Highly complex contour areas required the smallest cutter diameters with 5-µm accuracy on 384 measuring fields, and extremely long machine runtimes: The Spe-Chip microfluidic sample carrier mould was in a league of its own. The toolmaking department at Erwin Quarder Systemtechnik in Espelkamp in Germany's Eastern Westphalia managed the project — with support from Moldino.

Durability, precision and reliable availability are important factors when selecting guiding elements. In this area, Meusburger offers a wide range of high-quality products that are available from stock.

Formnext's ninth international Start-up Challenge recognises five emerging companies for their groundbreaking work in additive manufacturing. Hailing from four different countries, these winners showcase innovations ranging from medical applications, material recycling and new 3D printing technologies for various industries.

Automated manufacturing continues to prove beneficial as companies struggle with various challenges around complex supply chains, varying consumer demands, evolving consumer protection standards and scarcity of production resources.

In 2022, as every three years, K in Düsseldorf will once again be one of the most important information and business platforms for the global plastics and rubber industry. The trade fair took a look at the current challenges facing the industry, ranging from raw materials prices, Covid-19 and sustainability to the war in Ukraine.

Metal additive manufacturing technology company Velo 3D announced that M300 tool steel, an ultra-low carbon alloy that delivers very high strength and hardness, is qualified for use in Sapphire printers.

At Vema, the production of high-precision mould inserts with polished surfaces forms the key foundation for the success of the downstream plastic injection moulding shop. What in 2021 still required several process steps and final manual work, has since 2022 been possible in a single clamping operation without manual rework thanks to the Kern Micro HD high-end machining centre, equipped with an MHT medium distributor.

The developer of in-situ quality assurance solutions for additive manufacturing, Sigma Additive Solutions, has formalised its program of working with universities, research labs, government organizations, and industrial companies to provide a platform for improving collaboration related to in-situ monitoring and real-time analysis for quality assurance, certification, and qualification of additively manufactured parts.

Software company Module Works announces its Next Generation Shopfloor Programming (NGSP) software that enables machine tool builders and CNC manufacturers to offer highly automated touchscreen programming as part of their proprietary on-control solutions.

Demand for polymer materials by mass far exceeds that of metal materials for 3D printing. ID Tech Ex's new report, “Polymer Additive Manufacturing 2023-2033: Technology and Market Outlook”, finds that polymer 3D printing is moving beyond prototyping to high-value adoption by end-users, which will propel its growth to 21.1 billion dollars in 2033.