As you can probably guess by its name, French 3D printer manufacturer Microlight3D specializes in ultra high-resolution 3D microprinting systems. The company’s two-photon polymerization direct laser writing technology, which includes proprietary software specifically tuned for faster direct laser writing speeds with sub-micron resolution, allows a laser to move freely in three dimensions, performing uninterrupted 3D printing inside a polymer resist.
This week, Microlight3D launched the next generation of high resolution, microscale 3D printing with its new turnkey system – the compact Altraspin, a 3D printer that can produce extremely complex micro-parts with sub-micron resolution.
“Microlight3D designed Altraspin to respond to manufacturing demands for more customization and the rapid prototyping of submicron parts that are not constrained by their geometric or organic shape. We removed another constraint by extending user choice in the materials available for 3D microprinting. Altraspin is compatible with a wide range of polymers and biomaterials, including those of our customers,” said Microlight3D president Denis Barbier. “Without a doubt, the submicron resolution our technology obtains has been key to our growing success within the scientific community. We anticipate that industrial companies will also benefit from the advantages of our 3D-printer for micro-parts, geared to helping them overcome limitations and reduce time-to-market.”
The Altraspin can achieve a sub-micron resolution down to 0.2µm, which means it can 3D print micro-parts with a resolution that’s 100 times smaller than a single strand of hair, which is great news for applications that need a high-quality surface finish and exact precision, such as cell culture, micro-sensors, metamaterials, micro-optics, tissue engineering, and 3D printing shapes that can fit inside microfluidic devices.
The company’s technology uses a proprietary continuous print flow technique, which is how it manages to not be constrained by the typical layer-by-layer method that limits most 3D printing resolution to 25µm. It’s able to fabricate micro-parts that are so smooth they don’t need any post-processing, which can save manufacturers both time and money.
When designing the new Altraspin 3D printer, Microlight3D focused on its ease of use. As soon as the user designs a 3D model with CAD tools and picks a polymer material, the company’s algorithms will calculate the laser’s path. A laser pulse then writes directly inside the printer’s liquid-material bath in order to very precisely solidify the path it’s taking. The laser can build complex architectures, since it’s able to move around freely and continuously, and a solvent washes away the excess monomer at the end of the process, so users can handle the print immediately upon removal.
The Altraspin has high-writing resolution and precision, along with high-writing speeds, for complex 3D structures, and also features a new TPP slicing tool. Due to its compact design, it’s well-suited for use in clean-room and sterile environments, along with laminar flow cabinets.
Additional tech specs for the Altraspin include:
Print speed up to 5 mm per second
STL and STEP files
Maximum object size of 100 x 75 x 0.6 mm
Anti-vibration system
Advanced machine control, including replication and custom plugins for complex parts
Next week at the two-day SPIE BiOS expo, which is part of the week-long Photonics West event in San Francisco, Microlight3D will be exhibiting its new Altraspin 3D printer at its booth #8136.
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Popular power tool company Dremel, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, has been in business for 85 years, due in large part to its commitment to innovation in technology. This week, the company expanded its growing DigiLab family of 3D printers with a strong new addition – the 3D40 FLEX. The debut of this latest 3D printer, which was specifically designed to provide educators and makers with a seamless digital fabrication experience, was announced yesterday.
“We’ve seen a lot of use and success with our previous 3D printer models. As we continue to learn about digital fabrication, it’s important to introduce new innovations to better suit the classroom and makerspace settings. This is what led us to 3D40 FLEX,” explained John Kavanagh, the President of Dremel.
Dremel listened to its customers and learned from their past experiences while working to develop its new 3D40 FLEX 3D printer. It comes with a wide range of new features – including a flexible build plate that users will definitely appreciate for the safer, faster, and easier parts removal it can ensure. This issue is one of the most common problems that challenge 3D printer users, so having a workaround like a flexible build plate will be extremely helpful.
Another new feature offered by the new 3D40 FLEX is its ability to print 30% faster when in draft mode, in order to accommodate more users and maximize how much the machine is utilized. This speed setting makes it the perfect 3D printer for environments that need continuous run time and quick turnaround to increase its operational usage – such as makerspaces, or in a school classroom, for example.
“The Dremel DigiLab 3D40 FLEX 3D Printer will help with complex and practical applications, perfect for educational usage. It’s a safe, reliable option for Makers of all ages and skill levels and incorporates a lot of smart design elements to enrich the experience,” Kavanagh said.
The company has always prioritized the use of 3D printing in education, so the company hopes that the new Dremel DigiLab 3D40 FLEX would fit perfectly into the classroom.
The DigiLab 3D40 FLEX 3D printer, with a build volume of 10″ x 6″ x 6.7″, also has an improved capability in its higher resolution which allows the system to better print more intricate features, such as arches, diagonals, engravings, organic forms, and small details. It’s fully enclosed, which helps with its quiet operation, comes with a clog-resistant extruder, and is also WiFi-enabled for remote 3D printing and monitoring. Additional features include:
UL-certified and rigorously tested to ensure safety
Cloud-based 3D printing software
Semi-automated leveling
USB input for file transfers
Automatic 9-point calibration
Full color LCD touchscreen
1-year warranty
Lifetime customer support
Any educators who are interested in project-based, hands-on learning opportunities, Dremel also provides an offering that’s focused on education, which features both the Dremel DigiLab 3D45 3D printer and the new 3D40 FLEX 3D printer.
Additionally, users will also receive access to 30 standard lesson plans for students ranging from third to 12th grade, as well as a four-hour professional development course.
Starting next month, the Dremel DigiLab 3D40 FLEX will be available at select retailers, and online, for MSRP $1,299.
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This year’s formnext wrapped up last week in Frankfurt, and many companies were there to showcase their latest products, including Colossus, a multinational 3D printing startup based in Belgium. At the trade fair, the startup introduced its aptly named Colossus 3D printer, which it calls the largest and first fully integrated transportable 3D printer in the world. The Colossus was built with flexibility in mind – it’s easy to add on features and upgrade it, and the transportable 3D printer works as a fixed unit as well.
Yannick Aerts, CTO of Colossus, said, “We wanted to build a printing system that really adjusts to our customer needs, so making it as transportable and upgradeable as possible was a main priority.”
Everything on the Colossus, from extruder output and screw types to heated bed, software add-ons, and print volume, is configurable, which makes the system a good fit for a wide variety of industry applications.
The Colossus, with a 4 m³ build volume, is able to support impressively fast print speeds of up to 15 kg an hour, and was designed with what the startup says is “a special accent on materials for furniture, construction applications and large size 3D objects.”
Thanks to the startup’s partnership with the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), ten material compound profiles have been pre-tested on the Colossus, and it’s the first 3D printer of its scale to print with rPET and rPP profiles. Additionally, it can also print with recycled plastic materials.
“Young designers often lack partners to realize their ideas due to the high entry barriers in this market,” said Philippe Mérillet, the Co-Founder of Colossus. “Clients also requested a way to make furniture and other large-scale objects from plastic waste, so we searched the market and a large-scale printer and everything we found was either too slow, too expensive, or could not work with high-temperature materials like rPET or CarbonP which are difficult to extrude. So we decided to develop a printer that would do just that a made for materials.”
After research showed that these kinds of massive, cost-effective 3D printers just aren’t readily available, Colossus had a vision to make a cost-effective, fast 3D printing platform that could also provide a second life to plastic waste. The 2.67 x 1 x 1.5 m Colossus 3D printer features a 3200 x 1300 mm liquid heated bed for easy print removal, along with a granulate-fed extruder print head and a dehumidification unit for achieving better print quality.
“Half of the quality of a print is the state of the material which is why we have a fully integrated drying unit to prep your material so you can get the most out of your print,” Colossus wrote in a release. “Capable of temperatures of up to 400C gives you the flexibility to print almost any plastic material.”
The Colossus 3D printer comes with logging software, in addition to remote connectivity and internet debugging with data points and cameras, so problems can be solved and upgrades can be completed remotely in real-time. The startup provides training, along with contracts for service and maintenance, so customers should feel at ease that the Colossus can run 24/7.
Additional tech specs for the Colossus 3D printer include:
Safety glass window
Heater
Optional air conditioner
1-10 nozzle sizes
The Colossus is adaptable to specific customer requirements and has a fully customizable exterior. There are different lighting and flooring options, and the size of the extruder, window, and dryer can all be changed. You can even order the 3D printer with an extra cooling nozzle. As with most large scale, high throughput 3D printers (3D Printed Canal House, Dirk van der Kooij, etc.) the nozzle has been designed and made by Servan Bakker of Xtrution.
Now that the Colossus 3D printer, which is available for pre-order, has been formally introduced at formnext, the startup plans to improve upon the design and has already completed a prototype. The team is currently researching more options for the system, such as improve retraction, a multi-head system, and a higher print output of up to 25 kg per hour.
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Swiss 3D printer developer and manufacturer Sintratec, which has been busily adding resellers around the world in countries like France, Germany, and South Korea this year, is at formnext 2018 in Frankfurt this week, like most of the rest of the 3D printing industry. The company is presenting its new compact, industrial 3D printer – the Sintratec S2 – which, like its predecessors the Sintratec S1 and the Sintratec Kit, is based on SLS technology.
The modular system is interesting in terms of SLS technology in that it integrates, and semi-automates, the laser sintering, de-powdering, material preparation, and surface treatment processes. The end-to-end solution allows users to benefit from economic operation with decreased down times, precisely 3D printed objects with freedom of form, and no more annoying cleaning processes. This could reduce cost per part.
Not only is the new Sintratec S2 good for optimizing application designs of small- and medium-sized series production, but it’s also a great method for manufacturing prototypes. The smart system has a modular construction, with the build chamber located inside the Material Core Unit, but easy to remove from the Laser Sintering Station. The unit also comes with an integrated powder mixing function for convenient powder handling. To process different materials, users need only expand the Sintratec S2 with an additional Material Core Unit.
If SLS components require better surface qualities once off the print bed, the blast cabinet Sintratec Blasting Station can take care of it, while the Sintratec Polishing Station – a magnetic tumbler – helps to seal surface impurities and give the completed parts a smoother finish. In addition, the Sintratec Material Handling Station cleanly collects both used and excess 3D printing material sieves it for reprocessing.
The 3D printer’s Sintratec Laser Sintering Station comes with a cylindric printing area, made up of a new heating and ventilation concept, so it can receive consistent, homogeneous print results. It comes with an integrated 4K camera to control print jobs and evaluate each layer’s surface in real time, and its laser scanning system offers a faster print speed and enhanced process repeatability. The Sintratec S2 is fully operated through an intuitive touchscreen.
The Sintratec S2 allows users to focus on the applications of tomorrow, and tap potential for professional prototyping purposes. It is well-suited for developing more complex components, which can provide designers and engineers both economic and creative benefits.
Thanks to its modular design, users of the Sintratec S2 can expand their production capacity by adding specific modules, and achieve high-quality SLS prints. The company is now accepting purchase reservations for its new Sintratec S2 3D printer, and you can see it for yourself this week at formnext, which ends on Friday, at the Sintratec booth G79 in Hall 3.1. If you’re unable to make it to Frankfurt, you can also see the SLS system in action by watching the video below:
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We should really call today’s 3D Printing News Briefs the formnext 2018 Briefs, as announcements from the show are numerous this week. EnvisionTEC, XYZprinting, BASF, and DSM all introduced new 3D printing materials at the event in Frankfurt today, and in the only news not related to formnext, Imerys Ceramics has announced a new range of ceramic feedstocks.
EnvisionTEC Debuting First 4K 3D Printing System
At formnext, 3D printer manufacturer EnvisionTEC debuted the industry’s first DLP-based 3D printer that uses a true 4K projector with UV optics tuned to the 385 nm wavelength. Available in three production-ready variations, with a gray body and a 2560 x 1600 pixel projector resolution, the Perfactory P4K 3D printer delivers highly accurate parts with an ultra-smooth surface finish. Additionally, the Perfactory P4K, has access to the rest of the Perfactory line’s versatile materials portfolio for production capacity.
“The P4K is the highest resolution advanced DLP printer with the largest build envelope and deploys artificial intelligence in pixel modulation to deliver the highest accuracy parts with the smoothest available surface finish in the 3D printing space. This will deliver the next level of production-grade 3D printing solutions,” said Al Siblani, the CEO of EnvisionTEC.
The new Perfactory P4K will be on display at formnext all week.
XYZprinting Introducing New 3D Printing Materials
Another company introducing new materials at formnext this week is desktop 3D printing brand XYZprinting. In order to expand the capabilities of both domestic and professional grade 3D printers, the company is launching a new antibacterial PLA material, along with copper metallic PLA and Carbon PLA materials. The first of these can destroy up to 99% of bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and comes in four colors: white, red, yellow and neon green.
The copper metallic PLA, made of 65% copper powder, is a good alternative for hobbyists when it comes to sculpting metal for ornamental models. The material is being launched in conjunction with XYZprinting’s new nozzle, made of carbon hardened steel. Finally, the new Carbon PLA, which is also compatible with this new nozzle, is made of 10% carbon fiber, and its matte finish is ideal for showing off fine details. You can learn more about these new materials at XYZprinting’s booth D10 in Hall 3.1, where it will also be exhibiting its latest 3D printer, the da Vinci Color AiO, with a 3D scanner and optional laser engraver.
BASF 3D Printing Solutions Presents New Products at formnext
Germany-based BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH (B3DPS), a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH, is also at formnext this week, to introduce several new materials for photopolymer and laser sintering methods, in addition to announcing some new partnerships and alliances. First, B3DPS is introducing flame-resistant Ultrasint Polyamide PA6 Black FR, Ultrasint PA6 Black LM X085, which is suitable for most current SLS 3D printers, and Ultrasint PP, a polypropylene with great plasticity, low moisture uptake, and resistance to liquids and gases. Additionally, B3DPS has also grouped its photopolymer materials under the new Ultracur3D brand name.
András Marton, Senior Business Development Manager at B3DPS, said, “Our Ultracur3D portfolio enables us to offer customers various UV-curable materials for 3D printing that provide far better mechanical properties and higher long-term stability than most available materials.
“These materials have been developed for functional components that are subject to high stress.”
The subsidiary also announced that it’s partnering with California company Origin and 3D printer manufacturer Photocentric to develop photopolymers and photopolymer 3D printing processes, and working with Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Xunshi Technology, which operates in the US under the name SprintRay, to open up new applications for the Ultracur3D range. Additionally, B3DPS subsidiary Innofil3D is partnering with Jet-Mate Technology in China and US-based M. Holland to distribute plastic filaments. Visit B3DPS at formnext this week at booth F20 in Hall 3.1.
DSM Announces 3D Printing Product Launches
Vent cover used for PIV windtunnel testing, printed in Somos PerFORM Reflect
In today’s final formnext news, science-based company DSM has unveiled two new high-performance materials for 3D printing structural parts. Somos PerFORM Reflect is a groundbreaking new stereolithography material for wind tunnel testing with PIV (Particle Imaging Velocimetry), and saves more than 30% post treatment cost by eliminating the need to apply PIV coatings to printed parts. In addition to helping customers conduct iterations and collect data more quickly, the resin could actually help break speed records for wind tunnel testing.
“Speed is crucial, whether in automotive, aerospace or other transportation design. Eliminating the need to apply PIV coatings is a major breakthrough for customers who are using PIV wind tunnel testing. It allows them to speed up their aerodynamic design optimizations. We are thrilled that our strategy of focusing on helping customers create their applications have enabled us to deliver such tremendous value. Overnight, Somos® PerFORM Reflect will not just set new speed records but new industry standards,” said Hugo da Silva, Vice President of Additive Manufacturing at DSM.
The company’s second new material is the thermoplastic copolyester (TPC) Arnitel ID2060 HT, which is perfect for the FDM 3D printing of structural parts for automotive applications. The material features a balance of prolonged high temperature resistance, flexibility, and chemical resistance against exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) condensate.
Imerys Ceramics Introduces EZ Print 3D Range of Ceramic Feedstocks
As part of the Imerys group, Imerys Ceramics designs, produces, and markets high-performance mineral solutions for the ceramic industries, and is making ceramic 3D printing easy with its new, unique range of ceramic materials called EZ Print 3D.
EZ Print 3D is available as a plug & play cartridge, so users can enjoy efficiency and ease of use when it comes to 3D printing. The materials are also available as a “ready to fill” ceramic feedstock, and have been tested on several 3D printers currently on the market. EZ Print 3D has a low firing temperature of 1220°C that’s compatible with most kiln temperature limits, and the genuine low porosity (<0,5%) of a porcelain. The technology is perfect for tableware and giftware applications, and the company plans to expand EZ Print 3D accordingly as 3D printing adoption grows. Imerys Ceramics also provides technical support and a dedicated team that’s competent in 3D printing to help customers.
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Massachusetts-based additive manufacturing company RIZE is best known for its Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology, which allows for the quick, easy release of supports from a 3D printed part. But we haven’t seen a new 3D printer from the company since it first introduced its industrial-grade desktop Rize One in 2016…until now.
Today at formnext in Frankfurt, the company officially launched its new XRIZE 3D printer – the first industrial desktop AM solution for manufacturing full-color functional polymer and composite parts. Additionally, RIZE is also taking the opportunity to introduce several materials and IoT solutions at the trade fair. All of these new products will provide the company’s customers with maximum flexibility and a fast ROI, while still offering the minimal post-processing they’ve come to expect from RIZE.
The XRIZE 3D printer leverages the company’s patented APD process by extruding an engineering-grade thermoplastic, while at the same time jetting cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks through its industrial printheads. Then, Release Ink is jetted between the automatically-generated supports and the part, so that users can quickly peel the supports away for a smooth surface finish with no additional finishing required.
Typically when it comes to full-color 3D printing, users have to make trade-offs between color, price, and strength, choosing inexpensive colored parts that are not functional or paying a premium for working, full-color prints. Separate 3D printers are often required to deliver different capabilities, like providing full-color, end-use and production parts, being quiet enough for office use, and printing with carbon fiber and other similar materials.
With the new XRIZE, users can now produce full-color, functional polymer and composite parts. The machine is safe, secure, and easy to use, with minimal material management, and is capable of fabricating prototypes for applications like consumer products, GIS mapping, FEA and stress analysis, anatomical parts for the medical field, package design, tooling with safety instructions, and parts for marketing and entertainment sectors.
The 61 kg XRIZE 3D printer comes with a heated build chamber, auto-leveling build plate, best-in-class Z axis strength, intuitive touchscreen, and automatic filament changeover. It has optional Internet and Cloud connectivity, and RIZE ONETOUCH software makes it fast and easy for users to import color CAD files and apply images, text, and texture maps to monochrome part files. The system has four-channel color, with an additional channel dedicated to Release Ink, and can use several kinds of materials, including RIZIUM One and RIZIUM Black.
Additional specs include:
310 x 200 x 200 mm build volume
.250 mm or .125 mm layer thickness
X/Y 300 dpi resolution, X 200 dpi resolution at .125 mm layer thickness
Safe process and materials for office compatibility
The XRIZE can also run the company’s two newest materials: RIZIUM CARBON and and RIZIUM ENDURA. The former, an engineering-grade, carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament, has a higher modulus and excellent visual finish, and is good for applications like functional prototyping in manufacturing. Fiber-reinforced RIZIUM ENDURA has high impact strength and accuracy, is compatible with the company’s full-color inks, and is ideal for 3D printing large functional parts.
The company also introduced RIZE CONNECT at formnext today, which allows users to manage and monitor their RIZE ONE and XRIZE 3D printers remotely for maximum efficiency. RIZE CONNECT will send notifications, manage an enterprise print farm, and queue jobs from both desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, users can make parts with greater security and part traceability, thanks to options like digital part identification, QR codes, and version control.
RIZE CONNECT will be available in 2019.
“Our mission from the beginning has been inclusive and sustainable innovation. With this approach, we can take additive manufacturing anywhere and to everyone. The way to do that is to make industrial 3D printing easy, safe, and fully digital,” said Andy Kalambi, the President and CEO of RIZE. “Our innovative platform approach is the core to driving sustainable innovation. With the launch of XRIZE, RIZIUM CARBON, RIZIUM ENDURA and RIZE CONNECT, we are now realizing the potential of this platform, providing our customers with maximum flexibility, complete ease of use and quickest ROI.”
The new XRIZE 3D printer, with an MSRP of $55,000, will be available for purchase in 2019. To see this new system, and the rest of RIZE’s comprehensive product suite, visit booth C28 in Hall 3.1 at formnext, which ends on November 16th. In addition, Kishore Boyalakuntla, RIZE’s VP of Products, will be discussing the announcement in further detail during a presentation this afternoon, titled “RIZE: Announcing a Technology Platform for Connected Innovation and Scale,” on the TCT Stage.
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We’re starting with more formnext announcements on today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to classes and workshops. Verashape is launching a new 3D printer at next week’s event in Frankfurt, while Cubicure will be presenting its new CSS software solution for 3D printing. In the meantime, SelfCAD is releasing an updated version of its software. Finally, the EU-funded METALS project has published an online 3D printing course, and the people behind a new program for 3D printed construction technology in India are organizing a workshop on construction 3D printing.
VSHAPER 500 Med Launching at formnext
Just like Polish 3D printer manufacturer Verashape introduced its 5-Axis VSHAPER 3D printer at last year’s formnext, the company is taking advantage of the 2018 event in Frankfurt, estimated to gather a record number of participants in its largest space yet, to launch its newest 3D printer – the VSHAPER 500 MED, which was developed to meet the growing demands for spatial printouts used in the medical field. The VSHAPER 500 MED, which includes a vacuum table, a closed chamber with UV light, and silver-based antibacterial coatings, is perfect for creating precise, high quality 3D printed medical models. The 3D printer also has a 420 x 420 x 400 mm workspace, along with an extruder with two V-JET heads.
“3D Printing technology is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in medical diseases treatment, fighting disabilities and increasing the effectiveness of complicated surgeries,” said Marcin Szymański, the company’s VSHAPER Product Manager. “The technology is already used to aid the creation of dental crowns, bone parts, blood vessels and hip-joints prosthetics.”
To see the new VSHAPER 500 MED 3D printer for yourself, visit Verashape at formnext from November 13-16 at Stand 3.1-G88.
Cubicure Presenting CSS Software Solution at formnext
Cubicure, a spin-off company of TU Wien, will be presenting its new, platform-independent software solution for additive manufacturing data preparation at formnext. The software, called CSS for Cubicure Support & Slice, can generate complex support geometries, as well as edit STL files. The comprehensive tool allows users to generate, edit and repair 3D models, in addition to easily exporting layer information for the 3D printing process. Developed with graphic software provider DeskArtes and based on 3Data Expert, CSS is applicable for DLP and SLA (stereolithography), and Cubicure’s own Hot Lithography technology, and also comes with an intuitive import function of several surface models, a user-friendly GUI, and data conversion tools.
Dr. Robert Gmeiner, the CEO of Cubicure GmbH, said, “With this software solution Cubicure offers another important product for the additive manufacturing value chain.”
You can visit Cubicure Booth G59 in Hall 3.1 at formnext.
SelfCAD Releasing Updated Software
Browser-based 3D design platform SelfCAD, founded in 2015, combines 3D modeling, slicing, and several other tools and functions in one easy program. Now, SelfCAD has launched an updated version of its software, which was developed based on users’ expectations of powerful but easy to use 3D modeling software. Version 2.0 of the modeling software includes more capabilities, like a 3D sketching toolset to increase the user’s level of freedom, and simplified design, including an intuitive user interface with a less confusing toolbar that makes it easy to use, even for beginners.
Additional features include new selection modes, a simple objects view with both light and dark modes, a measurement option for easier design of accurate models, new sketching brushes, and new shapes. What’s not new is that SelfCAD, with a price of $14.99 a month or $139.99 a year after a 10-day free trial.
METALS Project Publishes Online 3D Printing Course
The three-year MachinE Tool Alliance for Skills (METALS) project, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program and coordinated by CECIMO, ended last week, but not before releasing a free, online course about the fundamentals of AM. The project was characterized by a comprehensive partnership across Germany, Italy, and Spain, with a goal of increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s machine tool industry by providing the necessary skills to benefit from new disruptive technologies, such as 3D printing. The e-learning course, which is available in English, German, Italian and Spanish, intends to support the development of the AM workforce, and includes 27 learning units divided along three main areas: knowledge of AM, work-process, and entrepreneurship.
“Training and education are important elements for the industrialisation of additive technologies in Europe, which is the objective of CECIMO,” said Filip Geerts, CECIMO’s Director General. “With METALS, learners will be able to access relevant online knowledge at no cost and start building their competences to interact with AM. Coupled with on-hands training, which remains essential, initiatives like METALS are useful to increase the overall awareness of what AM concretely is and entails.”
National Workshop in India on 3D Printing Construction
Indian 3D printing startup Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, based out of Bangalore and Chennai, is a design and manufacturing organization that specializes in industrial 3D printing. The startup, founded by a group of alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, developed India’s first 3D printed concrete structure in collaboration with the IIT Madras Civil Department. Now, Tvasta and IIT Madras are organizing a national workshop, to be held in Chennai on November 16, all about 3D printing in construction.
The objective of the conference is to present how construction 3D printing has the potential to majorly boost the country’s affordable housing sector. Many reputable speakers from around the world, including academic and industry experts, have been invited to speak about developments in automation, specialized concrete mixes, structural design, and other topics during the workshop. The conference will be held in the IC & SR Auditorium at IIT Madras.
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New Mexico-based Optomec is well-known for both its aerosol jet technology, which is used to 33D print electronics, and its other patented AM process: LENS, which uses Directed Energy Deposition (DED) for high-value metal 3D printing. The company has been busy in the last few years, winning contracts and awards and providing resources on its technologies. In 2016, the company first showcased its hybrid LENS Machine Tool series, which consist of a CNC Vertical Milling platform integrated with Optomec’s proprietary LENS metal 3D printing technology.
“The new LENS 860 suite of systems builds on the success of our Machine Tool Series, first launched at IMTS in 2016,” said Dave Ramahi, Optomec President and CEO. “These new larger machines continue to demonstrate our ability to transition Optomec production-proven 3D Metal Printing capability onto traditional CNC platforms that match the cost, performance and ease-of-use demands of the traditional machine tool market. These products are a key element of our strategy to bring Metal Additive Manufacturing into the industrial mainstream.”
The new large-format LENS 860 Hybrid CA System offers more capabilities for high-quality, affordable metal hybrid manufacturing, thanks to its higher laser power support and larger build volume of 860 x 600 x 610 mm. It features a hermetically-sealed build chamber that maintains moisture and oxygen levels below 10 ppm for processing reactive metals, like titanium, and can cost-effectively produce and repair parts.
The system offers versatility, as it can perform wide area cladding for wear coating applications and 3D print fine, detailed features for thin wall metal structures. It can also be configured with a high-power 3kW fiber laser and closed loop controls, which makes it the perfect choice for building, repairing, and coating mid- to large-size parts that offer superior metal quality. Optomec’s powerful software allows for 5-axis build strategies, which can combine both subtractive and additive operations in one tool path; the company also provides several material starter recipes to speed up adoption with the LENS 860 Hybrid CA System.
Performing finish machining on a 3D printed part with the LENS Hybrid configuration’s milling capability, without having to align it on another machine or re-fixture it, is one of the many advantages of the LENS Machine Tool Series, which start at under $250,000. There are three additional configurations to the LENS 860 Hybrid CA System model in the series: two Additive-Only models, both of which are Open and Controlled Atmosphere, and and the 860 Hybrid Open Atmosphere (OA) system, which is a good platform to use when processing non-reactive metals like Tool Steel Inconel and Stainless Steel.
You can see the new system for yourself this week at Optomec’s booth #432204 in the West Building at IMTS 2018. The first customer shipments of the LENS 860 Hybrid CA System will take place later this year.
Speaking of customers, Optomec also shared the details at IMTS of how the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is using one of its new LENS Hybrid CA Systems to create dissolvable magnesium components for applications in the medical field.
Medical implants, like screws and plates, made of stainless steel or titanium, are permanent structures that can have high complications rates and need to be surgically removed and fixed. But the university’s work with the LENS Hybrid CA System will allow the creation of 3D printed, patient-specific implants with a controlled time to dissolve, which will lower the costs, risks, and suffering of patients who will no longer require a second surgery to remove implants.
Professor Mike Sealy of UNL and his team are using an Optomec LENS Hybrid CA System to advance the performance and functionality of medical implants.
“We are proud to be the first customer of an Optomec LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere System, the only commercially-available machine to provide hybrid manufacturing capabilities for reactive metals. Our research is focused on advancing the performance and functionality of dissolvable devices. Using LENS, we are applying a hybrid additive manufacturing process to control the disintegration of medical fasteners and plates so they stay in-tact long enough to serve their purpose and then degrade away once the bone is healed,” said Dr. Michael Sealy, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at UNL, and a pioneer in advanced manufacturing research.
Optomec’s LENS 3D Hybrid CA System is the AM industry’s first atmosphere-controlled system for additive and subtractive processing of metals, and combines the company’s industry-proven LENS technology with a strong CNC automation platform. The system will make it more cost-effective to introduce metal 3D printing to industrial markets.
The UNL is a 3D printing and hybrid AM leader, and using the LENS Hybrid CA System allows Dr. Sealy and his team to combine layered surface treatments with LENS technology in order to 3D print magnesium components with controlled degradation – a coveted design capability in the medical field, in addition to areas like automotive structures and lightweight aerospace. Whereas dissasolvable and bioabsorbable 3D printed polymers have been shown dissovable metals is completely new.
“Two years ago, at IMTS in 2016, Dr. Sealy and his team at University of Nebraska became the first customer of our LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere system. Today they are here at IMTS showcasing their groundbreaking accomplishments achieved with their LENS Hybrid system,” said Tom Cobbs, LENS Product Manager at Optomec. “Dr. Sealy’s pioneering work enables the design and manufacture of components with a combination of properties unobtainable using traditional metal working methods. We applaud his innovative use of hybrid additive manufacturing to create and qualify a new class of metal components with unique properties that will benefit mankind.”
Dr. Mike Sealy and UNL students have been using a LENS metal hybrid AM system from Optomec to advance research in key areas such as heavy machinery, medical devices, and aeronautics.
Reactive materials and powdered metals, such as titanium and magnesium, have to be processed in a controlled atmosphere, where oxygen and moisture impurities can be kept below 10 parts per million. Dr. Sealy used the Optomec LENS 3D Hybrid CA System to process these kinds of materials in a way that allowed a degradable implant to hang onto its integrity and strength long enough to complete its job. He is also working with Sentient Science to investigate hybrid processing techniques of 7000 series aluminum for the US Navy.
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We’re taking care of business first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by a story about 3D printed glasses and then moving on into the aerospace sector. 3YOURMIND is sharing a preview of its upcoming virtual AM Summit, and Rize published a new case study. TriPro 3D Technology introduced a new 3D printer, and a doctor at the Beijing Tongren Hospital is hoping to correct patients’ vision with 3D printed glasses. Launcher completed another test for its 3D printed rocket engine, a 3D modeler put a lot of work into creating a 3D printed NASA helmet, and engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center created a 3D printable model of its flying telescope.
3YOURMIND Presenting Virtual AM Summit
German startup 3YOURMIND, which provides industrial 3D printing software solutions, is presenting a free virtual conference called the AM Summit later this month for people who want to learn more about industrial 3D printing. Beginning at 10 am Central European Time on August 28, the AM Summit will feature five speakers from multiple industries, who will be discussing topics like how to make data 3D printable, the future of 3D printing materials, and how to identify great AM business cases.
The AM Summit’s website states, “Learn how to get started with 3D design, identify your first successful business cases, and how to optimize workflows like leading companies around the world do. Participate in the digital conference online from your desk and chat in real time with the audience and the experts”
Rize Presents Customer Case Study
Boston-based 3D printing company Rize just released a new customer case study about New Hudson Facades (NHF), which designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs custom glass and aluminum façades on skyscrapers, that explains how the company adopted 3D printing in its Pennsylvania office, which already contained automated assembly lines, material handling and inspection equipment, and robotic glazing equipment. NHF’s engineering manager Andrew Black was already familiar with 3D printing and thought that the company could increase product quality and production and decrease costs by incorporating the technology into its daily operations. When asking Cimquest, a Rize reseller, for a recommendation, Black specified that the AM solution the company needed had to be safe, fast, easy to learn and use, and able to fabricate strong functional parts, like clamping fixtures and check gauges. Cimquest then suggested the Rize One.
“I put Rize One right next to my desk, so I can use it all the time. It’s so easy, anyone can use it,” Black said.
“We’re finding creative new uses every day for our Rize 3D printer.”
NHF is now enjoying a 15% increase in production speed and $200,000 cost savings per year on fixtures.
TriPro Introduces Industrial 3D Printer
China-based TriPro Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in lasers and CNC machines but has also made the leap to 3D printing. Now, the company is introducing its latest 3D printer, the ProMaker 700, for industrial applications. It’s easy to print with materials like ABS, PLA, PETG, and nylon on the ProMaker 700, which features a 460 x 430 x 740 mm build volume. The 3D printer can maintain a constant temperature of about 60°C, thanks to its full enclosure; this is necessary when working with materials like ABS so they don’t warp at the edges due to rapid cooling. With a 50 micron resolution on X and Y and a 100 micron on Z, the ProMaker 700 is also perfect for batch manufacturing.
“We highly recommend this machine for designing, for manufacturing, prototyping, importance of functional and parts manufacturing,” said Achilles from TriPro.
3D Printed Glasses for Correcting Vision
Dr. Song Hongxin with a pair of 3D printed glasses at Beijing Tongren Hospital. [Image: Beijing News]
At the Beijing Tongren Hospital in China, Dr. Song Hongxin is working to create customized 3D printed glasses with a free-form surface to help people with deformed corneas correct their vision. Free-form surface lenses, which can fit differently shaped corneas, can help with the symptoms of an eye disorder called keratoconus, which can result in symptoms like astigmatism, blurred vision, and nearsightedness.
Dr. Song, who was inspired by the adaptive optical system of NASA, explained, “Normal corneas have a smooth and convex surface, while their (keratoconus patients’) corneas are bumpy with many irregular concaves.”
While traditionally made glasses aren’t always customizable, and can be expensive when they are, 3D printing allows physicians to customize glasses more accurately to fit a patient’s cornea.
Launcher Completes Hot-Fire Test
Launcher, a space startup, is making metal 3D printed components for rocket engines, like a combustion chamber made using nickel-chromium alloy Inconel 718. The startup relies on EOS technology for its 3D printing needs, and recently completed another hot-fire test of its E-1 3D printed chamber rocket engine, which is being used to help Launcher validate the design of the 3D printed combustion chamber and internal cooling channels before the technology is applied to its much larger E-2.
During the 30 second test, Launcher achieved its highest “performance and temperature mix ratio for LOX/RP-1” and reached a combustion temperature of about 6,000°F, which is over twice the melting point temperature of its 3D printed Inconel 718 combustion chamber.
3D Printed NASA Helmet
Designer, animator, special effects creator, and maker Adam Savage, formerly of Mythbusters and currently of Tested, was excited to introduce a video on the site recently about a new member of the Tested family – 3D modeler and prop maker Darrell Maloney, also known as The Broken Nerd.
“Darrell came to my attention last year because he’s ludicrously prolific and incredibly facile at 3D printing and model making and ambitious in his scope,” Savage said in the new video.
“In our ongoing collaboration, Darrell will continue to deliver some videos for Tested.com, including this one, in which I commissioned Darrell to make a space helmet for me.”
It’s not just any space helmet either – Savage is working to replicate the orange Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), also called a pumpkin suit. This full pressure suit was worn by Space Shuttle crews after STS-65, and Darrell adapted a high-fidelity model that Savage purchased in order to make the helmet 3D printable. It took over 100 hours of 3D printing to create the helmet – you can check out the full process in the video below.
3D Printable SOFIA Flying Telescope Model
A 3D printed model of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is displayed beneath a photo of the real thing. [Image: NASA/SOFIA]
Engineers at the Ames Research Center have made a 3D printable eight-piece model of NASA’s flying telescope SOFIA, which stands for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. The SOFIA telescope was built into a modified Boeing 747 wide-body jetliner, and flies at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet in order to observe the objects that fill our universe, like black holes, comets, and stars, from the stratosphere. The 3D printable SOFIA model, which includes a mini version of the real SOFIA’s 106″ reflecting telescope, was built to a scale of 1/200, making it just under a foot long.
The digital files to 3D print your own SOFIA model are free to download.
“SOFIA flies higher than commercial jetliners to get above 99 percent of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere, which blocks infrared light from reaching the ground. This is why SOFIA is capable of making observations that are impossible for even the largest and highest ground-based telescopes,” NASA officials said.
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Taiwan-based 3D printer manufacturer XYZprinting almost always has a new 3D printer to introduce whenever an industry event or trade show rolls around. At last year’s IFA exhibition, the company unveiled its da Vinci Color 3D printer, and is now expanding its portfolio even further at IFA 2018 with the release of its consumer-oriented da Vinci Color mini.
Part of the company’s Color series, the compact, full-color da Vinci Color mini uses 3DColorJet technology, which combines FFF 3D printing with inkjet technology, so users can turn their ideas into colorful reality.
“Desktop full-color 3D printing is here. Now, consumers can purchase an easy-to-operate, affordable, compact full-color 3D printer for $30,000 less than market rate,” said Simon Shen, CEO of XYZprinting. “This is revolutionary because we are giving the public access to technology that was once only available to industry professionals. We are proud to be the industry leader in desktop, full-color 3D printing.”
The new da Vinci Color mini by XYZprinting, weighing in at just 53 lbs, is convenient and lightweight enough to be easily placed on any desktop or table top, while also providing the same high level of versatility and quality that XYZprinting is known for. This makes it the perfect 3D printer for designers, entrepreneurs, and STEAM students.
The 3D printer, which the company says is “a modern full-color 3D printing solution to traditional bulky and expensive full-color 3D printers,” works seamlessly, thanks to several features like WiFi connectivity, an EZ removable print bed, hands-free automatic calibration, and a 5″ color touchscreen LCD panel for user-friendly, intuitive operation.
Additional features include:
Complete full-color 3D printing capabilities (3-in-1 CMY ink cartridges)
Upgradable laser engraving function for leather, wood, and more
Mono-color 3D printing in PLA, PETG, and Tough PLA
Full-color 3D printing in Color PLA
5.1″ x 5.1″ x 5.1″ build volume
Fully enclosed
UL certified
The compact da Vinci Color mini is easy to set up, so users can get right down to the business of 3D printing. XYZprinting’s 3DColorJet technology is able to provide a full spectrum of millions of colors, which can be applied to various layers in 3D prints.
The da Vinci Color mini was designed for all sorts of consumer and professional 3D printer users, such as producers who create prototypes of film and animation models that need to be available for immediate use post-print, and educators looking to add full-color 3D printing capabilities into their classrooms. This 3D printer is also perfect for small business owners looking to open their own 3D printing business, designers and architects who want to help clients get a better idea of their final product with the help of miniature landscapes and scaled down models, geek culture collectors and fans, and just daily consumers in need of a more cost-effective 3D printing solution.
XYZprinting’s new da Vinci Color mini 3D printer retails for $1599.95, but early adopters can save $600 by pre-ordering it on Indiegogo; it should be shipped to crowdfunding backers in October of 2018.
The da Vinci Color mini will also be on display later this month at IFA 2018, which will be held at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Germany from August 31st to September 5th. You can see the 3D printer for yourself at the company’s Booth 107 in Hall 12.
What do you think of the XYZprinting’s da Vinci Color mini? Discuss this new 3D printer, and other 3D printing topics, at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.
The Altraspin can achieve a sub-micron resolution down to 0.2µm, which means it can 3D print micro-parts with a resolution that’s 100 times smaller than a single strand of hair, which is great news for applications that need a high-quality surface finish and exact precision, such as cell culture, micro-sensors, metamaterials, micro-optics, tissue engineering, and 3D printing shapes that can fit inside microfluidic devices.
