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Allevi and Made In Space Partner Up for New Initiative: 3D Bioprinting in Outer Space

3D bioprinting company Allevi, formerly known as BioBots, is on a mission to make it easier for scientists and researchers to design and engineer 3D tissues. The company, which was founded four years ago, develops 3D bioprinters, software, and bioinks for the purposes of solving the most difficult biomedical problems that plague our world, such as disease and eliminating the organ waiting list.

But now, Allevi is preparing to take its 3D bioprinting work out of this world with a new initiative.

Ever since the space race began in the late 1950s and led to the first man on the moon, humanity has been working hard to conquer the vastness of outer space. 3D printing has helped in this quest, from sending astronauts into space for research and testing and allowing them to fabricate items in zero gravity and microgravity to creating tools, medical supplies, and even habitats in space. Space exploration has also led to the creation of such practical tools on Earth as joysticks, GPS devices, and thermometers. This last brings us back to the medical sector, and Allevi’s goal of 3D bioprinting replacement organs for humans.

“While we continue to understand the capabilities and constraints of 3d biofabrication here on Earth, the ability to explore cellular function in space could afford us novel discoveries of organ form and function that have never before been studied,” Allevi wrote.

Astronauts can study things in a completely new way when they don’t have to worry about the constraints of gravity, and 3D printing can help increase their capabilities in these situations. This is one of the main focuses of California-based 3D printing and space technology firm Made In Space, which is responsible for introducing 3D printing to the International Space Station (ISS) four years ago. Having the ability to 3D print important parts and tools aboard the ISS helps the astronauts complete their tasks in space.

Now, Made In Space and Allevi are working together to develop the Allevi ZeroG – the first 3D bioprinter in space. The two companies jointly launched the initiative at the recent ISS Conference in San Francisco, and even found the first two users of the new 3D bioprinting platform in Astronauts Mark Vendei Hei and Randy Bresnik, who Allevi says are excited to be on board.

Allevi developed a compatible extruder, fittingly called the ZeroG bio-extruder, that is able to be outfitted onto Made In Space’s Additive Manufacturing Facility currently on board the ISS. This new bio-extruder will make it possible for scientists using the Allevi 3D bioprinting platform to run experiments in space, and back home on Earth, at the same time, in order to observe and study any biological differences that happen when 3D printing with gravity and without it.


“We are excited to continue to revolutionize how we study biology, not only on the ground but now in space,” Allevi wrote. “And perhaps one day, the Allevi ZeroG will aid astronauts in 3D bioprinting replacement organs for deep space travel. We’re excited to participate in this next generation space race.”

NASA and companies like Made In Space are already hard at work researching and creating tools to use and places to live in outer space. But if this Allevi initiative is successful, having the ability to create 3D bioprinted organs in space will bring us another step closer to living among the stars.

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

[Images provided by Allevi]

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 27, 2018

We’ve got plenty of awards and other business news for you today in 3D Printing News Briefs. Sinterit and ViscoTec each received awards for their technology, while Arkema announced that it is opening a 3D Printing Center of Excellence at its Pennsylvania facility. Vectary and Sketchfab are integrating, and Xometry is now offering SLA 3D printing. Finally, OPEN MIND Technologies has introduced its latest hyperMILL CAM software.

Sinterit Lisa Receives Award from All3DP

Sinterit, one of the fastest growing manufacturers of SLS 3D printers, just received the “Best Desktop SLS 3D Printer Summer 2018” award for its Lisa 3D printer by All3DP. The award shows that the company is moving in the right direction, and confirms that the Lisa is the perfect choice for 3D printing professionals looking to upgrade to SLS technology without breaking the bank. Even better for Sinterit: the award was announced in the final week of a pre-order period for its upgraded Lisa model, which will feature better hardware, bigger 3D prints, and easier maintenance.

“All3DP is happy to present the Sinterit Lisa with the award for Best Desktop SLS 3D Printer on the market. We recognize the Sinterit team for their tremendous work in making SLS 3D printing technology more affordable and accessible,” said Tyler Koslow, Editor at All3DP. “Additionally, their recent update to the Sinterit Lisa and development of the new Sinterit Lisa 2 PRO suggests that they will remain a market leader for a long time.”

ViscoTec Awarded Special Title Two Years Running

Georg Senftl (holding certificate) and Martin Stadler (holding lion) accepted the award on behalf of all ViscoTec employees.

For the second year in a row, German company ViscoTec, which specializes in pump and dose technology and has 3D printing viscous liquid products for silicone and other materials was awarded the “Bayern’s Best 50” title. For 17 years, the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs has honored the 50 most dynamic, medium-sized companies in Bavaria, and the jury considers criteria such as number of employees, turnover, and social and economic contributions. ViscoTec, and the other 49 winning companies were personally awarded the title, a certificate, and a Bavarian porcelain lion by Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Energy and Technology Franz Josef Pschierer at a recent event in Schleißheim Castle.

“Our employees all over the world actively help us to be such a successful company every day and that we will continue to develop very well in the future. Special thanks also go to our partners and customers. Their partnership with ViscoTec is constantly driving us forward. This motivates us not to stand still, to open up new possibilities and to find solutions for the daily challenges,” said Georg Senftl, Commercial Director of ViscoTec Pumpen- u. Dosiertechnik GmbH. “Last but not least, the innovative climate in the Inn-Salzach region contributes to the continuous development of companies like ViscoTec.”

Arkema to Open 3D Printing Center of Excellence

3D Printers and Post-Processing Machines for UV-Cured Resins at Arkema Center for Excellence.

This Monday, July 30th, speciality chemical and advanced materials developer Arkema will be holding the grand opening for its new 3D Printing Center of Excellence. The center will be located at the Exton, Pennsylvania facility of its Sartomer subsidiary, which designs engineered resins for UV-curable additive manufacturing under its N3xtDimension brand. The 3D Printing Center of Excellence will work to advance 3D printing resins technology and be home to most UV-based 3D printing technologies, such as Digital Light Processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), and HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). It will offer a collaborative space for developing custom resins, and complete the company’s worldwide R&D network, which is dedicated to developing advanced 3D printing materials.

“Sartomer is a historic partner for 3D printing pioneers. We’re launching the 3D Printing Center of Excellence to deepen our support of the visionaries working to develop innovative 3D printed materials,” said Sumeet Jain, Global Director, 3D Printing at Sartomer.

Vectary Integrates Sketchfab

Online 3D design tool Vectary is giving its users access to thousands of new 3D models, as it has now integrated Sketchfab, the world’s largest platform for interactive 3D content. Vectary users can connect to the Sketchfab library and import hundreds of thousands of 3D models with one click, as well as export, publish, and even sell their own 3D work on Sketchfab. Vectary CEO Michal Koor, who co-founded the tool in 2014 with Pavol Sovis said, “Easily importing Sketchfab 3D models in the Vectary 3D tool can be a great way to create design concepts and bring more inspiration to their work. Exporting their Vectary models to Sketchfab gets them exposure to a larger audience, which can mean an increased customer base and new income possibilities by selling their work on one of the best 3D marketplaces available.”

Xometry Adds SLA 3D Printing to List of Services

3D printing service provider Xometry has added stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing to the list of 3D printing processes it provides. Versatile SLA technology offers higher resolution 3D printing, which will allow Xometry’s customers to achieve prints with good surface finish and fine detail – perfect for production parts and prototypes. The technology also enables you to print large products and parts and can create complex parts, to meet tolerances of +/- 0.004” or +/- 0.001” per inch, in a single operation.

Xometry also offers plenty of SLA-friendly materials, such as the Accura and Somos brands. Try it out today – upload your 3D CAD file to Xometry now to get an instant SLA quote.

New Version of hyperMILL CAM Software Released

3D Z-Level Shape Finishing

Germany CAD/CAM software solutions develop OPEN MIND Technologies AG has released the latest version of its advanced CAM software, hyperMILL 2018.2, which provides more machining efficiency and several new enhancements and features. 3D Z-level Shape Finishing, available in the hyperCAD -S module, now comes with automatic face extension to automatically extend selected milling surfaces during CAM programming, and can now also support conical barrel cutters.

This version also provides a “V sketch” command, which allows users to make easy changes to turning contours and milling boundaries by assigning geometric constraints to 2D contours. Other enhancements to the -S module include being able to measure and record distances between two shapes, like meshes, solids, and face models.

Alan Levine, Managing Director of OPEN MIND Technologies USA, Inc., said, “Keeping the hyperMILL suite at the forefront of CAM technology, we are pleased to offer our customers improved CAM strategies and enhanced CAD tools for even greater machining productivity through our new release of hyperMILL 2018.2.”

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

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Protolabs reports record revenue growth and income for Q2 2018

Protolabs has reported “record revenue growth and net Income” in financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Headline figures for the digital manufacturing enterprise show revenue for the quarter of $109.7 million. Protolabs’ net income was $18.3 million, up 52% from the prior year. Vicki Holt, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, […]
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GeoSLAM and 3D Laser Mapping merge to expand global reach of LiDAR

On 19th July, 2018, GeoSLAM, a UK-based company specializing in 3D geographical technology solutions, and 3D Laser Mapping, a leading producer of mobile mapping systems and mapping software, announced that the two companies will be merging. David Burt, CFO of GeoSLAM, had following to say on the future of the merger: “We are absolutely thrilled […]
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Colorado-Based AMIDE Alliance Focused on Workforce Development and Creating Sustainable 3D Printing Thermoplastics

It seems these days that Colorado is the place to be in the 3D printing industry. Home to the ADAPT Consortium and 3D Systems’ Littleton Healthcare Technology Center, along with Aleph Objects and its LulzBot 3D printers, the state has had its fair share of innovations in the medical and educational fields. We’ve got more news coming out of the Centennial State this week, as Vartega, which produces recycled carbon fiber from scrap material generated in aerospace, automotive, sporting goods, and wind energy manufacturing, and the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA) have teamed up with several academic and industry partners to form an alliance centered around additive manufacturing and sustainable thermoplastics.

The Advanced Materials and Additive Manufacturing Infrastructure Development and Education (AMIDE) Alliance is the direct result of a $500,000 Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) Collaborative Infrastructure Grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). The funding from this grant will support the development of at least three separate innovation centers in the state, which will focus on creating and applying 3D printing materials, like fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.

[Image: Vartega]

Katie Woslager, Senior Manager, Advanced Industries, Colorado OEDIT, said, “This was an extremely competitive grant cycle, but the review committee and the Economic Development Commission recognized the value that Vartega, CCIA, and the other project partners could bring to the state through this investment in an advanced materials and additive manufacturing ecosystem.”

Members of the AMIDE Alliance will be represented by a seven-person governance board that’s made up of academic and industry partners; CCIA will oversee the board’s establishment. Founding partners include Vartega, CCIA, Colorado State University (CSU) EWI, and The 3D Printing Store. Additional support for both the alliance and the grant proposal came from the following:

Colorado manufacturers AMP Industrial, the Crestridge Group, Oribi Manufacturing, and Steelhead Composites, which all currently have new products in development with advanced materials and manufacturing methods like 3D printed carbon fiber thermoplastics, also provided support.

“There was so much great work happening in Colorado around the adoption and acceleration of 3D printing, but we kept running into the same problems sourcing and developing new materials and identifying local expertise for these applications. As we recognized this gap in the supply chain and workforce, we were able to work with our customers and partners to put together a vision of what a vertically integrated supply chain would look like,” said Vartega CEO Andrew Maxey. “We’re excited to be part of the newly formed AMIDE Alliance to close this gap and increase innovation in this growing and important area of manufacturing.”

Vartega makes custom 3D printing and injection molding materials by combining its recycled carbon fiber with thermoplastics. By participating in the alliance, the company will be making capital equipment investments that will help to grow the state’s production of custom thermoplastic formulations.


The overall goal of the AMIDE Alliance, which will close a major gap in Colorado’s materials supply chain by providing critical development resources for AM thermoplastics, is to develop a materials development and testing ecosystem by investing in resources and equipment. The ecosystem will make it possible to increase advanced 3D printing materials development, as well as training the next generation of skilled manufacturing workers. The alliance will accomplish its goals by opening innovation centers in collaboration with CSU, the Colorado School of Mines, and Vartega.

“Advanced materials and additive manufacturing are impacting just about every industry right now,” said Shelly Curtiss, CCIA Executive Director. “We see a huge opportunity to leverage these new developments throughout the cleantech sector for the benefit of our members who are focused on renewables, energy efficiency, clean water, oil and gas, mining and transportation.”

The CCIA will administer the grand funds for the innovation centers, which will be home to programs for educating and training new students, technicians, and professionals. The centers will also have the necessary equipment to help mature new additive manufacturing technologies and materials. Additionally, EWI will support materials development by offering advanced nondestructive evaluation, modeling and inspection services to support the ongoing new materials development.

CSU’s innovation center will be at the university’s Composite Materials, Manufacture and Structures (CMMS) Laboratory, and will include the installation of a six-axis robotic system for the direct manufacture of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites.

The center at the Colorado School of Mines, which will be home to an HP Jet Fusion 580 3D printer that will evaluate and characterize fiber-reinforced polymer powders being developed by project partners, will be located in the school’s Interdisciplinary Advanced Manufacturing Teaching Lab. The final innovation center, which will house extrusion equipment meant for developing fiber-reinforced thermoplastics for 3D printing applications, will be located at an unknown industry partner’s facility.

Another objective of the new AMIDE Alliance is workforce development, and Front Range Community College, Colorado School of Mines, IACMI, and ACMA will support these efforts by creating a curriculum centring around closing the skills gap for composites and 3D printing.

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

[Source: CompositesWorld]

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Developer of Printoid App Introduces New App for Managing Your 3D Printing Filament Spools

Two years ago, Android software engineer and OctoPrint fan Anthony Stephan, who’s based out of France, developed an Android app for OctoPrint called Printoid that provides direct access to the OctoPrint server and has features such as video streaming and a 3D visualizer for G-code and STL files. Now, Stephan is back with a new project – RollingUp, an Android app that can help you more efficiently manage your 3D printing filament spools. The app, which aims to make life easier for makers, was launched about a month ago, and Stephan tells us that since then, over 2,000 users have joined the RollingUp community and “are very happy with the app.”

As he explained to 3DPrint.com, Stephan decided to make the RollingUp app for three reasons:

“firstly, I have a personal stock 50+ spools, and it is pretty hard to know how much filament I still have in this spool or this one. I maintained an Excel sheet with the input information each time I had to use a spool, but most of time I forgot to do this, and I had to power-on my computer…

“secondly, I am working with a pro here in France, who has also a high stock of spools (200+). And he needed a tool to manage his stock too.

“finally, there was no good tool to do this yet. Because the Printoid users was requesting me this feature since a while, I though that it was a good idea to provide a standalone tool for everybody!”

The RollingUp app is a 3D printer filament spool manager, which lets you easily add your spools to the app and input their usage. The app is only available on Google Play for now, though the iOS version is currently under development and should be available soon on the Apple Store.

In terms of making money, Stephan told us that the app does contain small advertisement banners, though these only show up for those who use the free version to manage just two spools of filament. The $4.99 Premium plan, accessible from an in-app purchase, doesn’t include any ads and lets you add and manage as many spools as you want.

When asked who he made the RollingUp app for, Stephan told us:

“For every makers/printers who want to track his own filament consumption. It is also a good start to make the makers/printers aware of the consumption of plastics / bio-plastics. I am currently working on new screens to display statistics to the users about their habits: how much ABS are you using against PLA? How much filament do you put in the trash? These informations will be available very soon, and I hope that we all will contribute to change our mind about the 3D printing universe: we can do amazing things, be we also have to think about our environment.”

Users can synchronize the app on multiple devices, as well as access its spools shop to get great deals on filament.

Stephan told 3DPrint.com, “I let the users filling their spool information by themself. But I am currently working with Filament.Directory, a huge spool database. They will provide me API in the next weeks to connect RollingUp with their database: users will be able to select their spools in a list instead of creating it by themself, and will also have an access to two kind of information: the best parameters provided by the manufacturer of the filament, and the best parameters observed by the users. Filament.Directory already work a lot on these informations, and it would be amazing to provide them in RollingUp.”

The app cannot currently be used to share pictures of your 3D prints, but Stephan has said he may think about adding a social media function to the next version of RollingUp. But the app has all sorts of other great features, including:

  • Easy management of your stock and various materials parameters
  • Spool consumption cost and input
  • Verify if a spool has enough filament left for a specific print job

“Very soon I will introduce new features, first in order to sensitise the users about eco-responsibility in the 3D printing world, and secondly to bind the app with the Filament.directory database (in order to create automatically spools in the app according existing spools on the market),” Stephan told us.


The app also lets users sort their filament spools by weight, material, and manufacturer, and, if you have the Premium version, access a special NFC tag-writing feature. This feature allows you to write out your spools on NFC tags, then access their status by scanning the spool with your Android device.

To take advantage of this feature, you first have to create your spool in the app. This is easy to do if you already use Printoid for OctoPrint – just choose a file in the file manager, then click the RollingUp icon to send its length and weight (in meters and grams) to the app, or directly input this information by clicking on the file name from the dashboard. Label the input and then open the ‘NFC Tags’ menu and click the ‘write’ button. Choose your spool, add your device to the tags, and voila! You can now stick the tags right on your spools.

One swift click on the spool in your app’s dashboard lets you input consumption, while a longer click will pull up its consumption history. A cost manager feature also shows how much money you’ve spent on each print.

In terms of crowdsource settings, Stephan explained to us that users will have the best settings for their own spools in the app, and will be able to contribute to the Filament.Directory database.

When asked by 3DPrint.com what he hoped to achieve with RollingUp, Stephan answered,

“Actually, I hope that the user base will grow a lot. Then, with the new features, for example the integration of the data from Filament.Directory, I hope that we will be able to improve a lot the best parameters information found in this website. Also, since users can create new spools in RollingUp, it’s also a good way to be informed about new spools on the market, which are the best parameters, etc. and so, feed the Filament.Directory database. This database is amazing and deserve to grow quickly, with the help of every makers/printers!

“Moreover, with RollingUp, I really want to give super-powers to the 3D printers and their spools. The NFC feature, for example, is easy to use, but very impressive and convenient!”

Will you try out the RollingUp app? Let us know! Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below. 

[Images provided by Anthony Stephan]

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CECIMO Raises Concerns: How Much is Too Much 3D Printing Regulation

Regulation is important in any industry, as are standards which ensure that every player in the industry is delivering products and processes up to a certain quality and consistency. There’s a fine line, however, between healthy regulation and unnecessarily strict standards that stifle innovation. At the beginning of July, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution entitled “Three-dimensional printing: intellectual property rights and civil liability,” with 631 votes in favor, 27 against and 19 abstentions.

The resolution is largely a positive one in favor of 3D printing, pointing out the benefits of the technology for society and the economy and the need for new rules supporting faster certification of parts. That’s undoubtedly a good thing; one of the factors that holds up additive manufacturing from becoming a more prevalent production technology is the issue of getting bogged down in the part certification process. However, the resolution also calls for the European Commission to consider a revision of the Liability and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regulatory framework for 3D printing in the European Union.

The European Association of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO) has some concerns about this, believing that current EU regulations are enough and that further tightening intellectual property regulations would prevent the kind of innovation that is necessary for the 3D printing industry to continue to grow.

“3D printing technologies will thrive in Europe if, among other things, legislation continues to create supportive conditions,” CECIMO Director General Filip Geerts told 3DPrint.com. “Industry has been instrumental in pushing through solutions in the areas of digital rights management and data security. In this context, there is no need to establish new EU provisions on liability and Intellectual Property just for 3D printing at this stage, especially as there is no evidence of 3D printing being used as an easier or favoured production method for counterfeit goods.”

Panic about intellectual property violations are prevalent in the 3D printing industry, but many have argued that those fears are overblown. Individual designers who post their files online are at risk of having their designs stolen and sold elsewhere, but in cases where that has happened, crackdown on the offenders has generally been swift. Many are concerned about the theft of intellectual property from corporations, but there hasn’t been much evidence of that happening so far, and many preventative measures have been offered by experts on how to safeguard parts against being copied. CECIMO argues that regulations are already strict when it comes to 3D printing, and that a difference should be established between business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) uses of the technology when approaching regulation.

Liability is an issue discussed by the European Parliament as well, which was outlined initially in a preliminary report at the end of 2017. The question is who is responsible when someone is harmed by a 3D printed object – the manufacturer of the object itself, the manufacturer of the 3D printer, or the creator of the software used to design the object? The issue is a murky one, and again CECIMO argues that too much focus on liability is likely to slow down the necessary acceleration of 3D printing in Europe.

The adoption of the resolution requires a mandatory response from the European Commission within three months. The Commission has been asked to outline its views and intentions on the subject, and CECIMO intends to continue to work closely with the Commission to encourage that the current EU regulations be left alone.

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

[Images provided by CECIMO]

 

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Study Emphasizes Importance of Hybrid Manufacturing

3D printing is having a strong effect on nearly every industry and sector, but as has been pointed out before, it is not eliminating the manufacturing technologies that came before – nor should it. Alternate technologies such as CNC machining and injection moulding have their own benefits, which can be enhanced, rather than eclipsed, by the addition of additive manufacturing. A new study looks at the utilization of hybrid manufacturing in the United States, as well as the locations of additive manufacturing hubs and potential places for hubs to be constructed to complement traditional machine shops.

The article, entitled “Hybrid manufacturing — integrating traditional manufacturers with additive manufacturing (AM) supply chain,” can be accessed here. The study proposes the creation of a hybrid manufacturing supply chain based on metal additive manufacturing and uses scientific methods to identify the optimal locations for metal additive manufacturing hubs in the United States. It also suggests that traditional small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can participate in the evolving additive manufacturing supply chain by offering post-processing services via hybrid AM, and notes that adding capacity to existing additive manufacturing hubs is preferable to creating new ones at this time.

The research looks into a series of strategically located additive manufacturing hubs that can integrate hybrid additive manufacturing with the capabilities and excess capacity in multiple traditional manufacturing facilities.

“Using North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) data for machine shops in the U.S., an uncapacitated facility location model is used to determine the optimal locations for AM hub centers based on: (1) geographical data, (2) demand and (3) cost of hybrid-AM processing,” the researchers state. “Results from this study have identified: (a) candidate US counties to build AM hubs, (b) total cost (fixed, operational and transportation) and (c) capacity utilization of the AM hubs.

“It was found that uncapacitated facility location models identified demand centroid as the optimal location and was affected only by AM utilization rate whereas a constrained p-median model identified 22 AM hub locations as the initial sites for AM hubs which grows to 44 AM hubs as demand increases. It was also found that transportation cost was not a significant factor in the hybrid-AM supply chain. Findings from this study will help both AM companies and traditional manufacturers to determine location in the U.S and key factors to advance the metal hybrid-AM supply chain.”

The study is well worth a read as it highlights the importance of hybrid manufacturing techniques and emphasizes the importance of linking existing machine shops with additive manufacturing facilities, rather than creating new additive manufacturing facilities as standalone enterprises. This is an interesting take at a time when 3D printing centers seem to be springing up everywhere; tying them into traditional manufacturing facilities may be a more effective way of creating an efficient supply chain.

While additive manufacturing is capable of many things, most methods of 3D printing, particularly metal, require some sort of post-processing to remove supports and smooth rough surfaces, which is why hybrid 3D printer/CNC machines are becoming more common. In addition, 3D printing can serve as an aid to other technologies such as injection molding and casting, by providing an easier, faster and cheaper way to make molds. These are only a couple of examples of how additive manufacturing and other manufacturing technologies work better together than individually, and locating them geographically near each other makes sense on a number of levels.

Authors of the paper include Danielle Strong, Michael Kay, Brett Conner, Thomas Wakefield, and Guha Manogharan.

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

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 20, 2018

We’re starting out with some construction news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then following that with a little business, a little metal, and a little 3D design. Russian firm AMT-SPETSAVIA has updated two of its construction 3D printers, and the University of New Brunswick has chosen a Concept Laser 3D printer to use for its upcoming research. Mass Portal’s software team went through a reorganization, and attendees learned all about lightweight aluminum material at the recent AMAP forum. Finally, users of browser-based SelfCAD 3D software can access the MyMiniFactory design library…and share their own work there as well.

Spetsavia Completes Updates on Large Construction 3D Printers

Three years ago, Russian firm Spetsavia presented its home construction methods and 3D printers at the 3D Print Expo. Now, the group of machining and 3D printing companies collectively known as AMT-SPECAVIA has updated its range of construction 3D printers (Construction Objects Printing or COP) to introduce two new large-format models. The S-300, with a “working field” of 11.5 x 11 x 5.4 m, is able to print directly on the foundation of buildings up to two stories and 120 square meters, while the S-500 features an 11.5 x 11 x 15 m field and can 3D print buildings up to five, or even six, floors. However, the latter can be increased to a working field of 40 x 11 x 80 m, which Spetsavia says makes it “the largest 3D construction printer in the world.”

“New models of the S series are essentially the next generation of building printers. We’ve always been asked for a solution for multi-storey construction,” said Alexander Maslov, the General Director of AMT-SPETSAVIA. “Now we declare with confidence that such a solution exists! The AMT S300 and S500 printers are high-performance equipment with unprecedented capabilities and competitive price. During the development we’ve taken into account the wishes of the developing companies, at the same time maintaining the inherent reliability of our equipment, ease of management and maintenance.”

Both the S-300 and the S-500 have a direct flow print head for increased productivity, in addition to a new feed station that prepares the concrete mixture. The first shipment of the S-500 is scheduled for this fall, and a team of engineers will accompany the 3D printer to the customer for training.

University of New Brunswick to Use Concept Laser M2 Cusing

L-R: Keith Campbell, Senior Sales Director, GE Additive; Dr. Mohsen Mohammadi, Director of Research and Development for the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence; Hart Devitt, Director of Industry and Government Services; Duncan McSporran, Director, Programs and Innovation, Office of Research Services, University of New Brunswick

GE Additive has announced that the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Canada, together with commercialization partner Custom Fabricators & Machinists and training partners Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), and the College communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), has chosen its Concept Laser M2 Cusing metal 3D printer to use in its latest research.

UNB is in charge of the country’s first Marine Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, which will be the very first in Canada to fabricate certified parts for the marine industry with metal 3D printing. The M2 Cusing will mostly be used by UNB’s Dr. Mohsen Mohammadi, who will be the Director of Research and Development for the new center, and his team for multiple R&D areas, including bast resistance, enhanced corrosion protection, and hybrid 3D printing processes.

Mass Portal Announces Reorganization of Software Team

Latvian 3D printer manufacturer Mass Portal has reorganized, and appointed new leadership for, its software team, which is now an independent company called FabControl. The company will be building an open, next-generation software platform for managing 3D printers and AM workflows, and Mass Portal’s current CEO and co-founder Janis Grinhofs, the founder of FabControl and in charge of developing Mass Portal’s flagship Pharaoh 3D printers, will now serve as the CEO of the new company. Imants Treidis has been named the new CEO of Mass Portal.

“We will continue to serve our existing customers and industrial partners, in the same time striving for excellence in supplying the industry with highest quality machines and tailor built solutions for additive manufacturing needs,” Treidis said.

All About Aluminum at AMAP Forum 

Not too long ago in Aachen, scientific and industry experts gathered at the AMAP Forum (Advanced Metals and Processes) to demonstrate the continuing potential of researching non-ferrous metals, like aluminum, for the purposes of lightweight automotive design. 14 entrepreneurs from industry and five of the RWTH Aachen University institutions formed the AMAP Open Innovation Research cluster at the forum, and discussed topics ranging from new production technologies and materials development to modeling and metallurgic process technology. Some of the specifics included using aluminum hollow castings to create structural components with functional integration, additive manufacturing, and new design and calculation methods for high-strength aluminum alloys.

Dr. Klaus Vieregge, Chairman of the AMAP Advisory Board and Head of the Hydro Aluminium Research and Development Center in Bonn, said, “We are an efficient network. New members are always welcome, but a high number of members is not the focus of the AMAP cluster, we want to convince people by the efficiency of the work and the research results.”

SelfCAD Partners with MyMiniFactory

Online 3D design platform SelfCAD, founded in 2015, combines 3D modeling, slicing, and several other tools and functions in one easy program. Earlier this year, the platform announced a partnership with popular 3D printable model marketplace MyMiniFactory.

This partnership makes it easy for SelfCAD users to access the design library in MyMiniFactory, and also gives them the ability to download their 3D models directly from the marketplace while still in the SelfCAD program. In addition,  it’s also possible for users to upload their models directly to MyMiniFactory for maximum exposure.

To learn more, check out this helpful video:

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

 

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Roger Uceda & CIM-UPC Create a Masters Degree in Design for Additive Manufacturing

Roger Uceda was one of the key people behind the BCN3D which was created as an offshoot of design nonprofit CIM UPC in Barcelona. After helping being BCN3D to life and leading the company Roger is now back at CIM UPC trying to do what he can to make Barcelona the global hub for 3D printing. Their next effort? They’re going to create a Masters program for 3D printing, or more precisely a Masters Degree in Design for Additive Manufacturing.  The team will collaborate with “Renishaw, Ricoh, HP… technological centres and universities to make this the most powerful masters degree in Additive Manufacturing.” The catch? The degree is in Spanish for now.
3D Printer and a small race car model
Focusing on Industry 4.0 and the growth of our industry would seem to be a rather prescient thing to do. One of the problems in 3D printing at the moment is in finding enough really good people to do the work. Experienced professionals are often thin on the ground and there is a real war for talent happening in 3D. This would seem to be an excellent opportunity for people to hit the ground running if they want to work in 3D printing. 3D printing exactly the part you have also doesn’t unlock any of the value this only happens when one designs for additive.
The course will be given by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and will focus on real cases and use machines such as the Ricoh AM S5500P, 3D Systems SLA 7000, Vanguard HS, HP MultiJet Fusion, Renishaw AM-250 as well as a BCN3D Sigma and Sigmax farm, hand-held 3DScanners and a Mitutoyo CMM. Much of the training will be conducted by professionals and will focus on product design, improving 3D printing itself through tools and tooling and also manufacturing.

3D printed surgical models DEFAM.

The director general of CIM UPC Felip Fenollosa said that, ” we have taken a step forward for the formative leadership in Additive Manufacturing, integrating the relevant actors in this ecosystem to contribute their experience to prepare the next generations of professionals for the transformation of our industry. We seek that in a global environment any Design can be sent anywhere in the world and manufactured at the same point of sale”

3DPrint.com asked Roger Uceda what the ideas were behind the new Design for Additive Manufacturing course:
What kind of students do you expect will attend? 
Roger Uceda: “We expect two kind of students. Firstly we expect just graduated in engineering degrees that love and beleive in 3D printing, and want to work in that field. We also expect engineers that are already working in companies and want to change not only their products but also the way they manufacture and supply. We need to provide to that students the criteria to choose the correct tool in aditive manufacturing depending on their strategy. Is not the same to use 3D printing to shorten the development time, to change the supply chain, to optimize the geometry or to fully customize a product.”
Where do you think you’re graduates will work? 
Roger Uceda: “Our students will work in different fields, from product develpment to production companies, 3D printing manufacturers and also in the medical field. We will give special attention to the use of additive manufacturing in health. On the other hand, CIM-UPC offers the possibility of a dual training, combining the master classes with an internship in companies in all that fields. At this moment we have more vacancies in our job bank that students.”
Why should I take this class? 
Roger Uceda: I personally think that additive manufacuring is the perfect tool for changing the way we produce things. But this is just a tool. We need to teach the best professionals to lead that change in design and in production using this amazing  technology. If you are a 3D printing passionate that want to lead that revolution, this master should be probably a very good idea!.