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3D Printing News Briefs: December 4, 2018

We’re sharing stories about events, business, and metal 3D printing in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. To start, the second annual Iran 3DShow is coming up, along with IQPC’s fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace & Space event in London. Moving on to business, Carbon has an announcement about a new executive, Sigma Labs has joined an R&D collaboration with Fraunhofer IAPT, and Xometry is now offering instant quotes on parts 3D printed with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Finally, Markforged is presenting a closer look at the process behind the Metal X.

Second Annual Iran 3DShow

Last year, the country of Iran hosted its first 3D printing trade show, originally called the Additive Manufacturing Symposium before the name was changed to Iran 3D Show. Now, the country is gearing up for the second annual event, which will be held at the Book Garden in Tehran from December 5-7. The Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology of Iran is holding the event, with the Iran Institute of Additive Manufacturing acting as the execution team and organizer. There will be a 3D printing competition for teachers and students, and the trade show itself is made up of three additional sub-events, called “The 2nd Exhibition of 3D Printing Industry.”

“This event is not only good for the ones who are trying to observe the market here, but also suits the international companies to join and involve,” said Seyyed Amir Ghaffari, the Managing Director of Iran 3D Show.

Fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace & Space

Aligned to support the UK’s national AM strategy, the fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Space conference by IQPC will be held in London from February 26-28, 2019; last year the forum was hosted in Munich. The conference helps attendees take on the roadblocks to adopting 3D printing and other industrial digitalization practices. The event provides content that helps 3D printing users exploit economic returns and performance gains provided by the technology. In addition, Airbus will be hosting a visit to its nearby Space Systems facility during the conference.

“Now entering its 5th year,  the conference has fast established itself as the premium forum for AM users, R&D experts and industry partners within the aerospace and space industry,” Olivia Timmins, Senior Marketing Manager for IQPC, told 3DPrint.com. “This year is no different with expert speaker line up from Thales, MTC, ESA, Airbus, Safran and more.”

If you register by Saturday, December 15th, you can even save up to £300 of the total cost.

Carbon Announces New Company Executive

Dara Treseder

Silicon Valley-based Carbon has announced a new executive, as Dara Treseder joins the company as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The former CMO for GE Business Innovations and GE Ventures, Treseder is charged with finding new ways to showcase the company’s story at scale; with her excellent record, this should not be too challenging. This year, Treseder, who is also the co-founder of consulting firm NeuBridges, was featured by Forbes as a CMO Next, and in 2017, she was recognized on AdAge as one of the Women to Watch and by Inc. as one of the 30 Inspirational Women to Watch in Tech. Additionally, she is a sought-after speaker and writer on many subjects, including marketing, growth, innovation, and creating more diverse workplaces.

“I am deeply inspired by Carbon’s vision and values and excited to be part of a trailblazing team that is redefining digital manufacturing and creating the industry’s future. As chief marketing officer, I am looking forward to advancing Carbon’s brand, strengthening our customer connections, and rapidly scaling our global growth,” Treseder said.

Treseder is coming on board as Carbon works to strengthen its leadership team, and will support the growing company’s mission to keep driving the manufacturing industry’s digital transformation.

Sigma Labs Partners with Fraunhofer IAPT

John Rice and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann

This week, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies (IAPT) and Sigma Labs, Inc., which provides quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, announced a new collaborative research and development agreement that will focus on the industrialization of additive manufacturing. At last month’s formnext 2018 in Germany, John Rice, the CEO of Sigma Labs, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann, the Managing Director of Fraunhofer IAPT, signed the joint agreement. As part of the agreement between the two, Sigma Labs will be upgrading Fraunhofer IAPT’s current PrintRite3D system.

“The aim of this collaboration is to test and validate the use of the PrintRite3D system to identify and quantify machine and process inconsistencies as well as flag defect thermal signatures during the laser melting process, and correlate them to CT scan results. Ultimately, this will allow users to reduce scrap, increase productivity and reduce post-process inspection costs,” said Rice.

Xometry Offering Instant Quotes on Multi Jet Fusion Parts

On-demand manufacturing platform Xometry has only been in business for five years, but it is releasing news at a fast clip. This summer, the company also introduced a new version of its Instant Quoting Engine, which included several new and enhanced features to offer customers instant quotes for CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, urethane casting, and several 3D printing processes, including SLS, FDM, PolyJet, and DMLS.

Now, Xometry has announced that it will be offering instant quotes on custom parts made with HP’s fast Multi Jet Fusion technology. As always, simply drag and drop your 3D models into the Instant Quoting Engine, select your process and materials (if you so choose), and Xometry will do the rest, analyzing the model’s geometry and providing an instant price, design feedback, and delivery date.

Markforged Metal X 3D Printer Process

Last winter at CES 2017, Markforged introduced its Metal X, which is the company’s first 3D printer to leverage its Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing, or ADAM, metal 3D printing technology. This spring, Markforged began shipping the Metal X to customers and resellers, and announced early last month that it had shipped over 100 machines, with an expectation of doubling that number by the end of 2018.

As we get closer to the end of the year, and Markforged works to achieve this goal, the company is giving the world a closer look at the innovative process behind its Metal X, with the publication of a time-lapse video on YouTube that shows all seven steps of the process, starting with the actual 3D printing of a part, removing and washing it, and ending with part manipulation, in less than two minutes. Take a look at the video below to see it for yourself:

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

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Titomic Shares News About 3D Printing Executives and $1.8 Million MoU to Make 3D Printed Soldier Systems

Australian metal 3D printing company Titomic, known for its innovative Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) process, has plenty of big news to share this week. First, CEO Gilbert Michaca, who was responsible for implementing a series of governance and operational structures to support Titomic’s next growth phase, has resigned from the company.

“I have enjoyed my time with Titomic and the additive manufacturing sector, but I am moving to pursue other commercial opportunities more aligned with my interests,” said Michaca. “I look forward to witnessing Titomic’s growth and prosperity in the future.”

Jeffrey Lang

In addition to Michaca’s resignation, Titomic announced that its founder and former Interim CEO Jeffrey Lang, who led the company through its IPO, and the establishment of its cold spray facility in Melbourne, has now been appointed as the Managing Director, effective immediately.

“Following our whirlwind IPO and unprecedented growth phase, the Titomic team has delivered a lot in a very short period of time,” said Titomic Chairman Philip Vafiadis. “With Jeff stepping into his new role as the Company’s Managing Director we are excited that his significant knowledge and networks across industry sectors, his deep understanding of the technology, his experience, his passion and his understanding of investor needs bodes well for future growth and shareholder value.”

Moving on from news about its executives, Titomic has just signed a $1.8 million, year-long MoU with fellow Australian company TAUV Proprietary Limited (TAUV), which integrates electronic technologies into solider protection for the purposes of improving safety and performance. Together, the two will begin an exclusive defense program for Titomic to manufacture soldier systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and soldier sensors for TAUV.

Recently, TAUV completed a successful launch of the first ruggedized titanium tactical UAV at Land Forces 2018, which was manufactured by Titomic and caused great excitement in both the additive manufacturing and defense industries. This launch was Phase 1 of the partnership between the two companies, and the MoU was signed after the prototype drone launch. TAUV and Titomic agreed to a two-phase extension to their existing relationship, so that TAUV can license the TKF technology, patented in both the US and Australia, in order to make next-generation soldier systems.

According to Research and Markets, “The soldier systems market is projected to grow from USD$9.78 billion in 2018 to USD$14 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.65%.”

TAUV Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Land Forces, 2018.

TAUV worked hard to secure exclusivity with Titomic for the manufacture of its UAV and other soldier system products, like body armor and helmets. Under Phase II of the partnership, Titomic will deliver a feasibility report, which outlines mechanical properties, performance parameters, and product cost advantages of its technology, to TAUV. TAUV must outline the Specific Products on or before November 30, at a total Phase cost of $300,000, in order to execute Phase II and maintain exclusivity.

“This MoU with TAUV provides the first significant revenue for Titomic,” said Lang. “The granting of an exclusive license to TAUV for the production of solider systems further validates Titomic’s licensed CSIRO patents as a viable additive manufacturing process that enables Australian companies to manufacture cutting-edge products with competitive advantages for the global market.”

For Phase III, Titomic will design and engineer a manufacturing process for TAUV’s next-generation soldier system for up to five products, at a cost of $300,000 each, to add up to a total revenue of up to $1.5 million. Once the production and evaluation trials in this phase have been completed, the two companies will finalize product licenses so that TAUV can use the automated TKF production line systems to fabricate soldier system products…with continuing royalty payments going to Titomic for the use of its technology.

TKF uses a process similar to cold spray to build up titanium parts layer by layer, rather than simply coating a surface, and has no limits in terms of shape and size. The technology has unique additive manufacturing capabilities to offer to defense organizations for the production of lightweight, next-generation, high-performance products.

“The solider system products produced by Titomic’s TKF process will enhance the offering to defence and law enforcement agencies through improved strength, functionality and capability,” said TAUV Director Nathan Kalisch. “A new ruggedised UAV will be capable of deployment in dangerous, live combat situations to perform some of the direct combat roles we want to remove military personnel from, heightening their security.”

L-R: Titomic CTO Jeff Lang, TAUV Founder Nathan Kalisch, Titomic CEO Gilbert Michaca

This continuing partnership came about as the result from an increasing demand around the world for innovative new defense products. According to Variant Market Research, the market for combat helmets is estimated to grow to $3 billion by the year 2024, while Grand View Research states estimates that by the same year, the body armor market will be valued at $4 billion.

In the future, TAUV will be working closely with Force Ordnance to provide product innovation and advanced manufacturing solutions to some of the largest defense product manufacturers in the world.

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

[Images: Titomic]

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3D Printing News Briefs: September 18, 2018

We’re starting with a bit of business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then a story about metal 3D printing, and then moving along with examples of some of the amazing and innovative things people have been making with this technology. Sigma Labs has issued a letter to shareholders about some company changes, and a YouTube video introduces some new hard tool steels for 3D printing. WASP is carrying on with a major project by its Crane construction 3D printer, and a University of Minnesota professors talks about 3D printing electronics directly on skin. BMW Motorrad created 3D printed motorcycle components, and a Wisconsin sign company is using 3D printing for its products. Finally, Wrights Robotics made a full-sized, 3D printed, talking robot from a little 1980s movie called Short Circuit, and a low poly artist made some neat 3D printed chain mail.

Sigma Labs Says Goodbye to Mark Cola

Mark Cola

This past Friday, September 14th, Sigma Labs, Inc., which provides quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, announced that its President, Co-Founder, and CTO Mark Cola would be retiring next month. After the news had time to settle over the weekend, the company announced the release of a letter to its shareholders from CEO and Chairman John Rice. In the letter, Rice paid tribute to everything Cola had done for the company over the years, and also assured shareholders “that the succession taking place is smooth and secure,” noting that Cola’s internal management responsibilities will be covered by Sigma’s Vice President of Engineering Darren Beckett, while Dr. Martin Piltch will take over his role on the company’s outside team of technology consultants.

“We thank Mark as founder and a leader of Sigma Labs, for creating and driving a vision of advancing the Additive Manufacturing Industry’s ‘good’ 3D manufacturing technology to become a ‘great’ high-quality manufacturing technology assured by Sigma’s IPQA,” the letter reads. “We shareholders can thank Mark for building and leading the multi-discipline technology team that is commercializing our robust data-rich analytical and interactive software – hardware tools that promise to add real value to an industry that needs such a tool. Yes, Mark now surely has the right to step back. Thank you and well done, Mark Cola!”

Here at 3DPrint.com we’ve met with Mark and have been very impressed with his deep 3D Printing knowledge and his vision on 3D printing for manufacturing and know he’ll be sorely missed at Sigma Labs.

Hard Tool Steels for SLM 3D Printing

Formetrix Metals, a brand new company I’d not heard of before today, recently posted its first video about its use of BLDRmetal steel alloys for laser powder bed fusion 3D printing. The 3D printable hard tool steel was used to make industrial dies for rolling bolt threads, after the dies made with CNC machining had failed.

After designing the dies, new BLDRmetal tool steel was used to 3D print prototypes. Once the surface finish was complete on the prototype dies, they were able to achieve high toughness and a high case hardness of up to 74 HRC.

WASP Crane Construction 3D Printing

WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) is well-known for its large-scale construction 3D printers, and for the last two years has been working to develop a new one, called the Crane or “the infinity 3D printer.” Evolved from the BigDelta 12M, the Crane is a modular 3D printing system with different configurations to choose from. Next month in Italy, WASP plans to present the Crane to the public in Massa Lombarda, which is where the village of Shamballa is being 3D printed.

On October 6th and 7th, a program will be held surrounding the introduction of both the WASP Crane 3D printer and the Gaia Module, a 3D printed earth house. According to WASP, Gaia is “the first module in soil ever realized with the 3d print- technology.” For more information on the event, visit the WASP website. You can see the new Crane 3D printer in action below:

3D Printing Electronics on Skin

While augmenting humans with electronics that can monitor our vitals, enhance our senses, and provide us with real-time information may sound like just an episode out of new science fiction series Glimpse, from Futurism Studios and DUST, the idea of advanced wearable electronics is not so far-fetched. Researchers like Michael McAlpine, a 3D printed electronics expert and mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, are working to improve upon existing technologies to make this fantasy a reality. This spring, McAlpine published a study that demonstrated how to 3D print electronics directly onto skin with an inexpensive, self-made 3D printer and ink made from silver flakes. Recently, Futurism interviewed McAlpine about his research, and his thoughts on the future of 3D printable electronics.

“All of these technologies we’re developing will lead to the post-computer era. You’re basically going from 2D to 3D [microchips to integrated circutry], which is essentially what biology is. So, that’s where the merger of electronics and biology is going to happen. Any privacy or ethical issues that spring from that aren’t going to be much different from the ones that we have with current electronics,” McAlpine said.

3D Printed Motorcycle Components 

The motorcycle brand of German automotive company BMW, called BMW Motorrad, recently developed a new motorcycle that’s full of 3D printed components and parts. This is not surprising, considering the parent company’s love for and use of 3D printing for both its regular and concept automobiles – BMW has been using 3D printing to build its cars for nearly 28 years.

3D printing can achieve parts with complex geometries, which is why it’s a perfect technology for the automotive industry. BMW Motorrad’s special concept motorcycle, called the S1000RR, demonstrates how the company can build new components using rapid prototyping technologies, as it is made of many 3D printed parts, such as a swingarm and an aluminum chassis. Take a look for yourself in the video below:

3D Printing Signs: Beneficial or Not?

Adam Brown in the shop at Sign Effectz.

Four years ago, a sign making company called Fastsigns decided to adopt 3D printing in three of its major markets – Chicago, Milwaukee, and San Diego. Fastsigns isn’t the only company to use 3D printing to make signage – a Milwaukee business called Sign Effectz, which was first founded in the company president’s garage in 1996 and now resides in a 17,000-square-foot facility, decided to explore 3D printing a few years ago, because it could open new ways of customizing signs and make it simpler and less expensive to produce small batches of custom products. But, workers in skilled trades may not appreciate the technology quite as much.

“Your fabricators on the floor now turn into (computer-aided design) modelers. I did. I love it. I came from busting my knuckles and dropping stuff on my toes and wasting material to problem solve and figure out how to build something… to getting to the 3D CAD modeling world where you can do all of that stuff in a virtual world and make sure 1,000 pieces all match and align and run it through animation to see if it works,” said Adam Brown, the President of Sign Effectz, before noting the potential downside of the technology.

“I wonder if you’ll be able to maintain the level of interest and passion in 3D CAD modeling because there’s little pain associated with it all of the sudden. It’s just a mental math problem and you hit print.”

In my opinion, products like custom signage are one of the many applications for which 3D printing is perfect. Using 3D design and CAD software to create signs is still a creative way to build something, even if you’re not manufacturing every bit of the sign by hand.

Full-Size 3D Printed Johnny 5 Robot

If you’re a fan of 80s movies, then you surely know of Short Circuit, starring such well-known actors of the decade like Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy. With the tagline “Life is not a malfunction,” the movie tells the story of Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots. When the robot is struck by lightning and electrocuted, he suddenly gains self-awareness and intelligence, and flees the laboratory, as he is afraid of being reprogrammed. He is later rechristened as Johnny 5.

Wrights Robotics recently completed its own life-size, 3D printed version of the Johnny 5 robot, and published a YouTube video showing its audio, neck motor, and lip light tests. Just like the real Johnny 5, this 3D printed robot moves, lights up, and talks, even uttering the movie phrase “Don’t disassemble Number 5!”

3D Printed Chain Mail 

If you’re a frequent visitor to Renaissance festivals, then you’ve no doubt seen plenty of chain mail in your day. But Agustin Flowalistik, a low poly 3D printing artist based in Madrid and the Fablab manager of Tecnolab, decided to create his own chain mail – of the 3D printed variety, of course. If you want to make your own, Flowalistik has made the files available for download at Cults3D, Thingiverse, and MyMiniFactory.

“The chainmail size is 195x195mm. A 60x60mm sample is available to test and find the right settings before printing the big chainmail. Print the model with a 0.4mm nozzle and 0% infill,” Flowalistik wrote in the Thingiverse description for the 3D printable chainmail.

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

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3D Printing News Briefs: August 31, 2018

Welcome to this month’s last edition of 3D Printing News Briefs! Today, in honor a new month starting tomorrow, we’re starting with stories about everything new. BEEVERYCREATIVE will soon launch a new 3D printer kit, while Fast Radius is opening a new headquarters and Thor3D welcomes a new CEO. Verashape is introducing the latest version of its SOFTSHAPER software, and Link3D launched a new additive manufacturing scheduling solution. Moving on from new things, Midwest Engineered Systems, an official KUKA partner, will be displaying its technology at IMTS 2018, and a company used its innovative laser cladding technology to restore a CNC spindle.

BEEVERYCREATIVE’s New 3D Printer Kit

Portuguese 3D printer manufacturer BEEVERYCREATIVE is getting ready to launch a new 3D printer DIY kit, and will present it publicly for the first time at the upcoming TCT Show 2018 in Birmingham. This is a big deal for the company, as it hasn’t introduced had a product launch for a new 3D printer since 2015; employees have been very busy working on the MELT project for the European Space Agency for the last two years, and are more than ready to introduce the new B2X300 3D printer kit.

BEEVERYCREATIVE conduct multiple studies before the launch, including market research on 3D printer user patterns and collecting quantitative and qualitative information from users about its helloBEEprusa 3D printer kits. The B2X300 is named for the company’s brand (B), its two extruders (2X), and its 300 x 200 x 300 mm print area (300), and was delivered to several beta testers this spring for testing and feedback. Aside from its build area, number of extruders, and the fact that it features auto bed leveling and trinamic drivers, we don’t know much about the 3D printer kit yet. But all will be revealed by mid-September.

Fast Radius Opening New Headquarters and AM Factory

The Fast Radius team, L-R: John Nanry, chief product officer; Bill King, chief scientist; Lou Rassey, CEO; and Pat McCusker, COO [Image: Manuel Martinez, Chicago Business]

3D printing solutions provider Fast Radius is scaling up its manufacturing footprint, and recently opened its new headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop, which features an advanced, industrial-grade 3D printing facility. This facility is home to extensive HP MultiJet Fusion technology, as well as what the company calls the largest Carbon production facility in the Western Hemisphere. This was a well-thought out location: the building of the Chicago-based Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) was where the company’s new CEO Lou Rassey first collaborated with several other Fast Radius executives, including Chief Scientist Bill King, PhD, Chief Product Officer John Nanry, and Enterprise Solutions Leader John Ramirez. The rest of the company’s executive team includes Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brian Simms and COO Pat McCusker.

Rassey said, “It was important to the Fast Radius team that we were headquartered in Chicago, as we are passionate about being a part of the next great industrial manufacturing renaissance in this city, the Midwest, and ultimately, the world.

“Pat, John, Bill, John and Brian form the perfect core team to grow Fast Radius as we build out our technology platform and global footprint to bring manufacturing innovation to the world at scale.”

Thor3D Welcomes New CEO

Anna Zevelyov

This week, Moscow-headquartered 3D scanner manufacturer Thor3D announced that it has appointed its very first Chief Executive Officer. The new CEO, Anna Zevelyov, is a company co-founder and a 3D printing market veteran who had been serving as Thor3D’s Sales Director; her long-time lieutenant, Vadim Fomichev, will now be taking on this role. Under Zevelyov’s leadership, the company will be focusing on R&D, with plans to release at least one new 3D scanner each year.

“Some history…the company was, until now, ruled by committee. Although periodically, this “collective-wisdom” approach was beneficial, over time we realized that a strict hierarchy and one person at the helm is needed,” Zevelyov wrote in a statement. “The Board of Directors took 6 months to consider whether to nominate a CEO and if yes, who that might be. After much debate about how this could change the culture of the company, the decision was made this month. I was elected unanimously, which, naturally, boosts confidence, as I take on this new challenge.

“I am honored and optimistic. My first priority will be R&D (after all, Thor3D is, first and foremost, a technology company). My aim will be to significantly improve our current technology and to introduce a new 3D scanner at least once a year (expect to hear big news before the end of the year). Another priority will be organization of our intellectual property. I anticipate filing a number of international patents over the next year to formalize the innovative work that has been done in the company over the previous months.”

New SOFTSHAPER Software Version

Verashape, which manufactures the VSHAPER line of 3D printers, has just introduced the latest version of its SOFTSHAPER software. Thanks to a license granted to the company by Siemens PLM Software last year, SOFTSHAPER 2019 is based on Parasolid Communicator. There are many improvements and new features in this latest version of SOFTSHAPER, including a technological process tree, detailed reports, and the ability to group layers and print manually adjusted supports.

“A huge simplification that SOFTSHAPER 2019 provides us with is the ability to print supports with higher density,” explained Seweryn Nitek, a Software Engineer at Verashape. “The density is higher only in the area of contact with the model. In other areas, the density of supports is selected in relation to the required stiffness. This saves time for printing supports, which are then removed by the user.”

Midwest Engineered Systems Displaying KUKA Technology at IMTS 2018

Two years ago at IMTS 2016 in Chicago, KUKA Robotics showcased how its robots integrate with 3D technology thanks to partnerships with companies like Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES), a leader in complex systems integration. MWES provides services such as robotic welding, machine tending, material handling, and automated production lines, but has become well-known in the last few years for its work in laser wire additive manufacturing. This technology is able to create very large parts, while also saving up to 90% of the material normally machined away.

“We’ve actually come up with a way way to print with metal using wire. Really what that does is allows you to print larger parts and it allows you to print them faster,” said Scott Woida, the President of MWES, in a video.

The company’s additive manufacturing system uses the hot wire process to preheat wire before it enters the molten pool. At the upcoming IMTS 2018, you can check out the MWES technology for yourself at KUKA’s Booth N-236200.

Restoring CNC Spindle with Laser Cladding

A company called Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLC (SAM), which claims to be one of the only turnkey jobshops to offer metalworking services like final machining, heat treating, metal forming, 3D CAD design, and 3D printing, also developed a laser cladding process is a more cost-effective alternative to hard chrome coatings. The company offers a 24 hour turnaround on the dimensional restoration of rotating components, like motor shafts and CNC spindles, using this technology.

In a new video, SAM demonstrated how its laser cladding method can be used to restore a CNC spindle. The technology offers a good metallurgical bond, and there is no chipping away or peeling once the restoration is complete. You can see this for yourself in the video below:

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 10, 2018

We’re starting things off with a little business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to news from the medical and construction industries, and finishing up with a few fun stories to make you smile. First up, Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric, has joined the board at Desktop Metal, and an industrial 3D printer distributor is offering a new cleaning unit by Omegasonics to its customers. Moving on, Insight Medical and Onkos Surgical are exploring the use of augmented reality in musculoskeletal oncology together, while Australian researchers introduced a new model for large-scale 3D facial recognition and a family has officially moved into the Nantes 3D printed house. Finally, a vegan confection startup is selling its popsicles, made with 3D printed molds, at select Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, and an EnvisionTEC 3D printer is being used to create characters for a stop motion series about superheroes.

Desktop Metal Board Welcomes Jeff Immelt

Jeffrey Immelt

Leading metal 3D printing company Desktop Metal, located near Boston, was founded three years ago with the goal of making metal 3D printing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers. The company announced today that it has elected a new member to its Board of Directors – Jeffrey Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of GE until he retired from the company last year after 16 years. Immelt, who began his tenure only days before 9/11 and skillfully led GE through the crisis, has decades of experience, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished, innovative business technology leaders in the world. This makes him a valuable asset as Desktop Metal continues to grow.

“I am excited and honored to join the Desktop Metal board and work with this exceptional team of visionary entrepreneurs. Since it was founded nearly three years ago, Desktop Metal has become a trailblazer across the additive manufacturing landscape and I have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate,” said Immelt. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction and growth of this emerging metal 3D printing pioneer.”

Dr. Ken Washington, CTO and Vice President of Research and Advanced Engineering at the Ford Motor Company, was also recently appointed to the Desktop Metal board.

Industrial 3D Printer Distributor Offering Customers New Omegasonics Cleaning Unit

815BTX

Plural Additive Manufacturing, which is the exclusive North American distributor for industrial 3D printers by 3ntr, is offering the new 815BTX cleaning unit from ultrasonic cleaning systems leader Omegasonics to customers who purchase its 3D printers. The versatile and cost-effective unit is the 3D printing market’s first dual tank/dual action bench top ultrasonic cleaning machine, and can help easily remove water soluble support material.

The left tank of the 815BTX uses a biodegradable cleaning detergent developed by Plural, called BioSolv, while the right tank uses hot water; the model’s dual action then ensures the safe and efficient cleaning of 3D printed parts. The 815BTX also has programmable alternating cycles for hands-off cleaning.

“3ntr manufacturers’ of 3D printers utilize a variety of support materials, some require chemicals for support removal, while others need only hot water. The 815BTX eliminates the need to have two separate cleaning machines or deal with the cost of frequent cleaning detergent changes to get the job done,” explained Frank Pedeflous, the President of Omegasonics. “It’s an all-in-one solution.”

Onkos Surgical and Insight Medical Exploring Augmented Reality in Musculoskeletal Oncology

California medical device company Insight Medical Systems has partnered with Onkos Surgical, Inc. on a pilot project to explore different applications and opportunities for using Insight Medical’s ARVIS (Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System) headset in musculoskeletal oncology, and possibly tumor surgery. Still under development, ARVIS uses its tracking and visualization capabilities to deliver efficient and precise surgical plan execution. The headset can project virtual models of a specific patient’s anatomy and implants into a surgeon’s field of view during a procedure, in order to show hidden anatomical structures and important measurements.

“Onkos Surgical is investing heavily in capabilities and technology to bring innovation to musculoskeletal oncology surgeons,” said Onkos CEO and Co-Founder Patrick Treacy. “Augmented reality technology has the potential of simplifying the complex and providing surgeons with input and feedback that may improve the precision of surgical planning and interoperative workflow. This technology fits well with our portfolio of Precision Oncology solutions.”

University of Western Australia Introduces New Model for Large-Scale 3D Facial Recognition

2D facial recognition is used often for applications in the IT, security, and surveillance industries, and relies on a computer model to know whether a person is legitimate or not. But this method has several issues, such as data being easily accessible online, which aren’t the case with more advanced 3D models. 3D models can address changes in facial expression, poses, scale, and texture, but the data can be hard to gather. Now, researchers from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have developed a first of its kind system that can complete large-scale 3D facial recognition. The researchers, who published a paper on their work in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, analyzed 3.1 million 3D scans of over 100,000 people, and trained the innovative new 3D Facial Recognition model (FR3DNet) to learn the identities of a large dataset of ‘known’ persons, then match a test face to one.

Dr. Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, who created the 3D model, said, “With off-the-shelf 3D cameras becoming cheap and affordable, the future for pure 3D face recognition does not seem far away.

“Our research shows that recognition performance on 3D scans is better and more robust. Your 3D scan could be in any pose, wearing glasses or a face mask, and laughing or just smiling and the deep model can recognise you in an instant.

“We hope that this research will help improve security on devices that use facial recognition to grant access to networks and systems.”

Nantes 3D Printed House Welcomes First Tenants

In 2017, a collaborative team of researchers in France began an ambitious project where an industrial 3D printer and a patented concrete construction process called BatiPrint3D were used to build a five-room house in just days. This spring, after 54 hours of 3D printing and four months of contractors adding the roof, windows, and doors, the team finished the 95-square-meter, environmentally-friendly YHNOVA house in the district of Nantes Bottière. The house features wheelchair access and digital controls, and its curved walls are said to reduce the effects of humidity. But it still only cost around £176,000 to build – 20% cheaper than an identical house manufactured with traditional methods. Now, the NMH Housing Award Committee has allocated the house to a French family, and Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, are being hailed as the world’s first family to live in a 3D printed house.

Nordine said, “It’s a big honour to be a part of this project.

“We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it’s a big change for us.

“It’s really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house.”

The THNOVA team now believes they can 3D print the same house in just 33 hours.

Dream Pops Selling 3D Printed Popsicles at LA Starbucks

Vegan confection startup Dream Pops, headquartered in Los Angeles, creates organic, gluten- and soy-free, and vegan popsicles that are tasty, healthy, and made using 3D printed molds. These premier dairy-free popsicles consist of fruit and superfoods pureed together and cooled inside the molds at an accelerated rate with liquid nitrogen. Now, the startup has announced that its sweet treats are now available at five select Starbucks locations in the city – Third Street Promenade, La Brea and 4th, San Vincente and Barrington, Melrose and Stanley, and Wilshire and Santa Monica. The vegan ice cream pops, each of which contain fewer than 100 calories and seven grams of sugar, comes in five distinct flavors: Berry Dreams, Coconut Latte, Mango Rosemary, Vanilla Matcha, and a Dream Flight, which includes all four flavors.

“Our aim is to become the Willy Wonka of plant-based confections starting with our first product the Dream Pop and extending into adjacent better-for-you desserts,” said Dream Pops Co-Founder and CEO David Greenfield.

Dream Pops’ popsicles will be available at these Starbucks locations until October 5th.

3D Printed Stop Motion Characters

3D printing has been used many times to help create characters and backdrops for ads and commercials, music videos, and even movies that use popular stop motion animation. If you’re a fan of the stop motion show Robot Chicken, then you might also recognize the name of the full-service production company that creates it. California-based Stoopid Buddy Stoodios specializes in developing and producing stop-motion, CG, and 2D animated content, and also creates an animated stop motion comedy series called SuperMansion. The studio fabricates most of the show’s characters with a Perfactory 3D printer from EnvisionTEC.

“By utilizing 3D printing, we’re able to tell a story about superheroes and love and conflict and action and adventure,” said Kei Chong, Digital Design Supervisor at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.

To learn more, check out the video below.

3D Printing for Animation | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios from EnvisionTEC on Vimeo.

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3D Printing News Briefs: June 29, 2018

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs (the last one this month, how is the summer going by so quickly?!), a few companies are announcing special honors and recognitions, and then we’re sharing stories stories about some interesting new 3D printing projects, and finally wrapping things up before the weekend with some business news. Renishaw’s Director of R&D has been honored by the Royal Academy of Engineering, while MakerBot earned an important designation for its 3D printing certification program for educators and Renovis Surgical Technologies received FDA approval for its new 3D printed implant. Festo is introducing three new bionic robots, one of which is partially 3D printed, and CINTEC is using 3D printing for its restoration of a famous government house. GE wants to use blockchains for 3D printing protection, and ExOne announced a global cost realignment.

Royal Academy of Engineering Honors Renishaw’s Chris Sutcliffe

Earlier this week, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) awarded a Silver Medal to Professor Chris Sutcliffe, the Director of Research and Development of the Additive Manufacturing Products Division (AMPD) for global metrology company Renishaw. This award is given to recognize outstanding personal contributions to British engineering, and is given to no more than four people a year. The Silver Medal Sutcliffe received was in recognition of his part in driving the development of metal 3D printed implants in both human and veterinary surgery, and also celebrates his successful commercialization of 3D printed products with several companies, including Renishaw, and the University of Liverpool.

“Throughout my career I’ve worked hard to commercialise additive manufacturing technology. As well as AM’s benefit to the aerospace and automotive sectors, commercialisation of AM and associated technologies has been lifechanging for those with musculoskeletal diseases,” said Sutcliffe. “The award celebrates the successes of the engineers I have worked with to achieve this and I am grateful to receive the award to recognise our work.”

MakerBot’s Certification Program for Educators Gets Important Designation

One of the leaders in 3D printing for education is definitely MakerBot, which has sent its 3D printers to classrooms all over the world. Just a few months ago, the company launched a comprehensive, first of its kind 3D printing certification program, which trains educators to become 3D printing experts and create custom curriculum for STEAM classrooms. An independent review of the program showed that it meets the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, and it has earned the prestigious ISTE Seal of Alignment from the accreditation body. In addition, a survey conducted over the last three years of over 2,000 MakerBot educators shows that the percentage of teachers reporting that MakerBot’s 3D printers met their classroom needs has doubled in just two years.

“This data shows that MakerBot isn’t just growing its user base in schools. We’re measurably improving teachers’ experiences using 3D printing,” said MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen. “Much of this impressive teacher satisfaction is thanks to the effort we’ve put into solving real classroom problems—like the availability of 3D printing curriculum with Thingiverse Education, clear best practices with the MakerBot Educators Guidebook, and now training with the new MakerBot Certification program.”

Earlier this week, MakerBot exhibited its educator solutions at the ISTE Conference in Chicago.

FDA Grants Clearance for 3D Printed Interbody Spinal Fusion System 

California-headquartered Renovis Surgical Technologies, Inc. announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Tesera SA Hyperlordotic ALIF Interbody Spinal Fusion System. All Tesera implants are 3D printed, and use a proprietary, patent-pending design to create a porous, roughened surface structure, which maximizes biologic fixation, strength, and stability to allow for bone attachment and in-growth to the implant.

The SA implant, made with Renovis’s trabecular technology and featuring a four-screw design and locking cover plate, is a titanium stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion system. They are available in 7˚, 12˚, 17˚, 22˚ and 28˚ lordotic angles, with various heights and footprints for proper lordosis and intervertebral height restoration, and come with advanced instrumentation that’s designed to decrease operative steps during surgery.

Festo Introduces Partially 3D Printed Bionic Robot

German company Festo, the robotics research of which we’ve covered before, has introduced its Bionic Learning Network’s latest project – three bionic robots inspired by a flic-flac spider, a flying fox, and a cuttlefish. The latter of these biomimetic robots, the BionicFinWave, is a partially 3D printed robotic fish that can autonomously maneuver its way through acrylic water-filled tubing. The project has applications in soft robotics, and could one day be developed for tasks like underwater data acquisition, inspection, and measurement.

The 15 oz robot propels itself forward and backward through the tubing using undulation forces from its longitudinal fins, while also communicating with and transmitting data to the outside world with a radio. The BionicFinWave’s lateral fins, molded from silicone, can move independently of each other and generate different wave patterns, and water-resistant pressure and ultrasound sensors help the robot register its depth and distance to the tube walls. Due to its ability to realize complex geometry, 3D printing was used to create the robot’s piston rod, joints, and crankshafts out of plastic, along with its other body elements.


Cintec Using 3D Printing on Restoration Work of the Red House

Cintec North America, a leader in the field of structural masonry retrofit strengthening, preservation, and repair, completes structural analysis and design services for projects all around the world, including the Egyptian Pyramids, Buckingham Palace, Canada’s Library of Parliament, and the White House. Now, the company is using 3D printing in its $1 million restoration project on the historic Red House, which is also known as the seat of Parliament for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and was built between 1844 and 1892.

After sustaining damage from a fire, the Red House, featuring signature red paint and Beaux-Arts style architecture, was refurbished in 1904. In 2007, Cintec North America was asked to advise on the required repairs to the Red House, and was given permission to install its Reinforcing Anchor System. This landmark restoration project – the first where Cintec used 3D printing for sacrificial parts – denotes an historic moment in structural engineering, because one of the reinforcement anchors inserted into the structure, measuring 120 ft, is thought to be the longest in the world.

GE Files Patent to Use Blockchains For 3D Printing Protection

According to a patent filing recently released by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), industry giant GE wants to use a blockchain to verify the 3D printed parts in its supply chain and protect itself from fakes. If a replacement part for an industrial asset is 3D printed, anyone can reproduce it, so end users can’t verify its authenticity, and if it was made with the right manufacturing media, device, and build file. In its filing, GE, which joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) consortium in March, outlined a method for setting up a database that can validate, verify, and track the manufacturing process, by integrating blockchains into 3D printing.

“It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods for implementing a historical data record of an additive manufacturing process with verification and validation capabilities that may be integrated into additive manufacturing devices,” GE stated in the patent filing.

ExOne to Undergo Global Cost Realignment

3D printer and printed products provider ExOne has announced a global cost realignment program, in order to achieve positive earnings and cash flow in 2019. In addition to maximizing efficiency through aligning its capital resources, ExOne’s new program will be immediately reducing the company’s consulting projects and headcount – any initial employee reductions will take place principally in consulting and select personnel. The program, which has already begun, will focus first on global operations, with an emphasis on working capital initiatives, production overhead, and general and administrative spending. This program will continue over the next several quarters.

“With the essential goal of significantly improving our cash flows in 2019, we have conducted a review of our cost structure and working capital practices. We are evaluating each position and expense within our organization, with the desire to improve productivity. As a result, we made the difficult decision to eliminate certain positions within ExOne, reduce our spending on outside consultants and further rely on some of our recently instituted and more efficient processes,” explained S. Kent Rockwell, ExOne’s Chairman and CEO. “Additional cost analyses and changes to business practices to improve working capital utilization will be ongoing over the next several quarters and are expected to result in additional cost reductions and improved cash positions. All the while, we remain focused on our research and development goals and long-term revenue growth goals, which will not be impacted by these changes, as we continue to lead the market adoption of our binder jetting technology.”

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3D Printing News Briefs: June 26, 2018

We have plenty of business, material, and 3D printer news to share with you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. 3D printing led to increased savings for GM over the last two years, which is now increasing its use of the technology as a result. ExOne is saying goodbye to one CEO and hello to another, while Polymaker announces a global distribution arrangement with Nexeo Solutions and CollPlant receives R&D project approval in Israel. The US Patent and Trademark Office will be hosting its annual Additive Manufacturing Partnership Meeting this week, and RP Platform has announced a rebrand and a new AI software platform. Finally, the UK’s National Centre for Additive Manufacturing has decided to add Digital Metal’s binder jetting technology to its portfolio.

GM Increasing Use of 3D Printing at Plants

Zane Meike, AM lead at GM’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, holds a common 3D printed tool used to align engine and transmission vehicle identification numbers. [Photo: Michael Wayland]

According to Dan Grieshaber, the Director of Global Manufacturing Integration for General Motors (GM), most of the company’s factories have 3D printers, which are used to build accessories and tools for workers. A $35,000 3D printer at GM’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant has actually helped save the company over $300,000 over two years: it’s used to make multiple items, such as part hangers, socket covers, and ergonomic and safety tools. A common tool used to align engine and transmission vehicle identification numbers cost $3,000 to buy from a third party, but is less than $3 to 3D print at the factory. Realizing that these kinds of savings can add up quickly, GM is increasing the use of 3D printing – part of its new Manufacturing 4.0 processes – at its plants in order to help streamline operations.

“We’re quickly evolving, creating real value for the plant. This will become, as we progress, our footprint. We’ll have this in every one of our sites,” Grieshaber said.

Grieshaber also said that GM is working to standardize 3D printing, as well as share best practices across all of its global plants.

ExOne Welcomes New CEO

The ExOne Company, which provides 3D printers and 3D printed products, materials, and services to its industrial customers around the world, has announced that its CEO, James L. McCarley, is departing the company, effective immediately, to pursue other interests and opportunities; he will be assisting the company in transitioning his responsibilities to the new CEO. ExOne’s Board of Directors has also announced who the new CEO will be – S. Kent Rockwell, the company’s Executive Chairman, who has served in the position in previous years. Rockwell’s new title is effective immediately.

“On behalf of our Board and management team, I would like to thank Jim for his efforts and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Rockwell.

Polymaker Makes Distribution Arrangement with Nexeo Solutions

Shanghai-based 3D printing material producer Polymaker has entered an arrangement with chemicals and plastics distributor Nexeo Solutions, Inc., also based in Shanghai. Nexeo will be a global distributor for three new materials in the Polymaker Industrial line, but plans to introduce more of its materials over the rest of the year. C515 is an advanced polycarbonate (PC) filament that has excellent toughness and a low warping effect, while C515FR is a flame retardant PC with high impact resistance. SU301 is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based polymer that’s water soluble and was developed as a support material for FFF 3D printers.

Paul Tayler, the Vice President of EMEA at Nexeo Solutions, said, “Expanding our portfolio to include industrial grade filaments from Polymaker Industrial gives our customers access to a wider range of filaments that solve new 3D printing challenges and meet the demands of manufacturers. Industrial customers benefit from Nexeo Solutions’ access to world leading plastic producers coupled with additive manufacturing technical expertise.”

CollPlant Receives R&D Project Approval

Two years ago, regenerative medicine company CollPlant received funding from Israel’s Ministry of Economy for its research in developing collagen-based bioinks for 3D printing tissues and organs. CollPlant, which uses its proprietary plant-based rhCollagen (recombinant human collagen) technology for tissue repair products, has now announced that the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has approved a grant to finance the continued development of its rhCollagen-based formulations intended for use as bioinks. Terms of the grant require CollPlant to pay royalties to the IIA on future sales of any technology that’s developed with the use of the funding, up to the full grant amount. The total project budget is roughly $1.2 million (NIS 4.2 million), and the IIA will finance 30%, subject to certain conditions.

“In addition to providing immediate non-dilutive funding, this grant from the Israel Innovation Authority represents an important validation of our BioInk technology and its market potential. With the recent opening of our new cGMP production facility in Rehovot, Israel, we are well positioned to meet growing demand for our BioInk and tissue repair products. We are grateful to the IIA for this recognition,” said CollPlant CEO Yehiel Tal.

Additive Manufacturing Partnership Meeting Hosted by US Patent and Trademark Office

For the last several years, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been hosting the Additive Manufacturing Partnership Meeting, and this year’s meeting takes place tomorrow, June 27th, from 1 to 5 PM at the USPTO headquarters inside the Madison Building in Alexandria, Virginia. The USPTO will be seeking opinions from various participants at the informal meeting, which is really a forum for individual 3D printing users and the USPTO to share ideas, insights, and personal experiences.

“We value our customers and the feedback provided from individual participants is important in our efforts to continuously improve the quality of our products and services,” the USPTO meeting site reads. “Your willing participation in this informal process is helpful in providing us with new insights and perspectives.”

Scheduled speakers at this year’s meeting are coming from CIMP-3D, HRL, Kansas State University, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, and the NextManufacturing Center, and an RSVP is required to attend the AM Partnership Meeting.

RP Platform Launches New AI Software and Rebrand

London-based RP Platform, which provides customizable workflow automation software for industrial 3D printing, is launching a new software platform, which will use AI for the first time to automate 3D printing production. With customers in over 30 countries, the company is one of the top automation software providers for industrial 3D printing. In addition to its software launch, RP Platform has also announced that, as it continues to expand its software capabilities to target AM end part production, it is rebranding, and has changed its name to AMFG.

“We want to help companies make their 3D printing processes much smoother so that they can produce more parts with greater visibility and less effort. And we have more exciting releases to our software over the coming months that will further enhance our production automation capabilities,” said Keyvan Karimi, the CEO of AMFG.

“Ultimately, we’re creating a truly autonomous manufacturing process for industrial 3D printing. For us, this means taking manufacturing to a new era of production. The launch of our new software, as well as our company rebrand, fully reflects this vision going forward.”

NCAM Installing a Digital Metal 3D Printer

The National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM) in the UK, headquartered at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, has decided to add the unique binder jetting technology developed by Digital Metal to its large range of advanced manufacturing equipment, and will soon be installing one of its high-precision metal 3D printers – which are not available anywhere else in the UK. The 3D printer will be available for use by NCAM’s member companies, and other organizations, who are interested in testing the capabilities of Digital Metal’s proprietary binder jetting technology.

Dr. David Brackett, AM Technology Manager at the NCAM, explained, “The Digital Metal binder jetting technology falls into the category of ‘bind-and-sinter AM’, where a multi-stage process chain incorporating sintering is required to achieve full density. It’s a very fast technology that can create complicated and highly detailed designs, and there is potential for wider material choice than with AM processes that use melting. We are delighted to be able to offer this to the companies we work with.”

The Digital Metal 3D printer will be operational later this summer, and NCAM personnel are already training with it to ensure they can operate it efficiently and safely.

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