Ian Wright

Hamilton

Philosopher by training, writer by trade. I'm an editor at https://t.co/eOwvdG7DWx. I post stories about #mfg, #3dprinting and #technology.

Articles

3D Systems supports NASA research on thermal management

4 days ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Engineers at Penn State and Arizona State leverage 3DS tech for shape memory alloy radiators. Space isn't just an exciting frontier for humanity, but for additive manufacturing (AM) as well. The truly awe-inspiring engineering challenges of the great beyond often lead engineers working on space-based applications to turn to 3D printing technologies as the best (if not only) solution.
Additive manufacturing progress update

1 week ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Recycling chips for DED, the AM industry's Q1 2025 financials, and the Ultimate LEGO 3D printer. Welcome to the latest edition of the engineering.com Additive Manufacturing Progress Update, a monthly column focusing on the latest in 3D printing research and business - with a little fun thrown in at the end. Here's the previous column, in case you missed it.
How important is sustainability in the aerospace industry?

1 week ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

A closer look at what a sustainable future means for Airbus and Boeing. Sustainability goals for large enterprises are a bit like fitness goals for individuals: ambitious and well-intentioned, but easily put off in the face of more immediate concerns, such as an all-you-can-eat buffet or an executive compensation package consisting mostly of stock options.
3D printed STOMP device aids tissue engineering

1 week ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Suspended Tissue Open Microfluidic Patterning (STOMP) recreates natural cell habitats. While it's easy to get caught up in the allure of 3D printed end-use parts, such as advanced aerospace engine parts or bioresorbable implants, some of the most exacting and impactful developments in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry have come from tooling applications. The latest example comes from an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Washington.
AI tool traces 3D printed parts using photographs

2 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign engineers build system to trace additive manufacturing fingerprints. Traceability is crucial in manufacturing, supporting quality assurance and quality control, sustainability, regulation, and security, to name just a few essential considerations in virtually any industry. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to trace a part's history.
I love lattices - Engineering.com

2 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Insights from NASA's Ryan Watkins on how additive manufacturing is shaping the Mars Sample Return mission. If you're a nerd, as I must admit I am, there's a particular feeling that comes with encountering your newest fixation. It's a bit like being Alice on the edge of the rabbit hole: the irresistible pull of the unknown that demands to be grokked. I felt it when I discovered dinosaurs as a child, science fiction as a teenager, and philosophy as a young adult.
Nikon SLM Solutions announces collaboration on naval propulsion

3 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Allegheny Technologies Incorporated and Bechtel Plant Machinery to deploy large-format metal 3D printer for defense applications. Defense spending on additive manufacturing (AM) continues with the latest announcement from Nikon SLM Solutions. The metal AM supplier has just sold a large-format laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) system to ATI, also known as Allegheny Technologies Incorporated.
3D printed heat exchanger achieves 28% increase in gravimetric power density

3 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Topology optimized unit outperforms straight channel design in heat transfer, power density, and effectiveness. There are few better examples of the synergy between computational design and advanced manufacturing than topology optimization and 3D printing. Indeed, it's difficult to imagine getting the most out of one without utilizing the other.
US Navy funds EOS to train Maritime Industrial Base suppliers

3 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Additive Minds Academy to provide education on laser powder bed fusion. In yet another instance of additive manufacturing (AM) gaining ground in the defense industry, AM supplier EOS has announced a contract to support the U.S. Navy's Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) program to provide training in the use of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) to MIB suppliers. This is part of a broader effort to bridge the gaps between the maritime workforce and AM education.
A new approach for 3D printing inside the body

3 weeks ago | engineering.com | Ian Wright

Caltech researchers develop novel method for in vivo 3D printing using ultrasound. There's no doubt that 3D printing has revolutionized the medical industry, from surgical jigs and training models developed with the aid of 3D scanning, to customized prosthetics that incorporate lattice structures to accelerate bone regrowth.