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FELIXprinters Adds Two High-Temperature 3D Printing Systems to Industrial Portfolio

Family-run industrial 3D printing solutions provider FELIXprinters, headquartered in IJsselstein, the Netherlands since 2010, works to create what it calls “holistic AM solutions” for its customers , developing “tailor-made” platforms for specific applications, rather than simply selling off-the-shelf solutions. A year ago, soon after the introduction of its Pro 3, the Dutch company added the FELIX PRO L and XL 3D printers to its portfolio, which scaled its precision technology up to more large-scale build volumes. The robust systems reliably provide larger parts, without giving up the quality that FELIXprinters is known for, and can easily fit into workshop spaces.

Not long ago, the company launched its first 3D bioprinting system, and now, even amidst the many challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 crisis, has been busy at work. This week, FELIXprinters announced the addition of a new range made of two high-temperature 3D printers.

“Like all businesses as we moved through the first quarter of 2020, we have had to adapt and adjust the way that we work. As soon as it was obvious that the coronavirus pandemic was going to severely disrupt the usual way of working, we made some far reaching and strategic moves to ensure the continuity of production or our 3D printers, and also our relationships with our customers. First and foremost, we had to ensure that our FELIX team could operate in a way that they were comfortable with and which guaranteed their safety. So from very early on, we ensured that they had masks, had access to all the sanitiser and hygiene measures that they needed, and that we put in place protocols that meant everyone in the factory could work while maintaining social distancing requirements,” said Wilgo Feliksdal, Co-Founder of FELIXprinters.

“Once this had been arranged, and with the continued demand for our industrial range of 3D printers and our newly introduced BIOprinter still high, it became clear to us that we were in a position to continue our 2020 plans relatively uninterrupted. Earlier in the year we had received a tender from a large multinational client looking at the possibility that we could produce a series of high temperature 3D printers, and we have now geared up to produce these in large batches through Q2 and Q3.”

While we don’t yet know the name of these new high-temperature AM systems, we do know that they feature customizable print heads, a 600 x 600 x 600 mm build volume, and a secure enclosure with a HEPA filter.

High-temperature 3D printing makes it possible to use stronger, advanced, and functional engineering-grade materials, such as PEKK, PEI, and polyamides, which then allows manufacturers to fabricate parts that are needed for rapid prototyping purposes, and practical end use applications, in the aerospace, engineering, and architecture industries. As the new FELIXprinters high-temperature systems can print anywhere from 100-400°C, I’d say they fit the bill.

“There is no doubt that we are in unprecedented times, and we like many companies operating in the 3D printing space are having to adapt our ways of working as we begin to defeat the coronavirus, and we are delighted that despite everything we have successfully developed our high temperature solutions,” said Guillaume Feliksdal, FELIXprinters Co-Founder. “In many ways, the 3D printing sector is unique in that it is likely to see an upswing in attention as globally, companies begin to reassess and localise their supply chains. At FELIXprinters, the continued demand for our industrial 3D printers, the enormous interest in our BIOprinter, and the recent developments we have made in term of high temperature additive manufacturing show the vibrancy of the niche, and also demonstrate the resilience of industry as we all drive on and innovate, even in these difficult times. I feel we have the edge in many areas due to an exceptional, dedicated, and passionate team, and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their hard work and talents.”

While the new high-temperature 3D printers aren’t available just yet, FELIXprinters has said that they are mere weeks away from commercial use. So we’ll have to stay tuned for more information.

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Kodak Launched New Design to Print Service, Showcased 3D Printing Ecosystem

Just a couple of short years ago, Kodak entered the AM market with its 3D Printing Ecosystem, which includes specialized software, the dual extruder, professional Portrait 3D printer, and a line of premium, low moisture content filaments. I learned a lot about this ecosystem while visiting Kodak’s booth at the recent RAPID+TCT show in Detroit, as the Portrait, and a wide array of example prints made on it, were being showcased.

On to new business first – the company launched its new Design to Print Service, which Kodak’s CCO and and co-founder Demian Gawianski told me is helpful for “customers who find designers’ time very valuable.”

“This can go from converting any 3D model into a 3D printable file to tuning the parameters on how to print those files,” he told me. “Basically, if you have complex geometry that wouldn’t go with our preset parameters, because it may have some bridges or overhangs or something like that, we would create the profile for the user, and our designers will actually print out the part to make sure it works.”

The company was offering a launching offer for its new service at the show – any customer who purchased the Portrait 3D printer at RAPID would also receive a $500 credit for the Design to Print Service.

This valuable service is an easy three-step process: first, share your project on your Kodak 3D Cloud account. Then, interact with the company’s professional designers in order to get a quick quote for the project, in addition to an estimated completion date. Finally, have your part optimized for a guaranteed result, printed, and tested by the Kodak team. You will then receive an STL file from the company that’s been modified for successful 3D printing. The service is available in English and Spanish, from 8 am to 5 pm EST, for a standard rate of $45 an hour; a priority job is available for an hourly rate of $90.

“We want to make sure that the user has a very successful experience, with any level of knowledge they may have about 3D printing,” Gawianski continued. “We want to have a comprehensive approach.”

This includes providing users with the right materials and hardware, empowered by good software, and Gawianski believes that Kodak’s design solution offers this unique, comprehensive approach.

Then we moved over to the Portrait 3D printer, which features a compact 215 x 210 x 235 mm build volume with a magnetic, heated build plate and dual extruders. With an intuitive color touchscreen that supports multiple languages, HEPA filter with activated carbon, automatic bed leveling, and live print monitoring via a built-in camera, I can see why Kodak calls it “the new standard for ‘desktop’ professional printing.”

Gawianski noted the “fully enclosed chamber,” which helps enable a “high level of control,” stability, and accuracy. He also pointed out the dual extrusion system with automatic nozzle lifting. The #2 hotend on the left is Teflon for high temperature materials, while the one on the right is metal for lower temperatures. The part being printed while we were standing there was out of white ABS.

“It would be difficult to achieve this level of quality on another printer with ABS, because it would warp and have all kinds of problems,” he explained.

Then we walked over to a setup in the corner of the booth that had caught my eye when I first arrived. A Portrait 3D printer – which was currently operating and weighs about 35 kg – had been placed on a rather thin-looking wooden platform, which was suspended by ropes that were attached to nylon hooks 3D printed on the Portrait itself.

The nylon hooks were strong enough to keep the platform stable, so the print could continue uninterrupted with “the same level of quality” while it was fabricating a blue part out of strong but flexible Nylon 6.

“The printer comes with two filament cases. You open the back of a filament, and place the filament in the case,” Gawianski said. “It has a silica gel that continues to protect the filament all the way from the manufacturing plant to the printed part.”

This case protects the filament from absorbing dust or humidity. Kodak is open to Portrait customers using third party materials, but these clear cases are only for its own filament.

He then started to show me various parts made out of Kodak’s other materials, such as a blue skull printed out of PLA Tough with water-soluble PVA supports, an engineering part made out of ABS with HIPS supports that dissolve in Limonene, and a large part with a green top that can lift 700 lbs of weight.

Kodak offers 11 different materials, including strong, food-safe PETG and semi-flexible Flex 98 with high abrasive resistance. Gawianski brought out a 3D printed part that was a good example of the Portrait 3D printer’s dual extrusion. The figure, which bore a strong resemblance to the Egyptian god Anubis, was made with PLA+ (green) and PLA Tough (red), which are the two materials that come with the Portrait 3D printer out of the box.

“We also have Nylon 12, which is FDA certified and has high resistance to impact,” Gawianski said, showing me two parts in translucent white.

“We also have some further ABS parts – this is a delamination test,” he continued, scratching the side of a small container. “It’s difficult to achieve this with an open printer, you need an enclosed one.”

Kodak will soon be releasing some new materials to the market, such as acrylic, which I also got the chance to see.

Our conversation ended by discussing Kodak’s 3D printing software.

“We have a desktop solution, which is the Kodak 3D Slicer,” Gawianski explained. “And we have the Kodak 3D Cloud, that is a cloud management system that enables you to manage an unlimited number of printers in unlimited locations from a single data place. So from your computer, phone, whatever, you can manage this fleet of printer.”

I asked if the company had anything new on the horizon, and aside from new filaments, Gawianski also said we can expect to see a new 3D printer model by the end of the year.

Take a look at some more of my pictures from the Kodak booth at RAPID+TCT 2019 below:

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[Images: Sarah Saunders]

New 3D Printing Safety Enclosure and Filtration System Designed for Ultimaker 3D Printers and XSTRAND

The Ultimate 3D Printing Store (U3DPS), based in Florida, was one of the first resellers in the US to carry engineering-grade XSTRAND 3D printing filament by Owens Corning. This exclusive material is part of the Ultimaker ecosystem, as it can now be used with the Ultimaker S5 thanks to the CC Red 0.6 print core, which Ultimaker just released on Tuesday. But more good news has just been announced for these three, in the form of a single, powerful solution for industrial 3D printing.

“We are thrilled to announce that our exclusive 3Domus Filtration System (3DFS), which we designed specifically for the Ultimaker S5, will be available the same day,” said Roy Kirchner, Founder and President of the Ultimate 3D Printing Store.

The combination of the Ultimaker S5, XSTRAND filament, and the 3DFS safety enclosure is sure to have many industrial users reaching for their wallets. 3DFS is actually the first safety enclosure designed specifically for use with XSTRAND filaments and Ultimaker 3D printers.

“Ultimaker is rightly regarded as making the world’s best FFF 3D printers. And Owens Corning has created a filament that will revolutionize 3D additive manufacturing. Now, our company is debuting the first, and only, safety enclosure for the Ultimaker S5, which we believe not only completes this luxury machine but allows XSTRAND to print to its fullest capacity,” said Kirchner.

The enclosure, with U3DPS says is the first of its kind, was designed so Ultimaker S5 users could 3D print with more exotic filaments, such as XSTRAND, without contaminating their work space or damaging the machine.

The 3DFS safety enclosure, which Kirchner says is also compatible with the Ultimaker 3, Ultimaker 3 Extended, Ultimaker 2+, and Ultimaker 2 Extended 3D printers, comes pre-assembled, so you can take it out of the box and put it right to work. The enclosure comes with an optional activated carbon and HEPA filtration system, and offers “maximum protection” with no screws necessary to attach it to the 3D printer.

Safety and protection during 3D printing is a big deal. When 3D printers are used in places where a lot of people are around, like business and schools, there’s always a danger of inhaling small particles and potentially dangerous fumes. Last month, 3DPrint.com spoke with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is the part of the US government that researches the safety of workers in many different professions.

“If a risk cannot be eliminated, engineering controls such as a fume hood or local exhaust ventilation (a system that specifically ventilates the printer rather than the air in a room) with HEPA/carbon filtration would be the next preferred method to reduce emission levels. Some 3-D printers are now being sold with built-in filtration units,” the group of NIOSH researchers told us last month when asked how people should best protect themselves from potential 3D printing risks.

“In one workplace, NIOSH researchers showed that an appropriately designed and operated local exhaust ventilation with HEPA/carbon filtration reduced the amounts of particles and chemicals in air.”

According to Kirchner, U3DPS was inspired to develop a safety-conscious and attractive add-on unit because none of the 3D printers by Ultimaker currently come with their own factory-built enclosures.

Kirchner explained, “Anyone who works with one of these high-end printers, especially in an enclosed environment, should have this enclosure, not only to protect their machine from outside contaminants and to maintain internal thermal management, but also to keep their work environment free of fumes during the printing process.

“Our clear enclosure fits over your Ultimaker printer like a glove, forming a seal, while still allowing full view of the printing process.”

The company’s new Ultimaker safety enclosure can be purchased with or without the activated carbon and HEPA filtration system. Each 33DFS unit comes pre-drilled, so it can easily attached to an Ultimaker 3D printer. But in addition to offering us a safer way to use our 3D printers, the best news is that the safety enclosure is relatively affordable…maybe not for someone like me, who hates spending large amounts of money on fancy equipment (thus, why I do not own a 3D printer), but for those who spend a lot of time 3D printing, it’s worth the cost.

The enclosure can be purchased without the filtration system for a price between $179 and $379, while including the 3DFS with the enclosure will cost, depending on the 3D printer, anywhere from $299 (Ultimaker 2+) to $499 (Ultimaker S5). Additionally, you can also purchase the activated carbon and HEPA filtration system separately for just $129; replacement filters are only $29 each. But if you’re interested, you’d better act fast – the company expects that the limited quantity of enclosures currently available for purchase in its initial production run will sell out fast. Visit the Ultimate 3D Printing Store website to purchase yours today.

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[Images provided by The Ultimate 3D Printing Store]