This week in metalworking: December 16 - December 20

Hello again. Here’s our round-up of all the stories making news this week in the world of metalworking.

Also, if you want to keep up to date with all the other metalworking news we’ve got going on, you can follow us on Twitter @CdnMetalworking, like us on Facebook, or find us on Google+ or our LinkedIn page. Thanks for reading!

Now to the stories. Check back every week to see what’s piqued our interest… or left us scratching our head:

Bit of older stuff since we missed the blog last week. And maybe a little heavy on the 3D printing, but hey, it is what it is! Also, be sure to check out this video. It's a good one.

Gardner says that machine tool spending in the U.S. is on a roll. [ETMM-Online]

Machine tools in Germany are also on the way up. Jumping 4% in the third quarter. [Steel Orbis]

Daimler is teaming up with Aston Martin to produce engines. [Industry Week]

German machine tool sector expected to grow. [DW.de]

The Chinese Steel industry is expected to struggle next year. [Steel Guru]

The Australian PM, Tony Abbott, is in talks with Toyota to save the auto industry in the country. [Industry Week]

The effect 3D printing could have on the auto industry. [Greener Ideal]

A 3D printed titanium bike frame featured at Euromold. [ETMM-Online]

GE announces the winner of their 3D printing Design Quest contest. [Engineering]

A good Q+A on the future possibilities of litigation surrounding the 3D printing industry. [Biz Journal]

Somewhat related to the litigation, scientists announce plans for an open source 3D printer. [Design Engineering]

There's a breakthrough in the automotive 3D printing industry, with titanium powder being used for parts now. [Pace Today]

Well, I gotta say, I kinda feel bad for the ants on this video, but this is very cool. It's an aluminum casting of a fire ant colony. I'm actually a little surprised how well it works, but whoever thought this up is a smart one: