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HP and NTU Singapore Partner to Open New Corporate 3D Printing Research Laboratory

Launch of the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab. L-R: Ng Tian Chong, President of HP Asia Pacific and Japan; HP CTO Shane Wall; HP CEO Dion Weisler; Minister for Finance and Chairman of the NRF Heng Swee Keat; NTU President Prof Subra Suresh; NRF CEO Prof Low Teck Seng; NTU Vice President (Research) Prof Lam Khin Yong; and NTU Provost and Vice President (Academic) Prof Ling San.

HP Inc. has a solid presence in Asia, with expansions in recent years into Japan and China. But it’s been in Singapore since 1970, and the country is home to its Asia Pacific & Japan Regional Headquarters, global supply chain control towers, and print manufacturing. Now, the company is partnering with Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) to open Singapore’s newest corporate research laboratory.

The HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, which is HP’s largest university research collaboration worldwide and first in Asia, is meant to help advance digital manufacturing and drive the economic development, innovation, skills, and technology necessary to advance the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

(Clockwise from bottom right) NTU Vice President (Research) Prof Lam Khin Yong and HP CTO Shane Wall signing the corporate lab partnership agreement, witnessed by HP CEO Dion Weisler; Minister for Finance and Chairman of the NRF Heng Swee Keat; NTU President Prof Subra Suresh; and NRF CEO Prof Low Teck Seng.

“The World Economic Forum estimates more than $100 trillion in value will be created by digital transformation across all industries in the next 10 years. HP is helping lead the development of the underlying technologies, like 3D printing, that will enable the benefits of this transformation,” said Dion Weisler, CEO and President, HP Inc. “Singapore is one of our key worldwide technology development and manufacturing centres in Print technology. The HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab will significantly deepen our involvement here and serve as a nucleus for this ecosystem. We are proud to collaborate with NTU and we are looking forward to this becoming a blueprint for innovation, collaboration and economic progress.”

The $84 million lab is located at NTU and launched by Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF), which is a department within the Prime Minister’s Office. The NRF facilitates corporate labs setups through public-private partnerships, and its 13th lab, the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, is the 7th located at NTU.

“Corporate laboratories are an integral part of our strategy to anchor joint R&D partnerships between our universities and companies in areas that have direct relevance to the growth of industries in Singapore,” said NRF CEO Professor Low Teck Seng. “The HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Laboratory is significant to our long-term competitiveness in the advanced manufacturing sector, and ensures that we stay relevant in the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is evolving and growing rapidly world-wide. It will also strengthen our capabilities to support multinational companies for expansion from Singapore into the region.”

Senior leadership from NTU and HP paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at the Istana, where they spoke about the new partnership between NTU and HP. L-R: NTU Vice President (Research) Prof Lam Khin Yong; Ng Tian Chong, President of HP Asia Pacific and Japan; HP CEO Dion Weisler; Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong; NTU President Prof Subra Suresh; HP CTO Shane Wall; and NTU Board of Trustee member Inderjit Singh. [Image: MCI]

The partnership between HP and NTU was signed today by HP’s CTO and Head of HP Labs Mr Shane Wall and NTU Vice President (Research) Professor Lam Khin Yong. Weisler, NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, and Guest-of-Honour Minister Keat. The 100 researchers and staff at the new lab will focus on digital manufacturing technologies, particularly 3D printing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and customization, machine learning, and new materials and applications.

According to Professor Suresh, NTU’s partnership with HP is “a significant milestone.”

“NTU has established deep capabilities and is a recognised leader in the areas of machine learning, data science and additive manufacturing,” said Professor Suresh. “These cutting-edge technologies are now an integral part of NTU’s education and research ecosystem, and the NTU Smart Campus serves as a test bed for them. This is aligned with Singapore’s vision of transforming into a Smart Nation.

“Together with HP Inc., a renowned innovator and leader in the tech industry, NTU seeks to address today’s fundamental challenges with solutions that will benefit both industry and society in Singapore and the world, such as developing automation that is capable of boosting manufacturing productivity.”

Minister Heng Swee Keat (center) looking at 3D printed automotive parts at the NTU-HP Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab launch showcase.

The new lab, an important pillar of the university’s Smart Campus initiative, supports the country’s continuing drive toward industry transformation in 3D printing and digital manufacturing. The national strategy to develop a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy and society, known as the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan, lists Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering as one of its four technology domains, and the corporate lab will build on HP’s strong manufacturing and research capabilities to keep driving Singapore’s innovation.

“One out of every three jobs worldwide, more than 30% of global GDP, and nearly one-third of carbon emissions are related to manufacturing. We are committed to innovating with purpose, not only driving the technology breakthroughs that improve HP’s business but also contribute to creating economic opportunity and improving people’s lives,” said Weisler.

Included in the collaboration between HP and NTU Singapore is the development of educational curriculum covering design for additive manufacturing, which will cover such areas as user experience, security, data management, and business models.

Once formally launched, the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab will prioritize 15 separate projects in order to gain a better understanding of AI and machine learning, so that the 3D printers in the lab can autonomously predict and fix any issues. The projects also seek to better understand cybersecurity, as a way to improve end-to-end point security infrastructure and malware mitigation, and new materials and applications, like 4D printed, shape-changing smart systems, advanced polymers for manufacturing, and bioprinting models for fabricating tissues.

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[Images: NTU Singapore unless otherwise noted]

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.

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[Images: Titomic]

3D Printing News Sliced: Senvol, Betatype, Additive Industries, Hasso-Plattner Institute

Today in Sliced, 3D Printing Industry’s news digest, we ask: how sharp can you make a 3D printed knife? Is it possible to 3D print PEEK in space? What’s new in metal additive manufacturing? And, where can you get a 3D printed watch? Read on for all the latest developments from the University of Sheffield, Hasso-Plattner Institute, Rocket […]

3D Printing News Briefs: October 20, 2018

We’re starting with some information about a couple of upcoming shows in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by some business and aerospace news. Sinterit is bringing its newly launched material to formnext, while Materialise has announced what products it will be presenting. Registration is now open for AMUG’s 2019 Education and Training Conference. Moving on, Sciaky sold its EBAM and EB Welding System to an aerospace parts manufacturer, while final assembly has been planned for the Airbus Racer, which features a 3D printed conformal heat exchanger. The Idaho Virtualization Lab is a leader when it comes to 3D printing dinosaurs, and the recently released movie First Man used 3D printed models during filming.

Sinterit Launches New PA11 Powder

Military glass case 3D printed with PA11 Onyx

Desktop SLS 3D printing company Sinterit has launched a new material – PA11 Onyx – which it will be bringing to formnext next month, along with its Lisa and Lisa 2 Pro 3D printers. According to Sinterit, this is first powder that’s ready for use in desktop SLS 3D printers, and it delivers excellent thermal, chemical, and abrasive resistance, along with better flexibility and impact resistance. PA11 Onyx is a high performance, lightweight, polyamide-11 bioplastic produced from plant-based renewable resources. In addition, the material also has high elongation at break, which means that durable finished products, like a military glass case and custom casings, can be opened and closed thousands of times without getting damaged.

“Our clients use a lot of electronic devices, like Raspberry Pi, that need a proper, individually made housing that can endure in unfriendly conditions. They are looking for durable materials but also require some elasticity and high-temperature resistance,” said Sinterit Co-Founder Konrad Glowacki. “PA11 Onyx delivers that.”

Come visit Sinterit at booth G41 in Hall 3.1 at formnext, November 13-16, to see its 3D printers and newly launched powders, which also include Flexa Black and Flexa Grey TPU materials.

Materialise Announces formnext Product Introductions

Materialise Magics 23

Speaking of formnext, 3D printing leader Materialise will also be attending the event in Frankfurt, and has just revealed what new product introductions it will be displaying at its booth C48 in Hall 3. Some of the highlights include new plastic and metal materials, like Inconel, Polypropylene, and Taurus, automotive applications, and the Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite; this last includes a new Simulation Module, the E-Stage for Metal 1.1 automatic support structure generation upgrade, and Magics 23, the latest software release.

Additionally, there will also be presentations from Materialise partners and the company’s own experts, like Lieve Boeykens, the Market Innovation Manager for Materialise Software. Boeykens will be presenting on the TCT Stage about “Reducing Costs and Speeding Up the Validation of AM Parts” on November 15 at 4 pm. Visit the Materialise formnext site for updates.

AMUG Conference Registration Open

The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) just announced that online registration is now open for its 2019 Education & Training Conference, which is now in its 31st year and will be held in Chicago from March 31-April 4. The conference is open to owners and operators of industrial 3D printing technologies for professional purposes, and welcomes designers, educators, engineers, plant managers, supervisors, technicians, and more to share application developments, best practices, and challenges in 3D printing. The program has been adjusted to include more hands-on experiences and training, and will include workshops, technical sessions, and even a new Training Lab. There will also be networking receptions, catered meals, the two-night AMUGexpo, a Technical Competition, and the fifth annual Innovators Showcase, featuring special guest Professor Gideon Levy, consultant for Technology Turn Around.

“As the AM community evolves, so will AMUG,” said Paul Bates, the President of AMUG. “We are excited to present the new program with the goal of continuing to act on our mission of educating and advancing the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.”

Sciaky Sells EBAM and EB Welding System to Asian Aerospace Parts Manufacturer

VX-110 EBAM System

Metal 3D printing solutions provider Sciaky, Inc. has announced that an unnamed but prominent aerospace parts manufacturer in Southeast Asia has purchased its dual-purpose hybrid Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) and EB Welding System. The machine will be customized with special controls that allow it to quickly and easily switch from 3D printing to welding. The system will be used by the manufacturer, remaining anonymous for competitive purposes, to 3D print metal structures and weld dissimilar materials and refractory alloys for said structures, as well as for other aerospace parts. Delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2019.

“Sciaky is excited to work with this innovative company. This strategic vision will allow this manufacturer to reduce operating costs by combining two industry-leading technologies into a single turnkey solution,” said Scott Phillips, President and CEO of Sciaky, Inc. “No other metal 3D printing supplier can offer this kind of game-changing capability.”

Airbus Plans Final Assembly for Racer

Scale model of the Airbus Racer on display at Helitech International 2018. The manufacturer is aiming for a first flight of the demonstrator in 2020. [Image: Thierry Dubois]

Together with partners of its Racer demonstration program, Airbus Helicopters explained that it definitely expects to meet performance targets, and complete the first flight of the compound helicopter on time in 2020. The 7-8 metric ton aircraft, in addition to a targeted cruise speed of 220 knots and 25% lower costs per nautical mile compared to conventional helicopters, will also feature several advanced components, including a three-meter long lateral drive shaft. Avio Aero was called in to 3D print a round, conformal heat exchanger for each later gear box, which will help achieve reduced drag.

The preliminary design review was passed last July, with final assembly targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019. The flight-test program will likely be 200 flight hours, with the second part focusing on demonstrating that the Racer will be able to handle missions like search-and-rescue and emergency medical services. The program itself is part of the EU’s Clean Sky 2 joint technology initiative to help advance aviation’s environmental performance.

Idaho Virtualization Lab is 3D Printed Dinosaur Leader

The Idaho Virtualization Laboratory (IVL), a research unit housed in the Idaho Museum of Natural History on the Idaho State University campus, has long been a leader in using 3D printing to digitize and replicate fossils and skeletons. Museum director Leif Tapanila said that IVL’s 3D printing program has been ongoing for the last 15 years, and while other labs in the country are more driven by research, the IVL is operated a little more uniquely – it’s possibly the only program in the US that goes to such great extent to 3D print fossils.

Jesse Pruitt, lab manager of the Idaho Virtualization Lab, said, “Everybody does a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but no one really does [everything we offer].

“We do our own internal research, we digitize our collections and we also do other people’s research as well.

“It’s not something you see at a smaller university. For this to exist at the level that it exists here is pretty remarkable in my mind.”

The IVL is also one of the only programs to have a large online database of the 3D models it creates, and works to spread knowledge about its 3D printing processes to students and researchers.

3D Printed Models for First Man Movie

Lunar module miniature [Image: Universal Pictures]

While many movies swear by CGI to create special effects, there are some directors and production crews who still prefer to use old school miniatures and models. But old school meets new when 3D printing is used to make these models for practical effects. Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle used some 3D printed miniature model rockets for his new movie First Man, which was just released a week ago and is all about Neil Armstrong and his legendary first walk on the moon. The movie’s miniature effects supervisor Ian Hunter, who won an Oscar for Visual Effects for Interstellar, was in charge of creating and filming the models, which included a one-thirtieth scale miniature for the giant Saturn V rocket and one-sixth scale miniatures of the Command/Service Module and Lunar Excursion Module.

“We had banks of 3D printers running day and night, running off pieces. We also used a lot of laser-cut pieces,” Hunter said about the Saturn V rocket miniature. “The tube-like shape of the rocket came from PVC piping, with the gantry made of acrylic tubing, along with many 3D printed and laser cut parts.”

The 3D printed model of the Saturn V rocket even made it into one of the trailers for the film, and the film itself.

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UMaine receives $500,000 to enable 3D printing of large-scale boats

Maine Technology Institute (MTI), a business development service, has awarded $500,000 to the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. The award will be used to form a technology cluster of UMaine Composites Center researchers for adoption and commercialization of 3D printing in maritime. The researchers from the UMaine Composites Center and marine industry […]

Customers Customizing Their Own 3D Printed Razor Handles with Gillette’s New Razor Maker Platform

Everywhere you look, there’s customization and personalization in the products we use daily – we consumers definitely like the items we use to reflect our preferences and personal tastes. And in today’s world of advanced manufacturing, it’s easier than ever to connect everyday products with personalized experiences to form bonds with customers…and get us to buy things, of course. Now, razor manufacturer Gillette is turning to 3D printing again, this time to pilot its new Razor Maker concept and open up consumer personalization with 3D printed razor handles.

The new platform is a great example of direct-to-consumer, end-use 3D printed parts, as Razor Maker is giving consumers the power to create and order their own customized razor handles. Fabricated on Form 2 3D printers, there are 48 different designs to choose from, with more coming later, along with a variety of colors; there’s even an option to add custom text to your razor handle.

Donato Diez, global brand manager for Gillette and Razor Maker co-founder, said, “Our partnership with Formlabs, and the power of their 3D printers, enable consumers to have a say on how their razors should look. We are excited to work with our Boston neighbors to pilot this breakthrough concept of customization.

“For Gillette, piloting Razor Maker represents a crucial step in our customization journey where new technology and new business models must come together in order to deliver products that are as unique as our consumers.”

Gillette’s Razor Maker concept brings design freedom to the final product in a new business model that could change how companies work across the whole product lifecycle. This is more than just a 3D printed razor handle, my friends – it’s a look at the future of mass-customized products.

Evan Smith, global product manager for Razor Maker, said, “We know consumers today are looking for brands that innovate in ways that let them express themselves – and that’s exactly what this pilot is all about.”

Razor Maker had to totally rethink its approach to manufacturing in order to deliver such customization. So back to the 3D printed razor handle itself – the first process steps are totally digital. First, the customer customizes their own unique handle through the platform’s website. Next, the final design is converted into a 3D file by Razor Maker.

Then, multiple design files are sent to a Form 2 3D printer to be printed at the same time in one batch. Once the handles are done printing, they’re washed, post-cured, coated, and assembled, before they’re shipped right to the customer’s door in 2-3 weeks.

“The Razor Maker concept allows us to create a new design, print and test it, and then the next day that design becomes a new handle available on the website. That was never possible before,” said Rob Johnson, a design engineer and Razor Maker co-founder.

The designers of some of the original Razor Maker handles were inspired by many of the geometries and shapes often seen in architecture, nature, and even technology, but would be tough to reproduce through conventional methods of manufacturing.

“It allows us to think about form in a way that was never possible before. In a traditional sense, we could only do one or two razor designs a year, whereas now we can have an idea, create it in 3D, print it, look at it, adjust it, and say that’s it,” said Rory McGarry, industrial design lead at Razor Maker.

Easy customization like this is one of the hallmarks of 3D printing, which Gillette previously only used for prototyping purposes. No tooling is required, there’s no up-front investment in molds, and the costs of having to produce several complex design iterations to find the optimal one are gone. It’s easy to scale custom manufacturing by just adding more 3D printers, and the lack of design constraints makes it easy for consumers to make razors that are entirely personalized – good news in a market where we see a lot of mass-produced stuff for sale.

Johnson said, “Combining our best shaving technology with the power and flexibility of 3D printing opens up a whole new world of product design possibilities.”

In addition to its new Razor Maker platform, Gillette is also working with Formlabs to possibly automate its 3D printing production processes. The company is one of the first testers of Form Cell, its relatively new automated production system.

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[Source/Images: Formlabs]

NAMIC and Wiivv Sign MoU for Developing High Performance, 3D Printed Biometric Insoles

This week, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), which is on a mission to increase Singapore’s adoption of additive manufacturing technologies and is behind much of the country’s 3D printing activity, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wiivv, one of the worldwide market leaders in 3D printed insoles.

“It’s a great honour to be in this partnership,” said Shamil Hargovan of Wiivv. “We are proud to have this opportunity to bring Wiivv’s groundbreaking technologies and products to the Singapore market. We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”

NAMIC is a pan-national initiative supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation and led by NTUitive, which is the innovation and enterprise company of Nanyang Technological University. Wiivv, based in both Vancouver and San Diego, creates solutions that allow for the mass customization of high-performance lifestyle products, such as insoles and sandals.

Supported by the terms of the MoU, NAMIC and Wiiv will work together to develop high performance biometric insoles. Wiivv will work to develop its next generation of customized, 3D printed biometric insoles that enhance customers’ individual performance, and will be supported by NAMIC and its wide network of strategic partners and research performers.

The ceremony for signing the MoU was held at NAMIC’s ongoing Global Additive Manufacturing Summit, in conjunction with Industrial Transformation Asia Pacific (ITAP). The Wiivv brand was represented at the ceremony by the company’s co-founder and CEO Shamil Hargovan, and guest of honor Dr. Lam Pin Min, the Senior Minister of State in both the Transport and Health Ministries, and Ms. Choy Sauw Kook, the Assistant Chief Executive and Director-General of Quality and Excellence for Enterprise Singapore, both witnessed the signing.

This collaboration seems like an interesting pairing for NAMIC, especially considering that two of the more recent agreements it signed have to do with developing maritime applications related to digitalization and advanced manufacturing…not much in common with 3D printed footwear and orthotics.

But, NAMIC does want to increase Singapore’s competitiveness in the evolving landscape of digital industrialization, and works to nurture and help promising AM startups and technologies, such as Wiivv. The initiative acts as a connector between public agencies, researchers, and industry, and is moving beyond the industrial sectors, which have mainly embraced 3D printing, to hedge its bets on 3D printed footwear and wearables, because of the ever increasing desire and need for mass customization in our daily use products.

“Wiivv exemplifies how new businesses should aspire to be, riding on market trends like hypermobility, mass customization and wellness needs, building personalized and highly desirable solutions enables by technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 3D printing,” said Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, NAMIC’s Managing Director. “We are excited and honoured to be partnering with Wiivv to support their growth plans in Singapore.”

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GE Aviation Becomes the Latest to Adopt Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes has been the go-to system of organization for many a business utilizing additive manufacturing, and today the company announced that 3DEXPERIENCE has now been adopted by GE Aviation. GE Aviation, of course, has long been known as the company behind the remarkable 3D printed LEAP fuel nozzle, and has been working with 3D printing for a long time. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform will help the company ensure continuity and collaboration across its business, throughout the entire additive manufacturing cycle from design to production. This will enable quicker time to market, meeting increasing demand.

The platform will help GE Aviation create a digital thread, which will include requirements definition, design, analysis, simulation, manufacturing, qualification and supporting the development of new manufacturing technologies and techniques.

“For GE Aviation Hamble, the implementation of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform supports our ongoing focus on developing innovative aerostructures for the Aerospace industry,” said Paulo Mancilla, Executive Engineering Leader, GE Aviation’s Hamble UK facility. “This enables us to use techniques like digital 3D modelling from design through manufacturing and qualification to create high performance aerostructures for the aviation industry.”

3DEXPERIENCE offers intuitive 3D applications for product design, analysis, manufacturing and data management in a digital environment. It is a single collaborative platform that allows employees of a business to define, share, review, integrate, validate, execute and report, and provides digital continuity from concept to delivery.

“Weight, performance and cost continue to dominate the competitiveness of developing and fabricating sophisticated and complex aerostructures for the latest generation of aircraft,” said David Ziegler, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “As a global leader in this field, GE Aviation is constantly innovating and has recognized how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides critical technology for this approach. We are very proud to be their partners in this transformation.”

An increase in collaboration between engineering and supply chain functions will result in reduced cycle times for GE Aviation and its customers. A common user interface offers a unified experience and a shared digital reference that ensures everyone is working on the latest information in relevant context. The platform also offers improved visibility and optimized response times to customer requests, and increased productivity, thanks to the data-centric rationale and intuitive search capabilities.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform has shown itself to be an effective tool in the aerospace industry, having been used by companies such as Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier for more than 20 years. 3D printing is having a major effect on the aerospace industry, and to truly take advantage of all that the technology has to offer, corporations such as these must be able to organize and communicate effectively across facilities and departments to ensure that production runs smoothly. This is what the 3DEXPERIENCE platform offers, and GE Aviation finds itself in good company having adopted the platform for its needs.

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Singapore Announces Plans for First Portside 3D Printing Facility

[Image: Straits Times]

Singapore has been heavily pursuing 3D printing in the past couple of years, and now the country has announced that it will be creating the world’s first 3D printing facility located at a port. Today, an agreement was signed to set up the facility at PSA’s Pasir Panjang Terminal, and it will be used to create spare parts for maritime equipment. The facility will be equipped with several of the newest and highest-quality 3D printers and will use a maritime digital cloud supported by blockchain technology for better security of file transfers.

“With additive manufacturing, customised ship parts such as propellers previously produced by original manufacturers at specific locations can now be printed whenever and wherever needed, at ports of call or even on board ships,” said Dr. Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health.

With newer 3D printing technologies, worn-out parts can even be repaired instead of replaced by adding on to them, prolonging the lives of parts and lowering the cost of maintenance. By having a 3D printing facility at the port, components can be produced as-needed, reducing the need for physical inventory. With this sort of production, companies do not have to rely on centralized production factories with long lead times and expensive transport.

The agreement to set up the facility was signed today at the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) Global Additive Manufacturing Summit at Singapore Expo between the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NAMIC, PSA Corporation and 3D MetalForge. MPA also launched a joint industry innovation program for additive manufacturing in maritime parts along with NAMIC and the Singapore Shipping Association.

“As a leading maritime hub, Singapore firmly believes that the maritime industry should embrace new technologies such as additive manufacturing,” said Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MBA. “The digitalisation of the maritime sector in all its aspects is not a matter of how but when.”

NAMIC held another additive manufacturing summit earlier this year, and has been a major force behind Singapore’s pursuit of 3D printing. This is especially true regarding the use of 3D printing in the country’s maritime industry. The marine sector isn’t the only area of focus for Singapore and NAMIC, however. NAMIC also signed an agreement with Wiivv, producer of customized 3D printed insoles, and Dr. Lam commented at the summit on the use of 3D printing for medical purposes – particularly the 3D printing of human skin tissue.

“Skin tissue can even be printed based on a patient’s cells, enabling more targeted and effective medical treatments,” he said.

That’s only one of the many medical applications of 3D printing, but the big news to come out of the NAMIC summit was the announcement of the development of the port facility. The success of the facility could open the door for other transportation sectors to establish 3D printing facilities right at travel hubs, such as airports.

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[Source: Straits Times]

MPA to launch on-port additive manufacturing facility in Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Transport of Singapore Government, has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) relating the country’s application of additive manufacturing in maritime. The first MoU is signed with Port Singapore Authority International Pte Ltd (PSA), one of the largest port operators in […]