Perspective: Plastics Industry Association CEO: Plastic saves lives

via Plastics News

In Pennsylvania, employees at a Braskem plant lived there for 28 days to make raw materials for PPE. In Tennessee, Eastman employees donated material to colleges and universities across the state, where engineers are using 3D printing technology to manufacture face shields for medical personnel.

Placon worked with engineers at the University of Wisconsin to adapt assembly lines and manufacture up to 5,000 face shields per hour for hospitals. Berry Global supplied free face shields to its Evansville, Ind., community. Across the country, Amcor has donated thousands of bottles to distillers producing hand sanitizer.

Read the full story here: https://www.plasticsnews.com/perspective/perspective-plastics-industry-association-ceo-plastic-saves-lives

How NASA’s 3D-Printers Test Recycling Plastic in Space

via FedTech Magazine

NASA’s 3D-printing program began with making tiny wrenches and may end up building infrastructure on the moon. In between those moments, however, astronauts aboard the International Space Station are testing technology designed to make the printing process more efficient.

The space station is currently home to two 3D printers, one known as the Refabricator and another called the Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF). A third device, the Recycler, is designed to recycle used material to save room and weight on the ISS, much like the Refabricator. Each works in a slightly different way, and astronauts are trying to determine which works best.

Read the full story here: https://fedtechmagazine.com/article/2020/05/how-nasas-3d-printers-test-recycling-plastic-space

Supersonic aircraft will employ 3D-printed components

via Plastics Today

Stratasys has deepened its partnership with Boom Supersonic – the Colorado-based company building the world’s fastest ever supersonic airliner. In signing a seven-year agreement extension, the companies are further accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing for 3D-printed flight hardware.

Expanding 3D printing beyond rapid prototyping, Boom Supersonic is utilizing the Stratasys F900 3D Printer with the Aircraft Interiors Solution (AIS) package to create hundreds of 3D printed parts for XB-1, the company’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft. The AIS package is aimed at helping improve mechanical properties and enables repeatable development of aircraft production parts.

Read the full story here: https://www.plasticstoday.com/3d-printing/supersonic-aircraft-will-employ-3d-printed-components/103878795661808