3D printer manufacturer Stratasys is working with fashion designers through the European Union funded Re-FREAM project to make the production of fashion more sustainable. The company's PolyJet 3D printing technology played an integral role in designer Julia Koerner's new ARID collection which focuses on material efficiency and sustainability. The ARID collection, which does not involve any…
Sustainability and closed-loop manufacturing are becoming an increasingly important topic for Earth-based manufacturing, but a new study has shown that these same principles can be lifted to model extraterrestrial travel as well. Using a ubiquitous, organic polymer called chitin, found in everything from fungi fibers to shellfish shells, a team of researchers from Singapore has devised…
As global communities grapple with the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we at 3M remain focused on uncovering and implementing science-based solutions to promote public health and maximize positive impact. We’re applying our innovative technologies and collaborating with partners to confront COVID-19 with the same attention and energy we use to advance sustainability efforts and…
Relativity Space and 6K announced a strategic partnership to prove true sustainability in additive manufacturing production. The partnership is intended to create a closed loop supply chain where certified scrap materials produced at Relativity are turned into powder by 6K, which can then be reprinted by Relativity. The two companies will also explore new materials created…
When the greatest share of a product’s environmental impact comes from producing its feedstock, selecting the right material is critical. For 3D printing and manufacturing in plastic, biopolymer could be the first step toward a more sustainable model. The New Plastics Economy project of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has three tenets: One, plastics in use should…
The automotive industry is the third-largest consumer of polymer materials after the packaging and construction industries. By using engineered plastics with recycled content, automotive companies around the world are becoming less dependent on the consumption of finite resources. In response to that demand, LANXESS, a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and polymer materials based in Cologne, Germany,…
Researchers at Germany’s University of Freiburg may have found a way to make 3D printing a bit more environmentally friendly — by printing with a new material best described as a wood-based biopaste. After all, who needs boring, unsustainable plastics when you’ve got an alternative that works impressively well, made out of wood biopolymers cellulose and…
Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are increasingly being adopted as structural materials when building modern urban infrastructure. In a partnership with three Dutch companies, DSM, Royal HaskoningDHV and CEAD, the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has showcased the use of circular FRP composites in the world's first 3D-printed footbridge using recycled plastic material. FRP composites were…
Relativity Space has announced a strategic alliance with 6K, a developer of microwave plasma technology for powder production, to 3D print rocket components made from sustainable materials. The partnership will establish a closed loop supply chain through which scrap materials produced by Relativity will be transformed into premium AM powders by 6K and redeployed to Relativity…
Many of us have heard of using vegetable oil for alternative sources of energy like diesel gasoline, but you may be surprised to learn that it can play a role in 3D printing, too. Previous research has been performed in using vegetable oils with UV curing resins in SLA and DLP 3D printing; however, success has…