Research

Lunar regolith—the loose dust and rock covering the Moon’s surface—is far more than just dirt. It is comprised of approximately 40-45% oxygen. Since 2019, the company Metalysis has collaborated with both the UK and European Space Agencies to extract this…

Imagine being able to tune the properties of metal, making it either resistant to force but brittle, like a ceramic tile, or yielding yet bendable, like a paperclip. Achieving this level of control requires precise manipulation of a material’s internal…

If you’ve ever tried printing an AI-generated 3D model, you know that the experience can come with some obstacles: the 3D model may have an undesirable “AI bumps” (small, irregular imperfections or protrusions), details that are not feasible for your…

This week’s 3DExpress starts with a breakthrough in Hong Kong, where a team of engineers created the smallest 3D printed sub-micron optoelectronics to date. This could mean that integrating multi-functional micro-nano devices will become a lot easier. Then, we get…

Aluminum is considered a highly versatile material, mainly due to its characteristics of being both lightweight and strong. However, when subjected to high temperatures, its mechanical performance decreases significantly. This limitation presents disadvantages in the field of aerospace and automotive…

The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) has launched Merce Lab, a one-of-a-kind pilot plant that will use ceramic 3D printing to manufacture hydrogen technologies. The project, primarily funded by H2B2 under the European Tecnopropia (IPCEI) programme, brings together industrial…

CNPC Powder and automotive supplier Brose have entered a strategic partnership to promote sustainable, circular manufacturing in the automotive industry. This collaboration will convert steel scrap metal from Brose’s Chinese production lines into CNPC’s iron-based powders for additive manufacturing. This…

Hawaiʻi faces a wide range of environmental hazards, including wildfires, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis, and water contamination. These risks are becoming more severe as the climate continues to change, raising urgent questions about how to protect both the islands and…

A geometric model developed through a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has just become the focus of one of the most remarkable experiments ever carried out in space. These “soft cells”…

A research team led by The University of Texas at Austin has introduced a new 3D printing technique that could redefine how semiconductor components are designed and produced. The method, known as Holographic Metasurface Nano-Lithography (HMNL), offers a way to…

In one of the most severely affected healthcare systems in the world, a team of doctors and engineers has achieved an unprecedented breakthrough. GLIA, an international medical relief organisation, has designed and produced the world’s first 3D-printed external fixator inside…

What if resin 3D printing could eliminate support structures entirely and make fabrication easier? That is the question explored by researchers at Xiamen University and the University of California, Berkeley. Together, they developed a new method for creating parts from…