We’re discussing an upcoming event and some business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. 3D Systems is holding a virtual trade show next month. nTopology and Yamaichi have signed an agreement, and a 3D printing platform has announced the onboarding of Europe’s largest purchasing and marketing association for industrial B2B.
3D Systems Holding Virtual Trade Show
On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, 3D Systems will be holding an exclusive virtual trade show centered on helping manufacturers keep their competitive advantage by using digital manufacturing solutions to fix supply chain dependencies, streamline supplier distribution, reduce supply interruptions, and lower risk. By integrating both additive and subtractive technologies into the environment, businesses can improve their productivity and agility, and offer customers new innovations. 3D Systems’ own Phil Schultz, Executive Vice President, Operations, and Radhika Krishnan, Executive Vice President and General Manager – Software, will give the keynote address for the event.
“Phil Schultz and Radhika Krishnan outline the essence of agile manufacturing, explaining in practical terms how to transform your environment to deliver a digital end-to-end manufacturing workflow that is fit for today and perfect for tomorrow.”
The event will kick off at 9:30 am EST and, in addition to the keynote, will include live webinar presentations and a virtual exhibit hall. Register here. If you’re unavailable to attend on the day of, the virtual trade show will be available on demand for the 30 days following the event.
nTopology and Yamaichi Sign MoU
Software startup nTopology has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yamaichi Special Steel (YSS) to bring its next-generation nTop software platform to Japan. YSS is part of the automotive and heavy industry manufacturing supply chain in Japan, and its additive division promotes 3D printing and DfAM in the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. The two have set up a reseller and service agreement, where YSS will bring nTop to its Japanese customers, providing support and training to users. Then, the Cognitive Additive solution of YSS will be connected to the nTop platform, to help users predict cost and printability.
To kick off the partnership, the YSS Additive Manufacturing team used topology optimization to redesign a brake caliper. As the part is used in a high temperature and fatigue environment, YSS designed a TPMS-based heat exchanger for the caliper, and also added an oil circuit and shielding surfaces. The brake caliper was 3D printed out of aluminum alloy AlSi10 using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology.
Jellypipe Onboards PVH Future LAB and E/D/E
German 3D printing platform Jellypipe uses its Jellypipe Eco-system to help companies take their 3D business to the next level, and features a comprehensive marketplace and the largest 3D printing factory in the D-A-CH region. Now, it’s announced the onboarding of PVH Future LAB, an innovation platform for technology-driven business models, and Einkaufsbüro Deutscher Eisenhändler GmbH (E/D/E), which drives PVH and is the largest purchasing and marketing association for industrial B2B in Europe. Both will now connect to the Jellypipe Eco-system.
“With Jellypipe’s 3D ecosystem – the connection with 3D specialists and our partners is a most important step in the digital automation and supply of 3D printed parts,” said Thilo Brocksch and Frederik Diergarten, both General Managers at PVH FUTURE LAB GmbH. “We can now offer our customers a new and wide process range for 3D printed products.”
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Nonprofit standards development organization ASTM International, which develops and publishes technical standards for a range of industries, materials, products, services, and systems around the globe, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Underwriters Laboratories (UL), another nonprofit which works to advance its mission of public safety through discovery and application of scientific knowledge. The agreement will set up a framework for a cooperation between the two to create an international, dual-logo ASTM and International Standardization Organization (ISO) standard.
“We are announcing a collaboration agreement with ASTM International that will result in an ISO-ASTM standard for additive manufacturing facility safety management,” Patrick Wilmot, Communications Manager for UL Standards, told 3DPrint.com. “This is an exciting partnership for our organizations and we believe it will be of great use to the AM industry.”
“This partnership brings together both organizations’ expertise and shared desire to drive global safety. It leverages ASTM’s technical committee and relationship with ISO with our document and research to drive impact and positively influence the international standards landscape,” said UL Standards Vice President Global Standards Phil Piqueira.
The terms of this new MoU state that ASTM will act as the standards developing organization (SDO) for the agreement, which includes responsibilities such as managing all activities and administrative support. In addition, it will convene the organization’s F42 additive manufacturing technical committee, first formed over a decade ago, in order to review and advance the UL document, the basis of which is its 3400 Outline of Investigation for Additive Manufacturing Facility Safety Management. Once the document, developed with UL research, is complete, ASTM will publish the standard.
ASTM has an existing agreement with ISO to publish its standards documents as ASTM-ISO standards, which means that UL Standards will transfer its copyright of the material in the UL 3400 document over to ASTM so that it can officially be published as an ISO-ASTM standard. The complete, published standard will also be attributed to UL Standards, due to its content and technical expertise.
“The collaborative nature of global standardization creates many opportunities for partnership with other SDOs. We appreciate these opportunities to share knowledge with partners like Underwriters Laboratories to help advance public safety in this fast-evolving field,” stated Brian Meincke, ASTM International’s Vice President of Finance, Business Development and Innovation.
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Singapore-based metal Bralco Advanced Materials, a research, product development, and commercialization company specializing in metal 3D printing, just announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GE Additive in order to speed up the development and manufacturing processes for 3D printed magnets and electromagnetic components in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
Bralco often collaborates with academic research institution Nanyang Technological University of Singapore (NTU). The company works to leverage the power of 3D printing to provide quicker, less expensive solutions for developing, prototyping, and customized mass manufacturing complex electromagnetic components for customers in the aerospace, energy, e-mobility, industrial automation/rotating devices, and robotics fields.
“Bralco is honored to be working with GE Additive in this very exciting space of digital industry 4.0. This collaboration is a major milestone for us, coming at a time when the demand for soft and hard magnets is growing rapidly due to their use in every aspect of modern life be it health care, mobility, personal communication devices, renewable energy or robotics,” said Amit Nanavati, the founder and CEO of Bralco Advanced Materials.
“Moreover, the adoption of additive manufacturing technology will save millions of dollars in material cost due to the additive nature of this technology compared to the traditional manufacturing processes.”
L-R: Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, Managing Director, National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster, H.E.; Mr. Javed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India; Mr. Amit Nanavati, Founder & CEO of Bralco Advanced Materials Pte. Ltd.; Mr. Tan Czek Haan, General Manager, GE Additive; Mr. Wouter Van Wersch, President & CEO, GE ASEAN & NZ; Mr. Francis Chan, Trade Commissioner of Canada [Image: Bralco]
We often see 3D printed magnetic components used for applications in the aerospace, automotive, energy industrial automation, medical, and robotics fields.
Combining its own expertise in magnetic materials with GE Additive’s 3D printing and powder manufacturing technology know-how, Bralco will be able to increase the speed of development for both hard and soft magnets and components with complex shapes, high mechanical strength, differentiated magnetic fields, high frequencies and torque conditions, and able to operate at elevated temperatures. These kinds of magnetic components for perfect for demanding applications, like electric vehicles’ traction motors.
“We are very excited to set up our first R&D Lab and Product Innovation Centre in Singapore, fully equipped with GE Additive machine and a state-of-the-art powder and built parts testing and characterisation lab,” Nanavati continued.
“We hope these steps will add to the growing importance of Singapore as a global center for the additive manufacturing industry and as one of the most attractive locations to set up a high tech R&D facility – an achievement largely due to the vision of the Singapore government in early adoption of Industry 4.0 and Additive Manufacturing and the untiring efforts of its nodal agencies National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Enterprise Development Board (EDB).
The signed MoU will give Bralco access to GE Additive’s AP&C (Advanced Powders & Coatings) materials division, as well as its engineering consultancy team Addworks – enabling the company to decrease both the product development and commercialization cycles. Additionally, the MoU looks at the future potential of appointing Bralco an APAC service provider for 3D printing parts and components, based on its own magnetic material compositions, with GE Additive machines and powder materials.
“We, at Bralco, are very excited to be right at the front of this leap into the digital future,” Nanavati concluded. “We look forward to exploring ground breaking discoveries through our work with GE Additive in this next chapter of our journey.”
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Starting with a little business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, Materialise has signed an MoU with Sigma Labs, and Carpenter Technology Corporation launched an additive manufacturing business unit, while Ampower just released a metal 3D printing technology map. Moving on to news about 3D printers, 3D Potter has introduced a compact version of its Scara clay 3D printer, and a UK service bureau installed an HP Jet Fusion 4200 system.
Materialise and Sigma Labs Sign MoU
Back in 2014, Sigma Labs signed an agreement with Materialise to integrate its PrintRite quality inspection technology into the Belgian company’s 3D printing software. Now, five years later, the two companies have entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to evaluate this integration together.
The mission behind the MoU is, according to MarketScreener, “to create an integrated product solution composed of sophisticated control technology enhanced with in-situ process monitoring for metal additive manufacturing.” Materialise and Sigma Labs have a shared vision to ultimately set up a formal licensing agreement, or a formal joint marketing collaboration, for a truly integrated product.
“From powder production to manufacturing and finishing parts, the full spectrum of our capabilities is what differentiates Carpenter Additive from the rest of the AM industry. We are revolutionizing how customers approach this disruptive technology by offering end-to-end solutions through an array of technical expertise, powder production, parts production, and material lifecycle management,” said Carpenter’s President and CEO Tony R. Thene. “Carpenter Additive is working with our customers and driving industry-wide change.”
Ampower Releases New Technology Map
Metal 3D printing consultancy Ampower is working to prepare for its metal additive manufacturing report, which will be released at formnext in Germany this fall. While compiling the report, Ampower closely studied all of the available metal AM technologies and counted them up, arriving at a total of 18 falling into seven different categories, including powder, wire, and granulate. In addition, Ampower analyzed the supply chain and counted up nearly 90 different metal AM machine vendors. Now, the consultancy has put all of its findings together in a high-resolution metal AM technology map, which can be downloaded from Ampower’s website.
“In our Technology Map for Metal Additive Manufacturing, we subdivide the procedures based on the ASTM / ISO 52900,” Ampower wrote on its website. “However, methods are now known that elude a known classification. Systems from vendors such as Vader and Fabrisonic use completely new approaches to energy input and raw materials. However, these technologies still have a relatively young degree of maturity. In addition, it should be noted that even with the same classification, the procedures may still differ. For example, the technology of 3DEO can only be classified as binder jetting as it incorporates a milling process at the same time.”
To learn more, download the metal AM technology map today.
3D Potter Launches Compact Version of Scara V3 3D Printer
Florida-based company 3D Potter, formerly known as DeltaBots, makes low-pressure, high-powered 3D ceramic printers. These delta-style printers are completely dedicated to 3D printing ceramics and pottery, and the company is now the 3D printer manufacturer for over 200 aerospace and defense entities, research facilities, and universities. Recently, 3D Potter introduced a lightweight, compact version of its Scara V3 – the 3D Potterbot Scara Mini V1, which has no air compressor and features a single joint Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm (SCARA), which operates on a rotational x and y-axis. The printer’s 200 ml extruder is easy to clean, and there’s no weight limit for final 3D printed products, which achieve high accuracy and even consistency with no air bubbles. The Scara Mini V1 is fully capable of 360° multiple object printing.
“The other advantage for universities and architectural departments is that it can do architectural objects. It can actually print inside an object,” explained 3D Potter president Danny Defelici.
To see the new Scara Mini V1 in action, take a look at the video below.
Design Reality Service Bureau Installs HP Jet Fusion 4200
UK industrial design consultancy and service bureau Design Reality, headquartered in Wales, is made up of design and electronics experts who work to create products for clients in the medical, industrial, and consumer industries. Recently, the company made the decision to install an HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 3D printer in order lower outsourcing requirements and improve upon its design and production capabilities, which will in turn provide its customers with a consistent, end-to-end solution and faster turnarounds. Since the system was installed, Design Reality has already attracted some new customers.
“Our ambition is to make lives healthier and safer with the products that we design. We want to leverage any advantage we can to improve product development quality, performance and speed of delivery,” said Graham Wilson, the Owner and Design Director at Design Reality. “The technology offered in the HP Multi jet Fusion HP 3D 4200 enables reliable prototyping and additive manufacturing, providing quality products into the hands of our clients, faster and at a lower cost. Our clients no longer have to wait for conventional tooling and manufacturing processes, and the investment that is associated with it.”
Design Reality is mainly sticking with HP’s Nylon 12 material in order to lower waste, and is using HP’s subscription pricing, which is the first pay-per-use subscription model in the industry, for its materials.
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We’re taking care of business first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then moving on to education. Optomec has announced two new additions to its LENS series, and CRP Technology is introducing a new commercial strategy for its Windform composite materials. HP India is building a new Center of Excellence for 3D Printing, while the South Korean government continues its investment in the technology. The GE Additive Education Program is now accepting applications for 2019-2020, and a Philadelphia-based university and health system has integrated Ultimaker 3D printers into its teaching curriculum. Speaking of health, Sweden is looking into 3D printing food for the elderly.
Optomec’s New LENS Systems
This week, production-grade metal 3D printer supplier Optomec announced that it was releasing two new Directed Energy Deposition (DED) 3D printers in its Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) Classic System Series: the CS 600 and the CS 800 Controlled Atmosphere (CA) DED Systems. Both of the systems are configurable, and are designed to maximize the process build envelope, while at the same time lowering the system footprint and chamber volume. They have CA chambers that make it possible to process both non-reactive and reactive metals, and are both compatible with the company’s latest generation LENS deposition head.
“These new systems come packed with next-generation DED components all born from signature Optomec know-how and built to provide affordable, high-quality metal additive manufacturing capabilities for industry’s most demanding requirements. The LENS CS 600 and CS 800 systems represent the latest in DED processing from precision deposition to cladding applications and extend our product portfolio to continue to provide high-value metal additive manufacturing solutions,” said Tom Cobbs, Optomec’s LENS product manager.
The first customer shipments of the CS 600 and the CS 800 CA systems have already begun this year.
New Commercial Strategy for Windform Materials
CRP Technology has for years made components and also sold its Windform composite materials. Now the company has decided to revise its commercial strategy for the materials: from now on, they will no longer be sold to service bureaus for the toll-manufacturing of 3D printing components. However, the materials will continue to be sold to companies that produce their own components, while CRP Technology and CRP USA will continue to offer support for service and assistance in producing Windform parts.
“The change in the strategy of CRP Technology is because we believe we can ensure the highest quality in the manufacture of 3D printed components; indeed the increase in production capacity -both in Europe and in the United States- will guarantee the volumes necessary to satisfy any request from our customers based all over the world, in compliance with the high standards of service and quality that has always been a distinctive element of CRP Technology and CRP USA’s activities,” CRP Technology told 3DPrint.com in an email.
HP Building Center of Excellence for 3D Printing in India
HP introduced its Jet Fusion 4200 3D Printing solutions to India last year, and is now planning to build a Center of Excellence (CoE) for 3D Printing in Andhra Pradesh, which is the country’s seventh-largest state. This week, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to build the CoE, which will give small and medium businesses (SMBs) and startups in the state the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of adopting 3D printing. HP India will be the main knowledge provider for the CoE, while the Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) will enable accreditations and certifications and provide infrastructure support, and the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) will encourage and drive public sector enterprises and government departments to use the CoE.
“Manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh has great potential as a lot of demand is slated to come from domestic consumption,” said J. Krishna Kishore, the CEO of APEDB. “Andhra Pradesh’s impetus in automotive, electronics and aerospace makes technologies like 3D printing market-ready.”
South Korea Continues to Invest in 3D Printing
For the last couple of years, the government of South Korea has been investing in 3D printing, and 2019 is no different. The country’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it would be spending 59.3 billion won (US $52.7 million) this year – up nearly 17% from its 2018 investment – in order to continue developing 3D printing expertise to help nurture the industry. According to government officials, 27.73 billion of this will be allocated to further development of 3D printing materials technology, and some of the budget will go towards helping the military make 3D printed components, in addition to helping the medical sector make 3D printed rehab devices.
“3D printing is a core sector that can create innovation in manufacturing and new markets. The ministry will support development by working with other related ministries and strengthen the basis of the industry,” said Yong Hong-taek, an ICT ministry official.
GE Additive Education Program Accepting Applications
In 2017, GE Additive announced that it would be investing $10 million in the GE Additive Education Program (AEP), an educational initiative designed to foster and develop students’ skills in additive manufacturing. To date, the global program has donated over 1,400 polymer 3D printers to 1,000 schools in 30 different countries, and announced this week that it is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 cycle from primary and secondary schools. While in previous years the AEP also awarded metal 3D printers to universities, that’s not the case this time around.
“This year’s education program will focus only on primary and secondary schools,” said Jason Oliver, President & CEO of GE Additive. “The original purpose of our program is to accelerate awareness and education of 3D printing among students – building a pipeline of talent that understands 3D design and printing when they enter the workplace. We already enjoy some wonderful working relationships with universities and colleges, so this year we have decided to focus our efforts on younger students.”
The deadline for online AEP applications is Monday, April 1st, 2019. Packages include a Polar Cloud premium account, a Polar Cloud enabled 3D printer from either Dremel, Flashforge, or Monoprice, rolls of filament, and – new this round – learning and Tinkercad software resources from Autodesk. Check out the video below to learn about GE Additive’s ‘Anything Factory’ brand campaign, the heart of which was formed by a young student who had just discovered 3D printing and what it’s capable of creating…this is, of course, the purpose behind AEP.
Ultimaker 3D Printers Integrated into Medical Teaching Curriculum
Dr. Robert Pugliese and Dr. Bon Ku of Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health wanted to better prepare their students for real-world hospital challenges, and so decided to integrate Ultimaker 3D printers into the system’s Health Design Lab. The Lab is used for multiple medical and educational applications, from ultrasound training and cardiology to ENT surgery and high-risk obstetrics, and students are able to work with radiologists on real patient cases by helping to produce accurate anatomic models. The Lab houses a total of 14 Ultimaker 3D printers, including the Ultimaker 2+ Extended, the Ultimaker 3, and the Ultimaker S5, and the models 3D printed there help enhance patient care and improve surgical planning, as well as teach students how to segment critical features and interpret medical scan data.
“When we introduce these models to the patients their eyes get big and they ask a lot of questions, it helps them to understand what the complexity of their case really is. It’s just so much better to have the patient on the same page and these models really help bring that reality to them,” said Dr. Amy Mackey, Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jefferson’s Abington Hospital.
3D Printing Food for the Elderly in Sweden
Swedish care homes hope to make pureéd chicken indistinguishable from a drumstick [Image: EYEEM]
If you’ve attended a meal at a nursing home, or care home, then you know the food that’s served is not overly appetizing. This is because elderly people can also just have a more difficult time eating regular food. Roughly 8% of adults in Sweden have trouble chewing or swallowing their food, which can easily cause them to become malnourished. That’s why the Halmstad municipality on the country’s west coast wants to use 3D printing to stimulate these residents’ appetites, which will be accomplished by reconstituting soft, puréed food like chicken and broccoli to make it look more realistic.
Richard Asplund, a former head chef at the luxury Falkenbergs Strandbad hotel who’s now the head of Halmstad’s catering department, said, “When you find it hard to chew and swallow, the food that exists today doesn’t look very appetising.
“So the idea is to make something more aesthetic to look at, to make it look good to eat by recreating the original form of the food.”
The state innovation body Rise is coordinating the project, which is currently in the pre-study phase and plans to serve the first 3D printed meals in Halmstad and Helsingborg by the end of this year.
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Starting with fashion news, moving to automotive, and finally on to business, we’ve got a short but interesting 3D Printing News Briefs for you today. An Israeli fashion and shoe designer just introduced a 3D printed collection at a San Francisco museum, while Bugatti just tested out its 3D printed brake caliper. Roboze has three new points of contact for customers in North America, and Titomic has signed its second MoU of the week for metal powders.
3D Printed Fashion Collection on Display
Ganit Goldstein, an Israeli fashion design student at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem whose work we’ve admired before, recently collaborated with Stratasys on her graduation collection, titled “Between the Layers,” which consists of six pairs of 3D printed shoes and seven 3D printed outfits. The high-end, haute couture collection was inspired by her time in Japan learning a traditional weaving technique called ‘ikat’ at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and all of the pieces were 3D printed on the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer by Stratasys. The 3D printed shoes from Goldstein’s collection were unveiled earlier this week at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum as part of the “Arts of Fashion Foundation” International Student Fashion Competition, of which Goldstein is a finalist.
“Stratasys’ advanced 3D printing technology has opened up endless possibilities for my designs, enabling me to print any design at the voxel level in vibrant colors and a range of materials – all in a single print. This capability to control any voxel for any pattern has enabled me to design without boundaries and to combine 3D printing with traditional weaving techniques to create ultra-realistic shoes. For aspiring designers, the ability to fuse cutting-edge technology with traditional crafts is very exciting, unlocking the freedom to design without limitations of past years,” said Goldstein.
“With the knowledge I’ve gained while working with Stratasys, I’ve come to realize that 3D printing is increasingly becoming an integral part of design thanks to the unique design freedom achievable. For me, the key to good design is to first get an understanding of the traditional design methods and foundations, and then explore how I can enhance the essence of the traditional method with new technology. Not only does 3D printing accelerate the design process and enable reduced production costs, it also affords designers total freedom of design.”
Bugatti Tests 3D Printed Brake Caliper
Last year, super car manufacturer Bugatti revealed that it had created the world’s first 3D printed titanium brake caliper, which was also the largest brake caliper in the automotive industry, as well as the world’s largest 3D printed titanium pressure functional component ever produced. Bugatti worked with Laser Zentrum Nord, part of the Fraunhofer research organization, to develop the caliper, and vehicle trials for the part in series production were expected to start in early 2018.
Earlier this week, the Volkswagen Group posted a YouTube video showing an impressive test run of the 3D printed titanium brake caliper developed by Bugatti. See it for yourself below:
Roboze Announces Three New Customer Points of Contact
Italian 3D printer manufacturer Roboze is continuing its expansion, and this week announced the names of its three new points of contact for its customers in the US, Canada, and Colombia, which will help it create direct channels in the North American market. This news comes right after the company announced that it had closed its first funding round of €3 million to further develop its R&D department and continue its EMEA and USA market expansion.
Its first new partner is ImageNet Consulting, based in Oklahoma City with a total of 18 US offices. The company chose to work with Roboze because of its high quality 3D printed parts and ability to use flame retardant materials. Ontario consulting company TM3 is working with Roboze because it provides the best opportunity for its customers to use a true industrial platform. Based in Medellin, Colombia, i3D is an expert in FDM technology and was impressed with the high quality of parts that were exhibited by Roboze at RAPID 2018.
Titomic Signs MoU with Sino-Euro
L-R: Sino-Euro’s Cristina Cao and S.J. Liang, Titomic’s Jeff Lang and Vahram Papyran, and Sino-Euro’s Alex Zhao
The day after announcing its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s Lasting Titanium, Australia metal 3D printing company Titomic announced that it had also signed an MoU with Sino-Euro Materials Technologies of Xi’An Co. Ltd, a Chinese company that specializes in producing spherical powder for the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP). According to the terms of the MoU, which is effective immediately, Sino-Euro will be appointed as Titomic’s Chinese sales distributor and customer support for its Kinetic Fusion systems. It will also provide Titomic with an exclusive supply of its aerospace grade titanium PREP process powders, and develop new metal powder for the Titomic Kinetic Fusion systems.
“We chose to execute this MoU with Sino-Euro for supply of their high-quality Aerospace grade PREP titanium powders aligned with their 50+ years of material science research in titanium and super alloys,” said Jeff Lang, Titomic’s Managing Director.
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Titomic, a top metal 3D printing company in Australia well known for its innovative Kinetic Fusion technology, announced that it has just signed its latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), this time with Shaanxi Lasting Titanium Industry Co. Ltd, which is China’s largest manufacturer and global exporter of titanium powder and titanium alloy products.
The new MoU, which will commence immediately, will allow Titomic to secure a high quality supply of low-cost, commercially pure titanium powders from Lasting Titanium for use with its Kinetic Fusion technology, which includes benefits such as the ability to join dissimilar metals and composites for engineered properties in a single structure and a decreased time to market, thanks to its high deposition speeds.
“This MoU will provide exclusive supply of large volumes of price point titanium powder for use in Titomic’s TKF systems to create new commercial opportunities for titanium in traditional industries in a more efficient and sustainable way for industrial scale manufacturing,” said Jeff Lang, Titomic’s Managing Director.
Headquartered in Xi’An, Lasting Titanium has spent the last two decades supplying titanium products to multiple industries around the world, including aerospace, automotive, defense, medical, and 3D printing. In addition, Lasting Titanium, which has achieved international ISO, AMS, ASTM, and MIL standards across multiple industries, is also involved in research regarding rare metal production, forging, finishing, rolling, smelting, non-destructive testing, and both physical and chemical analyses.
The new partnership between Titomic and Lasting Titanium will, according to a Titomic press release, “enable the cooperative development of new titanium powders for Titomic Kinetic Fusion,” as well as attain an exclusive supply of new price point powders for Titomic’s technology.
Titomic’s unique Kinetic Fusion can be used to manufacture large parts with heat-related distortion or oxidation issues, so there are no size or shape constraints when it comes to the rapid 3D printing of large, complex parts. The process works by spraying titanium powder particles at supersonic speeds of about 1 km per second, using a 6-axis robot arm, onto a scaffold. These particles move so fast that when they collide on the scaffold, they fuse together mechanically to produce huge, load-bearing 3D forms.
The Kinetic Fusion process is also versatile enough to use both spherical and irregular morphology metal powders to 3D print industrial scale metal products, which provides the company with additional opportunities in industries like automotive, marine, building, and oil & gas that previously could not apply titanium due to a lack of economic viability.
L-R: Lasting Titanium’s Gloria Wang, Cai Longyang, Zheng Xiaofeng, and Wang Qi Lu, and Titomic’s Jeff Lang and Vahram Papyan.
Lasting TItanium’s irregular powder morphology is the perfect fit for industrial scale 3D printing with Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion systems. By using this irregular titanium powder, Titomic’s customers will be able to access “a price point alternative” that will go well with the company’s additional range of aerospace-grade and mid-end titanium powders; other 3D printing methods can’t use this price point irregular powder in the same way, which will set Titomic apart in its field.
The new MoU between Lasting Titanium and Titomic will open up new commercial opportunities for 3D printed titanium products over multiple industries, and will specifically create a viable way for Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion systems to compete with traditional methods of manufacturing.
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This week, GE Additive announced that it has signed a major Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Sydney, which includes a master research agreement. Per the agreement, GE Additive will support the university’s vision to create the first metal 3D printing ecosystem in Australia, and will invest a maximum of $1 million in research and development efforts annually over the next ten years to help speed up 3D printing adoption in the region and set up the necessary people and technology to drive education, commercial and economic opportunity, skills and job development, and research.
Debbra Rogers, Chief Commercial Officer, GE Additive, said, “We were immediately impressed by the University of Sydney’s vision for additive manufacturing – not just at an academic level, but also because they understand the positive impact this technology can have on Australia’s economy and its workforce in the very near future.
“Additive requires a completely different way of engineering and thinking. Educating and training current workforces with new skills and also getting more engineers into additive takes time and programs need to be developed over a number of years. The University of Sydney recognises this and that in order to build the right mindset, the right skills, the right materials we need to encourage close collaboration between companies, academia and governments.”
The university is actively working to provide intellectual leadership in 3D printing over the next ten years, and this new MoU reinforces its commitment to build a 1,000 square meter Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Processing research facility, which will end up acting as a “focal point,” as GE Additive calls it, for the partnership.
Professor Simon Ringer, the Director of Core Research Facilities at the University of Sydney, said, “This addition to the University’s core research facilities will allow our researchers and research partners to conduct trail-blazing fundamental research, and will directly benefit Australian industry, particularly our aerospace, transport, biomedical and defence sectors.
“We are creating an environment for our researchers to explore the limits of what materials can do, how they are structured, and how to make them. Establishing a world-class capability in Darlington/ Camperdown is a key first step for our grand plans for Advanced Manufacturing in Paramatta/Westmead.”
Additionally, the university will also make an investment in current, and future, GE Additive technologies under the terms of the MoU.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said, “This MoU builds on the University’s world-class expertise in the disciplines essential to advanced manufacturing such as materials engineering and integrated digital systems.
“By partnering with GE Additive, an industry leader in additive manufacturing, we can set the agenda for this disruptive technology and ensure that Australia is primed to both participate in, and contribute to, this exciting next phase of the industrial revolution. The collaboration will drive the R&D needed to learn how this disruption to manufacturing can be harnessed for economic benefit. We are especially delighted that this initiative aligns with our plan to establish a new campus at Parramatta/ Westmead, where advanced manufacturing will be a key focus.”
GE Additive and the University of Sydney will also cooperate on developing new applications, as well as potentially new 3D printing industries, to drive positive economic and commercial impact. GE Additive’s funding will help expand upon the university’s current materials science and advanced manufacturing research infrastructure and capabilities by helping to increase new R&D efforts into analytics, material and powder technologies, and sensing. Both will also enjoy bilateral access to the other’s networks of academic, government, and industry stakeholders.
L-R: Debbra Rogers, chief commercial officer, GE Additive; Professor Laurent Rivory, Pro-Vice- Chancellor (Research), University of Sydney; Christine Furstoss, chief technology officer, GE Additive; and Dr. Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of University of Sydney
The aforementioned master research agreement, which was agreed to within the terms of the MoU, will cover three separate areas:
Image processing and data analytics
Materials and powder technologies, such as alloy design and modification, post-processing optimization, and materials gaps in repairs
Sensing technologies and advanced materials characterization
This last area will build on the university’s existing experience with electron microscopy and the electron beam melting (EBM) technology developed by GE Additive company Arcam.
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Australian metal 3D printing company Titomic, known for its innovative Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) process, has plenty of big news to share this week. First, CEO Gilbert Michaca, who was responsible for implementing a series of governance and operational structures to support Titomic’s next growth phase, has resigned from the company.
“I have enjoyed my time with Titomic and the additive manufacturing sector, but I am moving to pursue other commercial opportunities more aligned with my interests,” said Michaca. “I look forward to witnessing Titomic’s growth and prosperity in the future.”
Jeffrey Lang
In addition to Michaca’s resignation, Titomic announced that its founder and former Interim CEO Jeffrey Lang, who led the company through its IPO, and the establishment of its cold spray facility in Melbourne, has now been appointed as the Managing Director, effective immediately.
“Following our whirlwind IPO and unprecedented growth phase, the Titomic team has delivered a lot in a very short period of time,” said Titomic Chairman Philip Vafiadis. “With Jeff stepping into his new role as the Company’s Managing Director we are excited that his significant knowledge and networks across industry sectors, his deep understanding of the technology, his experience, his passion and his understanding of investor needs bodes well for future growth and shareholder value.”
Moving on from news about its executives, Titomic has just signed a $1.8 million, year-long MoU with fellow Australian company TAUV Proprietary Limited (TAUV), which integrates electronic technologies into solider protection for the purposes of improving safety and performance. Together, the two will begin an exclusive defense program for Titomic to manufacture soldier systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and soldier sensors for TAUV.
Recently, TAUV completed a successful launch of the first ruggedized titanium tactical UAV at Land Forces 2018, which was manufactured by Titomic and caused great excitement in both the additive manufacturing and defense industries. This launch was Phase 1 of the partnership between the two companies, and the MoU was signed after the prototype drone launch. TAUV and Titomic agreed to a two-phase extension to their existing relationship, so that TAUV can license the TKF technology, patented in both the US and Australia, in order to make next-generation soldier systems.
According to Research and Markets, “The soldier systems market is projected to grow from USD$9.78 billion in 2018 to USD$14 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.65%.”
TAUV Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Land Forces, 2018.
TAUV worked hard to secure exclusivity with Titomic for the manufacture of its UAV and other soldier system products, like body armor and helmets. Under Phase II of the partnership, Titomic will deliver a feasibility report, which outlines mechanical properties, performance parameters, and product cost advantages of its technology, to TAUV. TAUV must outline the Specific Products on or before November 30, at a total Phase cost of $300,000, in order to execute Phase II and maintain exclusivity.
“This MoU with TAUV provides the first significant revenue for Titomic,” said Lang. “The granting of an exclusive license to TAUV for the production of solider systems further validates Titomic’s licensed CSIRO patents as a viable additive manufacturing process that enables Australian companies to manufacture cutting-edge products with competitive advantages for the global market.”
For Phase III, Titomic will design and engineer a manufacturing process for TAUV’s next-generation soldier system for up to five products, at a cost of $300,000 each, to add up to a total revenue of up to $1.5 million. Once the production and evaluation trials in this phase have been completed, the two companies will finalize product licenses so that TAUV can use the automated TKF production line systems to fabricate soldier system products…with continuing royalty payments going to Titomic for the use of its technology.
TKF uses a process similar to cold spray to build up titanium parts layer by layer, rather than simply coating a surface, and has no limits in terms of shape and size. The technology has unique additive manufacturing capabilities to offer to defense organizations for the production of lightweight, next-generation, high-performance products.
“The solider system products produced by Titomic’s TKF process will enhance the offering to defence and law enforcement agencies through improved strength, functionality and capability,” said TAUV Director Nathan Kalisch. “A new ruggedised UAV will be capable of deployment in dangerous, live combat situations to perform some of the direct combat roles we want to remove military personnel from, heightening their security.”
L-R: Titomic CTO Jeff Lang, TAUV Founder Nathan Kalisch, Titomic CEO Gilbert Michaca
This continuing partnership came about as the result from an increasing demand around the world for innovative new defense products. According to Variant Market Research, the market for combat helmets is estimated to grow to $3 billion by the year 2024, while Grand View Research states estimates that by the same year, the body armor market will be valued at $4 billion.
In the future, TAUV will be working closely with Force Ordnance to provide product innovation and advanced manufacturing solutions to some of the largest defense product manufacturers in the world.
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This week, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), which is on a mission to increase Singapore’s adoption of additive manufacturing technologies and is behind much of the country’s 3D printing activity, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wiivv, one of the worldwide market leaders in 3D printed insoles.
“It’s a great honour to be in this partnership,” said Shamil Hargovan of Wiivv. “We are proud to have this opportunity to bring Wiivv’s groundbreaking technologies and products to the Singapore market. We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”
NAMIC is a pan-national initiative supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation and led by NTUitive, which is the innovation and enterprise company of Nanyang Technological University. Wiivv, based in both Vancouver and San Diego, creates solutions that allow for the mass customization of high-performance lifestyle products, such as insoles and sandals.
Supported by the terms of the MoU, NAMIC and Wiiv will work together to develop high performance biometric insoles. Wiivv will work to develop its next generation of customized, 3D printed biometric insoles that enhance customers’ individual performance, and will be supported by NAMIC and its wide network of strategic partners and research performers.
The ceremony for signing the MoU was held at NAMIC’s ongoing Global Additive Manufacturing Summit, in conjunction with Industrial Transformation Asia Pacific (ITAP). The Wiivv brand was represented at the ceremony by the company’s co-founder and CEO Shamil Hargovan, and guest of honor Dr. Lam Pin Min, the Senior Minister of State in both the Transport and Health Ministries, and Ms. Choy Sauw Kook, the Assistant Chief Executive and Director-General of Quality and Excellence for Enterprise Singapore, both witnessed the signing.
This collaboration seems like an interesting pairing for NAMIC, especially considering that two of the more recent agreements it signed have to do with developing maritime applications related to digitalization and advanced manufacturing…not much in common with 3D printed footwear and orthotics.
But, NAMIC does want to increase Singapore’s competitiveness in the evolving landscape of digital industrialization, and works to nurture and help promising AM startups and technologies, such as Wiivv. The initiative acts as a connector between public agencies, researchers, and industry, and is moving beyond the industrial sectors, which have mainly embraced 3D printing, to hedge its bets on 3D printed footwear and wearables, because of the ever increasing desire and need for mass customization in our daily use products.
“Wiivv exemplifies how new businesses should aspire to be, riding on market trends like hypermobility, mass customization and wellness needs, building personalized and highly desirable solutions enables by technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 3D printing,” said Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, NAMIC’s Managing Director. “We are excited and honoured to be partnering with Wiivv to support their growth plans in Singapore.”
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On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, 3D Systems will be holding an exclusive virtual trade show centered on helping manufacturers keep their competitive advantage by using digital manufacturing solutions to fix supply chain dependencies, streamline supplier distribution, reduce supply interruptions, and lower risk. By integrating both additive and subtractive technologies into the environment, businesses can improve their productivity and agility, and offer customers new innovations. 3D Systems’ own Phil Schultz, Executive Vice President, Operations, and Radhika Krishnan, Executive Vice President and General Manager – Software, will give the keynote address for the event.
Software startup nTopology has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yamaichi Special Steel (YSS) to bring its next-generation nTop software platform to Japan. YSS is part of the automotive and heavy industry manufacturing supply chain in Japan, and its additive division promotes 3D printing and DfAM in the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. The two have set up a reseller and service agreement, where YSS will bring nTop to its Japanese customers, providing support and training to users. Then, the Cognitive Additive solution of YSS will be connected to the nTop platform, to help users predict cost and printability.
