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3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, August 9, 2020

We’ve only got four online events to tell you about this week—a summit and a few webinars, one of which is on-demand. Read on to learn more!

AM Industry Virtual Summit

From 8 am until 6:30 pm EST this Tuesday and Wednesday, August 11th and 12th, the AM Industry Summit, powered by ASME, will welcome 3D printing professionals working in the aerospace and defense and medical device manufacturing fields. The summit is free to attend, and there will be 50 sessions on the medical device track, with 58 on the aerospace and defense side, and more than 30 total speakers. The summit will also include brief product demonstrations called Demo Jams by 3D printing solution providers like 3D Systems, Arburg, and Protolabs, in addition to the InnoZone where various vase studies will be presented, a scavenger hunt, Lunch & Learn activities, and time for virtual networking in multiple Chat Rooms.

“The event will focus on their shared challenges and unique opportunities in Additive Manufacturing. Find answers in materials, processes, equipment, regulatory issues, quality, repeatability and more. AM Industry Summit bridges the gap.”

Nexa3D’s New xCLEAN Eco-Friendly Solvent

Nexa3D recently announced the commercial availability of xCLEAN, its new eco-friendly cleaning solvent for 3D printed parts. Now this Thursday, August 13th, at 1:30 pm EST, the company will host a 3D printing leadership forum online to explain how the material, which is said to have three times the saturation limit of isopropyl alcohol with less waste, can be used to enhance series additive manufacturing. During the webinar, attendees will learn how the cleaner was developed, along with some of its best qualities, such as eliminating greasy residue and the ability to work with most resin cleaning systems currently on the market.

“When necessity breeds invention, we find ourselves discovering game-changing products and services. When PPE production increased due to Covid-19, additive manufacturing stepped up to help meet demand but the need for isopropyl alcohol (IPA) couldn’t be met, threatening to bring Nexa3D’s operations to a halt. With no suitable alternatives on the market and the determination to continue production, the company developed xCLEAN – an eco-friendly, effective cleaning solvent for all resin-based 3D printers.”

There will also be a live Q&A session at the end. You can register for the webinar here.

On-Demand Webinar: EOS M 290 System

Even with the added benefits, it can be risky for companies working on qualified serial production to adopt a new technology, such as additive manufacturing. That’s because qualification is of the utmost importance for regulated industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and medical, that require large amounts of high-value, high-quality parts made with consistent repeatability. EOS has published an on-demand webinar, which includes a section on FAQs, titled “Repeatability & Reliability of EOS Ti64 ELI on the EOS M 290,” on the topic of its EOS M 290 3D printing system, and the 6-Sigma repeatability it offers, which makes the printer a good fit for machine shops fabricating parts in serial production.

“While Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Installation Qualifications (IQ) for machines are standard practice at EOS, our latest machine capability study provides further qualification support for a machine that has quickly become a benchmark for metal AM, the EOS M 290. Featuring hundreds of thousands of data points on everything from part roughness and density, to machine sensors and set-up, this new study offers a comprehensive intel package to shorten your Operational Qualification (OQ) process and get you ready for serial production.”

You can register to view the webinar here.

ASTM’s AM General Personnel Certificate Program

The ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) recently began offering its AM General Personnel Certificate course, which continues through August 27th. The online course, taught by 17 industry experts, is made up of eight modules—two modules per week for four weeks—covering all the general concepts of the AM process chain, such as terminology and process overview, design and simulation, post-processing, safety issues, qualification and certification, and more.

“This course will equip attendees with core technical knowledge related to common AM practices and will allow them to earn a General AM Certificate that will serve as the foundation and pre-requisite for earning future specialized role-based AM certificates through the ASTM AM CoE. Attendees will complete a multiple-choice exam upon course completion.”

It will cost ASTM members $1,199 to purchase this online course, while the cost is $1,300 for non-members. You can learn more about this online learning opportunity by looking at the Course Flyer or the Information Pamphlet. Register for the class here.

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know!

The post 3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, August 9, 2020 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, August 2, 2020

It’s another busy week in the 3D printing industry that’s packed full of webinars and virtual events, ranging in topics from medical materials and flexible electronics to polypropylene and market costs. There are four on Tuesday, August 4th, two on Wednesday, August 5th, and the week will end with the last KEX webinar on Thursday, August 6th.

ASTM’s AM General Personnel Certificate Program

Last week, the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) training course all about additive manufacturing safety. Now, the AM CoE is starting its AM General Personnel Certificate course, which will begin August 4th and run through the 27th. One of its key focus areas is promoting AM adoption, and helping to fill the knowledge gap with training for the future AM workforce is a major way that the AM CoE is doing this. The online course is made up of eight modules covering all the general concepts of the AM process chain, and attendees will learn important technical knowledge that will allow them to earn a General AM Certificate after completing a multiple-choice exam.

“This course will feature 17 experts across the field of additive manufacturing to provide a comprehensive course covering all of the general concepts of the AM process chain to its attendees. The course will occur over the month of August consisting of two modules per week for four weeks. More information can be found in the course flyer.”

Online registration will open soon. This is not a free course—you can learn about the fees here.

Nexa3D & Henkel: Medical Materials Webinar

Recently, SLA 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D and functional additive materials supplier Henkel announced that they were partnering up to commercialize the polypropylene-like xMED412, a durable, high-impact material that can be used to 3D print biocompatible medical and wearable devices; in fact, it’s already been cleared to print nasal swabs. Now, the two are holding a virtual leadership forum on “Advances and Breakthroughs in 3D Printed Medical Equipment and Device Materials,” like xMED412. Topics to be discussed will include new possibilities for 3D printing medical equipment and devices, the benefits of using AM to fabricate these products, and the advantages additive manufacturing has over medical materials made with traditional manufacturing. Panelists will engage with attendees after the discussion in a live Q&A session.

“3D printing has introduced all kinds of new possibilities for developing stronger and lightweighted equipment but we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. These past few months have driven the industry to new realms of creativity with the need to quickly deliver medical supplies, devices and materials. With new lightweight, sturdy materials designed to withstand impact, moisture and vibration, access to lower cost medical equipment is becoming more widely available thanks to 3D printing.”

SOLIDWORKS Design Solution Demonstration

Also on August 4th, at 11 am EST, Dassault Systèmes will be holding a brief demonstration of its 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS design solution. This demonstration of the platform’s capabilities will last just 22 minutes, and will teach attendees how to collaborate and stay connected to data while creating new designs with SOLIDWORKS when connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, exploring the latest tools available on the platform, and design a model using both parametric (3D Creator) and Sub-D modeling (3D Sculptor) tools with the help of complementary workflows.

“SOLIDWORKS is the design tool that has been trusted by engineers and designers around the world for decades. Part of the 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS portfolio, SOLIDWORKS is now connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with cloud-based tools that enable everyone involved in product development to collaborate on real-time data. Doing so enables you to efficiently gain the insight needed to create revolutionary new products.”

You can register for the demonstration here.

NextFlex Innovation Days

The last August 4th event in this week’s roundup is NextFlex Innovation Days, the flagship showcase event for the consortium of academic institutions, companies, non-profits, and local and federal governments that make up NextFlex and are working to advance US manufacturing of flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). The event will run through Thursday, August 6th, and will include panel discussions on how FHEs are continuing to transform the world, including a panel featuring a special guest speaker from the US Senate. FHE innovations that will be highlighted during the event include a wearable biometrics monitor from Stretch Med, Inc., flexible skin-like sensors from Georgia Tech, a flexible UV sensor out of the NASA Ames Research Center, miniaturized gas sensors that GE Research integrated into wearables and drone formats, and Brewer Science’s integrated FHE solutions in a brewery application.

“This multi-day virtual event will feature over 50 customer, partner and member company presentations online available at no cost. If you watch live, you’ll have the chance to interact with presenters and flexible hybrid electronic (FHE) experts from the comfort of home via webinars and virtual labs, or you can watch video demonstrations at your availability.”

Additive America & HP AM Webinar

HP is currently sponsoring a webinar series highlighting business in the AM industry that worked to transition their production processes in order to help fill the supply chain gap that’s been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week’s episode, which will take place at 1:30 pm EST on Wednesday, August 5th, will feature a discussion with Additive America on “the lasting impact of COVID-19 on additive manufacturing.”

“Listen in on conversations with our customers to learn how they have adapted to the change in business climate, whether it be a shift in production workflow to address supply chain gaps, enabling a faster product development cycle to support changing customers’ needs, or bridge production.”

You can register for this webinar here.

Prodways, BASF, & Peridot Talk Polypropylene

Also on August 5th, Prodways, BASF, and full-service product development company Peridot Inc. will be holding a free webinar together called “Rethink Additive Manufacturing with Polypropylene.” Led by Lee Barbiasz from Prodways, Jeremy Vos from BASF, and Peridot owner Dave Hockemeyer, the webinar will focus on how PP 1200, a tough, chemically resistant, low density polypropylene enabled by BASF for selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing, is being used to bridge the gap between additive manufacturing and injection molding, as well as growing opportunities and applications in short run manufacturing. Hockemeyer was an early adopter of the material, and will share a variety of use cases for PP 1200. There will also be a chance for attendees to ask questions about the material.

“3D Printing with Polypropylene is here! After more than three decades, 3D printing technology has evolved the ability to 3D print polypropylene material. Polypropylene enables scalability in manufacturing, reduces barriers to entry in 3D printing and reduces manufacturing costs by 25-50%!”

You can register for the webinar, held on Wednesday, August 5th, from 1-1:45 pm EST, here.

KEX Knowledge Exchange on Market, Costs & Innovation

The last entry in this week’s roundup will take place on Thursday, August 6th. KEX Knowledge Exchange AG, a former spinoff of Fraunhofer IPT, held webinars in July about powder bed fusion technology and post-processing, and the last in its series will be an online seminar on Market, Costs & Innovation. Sebastian Pfestorf from KEX and Lea Eilert, the project and technology manager for the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing, will be the speakers for this webinar.

“In this online seminar, you will learn:

Current AM market and industrial trends
What markets the technology has penetrated the most and why
How to go about implementing AM, including risks and uncertainties

You can register for the hour-long webinar here. It will take place on Thursday, August 6th, at 8 am EST.

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know!

The post 3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, August 2, 2020 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing News Briefs: April 3, 2019

To kick off this week’s first edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ve got a fun project to share with you, before moving on to events, business, education, and software. Materials Australia is hosting a 3D printing conference in Melbourne this summer, while formnext + PM South China will debut in September of 2020 and the original formnext is continuing to grow at record speed. Evolve Additive Solutions will expand its Rochester facility, and Mauritius is unveiling its second 3D printing center. The founders of rigid.ink launched a new online AM course, and Magnitude Innovations has released a new metal 3D printing software application.

Cool 2D-3D Project on imgur

TheSparklyGhost, a user on the popular online image sharing community of imgur, recently posted a brief video of a really neat project titled “2D project on a 3D printed object.” I’m going to do my best to explain this, but it’s better if you watch the short video posted on Imgur, which has been viewed over 81,800 times in the last seven days. TheSparklyGhost 3D printed a long white object, which at first glance looks kind of like a curved wall but is actually an extended cutout shape of a person with legs akimbo. Then, the print is moved back and forth over a thin projection line, which makes it look like a 2D person walking.

The video has received a wide variety of comments in the last week. Some users just expressed their awe, while one asked if the STL for the print was available and some offered suggestions like “make a 3D projection on a 4D printed object” and “Now make it moon walk.” However, not everyone was impressed, with one user asking if the cost was worth it and another saying, “k this is sorta cool and all but what will this do for you?” Anyone have a response to that?

Materials Australia Hosting 3D Printing Conference

This summer, Materials Australia, the peak representative body of the country’s materials science and engineering profession, will be curating an additive manufacturing conference in Melbourne. The Asia-Pacific International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (APICAM) 2019 will be held from June 30th to July 3rd at RMIT University. The conference, in its second iteration, will include keynote presentations by AM experts, a poster presentation, a networking hub, workshops, exhibitors, and multiple receptions.

According to the website, “The purpose of APICAM2019 is to provide a focused forum for the presentation of advanced research and improved understanding of various aspects of additive manufacturing. This conference will include invited lectures from internationally distinguished researchers, contributed presentations and posters.”

Early bird registration is available until May 1st.

2020 Debut of formnext + PM South China

Additive manufacturing continues to grow more popular in China, with domestic industry sales estimated to reach $2.96 billion in 2020, and the government is paying attention. Now, from September 9-11, 2020, the first edition of Formnext + PM South China will debut at the new Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, which is said to be the largest exhibition venue in the world. The event will be jointly organized by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and Uniris Exhibition Shanghai Co Ltd, and will aim to help AM industry players open up new business opportunities in innovative equipment, processes, and advanced materials. Over 10,000 visitors are expected to attend, with more than 200 exhibitors from around the world.

“With the expertise from its brand name shows, Formnext in Frankfurt, Germany, and also PM China in Shanghai, the newly formed fair will be one of a kind in South China,” Mr Hubert Duh, Chairman of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, said in a press conference to celebrate the launch of the event. “The synergy from the two fair brands will facilitate the exchange of ideas between industry professionals and bring a positive impact to the manufacturing sector.”

formnext in Frankfurt Continuing Record Growth

In the meantime, the world’s leading international AM trade fair, formnext, is still going strong, and is in fact expanding and developing at record speed this year along the whole process chain. As of March 2019, over 500 exhibitors, many of which are international and 147 of which are new, had already registered for the event, which will be held in Frankfurt from November 19-22. This means that the amount of space the event will cover this year is already more than the final size of formnext 2018, which is why formnext 2019 will take place for the first time in the more modern Halls 11 and 12.

Other changes include an expansion of the Discover3Dprinting seminar series, which is organized with the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing and meant for medium-sized companies looking to adopt AM. The Startup Challenge, AM4U platform of career opportunities, the ideas competition “purmundus challenge,” and the BE-AM Symposium, which focuses on 3D printing in the construction industry, are all continuing and being expanded, and formnext’s content partner TCT will again discuss current developments and trends in the conference program. Additionally, this year the US will be the first partner country represented at the event, and special highlights for American guests, like the “AM Standards Forum,” will be included.

Evolve Additive Solutions to Grow New York Operations

3D printing OEM Evolve Additive Solutions, a Stratasys spin-out company, is headquartered in Minneapolis but operates its materials technology center in Brighton, New York. The company will be expanding its Brighton operations, according to an announcement by Empire State Development (ESD), which will allow the creation of 60 new jobs over the next five years in the Finger Lakes region. The company recently raised $19 million in equity funding with lead investors LEGO Brand Group and Stanley Black & Decker, which complements its efforts to commercialize its Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process (STEP) 3D printing process and expand its Brighton office by 7,000 square feet, with another 13,000 added later. Supporting the development and growth of high-tech industries, such as 3D printing and advanced manufacturing, is an important part of the Finger Lakes Forward economic development plan.

“Our Brighton facility is key to our success and having a first-class facility to attract the best talent possible for materials and process development is essential,” said Evolve’s CEO Steve Chillscyzn. “We are extremely pleased that Empire State Development recognizes the opportunity our technology can offer to our future customers but also to are current and future employee base in the area.”

In exchange for job creation commitments, ESD has offered Evolve tax credits of up to $1 million through the Excelsior Tax Credit Program to facilitate its growth in the region.

Mauritius Opens Second 3D Printing Center

[Image: Kickstarter]

The Republic of Mauritius, located about 855 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of the African continent, set up its first 3D Printing Centre last winter on the National Computer Board (NCB) premises. About 50 students have prepared projects using the services provided by the center, and now, through a joint initiative of the NCB and SME Mauritius, the country’s second 3D Printing Centre has been unveiled at SME Mauritius in Coromandel. With its available filaments, 3D printers, and scanners, the center will be a one-stop 3D printing shop to support university students, startups, designers, and other industry professionals. It will also offer 3D print support services for SMEs.

Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Yogida Sawmynaden said, “The scope of 3D printing technology, he highlighted is limitless and is bound to play a bigger part in the years to come.”

Rigid.Ink Launches Institute of 3D Printing Course

UK 3D printing filament company rigid.ink is moving away from materials and on to educating the members of its community. The company just launched a new online coursed called The Institute of 3D Printing, described on the site as “A complete 3D Printing video course & private expert community designed to accelerate your printing skills and success.”

“It’s the first of its kind and since it’s pretty unusual for a filament company to branch out like this,” Ed Tyson, the owner of rigid.ink and founder of the Institute, told 3DPrint.com.

The goal is to make learning the technology less confusing for new users, so the industry is in the hands of everyday people, and not professionals working in big firms. The course includes entire modules on everything from adhesion and leveling the print bed to troubleshooting and much more. In addition, members who take the course can receive technical support – within 24 hours, no less – from 3D printing professionals for tough questions. You can join the Institute of 3D Printing now for a monthly fee of just $20 – a savings of 25% off the usual price, with a 30-day money back guarantee included.

Magnitude Innovations Releases New Metal 3D Printing Software

Illinois startup Magnitude Innovations Inc., which offers product development and technical consulting services, has released its Uptimo software application, which is meant to help companies increase the profitability of their metal 3D printing processes. Magnitude itself specializes in metal laser powder bed fusion technology, and its software’s proprietary algorithms analyze production data to offer instant 3D printing system feedback. While originally an internal tool for client projects, Uptimo is now available to any Magnitude customer as a standalone application.

Uptimo is an Operational Excellence software application, and utilizes scheduling and production data to assess how a 3D printer is performing over one, or multiple, projects. The analysis is split into four Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the customized solution will help companies improve build layout, machine planning, parameter optimization, and other aspects of the metal AM process that impact cost and quality. Magnitude’s CEO Maciej Tusz is at the AMUG Conference in Chicago this week to represent the company and display the various features of its new Uptimo application.

Discuss these stories, and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com, or share your thoughts below.

How an Online Course Helped 3DVerkstan’s Joep Winkels Re-Think Additive Manufacturing

Joep Winkels had amassed years of experience in the IT world throughout his career. A deep understanding of systems, systems design and infrastructure had been the Dutch businessman’s bedrock. These years of experience went out the window, however, when he got the chance to join 3DVerkstan, one of the largest 3D printing resellers in the Nordic region. Joep knew nothing of 3D printing and very little about manufacturing.

3DVerkstan offers Ultimaker, Markforged, Craftbot and Formlabs equipment to the Nordic region. With these vendors all moving upmarket and into more manufacturing-oriented environments, the technical challenge was going to become harder for Joep, not easier. The company also began offering Markforged’s metal printers and HP’s 300 and 500 industrial 3D printing solutions. With the complexity of the technologies increasing, Joep would find himself facing more technical questions and an expectation of expertise from clients. Joep had decided to join the 3D printing market at a point where for many companies 3D printing had gone from a shiny new toy in the corner of the lab to possible manufacturing technology. Since Joep was to head up Sales as well as Business Development for 3DVerkstan, the management team knew he had to develop a thorough understanding of 3D printing as was possible in a condensed time.

3DVerkstan opted to send Joep to the MIT xPRO’s course Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production. This twelve-week online course gives participants an in-depth understanding of 3D printing and how it can be applied in industry.

Learners explore end to end workflows of Additive Manufacturing technologies in polymers and metals.
By understanding the driving principles and limitations of each of the technologies, participants learn how to apply Additive Manufacturing.
Participants also learn when not to use Additive Manufacturing (AM).
If applicable to their field, participants learn where and how AM can be implemented.
The course takes an integrated approach whereby learners explore3D printing throughout the product lifecycle through understanding materials, processes, machines and the applications themselves.

Participants also learn how to design for AM, how to make an AM business case, and how to evaluate the success of an AM implementation.
For 3DVerkstan, the immediate benefit for Joep was learning how to engage and work with his 3D printing colleagues and customers. Joep was mindful that he “had to start from the very beginning” and obtain “an understanding of Additive Manufacturing.” He “needed a crash course Additive Manufacturing to catch up with my colleagues, customers, and partners.” He also knew that compared to the other learners he was starting with a big manufacturing deficit because most of them are experienced manufacturing executives or engineers. Newly minted 3D printing leaders and experienced engineering executives who were tasked with implementing 3D printing in businesses were some of the other learners he got to know, and they all had more manufacturing knowledge from the get-go than Joep.

The first noticeable benefit Joep saw was that he quickly acquired the terminology and understanding to converse with his fellow learners about 3D printing core principles. He generally spent between 10 to 15 hours a week and found it to be tough going at times, because “now you are not just doing a course to get a piece of paper, but you really want to understand and learn, so it takes more time and effort.”

Joep envisioned his participation in the course to be a lonely affair of him sitting in a room in front of the computer. He was rather surprised at all of the interactivity and online communication not only between himself and faculty but with other learners as well. What most surprised him about the course is that he found the online interactions to be fun and managed to build up a network via the provided forums. With the forums as well as the knowledge base, webinars and online feedback he felt he was a part of a team of people learning the same concepts. Online questions were often answered by learners who were further along or had a clearer understanding of certain concepts.

At the end of Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production, Joep could look back on the successful completion of the course and deem his participation to be useful. Indeed, he is thinking of getting two to three of his salespeople to attend the course, as well. After the course, he was quickly able to understand the needs of Additive Manufacturing teams at large corporate clients. Joep was able to join in complex discussions, sales negotiations, and 3D printing developments. Especially in his Business Development role, Joep’s newfound knowledge helped him scout for and identify new 3D printing technologies and vendors.

“I would recommend the MIT course to people who want to get started using Additive Manufacturing for business quickly. The course delivers comprehensive, in-depth knowledge to support meeting the challenge of reaching AMs full potential.”

At 3DVerkstan as a whole, Joep’s participation has made a business impact. Joep left with a real feeling that, “we need more materials in AM and that is where research should focus on.” Previously, 3DVerkstan focussed more on 3D printing in and of itself. After applying what he had learned through his MIT course, however, Joep’s insights made the company see 3D printing as an integrated part of many manufacturing processes. Whether by using CNC machines for post-processing or with 3D printing providing a subassembly or in injecting 3D printing into an existing manufacturing process, 3DVerkstan learned to adopt a more holistic approach to the technology. According to Joep, “The team is now more focussed on understanding other manufacturing technologies and the role Additive Manufacturing plays when used in concert with them.”

Now, 3DVerkstan can cater better to more sophisticated AM applications, players and manufacturing opportunities. Joep says that “every single day I use the knowledge I gained in verifying plans, discussing opportunities and actually doing business.”

Learn more about MIT xPRO’s course Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and
Production here. To participate in a free informational webinar on Thursday, January 31st at 12PM EST (including a Q&A with Professor John Hart) RSVP here!

10 Ways 3D Printing Played a Part in Education in 2018

3D printing is often used in education these days, whether it’s being taught as a subject or used to enhance another one. As we’re moving ever closer to the start of a new year, we decided to save you some time and gather the ten best education stories from 2018 in one article.

Siemens STEM DAY

The Siemens Foundation focuses on philanthropic efforts in order to continue the advancement of STEM-related education and workforce development, and has invested millions of dollars for this cause in the US. In early 2018, the Siemens Foundation worked with Discovery Education to re-brand its annual Siemens Science Day into a program for more modern educational opportunities: Siemens STEM Day, which is an opportunity for US schools to promote STEM activities for both students and teachers. The program, which doesn’t actually happen on one specific day but is a promotion of STEM lessons and hands-on activities, is meant to be used by students in grades K-12, and offers multiple tools and resources to help reboot STEM curriculum.

New 3D Printing Educational Initiatives

[Image: 3D PARS]

In February, we provided a round-up of some of the many educational initiatives that were looking to provide adults with a deeper understanding of 3D printing. Included in this round-up was a new online course for professionals by MIT, new 3D printing courses from the Sharebot Academy program, and a joint two-day training course in additive manufacturing from German consulting firm Ampower and full service prototyping and 3D printing provider H & H. Additional educational initiatives shared in the round-up were 3DPrint.com’s own Additive Manufacturing with Metals Course.

learnbylayers Partnered with Kodak

In 2017, educator Philip Cotton launched an online 3D printing resource for teachers called learnbylayers that offers lesson plans, project ideas, assessments and more that were designed by teachers for teachers. The site grew quickly, and in February Cotton announced that it had reached a distribution agreement with Kodak. The learnbylayers educational curriculum was added to the Kodak 3D Printing Ecosystem, as the company began offering the internationally-taught curriculum along with its Portrait 3D printer’s launch.

Renishaw Deepened Its Commitment to 3D Printing Education

This spring, Renishaw announced that it would be deepening its commitment to 3D printing education. The company established a new Fabrication Development Centre (FDC) at its Miskin facility in South Wales, with the goal of inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers. The FDC has two classrooms, staffed by qualified teachers and Renishaw’s STEM ambassadors, that can be used for free by schools or groups of young people for lessons or workshops. The FDC was actually in use by Radyr Comprehensive School students long before it was officially launched by Andy Green, a driver for Bloodhound SSC, a 3D printing user and Renishaw partner which also devotes many resources to education about the technology.

Ultimaker Launched New 3D Printing Core Lessons for STEAM Education

Lesson 1: Coin Traps

In April, Ultimaker launched its new Ultimaker Core Lessons: STEAM Set for educators. Eight free lessons, published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, are included in the set, which can help teachers in informal, K12, or Higher Ed classrooms incorporate 3D printing into their educational practices and STEAM curriculum. Some of the beginner lessons include 3D printing a coin trap, flashlight, and penny whistle, and can teach young students important skills like how to align objects, using symbols to communicate ideas, and how to effectively work together on creative projects.

PrintLab Teamed Up with CREATE Education Team

UK-based global 3D printing distributor and curriculum provider PrintLab partnered with UK 3D printing company CREATE Education, a collaborative platform that provides educators with free resources and support, in order to support schools all across the UK with 3D printing. Each company’s educational 3D printing offerings will be combined in this partnership so that UK schools can enjoy unlimited access to full 3D printing solutions for the classroom, which will be locally supported for life by CREATE. Multiple initiatives came out of this partnership to support teachers, like 3D printer loan schemes, funding advice and resources, special training and curriculum workshops, and new educational 3D printing bundles.

3Doodler Introduced New Educational Kits

3Doodler has long supported education, and often releases new STEM-centered educational packages, including its latest classroom product line: the 3Doodler Create+ EDU Learning Pack and 3Doodler Start EDU Learning Pack. Each pack, designed for and with teachers, was designed specially for classrooms from kindergarten to 12th grade and includes 6 or 12 3Doodler pens (Create or Start, depending on the package) and 600 or 1,200 strands of plastic, as well as other tech accessories, lesson plans, and classroom materials. Additionally, the company released its 3Doodler Create+ EDU Teacher Experience Kit and 3Doodler EDU Start Teacher Experience Kit, which are designed to be trial packs for teachers who are thinking about introducing the 3Doodler into their classrooms.

Robo Acquired MyStemKits

3D printer manufacturer Robo announced this summer that it had acquired Atlanta company MyStemKits, which provides the largest online library of STEM curriculum in the world. Thanks to this acquisition, Robo is now offering educational bundles that include its classroom-friendly 3D printers, a supply of filament, one-year subscriptions to MyStemKits, and additional professional development and online learning.

GE Additive’s Education Program Provided Five Universities with Metal 3D Printers

GE’s Additive Education Program (AEP) – a five-year, $10 million, two-part initiative to provide 3D printers to as many schools as possible – chose five universities this summer to receive an Mlab 200R from the program. 500 proposals were submitted for this round of the program, and GE Additive chose German’s Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Ireland’s University of Limerick, the Calhoun Community College in Alabama, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and West Virginia University as the lucky winners.

3D Printing In Fashion Education

In a recently published paper, titled “Integration of 3 Dimensional Modeling and Printing into Fashion Design Curriculum: Opportunities and Challenges,” Nicole Eckerson and Li Zhao from the University of Missouri discussed whether 3D printing should be integrated into fashion design curriculum. The researchers noted that while 3D printing has been recognized as a major influence in the work of designers and engineers, educators in the fashion industry are facing a lack of time, resources, and knowledge to teach the technology to students. The two conducted semi-structured interviews with eight 3D printing industry experts and academic professionals for their research, and came up with three distinct themes from their data about why 3D printing should be adopted, and taught, in fashion.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

3D Printing News Briefs: November 7, 2018

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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3D Printing in Metal: Sign Up Before September 6 & Save

3D Printing in Metal, our three-week online class, starts September 18. The online class mixes live instructor-led sessions with online discussions and personalized help from course facilitators. By the end of the class, you’ll learn the key principles of metal additive manufacturing.

The best part? If you sign up by September 6 you’ll receive 23 percent off!

Sign up by September 6 for a discount on 3D Printing in Metal, starting September 18

In the class, you’ll hear from thought leaders like Mark Norfolk, President at Fabrisonic, who will present his session, Solid State 3D Printing of Metals. In Mark’s session, participants will:

Learn about the difference between fusion based AM and solid state based AM processes
Discuss and show examples of printing dissimilar metals
Discuss the build and qualification of heat exchangers for NASA JPL
Discuss and show examples of embedding electronics into metal parts

Mark Norfolk, President at Fabrisonic, class speaker

Want to learn more? Take a look at all sessions here. You can also check out our other online classes, Trends & Innovations In Dentistry and 3D Printing with Polymers, starting September 25 and October 16, respectively.

The class is presented by Markforged

3D Printing with Polymers: New Speakers Confirmed

We’re kicking off fall with a series of interactive online courses this fall, including 3D Printing with Polymers, a three-week online course starting October 16. If you sign up by September 7, you’ll receive our special early bird discount (45 percent savings).

3D Printing with Polymers starts October 16

We’ve confirmed exciting speakers, including thought leaders in the space like:

Mike Vasquez, Founder 3Degrees
James Murphy, General Manager International Business, HLH Prototypes

James Murphy and Mike Vasquez, confirmed speakers

Know a great speaker? Have an exciting session idea to share? Send speaker submissions to 3dprint@edmaker.com

Include a potential topic, session details and relevant social handles.

By the end of this course, participants will:

Understand the basic principles of 3D printing with polymers, its benefits, key uses, and applications
Learn about multiple methodologies for approaching 3D printing with polymers, in both industrial and non-industrial contexts
Know the materials and processes involved in 3D printing with polymers, and understand when to employ which, based on capability, mechanical properties, and cost
Learn about design considerations and specifications for 3D printing in polymers

Want to learn about how 3D printing is influencing other industries? You can also sign up for 3D Printing in Metal and Trends & Innovations in Dentistry, starting September 18 and September 25, respectively.

3D Printing with Polymers: Call for Speakers

3D Printing with Polymers, our interactive online course, runs from October 16 to 30. We’re in the process of setting a premiere lineup for the course, where over three weeks, you’ll learn the key principles of 3D printing with polymers, the most widely used material in the 3D printing industry.

Know a great speaker? Have an exciting session idea to share? Send speaker submissions to 3dprint@edmaker.co. Include a potential topic, session details and relevant social handles.

This course will cover the process of 3D printing with polymers from design through execution, highlighting key concepts and modeling techniques. It will cover the various available polymers (including thermoplastics, elastomers, thermosets, functional polymers, polymer blends and more), the benefits and uses of each, including cost and accessibility.

Sign up now through September 7 for an early bird discount ($149 – a 35 percent discount).

What are you waiting for? Send your speaker and session ideas and sign up today.

3D Printing with Polymers launches October 16

Sign Up for Trends & Innovations in Dentistry with an Early Bird Special

Want to learn how 3D printing is changing the dental industry as we know it?

Our three-day showcase, Trends & Innovations in Dentistry and 3D Printing for Dental Materials, runs from September 25 to September 27. In the interactive online course, you’ll join leaders in the dental industry who will share the latest innovations and trends in digital dentistry. In addition to the live sessions and Q&A, you’ll have access to ongoing discussions through the online classroom.

Trends & Innovations in Dentistry and 3D Printing kicks off September 25

The showcase is one of three educational programs kicking off this fall, including 3D Printing in Metal, where you’ll learn the process of 3D printing in metal fromdesign through execution, and 3D Printing with Polymers, where over three weeks, you’ll learn the key principles of 3D printing with the most widely used material in the industry.

3D Printing in Metal and 3D Printing with Polymers launch September 18 and October 16, respectively

What are you waiting for? We’re offering a special early bird rate for the conference. When you register now ($149 – a 35 percent discount), you’ll get immediate access to bonus materials from past courses so you can start learning about innovation in digital dentistry today! Act soon; the early bird discount is only valid through August 17.

We’ll announce our first speakers soon. Stay tuned!