Cellink Teams with Lonza to Advance Bioprinting Cell Cultures

For over four years biotech company Cellink has been helping researchers pursue creative ways to promote organ regeneration, test novel drugs, develop vascularized bioconstructs, and more. Through collaborative partnerships and pioneering research, the firm has quickly become a market leader for cell-based applications. Along that road, they have partnered with several startups and multinationals to open up a broader range of possibilities in the field. Their latest partnership with Lonza—a leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech, and specialty ingredients markets—will provide researchers and scientists with even more options to enhance bioprinting of complex 3D human tissue constructs.

The companies have joined forces to offer a comprehensive 3D bioprinting solution designed to optimize and increase access to complete 3D cell culture workflows. The solution integrates Cellink’s 3D bioprinting instruments and pioneering commercial bioinks with Lonza’s broad selection of human-derived primary cells and supporting culture media.

Credit: Lonza

“Everything we do at CELLINK, from live cell imaging to our innovative bioprinting systems and bioinks, is meant to support our customers with the products and services needed for them to more effectively and efficiently research solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time. Challenges such as cancer therapeutics, regenerative medicine and the testing and development of drugs, to name a few,” said Ginger Lohman, Biodispensing Product Manager at Cellink’s Gothenburg headquarters in Sweden. “When it came time to expand our portfolio into complete 3D cell culture workflows, we knew it was critical that we brought the right partner onboard. We’re confident that Lonza is that partner.”

According to Cellink, cell biologists will now be able to rely on a high-performing product portfolio to successfully execute some of the most demanding work on 3D bioprinting and boost their scientific research. The proposed solution under the partnership combines Cellink’s 3D bioprinting instruments and bioinks with Lonza’s primary cells and culture media, to meet the needs of cell biologists for enhanced bioprinting of complex 3D human tissue constructs.

Since the origins of cell culture more than a century ago, cells have been cultured in two-dimensions; however, 3D cell culture has proven to be a better model for representing in vivo conditions, offering a more accurate and reliable means of predicting and analyzing cell behavior. In fact, it has proven to be a great enabler for scientists to handle cells in vitro while obtaining results that are closer to the in vivo environment without relying on animals, thereby avoiding many ethical issues.

With so many benefits, 3D cell cultures are being widely adopted in numerous laboratories—even more so as researchers look to create increasingly complex 3D constructs and find solutions to structural and material engineering challenges. For years, Swiss-based Lonza has been developing the building blocks needed to create 3D cell culture models, offering an extensive array of human-derived primary cells and culture media, ethically sourced and authenticated thorough quality control testing.

Robust, viable cells are an essential component of any successful cell culture application, and so is 3D bioprinting. A big part of the 3D cell culture workflow involves 3D bioprinting, which is thriving as a powerful technology for engineering complex 3D tissues for in vitro drug discovery research. Cellink is currently providing a wide range of 3D bioprinting systems, like INKREDIBLE, Bio X6 systems, and LumenX, which stems from a collaboration with Volumetric, a startup established by Rice University professor Jordan Miller. Furthermore, since 2016, the company has successfully commercialized the world’s first universal bioink designed to print complex 3D human tissue constructs with any 3D bioprinting system. The biomaterial is useful for scientists as it can be modified with peptides and growth factors to develop a series of customized bioink formulations to meet varying application needs and is used in hundreds of labs around the world.

Cellink’s INKREDIBLE system (Credit: Cellink)

“Cell biology laboratories are constantly seeking innovative new technologies to enhance their experimental workflows and help deliver on their promise to drive the next research breakthrough,” explained Katrin Hoeck, head of marketing for Cell Analysis and Testing Solutions at Lonza. “Our broad panel of human-derived primary cells is specifically engineered to enable researchers to develop biological in vitro model systems that more closely reflect disease biology. This new collaboration with Cellink will enable our customers to build physiologically relevant 3D models to accelerate target identification/validation, investigation of mechanisms of action and safety testing in drug discovery.”

Under the agreement, Cellink will provide this complete solution through its global sales channels, supported by Lonza’s well-established logistics processes.

This is not the first partnership with the pharma industry for Cellink. The company also recently announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, to utilize Cellink’s 3D bioprinting technology for liver organoid culture for drug discovery purposes in cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases.

According to Lonza, “The pharma and biomedical research laboratories are constantly seeking innovative new technologies to enhance their experimental workflows and help deliver on their promise to drive the next research breakthrough.” This collaboration could strengthen the processes and end products of research, offering substantial benefits for more predictive cell models and ultimately increasing the usefulness of 3D culturing cells for many applications in major areas of life sciences.”

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HP’s Partner Network Teams Up to Battle COVID-19 with Simple Designs & 3D Printed Innovations

Normally, this is the time of year when we’re fielding a constant flood of press releases, firming up travel plans, and starting to set interview schedules for the annual 3D printing extravaganza that is RAPID + TCT. But SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as COVID-19 or the coronavirus, has changed all that. On top of nearly all major additive manufacturing shows in the near future (and the Tokyo Olympics) being canceled, the pandemic is wreaking havoc elsewhere as well.

Field ventilator that includes parts made with HP’s MJF 3D printing.

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently close to 400,000 cases of the disease around the world, with that number rising every day, and we’ve all added the phrase “social distancing” to our vocabulary. On a personal note, I’m a frequent theatre volunteer, and the shows I was working on have either been postponed or canceled. Last night, I delivered groceries (though not toilet paper) to my 94-year-old grandparents since they’re not supposed to leave the house, waved to my mother from six feet away, and I’ve participated in numerous Zoom conferences and FaceTime calls with friends over the past week, since Ohio is under a “stay at home” order.

Image: Huffington Post

But, as the above quote from beloved American TV personality Fred Rogers says, you can always find people who are helping during the hard times. HP Inc. is one of those helpers: the company, along with its digital manufacturing community, is mobilizing its 3D printing experience, technology, production capacity, and teams to help find solutions for the worldwide battle against COVID-19.

“HP and our digital manufacturing partners are working non-stop in the battle against this unprecedented virus,” stated HP’s President and CEO Enrique Lores. “We are collaborating across borders and industries to identify the parts most in need, validate the designs, and begin 3D printing them. Our deepest appreciation goes to our employees, partners, customers, and members of our community for their tireless efforts to support the medical professionals making a difference on the front lines.”


HP’s worldwide network of digital manufacturing and production partners has stepped up to the plate to create and deliver 3D printed critical parts during this pandemic to help support the global health community, and more than 1,000 parts have been delivered to local hospitals already. The company’s 3D R&D centers in Washington, Oregon, California, and Spain are banding together, working with partners all around the world to ramp up production of these parts in order to help the healthcare sector meet the urgent needs of its many patients, and contain the spread of COVID-19, through 3D printing.

Face shield 3D printed with HP’s MJF.

Because HP’s network of manufacturing partners is global, these 3D printed parts should be available to hospitals in any region in the world. The company is working with industry, health, and government agencies to make sure that the approach is effective and synchronized, and its partners are making many of their validated 3D design files available for download free of charge here. The available designs consist of parts that don’t require complex assembly, so that production can keep up its accelerated pace.

There are several important applications that have already been finalized for industrial 3D printing, such as respirator parts and nasal swabs. Another is a face shield, which is one of the personal protection items in high demand at the moment. A critical component of these shields are 3D printable brackets that help ensure a comfortable fit.

Thousands of 3D printed mask adjusters were delivered in China and Spain.

Hospital staff are often required to wear face masks for extended periods of time now. A 3D printed mask adjuster features a clasp that helps provide the wearer with some relief from ear pain caused by wearing their masks for so long.

One of the most germ-infested items in any hospital, home, or workplace is the door handle – just think how many different people have touched it in a 24-hour period! On second thought, maybe don’t think about it. But a 3D printed adapter makes it possible to easily open doors with your elbows: a hands-free option that obviously keeps things much cleaner.

3D printed door handle designed by Materialise.

Plenty of other 3D printed applications to help contain COVID-19 are currently in the testing and validation phase, and production for these should start in the coming days and weeks. One such example is the FFP3 face mask, which helps protect medical providers as they treat a higher volume of patients. HP is currently validating multiple hospital-grade 3D printable face masks, and they should be available soon.

3D printed field ventilator part.

A simplified design that requires 3D printed parts for a field ventilator is also being validated. The mechanical bag valve mask (BVM) was designed to provide short-term emergency ventilation to patients with COVID-19, and while it’s definitely an important application, the design makes the device simple yet strong, which helps speed up the production and assembly process.

3D designers who are interested in helping fight COVID-19 can visit this HP website to contribute ideas and applications. If you, or someone you know, would like to order parts that can help in the pandemic battle, or require support with application development, requests can be submitted here. Be safe, be smart, and stay healthy!

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

(Images: HP, unless otherwise noted)

The post HP’s Partner Network Teams Up to Battle COVID-19 with Simple Designs & 3D Printed Innovations appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Shapeways Expands Partner Network With New Henkel Partnership

Today, we are excited to announce our new digital platform for product creation through 3D printing. As part of this announcement, Shapeways has partnered with Henkel and their Loctite brand to create ‘Loctite Powered by Shapeways’. As a leading provider of advanced material solutions, Henkel is a great match for our new platform. Through the new Shapeways platform, Henkel has now the ability to fulfill 3d printing orders through a customized website for use by their customers and global sales team. This partnership marks the beginning of the future for Shapeways and its partner network.

Through this partnership, we will be further enhancing the accessibility of Henkel’s 3D printed materials. Henkel’s Loctite brand has launched multiple next-generation resins, and we will be providing our advanced technology platform and production capabilities to help make these material solutions more accessible to Henkel’s global customer base. To learn more about this you can head over to www.loctite3dp.com, where you will be able to order a broad variety of Loctite demo parts, including new novel photopolymer for fire safety standard UL’s 94V-0. 

We will be continually enhancing the functionality and offerings of our platform, giving ‘Loctite Powered by Shapeways’ customers the ability to order customized industrial parts based on their requirements. The program will be introduced during the upcoming Formnext trade show on November 19 to 22 in Frankfurt, Germany, in hall 12.1 at booth C41.  

We could not be more excited to collaborate with Henkel on this customized program, combining their wealth of material and industry knowledge with our additive manufacturing expertise. 

We plan on expanding our partner network even further. If you’re interested in learning more about how Shapeways can bring advanced 3D printing solutions to your business, reach out to us through this page.

The post Shapeways Expands Partner Network With New Henkel Partnership appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

Shapeways X Carbon

Shapeways first launched with one guiding directive: to make 3D printing technology available to every creator who had a vision or idea. Part of that mission is ensuring that we always have access to the latest cutting-edge technologies and highest quality materials to better support our community of innovators and entrepreneurs. Today we’re thrilled to announce one very large step in our ongoing quest: a new partnership with Carbon, a digital manufacturing pioneer.

Carbon have been revolutionizing the worlds of fabrication and design since 2013, working with globally renowned brands like Ford to digitally manufacture parts and products at scale. Through our partnership with Carbon, select Shapeways customers will now have access to their breakthrough Digital Light Synthesis™ (DLS™) technology, which opens up entire new worlds of manufacturing possibilities.

Along with DLS™ technology, our relationship with Carbon introduces three new materials to Shapeways:

  • Elastomeric polyurethane (EPU 40), a highly elastic, tear-resistant, and resilient material, great for printing foam-like products

    Elastomeric polyurethane (EPU 40)

    Elastomeric polyurethane (EPU 40)

  • Rigid polyurethane (RPU 70), a versatile and rigid material, great for automotive products, and industrial parts

    Rigid polyurethane (RPU 70)

    Rigid polyurethane (RPU 70)

  • Urethane methacrylate (UMA 90), a tough, rigid resin similar to conventional SLA and used to manufacture jigs and fixtures

    Urethane methacrylate (UMA 90)

    Urethane methacrylate (UMA 90)


These powerful, multipurpose materials greatly expand our ability to meet even the most detailed and unique design challenges.

These materials are available to all Shapeways customers upon request. Sign up now to receive a quote and discover how your product or business can benefit from these groundbreaking processes and materials, only with Shapeways.

The post Shapeways X Carbon appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

CIPRES Introducing New Industrial Dyeing Machine for 3D Printed Parts at formnext

In 2004, coloring process service provider CIPRES Technology Systems was founded by Carlos Prestien; two short years later, the German company branched out and began offering serial production of SLS 3D printed components. Over the years, it’s continued developing color techniques, color units, and solutions for surface finishing. This summer, CIPRES GmbH was formed to take over the original company’s service sector, and also provides coloring and finishing machines for 3D printed components.

At formnext 2018, which opens tomorrow in Frankfurt, CIPRES will be presenting a new industrial dyeing machine: the eCOLOR Type 1/350/1 for 3D printed serial parts and components made out of polymer materials. The company partnered with Thies GmbH & Co. to produce the industrial machine, which was made specifically to treat 3D printed serial components, functional prototypes, and spare parts. The highly productive system offers excellent dyeing results and high reproducibility, in addition to a lower environmental impact and cost.

The new eCOLOR system, which can precisely adapt chemicals and dyes, can run at operating temperatures of up to 140 °C and at maximum 5bar operating pressure. With its user-friendly software and high-tech controller for monitoring each and every step of the process, the system offers what the company calls “perfect process reliability.” The software also helps users define and optimize jobs, according to their application-oriented or technical needs.

The eCOLOR Type 1/350/1 is designed to cover standard production capacities up to 37 liters, and has a packing diameter of 310 mm and packing height of 500 mm. It also has a flexible loading system for small (8 L), medium (19 L) or large (31 L) batch sizes, and all Thies machines comply with safety regulations and pressure vessel codes of various operating sites, such as ASME. In addition, the system’s frequency inverter driven pump allows for an accurate and economic adjustment of the liquor flow and the flow direction, which helps optimize each stage of the dyeing process.

In order to ensure it’s making the strongest products, CIPRES needs the strongest partners, like Thies, which originated in the traditional textiles area of Münsterland, Westphalia over 120 years ago. Together, the two companies are working to complete the product chain in terms of refining 3D printed nylon parts.

“The combination of our complementary expertise in colors, coloring and finishing solutions will open a new chapter in our common history,” CIPRES wrote in a press release. “We will entrance the excellences of this partnership to improve and expand your portfolio.”

In addition to Thies, CIPRES has several other strong partners, such as Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT). which offers automated post processing solutions with its complementary PostPro3D technology. CIPRES is also partnering with Swiss specialty chemicals company Archroma, which brings 130 years of color expertise with its soon-to-launch 3D Cosmic range for coloring 3D printed goods, and surface preparation and finishing leader Rösler Oberflächentecknik GmbH. We’re seeing a lot happening in post processing which should bode well for people wanting less expensive better looking 3D printed parts. If we as an industry want to produce high-quality consumer-friendly parts at volume then automation and automated post processing is what will get us there.

Visit CIPRES at formnext this week at booth G38 in Hall 3.1.

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. 

[Images provided by CIPRES]

3D Printing News Briefs: November 9, 2018

Buckle your seat belts, because we’ve got a of news to share with you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, starting with more event announcements and moving on to several new partnerships, a workshop, and a 3D printing project. Nanogrande introduced its new 3D printer for nanometer metallic particles at Fabtech this week, while Sartomer and Nanoe are launching new 3D printing innovations at formnext. Creatz3D is working to accelerate ceramics 3D printing in Singapore, while partnerships were announced between Valuechain and Clad Korea, PostProcess and Rösler, and Additive Manufacturing Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric. Finally, two Fraunhofer Institutes are hosting an AM materials workshop, and a maker from YouTube channel Potent Printables is sharing a new project.

Nanogrande Introduced First 3D Printer for Nanometer Metallic Particles

At FABTECH 2018 in Atlanta this week, Nanogrande officially introduced its new 3D printer. The MPL-1, enabled with the company’s Power Layering Technology, is actually the first nanoscale 3D printer for metallic particles in the world, and could successfully open up new 3D printing horizons. Nanogrande has spent years working to develop the new 3D printer.

“Power Layering, while maximizing particle compaction, allows MPL-1 to use particles of all shapes, sizes and types. With this approach, we can easily print with particles as small as a nanometer, but also particles of 5 microns, what the industrial sector is currently seeking. At this size, the particles stick to each other, virtually eliminating the need for support structures typical to 3D printing. In this way, there is a considerable reduction in post- printing costs,” said Juan Schneider, the President and Founder of Nanogrande.

“Today we are witnessing the culmination of a long process of research and development that has given us the chance to set up a team that generates many innovative ideas. Alone, it is possible to have excellent ideas; but, as a team, we can bring these ideas to life. I am very pleased to highlight the success of the efforts of the people who work for Nanogrande.”

Sartomer Europe Introducing New UV-Curable Resins

At formnext in Frankfurt next week, the European division of specialty chemical supplier Sartomer, a business unit of Arkema, will be launching new products in its N3xtDimension line of UV-curable engineered resins as part of its new commercial 3D printing-dedicated platform. The new materials will help companies fulfill performance and regulatory requirements for multiple industrial applications, thanks to their excellent tunability and mechanical properties. At its booth H58 in Hall 3.1 at formnext, Sartomer will introduce N3D I-2105, with impact resistance for manufacturing functional parts; N3D-F2115, which can achieve varying levels of flexibility depending on post treatment; and N3D P-2125, which is perfect for prototyping with its homogeneous network and limited evolution of mechanical properties after post-curing is complete.

“We are addressing the needs of demanding and innovative 3D printing markets by partnering with global leaders to deliver custom material solutions for end-use applications. Through our range of products and services dedicated to additive manufacturing, we are supporting the 3D printing sector as it grows and continues to develop new applications,” said Sumeet Jain, the Global Director for 3D Printing Business at Sartomer.

Nanoe Launches Ceramic and Metal 3D Printer

In other formnext news, French company Nanoe, which is a leader in high-tech raw materials and also specializes in ceramics 3D printing, will be introducing its new Zetaprint system for desktop 3D printing of ceramic and metal materials. The team will perform a live demonstration of the 3D printer at the event, and explain the full 3D printing, debinding, and sintering process.

Additionally, the company will be launching its new stainless steel 16L Zetamix filament. These filaments, made up of a ceramic or metal powder and a polymer matrix, can be used to make high density parts in any FDM 3D printer.  Nanoe, which is also developing materials in Inconel and titanium, will also soon be launching a complete line of adapted FDM 3D printers. Visit the company at booth A74 in Hall 3.0 next week at formnext to see a live Zetaprint demonstration and 3D printed parts in various Zetamix materials.

Creatz3D Accelerating Ceramics 3D Printing in Singapore

Speaking of ceramics, Creatz3D Ceramics Service Bureau is dedicated to 3D printing ceramics parts. Founded last year, its parent company is Singapore-based 3D printer and AM software solutions seller Creatz3D, which partnered with 3DCeram Sinto in Limoges to create the service. This partnership, signed in 2016, facilitated the first installation in Singapore of 3DCeram Sinto’s Ceramaker 900 Ceramic 3D printer, at the Advanced Remanufacturing Technology Centre. The Creatz3D Ceramics Service Bureau, which offers diverse material options and a hassle-free experience, is the first, and only, ceramics-focused 3D printing service in the country, and is helping to increase awareness and adoption of ceramics for 3D printing.

“The addition of ceramics to Creatz3D’s portfolio ensures that they stay ahead of the pack in the competitive 3D printing landscape, and their expertise can demonstrate the game-changing capabilities that the technology has to offer to help advance design, engineering, and manufacturing,” said Sean Looi, the General Manager of Creatz3D.

Valuechain Signs Strategic Partnership with Clad Korea

British technology company Valuechain reports that it has signed a strategic partnership with manufacturing company Clad Korea, in order to digitalize 3D printing in East Asia. Both companies will be able to grow their association together in the initial agreement, in addition to bringing Valuechain’s solutions, including its flagship DNA am production control software, to the East Asian AM marketplace. This software addresses 3D printing production process niche requirements, like powder traceability and managing AM build plans.

“Valuechain’s DNA am technology is a unique offering to the market, with great potential to enable rapid and mass production of additive manufactured parts. As we look to enter the additive manufacturing market ourselves, we believe this product will give us a competitive advantage in the industry, and we’re excited to be able to contribute to the growth of this technology in Asia by helping to deliver this solution throughout South Korea,” said Brandon Lee, the CEO of Clad Korea Co. Ltd.

PostProcess Technologies Partnering with Rösler

Moving on with strategic partnerships in the 3D printing world, PostProcess Technologies Inc., a pioneer of software-drive 3D post-processing solutions, is working with Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH, which sells finishing systems for traditional manufacturing, to bring automated, intelligent post-print solutions to Europe. Rösler will provide PostProcess’ data-driven support removal and surface finishing solutions for 3D printing to the European market, making it the only surface finishing supplier that will be providing solutions tailored to the needs of both traditional and additive manufacturing. The two companies will debut their partnership next week at formnext, with PostProcess’ technology on display in its booth H68, as well as Rösler’s booth E20, both of which are in Hall 3.0.

“The additive space is rapidly growing, especially in Europe, and as such, the demand for an automated post-printing solution is accelerating. Rösler is a unique partner for PostProcess, bringing expertise in finishing systems with a broad European footprint, thousands of existing customers, and a strong presence across a range of industries that will greatly benefit from PostProcess’ proprietary and integrated software, hardware, and chemistry solution,” said Bruno Bourguet, the Managing Director for PostProcess Technologies.

Additive Manufacturing Technologies Announces Partnership with Mitsubishi Electric

Sheffield-based Additive Manufacturing Technologies Ltd (AMT) has entered into a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric in order to further develop its PostPro3D system with an integrated automation solution, which could provide a major productivity boost for 3D print post-processing. This new solution is based on Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC iQ-F Series compact PLC, HMIs, SCADA and MELFA articulated arm robots. While PostPro3D is already pretty impressive, with its ability to automatically smooth an object’s surface to 1μm precision, AMT wanted to further develop the system with certified automation products so it would be suitable for Industry 4.0. Now, PostPro3D is equipped with a Mitsubishi Electric power supply and low voltage switchgear, servo drives and motors, FR-D700 frequency inverters and the optional six-axis robot arm.

“To realise our concept, we needed an automation partner that could provide the whole range of machine control systems, as well as the actual robotics. This is fundamental to truly integrate our machine into the production line of the future as well as to benefit from a lean, single vendor distribution model,” explained Joseph Crabtree, CEO at AMT.

“Mitsubishi Electric was the clear choice because it offers a one stop shop for state-of-the-art automation solutions. In this way, we can be sure that the different components are compatible and can share data. Overall, the company can offer us products that adhere to UL, CE as well as Industry 4.0 requirements.”

Fraunhofer AM Materials Workshop 

On November 29 and 30 in Dresden, Germany, Fraunhofer IKTS and Fraunhofer IWS are holding a workshop called “Hybrid materials and additive manufacturing processes.” The two institutes are working together to organize the workshop, which will be held in English and discuss innovative technologies for 3D printing metallic and ceramic components, in addition to application-specific manufacturing of material hybrids. Participants in the workshop’s practical insight sessions will be able to see diverse AM devices for multimaterial approaches live and in action.

“Why is that interesting? Additive manufacturing technologies for material hybrids open up new possibilities in production for diverse industrial branches,” Annika Ballin, Press and Public Relations for Fraunhofer IKTS, told 3DPrint.com. “It is not only possible to realize complex geometries, but also to functionalize components (sensors, heaters), to individualize production (labeling, inscriptions) and to combine different materials properties in one component (conductive/insulating, dense/porous etc.).”

The workshop, which costs €750, will be held at Fraunhofer Institute Center Dresden, and registration will continue until November 22.

DIY 3D Printed Linear Servo Actuators by Potent Printables

A maker named Ali, who runs the Potent Printables YouTube channel, recently completed a neat design project – 3D printed linear actuators. Ali, who was partly inspired by a Hackaday post, said that the project has received a great response on both Twitter and Instagram. He designed the parts in SOLIDWORKS, and controls them with an Arduino Uno. The simple rack-and-pinion design, perfect for light loads, comes in two sizes for different space constraints and force outputs.

“Each design has a pinion that has to be glued to a servo horn, and a selection of rack lengths to suit your needs,” Dan Maloney wrote in a new Hackaday post about Ali’s project. “The printed parts are nothing fancy, but seem to have material in the right places to bear the loads these actuators will encounter.”

Check out the video below to see the 3D printed linear actuators for yourself:

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

What Does BASF’s Investment in Materialise Mean for the 3D Printing Industry?

Earlier on today BASF invested $25 million into Materialise. We speculated that perhaps BASF wanted to conquer the eyewear market because the potential of this market is so vast. We won’t sure what this investment means for both firms for many years. What is sure is that this partnership will have far-reaching consequences for 3D Printing. Every board of every large chemicals company now has to plot a counter move or face headwinds at a later date.

Even though global chemical company BASF has been pretty deeply involved with 3D printing for a few years now, this commitment really ramped up one year ago, when it announced a newly increased focus on the 3D printing industry, along with a new, AM-dedicated business – BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH. From the onset, BASF said its new business, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH, would be focusing on 3D printing materials, services, components, and system solutions.

While the company works hard to keep introducing new materials on its own, as it has an extensive portfolio of materials ready to be developed for 3D printing, BASF also knows that it can’t go it alone. Partnerships and collaborations with other 3D printing mainstays are an important aspect of gaining knowledge and time in this ever-evolving and expanding the industry. So BASF has continued to acquire and strategically team up with other companies over the past year. The company is now working on 3D printed innovations as human skin and tissue, a super-strong prosthetic socket, the Ultrafuse series of filaments  and now, quite possibly, customized eyewear.

A mai, these online German classes are cheap.

This latest comes after today’s bombshell announcement that BASF has invested $25 million in 3D printing leader Materialise, which has been in the industry for nearly three decades. So if we weren’t sure before, we are now – BASF is wholly committed to becoming an industry leader in its own right.

“Our two companies’ business areas complement each other very well and our cooperation will put us in an even better position to find and develop new business opportunities,” Volker Hammes, Managing Director of BASF 3D Printing Solutions, said about the investment. “With its 3D printer facilities in Leuven and innovative software solutions, Materialise has an outstanding infrastructure. Together, we can exploit our strengths even better to advance the 3D printing sector through the development of new products and technologies together with our partners and our customers.”

Materialise and BASF will work together through an open business model to improve upon 3D printing software – the speciality of Materialise – and materials, which is obviously what BASF brings to the table. In addition, this will enable BASF to further optimize its materials in tandem with Materialise. The day before the investment was made public, Materialise announced a proposed public offering of 3.0 million of its American Depositary Shares.

So. What does this big news mean for the rest of the industry? Should we be preparing for a flood of other 3D printing polymer companies to merge with, or even acquire or be acquired by, other businesses in the industry? Maybe.

Photo-Resin X004M is suitable for break-resistant parts, like post-colored electric circuit connectors.

Polymer companies that have long focused solely on their materials offerings will likely take a cue from their counterparts who have also been including applications work in their portfolios, else they risk being left behind in the dust.

It could also mean an increase in high-quality 3D printing materials for industries and applications that Materialise already has its proverbial fingers in, such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and even art and entertainment. What will the reaction of and in our broader industry be?

It seems that on the whole, this investment will be a net benefit to the industry. A lone mouse does not exist, neither does a lone polymer company. Subsequently, we can expect renewed investment from polymer companies. They should see a dwindling supply of established M&A candidates for them to peruse. Good news, thanks to the nice people from Ludwigshafen everyone just got a higher valuation. Service bureaus have now discovered a new business model. Rather than making parts which is a complex undertaking and requires hard work you can partner with a polymer giant to make money. The marginal cost of working more closely with one than the other is very low in some cases. For established 3D Printing materials vendors such as Arkema and Evonik, the costs of doing business just went up. Rather than sell materials at fat margins a competitor is now paying other people to use their material. A situation a bit like if one taxi driver were paid to use Exxon gas while the others paid Shell dearly. We’re all being taken for a ride but some of us more so than others.

Perhaps companies across 3D printing will now realise that our greatest potential in the future may be to change how everything is made; but for now, changing how one thing is made or how one business unit hits its revenue targets is enough. BASF engulfs our industry, its revenue sextupling ours. Will this mean that a string of service bureaus will be bought by polymer companies? Bycatch in the nets of billion-dollar trawlers. It would give them much needed parts expertise and the idea of moving towards parts and solutions, not just commodity chemistries must be exciting for them. Even if they don’t, it will be a quick way for them to learn. What about OEMs? While some jump ahead, others leap backwards. These 3D printer builders could be a tempting alternative also, “Look, boss, its like Nespresso for plastic.” 3D printing software companies are thin on the ground but may be amenable to an exit at the right price. Would it make sense for a polymer company to acquire a 3D modelling or CAD firm? Skip everyone, own the customer as she designs the thing then facilitate the manufacturing of that thing. If a staid molecule farmer did that it would make the MCExcel slaves heads spin. Would it be smart? It would be bold, that’s for sure. But, are we but plankton for the polymer wales or are there more that see us as prey?

What of the car and aviation companies. Could they also jockey for position by investing or partnering? They probably benefit more from growth and competition in the ecosystem but in some cases may feel the need to press the trigger. What of the limited availability of viable long fiber carbon fibre or another composite with Impossible Objects and MarkForged way ahead with no one following? In a private space race our industry seems a bit of a rounding error. It may make sense for a space company to acquire both a service firm and an OEM. Or the fact that there are perhaps only 15 viable metal printing companies and around a dozen high-temperature material 3D printing firms in general? Who does that effect? We’re small but we can’t count on everyone being as aggressive as that staid ship of the line from the Rhine. One firm with an evacuation plan that consists of a map of central Europe could swallow us all. Now for a short time before the age of the nanobot and nanotube, we’re like Helen of Troy. From “chips to ships” we have a role to play, We may find ourselves not captains of our destinies but rather prey.

Joris Peels contributed to this piece.

3D Printing News Briefs: July 17, 2018

In Today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re covering a lot of business and a little medical news. AMFG is partnering with a top UK bearings manufacturer to help automate its digital manufacturing workflows, while Segula Technologies has begun an industrial 3D printing partnership with digital manufacturing company Multistation. Techniplas has completed a deployment of Sharebot 3D printers to its 14 manufacturing facilities around the world, and the winners of the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition have been announced. Finally, a pediatric cardiologist used the Sinterit Lisa to create a 3D printed model of a newborn boy’s heart to plan his risky surgery.

Bowman International Announces Partnership with AMFG

Bowman’s bearings

Automation software specialist AMFG, which recently launched a new AI software platform, has partnered with Bowman International, one of the top bearings manufacturers in the UK, as it works to grow its 3D printing capabilities through its Bowman Additive Production (AP) division. Bowman AP has several MJF and SLS 3D printers available for its use, and uses 3D printing to design and produce its end-part bearings, which has helped increase their load bearing capacity by up to 70%.

In the meantime, Bowman International’s goal is to use AMFG’s AI-powered production automation software to oversee production of said bearings, by automating production job scheduling, optimizing digital CAD files for production with printability analyses, and creating a custom digital part catalog.

“We’re very pleased to be partnering with AMFG and using their automation software to scale our already expanding AM facility,” said Jacob Turner, the Head of Additive Production at Bowman International. “Additive manufacturing is transforming the way bearings are manufactured, and we aim to continue to be at the forefront of innovating the production of bearings using AM. AMFG’s automation software will enable us to achieve this by significantly increasing the efficiency of our production processes.”

Multistation Partners with Segula Technologies

Another newly announced 3D printing partnership is the one between international engineering group Segula Technologies and Paris-based 3D printing company Multistation. The two are working together to further develop the potential of 3D printing in the industrial sector, which will allow both companies to increase their offerings and provide customers with excellent services along the AM value chain. Segula will bring its design, product-process qualification, and technology integration in industrial environments to the table, while Multistation will share and apply its expertise in AM design and simulation by determining any potential parts that could be 3D printed instead of fabricated with a more traditional method of manufacturing.

“Additive manufacturing is an integral part of a value chain within which Multistation provides a comprehensive offering; Segula Technologies was an obvious partner of choice to enable our Additive Consulting division to address manufacturers’ concerns more effectively,” said Yannick Loisance, the CEO of Multistation. “We will thus be able to supply them not just with software packages, machines and materials, but also with a more comprehensive range of high-quality engineering services that are suited to a host of different business sectors.”

Techniplas Adds Sharebot 3D Printers to Its Manufacturing Facilities

This fall, Italian professional-grade 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot joined the open innovation program at Techniplas, a top automotive design and manufacturing provider. Now, as part of its own continuing digital transformation, Techniplas has deployed Sharebot 3D printers to all of its 14 manufacturing facilities across five continents. This move will allow the company to 3D print the majority of the manufacturing products it uses every day on-site, which will equal major cost and time savings as Techniplas previously used only third-party providers for this task.

With Sharebot 3D printers installed in all of our manufacturing facilities worldwide, we are taking decisive steps toward fabricating the majority of our manufacturing line assembly tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges and even robotic arm attachments in-house. Based on our experience with Sharebot printers thus far, we expect to significantly reduce our development time and annual assembly line tooling costs in each manufacturing facility over time,” said Techniplas COO Manfred Kwade.

Winners of the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition Announced

For the fourth year running, advanced manufacturing technology industry organization SME and Stratasys have co-sponsored the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Contest, held during the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville. The winners of this year’s student contest, which asks contestants to solve real world problems with 3D printing, were just announced. This year, entrants had to design an adaptive device for a veteran, who had endured a traumatic thumb amputation, so he could keep playing his PlayStation 3. Prizes include RAPID + TCT conference passes, SOLIDWORKS’ 3D-CAD design software, SME Education Foundation scholarships (for high school participants), a one-year Tooling U-SME subscription, and a MakerBot Mini 3D printer.

“The SkillsUSA contest is designed to help students and educators realize the power of additive manufacturing to drive innovation. This year’s competition was particularly meaningful as it directly resulted in enhancing a veteran’s life with a custom solution not possible without additive manufacturing,” said Gina Scala, the Director of Marketing, Global Education at Stratasys.

The high school winners include:

  • Gold medal: Getty George and Sam Green, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside, California
  • Silver medal: Noah Logan and Johnathan Urbani, Stafford Tech Center, Rutland, Vermont
  • Bronze medal: Andrew Daddone and Layke Martin, Frederick County Career & Tech Center, Frederick, Maryland

The college winners include:

  • Gold medal: Adolfo Vargas and Alexander Kemnitz, Central Community College-Hastings, Hastings, Nebraska
  • Silver medal: Deema Al Namee and Aric Donerkiel, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, Vermont
  • Bronze medal: William Swaner and Ashton DeZwarte, Tenneseee College of Applied Tech-Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee

Watch a video about the 2018 competition here, and check out the winning designs here; you can also view SME’s Flickr album for more competition photos.

Surgeon 3D Prints Pediatric Heart Model with Sinterit Lisa

Desktop SLS 3D printer manufacturing Sinterit has seen its flagship Lisa 3D printer, which went through a recent upgrade, used to save lives in multiple ways, from fighting wildfires and protecting the faces of children to providing assistance in a tough pediatric cardiac surgery.

“Delivering desktop SLS 3D printer for more than three years caused that our clients send us tonnes of useful and exciting cases. Writing about all of them is hard, if not impossible, but when 3D printing helps saving lives, especially those most fragile, we feel proud, and also a duty to share it with you,” Michał Krzak, Sinterit’s Marketing Communication Manager, told 3DPrint.com.

A newborn’s heart can weigh barely 20 grams, and fits in the palm of an adult’s hand, so you can imagine that surgeries on such a delicate organ are exceedingly difficult. Jarosław Meyer-Szary, MD, from the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects at the University Clinical Center in Poland recently turned to Sinterit’s Lisa 3D printer to save the life of Kordian, an infant less than one month old suffering from a potentially fatal heart disease called interrupted aortic arch.

Meyer-Szary created 3D printed, life-size model of Kordian’s tiny heart, and SLS technology was able to recreate each intricate artery and vein. The model not only helped him plan the surgery ahead of time, but also helped Kordian’s mother gain a more thorough understanding of her son’s condition. Kordian is now a thriving and happy 18 month-old, thanks to Sinterit’s SLS technology.

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