Show Stopper: The ZPrinter 310
system by Z Corp. was recently showcased on TV drama CSI: NY as a
A tool that's growing
in popularity among design engineers, 3D printing still has a long way to go
before becoming a standard fixture in the crime scene lab. But on the popular TV
series CSI: NY , the tool—which rapidly creates models of parts by depositing layers of material much like an ink jet printer—has proved to be also useful in solving a crime. In the Dec. 1 episode, a mounted policeman was shot to death. Investigators believed the weapon was a high-power rifle, but could not prove it without the key evidence—the bullet. It passed through the victim's body, entered his horse's vertebrae, and could not be safely removed. No matter, said Oscar-winner Gary Sinise, a.k.a. Detective Mac Taylor, who took digital data from a scan of the horse and used the ZPrinter 310 System by Z Corp. to create a 3D model of the bullet. Karen Kiffney, Z Corp.'s marketing manager, says inquiries about the 310 model have gone up after the episode aired. Marketed as an entry-level system, the machine can create parts up to 8 × 10 × 8 inches (203 × 254 × 203 mm) in size. To learn more and to see an animated demonstration of the system, go to http://rbi.ims.ca-4385-540.
Many of the new adhesives we're featuring in this slideshow are for use in automotive and other transportation applications. The rest of these new products are for a wide variety of applications including aviation, aerospace, electrical motors, electronics, industrial, and semiconductors.
Engineers throughout the US are in the midst of celebrating Engineers Week. But the celebration extends beyond the country’s borders, and even beyond the Earth itself; the crew of the International Space Station joined the festivities, too!
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.