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the frontline 16 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine the front line Two recent advancements could help the hype over 3-D printing grow. One new technique allows standard 3-D printers to manufacture high- quality intricate shapes of glass. And researchers from Binghamton Univer- sity, State University of New York and MIT have identified some bottlenecks that, if improved, could speed up the entire process. "Three-Dimensional Printing of Transparent Fused Silica Glass," pub- lished in the journal Nature, describes how using a free-flowing silica nano- composite called "liquid glass" in a standard 3-D printer produces complex shapes that can be heat-treated to pro- duce optical-quality, fused silica glass structures. The process overcomes pre- vious problems in using high-process- ing temperatures or harsh chemicals. Meanwhile, "Rate Limits of Addi- tive Manufacturing by Fused Filament Fabrication and Guidelines for High- Throughput System Design," avail- able online in Additive Ma ufacturi , found that many additive manufactur- ing systems build objects at about 10 to 20 cubic centimeters per hour when printing at a 0.2-millimeter thickness. A pinch-wheel mechanism that feeds building material slows down the sys- tem because of the feed rate (about 9 millimeters per second) required to melt building material fully. The polymer's melting rate lim- its many implementations. If the core is not hot enough, the printer can- not squeeze the polymer through the nozzle. According to the researchers, future work should investigate pre- heating the polymer and printing with multiple extruders. Glass, speed and 3-D printing New techniques could make additive manufacturing even more appealing © 2016 Scott Adams. Used by permission of UNIVERSAL UCLICK. All rights reserved. Dilbert Saturday packaging from UPS UPS began Saturday deliveries in 15 metropolitan areas in April, including New York, Chicago and Boston, Bloomberg News reported. Coverage will expand to 4,700 cities and towns by November and to 5,800 next year, UPS said. The move, in response to the rise of online shopping, is one of the biggest changes in the company's 109-year history. Homes and businesses will no longer have to wait until Monday to receive packages, while retailers, online and brick-and-mortar, can send goods on Saturday for Monday delivery. Prime Number Researchers at Binghamton University and MIT are working to speed up 3-D printing. Photo courtesy Binghamton University