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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.

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

The post 3D Printing News Briefs May 31, 2020: M. Holland, Nexa3D, Formlabs appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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3D Printing News Briefs: June 27, 2019

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with a couple of stories from the recent Paris Air Show: TUSAS Engine Industries has invested in GE Additive technology, and ARMOR explained its AM materials partnership with Airbus. Moving on, Formlabs just hosted some live webinars, and PostProcess Technologies released a whitepaper on surface finishing metal 3D printed parts. Modix is sharing a lot of news, including four new 3D printer models, and finally, FormFutura has introduced sustainable packaging.

TEI Invests in GE Additive Technology

TUSAŞ Engine Industries, Inc. (TEI), founded in Turkey as a joint venture in 1985, has invested in GE Additive‘s direct metal laser melting (DMLM) technology. GE Additive announced at the recent Paris Air Show that TEI had purchased two of its M LINE factory systems and two M2 cusing machines. While the financial terms of the investment were not disclosed, the 3D printers will be installed at TEI’s Eskişehir headquarters, joining its current fleet of laser and Arcam EBM printers.

Professor Dr. Mahmut Faruk Akşit, President and CEO of TEI, said, “Today, we invest in TEI’s future by investing in additive manufacturing, ‘the future of manufacturing.’ Our longstanding partnership and collaboration with GE is now broadening with GE Additive’s machine portfolio.”

Armor and Airbus Partner Up for Aerospace 3D Printing

Air pipe prototype printed using the Kimya PLA HI (Photo: ProtoSpace Airbus)

Continuing with news from the Paris Air Show, ARMOR Group – a French multinational company – was also at the event, exhibiting its Kimya materials and a miniFactory printer, as well as its new aeronautics filament, PEI-9085. While there, ARMOR also met up with Airbus, which has frequently used 3D printing to create parts and prototypes, such as an air nozzle for the climate control system of its 330neo passenger cabin. The company has now requested ARMOR’s expertise in better qualifying its materials in order to standardize its own AM process.

“We have qualified the PLA-HI and PETG-S. We are currently testing more technical materials, such as the PETG Carbon before moving on to the PEI and PEEK. We have requested a specific preparation to make it easier to use them in our machines,” Marc Carré, who is responsible for innovation at Airbus ProtoSpace in Saint-Nazaire,

“We expect to be able to make prototypes quickly and of high quality in terms of tolerances, aesthetics and resistance.

“Thanks to ARMOR and its Kimya range and services, we have found a partner we can share our issues with and jointly find solutions. It is very important for us to be able to rely on a competent and responsive supplier.”

Webinars by Formlabs: Product Demo and Advanced Hybrid Workflows

Recently, Formlabs hosted a couple of informative webinars, and the first was a live product demonstration of its Form 3. 3D printing expert Faris Sheikh explained the technology behind the company’s Low Force Stereolithography (LFS) 3D printing, walked through the Form 3’s step-by-step-workflow, and participated in a live Q&A session with attendees. Speaking of workflows, Formlabs also held a webinar titled “Metal, Ceramic, and Silicone: Using 3D Printed Molds in Advanced Hybrid Workflows” that was led by Applications Engineering Lead Jennifer Milne.

“Hybrid workflows can help you reduce cost per part and scale to meet demand, while taking advantage of a wider range of materials in the production of end-use parts,” Formlabs wrote. “Tune in for some inspiration on new ways of working to advance your own process or to stay on top of trends and capabilities across the ever-growing range of printable materials.”

PostProcess Whitepaper on 3D Print Surface Finishing

PostProcess Technologies has released its new whitepaper, titled “Considerations for Optimizing Surface Finishing of 3D Printed Inconel 718.” The paper discusses a novel approach to help improve surface finish results by combining a patent-pending chemistry solution and software-driven automation. Using this new approach, PostProcess reports increased consistency and productivity, as well as decreased technician touch time. The whitepaper focuses on surface finishing 3D prints made with alloys and metals, but especially zeroes in on nickel superalloy Inconel 718, 3D printed with DMLS technology.

“With current surface finishing techniques used that are largely expensive, can require significant manual labor, or require the use of hazardous chemicals, this paper analyzes the benefits of a novel alternative method for post-printing the part’s surface,” PostProcess wrote. “Key considerations are reviewed including part density and hardness, corrosion (chemical) resistance, grain structure, as well as manufacturing factors including the impact of print technology and print orientation on the surface profile.”

You can download the new whitepaper here.

Modix Announces New 3D Printers, Reseller Program, and Executive

Israel-based Modix, which develops large-format 3D printers, has plenty of news to share – first, the company has come out with four new 3D printer models based on its modular design. The new models, which should be available as soon as Q3 2019, are the 1000 x 1000 x 600 mm Big-1000, the 600 x 600 x 1200 mm Big-120Z, the 1800 x 600 x 600 mm Big-180X, and the 400 x 400 x 600 mm Big-40. Additionally, the company has launched a reseller program, where resellers can offer Modix printers to current customers of smaller printers as the “best next 3D printer.” Finally, Modix has appointed 3D printing veteran John Van El as its new Chief Commercial Officer; he will help build up the company’s partner program.

“We are proud to have John with us,” said Modix CEO Shachar Gafni. “John brings aboard unique capabilities and experiences strengthening Modix’s current momentum on the path to become a global leader in the large scale 3D printing market.”

FormFutura Presents Recyclable Cardboard Packaging

Dutch filament supplier FormFutura wants to set an example for the rest of the industry by not only raising awareness about sustainability, but also by stepping up its own efforts. That’s why the company has moved completely to cardboard packaging – all of its filaments up to one kilogram will now be spooled onto fully recyclable cardboard spools, which will also come in cardboard boxes. All of FormFutura’s cardboard spools and boxes are manufactured in its home country of the Netherlands, which helps reduce its carbon footprint in terms of travel distance, and the material is also a natural drying agent, so it will better protect filament against humidity.

“Over the past couple of months we’ve been brainstorming a lot on how we can make FormFutura more sustainable and help renew our branding. As over this period we have received feedback from the market about helping to find a viable solution to the empty plastic spools, we started setting up a plan to reduce our carbon footprint through cardboard spools,” said Arnold Medenblik, the CEO of FormFutura. “But as we got to working on realizing rolling out cardboard spools, we’ve also expanded the scope of the project to include boxes and logistics.”

Because the company still has some warehoused stock on plastic spools, customers may receive both types of packaging during the transition.

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

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Interview With Kevin Neugebauer of myprintoo on 3D Printing in Germany

German 3D Printing reseller and store myprintoo is a popular Hamburg based destination site for buying 3D printers and supplies. As with the other 3D printing retailers and resellers that we’ve interviewed for this series myprintoo is shifting its focus more towards the enterprise. They sell Materialise Magics, Artec Studio as software and also have consulting services. The company also offers professional level printers from third wave 3D printing companies such as Xact Metal, 3ntr, and Ansioprint. With Formlabs equipment, 3D scanners, Ultimaker and Sinterit the firm focuses on the higher end of the desktop market as well as entry-level manufacturing solutions. This cauldron of activity is currently a very profitable but also a very competitive space in 3D printing. We interviewed Kevin Neugebauer to find out more about his firm and the 3D printing market in Germany.

What is myprintoo? 

myprintoo is a specialist in 3D printing technology. Our 3D printing retail store ranked number three amongst the ten most popular 3D printing online stores 2018 (according to 3druck.com).

What makes us different from most of the online shops selling 3D printing products? We offer not only products from the top 3D printing manufacturers, but we also provide all-round services for 3D printing technology. If only buying a 3D printer was as easy as buying a regular 2D printer! Here you need to know precisely what you will use it for. Will it improve your everyday life, and will it save resources? Will you be able to operate it?

We consult with our customers and find suitable solutions for their 3D printing applications together. We also discuss further possible applications of the 3D printing technologies, so that their investment pays off in the future as well. If our customers have any technical questions, we gladly support them in the German and English.

Additionally, we offer webinars and product training in Hamburg or on-site, to show the customers how to work successfully with the hardware and software and which procedure is best suited for their application. We also work closely with educational establishments by providing them with information and professional guidance on 3D printing.

The core myprintoo team; Kevin is seated.

What markets do you focus on?

We focus on the B2B markets – mostly in the German-speaking area. For some of our products we have exclusive rights to the DACH region, for some – additionally, to the Benelux Union.

What kind of customers do you have?

Our customers come from different branches and industries: mechanical engineering, automotive, aerospace, R&D departments, universities, laboratories, medical establishments. They all have different demands and applications and require different approaches.

These are

a) customers who are new to 3D printing,

b) customers who got familiar with 3D printing some time ago, are developing their applications and need more professional 3D printers,

c) advanced users who require professional solutions for their specific needs.

How is your product portfolio structured?

According to our customer’s types, we differentiate our products as follows:

  • Products that are well suited for beginners – these are the desktop 3D printers Ultimaker and Formlabs.
  • To those who need a professional solution in FDM we offer our two 3ntr 3D printers – A2 and A4 – they score with an open system for a high variety of materials. Three nozzles allows the printing of parts with a combination of two different colors and/or properties while at the same time printing utilizing support material – necessary for complex geometries. These machines are ideal for prototyping, product development, printing of spare parts and demonstration objects, for example for medical institutions.
  • To customers who want to print with titanium, aluminum, stainless steel & bronze we offer our two 3D metal printers – Xact Metal XM200C and XM200S. Both are perfectly suited for taking the first steps in the metal 3D printing. Their compact design and best price-performance value makes them attractive for mechanical engineering and automotive, while affordable for universities and R&D centers at the same time.

  • To Aerospace & Automotive customers, who need to 3D print extremely light but, simultaneously, strong parts with high mechanical load capacity, we offer the Anisoprint Composer series A4 to A2. It’s a 3D printer capable of printing with high-strength composite materials, using special reinforcing carbon fiber along with the common plastics, which gives the parts superior mechanical properties. Universities and research centers profit from experimenting with continuous carbon fiber as well.

     

Why should I work with you?

For almost 5 years we have been delivering not only professional 3D printing technology, but also knowledge essential for the 3D printing. Our team has been gathering experience in different branches like 3D printing, chemistry, architecture, design, IT and sales so that our solutions are tailor-made to meet the needs of our customers.

We support our customers during their first steps in 3D printing and enable the transfer from desktop to professional 3D printers. We see ourselves not only as consultants who help finding the best solutions, but also as project partners who are interested in successful results.

I keep thinking that maintenance and service will be key to reseller profits in the future?

Of course, being supported when having technical questions, a customer can start 3D printing immediately. To prevent long repairs and downtimes we offer additional annual maintenance contracts for our brands 3ntr, Xact Metal & Ultimaker. Our technicians inspect the purchased 3D printer on site or at our service desk in Hamburg and replace spare parts when necessary. We also give expert advice reliably and quickly on the phone and via e-mail.

What is the market like in Germany?

3D printing is gaining more and more popularity in Germany. We all hear: “3D printing is revolutionizing the industry!” What is really happening is that the top companies mostly in the automotive and aerospace industries are purchasing the high-end products of the well-known 3D printing brands.However, there are many small and medium-sized enterprises who want to be involved in 3D printing as well, but cannot afford the high-end 3D printers. Meanwhile, the low-cost, high-performance professional 3D printers already exist and guarantee successful introduction into 3D printing. Our goal is to inspire the smaller companies, to let them know that 3D printing is getting affordable and that they could, if not revolutionize the industry, at least optimize their own production site.

What are the stumbling blocks in 3D printing?

  • The biggest problem is that it’s not that easy to recognize the applications and the added value of the 3D printing.

  • People keep printing conventional parts, sometimes not knowing what parts are best suited for the 3D printing. However, modifying the design of the parts can help evolve the manufacturing process and save resources.

  • In-house knowledge in 3D printing technology is limited.

What advice would you give me if I was a company new to 3D printing?

First, find a reliable team of experts in 3D printing technology, like myprintoo. Tell them your applications, ideas and even doubts. Believe me there’s a solution for every implementation.

Buy a 3D printer together with a webinar or a product training – that’s how you ensure a smooth software installation, impeccable hardware operation and the fastest ROI.

Research what parts are best suited for 3D printing or the ways you can optimize the parts to get more value out of 3D printing.

Keep in touch with us – that’s how we can evaluate, whether you are getting the best out of the 3D printing technology. Additionally, we offer upgrade programs for customers who want to trade their old machine in for a new professional 3D printer.

How do you see our industry evolve?

I imagine fully automated production lines with non-stop manufacturing processes involving 3D printers not only printing prototypes and spare parts, but totally new end products with modified designs, properties and customized tailor-made solutions.

I believe in the near future any respected educational establishment should have a 3D printing lab to prepare the new open-minded experienced professionals who will continue revolutionizing our industry.

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Interview with Alvin Lim of Creatz3D on 3D Printing in Singapore and Vietnam

We’re doing a series of interviews with 3D printing resellers worldwide. Resellers thrive when an industry is doing well, in charge of distributing and supporting products overseas they are a key health indicator of any industry. In 3D printing, many people have the idea that we’re seeing a sea change from simple desktop systems to a wider adoption of manufacturing in 3D printing. But, is this true? Also, what technologies and types of printers are selling in the real world? What is happening on the front lines of 3D printing? And what is happening in different countries and regions?

The Creatz3D User Conference

To find out we’re interviewing Alvin Lim of Creatz3D. Creatz3D has been working to support and distribute 3D printers for over 16 years, which is a very long time indeed to be active in 3D printing. The company focusses on Singapore and Vietnam and the surrounding regions. In the manufacturing heartland, Creatz3D is the leading reseller and they’ve supported the industrial side of the 3D printing equation the entire time focusing on the education and manufacturing markets. The company sells metal printers, ceramics 3D printers and polymer systems. The company sells Sisma metal 3D printers, Arcam EBM systems, the complete Stratasys line-up as well as 3D Ceram and Xjet units.

A Creatz3D Booth

What is the 3D printing market like in Singapore? 

Singapore is among the pioneers in 3D Printing for Asia and big steps have been undertaken by the government to incorporate Additive Manufacturing as we transform towards an Advanced Manufacturing economy. The market has stabilized following the initial hype derived from the interest in hobby grade systems and the concept of ‘having a 3D printer in every household.’ With reference to the Gartner Hype Curve, we are probably at the start of the “Slope of Enlightenment.”


The Singaporean government seems intent to promote 3D printing? 

Yes. The Singapore Government has actively promoted Additive Manufacturing as a form of Advanced Manufacturing, and their efforts are bearing fruit with numerous AM Companies choosing to set their Asian headquarters in Singapore.

The Creatz3D team.

What kinds of companies are using 3D printing there? 

Companies of all industries are interested in Additive Manufacturing. However, not all of them have their own 3D printers, as 3D print services are readily available locally. With Singapore having never been a country with much manufacturing means, thus the majority of the workforce here has minimal exposure and experience as to what is required in the manufacturing business. So, it may take a while for companies to truly grasp what it takes to be able to print and produce a production-ready part.

Is there manufacturing with 3D printing being done? 

Based on my knowledge, not many companies have progressed towards manufacturing with Additive Manufacturing. We have seen some of our customers embracing the technology really well by 3D printing production tools on demand and can see it trending toward this direction. That’s the goal ultimately and I believe it will happen in the future. But for now, Additive Manufacturing is widely accepted and adopted for R&D and Prototyping Applications.

What is the market like in Vietnam? 

As a fast-growing economy within Southeast Asia, Vietnam is viewed as a manufacturing hub for many developed countries. However, most of the manufacturing is still focused on traditional manufacturing techniques and manual labor is still cheaper than automation which is a deterrent to AM progression in Vietnam. So unless this issue is addressed or companies start realizing the long-term potential of AM,there’s some way to go before they start embracing and adopting it like what Singapore has done.


Is there manufacturing with 3D printers there? 

Based on my knowledge, not yet. But if you consider manufacturing tools on demand as part of manufacturing, then yes, but there are not many.


What kind of customers do you find for your Stratasys systems? 

Stratasys has established themselves since the early days of Additive Manufacturing. With the repeatability of the printouts from the systems plus the huge array of materials and applications, Stratasys systems are widely adopted across all industries from R&D within research institutions down to Aerospace and Consumer Goods.

Are you noticing that people choose desktop 3D printers over industrial systems? 

Personally, Industrial systems focus a lot on the quality and repeatability of its’ printouts. Users who have tried hobby grade 3D printers, as well as industrial systems, would appreciate that industrial systems are significantly better in terms of ease of use, the reliability of the systems, and so on. Their work also benefits greatly from these qualities.

To be able to 3D print, it is extremely easy to achieve from any low-end cheap 3D printers. But to be able to print performance parts with repeatability and expected tolerances, only the industrial 3D printers can make this happen. It is because the people who built and developed these printers understand what is required and critical in a real manufacturing environment.  

What kinds of companies are interested in Desktop Metal? 

Desktop Metal has made a lot of headlines since its launch and they are seeing increasing market adoption. Many companies in our region are showing great interest in the Desktop Metal Studio+ System but will however need to find suitable applications to justify their investments. It will be a great technology for people who have limited experience & knowledge of metal 3D printing but wants to get their hands on a metal printout, easily and quickly.

How about Xjet? 

XJet’s Nano Particle Jetting Technology is amazing and I’ve seen some installations in USA & Europe. Asia tends to be slow movers for newer technology, thus we will need to see the applications and usage of XJet in USA & Europe.

For what applications are you seeing the Arcam systems being used? 

Arcam systems have always focused on 3 sectors. R&D, Aerospace and Medical Implants. Basically, applications which involve critical components using advanced materials and seek almost dense parts.

Is metal much more complex than polymer? 

Yes. Metal is significantly more complex in the entire production process than polymer. There is, unfortunately, no one technology that fits all. So, depending on the requirements of the part, we can choose from the many types of metal printer available today. But with the advances in plastics development within 3D Printing, I believe there is a huge potential to replace numerous traditionally manufacturing metal components with polymers. It all depends on whether do we really understand what are the critical requirements to comply for the part, which most of the time we don’t.

What is holding 3D printing back? 

Now that the 3D Printing Hype is over, the entire community has gotten over the craze of it being a revolution and a disrupter of the traditional manufacturing process. Additive Manufacturing will continue to challenge and disrupt the norm but at a slow & steady evolution pace.

If I were a 3D printing OEM wanting to do business in Vietnam do you have any advice for me? Singapore? 

It’s important to work with a partner that is a subject expert in Additive Manufacturing. As such, users can explore potential applications and challenge technology and its capabilities. We’ve seen numerous cases where new ideas and applications are generated during discussions between users and Creatz3D.