manufacturing technology

theme-connected hardware 3d printing manufacturing technology

Jun 15

Open-source 3D printing breaks the speed barrier with axial lithography

Computed Axial Lithography (CAL) prints entire objects in seconds by projecting rotating 2D images through a spinning resin cylinder—orders of magnitude faster than layer-by-layer FDM or SLA methods. Open-sourcing the technology lets hackers build CAL printers for a fraction of commercial systems' cost, moving the technique from lab curiosity to accessible infrastructure for rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing.

theme-connected hardware semiconductor infrastructure manufacturing technology

Jun 10

ASML Underperforms as Chipmakers Shift Spending Away From Lithography

Source: Bloomberg (paywall)

ASML's 64% year-to-date gain masks a structural shift in semiconductor manufacturing economics: the industry is redirecting capital toward advanced packaging, chiplet assembly, and process integration rather than pushing lithography boundaries further. Process node improvements now deliver diminishing returns relative to their cost. Competitive advantage increasingly comes from how chips are packaged and integrated rather than how small transistors can be etched. This threatens ASML's dominant position as the exclusive supplier of cutting-edge lithography tools.