Robotics & Automation News

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robotic 3d printing

National Science Foundation funding brings ‘smarter and stronger’ advanced manufacturing

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The next revolution in manufacturing might come from a robotic arm that ‘prints like nature builds’

With funding from a three-year, $3.5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Future Manufacturing Research Grant, a team at Virginia Tech is pioneering this new approach by using robotic arms to produce 3D-printed composite materials from multiple directions instead of laying them down in straight lines and flat layers.

The final printed product features engineered materials that bend and curve like the grains of wood in a tree to anticipate stresses, making them almost 10 times stronger than traditional 3D-printed material.

The three-year NSF grant funding the work is one of only seven awarded under the Future Manufacturing Research program, which supports research, education, and the training of a future workforce to create manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today. [Read more…] about National Science Foundation funding brings ‘smarter and stronger’ advanced manufacturing

Sixpenny Additive appointed Canadian distributor for Meltio’s robotic metal 3D printing solutions

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Sixpenny Additive, a newly launched Canadian metal additive manufacturing company, has been named the first distributor and integration partner for Meltio’s innovative wire-laser metal 3D printing industrial systems in Canada.

Meltio’s industrial patented wire-laser directed energy deposition (DED) technology enables manufacturers to produce fully dense metal parts using cost-effective welding wire, with the flexibility to integrate onto robotic arms or operate as standalone 3D printers.

This technology provides a unique combination of reliability, affordability, and industrial scalability. [Read more…] about Sixpenny Additive appointed Canadian distributor for Meltio’s robotic metal 3D printing solutions

Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology unveil machine that can 3D print buildings using materials it ingests on-site

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A spider-like robot named Charlotte, developed jointly by Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology, was unveiled this week at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, with ambitious goals both on Earth and in space.

Charlotte is a semi-autonomous, bio-inspired construction robot combining robotics and 3D printing technology. At the IAC, a scaled-down prototype was demonstrated, marking an early milestone in what’s intended to be a transformational shift in how structures are built.

On Earth, the vision is straightforward yet bold: Charlotte would ingest raw materials – such as sand, earth, or crushed brick waste – bind and compress them using a proprietary extrusion system, and progressively “print” building walls and structures in situ. [Read more…] about Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology unveil machine that can 3D print buildings using materials it ingests on-site