We’ll kick this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs off with some advisory board and management changes, and then move on to project call news.We’ll end with some heartwarming stories about 3D printed wheelchairs for kids and animals.Massivit Continues Focus on U.S.
Aerospace & Defense Strategy Christopher Athearn Israeli large-format AM leader Massivit is continuing to increase its focus on the U.S.aerospace and defense industry.The company recently took another strategic step to further establish its presence in the U.S.
by announcing the appointment of Brigadier General Chris “Alf” Athearn, USAF (Ret.), to its advisory board.Athearn is a distinguished former U.S.Air Force acquisition professional, with 35 years of experience in defense acquisition, advanced airborne weapons systems, and defense industrial base strategy.
He held several senior positions within the Air Force and Department of Defense, including as Commander of DCMA Northrop Grumman and leading the Weapons Capacity Task Force between 2022 and 2024.Athearn comes to the Massivit advisory board with a mandate to support and speed up the company’s move to establish a manufacturing ecosystem in the U.S.aerospace and defense market.
Specifically, he should help strengthen Massivit’s relationships with military stakeholders, defense contractors, and key program offices.“The U.S.is pushing hard to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate the production of critical defense systems, but many programs still depend on legacy manufacturing methods,” Athearn said.
“Massivit’s technology can dramatically reduce production lead times and enable faster innovation.I believe this capability can be a game changer for defense manufacturing.The need for advanced manufacturing has never been greater.
I am honored to join Massivit’s Advisory Board and look forward to helping accelerate new manufacturing capabilities that strengthen the defense industrial base, increase production agility, and reduce the time required to field new operational capabilities.” Boston Micro Fabrication Announces Series of Strategic Management Changes John Kawola, CEO of Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), at BMF headquarters in Boston.Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com/Vanesa Listek.Microscale 3D printing leader Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) is making some big changes to support its next phase of growth and execution.
This week, the company announced a series of strategic management changes, including its CEO John Kawola transitioning from his current position to the role of strategic advisor.Additionally, Bryan Ferrand will take on the role of BMF’s President, while Donna Kelly has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BMF Precision Inc.These changes are all effective as of July 1st, 2026.
The company’s focus on advanced manufacturing applications that require ultra-high resolution, precision, and accuracy helped it build a strong position in the AM sector.These leadership changes show how committed BMF is to customer success, continued innovation, and operational excellence.Kawola helped “build BMF from the ground up,” according to company chairman Dr.
Xioaning He, and will continue to support the company’s leadership team and long-term direction.“BMF is a remarkable company with exceptional technology, a strong team, and a bright future.I have tremendous confidence in Bryan, Donna, and the broader leadership team as they guide the company forward,” Kawola said.
“I will plan to remain a long-term adviser to the leadership team and a strong believer in BMF and its continued success.” America Makes Announces Winners of $2 Million AIM-4AM Project Call In January, America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced the $2 million Artificial Intelligence for Material Allowables in Additive Manufacturing (AIM-4AM) Project Call, and have now announced the winners.Funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSW ManTech), AIM-4AM’s objective was to create a framework, driven by AI, that can identify and quantify risk in the current material allowables approach for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 17-4PH stainless steel.The ultimate goal was to safely reduce physical testing, and link the reductions to “clear, probabilistic risk categories,” in order to enable faster, less expensive material qualification and certification, and speed up adoption in defense and commercial applications.
The Team Lead for AIM-4AM is Dyndrite, and the project team is rounded out by Mimo Technik Printed Metal and RTX Technology Research Center (RTRC) “AIM 4AM represents a critical step toward modernizing how we qualify and certify advanced materials, enabling faster, more data driven decision making across defense and industrial applications.By applying artificial intelligence to target the highest value tests and quantify risk with greater precision, the Institute is helping to reduce uncertainty while accelerating the pathway to field ready additive manufacturing solutions,” said John Martin, Additive Manufacturing Research Director at America Makes.“Congratulations to the awardees as their efforts strengthen and advance the manufacturing industrial base.” Girl Scouts Make 3D Printed Pediatric Wheelchair with Cookie Money Image courtesy of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts via Facebook The profits from a Girl Scout troop’s cookie sales go right to the troop and their local Girl Scout council, and they get to decide how to spend their hard-earned money.
A troop of third graders in Dorchester, Massachusetts used almost $200 of their cookie money to make a 3D printed toddler mobility trainer, which is a pediatric wheelchair for kids with mobility challenges.The girls visited The Boston Home, a residential care center for adults with neurological conditions, and the workplace of their troop leader Corinne Curran.That’s where they got the inspiration to make a wheelchair with 3D printed parts for a fellow child.
Curran said it took about 200 hours to print the parts for the multicolored mobility trainer, which features a cup holder, adjustable headrest, and removable push handle, and less than an hour to put it all together.The girls are also excited to make more 3D printed wheelchairs in the future.Bonnie Barczykowski, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and Girl Scouts of the USA CEO, said the organization is proud that the troop used their cookie profits to help make the world a better place.
“They’re using their cookie earnings selflessly to give back, and in the process they’re not just building skills–they’re making a real difference in their communities.What makes it even more powerful is that this kind of impact grows out of experiences they genuinely enjoy–moments of discovery, friendship, and confidence as they figure out who they are and what they care about,” Barczykowski said.Injured Mississippi Turtle Gets Around with Custom 3D Printed Wheelchair Moses is a Gulf Coast box turtle, which is the largest subspecies of the common box turtle.
But there’s nothing common about Moses—he survived getting hit by a car, but unfortunately lost both of his back legs in the accident.He was unable to survive in the wild after becoming a double amputee, so he went to live at the Mississippi Aquarium.Employees did everything they could to help Moses move more easily, from modifying his habitat to attaching marbles under his shell so he could slide around.
But it’s hard work carrying that much weight on only two legs, and staff could tell he wanted to move around more.Within a week of starting his job at the aquarium, Jon Austin White, a Coral Aquarist, heard about Moses, and got to work.He used 3D modeling to develop a 3D printed wheelchair that was custom-fit to the turtle’s shell, and by the third prototype, he knew they had a winner.
White said, “He tried to kick it off at first, but really, once he got used to it and once he realized that he can move a lot better in it, he just took off.” Thanks to this second chance, Moses has a lot more mental stimulation, and now helps teach aquarium visitors about how important box turtles are to the ecosystem in Mississippi.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.Print Services Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
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