Netherlands Archives - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

Tractus3D Introducing Latest Large Volume 3D Printer, the Office-Friendly T2000

Dutch 3D printer manufacturer Tractus3D specializes in making Delta-style, large-format systems that are, according to its website, “more reliable, versatile and future proof than most others in the market.” The company is the 3D printing market leader in outdoor signage, though its tough, high quality printers can also be found working in the automotive, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing industries.

Through a partnership with Innofil3D, Tractus3D offers inexpensive filament to its customers, though its 3D printers are also open if anyone wants to use their own materials, and the company’s large volume systems are “born from a passion for perfection.”

The company has three different 3D printer series, in addition to several available add-ons and upgrades. The Desk series, for 3D printing smaller objects, includes the T1250, T850, and T650 3D printers, while the Pro series consists of the high temperature, industrial T850P and T650P systems. The Large Volume series is made up of the T3500, which can print objects up to 2.1 meters high, and the T3000, able to print 1.45 meters high. This week, Tractus3D welcomed a new addition to this series – the T2000 3D printer, “our perfect sized industrial 3D printer.”

“As you know at Tractus3D, we are always looking for new opportunities to offer our clients,” the company wrote in an email. “This is the moment we can officially introduce our newly developed 3D printer: the T2000.”

The new large volume T2000 3D printer offers a printing height of 1 meter, and a width of 68 cm. Even though it is a large-format system, it’s still small enough at 2 meters tall and 82 cm wide to fit through a door and be placed comfortably in any workspace or office.

“One of our passions is large volume printing. With our T3500 and T3000 we have two of the biggest 3D printers in the world. However, we noticed that large volume is also needed in a smaller space, say in every normal office. That’s where our latest 3D printer comes in,” the Tractus3D website states.

The new T2000 3D printer, which Tractus3D has labeled a plug and play system, provides extremely high accuracy when it comes to fabricating large objects, and it also features a closed chamber, which offers good temperature stability and helps to minimize the chance of prints warping. It has a fast printing speed of up to 400 mm per second, and also includes a flying extruder, a 7″ LCD touchscreen for ease of use, an F033L printhead with a fan unit, and an upgrade to the latest firmware 3.0.

Additional specs for the T2000 include:

net weight of 175 kg
automatic bed leveling
XYZ resolution of 20, 20, 50 microns
heated build plate (up to 110°C)
good layer resolution for five different nozzles

If interested, you can request a quote for the T2000 3D printer here. Tractus3D will begin shipping the new system in May 2020, on a first come, first serve basis.

What do you think of this new 3D printer? Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

(Images: Tractus3D)

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FELIXprinters Launches Its First Bioprinter the FELIX BIOprinter

If we could visualize the future of medicine, drug testing, and artificial tissue and organ development, we would most certainly find bioprinters in the spotlight. Part of the vanguard vision of many companies and researchers alike is that the machines will become a familiar resource used in every bioengineering lab, university and even school around the globe. But building up to that momentum might take many years, even decades, yet this is becoming one of the most interesting times for the field, with a widening array of companies boosting bioprinting technology commercially, we can’t help but get excited when we hear about recent advances and newly launched machines.

Taking advantage of years of knowledge in 3D printing, Dutch manufacturer FELIXprinters announced today their latest venture, the commercial launch of a new bioprinter known as the FELIX BIOprinter. The company partnered with TRAINING4CRM and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) to design a machine that works for all types of bioprinting research, equipped with strong motors that can extrude a wide range of material types and viscosities. According to the product site, the BIOprinter dispenses a wide range of viscous materials up to a viscosity of 64,000 Centipoise, with the ability to extrude materials and bioinks that range in consistency from liquids to pastes.

“The BIOprinter has been designed to be the ultimate bio research instrument in a cost-effective package, and has been developed alongside the brightest minds in the bioprinting sector,” suggested Wilgo Feliksdal, co-founder of FELIXprinters. “Uniquely, the BIOprinter combines dual sterilizable printheads which have a modular design for easy changeovers, and separate heads are available to print different bioinks at the same time. This integrates different material properties into a single scaffold structure.”

The new BIOprinter (Image: FELIXprinters)

Based on the existing and established FELIX products, the BIOprinter was developed on the chassis of the FELIXprinters product line. According to the company, the new printer is characterized by key features that are specifically designed for medical, scientific and research applications, including syringe cooling, print bed cooling and heating, a dual-head system, easy syringe positioning (ergonomic access to the machine innards supports researchers in their work), and automatic bed leveling.

It is also equipped with a touchscreen that has a user-friendly interface and embedded print server that allows remote print file monitoring, use in a multi-user environment, and print-file management. A nozzle probing system enables automated bed leveling and calibration of the nozzles, plus a camera module that allows users to monitor prints remotely from their smartphone or computer complete the features of this machine. FELIX indicates that the BIOprinter also retracts with a highly precise motor for better dosage or materials and more accurate material flow versus alternative air pressure systems.

“The BIOprinter consists of an adaptable and flexible ecosystem to ensure that it can meet a wide range of researchers’ needs without generating unnecessary costs. One major advantage is the source control system which enables the user to use standard slicing software and make changes themselves if needed. Also, syringes are not restricted to expensive brand-specific or in-house produced products that essentially drive up operating costs. The machine instead has been designed to use a standard 5ml syringe, and standardized Petri dishes and culture plates, so there are no limitations on auxiliary parts and materials,” continued Feliksdal.

A big plus is that the machine uses familiar slicing software Simplify 3D, to allow fully in-control and customizable user experience. The BIOprinter is also WIFI and LAN enabled, comes with a one-year warranty, and lifetime customer support.

FELIXprinters officials claim that their new machine has been designed to be easily upgradeable, which means that its lifecycle can be extended without compromising quality, reliability, and productivity. While users can benefit from the fact that print heads are easy to sterilize, which eliminates the likelihood of contamination.

First introduced at Formnext‘s event in Frankfurt, Germany, last November, the machine is now commercially available with pre-orders already being processed. It was showcased alongside the company’s Tec 4, Pro 3 Touch, and Pro L and XL machines, which are used throughout an array of industry sectors for challenging AM production applications, and under the umbrella of their theme: “Going Dutch”, which displayed moving windmills, mini-clogs, and iconic colored tulips all created in FELIXprinter’s machines. It’s all part of the company’s Dutch heritage, which they are extremely proud of.

To develop the BIOprinter, which is handmade in the Netherlands, the company received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme, a funding program for research and innovation with nearly €80 billion of funding available over a seven-year period (from 2014 to 2020). While 13 research institutions participated in the development, including the University of Gothenburg, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Tufts University, Lund University and more.

New 3D bioprinters and bioinks bring so many opportunities to researchers with unique needs. And exploring new possibilities to work with different biomaterials and machines in the field of biofabrication helps them make new discoveries that can benefit everyone. For now, we will have to wait and see what FELIX BIOprinter users will create!

The post FELIXprinters Launches Its First Bioprinter the FELIX BIOprinter appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Admatec Unveils Admaflex 300 3D Printer at Formnext

Today, 3D printers have larger build volumes, better performance, and can print with a variety of materials and colors. With the release of the Admaflex 300 by Netherlands-headquartered Admatec, industrial users can look forward to using a 3D printer for both ceramic and metal too. With a build volume of 200x200x300mm, the Admaflex 300 is meant to produce large-scale parts in high volume, while also offering in-process quality monitoring and meeting production demands for their clientele.

The larger build platform is meant to accommodate large alumina parts. By increasing volume for silica cores and shells, the Admaflex 300 offers openness, flexibility, and great potential for applications within industries like investment casing. The overall concept of this powerful new 3D printer is modular, and highly customizable—allowing clients enormous control as they are able to create and use their own materials as well as setting up the process for their own production requirements. In the future, multi-material printing will be possible due to the modularity of the Admaflex 300.

“Our customers’ feedback led to the development of an increased build platform size, enabling the investment casting industry, among others, to expand their ceramic 3D printing capabilities,” said Jaco Saurwalt, COO at Admatec.

Integrated in-process quality monitoring offers the following features also:

Full traceability of the process
Temperature & humidity monitoring
Foil usage assessment
Real-time video capture with a real-time, dual-camera system
Time-lapse recording

DLP technology is integrated into the new metal/ceramic printer, along with an automated (patented) feedstock system. Coinciding with the beginning of Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt, the Admaflex 300 will be available for pre-ordering on Tuesday, November 19. The Admaflex 300 will also be presented in Hall 11 at the Admatec booth, A29.

There will be a ‘300 Happy Hour’ at 4:00 p.m. on November 21st, and everyone is invited. After Formnext is over, Admatec will be setting up demo times at their Netherlands showroom for interested parties.

Below are the specifications:

Technology	DLP
Printing build volume (X,Y,Z)	200 x 200 x 300 mm \| 7.87 x 7.87 x 11.81 inch (80 μm) 200 x 160 x 300 mm \| 7.87 x 6.30 x 11.81 inch (62.5 μm) 160 x 128 x 300 mm \| 6.30 x 5.04 x 11.81 inch (50 μm) 100 x 89 x 300 mm \| 3.94 x 3.50 x 11.81 inch (35 μm) *Optional increase of Z stage, up to 500 mm \| 19.69 inch
Layer thickness	10 – 200 µm
Build speed	Up to 300 layers per hour
Machine dimension (WxHxD)	1282 x 1900 x 1000 mm \| 50.47 x 74.80 x 39.37 inch
Weight	ca. 500 kg \| 1100 lbs
Required working temperature	22 +/- 2°C
Required working humidity	< 40%
Connectivity	Ethernet, USB
Power requirements	110 / 230 V
File compatibility	SLC, STL
Final product density	Technical ceramics > 98.5% – 99.8%* Metals > 99%* *depending on sintering curve

Admatec continues to offer new solutions for its customers, from new industrial monitoring systems, to new techniques, to continued evolution in hardware offerings.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Admatec]

The post Admatec Unveils Admaflex 300 3D Printer at Formnext appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Innofil3D Releases Two New Ultrafuse 3D Printing Filaments: Ultrafuse Z PCTG & Ultrafuse TPU 80A LF

Netherlands filament maker Innofil3D has just announced the launch of two new filaments:

Ultrafuse Z PCTG – as the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) safe filament produced by BASF, this all-purpose material is affordable, non-marring, offers ease in printing and finishing, and is strong enough for lightly loaded fixtures, meant to outpace other materials like polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG).

New ESD safe filament: Ultrafuse Z PCTG

“It shows very smooth surface properties, which help to prevent latent failures in electronics,” states the Innofil3D team in their latest press release.

Ultrafuse Z PCTG is also powered by Essentium, a materials development partner that has been partnering with BASF for a couple of years now in developing more advanced materials and platforms.

This filament is meant for use in applications like:

Handheld tools
Electronic fixtures
Robotics
Automation components
Explosion-proof environment parts

Ultrafuse TPU 80A LF – if you are looking for a flexible filament, explore this material further to print on multiple types of platforms. Ultrafuse TPU 80A LF is meant to offer versatility as a filament for direct drive extruders, but it also works for bowden extruders (where weight is reduced from the printhead by attaching the extruder to the printer body at the tradeoff of having to push filament through a tube which is generally problematic for flexible materials). Innofil3D states that there is no other filament to match the printability users will experience with this material, including other features like abrasion and chemical resistance.

This filament is suitable for applications like:

Vibration absorbers
Grips, clamps
Bumpers
Seals, suction cups, plugs

New TPU filament that works in bowden type extruders: Ultrafuse TPU 80A LF

This material will join the Ultrafuse series by Innofil3D, which already includes Ultrafuse PA and Ultrafuse TPU 85A, known respectively for their unique mechanical qualities and ability to work in a broader temperature range, and uses for FFF 3D printing with BASF´s Elastollan® materials.

Innofil3D has kept the momentum going through the years in offering users a wide variety of filaments. Their team’s mission is to keep surpassing the expectations of their customer base, while taking FDM 3D printing to the next level–as they continue to strive to make the perfect filament. Innofil3D states that all their materials and products are ‘one hundred percent traceable to the source,’ arriving to the factory in raw pellets where they are carefully dried before processing and use.

We have followed Innofil3D’s progress as they have partnered with other industry leaders in 3D printing, were acquired by BASF for further expansion of materials development, and even made a foray into filaments made suitable for racing. Find out more about Innfofil3D here.

What do you think of this 3D printing news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Innofil3D]

CyBe Construction Hopes to 3D Print Small Meeting Structure in Amsterdam

People walk past the construction site of a 3D-printed social housing building called “Yhnova,” developed by researchers from the University of Nantes, in Nantes, France, in 2017. The house was subsequently finished and a family moved in. (Stephane Mahe/Reuters)

Big talk is common within 3D printing, simply because of the big potential. From epic projections regarding faraway colonization on Mars to giant developments, there have been many promising concepts, and promises in general. Because everyone tends to get excited about cool-looking, less expensive real estate ideas, 3D printing in construction has great allure; however, these projections certainly have a long way to go before turning into reality for the average consumer in the US.

Amsterdam tells a different story right now though as 3D printers whir away stacking layers one upon the other in a repetitive process that will eventually yield a small structure meant to serve as a meeting area. Encompassing 1,000 square feet, architect Pim van Wylick had to re-work the blueprint into a smaller size due to complaints from local municipalities and neighbors.

“This project was fun, but a headache as well,” says van Wylick. “You’d think a building of just a hundred square meters wouldn’t be much work, but the many regulations made it challenging.”

The meeting center will be operated by Arvid Prigge, who also owns a nearby boutique hotel and conference center and has been interested in 3D printing since he started reading about projects occurring in other countries like China.

“If we were going to create a new building, it had to be special,” said Prigg. “Something iconic and unusual.”

The innovation goes beyond 3D printing too, as the aviation-inspired décor (there is an airport next door) features a jet engine shape from above, and even curved walls—which will host video projections and music, if guests desire. Prigge explains further that when people meeting in the building see a pine tree in the video projection, they will even smell pine needles—and coconut, upon seeing a tropical beach.

A wall section of the Meeting Factory, composed of dozens of layers of concrete mix. (Photo: Mediavisie)

Although this construction has gone a bit slower than they expected, the next similar projects are expected to be faster and even more affordable—although the price for this first project in Amsterdam was not disclosed.

“We created a specific type of mortar that hardens within a day and that won’t shrink, expand, or collapse,” says Berry Hendriks of CyBe Construction, the company overseeing the 3D printing process. “We developed special algorithms to print the double-curved walls. It was pretty complicated, but we conducted research beforehand to determine whether it was feasible.”

“Of course, you only have one chance to get it right,” explains Hendriks. “You can’t forget anything. After we’ve prepared and checked everything—the temperature, the consistency of the material, the location of the wall, the electricity and water—we press play and the system works its magic.”

CyBe Construction has been using 3D printing in construction projects for several years now, and they were behind the small, one-bedroom built in Saudi, Arabia for €50,000 ($57,000).

The project, built in Teuge and dubbed ‘The Meeting Factory,’ is projected to take around two weeks or less to complete, but speed was not their goal, and several more similar houses are slated for Eindhoven this year.

“It wasn’t our goal to do it as fast as possible,” said Hugo Jager, the project leader from consultancy firm Revelating. “It was more important to do it right. In any case, the whole process will be much faster and cheaper next time.”

While one resident in the area commented that she was surprised construction of such a structure was allowed there, another neighbor said, ““I don’t know how 3D printing works, but at least it’s something new. The design seems unique and I think it will fit here.”

The use of 3D printers in construction is an intuitive mix as concrete simply applied in a more refined manner, extruded rather poured. This type of application—ideally—is the golden child for exemplifying the classic benefits of 3D printing, from greater affordability to speed in production, to cutting down on waste, as well as reducing the amount of human resources required for building projects. With 3D printed concrete as the driving force, innovators and builders around the world have created techniques in construction for more sustainable living, mobile robots for temporary installations, and even affordable housing in Florida.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

A rendering of De Vergaderfabriek (“the Meeting Factory”), now being built in a village in the Netherlands. (Photo: The Form Foundation)

[Source: CBC]

Auricular Reconstruction: Netherlands Researchers 3D Print & Assess New Methods for Making Ears

(A) Schematic of steps in the biofabrication of the implant model. (B) Schematic of the study methods. First, alginate hydrogel beads and 3D‐printed PCL scaffolds were analyzed individually. Next, alginate and PCL were combined in one construct to develop an auricular implant model. PCL: Poly‐ε‐caprolactone.

As users around the world embrace 3D printing, the impacts continue to grow in a wide range of industries—but particularly medicine as researchers make strides in their own labs with bioprinting, as well as creating medical devices, implants, prostheses, and more. And although 3D printing in the realm of hearing devices and bioprinting of ear tissue is not entirely new, researchers in the Netherlands have been working on a novel method for auricular reconstruction.

The Netherlands research team outlines their findings in ‘Design and fabrication of a hybrid alginate hydrogel/poly(ε‐caprolactone) mold for auricular cartilage reconstruction. ‘ With the challenging goal of creating a 3D printed cartilage implant, the researchers assessed whether the bioprinting materials they had in mind were actually viable as they worked to create poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds, using alginate as a cell carrier. Success with such technology could mean bypassing more conventional methods that present challenges to include:

Morbidity at donor site
Risky exposure of implants
Difficulty in surgical procedures

“Tissue engineering, in combination with novel biofabrication strategies, is a promising solution to engineer auricular implants with patient‐derived donor cells. These biofabricated auricular constructs could ultimately function as patient‐specific implants for the reconstruction of a deformed auricle,” state the researchers in their paper.

The key for the these scientists was in finding a scaffold strong enough to bear cell growth as well as that of resulting tissue. This type of new scaffold must be durable but also porous and able to break down easily in terms of biodegradability. Bioink composed of synthetic or natural hydrogel could be used for 3D printing cells, or there is also the option of fabricating the support scaffolds and then adding the cell-hydrogel mixture. Poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL) is a plastic material used successfully to create scaffolds strong enough for such a purpose.

Scaffolds were created with differences in strands:

400 μm
600 μm
800 μm
1000 μm
1200 μm

Customized software created G-code, and medical-grade PCL was 3D printed on a 3DDiscovery. Afterward, the molds were cleaned, sterilized, and sealed. The researchers evaluated each sample’s structure using a microscope, digital camera, and fiber optic light. They then assessed cell viability, after which biomechanical analysis examined PCL scaffolds and the alginate hydrogel itself.

CAD view, gross view, and microscopic views of 3D‐printed PCL scaffolds with varying distances between strands. S represents the sample, with the number representing the distances between strands in micrometers (μm).

They then found that the scaffolds were viable:

“The structural properties of 3D printed PCL scaffolds were determined by examining the surface porosity and mechanical properties. Macroscopic analysis of the PCL scaffolds showed good printing quality,” stated the researchers. “However, microscopic analysis of individual PCL strands showed some variance in strand diameter over a short distance. In addition, the lateral view of the scaffold showed a large variety in pore width. Overall, the smaller the pore width, the more accurate the 3D printed scaffold.”

Overall results were examined further as the researchers considered the following:

Structural properties of 3D‐printed PCL
Cell viability and proliferation in alginate hydrogel beads
Hydrogel biomechanical properties
Neocartilage formation
Auricular implant model

The researchers state that the 3D printed cartilage implant does indeed possess the type of mechanical properties required to withstand challenges during in vivo tissue maturation, as well as a natural core that is able to form tissue.

“The mold can be easily printed and assembled, while the design makes it easy to inject any suitable hydrogel for tissue formation,” concluded the researchers. “While long‐term in vivo experiments are required to test its preclinical applicability, the work presented in this study provides a possible strategy for the use of biofabricated tissue constructs in the clinic.”

What do you think of this 3D printing news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: ‘Design and fabrication of a hybrid alginate hydrogel/poly(ε‐caprolactone) mold for auricular cartilage reconstruction’]

A) Gross view of the PCL‐alginate auricular implant model. Alginate can be found inside the grooves of the PCL mold. Note that one part of the 2‐part mold has been taken off for viewing. (B) in vitro cultured PCL‐alginate auricular implant models. (C) LIVE/DEAD stain of alginate taken out of the PCL mold after 21 days of culture. High‐cell survival was seen throughout the entire implant model.