Top 5 Videos: Trains Keep On Rolling with 3D Printed Spare Parts
Yes the change of seasons is almost upon us yet again. The chill in the air, the changing of the leaves, the fall spices mingling with the breeze, the farms begin to harvest pumpkins and potatoes from their fields, ready to adorn the kitchen tables of the upcoming fall holidays. And as the sun sets and the glow of lights fills the night air, what could it be? The leaping candle of a smiling jack-o-lantern? The full moon rising over the hills? No! It’s the top five videos of the week! Bringing you the latest fascinating factoids from the world of 3D printing. This week prepare for a trainload of medical and industrial innovations as well as a look at new solutions to one of 3D printing’s oldest problem – the jam.
Top 1: 3D Printed Parts Keep Trains Chugging Along
In this video from Prusa, we get a lesson in locomotive upkeep as we join additive manufacturing specialists at the Danish Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems who explain their process of 3D printing new, more robust and flame-retardant parts that can be used to replace broken, inefficient, or discontinued parts with are otherwise impossible to acquire. Around the world, aging trains have been facing the same problem – the obsolescence of previously used parts. However, instead of allowing these perfectly good machines to fall into disrepair, additive manufacturing has stepped in to offer a perfect solution. Now, rail companies around the world are using 3D printing to design and print replacements which are sometimes even better than the parts they were meant to replace. Learn more about the process from the professionals below!
Top 2: The Next Generation of Surgical Equipment is 3D Printed
In this video brought to us from Formlabs, we take a look at medical equipment supplier, restor3D and their philosophy on using 3D printing to create bespoke creations for medical patients. The use of 3D printing to move away from the ‘one size fits all’ type solution of traditional medicine has already been advancing by leaps and bounds, however the restor3D team take this a step further by customizing not only their implants and prosthetics, but even the surgical tools and cutting guides that are used to undertake the operation. By providing this focus on individual needs in heretofore unexplored areas, patients may react better, be treated more efficiently and heal faster than with traditional operating practices. But don’t just take my word for it, listen to what they have to say for yourself!
Top 3: 3D Printing Sustainable Clothing
In this video clip from NBC News, we listen in on a report about the waste that comes out of the fashion industry, and how the garments we wear and throw away are actually the third largest polluter in the world. Someone who has a background in fashion, and a revolutionary solution for the future, NBC interviews Garrett Gerson, Founder and CEO of Variant 3D. Gerson’s vision for the future is a zero-waste clothing economy where we can use sustainable and recycled materials to build our clothes that are ‘tailor made’, so to speak, to fit our individual body shape and size. How? By creating a computer program that can allow people to design their own garments at home, down to our exacting measurements, material and color, and then printing them at a local 3D clothing printer. Not wanting to limit his vision to haute couture or passing fads, Garrett says he does not want to make clothes for the masses like the current industrial means, but “clothes for the individual, en masse.” Gerson’s dream may be ambitious, but listen to his plan for yourself, and think about what you would design with custom clothes at your fingertips!
Top 4: Resuming a 3D Print After Losing Filament
This video takes us to Airwolf 3D, who is showcasing a unique aspect of their EVO 2X printer – the restore function. How many times has it happened, you start your print, turn out the lights and go to bed, only to find out in the morning that your printer ran out of filament, or the nozzle jammed? Even once is enough to cause you heartache. But in this short demonstration video, we can see how after some slight readjustment, the EVO printer is able to correct itself and automatically detect where it left off and continue with the build as if nothing ever happened.
Top 5: Finding Futuristic Construction With the Help of Ancient Materials
In our final video, we join Jarett Gross as he documents a project underway by Berkley Professor Ronald Rael and 3D construction company Muddy Robots. The team is 3D printing a structure using locally sourced adobe material with the same practices that are used for concrete 3D printing, but without the environmental damage of concrete. Professor Rael’s philosophy takes us back tens of thousands of years in his quest to find zero-waste, zero emission solutions to our modern demand. Listen along as Jarett interviews and documents the team and see this amazing structure take shape before your very eyes.
Which Top 5 video was your favorite this week? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*Cover Photo Credits: Leif Jørgensen, CC-BY-SA-4.0
