What happened this week on the 3D Printing world? This Weekly Digest is for anyone who wants to learn more about 3D printing and share their own 3DPrinting experience to the others. 

Enjoy!

1- 3D Printed Robot to be Showcased at UK Engineering Event

MARC (multi-Actuated Robotic Companion) is one of two robots that are being used to help scientists gain a better understanding into how more realistic relationships can be developed between humans and androids. Based on this understanding, the team has begun to introduce characteristics and personalities to the robot in hopes that the understanding will be easier to understand.

The 3D printed robot is predicted to be one of the star attractions at the annual event, which is designed to inspire the next generation of manufactures and engineers. MARC will be interacting with the visitors in hopes of getting everyone up to speed on the recent technological developments.

The latest 3D printed robot is set to be showcased in a UK engineering event on April 8. The event is free and will run from 10 am to 5:30 pm at The Blue Shed in Brightside Lane, Sheffield, UK.

SOURCE: 3D Printer.

2- Woman Receives 3D Printed Skull Replacement

With 3D printing, replacement surgical implants are becoming available on demand and assisting in many lifesaving surgeries.

Most recently, 3D printing was used to create a cranium replacement for a 22-year-old Dutch woman. The woman, who was suffering from a rare disease which caused her skull bone to continue to thicken, had a complete cranium replacement. According to the hospital, this procedure is revolutionary, one that hasn’t been done before.

The woman’s condition had caused her skull to thicken to the point of 5 cm, normal skull thickness is 1.5cm. This caused pressure to be placed on her brain, taking away her ability to make facial expressions and even affecting her vision. Doctors said it was only a matter of time before she would lose other crucial brain functions and eventually die.

The operation took place at UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands. The surgeon, Bon Verweij, preformed the surgery to replace her cranium with a 3D printed one made from plastic. Verweij had gained extensive practice with 3D reconstructions and printing skull bones before he proceeded, and eventually decided that a plastic version would best suit the needs of his patient. The team designed the 3D model of the patient’s skull and sent it to be printed by an Australian firm that specializes in 3D printing.

While the team has done surgeries involving the replacement of skull bone sections, the entire replacement of the cranium has never been done before. The surgery, which lasted for nearly 23 hours, was performed with Verweij together with Marvick Maradin.

The team waited three months to announce this operation to make sure everything was successful. According to Verweij, the woman is back to work now and has even regained her eyesight.

Both the patient and surgeons are pleased with the results and there is hope for future surgeries that could offer options for patients with head trauma or even cancer.

SOURCE: 3D Printer.

3- New Micro-SLA 3DPrinter from 3D Systems Expands Dental Lab Capabilities

Medical devices are the strongest driver of the 3D Printing market with over 200,000 units being produced each day.  These include dental prostheses for which the mass customization and high precision of additive manufacturing brings benefits like easier fit for better patient “bite” and faster insertion by dental professionals.

3D Systems has just launched the ProJet 1200 3D Printer especially for the dental and jewelry markets. The bench-top 3D Printer is an economical tool using new micro-SLA technology that gives the same great results in part quality as regular SLA but in a smaller package and at purchase price of only \$4,900.  In fact, casting patterns cost only about 50 cents each so ROI is high for any lab wanting to get into 3D Printing.  Since many dental labs are small operations, the ProJet 1200 opens up the possibilities of 3D Printing without the expense or complexity of a large machine.

The ProJet 1200 can fit right on a workbench since it’s about the size of a coffee maker, with a 8 x 8 base and a height of 13 inches, with both LAN and USB connectivity so everyone in the lab can use it. There is no post-processing as in other methods, since a UV curing station is integrated into the 3D Printer and that assures safe handling of the parts and locks in their mechanical properties.

The ProJet 1200 uses a micro SLA process.  This type of 3D Printing is highly sophisticated with the beautiful surface finish usually associated with more expensive, high-end machines.  3D Printing ensures repeatability in the manufacturing process, and as new technicians come online, they are able to get up to production speed quicker.  With a 30-micron layer thickness, there is good accuracy for prostheses to have the fit you need for a perfect bite.

SOURCE: 3D Printer.

4-   NASA Space Suit: Vote Now!

Of all the outfits humanity has worn, the spacesuit is perhaps the most stunning. Set against the dark abyss of space, the bulky white costume, with the helmet's visor mirroring the Earth, is a symbol of progress, bravery and adventure. But now it's being updated for the 21st century – and Nasa wants you to decide what the spacesuit of the future will look like.

Nasa's Z-series is the next generation of spacesuits, designed to be more flexible, durable and easier to use than those we currently associate with space travel. The first prototype, the Z-1, was one of Time magazine's Inventions of the Year for 2012. Now, the Z-2 has arrived.

Artists at the University of Philadelphia have created three designs for the suit, one of which will be chosen by a public vote. All three feature electroluminescent wire – probably owe more to raving than space travel. At the time of writing, the "Technology" design, which features a large electric blue figure on the chest, is the clear leader, with 64% of the vote.

But this isn't simply a fashion project. Developed using 3D laser scans of the human body and 3D-printed components, the Z-2 suit features include a revolutionary entry/exit mechanism that allows astronauts to leave their ships without the need for an airlock. A port on the back of the suit allows it to be attached to the outside of a spaceship, so that astronauts don't have to get changed inside the ship.

As well as freeing up room, which would otherwise be needed for an airlock, this method of donning a spacesuit prevents dust getting into the spaceship, a problem the Apollo astronauts discovered on the Moon.

Voting will be open through April 15 at this address: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/z2/

SOURCE: The Guardian

5- Affordable Chocabyte 3D Chocolate Printer: Available Now

3D printing in chocolate has just gotten sweeter with the new Chocabyte 3D printer, capable of 3D printing in chocolate and for the low price of just \$99.

For those who are looking for an affordable alternative to the costly ChefJet, which starts at \$5000, this 3D printer may just be what you need to make all of your chocolate dreams come true.

The chocolate cartridges, which need to be put in the microwave before being used in the 3D printer, run \$10 for a pack of four, less than the plastic filament “ink” that standard 3D printers require. The whole chocolate-printing process is fairly quick too, taking about 10 minutes to complete.

Chocolate fans can print pretty much any shape they can dream of, by either downloading an image off the Chocabyte database or designing their own. It’s even possible to take a picture and produce a clone, in chocolate. The only catch is the size is limited to a distinctly bite-size 2-inch by 2-inch by 1-inch.

The initial shipment of Chocabyte is limited to 500 models, so you’ll need to act fast to get in on the chocolatey fun. Or you could wait – experts expect that once these models have been made and shipped out, more will be mass-produced worldwide, potentially making 3D printed chocolate less expensive and more available than ever before.

If you’re in the market for your very own 3D printing chocolate machine, Chocabyte is available –while supplies last.

SOURCE Mashable.com.