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The Stratasys J850 3D Printer: Just Released—Designed for Designers / Also New FDM Thermoplastics

With today’s release of the J850 3D Printer, a full-color, multi-material PolyJet system, Stratasys meets its goal to continue pushing the boundaries—now they want to give us the ability to take ‘rapid prototyping’ to the next level.

The J850 offers:

Increased productivity with super high-speed mode
Seven material capacity enables more color, transparency, flexibility
Extremely high-quality prints and better part refinement
Modeling time reduction of up to 50 percent
Reduced time to market

“Stratasys PolyJet technology gives designers endless possibilities. With this solution, there’s no need to add or switch technologies throughout the design process,” said Alex Padwa, the Founder of Padwa Design, a premier industrial design studio building solutions for consumer goods, high technology, and the household.

“We can immediately achieve the exact design intent we have in mind – and bring it to life in our hands instantly. The J850 is truly designed for designers.”

Stratasys is also releasing two new PolyJet Materials:

VeroUltraClear material delivers detail and clarity, with an appearance like glass. This new clear material helps designers envision internal features and fabricate exceptional prototypes.
DraftGrey is an affordable new material for creating prototypes in the initial project stages.

The J850 also supports PANTONE Validated color, encompassing ‘a universal language of color’ for realism in prototypes and reliability in every stage of the creation process in 3D printing. The J850 is also supported by GrabCAD Print software, eliminating the need to convert .stl files.

“The new J850 has been built to meet the needs of the full design process in industries such as consumer goods, consumer electronics, automotive, as well as education settings,” said Shamir Shoham, Vice President, PolyJet Business Unit at Stratasys.

“Typically, that process includes two separate streams: evaluating geometric shape with a physical single-color model and considering color and texture on the screen. The J850 merges these two mediums into one full-color, multi-material model to make better design decisions, earlier.”

Stratasys will provide existing J750 customers with a straightforward on-premise upgrade path to the J850.

Also taking care of their ever-growing client base of engineers, Stratasys is releasing a line of new temperature and chemical resistant FDM thermoplastics for high temperatures and ‘challenging requirements’ in use:

Antero 840CN03 – for the Stratasys Fortus® F900 FDM 3D printer, this is the second PEKK-based polymer from Stratasys, created for users with high customization needs and parts with consistent electrostatic discharge (ESD) performance.
Diran 410MF07 and ABS-ESD7 – for the Stratasys F370 3D printer, this is a nylon-based material offering added toughness and low-friction. ABS-ESD7 is made for static-sensitive applications and ‘ideal’ for tooling applications.

A 3D printed part fabricated with Diran.

“Manufacturing spacecraft poses intense material challenges in the development of parts that exhibit the right attributes,” said Brian Kaplun, Senior Manager for Advanced Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin Space. “One of those challenges is getting the right ESD or electrostatic dissipative properties, among other physical and mechanical characteristics. Stratasys Antero ESD fits our needs for outgassing and electrostatic dissipative properties in a strong but lightweight additive manufacturing material.

“We see growing adoption of 3D printing in production environments, yet engineers and designers struggle with thermoplastics that just can’t match the extreme requirements of manufacturing-based applications,” said Adam Pawloski, Vice President of Manufacturing Solutions at Stratasys. “Our thermoplastics can remove these barriers to accelerate the adoption of 3D printing in manufacturing settings, allowing users to design and create faster, while minimizing costs often associated with traditional approaches.”

Stratasys has been lighting up the 3D realm with its PolyJet system and new materials for years now, highlighting incredible projects spanning everything from fashion and wooden structures to advanced medical models. 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: Stratasys]

The post The Stratasys J850 3D Printer: Just Released—Designed for Designers / Also New FDM Thermoplastics appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Origin to Begin Shipping New Industrial 3D Printer, the Origin One

Today Origin will begin shipping their new Origin One, an industrial 3D printer which the San Francisco-headquartered company claims is already in high demand internationally. In fact, the developer of open platforms for additive mass production has already doubled their installed base.

Currently, Origin is working with customers in the US, Ireland, Germany, and Denmark, engaged in the following applications:

Footwear
Automotive
Contract manufacturing
Government

“Shipping our first production printer, Origin One, is a huge milestone for the company,” said Chris Prucha, co-founder, and CEO of Origin. “The tremendous customer growth and demand we’ve seen for the printer, as well as the positive reception from our open material network, is extremely gratifying and proof that we’ve created a platform that our customers need.”

In their recent press release to 3DPrint.com, Origin also announces that they are adding Avid and Interpro to their service bureau customer roster. They have had other major news too, aside from moving into a much larger space and adding a lab, as Jeffrey Lee has come on board as their chief operating officer, previously at DCM as a venture partner, and founder of Cost Cooperative, a member-based buying group for small businesses.

“I’ve worked with this team for almost two years, and I’ve never been so convinced that Origin is poised to finally bring additive to mass manufacturing,” said Jeffrey Lee, COO, Origin. “I’m excited to join the team and help Origin realize this vision.”

Origin will also offer Origin One parts to many of their customers through their new service bureau, passing on the benefits of 3D printing to their client base as they are able to get the components they need without having to invest in all the hardware, software, and materials—although that may be something they decide to do later as additive manufacturing continues to take hold for so many applications around the world.

“We’re thrilled to expand our additive capabilities and offer Origin’s P³ technology to customers,” said Doug Collins, Owner of Avid Product Development. “Origin’s throughput, material selection, and part quality will help us serve many more production applications today and in the future.

“We’re excited to offer Origin’s P³ technology to our wide range of customers in the automotive, aerospace and medical industries,” said Dan Straka, General Manager of InterPro. “Origin One will enable us to produce end-use parts with excellent surface quality and dimensional accuracy. Plus, the parts will be made of production-grade materials from the Origin Open Material Network.”

The company has also continued to refine their offerings, making significant improvements to Origin One with software, increasing:

Useable build area
Print speed
Chemistry capabilities
Surface quality

“Equipped with a true 4k lithography engine and a native resolution of 50μm, Origin One has the highest resolution and most flexible polymer process available in additive manufacturing today,” said Prucha.

The company was founded in 2015 and is led by alumni from Google and Apple. Investors include Floodgate, DCM, Mandra Capital, Haystack, Stanford University, and Joe Montana.

Origin has continually been moving forward with new projects to include the development of new materials, forays into areas like footwear, and ongoing hardware development. 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: Origin]

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3D Printing News Briefs: October 14, 2019

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, everything is new, new, new! Carbon is announcing a new RPU 130 material, and STERNE Elastomere introduces its antimicrobial silicone 3D printing. Protolabs launches a new polypropylene 3D printing service in Europe, and Hydra Research has officially released its flagship Nautilus 3D printer.

Carbon Introduces RPU 130 Material

At this week’s International K Trade Fair in Dusseldorf, Carbon will debut its new RPU 130 resin, a rigid polyurethane that’s rigid, tough, impact resistant, and stands up under high temperatures, making it a perfect choice for the automotive industry in applications such as brake caliper covers. Made exclusively for Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis, the dual-cure engineering resin is comparable to unfilled thermoplastics, and Carbon also partnered with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products to make RPU 130 out of sustainable Susterra propanediol, a 100% bio-based material that uses 46% less nonrenewable energy from cradle-to-gate and produces 48% less greenhouse gas emissions as well.

“We are focused on ways to incorporate more sustainable approaches to developing materials, and our partnership with DuPont Tate & Lyle emphasizes that commitment,” stated Jason Rolland, SVP of Materials at Carbon. “We believe that sustainability can go hand-in-hand with improved performance. In the case of RPU 130, we believe it will make the material even more appealing for our customers, as it makes it possible to create better quality products that are also ultimately better for the environment.”

You can learn more about Carbon’s new RPU 130 at its K-Show booth, H7.2, F12 from October 16-23.

Antimicrobial Silicone 3D Printing by STERNE

French silicone 3D printing specialist STERNE will also be attending K 2019 this month. Three years ago, the company unveiled its silicone 3D printer at K 2016, and its SiO-shaping 3D silicone printing technology makes it possible to fabricate very small pieces, according to standard ISO 3302-01 :2014 (M2) tolerances, at hardness from 30 to 60 Shores A. The printer also offers a full panel of colors in opaque, phosphorescent, and translucent.

The company is now combining 3D printing with antimicrobial silicone, in order to keep the silicone odor-free, avoid bacteria developing, improve the hygiene of a 3D printed object, and strengthen its immune barrier as well. You can learn more about this antimicrobial silicone 3D printing at STERNE’s Stand E23, Hall 8A, at K 2019.

Protolabs Offering Polypropylene 3D Printing in Europe

For the first time, digital manufacturing company Protolabs is offering polypropylene 3D printing, with the launch of a new service in Europe. The company has invested a lot in developing the material to be used with selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, on an SPro 60 system. SLS 3D printing with polypropylene plastic allows design engineers to rapidly develop and test prototypes, and fabricate complex designs as well, like internal channels and honeycomb structures.

“Polypropylene is one of the most used plastics available to modern manufacturers and is widely used for a number of applications. Polypropylene is one of the most used plastics available to modern manufacturers and is widely used for a number of applications. Now that we can produce a prototype in polypropylene, design engineers can develop and test it in an application using the same material that it will be manufactured from. The product design can then be quickly reiterated and retested until they have the perfect solution, before committing to tooling. This breakthrough takes product development to the next level using the most versatile of plastics, ” said Andrea Landoni, 3D printing product manager for Protolabs.

“Before, if you wanted to use polypropylene then you were limited in what you could design by the manufacturing technology available to you. Now the only limitation is your imagination.”

Hydra Research Releases Flagship 3D Printer

Oregon company Hydra Research, which began in a closet three years ago as a peer-to-peer print service, has announced the release of it flagship 3D printer, the Nautilus. The fully enclosed, industrial-grade desktop system – assembled in Portland – features a quick-change Tool Cartridge system that integrates E3D’s V6 hotend for fast nozzle switching, in addition to an integrated software solution. It also supports a variety of materials, provides Cura profiles for easy slicing, has a small footprint in a sleek frame, and offers customizable HydraCare support and consulting packages

“As a company, our primary goal is producing world-class hardware on an open source platform,” explained John Kray, the Founder and CEO of Hydra Research. “Manufacturers like E3D, Duet3D, and Fillamentum combine these values perfectly.”

You can now purchase Hydra’s Nautilus 3D printer on the company’s website, in addition to spare parts, accessories, and filament.

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Raise3D Introducing New Multipurpose E2 3D Printer at TCT Birmingham 2019

Perhaps best known for its original N series of 3D printers, global 3D printer manufacturer Raise3D introduced its flexible Pro2 3D printer series at RAPID 2018. Now, at the upcoming TCT Show, which starts next week in Birmingham, the company is announcing their newest system – the industrial-grade, easy to use, multipurpose E2 3D printer.

“There is always a fine balance between usability and performance,” stated Raise3D’s global CEO Edward Feng. “At Raise3D we want our 3D printers to be as inclusive as possible, operated by engineers, technical experts, and large manufacturing enterprises, while at the same time providing access to easy to use 3D technologies that support education, entrepreneurial ventures, and desktop engineering. We’ve made an extra effort to improve some usability factors in the E2, without compromising performance.”

The robust E2 system matches the Pro2 series as a multi-purpose open printer in the company’s current offering. In addition, it will mark the beginning of a new 3D printer series that Raise3D is currently developing for specific applications, industries, and materials. This coming series of systems will significantly increase the company’s portfolio by the end of next year.

Pro2 and Pro2 Plus

“Raise3D aims to have a portfolio that addresses the specific needs of major industries. With that aim in mind, our R&D team designed a new printer which is easier to optimize for each industry, while keeping the highest standards that we always strive for,” said Diogo Quental, Raise3D’s General Manager for Europe.

The new E2 3D printer features a 330 x 240 x 240 mm print volume, auto bed leveling, and a flexible build plate, in addition to an industrial video-assisted offset calibration guide. Other features include:

Automatic 3D printing pause when front door is open
Independent dual extruders for both Inverse and Duplicate 3D printing
Power save mode option

“Just like automobiles, we know some drivers prefer the manual gearbox to automatic transmission and vice-versa, so we believe the new features will be vitally important for the type of future users we expect from a variety of industries,” Feng explained.

The E2 3D printer

The E2 goes hand in hand with the company’s winning strategy of giving necessary resources to manufacturers looking to integrate desktop 3D printing in their manufacturing workflows. Some of these helpful resources include Raise3D’s Open Filament Program, which has an increasing amount of high-performance advanced and technical filaments; the fully integrated 3D print management ecosystem RaiseCloud, which is currently in beta testing mode; and desktop-based turnkey manufacturing solution RaiseFactory, which will be available in Europe after formnext.

Speaking of Europe, the new E2 will also be exclusively available there for educational purposes, at the reduced price of €2,499 + VAT (may vary in different countries.

“Having a competitive product for Education is always an important contribution to long-term success. Pro2 series is currently a best choice for manufacturing, and its approval by manufacturers is higher than ever before, but it is hard to combine with the requirements of Education, where, for example, a smaller printer would be easier to handle,” said Quental.

“With E2, we can be competitive also in this strategic sector, while at the same time improving our preparation for the future.”

Shipping for the new E2 3D printer is scheduled to begin in November. Come visit Raise3D at TCT Birmingham, September 24-26 at Stand F88, near the Introducing Stage.

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Divide By Zero Introducing New High-Speed Aion 500 MK3 Polymer 3D Printer

Mumbai-based 3D printer manufacturer Divide By Zero Technologies (DBZ) is well-known for its patented Advanced Plastic Fusion Modeling (APFM) technology. Rather than adhering to a uniform material flow, the process adapts to the needs of each layer and the complexities of the design, greatly improving layer adhesion and the overall strength and accuracy of the print.

The company’s industrial Aion 500 and advanced Aion 500 MK2 3D printers have already been adopted by several leading tech companies and design firms in India. Now, the award-winning startup is introducing its newest product – the Aion 500 MK3. The printer was recently unveiled at the Automotive Engineering Show in Chennai, and the company is touting its incredible speed.

“3D printing technology has been in the industry for the past 30 years and we all are fascinated by its potential, however, speed has been a drawback – until today,” said CEO & Founder Swapnil Sansare. “AION500 MK3 is 3X faster than conventional CNC machines. The printing speed is 10x more than any polymer extrusion-based platform anywhere in the world. Basically, you can now print the anatomical model of a human skull in minutes. Companies need not wait for a week for their orders when they can have it in mere hours.

“The RoI for this machine is barely 4 months.”

Powered by the company’s AFPM process, the new Aion 500 MK3 can print what DBZ says is ten times faster than other comparable systems without losing accuracy, mechanical properties, or surface finish. The company spent years researching how to make a high throughput, high speed 3D printer that could put the ‘rapid’ back in rapid prototyping, and the Aion 500 MK3 is the result.

“It is undoubtedly a ‘Breakthrough’ in the 3D Printing Industry and has the propensity to put INDIA on the GLOBAL MAP for Rapid Prototyping,” Shruti Karlekar, from Divide By Zero’s PR team, told 3DPrint.com.

“This machine is extrusion (fff) based 3D printer but it can print with speeds upto 600mm/Sec with travel speeds upto 1.5 m/s and Accelerations upto 1.5G. Material deposition rate on this machine is 100-270 grams / hour based on material type.”

Because they adhere to international standards of quality, DBZ’s 3D printers are often used in its home country of India by professionals in sectors such as automotive, defense, education, and manufacturers of customized jigs and fixtures. Some 3D printing methods are not well-suited for manufacturing jigs and fixtures, due to lack of affordability, speed, and strength, but DBZ claims that its “Next-Gen Industrial Grade Workhorse” is a great solution.

The company claims that its latest 3D printer is “Industry 4.0 ready,” as live imaging reduces the amount of time the user has to be physically present.

“This machine is also ready with interface for robot handshake in case of implementation of complete automatic print setup,” DBZ wrote in the product brochure.

The Aion 500 MK3, weighing in at 280 kg with a 450 X 450 X 450 mm build size, features a robust, high-speed print engine with rapid acceleration on the servo gantry. It uses a special blend of polymers that can be printed faster than other conventional 3D printers. Other features include:

maximum extruder temperature of 380°C
a unique X-Y motion system
10-micron positional accuracy
new dual drive liquid-cooled print head
active carbon filter
patented precision filament flow sensor
USB, Wi- FI, and Ethernet connectivity

Take a closer look at DBZ’s new high-speed Aion 500 MK3 3D printer in the video below:

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[Source/Images: Divide By Zero Technologies]

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German RepRap Introduces New L320 3D Printer for Liquid Additive Manufacturing

First introduced on the AM trade show circuit in 2017, the unique Liquid Additive Manufacturing (LAM) 3D printing process by industrial 3D printer manufacturer German RepRap works somewhat like FDM, as each layer is extruded and then cross-linked through thermal curing. This can create parts that have very interesting mechanical properties which could allow for many new applications in 3D printing.

The company’s LAM technology, developed in partnership with Dow Corning, works with materials that are not melted and then solidified again, as with FFF 3D printing. Instead, the process uses a liquid material, like German RepRap’s customizable polyurethane-based plastic, which is then vulcanized under heat exposure; this is what fully cross-links the individual deposited layers so they are firmly connected.

What also makes LAM such a unique AM process is that it allows for the industrial 3D printing of liquid or high viscosity material, such as Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR). The company claims that LAM 3D printing can make components with nearly the same properties as injection molded parts, which could prove useful in developing new customer groups that need a more economical method of manufacturing. Especially in flexible materials, this process could see many exciting applications in the medical or footwear arena. Silicone has excellent properties and many firms are very familiar with using it.

German RepRap L320

This fall, German RepRap presented its LAM process at formnext 2018, along with its first production-ready LAM 3D printer, the L280. The company has been working to further develop the technology for industry use, and is now introducing its new L320 LAM 3D printer, which is an “extremely stable” system, according to German RepRap, that has been “adapted to the high demands of industrial continuous operation.”

With a 250 x 320 x 150 mm build platform and weighing in at approximately 350 kg (without the cartridge system), the L320 features a touchscreen display for intuitive operation, industrial rollers and stand for easy handling, and volumetric extrusion with a lift and sunk system. The printer uses Simplify3D software, and its new printhead technology allows for precise metering and mixing ratios. The nozzle itself would seem to be one by German firm Viscotec but this was not disclosed.

Thermal crosslinking

LAM technology makes it possible to influence the application direction, in turn influencing layer-level vulcanization as well. The polymers used in this process have a better molecular structure, as base materials, rather than processed ones, are used. Because insights from 3D printed prototype models can be directly transferred to injection molding, customers benefit from a reduced time-to-market, and the design freedom afforded by 3D printing makes it possible to use cross, lattice, or honeycomb structures to fill parts for better optimization of customized products.

“A high-temperature halogen lamp releases activation energy to accelerate complete crosslinking, at the molecular level. This fine-tuned reaction, in both small and large objects, is ensured by the driving speed of the lamp,” German RepRap explains on its website. “Due to this thermal cross-linking, the printing time is considerably reduced, at the same time the printing result, especially also in terms of time savings, sets new standards.”

Through extensive testing and pilot applications, the company says that it has proven the reliability of its new L320 3D printer in achieving precise, continuous operation. The printer also features sound safety technology, which monitors the curing process, and the system also registers and displays any deviations; if there are any serious irregularities, the print job will automatically stop.

To request test prints, or to talk about purchasing the L320 for individual use, email info@germanreprap.com. Commercial users who require high reliability and availability can also get a maintenance contract and professional on-site service from trained German RepRap technicians. This service includes hardware and software training, in addition to maintenance and repair of the L320 itself.

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[Images: German RepRap]

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RAPID 2019: BigRep to Unveil New-Generation STUDIO G2 Large Format 3D Printer

News is already flooding in regarding the Rapid+TCT event in Detroit, Michigan being held from May 20-23. Berlin’s BigRep will be attending in full-force, ready to unveil the BigRep STUDIO G2, a new generation 3D printer joining the STUDIO lineup.

The STUDIO G2, available to order now, 3D prints ‘engineer-grade’ materials while also encompassing all the same features of the original STUDIO hardware created for fabricating large parts.

BigRep’s STUDIO 2 3D printer was created for industrial applications but is suitable for everyday use, offering the following new features:

Unmatched speed and resolution in large format 3D printing
Ergonomic design
Height of 1765 mm
Fully enclosed, insulated build envelope (500 mm x 1000 m x 500 mm)
Fast heating print bed reaching 100°C
Temperature-controlled filament chamber
Dual extruder with two 0.6 mm ruby nozzles
Layer heights as little as 0.1 mm for abrasive engineering-grade materials like PA6/66

“We are excited to host the world premiere of the STUDIO G2 at North America’s most influential AM event – RAPID+TCT. We believe that both customers already relying on the original machine and new ones will appreciate the many advanced features of the STUDIO G2,” said BigRep CBO, Frank Marangell.

The Studio G2 3D printer

BigRep will be releasing other 3D printing materials (also engineering grade) in the future, to include carbon/glass fiber composites, and ASA. The STUDIO G2 will also feature the new proprietary BigRep BLADE slicer software, which BigRep states will offer accurate printing times and tools for improved production such as material use calculations.

“The new generation STUDIO G2 is a great addition to our expanding industrial portfolio of large-format printers. Based on proven, successful technology, the STUDIO G2 is upgraded with key features that industrial users need,” said BigRep CEO, Stephan Beyer, PhD. “We’ve built it for printing with the abrasive, engineering-grade materials that the industry demands in a next-level, space-saving printer for large-format parts.”

The BigRep Pro will also be on-site, running BigRep’s MXT® Metering Extruder Technology, and a state-of-the-art Bosch Rexroth motion control system. Designer Marco Mattia Cristofori will also be at the show to present NERA, a completely 3D printed e-motorbike that was created in only 12 weeks.

The 3D printed NERA motorbike

Founded in 2014, BigRep also has offices in Boston and Singapore. Catering to engineers, designers, and manufacturers, they also partner with Bosch Rexroth, Etihad Airways and Deutsche Bahn. Key investors are BASF, Koehler, and Klöckner and Körber. We have followed the German company extensively, from the unveiling of the BigRep ONE to the PRO and the EDGE 3D, along with following their extensive partnerships and contributions to additive manufacturing research.

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: Big Rep Press Release]

Mimaki USA and Sindoh Introduce New 3DFF-222 Desktop 3D Printer

In 2015, Mimaki USA, an operating entity of Japanese company Mimaki Engineering, announced that it would begin development of its own full color 3D printer, which was then previewed two years later. The company installed its first photorealistic, UV-cure inkjet 3DUJ-553 3D printer in the Americas last winter at print technology company Pictographics in Las Vegas, and is now venturing into the world of desktop 3D printing with its latest product launch.

Mimaki is one of the top manufacturers of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, along with 3D modeling machines, software, hardware, and associated consumables, like cutting blades and ink. Now it’s adding the new 3DFF-222 desktop 3D printer to the mix, which is co-branded with South Korean 3D printer manufacturer Sindoh.

“The new desktop 3D printer is designed to fit the needs of modern print production environments and it is suitable for a broad range of uses. This latest product introduction demonstrates Mimaki’s commitment to driving innovation and providing our customers with profit-enhancing solutions,” said Michael Maxwell, a senior manager at Mimaki USA.

The FFF 3D printing solution by Mimaki and Sindoh, which was developed to be used as an in-house design and production tool, obviously doesn’t have the more than 10 million color combinations offered by the full-color 3DUJ-553 printer, but it’s perfect for fabricating parts, like jigs, that are used in direct-to-object printing. The desktop 3DFF-222 can also be used to manufacture tools for producing 3D signage, as well as molds for vacuum forming.

The compact 3DFF-222 makes it possible for users to cut back on costs as they work to expand into more profitable markets, and was designed to reduce noise levels during operation, making it a good system for use in an office setting. The 3D printer’s fully covered design, which helps gets rid of any disruption of contaminants that might adhere to a model during 3D printing, and its installed HEPA filter also contribute to this.

The new desktop 3D printer by Mimaki USA and Sindoh, the latter of which also created a 3D printer in partnership with Stanley Black & Decker a few years ago, prints parts up to 8.27″ x 7.87″ x 7.67″ in easily loadable PLA filament cartridges, and also provides remote monitoring of each print through a built-in camera and included app.

“Flexibility and ease-of-use are key features of the new desktop 3D printer,” Maxwell stated. “This printer also complements our industrial printers seamlessly. The 3DFF-222 is capable of inexpensively producing customized print jigs, which can be used to stabilize print quality when printing on UV-LED flatbed printers from our UJF Series. Additionally, customers can create objects for decoration as well as a variety of signage.”

Additional features of the new desktop 3DFF-222 3D printer include a heated flexible bed, which has a built-in thermostatic function for easy model removal and stable formation during 3D printing, and semi-automatic leveling, which measures the table’s horizontal error and tells the color monitor how to maintain a level position.

A 5″ full-color touch panel provides illustrated instructions to make the system easy to operate, and the filament is automatically loaded and supplied to the 0.4 mm 3D printer nozzle after installation, with no manual feeding required. The 3D printer weighs 16 kg and comes with a built-in LED lamp and dedicated 3DWOX Desktop slicing software.

The 3DFF-222, which is the latest addition to Mimaki’s 3D printer portfolio after its full-color 3DUJ-553, is now available for order.

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[Images: Mimaki]

3D Printing News Briefs: February 22, 2019

We’ve got some exciting dental news to share first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs – Stratasys just announced its new full-color dental 3D printer at LMT Lab Day. Moving on, Farsoon has been busy developing an advanced pure copper laser sintering process, and Aether is working with Procter & Gamble on a joint development project. DyeMansion has announced a new UK distributor for its products, and three researchers address the challenges of adopting additive manufacturing in a new book about best practices in the AM industry.

Stratasys Introduces Full-Color Dental 3D Printer

This week at LMT Lab Day Chicago, the largest dental laboratory event in the US, Stratasys has introduced its new full-color, multi-material J720 Dental 3D printer which lets you have 500,000 color combinations for making very high resolution, patient-specific models. Its large build tray can print six materials at the same time, and it’s backed by GrabCAD Print software.

“Labs today operate in a very competitive space where differentiation counts on mastering the digital workflow and expanding into new products and services. The J720 Dental 3D Printer is designed to change the game – allowing levels of speed, productivity and realism the market has never seen,” said Barry Diener, Dental Segment Sales Leader for Stratasys. “This powers laboratories to meet the demands of a competitive market and push the boundaries of digital dentistry.”

See the new J720 Dental 3D printer at LMT Lab Day Chicago today and tomorrow at Stratasys Booth A9. It’s expected to be available for purchase this May.

Farsoon 3D Printing Pure Copper

Pure copper heat exchanger

Two years ago, after Farsoon Technologies had introduced its metal laser sintering system, the company’s application team began working with industrial partners to develop an advanced 3D printing process that could additively produce components made of pure copper. Copper is a soft, ductile metal with both high electrical and thermal conductivity, and it’s often used in industries like shipbuilding, electronics, automotive, and aerospace. But most additive copper is based on alloys, and not the pure metal itself, which is hard for lasers to regularly and continuously melt and can cause problems like thermal cracking and interface failure.

That’s why Farsoon’s work is important – all of its metal laser sintering systems can successfully create cost-effective, high-quality pure copper parts. The company’s process and unique parametric design is able to meet custom needs of customers, and to date, it’s launched 13 process parameters for metal powder sintering, including pure copper. Some of the parts that have come out of Farsoon’s recent collaborations include a pure copper heat exchanger, which featured a 0.5 mm wall thickness, complex spiral geometry and was printed in a single piece. Farsoon is open for additional partners seeking to further develop the 3D printing of pure copper and other specialized materials.

Aether and Procter & Gamble Begin Joint Development Project

Aether CEO Ryan Franks and Director of Engineering Marissa Buell with an Aether 1

San Francisco 3D bioprinting startup Aether has entered into a two-year joint development agreement with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in order to develop 3D printing and artificial intelligence technologies. The two will use the multi-material, multi-tool Aether 1 3D printer as a technology creation platform, and will create several hardware and software capabilities that hope to automate and improve P&G’s product research applications and develop a next-generation Aether 3D printer. An interconnected network of computer vision and AI algorithms aims to increase automation for multi-tool and multi-material 3D printing, while high-performance cameras will enable new robotics capabilities. Aether is also working on additional software that will help P&G automate and speed up image processing.

“Aether is working with P&G to completely redefine 3D printing. It’s no longer going to be just about depositing a material or two in a specific pattern. We’re building something more like an intelligent robotic craftsman, able to perform highly complex tasks with many different tools, visually evaluate and correct its work throughout the fabrication process, and constantly learn how to improve,” said Aether CEO and Founder Ryan Franks.

DyeMansion Names New UK Distributor

3D print finishing systems distributor DyeMansion, headquartered in Munich, announced that Cheshire-based 3D printing services supplier Europac3D will be the UK distributor for its range of machines. Per the agreement, Europac3D will now offer all of the AM finishing systems in DyeMansion’s Print-to-Product workflow, which includes its Powershot C powder blasting system, DM60 industrial coloring system, and the PowerShot S, which delivers homogeneous surface quality to 3D printed, powder-based plastics. Because of this, Europac3D is one step closer to achieving its mission of being a one-stop shop for 3D printing, scanning, and post-processing services.

“DyeMansion’s post-production systems are worldclass and add the all important finish to additive manufacturing,” said John Beckett, the Managing Director of Europac3D. “Their systems are perfect for companies or 3D print bureaus that have multiple SLS or HP 3D printers and allow us to extend our offer by providing market leading additive manufacturing finishing systems for 3D-printed polymer parts.”

New 3D Printing ‘Best Practices’ Book

We could go on and on about the many benefits offered by 3D printing (and we do), but there are still industry executives who remain unconvinced when it comes to adopting the technology. But a new book, titled “Additive Manufacturing Change Management: Best Practices” and released today, is here to provide some guidance for those still holding back. The book, which addresses some of the challenges of adopting 3D printing, was published by CRC Press as part of its Continuous Improvement Series and written by Dr. Elizabeth A. Cudney, an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, along with Divergent 3D’s VP of Additive Manufacturing Michael Kenworthy and Dr. David M. Dietrich, who is an Additive Manufacturing Engineering Design Fellow for Honeywell Aerospace and Dr. Cudney’s former doctoral student.

Dr. Cudney said, “If company leaders are interested in bringing additive manufacturing online, this book can help them decide if it makes sense for their industry.

“There’s often a lack of planning, a lack of understanding, a resistance to change and sometimes fear of the unknown. Our hope is that this book will provide a good road map for managers to advance additive manufacturing at a faster pace.

“We wanted to take a look at how companies can roll out a new technology, new processes and equipment and integrate that in such a way that you have a good product in the end.”

In the 17-chapter book, the authors present what Dr. Cudney refers to as a ‘road map’ for business leaders looking to adopt 3D printing. The eBook format costs $52.16, but if you want that shiny new hardcover version, it will set you back $191.25.

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LLNL and UC Berkeley Researchers Continue Work on Their Promising Volumetric 3D Printing Method

It’s been said that volumetric 3D printing has more speed, flexibility, and geometric versatility than other methods, with a lower cost. In late 2017, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California teamed up with collaborators from MIT, the University of Rochester, and UC Berkeley to develop this method, which flashes laser-generated, hologram-like 3D images into photosensitive resin.

It seems this collaborative work has continued, since a team of researchers from LLNL and UC Berkeley just published another paper about volumetric 3D printing, titled “Volumetric additive manufacturing via tomographic reconstruction.” Co-authors of the paper are Brett E. Kelly, Indrasen Bhattacharya, Hossein Heidari, Maxim Shusteff, Christopher M. Spadaccini, and Hayden K. Taylor. This has overexcited a lot of press into miraculous claims for the nascent technology.

“This is the first case where we don’t need to build up custom 3D parts layer by layer. It makes 3D printing truly three-dimensional, “explained Kelly, who completed research on the project while a graduate student working jointly at UC Berkeley and LLNL.

The team nicknamed its new 3D printer ‘the Replicator,’ after the fictional Star Trek device that’s able to materialize any object at the push of a button, and filed a patent application on their method.

Jeremy Thomas, a spokesman for LLNL, said, “It looks like something you might find aboard the Starship Enterprise.

“Though it seems like science fiction, it’s not, thanks to scientists and engineers at LLNL and UC Berkeley, who have developed a brand-new high-speed 3D printing method called Computed Axial Lithography (CAL).”

Thomas is referring to a projector that beams a 3D video into a container of viscous, gooey photosensitive resin, which briefly rotates and then lets the fluids drain, leaving behind a complete, fully formed 3D object in minutes. A rotating cylinder of the material reacts to a certain threshold of projected light, which can be crafted into various patterns, to quickly form a solid shape…no layering required.

“Basically, you’ve got an off-the-shelf video projector, which I literally brought in from home, and then you plug it into a laptop and use it to project a series of computed images, while a motor turns a cylinder that has a 3D-printing resin in it. Obviously there are a lot of subtleties to it — how you formulate the resin, and, above all, how you compute the images that are going to be projected, but the barrier to creating a very simple version of this tool is not that high,” explained Taylor, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley.

The new 3D printer is able to make smoother, more complex, and flexible objects, and can also be used to encase another object with a different material, like putting a handle around the shaft of a metal screwdriver…bringing mass customization further into the realm of possibility.

The 3D printer works by shining changing patterns of light through a rotating vial of liquid. A computer algorithm calculates the exact patterns of light needed to shape a specific object.

Taylor said, “I think this is a route to being able to mass-customize objects even more, whether they are prosthetics or running shoes.

“The fact that you could take a metallic component or something from another manufacturing process and add on customizable geometry, I think that may change the way products are designed.”

CT scans, which project X-rays or electromagnetic radiation into the body from various angles, actually inspired this method, as those patterns of transmitted energy need to be analyzed in order to reveal the geometry of an object, like a tumor.

“Essentially we reversed that principle. We are trying to create an object rather than measure an object, but actually a lot of the underlying theory that enables us to do this can be translated from the theory that underlies computed tomography,” Taylor explained.

In addition to completing complex calculations to perfect the exact intensities and shapes of various light patterns, the team also had to determine how to develop a material that would stay liquid when exposed to a small amount of light, but would react and form a solid when exposed to a significant amount.

Taylor said, “The liquid that you don’t want to cure is certainly having rays of light pass through it, so there needs to be a threshold of light exposure for this transition from liquid to solid.”

The resulting resin is made up liquid polymers, mixed with photosensitive molecules and dissolved oxygen. The molecules are activated by light, which drains the oxygen, and only in the 3D regions that have been depleted of oxygen will the polymers from cross-links turn the liquid resin into a solid.

CAL volumetric fabrication.

The team can also 3D print objects that appear opaque with a dye that transmits light at the curing wavelength, but will absorb most others.

“This is particularly satisfying for me, because it creates a new framework of volumetric or ‘all-at-once’ 3D printing that we have begun to establish over the recent years. We hope this will open the way for many other researchers to explore this exciting technology area,” LLNL staff engineer Shusteff said.

Additionally, unused resin can be recycled by heating it up in an oxygen atmosphere.

Heidari, a graduate student in Taylor’s lab at UC Berkeley, said, “Our technique generates almost no material waste and the uncured material is 100 percent reusable. This is another advantage that comes with support-free 3D printing.”

The researchers created many objects, like a customized jawbone model and a tiny model of Rodin’s “The Thinker” statue, to test out their 3D printer.

While this is definitely an exciting development, it’s important to note that further engineering and polymer chemistry need to be completed in order to improve the resin properties, so more stable structures can be fabricated. In addition, the LLNL and UC Berkeley team can only 3D print objects up to four inches in diameter at the moment, so large-scale objects are off the table right now. Our take is that this is indeed an interesting technology on whose development we’ve been reporting for two years now. But, this is still very much a lab technology that is not close to being commercialized at the moment. A good development and a good thing for 3D printing but it remains to be seen how long it will take to commercialize this properly and then how it will perform. Media tend to forget that 3D printing is a manufacturing technology and therefore will need to work on the concrete floor not just in the press release.

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[Source: Science Daily / Images: Stephen McNally and Hayden Taylor, UC Berkeley]