Innovations In Printing Technology

🪄 3D printing just broke free from gravity — and it happened at Disneyland Paris. Coperni, in collaboration with Disney Research, showcased a revolutionary technique called Rapid Liquid Printing (RLP) — a gel-based 3D printing process that allows objects to form freely in liquid space. The innovation: Instead of building layer by layer, RLP prints directly inside a gel bath. The gel supports the structure as it forms, meaning objects can be “drawn” in mid-air with smooth, continuous motion. What’s new: • No gravity constraints — objects print in all directions. • No supports or post-processing needed — a simple rinse finishes the product. • Compatible with soft materials like silicone and rubber, enabling flexibility and realism. Why it matters: This breakthrough eliminates one of 3D printing’s biggest limitations — the need for support structures. It drastically speeds up production, reduces waste, and enables designs that were previously impossible. → Fashion and luxury design — complex, fluid shapes in textiles and accessories → Architecture and furniture — organic, continuous forms without assembly → Healthcare and robotics — flexible components mimicking natural motion To me, this represents the next era of creation — where 3D printing stops stacking layers and starts shaping ideas in real time. Could this be the moment 3D printing becomes as intuitive as sketching in air? #3DPrinting #Design #Manufacturing #Creativity #FutureOfWork #Engineering #ArtAndTech

This imec roadmap to 2039 (!) has become the chip industry's go-to. So what's actually on there? 🔎 Let me walk you through it! 👇 🔢 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻  Nodes set the tempo for innovation. They are generational markers for density, performance and power improvements. So as we exit the "N" nodes and enter the "angstrom era" (A14, A10, A7…), remember: 10 angstroms = 1 nanometer. Just remember that these numbers no longer relate to anything physical on the chip. The naming is more competitive signaling between leaders like TSMC, Samsung Semiconductor and Intel. But the engineering behind each step is very real. 🧱 "𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀" 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 New transistor architectures deliver better performance. In FinFET transistors, the gate wraps around the channel on three sides of a silicon fin. It was the workhorse from ~22nm. Right now, the first generation of Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors is entering production. These stacks horizontal sheets with the gate wrapping the channel on all four sides for better control and less leakage. Next up: Complementary FET (CFET) transistors. Their taller design stacks a pair of transistors on top of each other to essentially create two transistors in one fin. At the tail end: '2DFET' points to the use of 2D materials with atomic-scale thickness (~0.7nm) that could work where silicon can't. Deep future stuff. 📏 "𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴" 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆  Litho enables economic scaling. ASML's Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography enables today's most advanced nodes and will continue to keep the pace of chip innovation. As chip designs continue to scale and become more complex to print economically, the door to the next generation of lithography opens. We're now on the cusp of the High NA EUV era. By increasing the numerical aperture from 0.33 to 0.55, these systems bring imaging resolution down to 8nm. And an even higher numerical aperture of 0.75 would give rise to "Hyper NA" EUV systems in the 2030s. ⚡ "𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲" 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘆 This is about the wiring. Today, power travels from the top through many wiring layers to reach transistors, wasting space and energy. Backside Power Delivery (BSPDN) flips the script: it routes power from the bottom via through-silicon vias, freeing the frontside for denser routing and better performance. Intel, TSMC and Samsung are all adopting this in their advanced nodes. But the complexity demands collaboration across deposition, etch, CMP, bonding and wafer thinning. 💡 In the end, a roadmap like this shows that everything has to work together. No single breakthrough carries that pace of innovation. That's what makes this industry incredibly competitive and collaborative at the same time! ❤️

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. Instead of printing metal, a team of scientists in Switzerland grew it from a gel – and the result is 20x stronger than previous methods. Using a water-based hydrogel as a scaffold, researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) created complex structures that can be infused with metal salts. After several rounds of soaking and heating, the gel vanishes – leaving behind dense, ultra-strong metal or ceramic. Traditional metal 3D printing often results in porous structures with serious shrinkage. This new method dramatically reduces those flaws, producing durable, precisely shaped components with only 20% shrinkage. It also opens the door to building with a wide range of materials – the same gel template can be used to grow iron, silver, copper, or even advanced composites. The technique could revolutionize how we make complex, high-performance parts for energy systems, biomedical devices, and next-gen electronics. It’s also a shift in mindset: rather than designing around the limits of printing materials, this approach lets researchers build first, and choose the material later. The team is already working on automating the process, aiming to bring this breakthrough into real-world manufacturing. Read the study "𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑙‐𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐿𝑜𝑤 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠, 2025 https://lnkd.in/eian6kVx

How Butterflies help us to transform Sewage Sludge into Next-Gen 3D Printing Materials Every year, millions of dry metric tons of sewage sludge, an organic-rich byproduct of wastewater treatment, pose a huge disposal challenge and environmental burden. Traditionally destined for incineration, landfills, or limited agricultural use, this overlooked resource is now getting a second life through innovative material science! We developed a method to harness hydrothermal processing (HTP) to convert wet sewage sludge into hydrochar, carbonaceous solid that can be further activated. Unlike typical biomass, sewage sludge contains unique metallic and metalloid dopants. These impurities lead to surprising outcomes during thermal activation: instead of the expected boost in carbon content and improved graphitic ordering, the process actually decreases carbon ordering, creating a distinct material structure with its own set of properties. When incorporated into 3D printing resins, this hydrochar acts as a sustainable filler. Initially, it may compromise stiffness and hardness due to limited resin-filler adhesion. However, by adopting nature-inspired gyroid geometries, designs reminiscent of butterfly wings and bird feathers, the composite’s toughness and elongation can not only be recovered but enhanced! This integration of bio-inspired architecture overcomes inherent material weaknesses and paves the way for eco-friendly prototypes, packaging, and beyond. 1️⃣ Diverting millions of tons of sludge from landfills and incineration reduces greenhouse gas emissions and pollutant dispersion. 2️⃣ Incorporating waste-derived hydrochar in 3D printing reduces reliance on raw synthetic materials, promoting a circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. 3️⃣ The synergy between material science and bio-inspired design opens new horizons for advanced composites with tailored properties through innovative design. This fusion of waste valorization, unconventional chemistry, and cutting-edge design showcases a transformative path toward sustainable manufacturing. Read more details in the paper (open access): Sabrina Shen, Branden Spitzer, Damian Stefaniuk, Shengfei Zhou, Admir Masic, Markus J. Buehler, Communications Engineering, Vol. 4, 52 (2025), https://lnkd.in/eBeESHJY

🚀 Are we witnessing the end of blocky 3D prints? Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed AN3DP — an active nozzle that changes its shape and diameter mid-print! 🔥 Inspired by tendons and retractable grabber tools, it uses 8 movable pins and an elastic membrane to reshape on the fly. The result? 🔹 Higher precision 🔹 Faster printing 🔹 Large-scale prints with fine detail Applications? From aerospace to soft electronics to architectural structures. 👉 A breakthrough published in Science Advances — proof that FDM is evolving faster than ever.

🚀 3D Printing Is Reshaping Entire Industries — Here's How The global 3D printing market is projected to reach $105.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.8% (Grand View Research, 2024). But it's not just about growth—it's about transformation. Here's how additive manufacturing is changing the game across sectors: 🔧 Manufacturing Companies adopting 3D printing report up to 90% reduction in prototyping time. GE Aviation saved $3 million per aircraft by printing fuel nozzles with fewer parts and lighter designs. 🏥 Healthcare The 3D printed medical devices market hit $3.6 billion in 2023. Over 100,000 hip implants have been 3D printed to date, offering better patient fit and faster recovery. ✈️ Aerospace & Automotive Airbus reduced part weight by 55% using lattice structures only possible via 3D printing. Ford uses 3D printing in more than 50% of its product development, slashing tooling costs by up to 70%. 🏗️ Construction 3D-printed homes can be built in under 24 hours for a fraction of the cost. ICON, a pioneer in the space, is collaborating with NASA to build habitats on the Moon using printed regolith. 👟 Consumer Goods Adidas has sold over 1 million 3D-printed midsoles, combining performance with mass customization. Jewelry and eyewear brands are seeing 20–30% faster time-to-market by using direct-to-print designs. 🔍 The takeaway: 3D printing is no longer just for prototyping—it's becoming central to production and innovation. Whether you're in aerospace, fashion, healthcare, or housing, additive manufacturing is opening new frontiers in cost-efficiency, speed, and customization. Are you exploring 3D printing in your strategy? #3DPrinting via @niotoys1 #AdditiveManufacturing #Innovation #DigitalTransformation

Did my newspaper just become a live Screen? 🌟 Scrolling through internet for my usual news fix, I saw something truly mind-blowing! Flipping through the paper (which I rarely do), I saw this ad and decided to scan it with my phone. And just like that – it transformed with videos and animations! Imagine, a print ad more thrilling than any movie trailer! For someone who finds newspapers a bit meh, this was incredible. Who knew you could actually enjoy ads in print media? Is this the future of advertising? It sure feels like it! This MR experience not only caught my attention but left me craving more. Aditya Birla Capital is shaking up the ad world by merging mixed reality with print media, setting new standards for engagement. They’ve connected this tech wizardry to their Olympic Games Paris 2024 sponsorship, blending national pride with innovation. Tracking interactions with print ads is revolutionary. AI-powered startups like Flam are leading this shift, hinting at a transformative future for ad tech. Kudos to the team for pushing the boundaries and showing us that the future of advertising is now. Have you seen this ad? What do you think about mixed reality in print media? Let’s chat in the comments!

$ASML Q125 Earnings Report Rev: €7.74B vs €7.75B est ✅ | +46% YoY EPS: €6.00 vs €5.80 est ✅ | +93% YoY Net bookings: €3.9B (EUV €1.2B) +9% New Lithography Systems Sold +11% Guidance Rev Q2 2025: €7.2B-€7.7B Rev FY 2025: €30B-€35B "Our conversations so far with customers support our expectation that 2025 and 2026 will be growth years." – Christophe Fouquet, CEO My thoughts - ASML’s Twinscan EXE:5200 High-NA EUV systems, have now shipped to five key customers, including Intel, TSMC, and Samsung, by Q1 2025, enabling single-exposure patterning of 19nm-pitch logic and sub-12nm DRAM features. This reduces edge placement errors by ~30% versus 0.33 NA EUV multi-patterning, critical for ultra-dense SRAM and HBM4 stacks in AI accelerators. However, U.S. tariffs on chipmaking equipment, potentially imposing 20–24% duties on EU imports, threaten to inflate High-NA system costs (~€350M each), which could delay fab capex for 1.6nm/1.4nm nodes. While TSMC’s U.S. fab costs may rise by $6B due to tariffs, ASML’s CEO Christophe Fouquet insists 2025–2026 growth remains on track, driven by AI demand. Yet, if tariffs escalate, chipmakers like Intel (targeting 14A in 2026) may prioritize chiplet-based AI inference designs with relaxed 3nm/2nm rules, slowing High-NA adoption. The next 12 months will test whether fabs absorb tariff costs to deploy High-NA for A16 nodes or extend low-NA EUV with costlier multi-patterning. - DRAM makers, including SK Hynix and Samsung, have adopted EUV for 1-alpha/1-beta nodes, relying on DUV multi-patterning for critical layers to manage costs. HBM4’s sub-10nm bitline pitches and 3D DRAM architectures, however, demand High-NA EUV to sustain yield and power efficiency, with ASML-imec demos showing single-exposure-pitch patterning cutting cycle time and CO2 emissions. Tariffs pose a risk: ASML’s CFO Roger Dassen notes U.S. duties on imported parts and tools could raise costs, with U.S. chipmakers bearing most of the burden, potentially passing ~$1B annually to customers. This could deter memory makers from accelerating High-NA adoption, especially if China’s reduced 20% revenue share (down from 41% in 2024) limits global demand. ASML’s 2025 guidance (€30B–€35B, 7–25% YoY growth) hinges on memory-sector EUV uptake; Q2 2025 bookings exceeding €3B would signal HBM4-driven capex, but tariff hikes or retaliatory Chinese tariffs (e.g., 84% on U.S. goods) could cap growth at 15–20% CAGR through 2030. #semiconductors #semiconductormanufacturing #semiconductorindustry #asml #artificialintelligence #tsmc

I've written about the quiet-but-massive success of direct-to-garment digital printing in the past. That's one of the straightest lines you can draw between technology opening up new capabilities, and entirely new business models - at scale - becoming viable. But the real transformation that digital printing could usher in sits closer to the heart of the machinery of fashion: figuratively and literally. So much of the industry's baggage of waste and slowness is tied to fabric development and sourcing. So much potential creativity goes untapped because it simply takes too long to approve prints and patterns. And while a lot of people still think of digital material printing as being a way of doing samples quicker, it's also an approach that could help fashion go after speed and sustainability at scale. A fresh look at the business case for digital, direct-to-fabric printing, in a partnership between The Interline and Kornit Digital: interli.net/3NVZ2TR #fashiontechnology

📣 MORPHING WING DRONE! 📣 For any aircraft, a substantial part of the drag can be attributed to the control surfaces on the wings. When the surfaces are deflected, the airfoil shape changes and leads to higher drag. In consequence, the engine requires more power. 👀 The research group of Paolo Ermanni at the Composite Materials and Adaptive Structures (CMASLab) has investigated aerodynamically efficient aircraft wings using compliant structures, so called morphing wings, for the last 12 years. In this context, the Master’s student Leo Baumann, in collaboration with the ETH spin-off 9T Labs, has investigated the possibility to 3D print lightweight and selectively compliant composite structures. With the supervision of the doctoral students Dominic Keidel and Urban Fasel, the team developed a wing with a continuous skin and a morphing structure, which has highly adaptive and aerodynamically efficient control surfaces reducing the aerodynamic drag. 😉 To proof the structural performance of the morphing wing, and to analyse the flight characteristics of the aircraft, the team developed a morphing composite drone. To achieve the desired trade-off between stiffness and compliance, the team used a 3D printer developed by 9T Labs, which enables the manufacturing of parts consisting of both plastics and carbon composites. All structural components of the drone were realized with 3D printing, with the exception of the wing skin and the electronics. 👏 #composites #composite #compósitos #compositematerials #materialsengineering #fibers #lightweight #reinforcedplastics