T3D Announces New LCD-Based High-Speed 3D Printing System

Taiwan 3D Tech, also known as T3D, is a startup spin-off from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST). Headquartered in Taipei, the company was officially founded in 2017 by Jeng Ywan-Jeng, a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the High Speed 3D Printing Research Center at the university, as well as the Founder of the 3D Printing Association in Taiwan.

Jeng had been working on a 3D printing system since 2012, and finally showed off his smartphone-based 3D printer to the world at Inside 3D Printing Shanghai 2015, launching a Kickstarter campaign for the small SLA system two years later. He told 3DPrint.com at formnext 2017 that T3D’s unique printer, which he had once referred to as “a cyber physic system (CPS) machine,” can cure a 100 micron layer in 15 seconds.

“The idea is to use only a smartphone, no PC; we use this light for its energy to do something. We have already proved it can be done,” Jeng told us at the event in Frankfurt.

The 3D printer uses light from the smartphone to cure specialty resin from a vat sitting on top of the phone to the print bed above, a concept we’ve seen before in the OLO smartphone-powered 3D printer. Both 3D printing systems had successful Kickstarter campaigns, but the difference between the two is that while there has been no news on the OLO, now the ONO, for roughly two years, T3D is actively getting its product to customers, while also continuing to innovate.

“T3D is the first mobile 3D printer in Taiwan,” the company states. “No complicated operation and no restrictions. Just print your lifestyle. We are a team of hardware, software, and chemical engineers aiming to disrupt the traditional 3D printing industry.”

Recently, the T3D team announced its newest product, the T3D LCD High-Speed 3D Printer, which will officially be launched at the Taiwan Innotech Expo event in Taipei this September.

According to T3D, its new High-Speed 3D Printer is able to speed up the 3D printing process by achieving fast print speeds of 10 cm per hour. In addition, thanks to the startup’s multiple colors of visible light curing photosensitive resin and “special fep film,” as a press release states, the system can also print continuously.

Just like with the original T3D smartphone-powered system, the T3D High-Speed 3D Printer also comes with an app that appears to make the process quick and easy. Users can search the Cloud Gallery for a variety of public models, and with one click can select their desired print. The T3D app works with many kinds of mobile phones, so you shouldn’t need to worry about corrupting any files, and you can also select your print settings in the app as well.

T3D, which aims to make 3D printing easier for consumers, states that the High-Speed 3D printer features “high productivity and accuracy,” which is definitely in line with this mission. Other competitive advantages the new T3D High-Speed 3D Printer features include 47 um precision and advanced software to ensure an easier workflow.

(Images courtesy of T3D)

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3D Printing News Briefs, July 18, 2020: DOMO & RPD, AMPM2021, Alloyed

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, DOMO Chemicals and RPD have announced a partnership related to a Sinterline initiative. The 2021 AMPM event is calling for technical papers related to metal additive manufacturing. Finally, Alloyed has won a prestigious award.

DOMO Chemicals and RPD Partnering

DOMO’s Sinterline PA6 powders combined with RPD’s SLS printer, modified and upgraded by LSS, enable OEMs to step up their 3D printed parts performance. (Photo courtesy of RPD)

Polyamide solutions provider DOMO Chemicals and Rapid Product Development GmbH (RPD), a specialist in prototyping and serial production of complex parts and assemblies, have formed a strategic partnership for the purposes of speeding up the growth of plastic materials for selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing. The collaboration will merge the continuing development of DOMO’s Sinterline Technyl PA6 SLS powder materials with a package of support services for SLS technology, benefiting from RPD’s expertise in application development and the SLS process. Sinterline PA6 powders are an oft-used nylon in the industry, especially by demanding markets like automotive.

“Sinterline® has pioneered the use of high-performance PA6 in 3D printing, and allows us to leverage the same polymer base that has proven so successful in many existing injection molding applications. Backed by the joint application development services of our companies, even highly stressed automotive components can now be successfully 3D printed in PA6 to near-series and fully functional quality standards,” stated Wolfgang Kraschitzer, General Manager and Plastics Processing Leader at RPD.

AMPM Conference Seeking Papers and Posters

The Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy Conference (AMPM2021) will be held in Orlando, Florida from June 20-23, 2021. While this may seem far in the future, the event’s program committee is looking ahead, and has issued a call for technical papers and posters that are focused on new developments in the metal additive manufacturing market. Stuart Jackson, Renishaw, Inc., and Sunder Atre, University of Louisville, the technical program co-chairman, are asking for abstracts that cover any aspect of metal AM, such as sintering, materials, applications, particulate production, post-build operations, and more.

“As the only annual additive manufacturing/3D printing conference focused on metal, the AMPM conferences provide the latest R&D in this thriving technology. The continued growth of the metal AM industry relies on technology transfer of the latest research and development, a pivotal function of AMPM2021,” said James P. Adams, Executive Director and CEO of the Metal Powder Industries Federation.

The submission deadline for abstracts is November 13, 2020, and must be submitted to the co-located PowderMet2021: International Conference on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials.

Alloyed Wins IOP Business Award

Alloys By Design (ABD)

UK company Alloyed, formerly OxMet Technologies, has won a prestigious award from the Institute of Physics (IOP), the learned society and professional body for physics. The IOP is committed to working with business based in physics, and its Business Awards recognize the contributions made by physicists in industry. Alloyed has won the IOP Business Start-up Award, which OxMet submitted for consideration before merging with Betatype to form Alloyed, and recognizes the team’s hard work in developing its digital platform Alloys By Design (ABD). This platform is helping to set new metal material development standards, including the commercialization of Alloyed’s ABD-850AM and ABD-900AM alloys for additive manufacturing.

“Everything we do in every bit of our business rests on the foundations provided by physics, and we’re delighted that the judges believe we have made a contribution to the field,” Alloyed CEO Michael Holmes said about winning the IOP Business award.

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Fortify Closes $10M Series A Funding Led by Accel

Fortify, known for their next-generation composites and Digital Composite Technology (DCM), has just completed a $10M Series A funding led by Accel. The Boston-headquartered additive manufacturing startup also received funding from Neotribe, Prelude Ventures, and Mainspring Capital Partners. Following a previous seed round this year also, yielding $2.5M, this latest funding will support the Fortify’s Discovery Partner Program and further growth of the Fortify team as they continue to create technology to be used in applications like aerospace, manufacturing, and automotive—with end-use parts in electrical connectors, impellers, mixers, and specialty drones.

Fortify is known for their use of magnetics (Fluxprint technology) and digital light processing 3D printing, allowing them to fabricate parts made with composites, therefore imbued with high-performance mechanical properties. Composite research was performed at Northeastern University by Dr. Randall Erb and Dr. Joshua Martin. The company has already seen huge growth this year, with its staff doubling, and new office space required for its overall expansion.

“Now more than ever before, it’s vital that the U.S. economy has a strong manufacturing ecosystem,” said Eric Wolford, venture partner at Accel. “Fortify is uniquely positioned to help lead the resurgence of American manufacturing by using tech to produce best-in-class parts for the digital age. We’re thrilled to support the entire Fortify team as they continue to set a new standard in manufacturing.”

Fluxprint

The Discovery Partner Program gives a select number of Fortify customers earlier access to DCM. Currently, Fortify has noted ‘dramatic improvements’ for users 3D printing with the DCM platform. Fortify says that users also report up 10-100x in improvements, when comparing to 3D prints of other types. Molds are being supplied for customers right now, with beta machines going out in early 2020. Their new Fortify Fiber Platform has just been rolled out also, as the company continues to work with companies like DSM and BASF.

“Material properties are the dominant factor driving adoption of Additive Manufacturing across industries,” said Ben Arnold, Fortify VP of Business Development. “Our open materials platform leverages the world’s leading polymer chemists as they continually innovate. We reinforce these base resin with fiber as we print to gain significantly higher levels of performance. It’s quite exciting that even in this early stage of the company, we have customers buying parts for use in production applications.”

“We’ve achieved so much since our founding, and we’re eager to expand on our platform capabilities,” said Josh Martin, CEO and founder of Fortify. “With the support of our investors, we will focus on innovation, bring our technology to new partners, and grow our product offerings.”

Notable new hires include industry veteran Ben Arnold as VP Business Development, most recently of Desktop Metal and Dave Colucci, formerly of Soft Robotics, as their new Embedded Systems Lead Engineer.

Researchers around the world are involved in the realm of 3D printing materials, from biomaterials to self-healing capsules, and even soft materials for robotics. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

Digital composite manufacturing

[Source / Images: Fortify]

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Korean Startup USEED to Launch Voice Activated AI Driven 3D Printer for Kids

USEED is a Korean startup headed by Jung Soo Lim. The eight-person company got its start making 3D printer kits, and specializes in the education market. The firm makes robotics kits, Prusa i3 type 3D printers, its own Creator 3D printer, and even an SMT placement machine. The company designs, develops and manufactures its machines in Korea and has been expanding steadily. Now they aim to undertake a bit of a quantum leap. The firm has been designing and testing its Thingi for months now. The Thingi is one of the, if not the most, adorable 3D printers I’ve ever seen. Specially designed to be accessible, safe and easy to use for children, the Thingi is meant to let kids easily 3D print. The 125 x 140 x 190 build volume machine can print over WiFi, has a 260C capable extruder, and can print up to 60 mm/s. The printer has a new trick up its sleeve, however. The voice-activated AI-powered printer can listen to kids’ commands and prints accordingly. If the voice activation works well and the company can accordingly automate the entire printing workflow, it would make 3D printing much more accessible and easier. Potentially it would make 3D printing much easier for all of us as well. It was refreshing to finally see something innovative happening again in desktop 3D printing. The company is testing the printer now and aims to go to crowdfunding in a few months. We interviewed CEO Jung Soo Lim to find out more.

What is USEED?

Our company manufactures 3D printers and coding education kits for kids. We have 8 employees. Our company was founded to provide IT seeds that can be easily implemented if anyone has an idea.

Therefore, we are currently supplying educational 3D printers and related education services to Korean educational institutions. The big plan that our company has is to launch a voice driven AI printer. In Korea, 3D printing is not being popularized fast enough. We analyzed the of this causes through our experiences in selling technical products. There was pressure to learn 3D modeling in order to use 3D printers. Also, children between the ages of 5 and 10 want to use 3D printers. However, these purchases were not made because children had to use computers independently. With that background, our company developed the Thingi early last year and is currently preparing to mass-produce it. Also, to cover the costs of molds, we are looking for funds through crowdfunding platforms.

Our company will complete 3D printers and content that children can use for making their own toys. We hope to have is available this year at Christmas.

Why a voice-activated 3D printer? 

I want kids to have fun while using 3D printers to make the things that they want. If a child wants to make a Hello Kitty patterned cup, the kid talks to our 3Dprinter. The Thingi recommends the best model file and will then print it out. We will simplify this process so that children can use 3D printers in a fun way. I think that if many people enjoy and use our products, the limitations of technology will be overcome.

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3D Printing News Briefs: April 3, 2019

To kick off this week’s first edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ve got a fun project to share with you, before moving on to events, business, education, and software. Materials Australia is hosting a 3D printing conference in Melbourne this summer, while formnext + PM South China will debut in September of 2020 and the original formnext is continuing to grow at record speed. Evolve Additive Solutions will expand its Rochester facility, and Mauritius is unveiling its second 3D printing center. The founders of rigid.ink launched a new online AM course, and Magnitude Innovations has released a new metal 3D printing software application.

Cool 2D-3D Project on imgur

TheSparklyGhost, a user on the popular online image sharing community of imgur, recently posted a brief video of a really neat project titled “2D project on a 3D printed object.” I’m going to do my best to explain this, but it’s better if you watch the short video posted on Imgur, which has been viewed over 81,800 times in the last seven days. TheSparklyGhost 3D printed a long white object, which at first glance looks kind of like a curved wall but is actually an extended cutout shape of a person with legs akimbo. Then, the print is moved back and forth over a thin projection line, which makes it look like a 2D person walking.

The video has received a wide variety of comments in the last week. Some users just expressed their awe, while one asked if the STL for the print was available and some offered suggestions like “make a 3D projection on a 4D printed object” and “Now make it moon walk.” However, not everyone was impressed, with one user asking if the cost was worth it and another saying, “k this is sorta cool and all but what will this do for you?” Anyone have a response to that?

Materials Australia Hosting 3D Printing Conference 

This summer, Materials Australia, the peak representative body of the country’s materials science and engineering profession, will be curating an additive manufacturing conference in Melbourne. The Asia-Pacific International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (APICAM) 2019 will be held from June 30th to July 3rd at RMIT University. The conference, in its second iteration, will include keynote presentations by AM experts, a poster presentation, a networking hub, workshops, exhibitors, and multiple receptions.

According to the website, “The purpose of APICAM2019 is to provide a focused forum for the presentation of advanced research and improved understanding of various aspects of additive manufacturing. This conference will include invited lectures from internationally distinguished researchers, contributed presentations and posters.”

Early bird registration is available until May 1st.

2020 Debut of formnext + PM South China

Additive manufacturing continues to grow more popular in China, with domestic industry sales estimated to reach $2.96 billion in 2020, and the government is paying attention. Now, from September 9-11, 2020, the first edition of Formnext + PM South China will debut at the new Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, which is said to be the largest exhibition venue in the world. The event will be jointly organized by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and Uniris Exhibition Shanghai Co Ltd, and will aim to help AM industry players open up new business opportunities in innovative equipment, processes, and advanced materials. Over 10,000 visitors are expected to attend, with more than 200 exhibitors from around the world.

“With the expertise from its brand name shows, Formnext in Frankfurt, Germany, and also PM China in Shanghai, the newly formed fair will be one of a kind in South China,” Mr Hubert Duh, Chairman of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, said in a press conference to celebrate the launch of the event. “The synergy from the two fair brands will facilitate the exchange of ideas between industry professionals and bring a positive impact to the manufacturing sector.”

formnext in Frankfurt Continuing Record Growth

In the meantime, the world’s leading international AM trade fair, formnext, is still going strong, and is in fact expanding and developing at record speed this year along the whole process chain. As of March 2019, over 500 exhibitors, many of which are international and 147 of which are new, had already registered for the event, which will be held in Frankfurt from November 19-22. This means that the amount of space the event will cover this year is already more than the final size of formnext 2018, which is why formnext 2019 will take place for the first time in the more modern Halls 11 and 12.

Other changes include an expansion of the Discover3Dprinting seminar series, which is organized with the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing and meant for medium-sized companies looking to adopt AM. The Startup Challenge, AM4U platform of career opportunities, the ideas competition “purmundus challenge,” and the BE-AM Symposium, which focuses on 3D printing in the construction industry, are all continuing and being expanded, and formnext’s content partner TCT will again discuss current developments and trends in the conference program. Additionally, this year the US will be the first partner country represented at the event, and special highlights for American guests, like the “AM Standards Forum,” will be included.

Evolve Additive Solutions to Grow New York Operations

3D printing OEM Evolve Additive Solutions, a Stratasys spin-out company, is headquartered in Minneapolis but operates its materials technology center in Brighton, New York. The company will be expanding its Brighton operations, according to an announcement by Empire State Development (ESD), which will allow the creation of 60 new jobs over the next five years in the Finger Lakes region. The company recently raised $19 million in equity funding with lead investors LEGO Brand Group and Stanley Black & Decker, which complements its efforts to commercialize its Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process (STEP) 3D printing process and expand its Brighton office by 7,000 square feet, with another 13,000 added later. Supporting the development and growth of high-tech industries, such as 3D printing and advanced manufacturing, is an important part of the Finger Lakes Forward economic development plan.

“Our Brighton facility is key to our success and having a first-class facility to attract the best talent possible for materials and process development is essential,” said Evolve’s CEO Steve Chillscyzn. “We are extremely pleased that Empire State Development recognizes the opportunity our technology can offer to our future customers but also to are current and future employee base in the area.”

In exchange for job creation commitments, ESD has offered Evolve tax credits of up to $1 million through the Excelsior Tax Credit Program to facilitate its growth in the region.

Mauritius Opens Second 3D Printing Center

[Image: Kickstarter]

The Republic of Mauritius, located about 855 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of the African continent, set up its first 3D Printing Centre last winter on the National Computer Board (NCB) premises. About 50 students have prepared projects using the services provided by the center, and now, through a joint initiative of the NCB and SME Mauritius, the country’s second 3D Printing Centre has been unveiled at SME Mauritius in Coromandel. With its available filaments, 3D printers, and scanners, the center will be a one-stop 3D printing shop to support university students, startups, designers, and other industry professionals. It will also offer 3D print support services for SMEs.

Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Yogida Sawmynaden said, “The scope of 3D printing technology, he highlighted is limitless and is bound to play a bigger part in the years to come.”

Rigid.Ink Launches Institute of 3D Printing Course

UK 3D printing filament company rigid.ink is moving away from materials and on to educating the members of its community. The company just launched a new online coursed called The Institute of 3D Printing, described on the site as “A complete 3D Printing video course & private expert community designed to accelerate your printing skills and success.”

“It’s the first of its kind and since it’s pretty unusual for a filament company to branch out like this,” Ed Tyson, the owner of rigid.ink and founder of the Institute, told 3DPrint.com.

The goal is to make learning the technology less confusing for new users, so the industry is in the hands of everyday people, and not professionals working in big firms. The course includes entire modules on everything from adhesion and leveling the print bed to troubleshooting and much more.  In addition, members who take the course can receive technical support – within 24 hours, no less – from 3D printing professionals for tough questions. You can join the Institute of 3D Printing now for a monthly fee of just $20 – a savings of 25% off the usual price, with a 30-day money back guarantee included.

Magnitude Innovations Releases New Metal 3D Printing Software

Illinois startup Magnitude Innovations Inc., which offers product development and technical consulting services, has released its Uptimo software application, which is meant to help companies increase the profitability of their metal 3D printing processes. Magnitude itself specializes in metal laser powder bed fusion technology, and its software’s proprietary algorithms analyze production data to offer instant 3D printing system feedback. While originally an internal tool for client projects, Uptimo is now available to any Magnitude customer as a standalone application.

Uptimo is an Operational Excellence software application, and utilizes scheduling and production data to assess how a 3D printer is performing over one, or multiple, projects. The analysis is split into four Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the customized solution will help companies improve build layout, machine planning, parameter optimization, and other aspects of the metal AM process that impact cost and quality. Magnitude’s CEO Maciej Tusz is at the AMUG Conference in Chicago this week to represent the company and display the various features of its new Uptimo application.

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

3D Printing Startup Showdown to Take Place in Boston during Additive Manufacturing Strategies

Asimov Ventures is offering a $15,000 cash investment to the winner of the Start-Up Showdown competition taking place January 30 at the Additive Manufacturing Strategies conference and exhibition in Boston January 29-31, 2019.  The event is focused on the future of medicine and dentistry in 3D Printing.   Conference producers 3DPrint.com and SmarTech Publishing are inviting startups working in medicine and dentistry to apply for the chance to pitch their business plans to an audience 3D Printing professionals,  investors and venture firms at Additive Manufacturing Strategies at the Hynes Convention Center.

Applications are being accepted until December 1.  If you are a seed-stage startup or entrepreneur in the fields of medical or dental 3D Printing you are eligible to apply here.  The top five finalists will be selected to pitch their business proposals for five minutes each on January 30th to several judges including Jessica A. Zeaske (head of Healthcare Investments at GE Ventures) and noted 3D Printing expert Tyler Benster. Travel costs are not provided, but finalists will receive free admission to the conference on January 30 and the publicity that comes from the victory including an interview with 3DPrint.com.