In this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with medical news from 3D Systems, and then moving on to research about glass nanostructures and synthetic lichen.Then, 3D printing is being used to make obsolete parts for tractor restoration.Finally, adidas has revealed a lace-up version of its 3D printed CLIMACOOL slip-on sneaker.
3D Systems & TISSIUM Collaboration Results in FDA Approval for Nerve Repair Image: TISSIUM For several years, 3D Systems has partnered with French medtech company TISSIUM to develop a bespoke 3D printing solution to repair damaged peripheral nerves.Recently, 3D Systems announced that their combined efforts and technologies have enabled FDA approval for regenerative repair of peripheral nerve damage.For nearly a decade, the company has held a position of leadership in bioprinting, and its biomedical engineers use bioprinting, biocompatible 3D printing materials, and a wide range of cell types to construct patient-specific living tissues.
TISSIUM developed proprietary biomorphic programmable polymers for tissue reconstruction, so the two are well-matched.By pairing TISSIUM’s biomorphic polymers with 3D Systems’ regenerative medicine technologies, they were able to develop a unique, 3D printed polymeric solution for peripheral nerve damage repair: a fully bioabsorbable, atraumatic, sutureless medical device called COAPTIUM CONNECT with TISSIUM Light.As TISSIUM explained, this solution “preserves nerve integrity and simplifies the coaptation process.” “Over the past several years, we have made phenomenal progress building upon Chuck Hull’s invention of 3D printing, and pushing its capabilities into new frontiers.
Whether in our medical device business through the production of patient-specific implants and surgical solutions, or through the work our regenerative medicine team is doing, 3D Systems is making a profound impact not only on how healthcare is delivered, but on the quality of patients’ lives, and continues to solidify what I believe is an unparalleled role we play in advancing medicine with additive manufacturing applications,” said Dr.Jeffrey Graves, President and CEO of 3D Systems.“This latest accomplishment by TISSIUM, enabled by our unique 3D printing technology, is one more example of how 3D Systems is transforming patient care for a better future.” SUTD’s 3D Printed Glass Nanostructures Reflect Nearly All Visible Light Nanoscale 3D printing of glass.
With its transparency and stability, glass has long been used in optical systems, but higher refractive index materials are better for manipulating light at the nanoscale, especially for high-performance optical devices.But a research team led by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) came up with a new method for 3D printing glass structures at the nanoscale that have near-perfect reflectance, which is challenging assumptions about the capabilities low-index materials, like glass, have in photonics.Their new material, called Glass-Nano, is a photocurable resin made by blending light-sensitive organic compounds with silicon-containing molecules.
During heating, it cures smoothly and contracts uniformly to transform into clear, robust glass that reflects nearly all visible light.When the Glass-Nano is printed using two-photon lithography, the polymer structures shrink at 650°C, which achieves nanoscale features as small as 260 nm and preserves form.With their new method, the team overcome the typical limitations of photonic crystals (PhCs), printing more than 20 tightly stacked layers to achieve a diamond-like crystal that was highly uniform in structure, with fine spectral details, and reflects nearly 100% of incident light with a wide range of viewing angles.
Now, they’re working to broaden the capabilities of their Glass-Nano platform.Professor Joel Yang, a professor at SUTD and leader of the research team, said, “With the ability to print high-resolution nanostructures in both low- and high-index dielectrics, we’re now turning to applications where 3D optical components could reduce transmission losses and enable more efficient photonic systems.” To learn more, you can read their research paper here.TAMU Researchers Developing Synthetic Lichen System for Mars Colonization Microscopic view of the synthetic lichen system, in which red-colored fluorescent cells are cyanobacterial cells and the non-fluorescent cells are fungal cells.
Courtesy of Dr.Congrui Grace Jin.A lot of time and resources have been spent trying to come up with potential Mars colonization ideas, because it’s not feasible to launch construction materials into outer space.
One promising idea is a synthetic lichen system for autonomous construction, currently being developed by researchers from the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Department of Engineering with funding from NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC).Past research into bonding Martian soil all require a continuous supply of external nutrients or significant human assistance, which is what makes this autonomous, self-growing technology so promising.Lichens are not individual plants or fungi, but instead a symbiotic collaboration between at least two different organisms.
The TAMU team’s self-growing material, which uses a synthetic community of multiple lichen species, doesn’t need external nutrient supplies, and secretes biopolymers that bond Martian regolith particles into a solid structure.The system doesn’t require any human intervention—just Martian regolith simulant, an inorganic liquid medium, air, and light are need to create construction materials all on its own.The team published a paper on their findings, and is now working on a regolith ink that can be used to 3D print structures.
“The potential of this self-growing technology in enabling long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization is significant,” explained Dr.Congrui Grace Jin from Texas A&M University, who has spent years working with her colleagues to perfect the bio-manufacturing of engineered living materials.Tractor Restoration Companies Turn to 3D Printing for Obsolete Parts This Best Model 30 orchard tractor, often called the Humpback, was essentially reproduced from the ground up using 3D printing to recreate many of the parts.
Image: Tharran Gaines You may have known that 3D printing can help restore old cars, but what about old tractors? If a collector finds a rare tractor in good enough shape to be restored, any replacement parts are likely hard to find.Alex Fuselier with Aumann Auctions said that traditionally, a pattern maker creates a wooden foundry pattern so the part can be cast.But now, a 3D printed part can be used as a casting pattern.
Fuselier also employs a tabletop bed 3D scanner, so he can scan all sides of the part without moving it, save it to a CAD file, and print it however many times he wants.K.R.Hough, the owner of full-service tractor restoration company Traction Engineering in Pendleton, Indiana, used 3D printing to reproduce an entire Best Model 30 orchard tractor, often called the Humpback.
His client was a collector of pre-1925 tractors built in California, which is where Hough had the tractor scanned.He built a new frame from water-jet-cut-steel, machined some parts with CNC equipment, and 3D printed several others, including the tractor seat, engine block, pistons, head, and part of the original radiator.Just like Fuselier, several of the parts he printed were sent to a foundry for casting.
It can still be hard to justify the cost of having a part cast with 3D printing, but it is less expensive than having a wooden pattern made.“I’ve made parts that cost anywhere from $50 to $4,000.You have $25 each way to send the pattern to the foundry, so there’s $50 right there,” said Hough.
“Add the cost of scanning, casting, and finishing, and it would be hard to make a single part for less than $200 unless you have the economy of scale and need several identical parts.” Hough and Fuselier are still big enough fans of the technology that they partnered up to give a presentation on 3D printing at the Powers Tractor School, but hope that the cost of metal 3D printing will eventually come down, so they can do away with casting the 3D printed patterns.adidas Reveals CLIMACOOL Laced, 3D Printed in a Single Piece In 2024, sportswear behemoth adidas revealed the CLIMACOOL, a fully 3D printed sneaker developed with Carbon and its Digital Light Synthesis (DLP) technology.With its lattice structures, the slip-on shoe was designed for breathability, comfort, and performance, and is 3D printed in a single piece, which eliminates seams.
After a limited early drop in April, the CLIMACOOL was globally released in May of 2025 and retails for less than $200.The CLIMACOOL range was initially designed in 2002, undergoing extensive athlete testing to validate its futuristic cooling technologies.Now, adidas has revealed the next step in its CLIMACOOL journey: the new CLIMACOOL LACED, which the brand calls “the next exploration of a new design innovation.” This new 3D printed sneaker is also designed and printed as a single piece, blending both upper and midsole elements with one material.
Just like its slip-on predecessor, the seamless CLIMACOOL LACED features a soft, adaptive, and breathable fit for ultimate comfort.It offers 360° airflow, and the material breathes as it moves, which helps keep the wearer’s feet nice and cool.adidas says that with the “unique 3D printing process,” it takes approximately 24 hours to create a CLIMACOOL LACED shoe, including spinning, baking, and compression with polymer materials.
The initial style will be a bold off-white with a black lacing system for a more adjustable fit.Starting July 15th, the 3D printed CLIMACOOL LACED will be available on the adidas website, in adidas stores, and at selected retailers.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.
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