsaid in the video, referring to a 3D-printed representation of a protein.

All of the files on the site are free, and the site also features a tutorial for new users. The library is not intended only for professional scientists, but for everyone.

3D Printing - Muscle Tissue for Robots

Muscle tissue innovated through 3D Printing could make robots more lifelike. A robot motorized by muscle tissue could improve how engineers plan to produce future robots for disaster-relief operations, exploration or construction, new research finds.

The 3D-printed "bio-bot," created by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has more accurate and specific control over its movements and a more dramatic series of motion. It can pilot and change its movement in response to its environment. The rectangular robot measures about 0.2 inches long, and is constructed from an elastic, jelly-type material and fixed with two strips of engineered muscle tissue on either end.

Skeletal muscle tissue is what drives human movement. It covers the bones and is attached by soft tendons that we can consciously manage.

The researchers integrated skeletal muscle tissue engineered from a mouse cell line into a 3D-printed soft robot. Soft robots are made from flexible rather than unbending material, allowing it to move and adapt in new environments.

By integrating skeletal tissue into a soft robot, the researchers created a machine that can carry out more complex motor tasks and is capable of freer and more dynamic motion. The new soft robots would be lightweight, bio-compatible and match the elastic properties of natural muscle tissue, the researchers said.

When the scientists tested the robot's movement, they found that the bio-bot moved only when given an electric shock. Robots with cardiac tissue twitch constantly, making it difficult to control their movements, according to the researchers

3D Printing - A Wave of Customization and Massive Possibilities

For all we know, other nations in Asia dominate in the 3D Printing industry. But in light of recent events, it seems the two may face competition from a possible dark horse: the Philippines.

Philippines-based digital print solutions company Norde International Distributors, which caters to architecture, engineering and design industries, held its third annual Digital Innovations Summit in July where it gathered representatives from companies including HP, Stratasys, and Pantone to display their latest products and innovations.

The four day event showcased a range of 3D printers and launched an initiative to transform industries in the country with 3D printing. “Our task is to lead the change and be at the front of new technologies,” said a Norde official.

Norde International president Allan Hao Chin said he believes that 3D Printing will transfigure many industries. He told event guests he doesn’t want the Philippines to fall behind other countries that have already begun R&D with 3D Printing and additive manufacturing.

“The wave of customization is on its arrival. If we are able to ride this wave, we can turn revolutionary ideas into reality,” said Chin. “It’s better to start now than learn about it late and miss the boat,” he said.

Chin spoke to industry companies about the benefits of 3D Printing in attempt to recruit additional people and companies to the initiative.

Should other nations watch out?

So far the Philippines remains under the radar, but it could divulge itself as a would-be threat to the larger Asian countries trying to lead the industry.

The Impact of 3D Printing in the World Labor Market

This issue was taken from an article written for a local newspaper.

The beginning of 3D Printing could lead to loss of many jobs in the manufacturing sector but it could also lead to the creation of new opportunities for work, according to an International Labor Organization (ILO) engineering specialist.

ILO mechanical and electrical engineering specialist, David Seligson claimed that more companies have begun using the new technology to produce samples since it is cheaper than paying for manpower services.

“Today prototyping makes up 95 percent of the market for 3D Printing, allowing engineers to make and test components or parts for vehicles, aircraft and so on without having to retool factories or wait for components to arrive,” Seligson said.

He also claimed that this trend could pave the way towards the mass movement of workers due to smaller but competent 3D Printing factories.

“3D printers will eliminate the need for assembly, requiring fewer raw materials and shorter supply chains,” Seligson said.

“Factories won’t need physical inventories anymore, because they’ll be able to print products on demand. It will even be possible to scan and print replicas, just like you would a computer file,” he said.

Seligson said that ILO and other labor supporter groups should begin considering retraining workers, who will be affected to adapt to new jobs which will be created by the 3D Printing upheaval.

These alternative jobs include specialists in raw materials used in a printer, or as inspectors of defects in electronic blueprints. “Just like the Industrial Revolution, 3D Printing may destroy jobs, but it will also create new ones.

And because 3D Printing is likely to require fewer raw materials and create less waste, they will probably be greener,” Seligson said.