3D printing has proven to be a powerful ally for the automotive industry, constantly bringing innovation in a field where things have been moving in new and interesting directions. Additive manufacturing has been capable of creating whole, carbon fiber cars like the Blade supercar as well as end-product components and full parts like the Volkswagen cylinder block. Its ability to recreate and customize shapes to fulfill different needs for function and aesthetics has been the key factor of the technology’s growth

Evolution is arguably the most solid theory in modern biology. It has represented the foundation of biological research for centuries now and it’s still the basis over which many present day discoveries are made. Take the human teeth for example: its usefulness is undeniably linked to our evolution as a big, solid food churning species and its appearance is a solid indicator of the evolution of biological processes throughout species. Previous methods of food deconstruction involved a sandpaper like mouth but the Placoderms, a group of fish living some 400 million years ago are believed to be the first to exhibit bony jaw structures. It was thought that these fish had what you’d call “real teeth” but recent analysis from the Australian National University, which employed 3D printing and 3D scanning of a Buchanosteus fish fossil revealed evidence that the group could have represented a transitional link.

3D printing and design go hand in hand, more than one time showing incredible geometries and forms as a result of the augmented design liberty.The newest proponent is a collaboration between Studio INTEGRATE and Morgan Studio to design and manufacture a series of table and chairs named RIO, empowered by 3D printing to create mathematically generated shapes to obtain unique elements each time. The final pieces are a unique merge of traditional furniture craft and advanced manufacturing.

The 3D printed gun “problem” is a seemingly unending social preoccupation which has plagued the additive manufacturing community since its conception. While it is true that 3D printed weaponry pose problems in certain cases (such as war manufacturing using stolen designs by the enemy), the technology is still very finicky, unfit for production and, more importantly, still falling under current “normal” gun restrictions.