Techstars, a Colorado-based venture capitalist firm, and Stanley Black & Decker, tool manufacturers with brands including DeWalt, have announced the first ten companies to be selected for the additive manufacturing accelerator, aka Techstars Class 131. The STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator support and mentorship program launched in late 2017, with the aim to bring new technologies to the market with the […]
GE Additive launches Manufacturing Partner Network with Protolabs, Carpenter and Burloak
More 3D printing news from this week’s Farnborough International Airshow as GE Additive launches a Manufacturing Partner Network (MPN). The MPN is described by GE Additive as an “Ecosystem approach” that will create “an open, competitive market”. The goal of the MPN is to tackle several issues the 3D printing industry must resolve before the […]
Farnborough airshow begins with GE Additive announcements
Farnborough International Airshow in the UK gets underway today and GE Additive has chosen the occasion to make two announcements. Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) is the second largest airshow in the world, and as such will feature many of the leading applications of industrial 3D printing for the sector. 3D Printing Industry will be at […]
Student Creates CUDA, the 3D Printed Underwater Jet Pack
About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and while technology for traveling on dry land has developed that allows people of moderate income to cover a fair amount of ground relatively quickly, underwater exploration of a comparable sort has remained out of reach for all but a few. In terms of individual exploration, the ‘luxury seatoy’ SEABOB underwater scooter has infiltrated the dreams of those interested in underwater transport — but with a price tag of about $17,000 it will remain a dream for most. In response to the inaccessibility of this kind of technology, one young man decided he was going to work to create a more price-friendly alternative.
This innovative young man, Archie O’Brien, worked with 3D Hubs to create his underwater enhanced transportation device, which he has named the CUDA. O’Brien’s creation won him first place in the recently announced 2018 3D Hubs Student Grant program in the Product Design category.
The CUDA is a jet propulsion-driven backpack which the user wears allowing a hands-free jet pack experience underwater. The initial idea was to miniaturize a jet ski and utilize that, but it didn’t quite fit in the backpack configuration. After a careful reading of “Numerical Analysis of a Waterjet Propulsion System” by Norbert Willem Herman Bulten, O’Brien was convinced that despite the difficulties involved, he could come up with something that would be better suited to the backpack configuration.
With dreams of gliding effortlessly through the clear waters off of Iceland or as a member of a pod of dolphins, he set out to experiment and research and experiment again. In order to be able to quickly create and rapidly iterate while developing the jet pack, O’Brien utilized 3D printing and CNC technologies. This also allowed him to control for costs as it was part of his primary objective to create something that could be significantly more affordable than anything else on the market. As such, he used FDM technology and PLA, two of the most widely accessible and economically viable methods for fabricating. In addition, SLS was used to create the impeller, using carbon fiber infused powder which gave extreme stiffness needed for such parts.
The key test was determining how the 45 3D printed parts would hold up underwater. To prepare them to operate in such extreme conditions, all the 3D printed parts were first coated with a thin layer of epoxy resin that was then slow-dried, and silicone seals were added to all of the access doors in order to keep water from leaking in and shorting out the battery and other electronics.
But, of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and so there was nothing else to do but throw the thing on and get in the water, which O’Brien has done with gusto, testing the CUDA out in both pools and open water. In addition, parts have been left in water for months to see if they can withstand prolonged exposure, and so far it has all been up to snuff. The CUDA itself requires only 10 minutes to assemble – though I’m assuming that’s for someone with experience if my history of IKEA assembly finish times are any indicator. Once assembly is complete, the backpack is designed to work intuitively, with its harness holding it at 90 degrees in relation to your shoulders and speed controlled by a handheld trigger.
The CUDA is currently patent pending with hopes for the first commercially available models to hit the market in 2019.
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: 3D Hubs]
An Editorial Farewell and a Welcome
Since its inception in early 2014, 3DPrint.com and its team have been dedicated to providing news and insights focused on 3D technologies, offering an ever-growing variety of resources to the industry. Over the last four and a half years, we have published close to 14,000 unique articles, built a strong educational resource through online training in additive manufacturing, partnered with a variety of industry events and begun to host our own, and curated a vibrant community through our sister forum and social channels, as well as regular industry contact.
In 2014, as I was ready to move on from six years working as an editor and research analyst with an industry research and forecasting company, I responded to, of all things, a Craigslist posting from Florida seeking an editor for a young tech news site. Responding to that ad changed my life as I embarked very soon thereafter on my journey with 3DPrint.com, having previously encountered 3D printing only through having edited a global forecast report on 3D printers and perhaps having caught a news segment or two on rapid prototyping. Editing about a dozen articles daily at that point and writing regularly as I got my feet under me, I learned very quickly about additive manufacturing during this period in the peak of hype. As the industry began to stabilize and become more professionally focused, so did I, as I took on a leadership position in content operations upon the site’s acquisition in 2015. As business operations changed and we continued to grow as a resource and community, I have been honored to progress in my role as the Editor-in-Chief of 3DPrint.com.
Over the last several years, we have increased our focus on the industry, enhanced direct communications with hardware and software companies as well as end users, and made it a point to be on the ground at every possible opportunity to bring news directly from the source. Interviews with industry participants, including spotlight series featuring diverse participants and educators shaping the next generations, have been highlights. This job has taken me around the world and has gotten personal, and I have deeply valued opportunities to get to know the technology of the industry as well as the people behind the advances. The people truly do make the industry, and this one is filled with unparalleled brilliance.
As this industry has grown and continues on a remarkable trajectory to take its place in Industry 4.0, change is the only constant. That’s as true for our team as it is for the industry at large as we now look forward to the next phases of growth. I recently tendered my resignation, and it seems oddly fitting — and hopefully auspicious — that my final day here falls on a Friday the 13th.
Lanyards from a few events I’ve attended since 2015
Working with the driven and dynamic team of full-time and freelance writers at 3DPrint.com has been my honor, and it will be my delight to watch them continue to offer unique content and daily news.
Beginning Monday, long-time 3DPrint.com contributor Joris Peels will be taking the reins as this site’s next Editor-in-Chief. Joris’ knowledge of and familiarity with the industry runs deep, and readers here will appreciate his insights, candor, and humor as he steps into this leadership role. He brings more than a decade of experience and expertise in additive manufacturing, having worked directly with desktop and industrial technologies as well as consulting and writing in a variety of roles within the industry. It has been an absolute pleasure to have worked with Joris, and the site will be in very capable hands.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Sarah in the past and can’t thank her enough for making 3DPrint.com what it is today, bringing her precise editing and collegial style to raise standards and grow the reach and readership of the site,” Joris Peels, the incoming Editor-in-Chief at 3DPrint.com, says.
“I hope to continue her work to improve the quality of our content so that we are by far the highest quality provider of information in every area of Additive Manufacturing.”
Joris’ tenure promises to build upon a strong foundation in delivering news, information, and insights to the 3D printing industry.
I am profoundly grateful to 3DR Holdings, the 3DPrint.com founders, and the talented content and business teams — and of course to the industry surrounding 3D printing — for the career-shaping opportunities I have found here. It has been my privilege to head content operations here at the Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Leaving this site has been a difficult decision, and was one made for personal reasons; I wish Team 3DPrint.com all the best as I look forward to new adventures and new horizons.
EOS and Z3DFAB partner to build Korean additive manufacturing innovation center
EOS, a leading German 3D printer manufacturer, and Z3DFAB, an industrial metal 3D printing specialist, have signed an agreement to build an additive manufacturing innovation center in Korea. This center will operate to expand Korea’s additive manufacturing market through 3D printing initiatives, seminars, and workshops. “3D printing is already in use for mass production among […]
Global Environment Concerns Support R&D for Plastic Recycling in 3D Printing
A recent series of major developments and events has created a new impetus for 3D printing plastic recycling. 3D printing of recycled plastics has multiple benefits, including lower costs and control over the amount of materials that can be used by 3D printers. Currently, 3D printing filament is produced by melting down virgin plastic pellets and extruding the melted plastic through a circular die which is then rolled up into spools. Printing with pellets or recycled materials is more cost effective and energy efficient than printing with new plastic filaments. In addition, direct printing of plastic pellets eliminates the need for further processing and therefore makes them less expensive.
Plastic has always been one of the leading 3D printer material categories. Now there is an expanding global concern about the amount of plastic product waste and in particular its negative impact on oceans and waterways. Improved pellet 3D printing recycling technology can play an important part in helping solve this environmental problem. 3D printing product developers, engineers, designers and environmentalists working on pellet recycling projects have the opportunity to earn US R&D tax credits.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
Enacted in 1981, the now permanent Federal Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit allows a credit that typically ranges from 4%-7% of eligible spending for new and improved products and processes. Qualified research must meet the following four criteria:
- Must be technological in nature
- Must be a component of the taxpayer’s business
- Must represent R&D in the experimental sense and generally includes all such costs related to the development or improvement of a product or process
- Must eliminate uncertainty through a process of experimentation that considers one or more alternatives
Eligible costs include US employee wages, cost of supplies consumed in the R&D process, cost of pre-production testing, US contract research expenses, and certain costs associated with developing a patent.
On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed the PATH Act, making the R&D Tax Credit permanent. Beginning in 2016, the R&D credit can be used to offset Alternative Minimum tax for companies with revenue below $50 million and for the first time, pre-profitable and pre-revenue startup businesses can obtain up to $250,000 per year in payroll taxes and cash rebates.
The Growing Scale of the Problem
The March 2018 issue of the Economist contained three articles devoted to the plastic waste environmental issues. Since the 1950s, humans have created 8.3 billion tons of plastic. According to the Economist since the 1950s, 7 to 9% has been recycled. In 2015, it is estimated that humans have generated 8.3 billion tons of plastic, 6.3 billion tons of which has already become waste. If the trends continue, then 12 billion tons of plastic waste will be in landfills.
Global production of plastics has increased from 2 million metric tons in the 1950s to over 400 million metric tons in 2015, most of which are man-made materials. Plus, half of all the plastics that are used become waste after four years. The plastic production in the US doesn’t show signs of slowing.
A team of researchers led a study in 2015 that calculated the amount of plastic waste that drains into the oceans. The results showed that 8 million metric tons of plastic lay in the oceans in 2010. Indonesia is the world’s second biggest plastics polluter. They have pledged to decrease plastic waste in the ocean by 75% by 2025, however some observers doubt that legal rules will be able to enforce and achieve such goals. Last year the government called for a “garbage emergency” where cleaners and trucks were deployed to collect rubbish off the shoreline.
The repercussion of plastic fragments in marine waters is alarming. For the most part, this pollution is not in the form of large, visible containers, but rather small particles. Two main types of small particle plastic pollutants are common in the environment: microfibers and microbeads. Most plastic is not a biodegradable material and when it is exposed to the sun’s UV radiation, it will break down into microfibers. Aside from degradation, these microfibers are produced at industrial quantities as polyester fabrics that are used to create durable and stretchy fabrics. Microfibers enter the water stream when polyester fabrics are washed, and only a fraction is caught by waste treatment facilities. It is estimated that a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microfibers into the environment. Microbeads are less than 5 millimeters long and are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products. Others come from plastic pieces that are degraded over time. In recent years, countries have taken initiatives to ban the sale of products containing microbeads, but this is only a fraction of the plastic waste entering the water stream.
Here are some recent developments involving plastic waste:
- Coca-Cola’s announcement that they are committed to 100% recycling by the year 2030
- China’s new law prohibiting the importation of plastic waste
- Major NGO efforts to address the problem including the MacArthur Foundation
- Study finds plastic water bottles contain micro plastics
- Improvements in 3D printer recycling technology
The Coca-Cola Announcement
In its January 19th “World Without Waste” announcement, Coca-Cola pledged to recycle 100% of packaging by 2030. Coca-Cola has been a long-time thought leader on environmental issues and previously led efforts for major reductions in water consumption. The company is embracing a multi-faceted approach including material reduction, reuse and recycling. Coca-Cola produces an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year, of which the majority around the world ends up in landfills, beaches, and in the ocean.
The Coca-Cola Company announced in January of this year that by 2030, for every bottle they sell they will recycle the equivalent number of bottles. If the plastic waste problem is not solved, Coca-Cola’s CEO said that if Coke can manage to recycle the equivalent of 100% of its packaging, then “there’s no such thing as a single-use bottle.” If plastic is not solved, then the oceans and waterways will suffer. If Coca-Cola is successful in this endeavor, presumably beverage companies and packaged goods companies will follow their lead.
China: No More Western Garbage
As of January 1, 2018, China has banned the importation of 24 categories of waste including plastic waste. China’s government is enacting a plastic waste import ban which is in an attempt to cut down millions of tons of plastic and other recyclables each year. China doesn’t want to be the “world’s garbage dump” as they recycle about half of the globe’s plastics and paper products. Therefore, they are figuring out ways to reduce the waste.
The ban includes plastics, slag from steel making, unsorted scrap paper and discarded textiles. According to China’s WTO, the list has been adjusted to protect both the environment and people’s health. China has been importing loads of waste used as raw materials in industrial production. Last year, China imported 7.3 million tons of plastic waste, nearly half of all world plastic imports. The volume of some waste categories are so great that the new import ban is causing a reverse supply chain waste back up. The best way for the Western waste producers to tackle the problem is to reduce the amount of underlying waste created at the source. Domestically, one compelling use case is to convert plastic waste to 3D printer pellets for the creation of new products.
According to a recent study, China is the country that mismanages the most amount of plastic waste.
NGO Efforts to Address Plastic Waste
In 2016, 90 NGOs joined together to fight plastic waste. It is important for the NGOs fighting plastic waste to learn more about 3D pellet printing technological developments. Three of the major NGOs with plastic waste initiatives are described below:
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation provides a vision for the global economy. The MacArthur Foundation is using the principles of the circular economy to bring together the stakeholders to rethink and redesign the future of plastics by starting with packaging. The circular environment will prevent waste and make sure that products will be recycled. Most plastic packaging is used once, which is 95% of the value of plastic packaging material and worth between $80-120 billion per annum. Given projected growth in consumption, by 2050, the oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish and the entire plastics industry will consume 20% of total oil production and about 15% of the annual carbon budget.
UN
The UN is looking to solve the micro plastic dilemma and reduce marine litter. The UN has drafted goals to decrease plastic waste and marine plastic pollution by 2025. The draft outlines these three key points:
- The importance of long-term elimination of litter in oceans and of avoiding detriment to marine ecosystems
- Urge other organizations to get involved and join the movement against marine pollution
- Encourage all Member States to prioritize policies to avoid marine litter and microplastics from entering into the marine environment
The life in the seas is a “planetary risk” and the UN hopes to send a powerful message that changes the way the world consumes, produces, and tackles pollution. For instance, in Kenya, there is a turtle hospital which treats animals that have ingested plastic waste. In Tanzania, there is plastic waste that litters the coast. Plastic rings and rims of plastic bottle caps have bite marks on them demonstrating that fish have nibbled on them thinking it was potential food. Local townspeople try to clean the filth up, however it is difficult to keep the beaches clean with the amount of waste that washes up on the shore. Some environmentalists feel it is too large a problem to be able to solve by 2025.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an NGO with offices around the world including the US, Amsterdam and Scotland. Greenpeace has been observing the coastlines of Scotland to find plastic waste in the environment. Plastic is harmful for marine life including fish, seabirds, and other animals. Plastic has been found at shark feeding grounds, and in Scotland, it is now being discovered in the beaks of seabirds. The NGO is working with the country’s environment secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, to introduce a deposit return scheme for drink containers in Scotland.
Micro plastics
A study conducted by scientists at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Fredonia found that 93% of 259 water bottles contain micro plastic. Bottles of Aqua, Aquafina, Bisteri, Dasani, Epura, Evian, Nestle Pure Life, San Pellegrino and Wahaha water from India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and the US were sampled, and the researchers identified 325 particles of micro plastic per liter of water. In one study, it was discovered that in one bottle of Nestle Pure Life, the concentrations reached about 10,000 plastic pieces per liter of water. Out of the 259 bottles that were tested, only 17 were plastic free. This is a growing concern among health specialists and more analyses need to be done to prove how detrimental this is for one’s health. A truckload of plastic enters the ocean every minute. Plastics are building up in marine animals which means that humans are also exposed. The micro plastics that are found in the oceans and the toxic chemicals in plastics are creating threats to the environment and its inhabitants. It is essential for individuals to be vigilant about recycling and start using 3D printers which recycle plastic waste.
3D Printer Recycling Plastic Technology
3D printing with pellets provides an alternative way to develop objects instead of reverting to plastic filaments. Due to the lower cost, individuals are able to print with higher-quality materials for the same price as a filament counterpart. However, small, low-cost machines are available that allow for local production of 3D printing filament from pellets or recycling at a reasonable cost.
Engineering students at the University of British Columbia in Canada created the Protocycler which takes plastic water bottles and recycles them back to usable form. In addition, the Filabot is another filament extruder that has been on the market since 2013. These extruders grind the pieces, melt them down, and extrude the plastic filament on a spool. This provides an opportunity for individuals to easily recycle their plastic waste. Instead of throwing out your food container, you can put your plastic waste in the extruder and then make your own plastic spool that you can later print with again. Printing from recycled materials with Protocycler or the Filabot provide an estimated 90% cost savings on every spool that is printed.
The fully automatic operation, combined with real-time diameter feedback, means that anyone can get perfect filament every time they use the device. Small-scale extrusion also disposes of any extra waste that is usually the byproduct from printing. The extruder “closes the loop”, by taking the failed prints and allowing them to be used again to 3D print objects.
Protoprint is a company in India that uses 3D printing as a way to rid their waste and separate recyclables. There are filament sites at garbage dumps and they have developed and trained a network of waste pickers to sort and process the plastic. Once the waste is sorted, they are brought to the shed where they pass through a sorting and grinding machine which converts the plastic into pellets or flakes. The flakes are then passed through the refill-bot which uses a mechanism to create the recycled filament, which is spun on a spool to be used for later use. Protoprint has discovered that this low-cost technology is able to produce a plastic filament which then can be used in 3D printing.
Conclusion
The global community is focusing on problems related to plastic waste both on land and in our oceans. Plastics are the most common type of trash found in the sea. This is a perfect time for filament producers and product designers to offer their recycling solutions. The large volumes of this excess material make it particularly important to develop large footprint plastic products such as car parts, carpets, fencing, and infrastructure products using recycled waste. R&D Tax Credits are available for product designers and engineers who engage in this important effort.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
Charles Goulding & Steve Kelly of R&D Tax Savers discuss plastic recycling.
Senvol Joins National Armaments Consortium
The National Armaments Consortium (NAC) is the industry and academia component of the Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC), and serves as the primary organization enabling the US government, industry and academia to deliver rapid armaments innovation for the security of the United States. Originally, DOTC was commissioned by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics as a US Department of Defense (DoD) initiative. The goal of the consortium was to facilitate collaborative government, industry and academic ordnance technology development and prototyping.
Nowadays, the mission of DOTC is to enable the DoD Ordnance community to work collaboratively in RDT&E of prototype solutions to advance and transition ordnance systems, subsystems and component technologies.
The newest member of the NAC is Senvol, a company that provides data to help companies implement additive manufacturing. Its services include the Senvol Database, a comprehensive database of industrial additive manufacturing machines and materials; the Senvol API, which provides raw access to the Senvol Database; and the Senvol Indexes, pedigreed data sets for additive manufacturing material characterization. Senvol also offers the Senvol SOP, a standard operating procedure that details how to generate pedigreed additive manufacturing data, and the Senvol ML, a software suite that helps companies quickly characterize or qualify additive manufacturing materials and processes.
“We’re pleased to join the National Armaments Consortium and look forward to contributing to the advancement of armament technologies in the United States,” said Senvol President Zach Simkin. “Senvol is the leader in data for additive manufacturing, and we’re eager to support the consortium’s mission through the use of additive manufacturing analytics.”
Government participants in DOTC include US Army AMRDEC, Naval Surface Warfare Centers, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and Naval Air Systems Command. Technological areas of focus for DOTC include Ammunition, Demilitarization, Directed Energy Warfare, Enabling Technologies, Energetic Materials, Fuzes, Joint Insensitive Munitions, Protection & Survivability, Rockets, Missiles and Bombs, Sensors & Sensor Systems, Warheads Lethal Mechanisms, and Weapon Systems.
Recently, Senvol began developing additive manufacturing software for the US Office of Naval Research, and its membership in the NAC further advances the company’s status as a provider of AM data services to national security interests, not just private companies. Senvol is a Gold Member of America Makes, and its executives have been appointed to multiple leadership positions including as members of SME’s Additive Manufacturing Advisory Board, the ASTM International F42 Committee on Additive Manufacturing Technologies, ASME’s Technical Advisory Panel for additive manufacturing, and also as Vice Chair of the Data Management Committee for SAE.
NYC-based Senvol’s products and services have been used by a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies in a range of industries such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and consumer products.
In other weaponry news, you may recall Cody Wilson, who has been embroiled in a legal battle ever since he first published the open source files for his 3D printed handgun on the Internet. He was ordered by the State Department to remove the files, which he did, but then filed a lawsuit against the State Department claiming that it was violating his right to free speech, among other rights. After a long, drawn-out battle, it looked as though Wilson was going to lose his case.
However, things took a turn in his favor a couple of months ago when the Department of Justice offered Wilson a settlement. Confirmed in court documents this month, the settlement promises to change the export control rules surrounding any firearm below .50 caliber, with exceptions for fully automatic weapons and rare gun designs that use caseless ammunition, and hand over their regulation to the Commerce Department, giving Wilson freedom to publish data about his gun designs anywhere online. You can learn more about the case with in-depth coverage from Wired.
Discuss these and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
3D Printing News Briefs: July 10, 2018
We’re starting things off with a little business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to news from the medical and construction industries, and finishing up with a few fun stories to make you smile. First up, Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric, has joined the board at Desktop Metal, and an industrial 3D printer distributor is offering a new cleaning unit by Omegasonics to its customers. Moving on, Insight Medical and Onkos Surgical are exploring the use of augmented reality in musculoskeletal oncology together, while Australian researchers introduced a new model for large-scale 3D facial recognition and a family has officially moved into the Nantes 3D printed house. Finally, a vegan confection startup is selling its popsicles, made with 3D printed molds, at select Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, and an EnvisionTEC 3D printer is being used to create characters for a stop motion series about superheroes.
Desktop Metal Board Welcomes Jeff Immelt
Jeffrey Immelt
Leading metal 3D printing company Desktop Metal, located near Boston, was founded three years ago with the goal of making metal 3D printing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers. The company announced today that it has elected a new member to its Board of Directors – Jeffrey Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of GE until he retired from the company last year after 16 years. Immelt, who began his tenure only days before 9/11 and skillfully led GE through the crisis, has decades of experience, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished, innovative business technology leaders in the world. This makes him a valuable asset as Desktop Metal continues to grow.
“I am excited and honored to join the Desktop Metal board and work with this exceptional team of visionary entrepreneurs. Since it was founded nearly three years ago, Desktop Metal has become a trailblazer across the additive manufacturing landscape and I have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate,” said Immelt. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction and growth of this emerging metal 3D printing pioneer.”
Dr. Ken Washington, CTO and Vice President of Research and Advanced Engineering at the Ford Motor Company, was also recently appointed to the Desktop Metal board.
Industrial 3D Printer Distributor Offering Customers New Omegasonics Cleaning Unit
815BTX
Plural Additive Manufacturing, which is the exclusive North American distributor for industrial 3D printers by 3ntr, is offering the new 815BTX cleaning unit from ultrasonic cleaning systems leader Omegasonics to customers who purchase its 3D printers. The versatile and cost-effective unit is the 3D printing market’s first dual tank/dual action bench top ultrasonic cleaning machine, and can help easily remove water soluble support material.
The left tank of the 815BTX uses a biodegradable cleaning detergent developed by Plural, called BioSolv, while the right tank uses hot water; the model’s dual action then ensures the safe and efficient cleaning of 3D printed parts. The 815BTX also has programmable alternating cycles for hands-off cleaning.
“3ntr manufacturers’ of 3D printers utilize a variety of support materials, some require chemicals for support removal, while others need only hot water. The 815BTX eliminates the need to have two separate cleaning machines or deal with the cost of frequent cleaning detergent changes to get the job done,” explained Frank Pedeflous, the President of Omegasonics. “It’s an all-in-one solution.”
Onkos Surgical and Insight Medical Exploring Augmented Reality in Musculoskeletal Oncology
California medical device company Insight Medical Systems has partnered with Onkos Surgical, Inc. on a pilot project to explore different applications and opportunities for using Insight Medical’s ARVIS (Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System) headset in musculoskeletal oncology, and possibly tumor surgery. Still under development, ARVIS uses its tracking and visualization capabilities to deliver efficient and precise surgical plan execution. The headset can project virtual models of a specific patient’s anatomy and implants into a surgeon’s field of view during a procedure, in order to show hidden anatomical structures and important measurements.
“Onkos Surgical is investing heavily in capabilities and technology to bring innovation to musculoskeletal oncology surgeons,” said Onkos CEO and Co-Founder Patrick Treacy. “Augmented reality technology has the potential of simplifying the complex and providing surgeons with input and feedback that may improve the precision of surgical planning and interoperative workflow. This technology fits well with our portfolio of Precision Oncology solutions.”
University of Western Australia Introduces New Model for Large-Scale 3D Facial Recognition
2D facial recognition is used often for applications in the IT, security, and surveillance industries, and relies on a computer model to know whether a person is legitimate or not. But this method has several issues, such as data being easily accessible online, which aren’t the case with more advanced 3D models. 3D models can address changes in facial expression, poses, scale, and texture, but the data can be hard to gather. Now, researchers from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have developed a first of its kind system that can complete large-scale 3D facial recognition. The researchers, who published a paper on their work in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, analyzed 3.1 million 3D scans of over 100,000 people, and trained the innovative new 3D Facial Recognition model (FR3DNet) to learn the identities of a large dataset of ‘known’ persons, then match a test face to one.
Dr. Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, who created the 3D model, said, “With off-the-shelf 3D cameras becoming cheap and affordable, the future for pure 3D face recognition does not seem far away.
“Our research shows that recognition performance on 3D scans is better and more robust. Your 3D scan could be in any pose, wearing glasses or a face mask, and laughing or just smiling and the deep model can recognise you in an instant.
“We hope that this research will help improve security on devices that use facial recognition to grant access to networks and systems.”
Nantes 3D Printed House Welcomes First Tenants
In 2017, a collaborative team of researchers in France began an ambitious project where an industrial 3D printer and a patented concrete construction process called BatiPrint3D were used to build a five-room house in just days. This spring, after 54 hours of 3D printing and four months of contractors adding the roof, windows, and doors, the team finished the 95-square-meter, environmentally-friendly YHNOVA house in the district of Nantes Bottière. The house features wheelchair access and digital controls, and its curved walls are said to reduce the effects of humidity. But it still only cost around £176,000 to build – 20% cheaper than an identical house manufactured with traditional methods. Now, the NMH Housing Award Committee has allocated the house to a French family, and Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, are being hailed as the world’s first family to live in a 3D printed house.
Nordine said, “It’s a big honour to be a part of this project.
“We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it’s a big change for us.
“It’s really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house.”
The THNOVA team now believes they can 3D print the same house in just 33 hours.
Dream Pops Selling 3D Printed Popsicles at LA Starbucks
Vegan confection startup Dream Pops, headquartered in Los Angeles, creates organic, gluten- and soy-free, and vegan popsicles that are tasty, healthy, and made using 3D printed molds. These premier dairy-free popsicles consist of fruit and superfoods pureed together and cooled inside the molds at an accelerated rate with liquid nitrogen. Now, the startup has announced that its sweet treats are now available at five select Starbucks locations in the city – Third Street Promenade, La Brea and 4th, San Vincente and Barrington, Melrose and Stanley, and Wilshire and Santa Monica. The vegan ice cream pops, each of which contain fewer than 100 calories and seven grams of sugar, comes in five distinct flavors: Berry Dreams, Coconut Latte, Mango Rosemary, Vanilla Matcha, and a Dream Flight, which includes all four flavors.
“Our aim is to become the Willy Wonka of plant-based confections starting with our first product the Dream Pop and extending into adjacent better-for-you desserts,” said Dream Pops Co-Founder and CEO David Greenfield.
Dream Pops’ popsicles will be available at these Starbucks locations until October 5th.
3D Printed Stop Motion Characters
3D printing has been used many times to help create characters and backdrops for ads and commercials, music videos, and even movies that use popular stop motion animation. If you’re a fan of the stop motion show Robot Chicken, then you might also recognize the name of the full-service production company that creates it. California-based Stoopid Buddy Stoodios specializes in developing and producing stop-motion, CG, and 2D animated content, and also creates an animated stop motion comedy series called SuperMansion. The studio fabricates most of the show’s characters with a Perfactory 3D printer from EnvisionTEC.
“By utilizing 3D printing, we’re able to tell a story about superheroes and love and conflict and action and adventure,” said Kei Chong, Digital Design Supervisor at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.
To learn more, check out the video below.
3D Printing for Animation | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios from EnvisionTEC on Vimeo.
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Xometry acquires MakeTime, raises $25 million in funding round
Xometry, an on-demand manufacturing platform based in Maryland, has acquired fellow manufacturing platform based in Kentucky, MakeTime. Xometry has also announced a new funding round of $25 million. With plans to establish what is said to be the industry’s largest distributed on-demand manufacturing networking platform, this new merger, which will operate under the Xometry brand name, […]