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3D Printed Orthotics for Kids Reduce Production Times by 40 Percent

In a recent case study released by Moscow-headquartered Thor3D, we see how their Calibry 3D scanner made a huge difference in the production of foot orthotics for children in Germany. Phoenix GmbH & Co., an engineering company specializing in product development with 3D printing technology, was tasked with improving the creation of orthotics for a German clinic.

Employing Calibry Nest software, the Calibry 3D scanner, Geomagic Wrap software with algorithms created by Phoenix, and the Tractus 3D printer, Phoenix was able to develop a new and reproducible solution. Able to save doctors up to 40 percent in production time, the new process is so easy it can be used by orthopedists with no previous experience in wielding 3D tools.

“Before Calibry, we had to use more expensive, less user-friendly scanners to do the same tasks. This is a limiting factor in B2B scanning applications, where the user is no scanning expert,” comments Emil Wörgötter, Application Engineer 3D Scanning & Additive Manufacturing.

Even more important is the new level of comfort afforded to young patients. Historically, being fitted for a prosthetic or an orthotic could be a long and painful process for anyone, but especially a child who needs constant updates. 3D printing has already proven itself in countless instances regarding hand and arm prosthetics—helping amputees—as well as offering a much better way to fit kids for orthotics too.

Some of the greatest advantages of 3D printing are on display in this latest case study, as children are able to enjoy completely customized medical devices that can be re-sized in a matter of minutes rather than hours. They may ultimately be able to walk more comfortably (and perhaps even look forward to their visit to see the orthopedist). This is in stark comparison to the old-fashioned and highly inefficient method of creating orthotics, beginning with taking measurements and modeling the footbed. Afterward, plaster is used to mold the orthotic—this is not only messy but can be difficult when testing the patience of a child. An orthopedic specialist is required to perform the work, which can be extremely high maintenance; in fact, if one step goes awry, the entire uncomfortable process may have to be repeated all over again. Ultimately, however, the positive form is created.

The plastering process

In using the Calibry 3D scanner to create an orthotic, the Phoenix team still required a positive form from a previous fitting:

“For now, in orthosis production a traditional process of creating the initial positive form has to remain. The scan of a positive form differs from foot scan,” states the Phoenix team in the case study. “A 3D scan has a lot of anatomical details of an existing foot which needs treatment, whereas a positive form has simplified and anatomically correct geometry. Currently Phoenix develops algorithms, which will automate the creation of the initial positive form too. So, in the future orthosis production will become completely contactless.”

Scanning an existing positive form

Based on measurements, a fully automated design of a new positive form is done

The new positive form is 3D printed.

Vacuum thermoforming of the new orthosis shell

After measuring the foot and then scanning the patient’s positive form, they were able to 3D print a new one and then create a new shell with vacuum thermoforming. The patient experienced no discomfort or long wait times, and no storage is required for the forms as all of the data remains online.

Orthotics are expected to continue to evolve further via 3D printing as they are a smaller item that is easy to produce and can be made much more quickly and affordably now, with amazing customizations.

[Source: Thor3D; Images courtesy of Phoenix GmbH & Co.]

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Dinosaurs: First 3D Model of Embryonic Sauropod Reveals New Facial Features

In the eroded badlands of Argentina’s northern Patagonia, sedimented layers of Upper Cretaceous deposits at Auca Mahuevo offer a one of a kind view of the largest nesting site of fossilized sauropod dinosaur eggs. The intact hatching ground of the long-necked, large herbivores that roamed this exceptionally preserved land 80 million years ago was discovered in 1997 and, since then, has revealed many secrets about the reproductive habits of sauropods and their anatomical development. This dinosaur egg “sanctuary” in the lateral swamps of large streams and rivers where dinosaurs ceremoniously deposited their eggs would, later on, be gently covered by water, causing the muddy sheet-floods to bury the eggs and nests. The preserved fossils contain some of the most interesting remains ever found, from tiny embryonic bones to patches of delicate fossilized skin, and even a skull and teeth of one of the creatures.

Sediment filling the egg with the embryonic skull in situ. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

Twenty-three years after the groundbreaking discovery, researchers report the first 3D images of the preserved embryo of a sauropod. A new scientific study published in the journal Current Biology on August 27, 2020, described the first near-intact embryonic sauropod skull analyzed from first-hand observations of 3D virtual high-resolution models. The new findings, led by Martin Kundrat of the Paleo BioImaging Lab at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, in the Slovak Republic, add to the understanding of the development of sauropod dinosaurs, a group characterized by long necks and tails and small heads, and suggests that they may have had specialized facial features as hatchlings that changed as they grew into adults.

“The specimen studied in our paper represents the first 3D preserved embryonic skull of a sauropod sauropodomorph,” said Kundrat, who is also an Associate Professor in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University. “The most striking feature is head appearance, which implies that hatchlings of giant dinosaurs may differ in where and how they lived in their earliest stages of life. But because it differs in facial anatomy and size from the sauropod embryos of Auca Mahuevo, we cannot rule out that it may represent a new titanosaurian dinosaur.”

Martin Kundrat at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat)

The scientists recognized a well-exposed skull inside a fragmented egg, preserved in three dimensions with most bones virtually intact and articulated. Although the skull is visibly exposed on its left side, the 3D morphology and internal structure of all the preserved bones became accessible to the researchers through virtual replicas produced using scanning and imaging tools at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.

In the study, Kundrat’s team used imaging technology called synchrotron microtomography to study the inner structure of bones, teeth, and soft tissues of the embryonic dinosaur. The scans allowed Kundrat and co-author Daniel Snitting, from Sweden’s Uppsala University, to find hidden details, including tiny teeth preserved deeply in tiny jaw sockets. They also discovered many previously unknown anatomical details in the cranial bones, including embryonic braincase components that kept their original shape and what appear to be the remains of temporal muscles.

The outer fragment of the original egg. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

According to the researchers, sauropodomorph embryology remains one of the least explored areas of the life history of dinosaurs. But these new 3D models allowed investigators to reconstruct the most plausible appearance of the skull in titanosaurian sauropods before hatching, with useful details for taxonomic or developmental comparisons among related dinosaurs.

The preserved embryonic skull inside the fragmented fossil egg was scanned using the ESRF’s beamline ID 19, a multi-purpose long (145 m) imaging beamline. The scans were collected with propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography using a pink beam with two different energies. Once the scanned data of the specimen was complete, the researchers turned to Mimics, a medical 3D image-based engineering software from Materialise, one of the leading providers of additive manufacturing software in Belgium, for the segmentation and 3D rendering of the skull.

On the left: digital reconstruction of the cranial bones and reconstruction of the skull in anterior view showing incomplete skull roof. On the right: reconstruction of the head appearance by Vladimir Rimbala and premaxillary horn of embryonic skull. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

Finally, the scientists reconstructed the internal structure and vasculature of the premaxilla (a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the upper jaw) thanks to German software provider Volume Graphics’ VGStudio Max 2.2, one of the most advanced software platforms for industrial CT data analysis and visualization.

Once the researchers had the 3D models, they were able to analyze the details in the sauropod’s prenatal cranial ossification. Kundrat and the study’s co-authors suggest “an alternative head appearance for babies of these Patagonian giants,” with a specialized head and face that transformed as the young dinosaurs grew and matured into adults. In fact, the visually enlightening findings suggest that the baby sauropods may have hatched out of the egg with the help of a thickened epidermal prominence rather than using a boney “egg-tooth.” The team also uncovered evidence that the titanosaurian hatchlings emerged with a temporary single-horned face, retracted openings on the nose, and early binocular vision.

Left: the craniofacial region in ventral view showing the premaxillary and maxillary alveoli and the rostral premaxillary projection forming a basis of the horn-like process. Middle: the skull in antero-ventral view. Right: 3D rendered first mesial premaxillary teeth. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

“Our study revealed several new aspects about the embryonic life of the largest herbivorous dinosaurs that lived on our planet. A horned faced and binocular vision are features quite different from what we expected in titanosaurian dinosaurs,” added Kundrat. “Dinosaur eggs are for me like time capsules that bring a message from the ancient time. This was the case of our specimen that tells a story about Patagonian giants before they hatched.”

The work is expected to enlighten the understanding of dinosaurs and how they lived. This newly unveiled reconstruction enabled experts to recreate anatomical aspects based on intact cranial features never seen before, revealing biological and geochemical characters that distinguish the new specimen from previously described titanosaurian embryos from Auca Mahuevo.

3D rendering of the opaque and semi-transparent premaxilla in medial and lateral views. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

Although the egg fragment was originally illegally exported from Argentina and brought to researchers’ attention only later when study co-author Terry Manning, a Paleo Technician in Arizona, realized the unique preservation and scientific importance of the specimen, it is now housed in the Museo Municipal “Carmen Funes” in Plaza Huincul, just miles from the Auca Mahuevo fossil site in Argentina under the curation of paleontologist Rodolfo Coria, who is also a co-author of the study.

For decades, the extraordinary discovery of the Late Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur nesting ground has fascinated researchers worldwide. The dozens of intact eggs opened a window to understanding the life of the giant sauropods, and particularly their reproductive habits and early life. Now, 3D imaging and scanning technology can help uncover new traits and anatomy of these dinosaurs, with details never before seen.

A magnified perspective of the embryonic Titanosaurian skull along with a skull reconstruction. (Image courtesy of Martin Kundrat and the journal Current Biology)

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Why 3D Printing Is Key For Mass Customizable Products

luxmea face mask variations
LuxMea’s customized face masks. Photo source: LuxMea Studio

Consumers in today’s market expect more and more for their products and experiences to be tailored to them, and to have more control over what they pay for. The challenge in meeting that demand for mass customization is having to switch from producing hundreds to millions of the same item to efficiently producing small batches of personalized items within a similarly short time frame without costs going up astronomically. Additive manufacturing helps maximize efficiency in making large-scale personalization more accessible.

Customer-Led Designs

Companies that use 3D printing for customization set up design interfaces to allow customers to make their own design choices in regards to color, texture, material or fit. For example, some automotive companies have given their customers the ability to choose their vehicle’s colors or include personalized lettering on the interiors. Any product can potentially be customized according to what suits the buyer: cars, furniture, fixtures, jewelry and more.

3D Scanning for a Perfect Fit

With 3D scanning software becoming more prominent and user-friendly, it is easier than ever for customers to contribute to the design process themselves. The footwear industry is making use of 3D printing technology, allowing customers to make aesthetic choices for their shoes and also to personalize their insoles based on their specific foot shape, weight or running style. Customization is also becoming a standard in the tabletop gaming industry, with more and more companies offering customizable game pieces.

A smart-phone app can take a scan of a person’s face or other body part and generate a 3D file that can be used to create a product that fits them perfectly. LuxMea has used this technology to produce face masks that are not only aesthetically customizable but also provide a perfect fit for the individual wearer, making them safer and more comfortable.

3D scans can be used to personalize earphones, shoe insoles, eyewear and many more products thanks to 3D printing technology. This ability to creatively participate in the design process boosts customer satisfaction, as the ability to have more say in what they spend money on makes the process more fun and efficient for the users.

Customization
to Improve Lives

Advances in 3D scanning technology contribute heavily to the medical industry, an area where personalization can be crucial. With the ability to scan specific parts of the body, more accurate and patient-specific improvements can be made to someone’s health and wellbeing. 3D printing allows for more affordable and personalized prosthetics, implants and other aids ensuring a higher level of comfort and support. This is an area where perfect fit as well as timely delivery can be of the utmost importance to the success of medical devices and equipment. 3D printing is able to surpass the limits of traditional processes because of its ability to produce highly complex parts quicker. Customization also improves the instruments and supplies that physicians use, making them more efficient and comfortable and improving surgical outcomes.

Understanding Preferences and Trends

By allowing customers to make more of their own choices, the process provides key insights into trends and consumer preferences. Customers’ tastes can be used to help companies evolve their products and make product developments to fit the needs of their customers.

On-Demand
Manufacturing

Another benefit of using 3D printing for customized products is a shift towards more on-demand production. By placing more emphasis on smaller personalized products instead of mass-produced products before orders are received, inventories can be reduced and a substantial amount of waste can be avoided. This can save money in material costs and create a more sustainable manufacturing process.

The 3D printing industry is growing at a very fast rate, and is making it easier to transition to using 3D printing over traditional mass production methods as time goes on. However, the transition can still be expensive and time consuming. 3D printing services like Shapeways can ease that transition by giving you access to high quality manufacturing as well as tailored e-commerce support. Let us know how we can help with your mass-customization needs.

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Digital Survey Technology & 3D Printing Used to Create Model of Ancient Mayan Acropolis

Located in the northern Petén Department of Guatemala near the Salsipuedes River, La Blanca is an ancient Mayan settlement, and one of its main archaeological focal points is the Acropolis, which was built as a residence for the city’s rulers during the Late Classical Period (AD 600-850). It consists of three buildings, two with thatched roofs and one with a soil layer, on a platform reached by a large staircase. Research into the settlement has been frequent over the years, which is why in 2010, a Visitor’s Center was built there as part of the La Blanca Project framework. Tourists receive support there, while locals have a good place to participate in cultural heritage workshops and view educational materials.

Southeast area of the Acropolis.

One thing it was lacking, however, was a scale replica of the Acropolis to use as a tool for the dissemination of Mayan architectural heritage. This would have been difficult to achieve before digital survey techniques, but 3D technology is changing how we document and preserve cultural heritage sites. A trio of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) published a case study about using 3D printing for this purpose at La Blanca, and how the team was able to document the complex using digital survey technology “to obtain a high-fidelity model of the Acropolis’ buildings.”

The objectives were to improve the contents of the Visitor Center’s exhibition hall with a model of the Acropolis, perform an in-depth study of “all the procedures used to obtain the Acropolis reality-based model and propose a workflow that could be used in similar cases,” and test these resources for use in dissemination of Mayan history.

The project actually began in 2012 with a Faro Focus3D S120 scanner, which is a fast but compact Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) that can provide efficient 3D measurements. Between 2012 and 2015, three digital survey campaigns were conducted at various parts of the Acropolis, for a total of 118 scans.

Acquisition Parameters and final Point Cloud Model

“Having acquired these scans, we carried out the point clouds registration in a laboratory and obtained the reality-based Point Cloud Model of the Acropolis,” the researchers stated. “This model showed a very high geometric accuracy and was useful for extracting 2D classic drawings and for obtaining 3D polygonal mesh models.”

It was important to create a methodology for reverse modeling of the Acropolis, which started with the laser scanning data.

“In general, it is possible to print 3D objects starting from a traditional 3D model that has been modeled directly (as in the case of the model of a building we are designing) or from a reality-based 3D model that has been obtained from real data acquired by laser scanning or by digital photogrammetry,” they explained.

Reverse modeling software can create a 3D polygonal mesh from a point cloud model, but the first mesh typically needs to be optimized to achieve a model with high enough quality that it can be 3D printed. Optimizing and building the 3D mesh model of the Acropolis was tough because there was a lot of redundant data from earlier scanning, and the highest parts of the wall lacked data, as “the thatched-roofs system caused occlusion areas,” but they managed.

“First, the 3D point model of the Acropolis was exported into .ptx format in 9 parts. Then, every section of the model was imported into the software 3D System Rapidform with a ¼ factor of reduction. In the same software, we built separately 9 different high-poly meshes,” they wrote. “The heterogeneous structure of the single 9 meshes was an additional problem caused by the higher or lower redundancy of data acquired in different field seasons.”

Reality-based mesh of the Acropolis.

They completed a “global re-meshing” of these nine to reduce the number of polygons in the final model and homogenize the average size of their edges, as well as their number and distribution. Then each mesh was processed separately to fill boundaries and negate topological errors, like overlaying or redundant polygons. Once all the meshes were combined, the team had a medium-poly model of the Acropolis.

They still needed to integrate the 3D model with these procedures, and turned to reverse modeling and other software tools to finish it. They completed a manual retopology of the model’s boundaries, which allowed them to obtain simplified contours; these were then used “as references for the direct modeling of the missing sections of the Acropolis.” They had to then homogenize the structures of both meshes using Luxology Modo and 3D System Rapidform, and then merged the meshes into one model.

Integration of the model. 4a: Retopology of the boundaries; 4b: Direct modeling; 4c: Resultant mesh; 4d: Smoothing the mesh.

Maxon Cinema 4D’s sculpting tools were used to improve the model’s homogenization, which also “helped emphasize the difference between the reality-based parts of the model and the directly modeled surfaces that had been undetected by the laser scanner.” Finally, the terrain mesh was integrated with the help of a geometric modeling tool, and the 3D model of the Acropolis, “consisting of 6,043,072 polygons with a homogeneous structure over the entire mesh,” was ready to be 3D printed. The team did note a slight mesh deviation between one of the original high-poly meshes and the final model, but the FDM 3D printer they used could handle it.

The final Acropolis model.

The team conducted a few print tests with different configurations and scales in order to select the proper settings before printing the entire model out of PLA, the results of which were very accurate when compared with the virtual 3D model.

“The missing parts of the Acropolis, undetected by laser scanner and then manually reconstructed, appeared to be perfectly integrated in the 3D printed version of the model and showed, at the same time, their diversity from the reality-based parts of the model,” the researchers wrote.

“From the analysis of these tests, we concluded that the representation of the Acropolis was satisfactory.”

The last test, with 1:100 scale and 0.3 mm accuracy, offered the best fidelity, so the team printed the Acropolis model with these parameters. It was printed in 17 different parts, as the final measurements of 90 x 70 cm were too large for the print bed; however, this ended up being helpful when it came time to transport the model to La Blanca. It was reassembled there, and sits in the middle of the La Blanca Visitor Center’s exhibition hall, protected by a transparent plastic dome, for all to enjoy.

Final 3D printed model of the Acropolis.

“Today, this physical replica of the Acropolis is an important resource that allows the visitors to have a complete view of the main complex of the site, which is not easy in the Guatemalan jungle,” the researchers concluded. “It also provides an exclusive view of some parts of the Acropolis, already studied by researchers and now protected with a soil layer to ensure their preservation. Moreover, it is a useful resource for supporting dissemination and also serves as a teaching resource for student visitors.”

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Thor3D Updates Calibry Nest Software, Improving Workflow for 3D Scanning

Moscow-headquartered Thor3D continues to refine its software and hardware, allowing customers around the globe to continue scanning items at every range, from smaller industrial parts to facial prosthetics, and larger-scale items like automobiles. Now, the handheld 3D scanner developer is releasing an update to its Calibry Nest software—adding a host of new features for improved workflow.

Live 3D mode on.

Continuing to develop and enhance products and solutions that offer ease in capturing 3D data, as well as dealing with post-processing, the team at Thor3D has created a Live 3D option for preliminary data finalization. This means that users are able to use the Live3D feature while scanning and then quickly complete assembly of the scene, even while on the go. They can then assess the quality of the scan before uploading it to their PC.

For Calibry users who seek the ultimate in accuracy, they can also now test calibration before beginning any project.

Other tools have been added to this release for streamlined workflow during post-processing efforts. Users engaged in reverse engineering or quality control processes can complete basics like the following:

  • Pinpointing deviations in structure by comparing meshes with the Distant Map feature.
  • Cutting sections through any type of mesh for adding 2D contours which can then be converted into .SVG or .DXF format.
  • Using the inverting tool, noted as especially helpful for engineers involved in orthopedic or prosthetic applications where critical scans are required for body parts.
  • Calculating the least amount of distance from two points with the ‘Geodesic Distance’ tool, for use with polygon mesh.
  • Detecting false markers during scanning. The Thor3D team notes that while ‘momentary glares’ may occur in the final mesh and look like markers (thus causing inaccuracies), this additional tool prevents such problems.

Live 3D mode on. A screenshot from Calibry’s screen

“Thor3D team has also added a random generator of names to label each new result as they are formed,” states a recent press release sent to 3DPrint.com.

‘Distance Map’ feature in action.

Inverting normal tool

Geodesic Distance tool

Other small changes have been made to the Calibry Nest software also. Users can now accelerate the speed of loading textured models. A new progress bar has been added for hole-filling functions, with separated hole filling now available in a different thread—leading to further optimization of the workflow. The tracking process has also been further improved for users during the scanning process.

Currently, Thor3D has offices in both Moscow and Dusseldorf. Founded in 2015, the Thor3D team is well-known for the development of their wireless, handheld scanner. Find out more about their products here.

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.

[Source / Images: Thor3D]

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Polyga Releases Professional Handheld H3 3D Scanning System

In 2018, Polyga Inc., a Canadian developer of 3D scanning and mesh processing technologies, introduced its HDI Contact series of easy-to-use 3D scanners. Now, the company has released its new high-accuracy H3 handheld 3D scanning system, what the company frames as a professional, all-purpose scanner that can produce 3D scans with the kind of high quality you would expect from stationary scanners.

Powered by FlexScan3D software, like all Polyga’s stationary 3D scanners, the H3 was created with agility in mind. According to the company, the 3D scanning experience you get with the H3 is seamless, as the responsive device can help you complete 3D scanning projects in far less time, thanks to its high-processing speed all the way from data capture to post-processing.

“Leveraging the technology and experience in developing Polyga’s stationary 3D scanning systems, the 280 x 200 x 60 mm H3 produces one of the highest accuracy in a single-shot scan for a handheld system in its class,” the Polyga H3 brochure states. “The Polyga H3 is simply an all-round professional handheld 3D scanner that’s easy to use, portable, and high-accuracy—all at an affordable price.”

Polyga named its new H3 well, as the name is mean to represent the 3D scanner’s most prominent features: handheld, high-accuracy, and hybrid. First, the H3 system offers convenient point and shoot scanning, and it’s easy to pack up and take with you to off-site projects. With an accuracy of up to 80 microns, the new device can produce up to 1.5 million points per scan. Finally, and I think this is the best part, you can actually mount the H3 on a tripod to transform it into a hands-free stationary 3D scanner. A rotary turntable provides automated 3D scanning for those times when you need your hands for something else.

Stationary mode

“We wanted to create a handheld 3D scanner that produces scan data as good as our stationary 3D scanners. This professional handheld system uses our proprietary, multi-image scanning patterns for 3D capture that we’ve traditionally used with our stationary 3D scanners,” explained Polyga Inc.’s President Thomas Tong. “That’s why the H3 captures high-accuracy scans in a single shot. The system produces equally high-quality data in both handheld and stationary modes.”

The handheld Polyga H3 scanner is meant to work quickly, capturing physical objects and turning them into digital 3D models in only minutes, thanks to dual industrial-grade cameras, encoding data at a high speed of 700 frames per second. This is definitely in line with the company’s mission to provide equipment that’s not only easy to use but also provides high quality, in order to give users a good experience.

The H3 is optimal for a variety of industry applications, such as archaeology, art, computer vision, design, manufacturing, medical, and research. It can scan many different objects that are roughly 10 cm to 2 meters in size, such as artifacts, mechanical parts, and even people. Paired with the Polyga software, the device can turn those items into accurate, digital 3D models. Additionally, the Polyga H3 is available in several options ranging from monochrome to color, when you need to capture high-quality color and texture scans.

The handheld Polyga H3 3D scanner is immediately available for purchase, at a price of $9,990. The company refers to this as an affordable scanner, and it does seem comparable in price compared to several other handheld 3D scanning systems, like the EinScan Pro 2X Plus, Faro Freestyle3D, the Artec Eva Light, and Thor3D’s Calibry.

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

(Images provided by Polyga)

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Sustainable Cabin Built on 3D-Printed Concrete Stilts from Infested Ash Wood

Our house had several ash trees in the front and back yard while I was growing up, and we lost three of them due to various acts of nature. Ash is a very soft wood, which is how we lost one to high winds, and another split at the top because it wasn’t well-supported at the bottom. The third was removed because it had been infected by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle, a nasty little bugger that’s not even native to the US but is here wreaking havoc anyway.

Obviously, ash trees that have been infected and destroyed by the EAB aren’t often used for construction purposes, both because sawmills can’t process the wood, and due to their odd, irregular shapes. These trees are then usually burned or left to decompose, neither of which is a great option.

“Unfortunately, both scenarios release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and so the advantage to using compromised ash for construction is that is that it both binds the carbon to the earth and offsets the harvesting of more commonly used wood species,” said Sasa Zivkovic, the Co-Principal of New York-based architecture studio HANNAH.

The Ithaca studio—founded in 2014 by Zivkovic, along with fellow co-principal Leslie Lok, Alexander Chmarin, and Alexander Graf—worked with a group of Cornell University students to create the tiny but striking Ashen Cabin, located off the grid in upstate New York. The collaborative project was meant to be a small-scale study regarding sustainable construction, and combined EAB-infested ash wood with 3D printing to build the cabin.

“By implementing high precision 3D scanning and robotic based fabrication technology, HANNAH transforms Emerald-Ash-Borer-infested “waste wood” into an abundantly available, affordable, and sustainable building material. From the ground up, digital design and fabrication technologies are intrinsic to the making of this architectural prototype, facilitating fundamentally new material methods, tectonic articulations, and forms of construction,” the studio’s website states.

As architects are looking to construct houses more sustainably, these kinds of small, off-grid residences are becoming more popular housing options, and Ashen Cabin definitely fits the bill. The tiny residence, featuring walls made of infested ash wood, is elevated by 3D-printed concrete stilts, which form the angular base of the cabin and its heavy, hulking extrusions.

HANNAH stated, “The project aims to reveal 3D printing’s idiosyncratic tectonic language by exploring how the layering of concrete, the relentless 3D deposition of extruded lines of material, and the act of corbelling can suggest new strategies for building.”

All of the cabin’s 3D-printed concrete shapes, including the tall, curved chimney and fireplace, furniture, textured floor, and prismatic legs, have a distinct linear pattern that features jagged edges. By using 3D printing, HANNAH was able to lower its carbon footprint and reduce waste by using less material than would normally be required, as a concrete mold was unnecessary.

Lok explained, “By using 3D printing, we eliminate the use of wasteful formwork and can deposit concrete smartly and only where structurally necessary, reducing its use considerably while also maintaining a building’s integrity.”

Concrete was also used to 3D print a unique seating platform, which can be opened up to use for storage. A bench made of marine-grade plywood, painted black to offer a pleasing contrast to the light siding, extends out from the seat in order to form a single bed.

A robotic arm with a band saw attachment cut the irregular ash logs into curving boards of different thicknesses. Both the exterior and interior of Ashen Cabin are covered with the wavy timber panels, which also define the structure’s four, black plywood-framed windows and were used to create other architectural features, like surfaces and shelving, inside.

The studio explained, “The curvature of the wood is strategically deployed to highlight moments of architectural importance such as windows, entrances, roofs, canopies, or provide additional programmatic opportunities such as integrated shelving, desk space, or storage.”

Focusing on the aesthetics of the cabin, the wood boards will naturally turn grey over time, so that the siding will eventually match the color of the concrete. Its 3D-printed concrete floors feature interlocking designs, and the windows are all oriented so they face the surrounding wooded landscape. The scenery makes it look like any residents of Ashen Cabin will be in their own little world.

Speaking of off-grid living, Ashen Cabin does not have power or running water. The temperature is regulated through its wood-burning fireplace and foam insulation, while a small camping sink, also 3D-printed out of concrete, provides the water.

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

(All photos taken by Andy Chen, HANNAH)

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3D Systems Streamlines Software for Reverse Engineering

3D Systems has announced the latest versions of its Geomagic Design X and Geomagic Wrap  software, this time claiming “first-to-market capabilities” for streamlining workflows and improving design precision.

New features within Design X meant to exemplify this claim include improved workflows and expanded modeling pathways for complex, revolved parts. In particular, the software includes an Unroll/Reroll function that makes it possible to model said components in a simpler, yet more precise fashion. The tool allows users to extract a 2D sketch automatically so that they can modify it and then reroll it, purportedly reducing the need for trial and error typically associated with modeling these geometries. In turn, part precision, efficiency and downstream usability are said to be increased. For a comparison of the revolve process in another CAD software, see here.

Unrolling of a 3D scan of a tire for mold modeling in Geomagic Design X. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

The software also includes a new Selective Surfacing Feature, which is meant to make modeling with 3D scans faster and more precise. According to the company, users will be able to “highlight portions of the a (using mesh selection tools, or curves) and surface just those portions in a way that makes downstream ‘hybrid modeling’ much easier.”

3D Systems has also released a method for previewing yet-to-be fully released features. Geomagic Design X customers on-maintenance can access R&D capabilities using plugins that will allow the company to receive feedback on these tools before they are released more generally.

Hybrid Modeling Workflow of a topology optimized part in Geomagic Design X. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

Geomagic Wrap 2021 offers a variety of new capabilities for manipulating 3D scan data and imported files for various applications. This includes a new scripting editor enabling engineers to customize their workflow using Python that allow for the use of new tools that include ‘auto complete’ and ‘contextual highlighting’. API documentation for the software will be continuously updated online.

Geomagic Design X 2020 streamlines Hybrid Modeling Workflows for molding, casting, topology optimization, and medical applications. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

Texture manipulation tools are integrated directly into Geomagic Wrap 2021 that make it possible to manipulate and re-touch colors, logos and other visual elements obtained from 3D scans within the same workflow. A new HD Mesh Construction tool is meant to make the construction of 3D data from point clouds more effective and aid in dealing with challenges associated with large data sets and scans with missing information.

Example of using the updated scripting editor showing the real time error tracking, contextual highlighting, and autocomplete tools. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

All of these tools help to strengthen 3D Systems larger strategy of cohesion across its digital manufacturing products, which also include additive manufacturing, virtual reality and simulation systems, inspection software and more. Altogether, the company has a solutions for many steps along the design-to-manufacturing pipeline (or “digital thread”).

To be discussed in an upcoming report from SmarTech Analysis on software in the AM industry (and update to its 2017 report), 3D Systems has one of the more diverse portfolios of 3D printing software. The Geomagic suite, which also includes design and haptic sculpting tools, makes the company unique among 3D printer manufacturers in part for the 3D scanning and inspection software included. Meanwhile, its metal build preparation software, 3DXPert, has even been sold to customers who didn’t even have 3D Systems printers and the company’s CAM solutions, Cimatron and GibbsCAM, give it a leg into the toolmaking industry. In total, SmarTech estimates 3D Systems to hold a significant share of the market for both 3D printing and scanning software. The total value of the AM software industry is projected by SmarTech to be worth $2.4 billion by 2026.

Modeling of a complex part with cylindrical drum slots in Geomagic Design X. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

It competes against a number of other companies, both 3D printer manufacturers and software developers. This includes Stratasys, which has grabbed and increasing amount of the software space with the acquisition and development of GrabCAD, as well as Materialise, Autodesk and Dassault Systèmes.

Geomagic Design X 2020 will be made available late May 2020, while general availability of Geomagic Wrap 2021 is slated for late July 2020.

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DiveDesign & Bionic Pets: 3D Printing Custom Prosthetics for Dogs, Ducks, and More

New Jersey product development studio DiveDesign helps clients strategically build brands and products that will shape their industries, offering services such as industrial design, web development, engineering, design research and strategy, and prototyping. Recently, the studio’s co-founder and designer Adam Hecht reached out to us with an awesome feel-good story that involves using 3D printing and scanning to make prosthetics for animals.

Hecht told us about one of DiveDesign’s clients, Virginia-based Bionic Pets, which is one of the leading custom prosthetics and orthotics builders for animals around the globe.

“Bionic Pets is passionate about developing medical products that help animals lead better lives,” the website states. “Since the founding of the company, Bionic Pets has helped over 25,000 animals, and we’re just getting started. It is our mission to revolutionize rehabilitation and pain management in the animal world.”

Founder Derrick Campana began building orthotic and prosthetic devices for people in 2002, and started Animal Ortho Care three years later, after successfully making such a device for a dog in 2004. Bionic Pets was split into its own business when Animal Ortho Care kept growing.

Now, Bionic Pets offers custom prosthetics for, as the website states, “a variety of injuries and chronic conditions,” along with custom-fit braces and accessories, such as replacement straps and padding, a casting kit, and a KnitRite sock to be worn under the devices.

Hecht told 3DPrint.com that the Bionic Pets team makes custom prosthetic and orthotic devices for all kinds of animals, “from elephants, to dogs and even birds.”

“One of their popular dog prosthetic offerings is a full limb prosthesis for dogs who have had an entire front limb removed,” he explained. “These prosthetics are important because they take the strain off the dog’s good front leg. Without the prosthetic dogs are at a much greater risk for joint deterioration and injury.”

(Image: Bionic Pets)

To make a dog prosthetic using conventional methods of manufacturing, Campana would take a mold of the canine patient in order to fabricate a custom vest that would serve to mount the custom limb.

Adam Hecht

“However, making this type of prosthetic by hand is quite the process, requiring pouring and shaping plaster molds, forming thermoplastics, cutting, sanding, etc, adding up to nearly 15 hours of Derricks time per full limb prosthetic! Because of this, Derrick had to turn many dogs down as he simply could not keep up,” Hecht told us.

“After connecting with Derrick and learning of his challenges, we knew we had the team and resources to re-imagine this process with digital tools.”

DiveDesign collaborated with 3D digital design firm LANDAU Design+Technology to come up with a new prosthetic-making process that consisted of just four steps, starting with 3D scanning the mold of the limb. The data is uploaded to a computer, and the company uses a proprietary algorithm to generate the prosthetic from the scan, along with its mounting points, pattern, thicknesses, and more.

The DiveDesign team with Derrick Campana of Bionic Pets and Chris Landau of Landau Design after a day of filming for Derrick’s new show, Wizard of Paws.

“Then, we print it overnight out of TPU, on a large format FDM 3D printer. And finally, we screw the leg on and ship it out,” Hecht says. “This process cuts the 15 hours of handwork into an hour or so of prep and assembly, greatly increasing Bionic Pet’s capacity to help more animals than ever before.”

Hecht said DiveDesign has shipped out more than thirty 3D printed prosthetics in two months to Bionic Pets, “with many more on the way.”

Derrick Campana

Campana is also hosting his own TV show now, called The Wizard of Paws, which follows him as he travels around the US to provide life-saving, custom prosthetics and orthotics to animals in need. Recently, he visited the DiveDesign studio for an episode, and they worked together to build a 3D printed prosthetic for doggie Instagram star TurboRoo, a chihuahua we at 3DPrint.com are already familiar with due to his teeny 3D printed cart. You can check out the episode here; the DiveDesign team comes in at the 17:50 mark.

Hecht told us that the DiveDesign team “also made a 3D printed duck prosthetic for another episode (first 12 minutes or so)  tears were shed for this one!”

I am not ashamed to admit that I teared up a little watching Waddles the duck take his first steps on his new 3D printed prosthetic. There are few things I love more in my job than hearing about the many ways that 3D printing makes a positive difference in lives of both people and animals.

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

(Images: DiveDesign, unless otherwise noted)

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3D Printing News Briefs: April 4, 2020

It’s the first 3D Printing News Briefs of the month! To start with, SelfCAD released a new update, and ACEO is hosting a webinar series about 3D printing with silicones, while Objectify Technologies and TAGMA India are hosting a webinar series about AM adoption. Finally, SHINING 3D and Scan the World are using 3D scanners to bring art and culture to people during a time when most can’t leave their homes.

SelfCAD 2.9.2 Release

SelfCAD has released its latest software update, SelfCAD 2.9.2, which improves upon existing features and adds new ones to make 3D modeling and printing more efficient. First, there’s a new Environment Map feature in the Settings dropdown menu that lets you add lighting and scenery to your model, and even an environment map. In advanced settings, the new Macro Preview feature lets you see the results of the macros you’ve added without having to finalize your choices.

You can set a Minimum Step Size for Drawing, Transformation, and Deformation tools, and apply several operations, such as Chamfer, Fillet, Round Object, and Simplify, to Profiles. In addition, SelfCAD has fixed some bugs, and added more settings and options to the Round Object tool. If you have any questions or bugs to report, you can join the SelfCAD Facebook group or email support@selfcad.com.

ACEO Presenting 3D Silicone Printing Webinar Series

Due to newly implemented health and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, ACEO continues to be operational, but is unable to receive customers right now. So, in an effort to stay connected during these strange times, the company’s team of application specialists, design engineers, and material experts are presenting a series of webinars – in English – all about silicone 3D printing.

The first one, “ACEO Basics,” will be held Tuesday, April 7, from 9-9:30 CET, and Wednesday, April 8, from 4-4:30 CET. You can sign up for the webinars here; the event password is jVMGwgX$242. Future topics for the series, with dates not yet announced, are “Real Silicones,” “Design Freedom,” and “ACEO Use Cases.” Please email service@aceo3d.com with your name, company/organization, and country if you’d like to sign up. A modern browser (i.e. not Internet Explorer) is recommended to watch the webinars.

Objectify Technologies and TAGMA India Holding Webinars

As many people around the world are staying indoors and away from other people during the pandemic, it’s easy to get bored. But, you can spend your time in a productive way, which is why Objectify Technologies and TAGMA India are holding their own 3D printing webinar series together. The series, themed “3D Printing: Prototype to Production,” was created to promote adoption of and spread awareness about additive manufacturing. Webinars will begin on April 6th and go through April 14th, with topics such as Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing 101, Learnings and Misconceptions, and Current Challenges and Demand of the Industry.

“To help engineers around the world learn something new in this lockdown time, we have come up with a series of webinars on Additive Manufacturing (AM). The idea behind this webinar is to spread awareness regarding the AM technology and help companies in their journey towards industry 4.0,” said Ankit Sahu, Founder & Director, Objectify Technologies Pvt Ltd. “The objective is to encourage individuals ranging from students, researchers, and industrialist, on 3D Printing and the value it possesses for Industry 4.0.

“I thank Mr. DK Sharma, President TAGMA India and the entire team of TAGMA for their support. During this challenging time, it’s the collective effort that will help us all grow. Let us all do our bit to help the industry in skill development.”

3D Scanning to Build a Museum Without Walls

Continuing on in our list of things to do while stuck inside during the coronavirus crisis, SHINING 3D has been working with MyMiniFactoryto to digitize important artifacts for its Scan the World community-built initiative, which archives 3D printable sculptures and other culturally significant objects. Together, they are basically building a 3D museum without walls that anyone can access at any time and from anywhere. Many museums open their data with an open license  in 2D, but don’t have the necessary resources to do so in 3D. Scan the World founder and manager Jon Beck is offering museums a free end-to-end service of scanning the sculptures, with the EinScan Pro 2X Plus, before processing the data into 3D models and uploading them to the museum’s Scan the World profile.

“The quality is very nice for the price that you pay. Scanning is still quite a high-level-entry technology, but what SHINING 3D has been able to do is to create an accessible affordable product, which still produces very good results for a wide range of industries, for me working with sculptures I haven’t found any issues so far working with marble and plaster sculptures and even bronze sculptures. EinScan has been able to solve all of these problems for me,” Beck said.

“There is so much story behind every single artwork whether it’s an original or it’s a copy which is quite beautiful and so, working with each member of staff in the museum who want to tell a different story about their collection is great.”

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