ASB Industries, Barberton, Ohio, has developed and patented an advanced high pressure cold spray system and related equipment that enables 3D printing and 3D painting. In this system, metal powders are sprayed onto part surfaces at high velocities to repair the surface and restore the part to its original dimensions. Applications can also include the manufacture of new parts, without the need for casting or bulk material removal.

Alcoa, Pittsburgh, has developed ProStrength Finishing Technology, a surface treatment that allows mobile device manufacturers to design clear or color-anodized durable surfaces of high-strength, heat treatable aluminum alloys. High strength alloys could reduce the thickness and weight of a device by more than 50%.

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces the successful start-up of production at its direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Production began on Tuesday, December 24, and has continued at planned ramp-up levels since that time. Within the first 24 hours of operation, output quality began matching the best-in-class levels routinely achieved at the DRI plant in Trinidad.

Instron, Norwood, Mass., announces digital image correlation (DIC) hardware and software designed to optically detect strain and displacement. The DIC system enables users to visualize these changes in real-time on a computer screen, so that they can be traced over the entire duration of the test. The associated DIC-software provides visualization and also saves the data at an adjustable rate of up to 50 Hz.

Granta Design, U.K., announces Granta MI—Version 7, which includes its latest advances in simulation and materials information management for additive manufacturers to improve research, design, testing, and simulation. These developments are the result of Granta’s involvement in two European Framework Seven (NanoMicro and AMAZE) projects focused on the field of additive manufacturing.

3D-Micromac AG, a leading provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a leader in additive manufacturing, both of Germany, are joining to form a new corporation called 3D MicroPrint GmbH. Its goal is to advance the development and commercialization of micro laser sintering (MLS) technology, and to identify and establish more solutions in the field of micro technology.

AP&T North America Inc., Monroe, N.C., has introduced a new energy-efficient modular furnace with automation for press hardening. The Multilayer Feeder Furnace reduces heat loss by two thirds compared to conventional roller hearth furnaces. It features several modules stacked on top of each other. Blanks are added and removed using SpeedFeeders, and stay completely motionless during the heating process.

Michigan Tech’s (Houghton) ASME student chapter gathered 30 strong on the softball field and began to roll snow in hopes of getting back into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Kenny McCabe, a horticulture research associate and graduate student at Iowa State University, Ames, and James Schrader, an assistant scientist in horticulture, are part of a five-year study of the production and performance of different kinds of bioplastic pots.