Researchers developed a heat-venting ceramic metastructure with high terahertz shielding efficiency, combining material modification and structural design. The metastructure exhibited multifunctional characteristics, including hydrophobic and antifouling surfaces and excellent heat dissipation capabilities.
Researchers are developing self-lubricating metal alloys that won't break down even at ultra-high temperatures, reducing dependence on conventional lubricants and coatings. The project aims to create a reusable materials-discovery infrastructure, enabling materials that become functionally adaptive to their environment.
A prosthetic scientist has developed technology to enhance the patient-prosthetist relationship and improve socket fit for individuals with limb loss. The technology uses sensors to quantify true socket fit in real time, replacing guesswork with data.
A team from Singapore University of Technology and Design developed a method to print balanced vegetarian dishes from rice and lentil flours using 3D food printing. The researchers found that freezing the prints before cooking helped preserve their shape and structure, and different cooking methods produced distinct textures and flavors.
Industry leaders gathered at M2IND to discuss manufacturing challenges and technologies for US industry, focusing on alternatives to traditional methods. Key findings include a need for resilient supply chains, expanded critical material options, and faster qualification processes.
Researchers developed a mechanism-data fusion framework for rapid prediction and optimization of microstructure evolution in laser directed energy deposition of Ti-6Al-4V. The framework uses dual-level long short-term memory networks and multiscale physical modeling, achieving high accuracy and reducing computational cost.
SourceELSP·JournalAdvanced Equipment·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 4, 2026
Researchers develop biodegradable nanobone material that activates body's own healing properties to regrow bone, reducing need for invasive procedures. The material generates 80% more new bone than a material control and activates a key bone-repair growth factor with 10 times the level achieved using conventional methods.
Australian engineers have created a strong and lightweight titanium material that floats in water, even after severe damage, revealing a promising new material for marine infrastructure. The 3D-printed titanium lattice is 70% stronger than stainless steel and withholds seawater exposure, making it suitable for jetties, buoys, and float...
A KAIST team uses AI to identify optimal material recipe for 3D-printable, highly stretchable material. The material printed reliably on a DLP 3D printer and showed high stretchability, extending to over six times its original length.
Researchers at MIT developed bifur-circuits, a new type of shape-changing smart device that can be reconfigured to form different shapes and maintain electrical connections. These interactive building blocks can be used to create adaptable smart devices, such as assistive furniture and reconfigurable robotic grippers.
Researchers develop SIHNO to predict stress fields in porous metamaterials, combining geometric symmetry with Hamiltonian-inspired energy structure. The model outperforms existing approaches, achieving low absolute error and relative L2 error, and maintaining millisecond-level inference speed.
SourceELSP·JournalAdvanced Manufacturing·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 26, 2026
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new manufacturing approach combining 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-free components for advanced nuclear reactors. This approach streamlines production and reduces reliance on traditional supply chains.
Researchers developed a filament extrusion system to process recycled PET from waste plastic bottles, producing filament suitable for 3D printing. The recycled PET filament demonstrated competitive mechanical performance compared to PLA, highlighting its potential as a feedstock for additive manufacturing.
SourceELSP·JournalAdvanced Manufacturing·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 23, 2026
A Heidelberg research team designs a polymer material that can be disassembled into its individual components without compromising precision, quality, or mechanical stability. The material can be broken down into its molecular building blocks within seconds and can be recovered and reused, enabling a circular manufacturing process.
Scientists create novel hybrid bioprinting technique to replicate human vascular networks, achieving scale and complexity previously unattainable. The breakthrough enables the fabrication of hierarchical vascular networks in one, two, and three dimensions.
This collection features articles on Additive Manufacturing published in Smart Materials in Manufacturing. Key findings include biodegradability, biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, fatigue resistance, radiation shielding, and mechanical properties of various additively manufactured materials.
A new type of 3D-printable material mimics human tissue's ability to sort and filter, allowing certain molecules to pass through while keeping others out. This broad function means the material can be used in various applications across medicine, water, and robotics.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a digital manufacturing platform to create patient-specific contact lenses in under 20 minutes. The innovative technology uses custom lens design software and advanced 3D printing combined with a new hydrophilic silicone material, providing precise fit and optical clarity.
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a method to print complex 3D shapes using nanoscale 'mask' technology, achieving physical toughness and transport capabilities. The technique prints multiple shapes in a conveyor-belt fashion, with dimensional ratios as high as 120:1.
A new study from the University of Groningen shows that properly characterizing 3D-printed materials is key to predicting their behavior. The researchers successfully designed and manufactured structures that exhibited excellent vibration attenuation and other exotic properties.
A Korean research team created an underwater acoustic lens capable of focusing sound precisely at a desired point while reducing weight by about 40% compared to conventional designs. The findings have significant implications for underwater communication, marine environmental monitoring, and acoustic energy transfer.
A team of UTEP researchers has created a printable gel polymer electrolyte that can be 3D-printed in any shape. The material performed similarly to conventional electrolytes and showed optimal performance at a specific recipe ratio, paving the way for flexible battery design.
Scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible 'diving suit' for cyborg cockroaches, allowing them to survive and move underwater for up to three hours. The suit generates oxygen and delivers it directly to the insect's breathing holes, enabling them to thrive in low-oxygen environments.
Roschli's research applies large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) to nuclear energy construction, reducing production times from weeks to days. He was recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his contributions to additive manufacturing innovations.
The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has completed a three-year renovation of its High Energy Annex Test (HEAT) facility to expand gas turbine combustor testing. The upgrades reduce testing costs by 80% through the use of additive manufacturing, allowing for flexible switching between fuel types.
Researchers propose a novel process paradigm of photopolymerization-extrusion coupled molding targeting the 3D printing of polymer-derived ceramics. The technology offers an innovative route for additive manufacturing of complex ceramic components with exceptional properties.
The technology clarifies its core advantages over traditional manufacturing methods and provides a roadmap for future development.
MIT researchers have developed low-cost, 3D-printed triaxial electrospray emitters that efficiently produce three-layered particles at scale. The devices can be used to manufacture time-release drug-delivery nanoparticles with potential applications in biosensors and tissue regeneration.
Researchers discovered curcumin's ability to stabilize microscopic ceramic parts by physically screening stray light and neutralizing erratic energy sparks. This approach enables the production of complex, ultra-lightweight components for advanced technologies.
Researchers at Yokohama National University developed a new recyclable resin that can be reused multiple times without losing quality. The resin uses reversible photodimerization to form bonds that can be broken and re-formed, enabling high-precision stereolithography.
Scientists at Tampere University created a 3D printed ceramic implant material that closely mimics real human bone. The findings advance personalized bone regeneration and may lead to more effective treatments for bone defects.
A research team led by POSTECH developed an AI framework that can predict and account for microscopic defects in metal 3D printing, improving the reliability of metal components. The framework achieves a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of just 9.51 MPa, outperforming conventional approaches.
Researchers create shape-morphing filaments using rotational multimaterial 3D printing, enabling programmable artificial muscles that bend and twist on demand. The breakthrough could accelerate the development of complex technologies such as soft robotics, energy damping, and biomedical devices.
Researchers have designed copper cold plates with optimized fins that deliver up to 32% better cooling performance, reducing pressure drop by up to 68%. This technology could lead to significant energy savings in data centers, where it is estimated to contribute only around 1.1% of total energy usage.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a method to make perovskite-based photovoltaics more durable by adding two key ingredients, skipping the yellow phase and degrading slower. The films retain 98% of their initial efficiency even after 1,200 hours of exposure.
Engineers at MIT and their collaborators create a new type of soft magnetic hydrogel that can be made into complex, magnetically activated three-dimensional structures. The new gel enables the creation of microscopic, magnetically responsive robots and materials with micron-scale precision.
A breakthrough in computer-designed thermoelectric generators has achieved more than eight times better efficiency than conventional designs. The innovative approach uses topology optimization to precisely control heat flow and minimize electrical resistance.
A new ultra-thin optical film improves the quality of light used in LCD resin-based 3D printers, ensuring precise details and reducing printing errors. The film's design enhances collimation and uniformity, paving the way for affordable industrial or medical-grade products.
Recent progress in advanced energy manufacturing highlights 3D printing's potential to redefine next-generation lithium batteries. The technology enables precise control over three-dimensional structures, improving ion-transport pathways and mechanical robustness.
A team of researchers developed a machine learning framework to optimize laser settings for printing crack-susceptible superalloys. The algorithm reduced internal crack density by 99% and increased the metal's high-temperature strength, surpassing traditional cast components.
Researchers at the University of Mississippi have developed a new method for delivering cancer-fighting drugs using 3D-printed nanocarriers, which can target specific tumor sites and minimize side effects. This innovative approach has shown promising results in killing cancer cells and reducing the impact of traditional chemotherapy.
A new 3D printing preview tool, VisiPrint, uses AI to generate aesthetically accurate previews of fabricated objects, reducing the need for multiple reprints and waste. The system considers material properties, layer height, and nozzle path to create realistic simulations.
A new class of ultra-high strength and ductility steel has been created using machine learning, achieving a rare balance of extreme strength and ductility. The resulting metal resists corrosion and degrades slowly in salt-water tests.
Researchers developed a bespoke aluminum alloy specifically tailored to survive and thrive in 3D printing. The new material produces components with significantly higher strength and lower internal stress than current industry standards.
Researchers have created a carbon-fiber composite that swallows sound waves while retaining the strength of industrial load-bearing panels. The design achieves an average sound absorption coefficient of over 0.9 across a frequency range of 1,500 to 5,500 hertz.
Researchers used microwave-based 3D printing to create ceramic components with near-zero porosity and improved strength. The hybrid technique eliminates microscopic holes and traps gas bubbles, allowing for more bending force before breaking.
Researchers create living tissue at near-physiological cell density using a new bioprinting strategy called embedded 3D printing in a cell-dense suspension (EPICS). The method enables the precise fabrication of perfusable channels and dense cellular environments, mimicking real organs.
Scientists at UCSF created a new material that enables more predictable organoid growth, allowing for better study of disease and potential tissue replacement. The dynamic gel, invented by Zev Gartner, mimics the body's soft environment and enables precise 3D printing of stem cells.
Researchers at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a new fabrication method for printing robotic devices with long filaments featuring precisely placed hollow channels. This allows the device to bend and deform in predetermined ways, enabling the creation of soft robots with predictable s...
Hiroshima University researchers develop novel 3D printing method to produce cemented carbides with high hardness and durability, reducing material waste and cost. The new technique maintains the hardness of conventionally manufactured WC-Co cemented carbides without defects or decomposition.
Researchers developed smart 4D-printed vascular stents that expand naturally at body temperature, eliminating the need for external heating. The stents balance mechanical flexibility and radial strength, demonstrating long-term biomechanical compliance.
The team created a programmable smart skin out of hydrogel, enabling enhanced multifunctionality and adjustable properties. The material can encrypt or decrypt information, enable adaptive camouflage, power soft robotics, and more.
MIT engineers have designed a 3D-printed floor truss system made from recycled plastic, which exceeds building standards set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The printed flooring can hold over 4,000 pounds and weighs about 13 pounds per truss, making it a lighter alternative to traditional wood-based trusses.
A team of researchers developed a programmable smart skin out of hydrogel that can be used to encrypt or decrypt information, enable adaptive camouflage and power soft robotics. The material's dynamic control over optical appearance, mechanical response and surface texture can be adjusted using external stimuli.
Dr. Barron Bichon has been promoted to vice president of SwRI's Mechanical Engineering Division, overseeing a team of over 400 staff members. He will lead the division in advancing additive manufacturing and composite material bonding for defense and aerospace applications.
Researchers developed a new 3D printing method, CRAFT, that can create realistic models of body parts, including complex structures like bone and ligament. The method uses inexpensive commercial printers and widely available materials, enabling the creation of affordable and accurate replicas.
A Cornell University team is developing a method to 3D-print concrete underwater, which could revolutionize on-site maritime construction and repair of critical infrastructure. The technology aims to minimize ocean disruption while creating more efficient and effective construction methods.
Researchers have developed a new method to print custom microstructures directly into living cells, enabling the study of biological functions and instilling enhanced properties. The breakthrough uses light-sensitive materials and laser polymerization to create structures within cells.
Direct-ink writing (DIW) technology faces unique physics puzzles, requiring a balance between liquid-like and solid-like behavior. The review aims to stimulate fundamental work on the central challenges of DIW, enabling more reliable and precise processes.
A multidisciplinary team of world-leading experts is developing an off-the-shelf engineered product that could address liver failure in millions of patients. The ImPLANT project aims to create synthetic biology-based gene circuits in human induced pluripotent stem cells to drive cell differentiation into all required liver cell types.