partnership Archives - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

3D Printing News Briefs, August 30, 2020: Roboze, BCN3D & CREA3D, 3D Systems, ASTM International

We’re covering 3D printing business stories in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, including investments, partnerships, industry executives, and annual reports. Federico Faggin, who invented the microprocessor, is investing in Roboze, and BCN3D is partnering with CREA3D. 3D Systems has named its new CFO. Finally, ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence has released its second annual report.

Microprocessor Inventor Invests in Roboze

(Image courtesy of The Federico and Elvia Faggin Foundation)

Italian-American 3D printer manufacturer Roboze has announced that physicist Federico Faggin, the inventor of the microprocessor and co-inventor of both the touchpad and touchscreen, is investing in the company, which designs and produces industrial 3D printers for the production of functional thermoplastic and carbon fiber reinforced parts. Additionally, the prolific inventor will be joining the company’s Advisory Board as a technological consultant. Born in Italy but a naturalized US citizen, Faggin has helped shape modern computer science and won multiple international awards for his efforts, including the United States of America’s National Medal of Technology and Innovation. As a member of the Roboze Advisory Board, he will help the company as it works to increase the development of additive manufacturing solutions.

“A few years ago I met Alessio Lorusso and I recognized in him an exceptional foresight and remarkable creative and organizational skills. With great enthusiasm, I therefore accepted his offer to be part of the ROBOZE Advisory Board,” Eng. Faggin said. “I am proud to see an Italian company that knows how to compete in the global economy with cutting-edge products in such a demanding sector and I am pleased to make my experience available so that ROBOZE can grow as it deserves.”

BCN3D and CREA3D Announce Distribution Partnership

Speaking of Italy, Barcelona-based BCN3D Technologies has announced a distribution agreement with Italian 3D printer distributor CREA3D in order to increase growth in Italy’s 3D printing market. CREA3D has been providing professional 3D printing solutions through both B2B and B2C channels since 2013, and has created a strong online and offline presence for itself. Now, professionals in Italy will benefit from CREA’s distribution of BCN3D’s 3D printer portfolio, made up of the desktop BCN3D Sigma and Sigmax and the professional BCN3D Epsilon system, all of which offer a higher volume of printing per piece due to the company’s Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) technology.

“We are pleased to cooperate with CREA3D, an alliance which will support us in increasing the sales in the Italian market, where there is a high potential for the IDEX system and the distinctive duplication, mirror and multi material printing modes,” BCN3D’s CEO Xavier Martínez Faneca said. “Their considerable experience in additive manufacturing, combined with a top-quality technical know-how makes CREA3D the right fit to help us grow and serve Italian customers in the best possible way.”

3D Systems Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

3D Systems has announced that Jagtar Narula, the current SVP of Corporate Strategy and Business Development for Blackbaud Corporation, will be joining the company as its Executive Vice President and CFO. Beginning September 14th, Narula, who has nearly 30 years of progressive financial, business leadership, and investment strategy experience under his belt, will report to Dr. Jeffrey Graves, the company’s President and CEO. He will lead the Finance organization for 3D Systems, which includes all investor relations, finance operations, and capital deployment for growth and margin expansion.

“I am excited to have a leader of Jagtar’s experience join our team at such an important time for our company. Jagtar’s experience in leading technology companies with complex transformations and large-scale efficiency improvements will be invaluable as we transition to our new focus, align our organization and cost structure to our current revenues, and position ourselves for sustained growth and profitability in the years ahead,” stated Dr. Graves. “I want to add a special note of thanks to Wayne Pensky for serving as our Interim CFO, allowing us to move quickly to restructure the business and prepare for an exciting future ahead. Wayne will support Jagtar to ensure a smooth transition in Finance leadership for the company.”

ASTM International’s AM CoE Issues Second Annual Report

ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE), which was launched in 2018, has just debuted its second annual report. In addition to offering a look at future plans, the report also includes many of the AM CoE’s accomplishments over the past year, such as the creation of an international conference, in-kind investments, new additive manufacturing staff, the new AM guide for supporting COVID-19 supply chains, a technical workshop series, the development of certificate courses, and more.

“Together, the AM CoE and its partners supported the advancement of AM technology through investments in new R&D projects, existing infrastructures, development of new educational offerings/partnerships, expansion of the AM team, and the growth of the center’s global footprint. The hard work and dedication of the center’s team are highlighted in this comprehensive report,” said Mohsen Seifi, PhD, ASTM International’s Director of Global Additive Manufacturing Programs.

Seifi also said that the AM CoE has “emphasized its commitment” to speeding up usage and capabilities of evolving technologies, like additive manufacturing, and empowering innovation in manufacturing.

The post 3D Printing News Briefs, August 30, 2020: Roboze, BCN3D & CREA3D, 3D Systems, ASTM International appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

ExOne to Partner with Xometry to Offer Metal Binder Jetting

The ExOne Company, manufacturer of sand and metal 3D printers for binder jetting technology, has announced that they will be partnering with Xometry—known for its custom manufacturing marketplace in the US. Centering around metal additive manufacturing processes, ExOne will be the sole provider for binder jetting in this new partnership.

Xometry customers will be able to benefit from ExOne’s 20 years in 3D printing and the refinements it has made with “triple advanced compaction technology” and ultrasonic dispensing (illustrated below)—allowing for better accuracy and performance in parts. Some of the greatest benefits in 3D printing are offered with binder jetting from ExOne, including affordability and speed in production as one roller evenly spreads powder, and another compacts it for the proper density. With a bonding agent deposited onto a thin layer of the powder, the process is repeated over and over until the 3D printed structure is made.

ExOne can print over 20 materials currently, including the following:

316L stainless steel
17-4PH stainless steel
Inconel 718
M2 tool steel

“ExOne is proud to offer our metal 3D printing services to Xometry customers,” said John Hartner, ExOne’s CEO. “Our industrial binder jet machines can truly take products from prototyping all the way to final production with a single process that is fast, affordable and sustainable.”

This type of partnership marks the accelerated trend not only in the use of metal but in evolving past rapid prototyping to using AM processes for functional parts in many different industrial applications. Metal binder jetting continues to grow in popularity too due to the ability to make strong but lightweight parts like metal casting molds and cores, and innovative tooling solutions from a variety of materials; meanwhile Xometry is able to offer customizations through a vast network which relies not only on 3D printing technology, but also traditional processes like CNC machining, injection molding, die casting, and more. Currently they customize and produce parts for companies like BMW, Dell, NASA, and GE.

“We’re excited to offer binder jetting to expand the range of services our customers can get from Xometry’s new Digital RFQ Marketplace,” said Randy Altschuler, Xometry’s CEO. “ExOne is a true innovator in additive manufacturing and we believe this partnership is a big win for our customers.”

(Image: ExOne)

ExOne has continued to show dropping revenues despite their international standing as a leader in binder jet 3D printing technology. Amidst employee layoffs, their second-quarter earnings report showed a year-on-year revenue decrease of 27%.

As was the case with businesses of all types and of all sizes this year, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on finances. Employee furloughs and pay cuts have also been instituted in efforts to cut the ExOne budget, although the Pennsylvania-headquartered company expects revenues to be rising in the future as interest in 3D printing technology for the industrial front continues to accelerate.

Xometry’s financing rounds have been promising, however, with another $50MM raised last year—bringing overall funding to $113MM for the Maryland manufacturing startup. They plan to invest in further product development and global expansion, along with other “growth initiatives” with the substantial funds currently at their disposal.

[Source / Images: Xometry]

The post ExOne to Partner with Xometry to Offer Metal Binder Jetting appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Make:able Challenge: Design & 3D Print Assistive Technology for the Disabled

Service bureau PrintLab is partnering with Autodesk for an exciting new competition for schools. The make:able challenge represents what should be a remarkable technological journey for students and teachers as they are invited to use either Tinkercad or Fusion 360 software (both options are products of Autodesk) and 3D printing to make free, assistive technology with the following directions:

“Design and make a product or prototype that improves the day-to-day life of someone who struggles with mobility in their hands.”

This comprehensive challenge—and learning experience for students—is centered around an online toolkit provided for students, including a teacher’s guide and accompanying lesson plans. Students are expected to team up into smaller groups and use the toolkit as a foundation for increasing their design skills, especially in 3D—with the use of Autodesk products. More importantly, though, the competition is designed to help them find meaning in their communities, whether locally or online, as well as learning about how individuals must cope with disabilities and can use assistive technology for a better quality of life.

Make:able toolkits also offer inspiration through the following:

Stories and example solutions
Worksheets and a variety of activities designed to encourage a human-centered approach and teach empathy
Methods for encouraging design-based thinking for creating concepts and opportunities
Directing students to tell their story through their work
Designing, 3D printing, testing, and making changes to products

“Having supported hundreds of schools with 3D printing curriculum, we have witnessed firsthand some amazing student talent across the globe,” said Jason Yeung, Co-Founder of PrintLab. “It is our belief that this talent should expand outside of the classroom and be put to use on real-world challenges that have a positive impact on society.”

The key behind PrintLab and Autodesk partnering was to create an integrative program for schools to help encourage students in design and 3D printing, highlighting their work in both digital and AM processes.

“By participating in the make:able challenge, students will experience The Future of Making to help design and make a better world,” said Steven Parkinson, Education Manager at Autodesk.

Students ages 18 and under are eligible to participate in the make:able challenge, to be included in the following types of educational courses:

Design and technology classes
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lessons
After-school programs
Workshops
Distance and remote learning opportunities

Teachers who register for the make:able program will receive challenge toolkits on September 1st. The teacher’s pack includes development resources and guided lesson plans. Entries are to be judged by a panel of experts in April 2021, with prizes including 3D printers for winning teams.

Challenges like make:able stress both the importance of using innovation and 3D printing to do good in the world, as well as the importance of STEM education for the younger generations. Many projects are designed to interest more girls in 3D printing—a powerful tool for STEM—as well as creating workshops and specific STEM apps for kids. Find out more here.

[Source / Images: PrintLab]

The post Make:able Challenge: Design & 3D Print Assistive Technology for the Disabled appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing News Briefs, August 5, 2020: Titan Robotics & Braskem, 3DPRINTUK

Today’s 3D Printing News Briefs is about materials and a 3D printed version of a real building. Titan Robotics and Braskem are partnering up to offer new solutions in 3D printed polypropylene, while 3DPRINTUK is expanding its materials and post-processing capabilities. Finally, the Coit Tower House in San Francisco now has a 3D printed miniature replica.

Titan Robotics & Braskem Announce Partnership

Braskem Polypropylene pellets for 3D printing

Production AM solutions provider Titan Robotics and petrochemical company Braskem have announced their strategic partnership, which has resulted in the launch of a new polypropylene (PP) resin that’s been optimized for 3D printing large-format production parts. The two companies spent over a year researching and developing the new material, which is the first commercially available grade of unfilled PP engineered specifically for 3D printing on Titan’s industrial Atlas 3D printers with pellet extrusion. The features of PP include chemical resistance, dimensional stability, impact strength, low density, recyclability, and thanks to this new partnership, Titan and Braskem will be able to offer improved industrial AM solutions.

“3D printing large parts using polypropylene resin has been a challenge for many years,” stated Rahul Kasat, Titan Robotics’ Chief Commercial Officer. “In collaboration with Braskem, a global leader in the polypropylene market, we have now solved that challenge. Our industrial customers will be able to print functional parts with this first of its kind polypropylene grade. We are also excited to continue to develop new polypropylene based solutions for our customers in collaboration with Braskem.”

Titan is also an authorized distributor of Braskem’s 3D printing pellet products.

3DPRINTUK Expanding Materials & Post-Processing

PEBA Dyed Close Up

SLS low volume production specialist 3DPRINTUK is branching out with its introduction of the flexible PrimePart 2301, a polyether block amide (PEBA) material with good chemical and water resistance, rubber-like characteristics not dissimilar to TPU, excellent detail resolution, and a higher melting point than most other resin-based elastomers. The material would be a good fit for batch production runs and rugged end-use applications, including handles, sports equipment, air ducts, and gaskets. Additionally, the company has invested in DyeMansion’s PowerShot S system, which uses a proprietary PolyShot Surfacing (PSS) process that allows 3DPRINTUK to offer a shot peening post-processing service that can improve the surface finish of 3D printed parts.

“At 3DPRINT UK we have honed and optimized the SLS 3D printing process over many years to achieve the best possible results off our machines for a wide range of relevant applications, that continue to grow in scope. However, the post processing of parts — from cleaning through to further optimised surface finishes — has always been a necessity for many of our clients. Expanding our post processing capabilities is a vital part of the business, and the DyeMansion PowerShot S system is an important next step in our expansion, enabling us to offer our many and varied clients the benefits of shot peened 3D printed parts from a single source,” said Nick Allen, the CEO and Founder of 3DPRINTUK.

3D Printed Coit Tower House

The 210′ tall Coit Tower was built in the early 1930s in San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill neighborhood as a way to beautify the city. The art deco tower, a recognizable sight on the city’s skyline, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in early 2008, and 12 years later, Yuriy Sklyar, the founder, CEO, and head of design & marketing at design studio Threefifty, has 3D printed a replica tower that stands over 7′ tall…a 1/20 scale. Utilizing a Creality CR10S5, a Replicator 2, and a MakerBot system, Sklyar, who has been utilizing 3D printing since 2013, called this unique project a “great opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the best city in the world – and its art community.” It took a month to create the base of the tower, as he had to redo a lot of it, eventually installing a heated silicone bed and heat enclosure to reduce the amount of warping. The next month was spent printing “the 4 giant sections of the fluted tower design.”

“Each one of these four sections, just like the real tower, consists of 4 sub-sections – I wanted to be very accurate with such details. At first these were limited in height by the 3rd party 3D printer, so only 2 sub-sections were supposed to be printed at a time, and then joined together with metal plates and nuts/bolts, but since I was now working on my own terms, I decided to reduce the amount of work for myself, and at the same time reduce the number of bolts/nuts/plates to just 4 sets, instead of 8,” Sklyar wrote.

“Each one of these sections takes about 3.5-4 days to print using a single 1.1mm shell @ 10% infill, which created for a surprisingly strong structure, since I instructed the infil to have a 45% overlap with inner and outer walls.”

You can check out his post for the very specific details of the project, but I’ll leave you with just a few – including all of the hardware used, the 3D printed Coit Tower weighs a total of 24 kg, and took over 7.5 km of ColorFabb’s nGen filament, SUNLU PETG and Gizmo Dorks PETG filament to print. Sklyar designed the whole thing from scratch, and the columns are joined by steel plates secured by bolts and in-printed nuts.

The post 3D Printing News Briefs, August 5, 2020: Titan Robotics & Braskem, 3DPRINTUK appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing Design for Automotive to Be Supported by Lehvoss & FENA

3D printing materials provider Lehvoss North America, part of the LEHVOSS Group of chemical companies operating under parent company Lehmann&Voss&Co., announced that it is partnering up with Forward Engineering North America (FENA), a new division of global engineering and consulting firm Forward Engineering. This collaboration between the two is for the purposes of supporting the automotive industry through Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), helping to translate the performance characteristics of both 3D printed and injection molded components.

(Image courtesy of Forward Engineering)

Forward Engineering’s particular specialty is helping to include cost-effective parts, made out of fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials, in serial mass-produced automotive structures. As Lehvoss is something of a materials expert, it makes sense for FENA to partner with the group in order to teach how DfAM can positively benefit automotive components.

“Local support and bringing expertise around 3D printing together will create a hub for the 3DP value chain further strengthening the region and accelerating the deployment of additive manufactured components at automotive OEMs and tier suppliers,” stated Martin Popella, Sales & Business Development Manager at Lehvoss North America.

Germany-headquartered Forward Engineering has long supported clients in North America, which is why it opened the division in Royal Oak, Michigan. FENA, which offers production-based design and engineering services to meet the growing demand for cost-effective and automated solutions, works with technology partners in the area to speed up the adoption of “composite intensive mixed material solutions.”

We’ve definitely seen AM used for automotive applications, but materials that offer the same high-performance properties and characteristics as filled structural and semi-structural injection molding grade resin components can be difficult to find. But Lehvoss has expanded its reach, and is now offering its materials, such as Luvosint and Luvocom 3F, in North America.

3D printed automotive structural component (Image courtesy of Lehvoss North America)

Lehvoss materials have many application-specific properties, such as flame retardance, and can be custom compounded to fit specific requirements from customers, so that they can meet any necessary industry standards and requirements. One of its lines of high-performance compounds, available for FFF and powder bed fusion technologies in filament, pellet, and powder formats, definitely meet the criteria needed for automotive OEM applications.

Forward Engineering is helping OEMs and automotive tier suppliers translate specific product requirements so they can 3D print functional, structural 3F parts that mimic how the injection molded twin part performs. The 3F Twin Process that the firm developed will help engineers quickly develop and validate their concepts, and then interpret them for production parts.

“Automotive OEMs and suppliers want to accelerate product development through the production of functional structural prototypes with Additive Manufacturing (AM),” Popella explained. “3F Printing offers a relatively fast and cost-effective means to produce these functional structural prototype parts that meet demanding performance requirements. However, the right materials and process parameters must be selected to deliver quality parts that meet targeted requirements including quality, consistency and repeatability.”

(Image courtesy of Lehvoss)

As a result of their partnership, FENA and Lehvoss have set up a joint additive manufacturing lab, also in Royal Oak, Michigan, that will offer support to product development and automotive manufacturing engineers. These engineers can work directly with the Lehvoss/Forward Engineering team to determine the processes and materials that will best suit automotive applications, and even help them create functional prototypes on site.

“Successful product development requires the right mix of design, material and process,” said Adam Halsband, Forward Engineering North America’s Managing Director. “The Lehvoss/Forward Engineering collaboration and establishment of the AM lab in the center of the North American automotive product development region brings these resources together in a responsive package that is accessible to the engineers that need them.”

(Source: JEC Group)

The post 3D Printing Design for Automotive to Be Supported by Lehvoss & FENA appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing News Briefs, July 18, 2020: DOMO & RPD, AMPM2021, Alloyed

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, DOMO Chemicals and RPD have announced a partnership related to a Sinterline initiative. The 2021 AMPM event is calling for technical papers related to metal additive manufacturing. Finally, Alloyed has won a prestigious award.

DOMO Chemicals and RPD Partnering

DOMO’s Sinterline PA6 powders combined with RPD’s SLS printer, modified and upgraded by LSS, enable OEMs to step up their 3D printed parts performance. (Photo courtesy of RPD)

Polyamide solutions provider DOMO Chemicals and Rapid Product Development GmbH (RPD), a specialist in prototyping and serial production of complex parts and assemblies, have formed a strategic partnership for the purposes of speeding up the growth of plastic materials for selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing. The collaboration will merge the continuing development of DOMO’s Sinterline Technyl PA6 SLS powder materials with a package of support services for SLS technology, benefiting from RPD’s expertise in application development and the SLS process. Sinterline PA6 powders are an oft-used nylon in the industry, especially by demanding markets like automotive.

“Sinterline® has pioneered the use of high-performance PA6 in 3D printing, and allows us to leverage the same polymer base that has proven so successful in many existing injection molding applications. Backed by the joint application development services of our companies, even highly stressed automotive components can now be successfully 3D printed in PA6 to near-series and fully functional quality standards,” stated Wolfgang Kraschitzer, General Manager and Plastics Processing Leader at RPD.

AMPM Conference Seeking Papers and Posters

The Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy Conference (AMPM2021) will be held in Orlando, Florida from June 20-23, 2021. While this may seem far in the future, the event’s program committee is looking ahead, and has issued a call for technical papers and posters that are focused on new developments in the metal additive manufacturing market. Stuart Jackson, Renishaw, Inc., and Sunder Atre, University of Louisville, the technical program co-chairman, are asking for abstracts that cover any aspect of metal AM, such as sintering, materials, applications, particulate production, post-build operations, and more.

“As the only annual additive manufacturing/3D printing conference focused on metal, the AMPM conferences provide the latest R&D in this thriving technology. The continued growth of the metal AM industry relies on technology transfer of the latest research and development, a pivotal function of AMPM2021,” said James P. Adams, Executive Director and CEO of the Metal Powder Industries Federation.

The submission deadline for abstracts is November 13, 2020, and must be submitted to the co-located PowderMet2021: International Conference on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials.

Alloyed Wins IOP Business Award

Alloys By Design (ABD)

UK company Alloyed, formerly OxMet Technologies, has won a prestigious award from the Institute of Physics (IOP), the learned society and professional body for physics. The IOP is committed to working with business based in physics, and its Business Awards recognize the contributions made by physicists in industry. Alloyed has won the IOP Business Start-up Award, which OxMet submitted for consideration before merging with Betatype to form Alloyed, and recognizes the team’s hard work in developing its digital platform Alloys By Design (ABD). This platform is helping to set new metal material development standards, including the commercialization of Alloyed’s ABD-850AM and ABD-900AM alloys for additive manufacturing.

“Everything we do in every bit of our business rests on the foundations provided by physics, and we’re delighted that the judges believe we have made a contribution to the field,” Alloyed CEO Michael Holmes said about winning the IOP Business award.

The post 3D Printing News Briefs, July 18, 2020: DOMO & RPD, AMPM2021, Alloyed appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

RAG & Gavco Partnership Shows Potential for 3D Printing Bridge to Injection Molding

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma-headquartered companies Rapid Application Group (RAG), and Gavco Plastics have announced a partnership that will combine their complementary expertise in manufacturing.

RAG, founded in 2017 by a group of seasoned military and additive manufacturing specialists, has grown quickly in offering customized solutions of “meticulous quality” for its customers. Gavco Plastics, founded in 1976, is a family-owned company founded on conventional technology like injection molding. Together, the two firms plan to combine AM with injection molding to benefit and protect supply chains in a variety of industrial applications to include aerospace and automotive.

Direct metal laser sintering by RAG (Image: RAG)

In collaborating, both RAG and Gavco are on a mission not only to make certain that production is not disrupted for customers but also allow them to enjoy the benefits of 3D printing, as well as traditional methods. Parts can be produced faster, more affordably, and in many cases may offer better quality and performance. In close proximity to each other, the manufacturing partners plan to create a project group to work together in prototyping, printing, and analyzing iterations of parts. Afterward, they plan to enter into low rate initial production (LRIP) and then move on to mass production via injection molding.

“2020 has demonstrated that additive manufacturing is suitable for production-grade parts, at a low volume,” said Jason Dickman, COO, Rapid Application Group. “It can fill the need for parts while mold tooling is being created, giving customers the time and flexibility to figure out just how many parts will be needed.”

Not only have supply chains been extremely vulnerable, due to greater exposure in news and social media many individuals and businesses have continued to come together to try and close extremely concerning gaps in production; for instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were in need of protective gear like masks and face shields, as well as important medical devices like ventilators for patients. The development and manufacturing of swabs have become central for some companies who were otherwise engaged in other innovations previously and in some cases completely shifted their focus to fill a critical need in the medical realm.

FDM 3D printing by RAG (Image: RAG)

As RAG and Gavco continue forward, their hope is to help customers recover their equilibrium while still adjusting to recent changes in the national and worldwide “norm” and economy. Outlined in their partnership are the following plans for aerospace customers:

Prototyping and re-working designs for new parts, experimenting with materials that will then be used n mass production (thus saving time in production overall)
Decreasing time and expense with the use of AM processes with LRIP
Producing short runs without tooling
Using injection molding for mass production to meet demands in supply chain

“Gavco Plastics, like RAG, is part of the Oklahoma State effort to become one of the US’ top 10 states in GDP. This kind of partnership will help make the state one of the most responsive hubs for manufacturing OEMs,” said Terry Hill, CEO, Rapid Application Group.

[Source / Images: finanzen.net]

The post RAG & Gavco Partnership Shows Potential for 3D Printing Bridge to Injection Molding appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

MDA and Burloak to Make 3D Printed Space Satellite Parts

Family-owned metal manufacturing network Samuel, Son & Co. provides industrial products and related value-added services all across North America, and one of its most important company divisions is Burloak Technologies, which was responsible for establishing the first full advanced manufacturing and production additive manufacturing center in Canada back in 2014. This Canadian 3D printing leader was founded in Ontario in 2005, and offers design and engineering services for a variety of technologies, including additive manufacturing, high precision CNC machining, materials development, metrology, and post-processing, to companies in multiple sectors, including automotive, industrial, aerospace, and space. To that end, it recently announced a five year agreement with Canadian technology firm MDA, which provides innovative solutions to government and commercial space and defense markets.

These two companies are partnering up to 3D print components and parts for applications in satellite antennae that will be sent to outer space.

“Over the last two years we have worked closely with MDA’s Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue business to apply and evolve additive manufacturing to their product offerings. This collaboration has allowed us to optimize antenna designs in terms of size, mass and performance to create a new set of possibilities for the industry,” Colin Osborne, Samuel’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a press release.

Spacecraft Interface Bracket for an antenna

This collaboration seems to be a continuation of an existing partnership between the two companies. In the summer of 2019, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) awarded Burloak and MDA a two-year project under its Space Technology Development Program (STDP) for the purposes of using 3D printing to develop RF satellite communication sub-systems. As part of that project, Burloak, which is a member of GE Additive’s Manufacturing Partner Network, scaled up AM application to create more complex sub-system components, using flight-certified material processes for titanium and aluminum.

MDA, a Maxar company founded back in 1969, is well-known for its abilities in a wide array of applications, including communication satellite payloads, defense and maritime systems, geospatial imagery products and analytics, radar satellites and ground systems, space robotics and sensors, surveillance and intelligence systems, and antennas and subsystems. The last of these capabilities will obviously serve MDA well in its latest venture.

As of now, the two companies have successfully completed multiple combined efforts which have resulted in 3D printed parts being more readily accepted for use in the unforgiving conditions of outer space.

“With challenging technological needs, it’s important that we find the right partner to help us fully leverage the potential of additive manufacturing for space applications,” Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA, said. “We’re confident Burloak Technologies is the ideal supplier to continue supporting our efforts. This collaboration is a perfect example of partnerships that MDA develops under its LaunchPad program.”

(Image courtesy of MDA)

As part of this new agreement, MDA and Burloak will continue working together in order to improve upon the manufacturability and design of multiple antenna technologies through the use of additive manufacturing. We’ve seen that using 3D printing to fabricate components for satellite, and other types, of antenna can reduce the cost and mass of the parts, which is critically important for space communication applications. As a whole, the technology is transforming how we build complex space systems.

The post MDA and Burloak to Make 3D Printed Space Satellite Parts appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Logitech and Realize Medical Partner to Enhance Medical VR

Canadian medical virtual reality (VR) startup Realize Medical has announced a collaboration with Logitech, a renowned Swiss-based manufacturer of computer accessories and software. The partnership is designed to enhance Realize Medical’s Elucis, the world’s first platform for building patient-specific 3D medical models entirely in VR, by integrating Logitech’s enterprise-focused VR Stylus, enabling users to draw medical models precisely and directly in the program.

Through this new joint effort, Realize Medical will take the Elucis platform’s medical image viewing, modeling, and communication capabilities to the next level by combining novel 3D visualizations with the familiar and intuitive input of a hand-held stylus on a writing surface. Based entirely on VR, Elucis lets users turn medical images into 3D medical models with ease for 3D printing and other advanced visualization applications. While Logitech’s VR Ink Pilot Edition stylus, released last December, offers a more natural and precise input modality for a handful of art and design-focused VR tools. Together, the software and the pen will open new capabilities and improve usability.

“We are constantly on the lookout for innovative ways to improve our Elucis platform, and this partnership with Logitech does just that,” said Justin Sutherland, CEO and co-founder of Realize Medical. “Giving users the ability to draw seamlessly within our program will greatly improve the user experience, bringing us closer to meeting our mission of providing healthcare professionals with the 3D modeling tools they need to improve patient care and education.”

It takes a long time to make 3D anatomical models on 2D platforms, which is why Sutherland and Dan La Russa, Realize co-founders and medical physicists at the Ottawa Hospital, in Canada, began looking for a way to make the whole process easier. In 2017. they began working on creating a VR platform to help clinical physicians make 3D models faster, and in January of 2019, they took their work to the next level by creating a medical VR startup as a spin-out company out of the Ottawa Hospital.

Combining Logitech’s VR Ink Pilot Edition stylus with Realize Medical’s Elucis software to create 3D models (Image courtesy of Realize Medical)

Two-dimensional imaging, such as computerized tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been around since 1972. Although the resolution of the images has improved, it remains relatively the same technology with physicians still using the “slices” shown on 2D images for educational purposes and diagnosing patients. But even though medical imaging data represents 3D structures and can be turned into tangible physical 3D models, Realize Medical believes that many clinical settings and private companies are still relying on 2D tools to create 3D models, which is time-consuming and tedious. Instead, Elucis is expected to provide surgeons and healthcare professionals with a radically new way to create 3D medical content, much quicker and accurately.

The patent-pending input method lets users draw, measure, and annotate directly on any given view of an image, allowing for the creation to “materialize” in front of the user, offering the ability to work on it, hands-on. Thanks to intuitive hand motions and true 3D visual cues Realize Medical developed an image navigation tool that unlocks medical images and can even construct and edit 3D structures from 2D contours.

Realize Medical’s Elucis software will help the healthcare field create 3D models (Image courtesy of Realize Medical)

This new collaboration is the latest in a breakthrough trend of VR and 3D medical modeling aiming to change the future of healthcare. According to the startup, virtual reality can play a variety of important roles in healthcare and medicine, and the Elucis platform, in particular, can act as a clinician’s education and training tool, help with patient-specific planning, have the potential to guide treatment decisions, and much more. The company founders consider that shortly conventional monitor displays will be replaced by modern mixed reality tools like VR, augmented reality (AR), and medical 3D printing. To that end, the partnership continues to upgrade the technological platform offering user-friendly tools to healthcare experts.

Innovation in healthcare through 3D printing has led to the development of new applications. With hospitals and clinical settings looking to incorporate new ways to create medical models and devices in-house, the demand for technologies that can change the status quo continues to grow. In the last years, we have seen many healthcare institutions working together with researchers, startups, and companies to create bespoke clinical products, from surgical guides to patient-specific implants and 3D printed anatomical models, that can improve patient experience and surgical planning, as well as reduce operating time and costs. The role of mixed VR and 3D printing technologies is shaping up to be a staple for modern healthcare applications, as key development to advance the medical field.

The post Logitech and Realize Medical Partner to Enhance Medical VR appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing News Briefs, July 3, 2020: ExOne, 3D Printz & Monoprice, CNPC, Liqcreate

We’re talking about business and materials in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. First, the ExOne Company has been added to the Russell 2000 and 3000 Indexes, while 3D Printz has signed a distribution deal with Monoprice. Moving on, CNPC is introducing a new aluminum alloy powder for additive manufacturing, and Liqcreate has released its own new 3D printing material.

ExOne Added to Russell 2000 and 3000 Indexes

This week, the ExOne Company announced that it has officially been added to the Russell 2000^® and 3000^® Indexes. FTSE International Limited, trading as FTSE Russell, is a British provider, wholly owned by the London Stock Exchange, that creates and manages a variety of stock market indexes, data, and analytic solutions in order to meet its clients needs. Roughly $15 trillion is presently benchmarked to its indexes, now including ExOne, which was added after the 2020 Russell annual reconstitution of its indexes closed at the end of the US stock market’s day on June 26th.

“We are optimistic about our long-term growth prospects and believe that the inclusion of ExOne in the Russell indexes is validation of the progress we are making with our binder jetting 3D printing technology, the strength of our backlog and the breadth of our updated machine portfolio,” stated ExOne CEO John Hartner. “We look forward to the increased exposure to the investment community.”

3D Printz Signs Distribution Deal with Monoprice

3D Printz director Peter Roberts with the Monoprice printer

3D printing specialist 3D Printz Limited is now the UK supplier of Monoprice 3D printers after signing a distribution deal with the company. The Monoprice printer that 3D Printz is currently stocking comes fully assembled, and at an affordable price as well, which is why the Shropshire company, already a distributor for Magigoo, 3D Gloop!, Micro Swiss LLC, and Antclabs, is glad to supply it. Through this new partnership, will be able to provide some of Monoprice’s 7,000 affordable, high-quality products to customers.

“Our collaboration with 3D Printz means we have a reliable partner to help grow our business in the UK 3D printing industry,” said Christoph Esser, Monoprice sales director for Europe. “We are hoping to expand our working relationship to include more items from our product line before the end of this year.”

CNPC Produces New Aluminum Alloy Powder for AM

Vancouver-based company CNPC Powder announced that its Automated Metal Production (AMP) line is now producing a brand new range of aluminum alloy powder designed specifically for powder bed fusion (PBF) 3D printing. The company already produces many other metal powders, including copper and iron alloys, stainless steel, and nickel, and its new aluminum alloy material exhibits good sphericity and flowability. CNPC says that the material could be valuable to large-volume additive manufacturing applications in the aerospace and automotive industries.

“We have achieved success with our AMP line and suite of Al alloys by redesigning atomisation beyond existing atomisation capabilities, such as VIGA, PREP and EIGA. This bottom-up redesign has allowed for increased efficiency and lower production costs, all while improving flowability and sphericity, almost eliminating impurities, and increasing output,” the company stated.

Liqcreate Releasing New Material on 4th of July

Professional-grade 3D printing materials manufacturer Liqcreate has announced that its latest material, Liqcreate Flexible-X, will be available for purchase through its distributor network starting on July 4th. The soft material, perfect for open source DLP, LCD, and SLA 3D-printers in the 385 – 420 nm range, is an opaque black photopolymer with 55 Shore A hardness, excellent tear strength, and an elongation up to 160%.

With its durability, excellent rebound, and toughness, Flexible-X, part of Liqcreate’s line of engineering materials, is a great choice for manufacturing industrial-grade flexible touch and elastic parts.

The post 3D Printing News Briefs, July 3, 2020: ExOne, 3D Printz & Monoprice, CNPC, Liqcreate appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.