Swiss Hospital Will Use axial3D’s Software Platform to Improve Patient Care with 3D Printed Medical Models

[Image: axial3D]

The award-winning, Belfast-based medical 3D printing and healthcare technology firm axial3D is focused on helping the global healthcare industry adopt 3D printing by using its patient-specific medical models to improve surgical outcomes, assist patients and doctors in better understanding ailments and treatments, and facilitate pre-operative planning.

Now, on the heels of a new partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, the company has announced that it is collaborating with top Swiss medical center University Hospital Basel (USB) in order to improve process management and patient care and outcomes at the hospital’s interdisciplinary 3D Print Lab.

“3D printed models have been shown to help surgeons complete complex life-saving surgeries that would be otherwise impossible,” axial3D’s Ryan Kyle told 3DPrint.com. “University Hospital Basel’s new collaboration with axial3D will help to deliver high-quality 3D printed models much quicker than before.”

The hospital, which has about 7,000 people on staff, is northwest Switzerland’s biggest healthcare facility. Its 3D Print Lab uses patient image data to fabricate realistic anatomical models, and other objects, using a variety of different materials and 3D printing methods. Now it will be using axial3D’s new cloud-based platform, axial3Dassure, to support its 3D printing program.

[Image: University Hospital Basel]

By using axial3Dassure, USB will optimize its 3D Print Lab in order to provide a greater level of performance and patient care. The software, which has an end to end workflow, provides features like processing and quality management, so that hospitals and medical centers can meet their expanding business needs through its powerful analytics. The new axial3Dassure platform will also help support collaboration within the hospital’s 3D Print Lab with such features as email notifications and task-driven workflows.

Daniel Crawford, axial3D

“We are very excited to be working with the team at University Hospital Basel. They are a leading force in medical 3D printing, not just in Europe, but globally, and this alliance will ensure the expertise they have developed can support our company’s growth by informing the ongoing development of axial3D’s software solutions,” said axial3D’s CEO and Founder Daniel Crawford. “With a growing requirement for 3D printing within healthcare, a centralized management platform is necessary for any 3D print lab, which plans to scale and grow in the coming years. University Hospital Basel has taken strides in its commitment to improving outcomes for patients through technology advances in the form of this collaboration.

“Our software will help the hospital gain insight into the statistics and figures usually hidden within data, ultimately allowing them to measure clinical impact and value 3D printing is having for patients. The workflow management capability will allow the hospital to speed up the creation, processing, and delivery of 3D printed models, while ensuring auditability, reliability and standardization.”

By using axial3Dassure software, USB will be able to increase efficiency and improve compliance and productivity. The hospital’s 3D Print Lab, which includes over 20 desktop and industrial 3D printers, will now be better equipped to manage communication, quality control, tracking, and workflow management.

In addition, USB will benefit from the company’s orthopaedic auto-segmentation software module, which is embedded within the axial3Dassure platform. This module will help lower the amount of time that is typically required during pre-production of 3D printing orthopaedic models.

Finally, by partnering with axial3D, USB will be able to speed up the creation, processing, and delivery of its 3D printed surgical guides.

“Our initial focus for the use of 3D printed surgical guides was within the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery where 3D printing has now become routine,” explained Philipp Brantner, Senior Physician of Radiology and the Co-Director of the 3D Print Lab at University Hospital Basel. “Having access to onsite printing has revolutionized how we treat those patients, some who arrive with life-threatening injuries that require immediate action. The functionality that we now get provided will allow us to speed up production and treat patients more effectively and efficiently.”

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3D Printing News Briefs: January 19, 2019

Welcome to the first edition of 3D Printing News Briefs in 2019! We took a brief hiatus at the beginning of the new year, and now we’re back, bringing you the latest business, medical, and metal 3D printing news. First up, Sigma Labs has been awarded a new Test and Evaluation Program Contract, and Laser Lines is now a certified UK Stratasys training provider. Michigan’s Grand Valley State University, and a few of its partners, will be using Carbon 3D printing to make production-grade parts for medical devices. Cooksongold is launching new precious metal parameters for the EOS M 100 3D printer, and VBN Components has introduced a new metal 3D printing material.

Sigma Labs Receives Test and Evaluation Program Contract

This week, Sigma Labs, which develops and provides quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, announced that it had been awarded a Test and Evaluation Program contract with a top additive manufacturing materials and service provider. This will be the company’s fifth customer to conduct testing and evaluations of its technology since September 2018, and Sigma Labs will install several PrintRite3D INSPECT 4.0 in-process quality assurance systems in the customer’s US and German facilities under the program. It will also support its customer in the program by providing engineering, hardware, metallurgical consulting and support services, software, and training.

“Sigma Labs is deeply committed to our In-Process Quality Assurance tools, supporting and moving forward with them,” said John Rice, the CEO of Sigma Labs. “I am confident that this initiative, which marks our fifth customer signed from diverse industries in the past four months, will validate our PrintRite3D technology in commercial-industrial serial manufacturing settings. We believe that going forward, AM technology will play an increasingly prominent role in the aerospace, medical, power generation/energy, automotive and tooling/general industries, all areas which are served by this customer.”

Laser Lines Announces New Stratasys Training Courses

Through its new 3D Printing Academy, UK-based total 3D printing solutions provider Laser Lines is now a certified provider of Stratasys training courses. The custom courses at the Academy for FDM and Polyjet systems are well-suited for new users, people in need of a refresher, or more experienced users, and include tips and tricks that the company’s certified trainers have personally developed. One-day and two-day courses are available at customer sites, or at the Laser Lines facility in Oxfordshire.

“The training courses are an extension of the advice and education we have been providing to customers for the past 20 years. With our experienced team able to share their knowledge and experience on both the FDM and Polyjet systems and materials, customers who are trained by us will get the value of some real life application examples,” said Richard Hoy, Business Development at Laser Lines.

“We want to ensure that our customers get what they need from our training so before booking, our Stratasys academy certified trainers can discuss exact requirements and advise both content and a suitable duration for the training course so that it meets their needs entirely.”

Exploring Applications in Medical Device Manufacturing

Enabled by Michigan state legislation, the Grand Rapids SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority has awarded a half-million-dollar grant that will be used to fund a 2.5-year collaborative program centered around cost and time barriers for medical devices entering the market. Together, Grand Valley State University and its study partners – certified contract manufacturer MediSurge and the university’s applied Medical Device Institute (aMDI) – will be using 3D printing from Carbon to create production-grade parts, out of medical-grade materials and tolerances, in an effort to accelerate medical device development, along with the component manufacturing cycle. A Carbon 3D printer has been installed in aMDI’s incubator space, where the team and over a dozen students and faculty from the university’s Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing will work to determine the “tipping point” where 3D printing can become the top method, in terms of part number and complexity, to help lower startup costs and time to market, which could majorly disrupt existing manufacturing practices for medical devices.

“We are thrilled to be the first university in the Midwest to provide students with direct access to this type of innovative technology on campus. This novel 3D additive manufacturing technology, targeting medical grade materials, will soon be the new standard, and this study will be a launch pad for course content that is used in curriculum throughout the university,” said Brent M. Nowak, PhD, the Executive Director of aMDI.

New Precious Metal 3D Printing Parameters at Cooksongold

At this week’s Vicenzaoro jewelry show, Cooksongold, a precious metal expert and the UK’s largest one-stop shop for jewelry and watch makers, announced that it is continuing its partnership with EOS for industrial 3D printing, and will be launching new precious metal parameters for the EOS M 100 3D printer, which is replacing the system that was formerly called the PRECIOUS M 080. The EOS M 100 builds on the powder management process and qualities of the PRECIOUS M 080, and the new parameters make it possible for users to create beautiful designs, with cost-effective production, that are optimized for use on the new 3D printer.

“We are proud to continue our successful partnership with Cooksongold, which was already established 2012,” said Markus Brotsack, Partner Manager at EOS. “The EOS M 100 system increases productivity and ensure high-quality end parts as we know them. Based on our technology, EOS together with Cooksongold plans to develop processes for industrial precious metals applications too.”

VBN Components Introducing New Cemented Carbide

Drill bits in Vibenite 480; collaboration with Epiroc.

In 2017, Swedish company VBN Components introduced the world’s hardest steel, capable of 3D printing, in its Vibenite family. Now it’s launching a new 3D printing material: the patented hard metal Vibenite 480, which is a new type of cemented carbide. The alloy, which has a carbide content of ~65%, is heat, wear, and corrosion resistant, and based on metal powder produced through large scale industrial gas atomization, which lowers both the cost and environmental impact. What’s more, VBN Components believes that it is the only company in the world that is able to 3D print cemented carbides without using binder jetting. Because this new group of materials is a combination of the heat resistance of cemented carbides and the toughness of powder metallurgy high speed steels (PM-HSS), it’s been dubbed hybrid carbides.

“We have learned an enormous amount on how to 3D-print alloys with high carbide content and we see that there’s so much more to do within this area,” said Martin Nilsson, the CEO of VBN Components. “We have opened a new window of opportunity where a number of new materials can be invented.”

Early adopters who want to be among the first to try this new material will be invited by VBN Components to a web conference at a later date. If you’re interested in participating, email info@vbncomponents.com.

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Anatomiz3D Partners with Incredible AM to Deliver 3D Printed Patient-Specific Healthcare Solutions

From implant molds, prosthetics, and surgical and educational models to surgical guides and patient-specific surgical models, Mumbai-based medical 3D printing company Anatomiz3D Medtech Private Limited has worked with many aspects of medical 3D printing. Anatomiz3D, which is the healthcare division of tech company Sahas Softech, uses 3D printing to enhance and personalize patient care, whether it’s providing them with peace of mind by showing them a model or making their surgery quicker and easier with guides and implants.

The healthcare solutions company uses patient data from 2D MRI and CT scans to provide 3D modeling and printing services to the medical community, so physicians can better help their patients. More than three years ago, it was the first company in India to provide doctors with a 3D printed, patient-specific pediatric cardiology model before surgery, and has since moved on, 3D printing models for spinal, oral and maxillofacial, orthopaedic, head and neck, and neurosurgery operations using a variety of methods, including SLS, stereolithography, DMLS, and color jet printing.

Anatomiz3D’s mission is two-fold: to aid surgical practices by simplifying and customizing operative planning and procedures in order to improve patient recovery quality, and to develop patient-specific tissue engineering solutions to help lower the need for organ donors in the future.

Now, the surgical 3D printing company has announced that it’s partnering up with another Indian company to develop various 3D printed specialty solutions for the personalized healthcare industry. Incredible AM Pvt Ltd, established in 1974 as part of Industrial Metal Powders Pvt Ltd in Pune, works with both the medical and engineering industries by providing metal 3D printing services.

Incredible AM Pvt Ltd has a great facility that’s based on FDA guidelines, and is also reportedly the only company in India that has received both ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certifications for the manufacture of metal medical devices; this has helped it provide many customers across India with custom implants for neuro, orthopaedic, and maxillofacial surgeries.

With Incredible AM Pvt Ltd’s capabilities in metal 3D printing, paired with the design and plastic 3D printing skills provided by Anatomiz3D, this new partnership is essentially a one-stop-shop when it comes to personalized, patient-specific healthcare solutions.

Now, Incredible AM Pvt Ltd has invested an undisclosed amount of money into its new partner, Anatomiz3D, so that the two can work together to successfully even offer more 3D printed patient-specific surgical solutions to customers all around the world, focusing on affordable prices, excellent quality, and precise designs. The two companies have already helped create several orthopaedic, maxillofacial, and cranial implants together, and continue to work hard and help their respective R&D teams develop even more 3D printed medical products.

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

Top 10 3D Printing Aerospace Stories from 2018

3D printing has played an important role in many industries over the past year, such as medical, education, and aerospace. It would take a very long time to list all of the amazing news in aerospace 3D printing in 2018, which is why we’ve chosen our top 10 stories for you about 3D printing in the aerospace industry and put them all in a single article.

Sintavia Received Approval to 3D Print Production Parts for Honeywell Aerospace

Tier One metal 3D printer manufacturer Sintavia LLC, headquartered in Florida, announced in January that it is the first company to receive internal approval to 3D print flightworthy production parts, using a powder bed fusion process, for OEM Honeywell Aerospace. Sintavia’s exciting approval covers all of Honeywell’s programs.

Boeing and Oerlikon Developing Standard Processes

Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, signed a five-year collaboration agreement with Swiss technology and engineering group Oerlikon to develop standard processes and materials for metal 3D printing. Together, the two companies will use the data resulting from their agreement to support the creation of standard titanium 3D printing processes, in addition to the qualification of AM suppliers that will produce metallic components through a variety of different materials and machines. Their research will focus first on industrializing titanium powder bed fusion, as well as making sure that any parts made with the process will meet the necessary flight requirements of both the FAA and the Department of Defense.

FITNIK Launched Operations in Russia

In 2017, FIT AG, a German provider of rapid prototyping and additive design and manufacturing (ADM) services, began working with Russian research and engineering company NIK Ltd. to open up the country’s market for aerospace additive manufacturing. FIT and NIK started a new joint venture company, dubbed FITNIK, which combines the best of what both companies offer. In the winter of 2018, FITNIK finally launched its operations in the strategic location of Zhukovsky, which is an important aircraft R&D center.

New Polymer 3D Printing Standards for Aerospace Industry

The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU), which is the country’s largest university aviation R&D institution, announced that it would be helping to create new technical standard documents for polymer 3D printing in the aerospace industry, together with the Polymer Additive Manufacturing (AMS AM-P) Subcommittee of global engineering organization SAE International. These new technical standard documents are supporting the industry’s interest in qualifying 3D printed polymer parts, as well as providing quality assurance provisions and technical requirements for the material feedstock characterization and FDM process that will be used to 3D print high-quality aerospace parts with Stratasys ULTEM 9085 and ULTEM 1010.

Premium AEROTEC Acquired APWORKS

Metal 3D printing expert and Airbus subsidiary APWORKS announced in April that it had been acquired as a subsidiary by aerostructures supplier Premium AEROTEC. Premium AEROTEC will be the sole shareholder, with APWORKS maintaining its own market presence as an independent company. Combining the two companies gave clients access to 11 production units and a wide variety of materials.

Gefertec’s Wire-Feed 3D Printing Developed for Aerospace

Gefertec, which uses wire as the feedstock for its patented 3DMP technology, worked with the Bremer Institut für Angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH (BIAS) to qualify its wire-feed 3D printing method to produce large structural aerospace components. The research took place as part of collaborative project REGIS, which includes several different partners from the aerospace industry, other research institutions, and machine manufacturers. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy funded the project, which investigated the influence of shielding gas content and heat input on the mechanical properties of titanium and aluminium components.

Research Into Embedded QR Codes for Aerospace 3D Printing

It’s been predicted that by 2021, 75% of new commercial and military aircraft will contain 3D printed parts, so it’s vitally important to find a way to ensure that 3D printed components are genuine, and not counterfeit. A group of researchers from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering came up with a way to protect part integrity by converting QR codes, bar codes, and other passive tags into 3D features that are hidden inside 3D printed objects. The researchers explained in a paper how they were able to embed the codes in a way that they would neither compromise the integrity of the 3D printed object or be obvious to any counterfeiters attempting to reverse engineer the part.

Lockheed Martin Received Contract for Developing Aerospace 3D Printing

Aerospace company Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor, was granted a $5.8 million contract with the Office of Naval Research to help further develop 3D printing for the aerospace industry. Together, the two will investigate the use of artificial intelligence in training robots to independently oversee the 3D printing of complex aerospace components.

BeAM And PFW Aerospace Qualified 3D Printed Aerospace Component

BeAM, well-known for its Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology, announced a new partnership with German company PFW Aerospace, which supplies systems and components for all civilian Airbus models and the Boeing 737 Dreamliner. Together, the two worked to qualify a 3D printed aerospace component, made out of the Ti6Al4V alloy, for a large civil passenger aircraft, in addition to industrializing BeAM’s DED process to manufacture series components and testing the applicability of the method to machined titanium components and complex welding designs.

Researchers Qualified 3D Printed Aerospace Brackets

Speaking of parts qualification, a team of researchers completed a feasibility study of the Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) on a titanium alloy space bracket made with Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing, in order to ensure that its mechanical behavior and other qualities were acceptable. The researchers developed a methodology, which was implemented on a titanium based-alloy satellite bracket.

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

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: December 12, 2018

Today’s 3D Printing News Briefs are short and sweet, but still full of important news that’s not to be missed. First, UK-based medical technology firm axial3D is partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare in order to enhance patient outcomes with 3D printing. Sawing machine manufacturer Kasto has announced that it is supporting the NextGenAM project for industrial 3D printing automation. Finally, Hobs 3D has purchased Canon UK’s 3D printing business.

axial3D Partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare 

Daniel Crawford, axial3D

Private, not-for-profit community healthcare system Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) is teaming up with UK medical technology firm axial3D to make 3D printed medical models to ensure better patient outcomes in the neurosurgical services. The strategic partnership will use 3D printing to achieve a “transformative approach to pre-surgical care,” according to axial3D, which can now call TMH its only neuroscience industry partner in the US. TMH will also work with other international partners to collate data on the use of 3D printing in neurosurgery, complete case studies and research, and eventually expand to other surgical specialties.

“Our 3D printed models are used extensively by leading surgical centers across Europe and as we continue to develop our presence in the United States, we are excited about the clinical and research potential of this partnership with TMH. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare offers a leading neurosurgery program and by utilizing 3D printing, it is expanding its already high standards and providing a better experience for its patients and clinical team,” said Daniel Crawford, the Founder and CEO of axial3D.

Kasto Joins NextGenAm Project

The KASTOwin amc bandsaw

Last year, the NextGenAM collaborative project was launched by Premium AEROTEC, EOS, and Daimler AG. NextGenAM is dedicated to developing and implementing next generation industrial 3D printing technology in order to cut costs and optimize workflows, and now sawing machine manufacturer Kasto has announced that it is supporting the project. The overall project aim is to develop a complete system to produce aluminum components for both the aerospace and automotive industries, and Kasto can definitely offer some assistance with this.

The automatic, fully enclosed KASTOwin amc sawing technology was specifically designed to separate 3D printed components from the build platform by inverting them and sawing horizontally, so they fall into a container below. Its cutting range is 400 x 400 mm, with an infinitely adjustable electromechanical servo motor blade feed and an optional extraction system. The other NextGenAM project partners were impressed with the saw’s ability to efficiently perform component separation, and one is now being used at the Technology Centre in Varel (TZV), where its automated pilot plant for industrial 3D printing, post-processing, and quality assurance was recently commissioned.

Canon UK’s 3D Printing Business Purchased by Hobs 3D

Three years ago, Canon Europe announced a distribution agreement with 3D Systems to market, support, and sell the company’s 3D printers in the UK and Ireland – marking its official entrance into the UK 3D printing scene. Canon UK has now been reselling professional 3D printers and offering service support and consumables to many clients across the UK for the last few years. But this week, Hobs 3D, which provide 3D printing bureau services, has announced that it has purchased the assets relating to Canon UK’s 3D printing business.

“Canon remains committed to pursuing all the growth opportunities we have within our Industrial & Production Solutions business. To ensure that each of our customers receives the best experience for managing their 3D printing operation going forward, we chose to work with leading company Hobs 3D,” said Dominic Fahy, the Head of AEC and Manufacturing for Canon UK. “We are happy that our customers are in excellent hands given the company’s long relationship with Canon and proven ability to deliver a high standard of service. We look forward to a continued strong partnership with Hobs 3D.”

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

3D Printing News Briefs: December 8, 2018

We’re starting with a little bit of business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, before moving on to a new material and a software update. PostProcess is partnering with CUBRC, and both Launcher and 3YOURMIND have announced new executives. ElogioAM released its new Facilian HT material, and Simplify3D has a software update.

PostProcess Technologies Partnering with CUBRC

This week, PostProcess Technologies, which provides automated and intelligent post-processing solutions for 3D printed parts, announced that it was partnering with CUBRC in order to accelerate its patent-pending 3D printing software platforms. PostProcess will leverage CUBRC’s Heartwood Analytics machine learning suite in order to advance its work in fully digitizing 3D printing. Its AUTOMAT3D and CONNECT3D platforms both use a data science approach to 3D printing, which helps improve performance while also reducing the amount of guesswork and manual steps customers have to deal with during support removal and surface finishing. By using Heartwood Analytics, these platforms will be even more efficient.

“PostProcess was founded on software as the first component of our solution. We’ve known since the beginning that data analytics was an essential part of doing data science at scale,” said Daniel Hutchinson, the Founder and CTO of PostProcess Technologies. “That’s why we’ve chosen CUBRC for its experience and expertise in data extraction, alignment, analysis and systems optimization technologies to enhance and expedite our post-printing software platforms.”

Launcher Hires Chief Designer

Launcher, a startup making 3D printed rocket engines to help deliver small satellites to orbit, has hired Igor Nikishchenko as its Chief Designer. Nikishchenko has over three decades of experience with high-performance liquid rocket engine development, and was most recently working in Italy for Avio, which is an important contractor for the Ariane and Vega launchers developed by the European Space Agency. He will work at Launcher’s main office in New York City, and will help the startup achieve its first goal of developing the least expensive, highest performing liquid rocket engine for small launch vehicles: the 3D printed Launcher E-2, which features 22,000-lbf thrust and a closed cycle liquid rocket engine.

“We’re not doing science here, not trying to make a breakthrough. We’re trying to use a proven high-performance engine design, applied to a smaller size,” said Max Haot, the Founder and CEO of Launcher.

According to Haot, Nikishchenko will have a role similar to that of a chief engineer or chief technology officer, and will be responsible for all of the startup’s engineering and design efforts.

3YOURMIND Names Head of Global Marketing

Stefan Ritt and Aleksander Ciszek sign employment contract at formnext 2018

Software company 3YOURMIND announced that it has recruited additive manufacturing veteran Stefan Ritt to join the company as its new Head of Global Marketing, in order to continue serving its expanding international customer base. Ritt has spent over 20 years working in the AM industry on a global scale, most recently as the VP of Global Marketing and Communications for SLM Solutions, and has served as the Chairman of the Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace work group at the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) since 2015. Throughout 2019, 3YOURMIND plans to increase its presence in both Europe and the US by adding more AM production and machine manufacturing experts to the software development team, and Ritt will be integral to the company’s mission of integrating 3D printing into series manufacturing.

“I am very pleased with the trust that Aleksander Ciszek, Stephan Kuehr and their team have placed in me,” said Ritt. “I am convinced that adding the integration of AM machines within 3YOURMIND’s comprehensive software will be the solution the AM industry needs to make the step from individual prototyping to advanced industrialization and reliable serial-batch production.”

ElogioAM Introducing Facilan HT Material

This summer, high-performance 3D printing filament producer 3D4Makers and specialty chemicals company Perstorp AB signed a joint venture agreement, which resulted in the new 3D printing materials company ElogioAM B.V. Now, the company is continuing to develop new filament solutions, like Facilan C8, for 3D printing, and this week introduced its latest addition: Facilan HT. The copolyster material was designed, like all Facilan products, to be easily 3D printed with minimum warping on most conventional FDM 3D printers, which require stronger, more durable materials. It’s fully amorphous, with high temperature resistance and high stiffness, which makes it possible to optimize designs for faster rigid part print jobs.

Matthew Forrester, the 3D Printing Tech leader for L`Oréal, said, “Excellent technical support from the Elogio team, Facilan HT is as easy to print as PLA, with a good level of translucidity, perfect for our prototyping needs.”

Facilan HT is now available for pre-order in 1.75 mm diameter, 750 gram spools for €37.50.

Simplify3D Announces Software Update

Just one month ago, Simplify3D, which is one of the most popular brands of professional 3D slicing software, launched Version 4.1 of its software suite. Now, the company has come out with Version 4.1.1 of the software.

This latest release comes with many improved features, in addition to multiple bug fixes for issues like disabled force retraction between layers. For example, the corkscrew printing (vase mode) has improved seam locations, and users can transition this mode to create smooth spiraling outlines without adding any additional artifacts. The skirt and brim placement has been updated to remain closer to the outline of the model for better adhesion, and the solid layer placement has been improved in order to create high-quality top solid layers.

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3D Printing News Briefs: December 4, 2018

We’re sharing stories about events, business, and metal 3D printing in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. To start, the second annual Iran 3DShow is coming up, along with IQPC’s fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace & Space event in London. Moving on to business, Carbon has an announcement about a new executive, Sigma Labs has joined an R&D collaboration with Fraunhofer IAPT, and Xometry is now offering instant quotes on parts 3D printed with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Finally, Markforged is presenting a closer look at the process behind the Metal X.

Second Annual Iran 3DShow

Last year, the country of Iran hosted its first 3D printing trade show, originally called the Additive Manufacturing Symposium before the name was changed to Iran 3D Show. Now, the country is gearing up for the second annual event, which will be held at the Book Garden in Tehran from December 5-7. The Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology of Iran is holding the event, with the Iran Institute of Additive Manufacturing acting as the execution team and organizer. There will be a 3D printing competition for teachers and students, and the trade show itself is made up of three additional sub-events, called “The 2nd Exhibition of 3D Printing Industry.”

“This event is not only good for the ones who are trying to observe the market here, but also suits the international companies to join and involve,” said Seyyed Amir Ghaffari, the Managing Director of Iran 3D Show.

Fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace & Space

Aligned to support the UK’s national AM strategy, the fifth Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Space conference by IQPC will be held in London from February 26-28, 2019; last year the forum was hosted in Munich. The conference helps attendees take on the roadblocks to adopting 3D printing and other industrial digitalization practices. The event provides content that helps 3D printing users exploit economic returns and performance gains provided by the technology. In addition, Airbus will be hosting a visit to its nearby Space Systems facility during the conference.

“Now entering its 5th year,  the conference has fast established itself as the premium forum for AM users, R&D experts and industry partners within the aerospace and space industry,” Olivia Timmins, Senior Marketing Manager for IQPC, told 3DPrint.com. “This year is no different with expert speaker line up from Thales, MTC, ESA, Airbus, Safran and more.”

If you register by Saturday, December 15th, you can even save up to £300 of the total cost.

Carbon Announces New Company Executive

Dara Treseder

Silicon Valley-based Carbon has announced a new executive, as Dara Treseder joins the company as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The former CMO for GE Business Innovations and GE Ventures, Treseder is charged with finding new ways to showcase the company’s story at scale; with her excellent record, this should not be too challenging. This year, Treseder, who is also the co-founder of consulting firm NeuBridges, was featured by Forbes as a CMO Next, and in 2017, she was recognized on AdAge as one of the Women to Watch and by Inc. as one of the 30 Inspirational Women to Watch in Tech. Additionally, she is a sought-after speaker and writer on many subjects, including marketing, growth, innovation, and creating more diverse workplaces.

“I am deeply inspired by Carbon’s vision and values and excited to be part of a trailblazing team that is redefining digital manufacturing and creating the industry’s future. As chief marketing officer, I am looking forward to advancing Carbon’s brand, strengthening our customer connections, and rapidly scaling our global growth,” Treseder said.

Treseder is coming on board as Carbon works to strengthen its leadership team, and will support the growing company’s mission to keep driving the manufacturing industry’s digital transformation.

Sigma Labs Partners with Fraunhofer IAPT

John Rice and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann

This week, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies (IAPT) and Sigma Labs, Inc., which provides quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, announced a new collaborative research and development agreement that will focus on the industrialization of additive manufacturing. At last month’s formnext 2018 in Germany, John Rice, the CEO of Sigma Labs, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann, the Managing Director of Fraunhofer IAPT, signed the joint agreement. As part of the agreement between the two, Sigma Labs will be upgrading Fraunhofer IAPT’s current PrintRite3D system.

“The aim of this collaboration is to test and validate the use of the PrintRite3D system to identify and quantify machine and process inconsistencies as well as flag defect thermal signatures during the laser melting process, and correlate them to CT scan results. Ultimately, this will allow users to reduce scrap, increase productivity and reduce post-process inspection costs,” said Rice.

Xometry Offering Instant Quotes on Multi Jet Fusion Parts

On-demand manufacturing platform Xometry has only been in business for five years, but it is releasing news at a fast clip. This summer, the company also introduced a new version of its Instant Quoting Engine, which included several new and enhanced features to offer customers instant quotes for CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, urethane casting, and several 3D printing processes, including SLS, FDM, PolyJet, and DMLS.

Now, Xometry has announced that it will be offering instant quotes on custom parts made with HP’s fast Multi Jet Fusion technology. As always, simply drag and drop your 3D models into the Instant Quoting Engine, select your process and materials (if you so choose), and Xometry will do the rest, analyzing the model’s geometry and providing an instant price, design feedback, and delivery date.

Markforged Metal X 3D Printer Process

Last winter at CES 2017, Markforged introduced its Metal X, which is the company’s first 3D printer to leverage its Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing, or ADAM, metal 3D printing technology. This spring, Markforged began shipping the Metal X to customers and resellers, and announced early last month that it had shipped over 100 machines, with an expectation of doubling that number by the end of 2018.

As we get closer to the end of the year, and Markforged works to achieve this goal, the company is giving the world a closer look at the innovative process behind its Metal X, with the publication of a time-lapse video on YouTube that shows all seven steps of the process, starting with the actual 3D printing of a part, removing and washing it, and ending with part manipulation, in less than two minutes. Take a look at the video below to see it for yourself:

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3D Printing News Briefs: November 17, 2018

Continuing with the week’s second edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, or rather formnext 2018 News Briefs, we’ve got more announcements coming from the huge trade fair, which just ended today in Frankfurt. 3D Systems introduced two new 3D printers and a new material, while Solvay showcased its two new medical grade filaments. ViscoTec revealed its new two-component print head, and Additive Industries announced a partnership with Air Liquide on the show floor. Finally, Honeywell FM&T engineers are using topology optimization to shorten the design process at the DOE’s Kansas City National Security Campus.

3D Systems Showcases Two New 3D Printers 

DMP Factory 350

This week at formnext, 3D printing leader 3D Systems announced two additions to its DMP metal 3D printing platform, along with a new aluminum alloy material. This platform allows customers to scale from the new DMP Flex 350 – successor to the ProX DMP 320 – all the way up to the new DMP Factory 350 as their production needs shift. These 3D printers were built to provide repeatable, robust metal parts production 24/7. The $575,000 Flex 350 offers an improved print productivity of 15% over previous models, comes with improved gas flow technology for uniform part quality, and allows for more efficient production of very dense, pure metal parts. The $763,000 Factory 250 combines all of these advantages and features with a little something extra – integrated powder management. An in-unit viewing panel allows for a visual inspection of the ultrasonic sieve, and also includes real-time process monitoring. In addition to its two new DMP 3D printers, 3D Systems also introduced a new aluminum alloy material, LaserForm AlSi7Mg0.6 (A), which offers electrical ductility, corrosion resistance, and high-thermal conductivity.

“At Formnext 2017, I announced 3D Systems’ intent to bring 3D printing to the factory floor with a new generation of additive manufacturing solutions. Today I am happy to report that over the last year we have brought to market an unrivalled series of plastic and metal 3D printers, materials and software that are optimizing workflows, enabling new design innovations, and reducing costs,” said Vyomesh Joshi, the President and CEO of 3D Systems. “The new innovations we are announcing today – DMP Flex 350, DMP Factory 350, and LaserForm material– further expand 3D System’s customer-first, solution approach to drive the transformation of manufacturing.”

The DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 should be available in late Q4 2018.

Solvay Introduces New Medical-Grade Filaments

Global specialty polymer supplier Solvay was also at formnext this week to launch new products. The company introduced three new additions to its high-performance 3D printing filament portfolio – KetaSpire PEEK (NT1 HC), a 10% carbon fiber-reinforced KetaSpire (CF10 HC), and Radel PPSU (NT1 HC), which are Solvay’s first medical-grade materials for limited contact applications in the healthcare industry. The KetaSpire PEEK filaments enable high part density, achieve great printed layer fusion, and provide excellent part strength, along the z-axis in particular. Radel PPSU delivers the same exceptional fusion, and also has toughness, transparency, and high elongation. These three new grades are available immediately in both North America and Europe through Solvay’s e-commerce platform.

“The healthcare industry is quickly emerging as a leading market to benefit from AM technology which makes customized parts for single use or low volumes possible. However, there is still a very limited choice of high-performance filaments that meet the stringent regulatory requirements in healthcare and this is the gap we want to close with our new selection of medical grade products,” said Christophe Schramm, Additive Manufacturing Business Manager at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit.

VisctoTec Launches New Two-Component Print Head

This spring, Germany-based ViscoTec, which is well known for its innovative 3D print heads, introduced the vipro-HEAD, a print head with an optional heating function for viscous fluids. The vipro-HEAD 3 and vipro-HEAD 5 allow the company’s 3D printing customers to process viscous fluids and pastes, and now ViscoTec has delivered again. At formnext this week, the company launched its new two-component print head, vipro-HEAD 3/3 and 5/5, which allows for the 3D printing of two-component viscous fluids and pastes.

The print head, which comes in two sizes, has parallel, independently running motors, which receive direct signals from the 3D printer itself. Bleeding screws can be adapted to the vipro-HEAD 3/3 and 5/5 for venting during start-up, and optional integrated pressure sensors can monitor the output pressure at the static mixer, so dosing is automatically stopped if any pressure fluctuations occur so the rotor and stator aren’t damaged. With ViscoTec’s new print head, nearly all two-component viscous fluids and pastes can be dispensed continuously and gently.

Additive Industries and Air Liquide Announce Partnership

The last piece of formnext 2018 news to share with you today is the newly announced partnership for industrial 3D printing between France-based Air Liquide and Netherlands company Additive Industries. The two have long enjoyed a working relationship, and decided to increase this into a professional partnership, in order to develop a dedicated infrastructure for gasses. Air Liquide will add its solutions for supplying and storing shielding gasses, and an infrastructure blueprint for Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 3D printer will allow customers in demanding markets to increase the safety, quality, and post-processing of 3D printing.

“On our continuous quest to improve the performance of our systems while offering our users a fully integrated solution, we have identified the gas infrastructure for argon and nitrogen as an often overlooked but important piece of the puzzle,” said Daan Kersten, CEO of Additive Industries. “Because of our partnership with Air Liquide, we now can offer a blueprint to our customers to guarantee a reliable gas storage and supply as well as a higher level of safety, our number one priority.”

Topology Optimization Used by Honeywell FM&T Engineers

Honeywell FM&T, an engineering, manufacturing and sourcing enterprise that’s part of the aerospace company Honeywell, manages and operates the Kansas City National Security Campus for the US Department of Energy. It used to take the engineers months to design and produce materials to use for tooling and testing purposes. But Honeywell FM&T is now saving time by using digital manufacturing technology, which allows the engineers to bring their ideas to fruition in days, instead of months.

Topology optimization, or TO, shortens the normal design process by creating a prototype based on the functional and physical requirements, and then simulating production with it. 3D products designed with TO are less expensive, more lightweight, and stronger, and the Honeywell FM&T team recently used the technology to redesign a part that would meet structural requirements, but also weighs 46% less as well.

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Ford and trinckle Partnering to Automate Design of 3D Printed Production Tools

3D printed lift assist

Popular automotive manufacturer Ford, which has long used 3D printing to fabricate assembly tools and was recently recognized for its work with the technology, is now partnering up with award-winning software company trinckle in order to automate the design process for its 3D printed production tools. The two companies will present the joint project next week during formnext.

“The additive manufacturing itself is no longer the dominating cost factor limiting the scalability of the application. Up to 50% of the total costs per tool are caused by the manual design, which is the new bottleneck. For each new line and each special edition, these tools must be specifically designed to position the badges with exact accuracy,” explained Lars Bognar, an engineer with Ford Research & Advanced Engineering Europe. “This design task is not a trivial one, as the tools have to adapt precisely to the free-form surfaces of the car body sheet. It can easily last between two and four hours to create an appropriate AM-ready design. Time that is hard to spend for the designers, who are already working at full capacity. In the worst case, a short-term demand can result in a delay of assembly because the corresponding tools are not available. It was time for us to rethink the design process from scratch, and that’s when we came across the trinckle team.”

Based in Berlin, trinckle, a 3D printing service and software company, specializes in product configuration and automated design. The company uses its cloud software paramate to create software applications, which can integrate the user into the process, for the automated design of 3D printed products across a wide range of industries, including automotive.

Many automotive manufacturers use 3D printing to fabricate assembly aids and hand tools, like fixtures and jigs. There are many advantages, including lower weight and production costs and faster availability. Ford, which currently has over 50 different 3D printed tools in serial production, is working with trinckle to further scale the applications of the technology.

Bognar and his fellow engineer Raphael Koch didn’t want to settle for just saving a little money, and decided to, as trinckle put it, look “at the AM application as a whole.” They decided to use a hand tool called a labeling jig, which places model badges on the body of a vehicle, as an example.

trinckle developed an internal application for Ford so it could efficiently generate these tools by creating new jig designs in just minutes. Employees can upload the car body’s model data, and the necessary badges, through an intuitive user interface. Then, with just a click of the mouse, standard elements like edge guides, handles, magnet mounts for fixation, and text fields can be easily added. Software algorithms generate the tool’s geometry so it fits the contour of the car body.

“The trinckle software application does not only dramatically reduce manual design times and costs, but also streamlines the entire process,” said Koch. “We enable our employees on the shop floor to take over more responsibility and relieve our designers at the same time. The latter can focus on their core activities again.”

Now, instead of lasting two to four hours, the design process only takes 10 minutes, thanks to the straightforward handling provided by paramate. Because AM-compliant design expertise is not necessary, assembly line employees can easily design 3D printable tools on their own and independently carry out tool optimization iterations.

Using automation to design 3D printable labeling jigs is only the first step in the right direction for Bognar and Koch, and in the near future, other additive tools will likely undergo similar automation.

To learn more about this work with Ford, and its other business applications, visit trinckle at booth C07 in Hall 3.0 at formnext in Frankfurt next week. Bognar and Dr. Ole Bröker, the Head of Business Development at trinckle, will also be presenting the joint project at the TCT Conference during the show.

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