3D printer manufacturer RIZE has debuted its new highly-durable RIZIUM Glass Fiber filament for use with its 3D printers. The composite material claims to have high dimensional stability and high stiffness and is primarily intended for large-part production. RIZIUM Glass Fiber is also RIZE’s only composite material to date that is suitable for full-color parts […]
RIZE debuts the 2XC 3D printer – technical specifications and pricing
RIZE has launched its new RIZE 2XC 3D printer. The health and safety conscious desktop machine is aimed at professional designers and engineers looking to produce strong and durable composite parts with a vast range of materials. Dubbed an “adaptive workplace” printer, it is safe for use in both offices and homes – a welcome […]
3D Printing Industry News SLICED: Rize, 3D Systems, Essentium, Protect3d, Xioneer Systems
In this edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, we cover the latest partnerships, acquisitions, medical developments and creative applications from across our industry. Additionally, you’ll find out how 3D printing helped to miniaturize the tallest statue in the world; the novel technique used by law enforcers to help keep the Super Bowl […]
3D Printing News Briefs: April 21, 2019
We’re beginning with an aerospace 3D printing story in 3D Printing News Briefs today, then moving on to news about some upcoming industry events and finishing with a little business. Launcher tested its 3D printed rocket engine on an important date in history. DuPont will be introducing new semi-crystalline 3D printing products at RAPID + TCT, and Nanofabrica has offered to 3D print micro parts at no cost for interested companies attending the annual euspen conference. Ira Green Inc. used Rize technology to transform its production process, GOM is now part of the Zeiss Group, and the Ivaldi Group received its ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Launcher Tests 3D Printed Rocket Engine
New York startup Launcher, which uses EOS technology to create 3D printed components for metal rocket engines, has completed many firing tests with these parts over the last year and a half. Recently, on the anniversary of the date the first human left Earth to go into space, the startup announced the results of the latest test.
Launcher’s founder and CEO Max Haot posted on his LinkedIn account that the E-1 copper bi-metal rocket engine, which was 3D printed on the EOS M290, broke the startup’s combustion pressure record at 625 psi, mr 2.5. It will be interesting to see how the engine performs on its next test.
DuPont to Introduce New Semi-Crystalline Materials
At next month’s RAPID + TCT in Detroit, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers (T&AP), a DowDuPont Specialty Products Division business, will be launching an expansion to its 3D printing portfolio: advanced, high-performance semi-crystalline materials, which will give customers more manufacturing agility and open new opportunities to lower costs while increasing production.
Jennifer L. Thompson, Ph.D., R&D programs manager for DuPont T&AP, will be presenting a technical paper about the materials during the event as part of the Material Development and Characterization session. During her presentation at 10:15 am on May 23rd, Thompson will discuss alternative 3D printing methods, like pellet extrusion modeling, in addition to highlighting new engineering materials and talking about tailored material testing programs. Thompson and other DuPont employees will be at DuPont T&AP’s booth #552 at RAPID to answer questions about the company’s 3D printing materials.
Nanofabrica Offers Free 3D Printing Services for euspen Attendees
Last month, Israeli 3D printing startup Nanofabrica announced the commercial launch of its micro resolution 3D printing platform. In order to show off the system’s abilities to potential customers, Nanofabrica has made an enticing offer to attendees at next month’s euspen conference and exhibition in Spain: the startup will print parts for interested companies at no charge. Then, the parts printed on the new micro AM platform will be presented to them at the event, which focuses on the latest technological developments that are growing innovation at the micron and sub-micron levels.
“It’s quite simple really. We believe that the best way to prove what our AM system can do, how high the resolution and accuracy of the parts we make are, is to manufacture parts for attendees,” Jon Donner, the CEO of Nanofabrica explained. “Registered attendees are welcome to send us their files, and we will examine and print them. That is how confident we are that you will be amazed by the capabilities of our system, and this we feel will mean that we can forge meaningful relationships with manufacturers that will endure into the future.”
Rize 3D Printing Transformed Company’s Production Process
Rhode Island-based IRA Green Inc. (IGI), a full-service manufacturer and distributor of unique uniform items earned and worn by military personnel around the world, recently turned to RIZE and its 3D printing capabilities in order to manufacture small fixtures for its tool shop. The company’s products are in high demand, but lead times were growing longer due to bottlenecks and 8 hours of work for each $300 fixture. Precision is also important for these parts, which is why IGI decided to turn to the RIZE ONE hybrid 3D printer. According to a new case study, IGI’s design team uses the printer every day to manufacture accurate fixtures in just 50 minutes for $2.00 a part. Using the RIZE ONE, which has the unique capability of adding ink markings to parts for verification, the company has been able to standardize its nails and molds, which helped lead to an ROI in less than five months.
IGI’s Manufacturing Manager, Bill Yehle said, “Implementing RIZE 3D printing as part of a strategic process shift has completely transformed our production process.
“We have realized an 80% time savings in setup and changeover alone using RIZE and virtually eliminated errors.”
ZEISS Group Acquires GOM
In an effort to expand its industrial metrology and quality assurance portfolio, the ZEISS Group, a technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics fields, has acquired GOM, which provides hardware and software for automated 3D coordinate measuring technology. By combining GOM’s optical 3D measuring technology with its own products, ZEISS could expand market access, and create new opportunities, for its Industrial Quality & Research segment. Once the transaction is complete, which should happen soon, GOM will become part of this ZEISS segment, while the legal form of its companies in Germany and elsewhere will stay the same. The financial details of the transaction will not be discussed publicly.
“Our growth strategy expressly mentions the targeted acquisition of highly innovative solutions, technologies and companies, which can reach their full potential as part of the ZEISS Group. By acquiring GOM and thereby expanding our solutions portfolio, we are bolstering the leading position of our Industrial Quality & Research segment and will be able to offer even better solutions for our customers. This is entirely in keeping with our corporate strategy, which is focused on our customers’ success,” said Dr. Michael Kaschke, President & CEO of ZEISS.
Ivaldi Group Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification
California startup Ivaldi Group, which uses 3D printing and metal fabrication solutions to provide in-port parts on-demand services for the maritime, mining, offshore, and construction industries has become ISO 9001:2015 certified in less than ten months. This standard, which is certifies quality managements systems that focus on customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and active involvement of employees and management in a process-based approach, is the first step in the certification process that’s required to certify specific products. This proves Ivaldi’s commitment to constantly improving itself.
“Certifying our quality management system has helped us to structure our processes to create a solid foundation. This will allow us to improve efficiency, productivity, and traceability,” said Anna D’Alessio, Quality Management Specialist of Ivaldi Group. “Global quality management systems are important to align processes and optimize operations across facilities. This certification proves our commitment to meet requirements of stakeholders affected by our work.”
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U.S. Army acquires Rize One 3D printer for spare parts on-demand
The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) of the U.S. Army in New Jersey has acquired a Rize One 3D printer for the on-demand manufacturing of spare parts and tools. Rize One was commercially introduced by RIZE, a Massachusetts-based 3D printer manufacturer, in 2017. It uses the company’s proprietary APD technology which combines extrusion […]
3D Printing News Briefs: August 14, 2018
We’re taking care of business first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by a story about 3D printed glasses and then moving on into the aerospace sector. 3YOURMIND is sharing a preview of its upcoming virtual AM Summit, and Rize published a new case study. TriPro 3D Technology introduced a new 3D printer, and a doctor at the Beijing Tongren Hospital is hoping to correct patients’ vision with 3D printed glasses. Launcher completed another test for its 3D printed rocket engine, a 3D modeler put a lot of work into creating a 3D printed NASA helmet, and engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center created a 3D printable model of its flying telescope.
3YOURMIND Presenting Virtual AM Summit
German startup 3YOURMIND, which provides industrial 3D printing software solutions, is presenting a free virtual conference called the AM Summit later this month for people who want to learn more about industrial 3D printing. Beginning at 10 am Central European Time on August 28, the AM Summit will feature five speakers from multiple industries, who will be discussing topics like how to make data 3D printable, the future of 3D printing materials, and how to identify great AM business cases.
The AM Summit’s website states, “Learn how to get started with 3D design, identify your first successful business cases, and how to optimize workflows like leading companies around the world do. Participate in the digital conference online from your desk and chat in real time with the audience and the experts”
Rize Presents Customer Case Study
Boston-based 3D printing company Rize just released a new customer case study about New Hudson Facades (NHF), which designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs custom glass and aluminum façades on skyscrapers, that explains how the company adopted 3D printing in its Pennsylvania office, which already contained automated assembly lines, material handling and inspection equipment, and robotic glazing equipment. NHF’s engineering manager Andrew Black was already familiar with 3D printing and thought that the company could increase product quality and production and decrease costs by incorporating the technology into its daily operations. When asking Cimquest, a Rize reseller, for a recommendation, Black specified that the AM solution the company needed had to be safe, fast, easy to learn and use, and able to fabricate strong functional parts, like clamping fixtures and check gauges. Cimquest then suggested the Rize One.
“I put Rize One right next to my desk, so I can use it all the time. It’s so easy, anyone can use it,” Black said.
“We’re finding creative new uses every day for our Rize 3D printer.”
NHF is now enjoying a 15% increase in production speed and $200,000 cost savings per year on fixtures.
TriPro Introduces Industrial 3D Printer
China-based TriPro Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in lasers and CNC machines but has also made the leap to 3D printing. Now, the company is introducing its latest 3D printer, the ProMaker 700, for industrial applications. It’s easy to print with materials like ABS, PLA, PETG, and nylon on the ProMaker 700, which features a 460 x 430 x 740 mm build volume. The 3D printer can maintain a constant temperature of about 60°C, thanks to its full enclosure; this is necessary when working with materials like ABS so they don’t warp at the edges due to rapid cooling. With a 50 micron resolution on X and Y and a 100 micron on Z, the ProMaker 700 is also perfect for batch manufacturing.
“We highly recommend this machine for designing, for manufacturing, prototyping, importance of functional and parts manufacturing,” said Achilles from TriPro.
3D Printed Glasses for Correcting Vision
Dr. Song Hongxin with a pair of 3D printed glasses at Beijing Tongren Hospital. [Image: Beijing News]
At the Beijing Tongren Hospital in China, Dr. Song Hongxin is working to create customized 3D printed glasses with a free-form surface to help people with deformed corneas correct their vision. Free-form surface lenses, which can fit differently shaped corneas, can help with the symptoms of an eye disorder called keratoconus, which can result in symptoms like astigmatism, blurred vision, and nearsightedness.
Dr. Song, who was inspired by the adaptive optical system of NASA, explained, “Normal corneas have a smooth and convex surface, while their (keratoconus patients’) corneas are bumpy with many irregular concaves.”
While traditionally made glasses aren’t always customizable, and can be expensive when they are, 3D printing allows physicians to customize glasses more accurately to fit a patient’s cornea.
Launcher Completes Hot-Fire Test
Launcher, a space startup, is making metal 3D printed components for rocket engines, like a combustion chamber made using nickel-chromium alloy Inconel 718. The startup relies on EOS technology for its 3D printing needs, and recently completed another hot-fire test of its E-1 3D printed chamber rocket engine, which is being used to help Launcher validate the design of the 3D printed combustion chamber and internal cooling channels before the technology is applied to its much larger E-2.
During the 30 second test, Launcher achieved its highest “performance and temperature mix ratio for LOX/RP-1” and reached a combustion temperature of about 6,000°F, which is over twice the melting point temperature of its 3D printed Inconel 718 combustion chamber.
3D Printed NASA Helmet
Designer, animator, special effects creator, and maker Adam Savage, formerly of Mythbusters and currently of Tested, was excited to introduce a video on the site recently about a new member of the Tested family – 3D modeler and prop maker Darrell Maloney, also known as The Broken Nerd.
“Darrell came to my attention last year because he’s ludicrously prolific and incredibly facile at 3D printing and model making and ambitious in his scope,” Savage said in the new video.
“In our ongoing collaboration, Darrell will continue to deliver some videos for Tested.com, including this one, in which I commissioned Darrell to make a space helmet for me.”
It’s not just any space helmet either – Savage is working to replicate the orange Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), also called a pumpkin suit. This full pressure suit was worn by Space Shuttle crews after STS-65, and Darrell adapted a high-fidelity model that Savage purchased in order to make the helmet 3D printable. It took over 100 hours of 3D printing to create the helmet – you can check out the full process in the video below.
3D Printable SOFIA Flying Telescope Model
A 3D printed model of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is displayed beneath a photo of the real thing.
[Image: NASA/SOFIA]
Engineers at the Ames Research Center have made a 3D printable eight-piece model of NASA’s flying telescope SOFIA, which stands for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. The SOFIA telescope was built into a modified Boeing 747 wide-body jetliner, and flies at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet in order to observe the objects that fill our universe, like black holes, comets, and stars, from the stratosphere. The 3D printable SOFIA model, which includes a mini version of the real SOFIA’s 106″ reflecting telescope, was built to a scale of 1/200, making it just under a foot long.
The digital files to 3D print your own SOFIA model are free to download.
“SOFIA flies higher than commercial jetliners to get above 99 percent of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere, which blocks infrared light from reaching the ground. This is why SOFIA is capable of making observations that are impossible for even the largest and highest ground-based telescopes,” NASA officials said.
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Merck Turns to Rize 3D Printers for Functional Applications
Merck is a global life sciences company that develops products such as medicines and vaccines and conducts other biopharmaceutical research. Its research has included 3D bioprinting in the past, but it also has an interest in 3D printing on a more general level, and this week the company announced that it has selected the 3D printing technology of Massachusetts-based company Rize to provide a wide range of functional applications for Merck’s stakeholders.
Merck has been using 3D printing heavily in its centralized additive manufacturing facility to design, develop and sell new products. It also has a 3D Tech Service that collaborates with internal clients to design and 3D print their parts.
“3D printing enables innovation,” said Tinh Nguyen-Demary, Merck’s Senior Lead Engineer of Additive Manufacturing. “It enables us to do what we couldn’t do otherwise.”
The 3D Tech Service team was looking for a more flexible 3D printing solution that uses a safe material and process and offers a combination of material properties suitable for a wide range of pre-clinical applications that their existing technology could not accomplish. They also wanted something faster than they currently were using. They looked into the Rize One 3D printer and liked what they saw: high chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, low surface energy and isotropic part strength that mimics injection molding.
“Our internal lab tests, ranks and recommends approximately 15 3D printing materials for internal stakeholders,” said Nguyen-Demary. “RIZE’s RIZIUM ONE material is near the top of the list.”
The Rize One is also an extremely convenient, easy-to-use 3D printer that requires virtually no post-processing, material management or venting. Nguyen-Demary wants to place a networked Rize One in several locations outside of the additive manufacturing lab so that they can print anywhere.
“We like to use RIZE ONE as often as we can because it’s easy and reliable, without any complexity or tech support,” said Nguyen-Demary. “RIZE’s ease of use is a big plus compared to other 3D printers. It’s super easy to place and print a part with one click. There’s no need to export, file fix and import. The convenience factor of RIZE’s zero-post-processing capability also makes it faster to get to the final part. We print the part and we can test it immediately after printing in case we need to make modifications. As a result, we use RIZE ONE very frequently – every day.”
Rize also offers a voxel-level printing process that enables the printing of part numbers directly onto parts. The 3D printer is also capable of embedding a marker, such as a QR code, into parts through its Digitally Augmented Part capability.
“Our RIZE 3D printing platform, with its clean process, clean materials and completely safe user experience, makes it very suitable for the life sciences industry,” said Andy Kalambi, President and CEO of Rize. “As a result, we are delighted to see the variety of functional use cases in pre-clinical applications developed by Merck. Tinh and his team continue to push the envelope and discover new ways to put the technology to use, cut costs and improve products in ways never seen before in the 3D printing industry.”
“We have a great working relationship with RIZE,” said Nguyen-Demary. “Their technical team is knowledgeable, responsive and integrates our feedback in a timely manner.”
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[Images: Rize]
Merck becomes latest customer of RIZE ONE 3D printer
Boston based 3D printer manufacturer RIZE has confirmed Global life science company Merck (NYSE:MRK) as its latest customer. According to Andy Kalambi, President and CEO of RIZE,”Our RIZE 3D printing platform, with its clean process, clean materials and completely safe user experience, makes it very suitable for the life sciences industry,” “As a result, we are delighted to […]