No wonder some industry executives are often pictured with some unprintable [...]]]> Hammered by the economic crisis that began in 2008, the printer and printer ink cartridge industries suffered a first-ever year-on-year drop in profits in 2009. Market research firms have released data showing the sectors’ profits fell by at least 2% from the previous year’s figures.

No wonder some industry executives are often pictured with some unprintable faces and are often heard with unquotable, not exactly filled with optimism quotes. But do not throw in that towel yet. The worst may yet be over, the bad news done and on their way out.

Some industry analysts are saying they have seen signs of recovery for the market. And who are we to contradict them. After all, we are all hungry for some good news.

Research firm Lyra Research, for example, has argued that “print volumes for desktop inkjet printers are expected to begin growing rapidly in 2012 as the technology enters more and more small office environments.” Beyond those technological gobbledygook and jargon, what those market data purveyors are telling us that the bad times are about to end, and the good times (together with their prone-to-overexpansion risks) are upon us once again.

And not a moment too soon.

Via: mb.com.ph

A 3D printer combines or fuses successive layers of material in a form of “additive manufacturing” [...]]]> North Technical High School’s Precision Machining Program recently received a modern Dimension 1200es 3D printer System.  In today’s field of engineering, architecture, and design, prototyping a three dimensional drawing is an essential step in the design process.

A 3D printer combines or fuses successive layers of material in a form of “additive manufacturing” to yield a functional three dimensional object that can be tested under real-world conditions.  The Dimension 1200es 3D printer accomplishes this task by creating a durable ABS plastic model from a Computer Assisted Drawing (CAD) file, thus yielding a solid model prototype that closely imitates the look, feel, and functionality of the desired end product.  Previous methods of producing a typical prototype took many man-hours, numerous tools, and highly skilled labor.  This older research and development process would cost companies enormous amounts of money.

3D printing gives research and development teams a cheaper and faster process for producing prototypes.  This technology is not only used in industrial design, but also has applications in other areas such as jewelry, footwear, architecture, automotive, aerospace.

Source: northtechnical.org

According to Christian Weinand of the Insel [...]]]> With the help of their latest invention in science – a 3D printer, researchers managed to create the exact copy of a man’s thumb bones. The device can now be used to help surgeons restore damaged bones by creating their precise copies, which are made from the patient’s cells.

According to Christian Weinand of the Insel Hospital in Berne, Switzerland, who leads the team of scientists that replicated his thumb bone, theoretically it is possible to copy any bone. The scientist “grew” his substitute bones on the backs of laboratory mice. However, it is not always necessary to use a surrogate mouse. This is the case when a person, who lost a thumb, is able to replace it with his or her own toe. Currently surgeons are able to replace a thumb with the patient’s toe or by using bone fragments.

The new method implies a number of steps. Initially it is important to have a 3D image of the bone that is going to be copied. In case the bone has been damaged, one can create a mirror image of the bone’s intact twin. Afterwards the picture of the bone is inserted into a 3D inject printer that puts thin layers of a material (selected beforehand) on top of one another till the 3D object shows up.

The researcher filled their latest invention with tricalcium phosphate along with a type of polylactic acid. These are natural materials that persist in human body, informs NewScientist.

After successfully replicating a bone, the copy itself features small pores on its “scaffolds”. This is where bone cells can eventually settle, grow and then completely displace the biodegradable scaffold. Scientists removed CD117 cells from bone marrow that remained after hip-replacement surgical operations. These cells develop into primordial bone cells, also known as osteoblasts. The latter were syringed on top of the bone scaffolds in a gel that was created to nourish the CD117 cells as well as support them. In the final step, scientists sew scaffolds under the skin on the backs of laboratory mice. After 15 weeks the scaffold had turned into human bone.

Source: infoniac.com