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3D Printing News Briefs May 31, 2020: M. Holland, Nexa3D, Formlabs

We’re sharing materials and business news with you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. First up, M. Holland is distributing Braskem polypropylene filament, and Nexa3D has launched a new high-performance polymer material, in addition to partnering with 3DZ. Finally, Formlabs is expanding its APAC management teams.

M. Holland Distributing Braskem’s Polypropylene

Thermoplastic resins distributor M. Holland Company is partnering with Braskem to exclusively distribute the petrochemical company’s new high-performance 3D printing polypropylene (PP) filament, enhancing its own material offerings in order to better support clients with applications development and prototype creation. Polypropylene typically has high failure rates with 3D printing, so M. Holland’s AM engineers tested out Braskem’s PP material first, and found that it generates clean surfaces, great layer adhesion, and better surface performance in support material. It features a proprietary formula, which allows users to achieve low warpage, consistent extrusion, and high stability, in addition to less stringing and more repeatable outcomes.

“The 3D printing market has seen increased adoption of additive manufacturing technologies and applications due to machinery commoditization and expanded material offerings. Our partnership to distribute Braskem’s 3D printing polypropylene products will enable injection molders to finally use genuinely 3D printable and easy-to-use polypropylene, opening up a world of applications,” said Haleyanne Freedman, Market Manager, 3D Printing at M. Holland.

Nexa3D Launches High-Performance xCE-Black Polymer

Belt pulleys 3D printed on NXE400 with xCE-Black

This week, stereolithography 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D launched its new high-performance polymer material, xCE-Black, which is meant for high-speed printing of injection molding tools, heavy duty parts, and end-use plastic components, such as belt pulleys. Extensive testing by the company found that the single cure polymer exhibits long-term environmental stability and great isotropic properties, which makes it perfect for electronics, industrial, and automotive applications. xCE-BLack also has excellent thermal stability and higher flexural strength.

Brent Zollinger, Customer Success Lead at Nexa3D, stated, “When I needed to produce thousands of belt pulleys in our flexible factory overnight, I selected our new xCE-Black material for the job because of its high flexural strength and long-term stability. Within the first 2.5 hours into the project, I was able to print 2,000 pulleys in a single build or 13 parts every minute. That’s really fast and extremely practical for serial production of industrial parts.”

Nexa3D Announces Reseller Partnership with 3DZ

More news today from Nexa3D, as the company is entering the southern European 3D printing market thanks to a new reseller partnership with 3DZ Group, the largest AM value-added reseller in that region and an authorized dealer of 3D printers and scanners for some of the industry’s biggest names, including Artec 3D, Formlabs, HP, Markforged, Materialise, and 3D Systems. 3DZ has offered AM services and consultancy to the industry for several years, and will be able to help grow Nexa3D’s global reseller network so the company can increase the distribution of its flagship NXE400 3D printer.

“It is full speed ahead for us at Nexa3D as we continue to expand our global reseller network, and we’re honored to partner with a company with the vision, reach and proven performance of 3DZ. Manufacturers are adapting processes to become much more agile in their design and resilient in their supply chain in the face of changing circumstances. We believe that our products are at the heart of enabling customers to make that adjustment by converting current 3D printing speeds from dialup internet to broadband-like productivity,” said Avi Reichental, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Nexa3D. “We’re very excited to build together with 3DZ the future of design agility and supply chain resiliency for the benefit of our mutual customers.”

Formlabs Expanding APAC Management Teams

L-R: Jiadong Sun, Yoshinori Hasebe

This week, Formlabs announced that it is expanding its management team for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region by appointing two new hires, in order to continue growing its global operations and scale its growth in these markets. Jiadong Sun, with broad experience leading global sales and marketing at top tech companies across several industries, will be joining the team as the China General Manager, while Yoshinori Hasebe, who brings over 20 years of management experience at multinational companies to the table, will serve as the Japan General Manager. Together, they will help guide the company’s business strategy in these new markets, so that Formlabs users in the APAC region can continue to localize manufacturing and reduce costs and lead times with 3D printing and rapid iteration.

“As Formlabs continues to expand our global operations, Jiadong and Yoshinori will provide strategic guidance as we expand and scale in the important APAC region. These appointments will enable Formlabs to remain at the forefront of 3D printing as needs for additive manufacturing in major industries, including healthcare, continue to grow,” said Luke Winston, Chief Business Officer of Formlabs.

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3D Printing News Briefs: June 25, 2019

Recently, HP released its sustainable impact report for 2018, which is the first item we’ll tell you about in our 3D Printing News Briefs. Then it’s on to more good news – the 3D Factory Incubator in Barcelona is reporting a very positive first 100 days in business, while AMUG has named the winners from its Technical Competition. We’ll close with some metal 3D printing – Nanoscribe published a fly-over video that illustrates the design freedom of nano- and microscale 3D printing, and Laser Lines is now a UK reseller for Xact Metal.

HP Releases 2018 Sustainable Impact Report

HP recycling bottle shred: Through its recycling programs, HP is transforming how we design, deliver, recover, repair, and reuse our products and solutions for a circular future.

HP has released its Sustainable Impact Report for 2018, which talks about the company’s latest advancements in achieving more sustainable impact across its business, as well as the communities it serves, in order to create a better green future. Its sustainability programs drove over $900 million in new revenue last year, and the report shows how HP is using 3D printing to drive a sustainable industrial revolution, such as reducing the amount of materials it uses and expanding its recycling program. The report also states new commitments the company set for itself in order to drive a low-carbon, circular economy.

“Companies have critically important roles to play in solving societal challenges, and we continue to reinvent HP to meet the needs of our changing world. This isn’t a nice to do, it’s a business imperative,” explained Dion Weisler, the President and CEO of HP Inc. “Brands that lead with purpose and stand for more than the products they sell will create the most value for customers, shareholders and society as a whole. Together with our partners, we will build on our progress and find innovative new ways to turn the challenges of today into the opportunities of tomorrow.”

To learn more about HP’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint, such as investing in an initiative to keep post-consumer plastic from entering our waterways and the recycling program it started with new partner SmileDirectClub, visit the company’s dedicated Sustainable Impact website.

Successful First 100 Days at 3D Factory Incubator

On February 11th, 2019, 3D Factory Incubator – the first European incubator of 3D printing – was officially inaugurated in Barcelona. It’s now been over 100 days since the launch, and things are going very well. In that time period, the incubator is reporting a total of 15,000 3D printed pieces, and 20 incubated companies, and still has room for more interested projects, though all its private spaces are now occupied. The original goal is to incubate 100 companies in 5 years, and it seems as if 3D Factory Incubator is well on its way.

Located in the Zona Franca Industrial Estate, the unique initiative is led by El Consorci de Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) and the Fundación LEITAT, and has received an investment of €3 million. The goal of the incubator is promote the growth of 3D printing initiatives, and there are a wide variety of companies hosted there, including consumer goods, a logistics company, healthcare companies, design initiatives, and mobility.

AMUG Technical Competition Winners Announced

(top) Erika Berg’s digitally printed helmet liner components and Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision Diamond Helmet; (left) Maddie Frank’s cello, and (right) Bill Braune’s Master Chief reproduction.

At the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference in April, 17 entries were on display to compete for the gold in the annual Technical Competition of excellence in additive manufacturing. The winners have finally been announced, and it seems like the panel of judges had a hard time deciding – they were unable to break the tie in the Advanced Finishing category. Maddie Frank of the University of Wisconsin, with her 3D printed electric cello, and Bill Braune of Met-L-Flo, with his 30 inch-tall model of “The Master Chief” Halo video game character, are co-winners in this category for their attention to detail and “exceptional execution,” while Erika Berg of Carbon won the Advanced Applications category with her digitally printed helmet liner for Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision Diamond Helmet.

“The 17 entries in the Technical Competition were amazing in their beauty, innovation, and practicality,” said Mark Barfoot, AMUG past president and coordinator of the Technical Competition. “Our panel of judges deliberated at length to make the final decision.”

The winners each received a commemorative award, as well as complimentary admission to next year’s AMUG Conference.

Nanoscribe Shows off Design Freedom in Fly-Over Video

The versatility sample impressively illustrates the capabilities of Photonic Professional systems in 3D Microfabrication.

German company Nanoscribe, which manufactures and supplies high-resolution 3D printers for the nanoscale and microscale, is showing the world how its systems can up many opportunities in 3D microfabrication, with a new fly-over video, which truly highlights the design freedom it can offer when making 3D microparts with submicron features. The video shows actual scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of extreme filigree structures that were 3D printed on its Photonic Professional GT2.

From a variety of angles, you can see diverse geometries, which show off just how versatile Nanoscribe’s high-resolution 3D printing can be – all 18 of the objects and structures were printed in just over an hour. The company’s microfabrication technology makes it possible to create designs, like undercuts and curved shapes, and customizable topographies that would have been extremely difficult to do otherwise. To streamline the microfabrication process for its customers, Nanoscribe offers ready-to-use Solution Sets for its Photonic Professional GT2 printers, which, according to the company, “are based on the most suitable combination of precision optics, a broad range of materials and sophisticated software recipes for specific applications and scales.”

Xact Metal Names Laser Lines New UK Reseller

Pennsylvaniastartup Xact Metal welcomes Laser Lines – a total solutions provider of 3D printers and laser equipment – as a UK reseller for its metal 3D printers. These machines, which offer extremely compact footprints, are meant for customers in high-performance industries that require high-throughput and print speed, such as medical and aerospace. Laser Lines will immediately begin distributing the Xact Metal XM200C and XM200S systems, as well as the XM300C model once it becomes available next year.

“We are delighted to be the chosen UK supplier for Xact Metal, whose metal printing systems are establishing new levels of price and performance. Making quality metal printing accessible requires innovation. Xact Metal’s printing technology is built on the patent-pending Xact Core – a high speed gantry system platform where light, simple mirrors move quickly and consistently above the powder-bed on an X-Y axis. It’s another step change for our industry and opens a whole range of exciting opportunities,” stated Mark Tyrtania, the Sales Director at Laser Lines.

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