The 3 Reasons Your 3D Printed Parts are so Expensive

It’s 2020, and additive manufacturing has finally emerged as a mature technology for production in a growing number of sectors. In the last decade, it made a full run of the technological Hype Cycle but has finally arrived at the Plateau of Productivity.

Pankl Racing Systems showcases a replicable custom fixturing system with Formlabs technology

Despite recent technical progress, many industrial 3D printing programs are still not making the financial returns that business owners expect. Often one of the biggest reasons is under-utilization: groups simply not using additive capital equipment often enough to justify the expense. Under-utilization can be caused by a lack of applications or technological inadequacy, but usually it’s the symptom of a much deeper problem that leaders need to address: a severe lack of design for additive manufacturing (DFAM) skills within their engineering organization. When designers and engineers don’t know how or when to design for additive, they create bad, expensive parts or just avoid using it altogether.

Here are three ways that bad DFAM is holding up the profitability of many additive manufacturing programs:

1. Additive processes are still misunderstood.

While 3D printing OEMs race to make the fastest, most efficient industrial additive equipment, the excitement for advancement is not reciprocated by most engineering groups. 3D printing technology can keep getting better and better, but if users don’t familiarize themselves with the basics of additive processes, part designs will never be truly optimized for 3D printing.

All the CAD skills in the world can’t substitute for understanding additive constraints and benefits.

For example, both DLP and FDM 3D printing gets faster and better materials ever year. But neither technology will ever overcome the need for support material. By redesigning this military vehicle equipment bin (below) with the goal of eliminating support material, Blueprint engineers produced it for 33% of the cost of the original design. The design is no better or worse in performance, but it is much faster to produce due to some simple knowledge of DFAM.

Designing with knowledge of self-supporting structures is just one of the ways that build time and material consumption can be reduced on many technologies including DLP, FDM, DMLS, stereolithography, etc.

What should you do? How do you know if your group needs upskilling? You’ll start to see low machine ROIs, frequent failed prints, and difficulty removing support material or excess powder. It’s also to hear frequent complaints of the inadequacy of the technology, which while sometimes valid can also point to a limit of users’ knowledge or skills. These symptoms are demoralizing and are bad for business… but fortunately they’re caused by a very solvable problem. There are good guidebooks and DFAM courses that teach the technical side of additive manufacturing. But nothing can replace trial and error with the equipment and proactively developing your internal additive language.

2. Additive design software is lacking in usability.

The birthplace of organic, geometrically complex designs was the world of digital art: concept design, video game design, and illustrations. The software used to make these designs have absolutely nothing in common with the engineering CAD packages engineers use to make parts manufacturable. Additive manufacturing introduces a new paradigm of design, one that introduces manufacturability to optimal, organic designs that break the mold of traditional manufacturing design processes.

A new generation design software is needed to make value-optimized designs, like this topology-optimized brake caliper by Bugatti.

To fill this gap, a host of software companies have risen to the challenge of designing geometrically organic manufacturable parts. Below are a couple examples of these offerings and some of their current limitations.

  • Autodesk Generative Design is a simple tool that generates geometry connect anchor features in an organic way. Today it still doesn’t yield a 100% manufacturable design, and the outputs require either tweaking or a full redesign based on the generated result.
  • Materialise 3-Matic offers a variety of DFAM modules from part lightweighting to digital texturing. Procedures can be convoluted and because it outputs mesh files manufacturability and file integrity are still concerns.
  • nTop by nTopology is a promising new software that combines the organic shapes of generative design with well-understood geometric patterns. It’s a fairly new software that has yet to pass through the test of widespread adoption.

What should you do? Additive users are between a rock and a hard place. They’re forced to choose between spending expensive engineering time on powerful, yet new software and under-designed parts that are material-intensive or prone to failure. The bottom line? Expensive. But user organizations must embrace the fact that no design software is perfect yet and focus their energy on discerning the type and depth of software needed to create value. Future-ready engineering organizations should engage subject matter experts to assess whether investment in additive-specific design tools is on the critical path to success.

3. Additive is too often an afterthought

Unless additive is brought in at the very beginnings of a product’s lifecycle, it will simply not yield much value. An organization must do more than try to implement additive at a few stages in product development. Its people must “think additively”, considering and applying this new manufacturing methodology across the organization. Without embedding additive thinking from the beginning of a project with the support of all departments, the necessary CAD data, requirements analysis, or design resources won’t be available, resulting in failure and wasted effort.

What should you do? Start to Think Additively by considering additive before every step in the product development process.

Think Additively for Prototyping – In all stages of product development, designers should embrace the “agile” nature of additive manufacturing, assuming every part will need to be printed twice – once for testing and once for use. Additive manufacturing is the right technology for the old innovation adage: “Fail fast, and fail often”

Think Additively for Fixturing and Tooling – When it comes to fixturing and tooling, additive manufacturing is often disregarded as too expensive or too weak. Adding bushings to for strength or reducing material around the cradle geometry are ways to improve the design for performance and economics.

Think Additively for Production – There are two things that must drive design for production AM parts: the firm requirements (including surface quality, mechanical loads, and economics) and the goal (reduce weight, reduce cost, improve function). Designers should throw out the traditional manufacturing assumptions and start from the ground up with these two considerations.

3D printing requires a new thought process and the cooperation of multiple departments

Overcoming these three barriers to good design are crucial to creating an efficient, profitable additive operation.

Why? Because while traditional methods of manufacturing tie designers’ hands with manufacturability constraints, the flexibility of additive manufacturing frees the designer in an unprecedented way. And while 3D printing shifts control from the manufacturing process to the engineer, it also puts inadequate designs painfully on display through waste, whether it’s wasted time, material, or iterations. Waste and expense ultimately eclipse the expected business benefit of this disruptive technology.

This is why DFAM skills are so important to realizing intended business benefits.

David Busacker is a Senior Engineering Consultant for Blueprint. He is an experienced additive manufacturing designer and has developed multiple additive manufacturing design courses.

Blueprint is an additive manufacturing consultancy, bringing together more than 16 years of knowledge and experience across the industry. As the world’s leading additive manufacturing consultancy, Blueprint regularly assists future-ready companies achieve additive success. Based in Eden Prairie, Minn., and Milford, U.K, the firm offers a unique, technology-agnostic perspective on all things additive, from strategic advice to design optimization services. More information is available online at www.additiveblueprint.com.

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3D Printing News Briefs: April 10, 2019

We’ve got some business news for you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, before moving on to an upcoming industry event and new materials. 3DVinci Creations and the American University in Dubai will establish a facility for concrete 3D printing, while Telset signed a contract with Relativity. Lincoln Electric has acquired Baker Industries for its 3D printing technology, and Jabil is sharing the results of its survey report on 3D printing. Next month is the NAMIC Summit, with its flagship DfAM event, and Nile Polymers has announced two new PVDF filaments.

Agreement Signed to Establish Center for 3D Concrete Printing

A cooperation agreement was signed between 3DVinci Creations, the American University in Dubai (AUD), Arabtec Construction Company, and global engineering consultancy firm Robert Bird Group to establish The Center for 3D Concrete Printing and Digital Construction on AUD’s campus. The scientific research center, equipped with a 3DVinci Creations 3D printer, will serve researchers from the university’s three project partners, as well as university students and members of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. It will build partnerships, create a consortium of academic, government, and industry entities interested in the growing 3D concrete printing and digital construction fields, work with state officials to promote 3D printing culture in construction, and eventually develop and administer training workshops and seminars on concrete 3D printing.

“With this cooperation agreement, we aim to perform strategic analyses of the present and future capabilities of 3D Concrete Printing and of digitally-driven construction systems. The Center will work with local regulatory bodies to develop newly updated building codes that pertain to 3D printed buildings and structures,” said Edouard Baaklini, CEO of 3DVinci Creations. “We will also develop cost models of 3D Printed Concrete buildings and structures together with tools for value analysis vis-à-vis traditional construction methodologies.”

Relativity Signs Contract with Telesat

Los Angeles 3D printed rocket manufacturer Relativity just signed its first public, multi-year commercial contract with satellite services vendor Telesat. This is a big deal, as it’s the first agreement between a major satellite operator and a venture-backed “New Space” industry company. It costs about $10 million for Relativity to launch a 1,250 kg payload to low Earth orbit – a price that’s $10 to $20 million less than it would be using a European Ariane rocket or Indian PSLV rocket. The company can keep its costs down by using automation and metal 3D printing in its design and manufacturing processes, and claims its rockets can be made in just 60 days, with far less components. Relativity has completed 136 engine tests and is currently testing its avionics systems, with the first launch of its 3D printed Terran 1 rocket scheduled for the end of 2020.

“Early in our LEO program we decided that, in addition to working with outstanding leaders in satellite manufacturing and launch services who we know well, Telesat should also include New Space companies whose technologies and manufacturing methods offer lower costs and greater flexibility for deploying our constellation. Relativity is just such a company with their metal 3D printing, use of robotics and other advances,” said Dave Wendling, Telesat’s CTO. “Telesat continues to establish a world-class supplier team to construct, deploy and operate our global LEO network and we are very pleased to welcome Relativity to the Telesat LEO program.”

Lincoln Electric Acquires Baker Industries

According to a report published last year by SmarTech Industries, the global additive manufacturing market grew 18% to reach $9.3 billion in size, and Lincoln Electric (LECO) wanted a piece of that pie. The company announced that it has acquired Detroit-based Baker Industries, which developed 3D printing tech for the aerospace and automotive industries, for an undisclosed sum as part of a previously announced initiative to expand into the AM industry.

Baker was founded in 1992 to manufacture custom fixtures, parts, and tooling that are Nadcap-accredited, AS9100D-certified, and adhere to the tough aerospace quality management standards. While you can learn more about its services in the video below, Baker primarily offers CNC machining, design, fabrication, prototyping, quality assurance, tooling, and 3D printing services to its customers. With its acquisition of Baker, Lincoln will be able to position itself in the ever growing AM, automation, and tooling sector.

Jabil Shares Results of Survey Report

According to the 2019 Additive Materials and 3D Printing study by Jabil, the practical applications in 3D printing have grown significantly over the last two years. The company surveyed over 300 professionals who are responsible for 3D printing at manufacturing companies, and found that the technology has found its way into almost every step of production, though prototyping still remains the most popular application.

Jabil shared how several key industries, such as medical, transportation, and aerospace, are using the technology today, and reported that 25% of respondents said that 3D printing can be as much as 20 times faster than traditional forms of manufacturing – obviously a major benefit. Jabil itself has adopted the technology at some of its sites because it takes 3D printing very seriously, and believes that the technology “has unlimited potential in the future.” Nearly all of the survey’s respondents said they expected their companies’ 3D printing use to increase over the next two to five years. You can read the full survey report here.

DfAM Conference at NAMIC Summit Coming Up

Next month in Singapore, the 2019 NAMIC Summit will take place from May 6-10, with its flagship event – the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) Conference & AM Industry Showcase – happening on May 7th at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. You can register now for the event to take advantage of early bird rates.

You can spend the day meeting other like-minded professionals in networking sessions, or take in a presentation by one of over ten distinguished speakers who will be sharing their knowledge about simulation and modeling, industrial applications of digital design solutions, and generative design For example, John Barnes, the founder and managing director of The Barnes Group Advisors, will be speaking about “Design for Manufacturing: The Transformative Role of Design in Driving Innovation in the Future of Manufacturing” at 9:30 am, and the CEO and co-founder of Assembrix Ltd, Lior Polak, will present “Distributed Manufacturing in Action: Dynamic Machine Allocation and Real-Time Monitoring at 1:30 pm.

Nile Polymers Introduces New Additions to Fluorinar PVDF Family

Utah-based Nile Polymers, which offers an industrial-grade PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) filament based on Arkema’s Kynar PVDF material, just announced the addition of two new filaments to its Fluorinar PVDF family – Fluorinar-B and Fluorinar-ESD, also built on Arkema’s Kynar. Chemical-resistant Fluorinar filaments differ from other PVDF materials because they don’t have any additional diluents or polymer additives, and they are tough, flexible, high-strength, and offer flame suppression and UV protection qualities. Sample filaments are available for both

Black-colored Fluorinar-B combines the company’s Fluorosmooth adhesive, which increases the surface energy of a print at its interface with a glass build plate, with the dependability of Kynar PVDF, and carbon pigment increases the part’s tensile strength and permeation resistance as well. Graphene-enhanced electrostatic dissipation (ESD) filament Fluorinar-ESD is perfect for applications that have parts which can’t tolerate static build-up, and calibrates impact strength and melt viscosity carefully so the final part is durable and strong.

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Protolabs announces Designing for Additive Manufacturing course in partnership with Wohlers Associates

Award winning on demand manufacturing provider Protolabs and Colorado-based additive manufacturing consultants Wohlers Associates have collaborated to run a Designing for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) course. Taking place over three days, the course is an invitation-only event, established through a shared desire between the companies to help engineers and designers effectively use 3D printing technologies. Most […]

3D Printing News Briefs: March 23, 2019

We’ve got plenty of business news to share in this week’s 3D Printing News Briefs, but first we’ll start off with something fun – the winners have been announced for this year’s Additive World DfAM Challenge. Moving right along, BeAM is now a Tier 2 member of the ARTC, and PostProcess Technologies has announced improved processing times for SLA resin removal. Protolabs is offering new anodizing services, in addition to teaming up with Wohlers Associates, and Arkema will soon open a new PEKK plant in the US. Continuing with new things, a new AM digital career growth platform just launched, and there’s a new open project call for the European AMable project. Finally, GoPrint3D is the new UK distributor for Mayku and its desktop vacuum casting unit.

Winners Announces for Additive World DfAM Challenge 2019

This week during an awards dinner at the Additive World Conference in Eindhoven, Ultimaker’s Steven van de Staak, Chairman of the 5-member jury for this year’s Additive Industries’ Design for Additive Manufacturing Challenge, announced the two winners and their “inspiring use cases of industrial 3D metal printing.”

Obasogie Okpamen from The Landmark University in Nigeria won first place, and an Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer, in the student category for his Twin Spark Engine Connection Rod. While the connection rod that he redesigned for an Alfa Romeo 75 Twin Spark Turbo engine has not yet been fully tested, he won “because of the example it sets” for distributed localized manufacturing of spare parts with 3D printing. Dutch company K3D took home first place, and an Ultimaker 3, in the professional category for the Dough Cutting Knife it developed for Kaak Group, a leader in the bakery equipment world. The team integrated mechanical parts into the design, which can be 3D printed without any support structures and has improved functionality. The knife sits in a dough extrusion line and due to its light weight less knives and robot arms can do the same amount of cutting. This means that the extrusion line itself is cheaper. Furthermore the knife has been optimized for a cleaner cut with less knife sticking to the dough.

BeAM Joins Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre

Membership agreement signing ceremony held in ARTC

France-based BeAM, which has subsidiaries in the US and Singapore and was acquired by AddUp this summer, is now partnering with the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) as a Tier 2 member in an effort to expand its research activities in southeast Asia. The center provides a collaborative platform, which will help BeAM as it continues developing its Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology with companies from the aerospace, consumer goods, marine, and oil & goods sectors.

This summer, BeAM, which also became a member of the Aachen Centre for Additive Manufacturing earlier this month, will install its Modulo 400, featuring a controlled atmosphere system, at ARTC, so other members can safely develop non-reactive and reactive materials. The two will also work to develop process monitoring systems that can expand DED’s range of applications.

PostProcess Technologies Announces New Solution for SLA Resin Removal

A new and improved solution for SLA resin removal by PostProcess Technologies vastly improves process times by 5-10 minutes – quite possibly the fastest on the market. The system can clean up to five times as many parts before detergent saturation when compared to solvent resin removal, and is part of the company’s automated AM post-print offering. The patent-pending solution, which also reduces environmental hazards and preserves fine feature details, was validated with eight different resin materials in several production environments, and uses the company’s proprietary AUTOMAT3D software and SVC (Submersed Vortex Cavitation) technology in the DEMI and CENTI machines.

“PostProcess’ latest innovation of the most advanced SLA resin removal solution in the world reinforces our commitment to providing the AM industry with transformative post- printing solutions enabling the market to scale. SLA is one of the most popular 3D printing technologies in the world. No matter what volume of printing, any SLA user can benefit from the remarkable efficiencies of our solution’s decreased processing time, increased throughput, increased detergent longevity, and improved safety,” said PostProcess Technologies CEO Jeff Mize. “PostProcess has designed the world’s first complete SLA resin removal system, available only from the pioneers in forward-thinking 3D post-printing.”

The new SLA Resin Removal technology will be on display at PostProcess booth P21 at the upcoming AMUG Conference in Chicago. You can also read about it in the company’s new whitepaper.

Protolabs Offering Aluminum Anodizing; Partners with Wohlers Associates

As part of its on-demand production service, digital manufacturer Protolabs is now offering aluminium anodizing in response to demand from customers in need of a single-source solution. Anodizing forms a protective oxide layer by applying a thin, protective coat to the part, which increases abrasion resistance and creates a barrier against corrosion. The company will be offering two levels of this service for Aluminum 6082 and 7075: hard anodizing to ISI 10074 for parts requiring protection from harsh environments, and decorative anodizing to ISO 7599 for parts that need an aesthetic finish. All parts will be sealed, unless they need to be painted post-anodizing.

“Talking to our clients, we realised that if they needed to anodise an aluminium part it was often difficult for them to source and then manage a supplier. They not only have to do all the research and then raise a separate purchase order, but often find that the supplier only accepts large quantities of parts in an order, which isn’t great for low volume runs,” explained Stephen Dyson, Special Operations Manager at Protolabs.

“Keeping the entire production process with a single supplier makes perfect sense for manufacturers. It means they can get their finished parts shipped in a matter of days and our technical team can advise them through the entire process, right from the initial design of the part to the best approach for the final anodising finish.”

In other Protolabs news, the company is partnering up with AM consultants Wohlers Associates to jointly hold an immersive course on DfAM. The class, which is invitation-only, will take place over the course of three days near Raleigh, North Carolina, and will end at Protolabs’ 77,000 sq. ft. 3D printing facility. Olaf Diefel, Associate Consultant at Wohlers Associates, and Principle Consultant and President Terry Wohlers will lead the discussion, in addition to being joined by several Protolabs engineers who are skilled in polymer and metal 3D printing.

“Designing for AM offers unique challenges and opportunities not found in traditional design methods. Protolabs brings tremendous depth of expertise and leadership in 3D printing. We’re thrilled to work together to equip attendees with technical skills and manufacturing knowledge needed to unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing,” said Wohlers.

Arkema Opening New PEKK Plant

Arkema, one of the largest specialty chemical and advanced materials developers, has been busily producing polyetherketoneketone, or PEKK, in France. But this coming Monday, March 24th, it is celebrating its new Kepstan PEKK plant near Mobile, Alabama with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The durability and customizable abilities of PEKK make it a good material for a variety of 3D printing purposes. Monday’s event will take place from 10:30 am to 1:30, and will also include VIP comments and lunch. The increased volume of this PEAK material will shake up the high-performance polymer market making PEKK a viable alternative to PEEK and PEI.

New AM Digital Career Growth Platform Launched

A free interactive platform to help AM professionals enhance their skills and fulfill career opportunities is now launching. i-AMdigital, which counts HP as one of its backing partners, is a joint venture between AM industry recruiter Alexander Daniels Global, digital venture company TES Network, and web and UX design company De Wortel van Drie. The platform was created to develop a growing AM talent pool, and uses smart matching and AI to offer customized career advice, courses, training, and job opportunities.

“There just isn’t enough talent out there. At the same time the learning and development landscape for additive manufacturing is very fragmented. This makes it difficult for individuals and organisations alike to access courses that can help them upskill. i-AMdigital solves both problems through our digital career growth platform,” said CEO and Co-Founder Nick Pearce of Alexander Daniels Global.

“It is an essential tool for the AM industry that will allow talent to grow their career and make an impact in additive manufacturing. It will provide organisations access to a growing and educated talent force to address their hiring needs and a marketplace for learning and development that can help them upskill their existing workforce in the latest technologies.”

AMable Launches Second Open Project Call

The AMable project, which receives funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, has just launched its second project call for proposals and ideas that can be applied to AM. The project is continuing to look for new ways to innovate on services for mid-caps and SMEs in the EU, and chosen teams will receive support from the AMable unit.

AMable is a Factories of the Future (FoF) project participating in I4MS (ICT for Manufacturing SMEs), and is working to increase adoption of AM technologies through the EU. The project will build a digital model that will provide unbiased access to the best AM knowledge in Europe in an effort to support this adoption. For more details on the call, visit the AMable site.

Express Group Appointed New UK Distributor for Mayku

GoPrint3D, a division of Express Group Ltd, has just been named the new UK distributor for London startup Mayku. The startup created a desktop vacuum casting unit called the FormBox, which is a handy partner for your 3D printer. Once you create a 3D printed mold, you can put it inside the compact FormBox, which is powered by any vacuum cleaner and works with many materials like wax and concrete, to cast a series from it – putting the power of making in your own hands.

An architect forming a dome template on the FormBox.

 

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Express Group on our UK and Ireland distribution, building on our existing servicing and repair relationship,” said Alex Smilansky, Mayku Co-Founder and CEO. “When we founded Mayku, our goal was to bring the power of making to as wide an audience as possible. The partnership with Express Group will allow us to deliver a first-class making experience to more people than ever before.”

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3D Printing an Improved DMLS Automotive Component Using Topology Optimization and DfAM

Engineers frequently use topology optimization to optimize the design and layout of parts to create lightweight and optimized structures. The technology often results in organic, complex shapes, however, which can be difficult to produce using traditional manufacturing methods. That’s why 3D printing pairs so well with topology optimization – it allows for the kind of freedom of design necessary to create those complex shapes. In a paper entitled “Application of Topology Optimization and Design for Additive Manufacturing Guidelines on an Automotive Component,” a group of researchers uses topology optimization to create a lightweight automotive component “while conforming to additive manufacturing constraints related to overhanging features and unsupported surfaces when using metallic materials.”

Specifically, the researchers use Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) along with topology optimization to study the tradeoffs between the weight of the part, support requirements, manufacturing costs, and mechanical performance. They redesign an upright on the SAE Formula student race car to reduce support structures and manufacturing cost while using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS).

The upright is responsible for transferring loads from the ground to the chassis, and is an important component of the race car. The initial optimized design had a theoretical weight of 1.62 lbs. (735 grams). The model was analyzed for two orientations: flat on the build platform and on its side. A costing tool was used to calculate the overall manufacturing costs of the build. The calculated costs of the part printed flat and on its side were $2015 and $2995, respectively. FEM simulations were carried out to ensure that the mechanical performance of the final parts satisfied the loading conditions.

The researchers then worked to improve the design using a program called OPTISTRUCT, with the original design as a reference.

“Since the optimization problem involves multiple loading cases, a weighted compliance approach is used to determine the optimized layout while considering four different loading cases,” the researchers explain. “The objective function is defined as minimize compliance response subjected to 20% volume fraction as the optimization constraint.”

The aim of the redesign was to reduce the need for supports, and the researchers were able to do so, although the weight of the part was increased. After reviewing the FEM analysis, the part was redesigned once again to reduce the weight. The final part required 91.7% less support structure, and the total manufacturing cost is reduced by 51.7%.

“Future work entails formalizing an approach that integrates topology optimization, FEM, support design, and DfAM rules into a more coherent framework,” the researchers conclude. “We also plan to fabricate and test Redesign 2 using EOS M280 machine and collect actual fabrication data similar to Design 0 to get a more accurate measure of the support requirement and trapped powder. Also, geometry affects the residual stresses and deflections caused by frequent heating and cooling cycles in a laser-based additive manufacturing process. Hence, for functional parts like this, it is important to know the performance of the design during the AM process. Thermo-mechanical simulations will be carried out to estimate the deflections in the part and this data will be used to redesign, if required.”

Authors of the paper include Nithin Reddy, Vincent Maranan, Timothy W. Simpson, Todd Palmer and Corey J. Dickman.

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Upcoming 3D Printing Events Cater to Every Interest

If you’re looking for a 3D printing-related conference or event to attend in the near future, there’s no shortage of options, from Inside 3D Printing Seoul this week to the second annual Additive Manufacturing Summit in January, plus lots in between.

Additive International, formerly known as the International Conference on Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing, will be taking place in Nottingham, England on July 11th and 12th, with a pre-conference day on July 10th. The conference has been going on since 2006, and it’s always extremely informative, with this year’s event being no exception.

Topics covered this year will include using silicone inks to 3D print lifelike organ models; developing ultra-stiff, lightweight mechanical metamaterials; accelerating the development of additive manufacturing standards; printing in-orbit satellite parts; serial part production in aerospace and using innovation to handle post-processing issues.

“Additive International is really more of a summit than a conference,” said conference chair Professor Richard Hague. “It is all about bringing experts together to share knowledge, discuss ideas and to learn from one another. We pride ourselves on achieving a balance between industry and academia – presenting the very latest real world AM applications alongside exciting new developments from research labs across the globe. We don’t shy away from addressing the issues and obstacles that AM presents head-on. This honesty and transparency is part of what keeps our delegates, presenters and exhibitors returning each year to take part.”

The conference will take place at the Nottingham Belfry hotel and will feature a lineup of expert speakers, including:

  • Abi Bush, Field Ready
  • Paola Caracciolo, Airbus – Germany
  • Tiffany Chen. RMIT University
  • Alvaro Goyanes, University College London
  • Jonathan Jeffers, Imperial College London
  • Abby Juhl, Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Cindy Kutchko, PPG Industries
  • Michael McAlpine, The University of Minnesota
  • Florence Montredon, Thales Alenia Space
  • Alexander Powell, ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences
  • Anil K Sachdev, GM Global Research & Development
  • Mohsen Seifi, AST International
  • Christopher Spadaccini, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Iain Todd, Mapp EPSRC Future Manufacturing Hub
  • René Van Der Meer, Océ-Technologies B.V.
  • Ricky Wildman, University of Nottingham
  • Christopher Williams, Virginia Tech
  • Lijuan Zhang, National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing

More than 30 organizations will be exhibiting as well; the headline sponsor will be HP. For the first time, Additive International also has a charity partner: Field Ready, which uses 3D printing to deliver medical supplies and other emergency aid in the field.

The pre-conference day, titled Business Innovation in AM, will feature presentations from 33 Innovate UK-funded additive manufacturing project teams that will explore business applications of additive manufacturing in the categories of:

  • New AM Processes
  • New Materials including Conductive Components
  • Med-Tech
  • Post processing
  • Hybrid Processes and Tooling Applications
  • Inspection Systems
  • Large Scale and Construction

Taking place at the same time, but online, will be a workshop entitled 3D Printing Fashion for Beginners, given by designer Danit Peleg. From July 10th to 12th, this virtual workshop will teach participants the history and basics of 3D printed fashion. On Day One, An Introduction to 3D Printing and Fashion, Peleg will share the story of how she got started in 3D printed fashion as well as go over the history of 3D printed fashion, more recent innovations, and the techniques, limitations and challenges presented today.

On Day Two, How to Design and Print Your Own Fashion Files Without Knowing How to 3D Model, Peleg will demonstrate the step-by-step process of creating design files without knowing 3D modeling. At the end of the session, she will review each student’s textile designs and send them off for 3D printing in her studio. Day Three, A Live Review of Participants’ Designs and Printed Pieces, will include an extended Q&A session and tips on how to proceed after the course.

The course costs $540 and is limited to 15 participants, so register today if you’re interested.

Another course will be taking place from August 8th to 10th in Frisco, Colorado. Wohlers Associates, Inc. is hosting its Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) course, offering designers, engineers and managers the chance to learn how to maximize the benefits of additive manufacturing.

“To stay competitive with AM, it is critical to give DfAM the time and effort it deserves,” said Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant and President of Wohlers Associates. “Neglecting the importance of DfAM is a mistake that most organizations will not want to make.”

The class will be led by DfAM expert Olaf Diegel, and will cover topics including the consolidation of many parts into one and methods to reduce material and weight, such as topology optimization and lattice/mesh structures. Participants will gain hands-on experience by designing and 3D printing their own parts. You can learn more and register here.

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