Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.
On March 31st 2022, researchers at the University of Chicago announced that they had developed 3D printing ink that could be used to make 4D printed objects that mimic human tissue. (4D printing refers to 3D printing a material that can change shape in response to environmental stimuli.) Study author Eben Alsberg hoped that the team’s work would lead to improvements in artificial tissue engineering, as well as more accurate studies on how tissue cells develop their shape. The team’s research was published in the journal Advanced Materials. Other examples of 3D printed novel materials involve Harvard University of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Rutgers University of New Jersey.
In September 2020, researchers at Harvard University announced that they had developed a 3D printable wool-like material made from keratin that could remember and change its shape in response to certain stimuli, which they hoped would help wider efforts of reducing waste in the fashion industry. (Keratin is a protein found in hair and nails, although for this experiment it was extracted from leftover Angora wool used in the production of textiles.) Their research was published in the journal Nature Materials.
In January 2021, a group of engineers at Rutgers University announced that they had created 2 3D printable materials that when combined created a new material that could change colour and shape when exposed to light. Their work took inspiration from how cephalopods like cuttlefish, octopuses and squids can change their skin colour to camouflage themselves and their research was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. They hoped that their work would lead to new forms of military camouflage, robotics and electronic displays.
3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.
Disclaimer: Featured image of “Wilson1900Fig2” This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer.
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