D printing is getting less finicky in 2026. New materials, machines, and software are cutting setup times and making high-quality prints easier.

The last decade has witnessed a huge development in additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing when compared with its counterpart, subtractive manufacturing. AM enables rapid prototyping, ease of ...

For the first time, researchers have shown that 3D-printed polymer-based micro-optics can withstand the heat and power levels that occur inside a laser. The advance enables inexpensive, compact, and ...

So a local "maker space" has two introductory workshops. One for laser cutting/engraving, the other on 3D printing. Ideally I'd visit both, since I'm clueless in both techniques and I haven't designed ...

The development of cheaper, more powerful lasers has always been a cause for excitement among hackers, and fiber lasers are no exception. One of the newer tools they’ve enabled is the laser welder, ...

We’re all familiar with FDM 3D printing, and some of the more well-heeled or adventurous among us may even have taken a faltering step into the world of SLA printers. But for most of us there’s a step ...

Researchers have developed a microscopic 3D-printed optical device that can efficiently combine light from dozens of small semiconductor lasers into a single multimode optical fiber with very low loss ...

James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools -- 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser ...

Back in the previous century, one of the most common expectations about the future was that it would include robot assistants for all. The Jetsons had one, the crew of the C-57D had one, the Robinsons ...

Through the Artemis Program, NASA hopes to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon in its southern polar region.

Researchers have built a microscopic 3D-printed optical device that funnels light from 37 separate multimode semiconductor lasers into a single optical fiber, merging 222 distinct spatial modes; the ...