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3D Printing News Briefs: March 16, 2020

We’ve got news about 3D printers in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as BigRrep has shipped its 500th large-format 3D printer. Peopoly is developing new 3D printers for its Phenom series, and startup Excelencia is offering a 3D printing service for large objects. Moving on, MPA, NAMIC, and SSA have launched a Joint Industry Program for 3D printed maritime parts.

BigRep Ships 500th Industrial Large-Format 3D Printer

Large-format 3D printing leader BigRep, founded in 2014, just announced that it has shipped its 500th industrial large-format AM system. The company’s managing director, Martin Beck, said that this delivery shows how much all of the company’s industrial customers value BigRep products, which are utilized in a wide variety of applications. The 500th delivery was a BigRep ONE 3D printer, which was shipped to e-mobility tech company JAMADE GERMANY, creator of the AMAZEA underwater scooter – the first water sports mobility device that will use serial produced 3D printed parts at the consumer level.

“We are very excited about this delivery because it represents a new dimension of industrial AM in end-consumer products, both for us as a company and the industry,” said JAMADE Managing Partner and Technical Director Detlef Klages. “The new BigRep ONE will enable us to launch the serial production of AMAZEA as planned, completing our existing fleet of four BigRep ONE printers. We greatly value the printers’ cost efficiency, accuracy and quality when compared to the extremely high investment for traditional tools.”

Peopoly Developed Two New Phenom Series 3D Printers

In October, Hong Kong company Peopoly launched its Phenom 3D printer series, which was well-received by industrial users due to a higher resolution print, shorter workflow, and reduced cost. So, using the same MSLA technology, the company, which was founded back in 2016, has developed two new systems for its third generation series: the extra-large Phenom L and the fast Phenom Noir.

The Phenom L has a build volume of 345.6 × 194.4 x 400 mm – over 50% larger than the original, which a 20% faster rate of print speed. It also features new build plate designs, which improves the post-processing experience and simplifies the workflow for larger prints. The Phenom Noir has a monochrome LCD panel, designed for enterprise 3D printing applications, that reduces UV light waste, which Peopoly says makes the system run five times faster than the Form 3. With its 293.76 × 165.24 x 400 mm build size, it’s also nearly 13% bigger than the original Phenom.

Excelencia’s Launches 3D Printing Service for Large Objects

MASSIVIT project

Spanish 3D and textile 3D printing distributor Excelencia Tech just launched earlier this month with two big projects. First, the startup is an official distributor for MASSIVIT 3D printers, so it’s focusing on selling these. Secondly, Excelencia is promoting its XL MEDIA Project, which is a service it offers for 3D printing very large objects on its MASSIVIT systems. The 3D printers the startup owns are pretty costly, which is why Excelencia is promoting the use of them to companies that need to print large objects, but can’t afford to purchase their own large-format printer.

“Nowadays, if one of our 3D printings have to be done by a “traditional” 3D printer, it will take couple of weeks and an enormous budget to succed. So we offer the chance to create your 3D products using our machine without buying it, to understand and check all advantatges that Massivit’s machines have,” Miguel Preda Lliso, the Marketing and Business Development Manager for Excelencia, told 3DPrint.com.

“With our technology we can do giant products (about 180 cm) in less tan 48 hours and without generating as much waste as traditional machines (our machines just use as much kilos of material as the product weight).”

Phase 2 of Joint Industry Program for 3D Printed Marine Parts

Singapore’s National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), along with SSA and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), has launched the second phase of a Joint Industry Programme (JIP) for the 3D printing of marine and maritime parts. Phase 1 was completed in October, and Phase 2 consists of the call for proposals from classification societies or AM technology suppliers that would like to participate in the JIP as an industry consortium leader. The objective of this JIP, which has the potential to spin off further developmental projects in the future, is to establish the technical feasibility, regulatory requirements, and commercial viability for creating 3D printed marine parts.

“Maritime assets are capital intensive, and downtime is costly,” the JIP Challenge Statement reads.

“Replacement of marine spare parts involves many actors in the supply chain, and can be costly in terms of inventory, logistics, and cost of spare parts (especially for obsolete parts).”

The JIP is also working to shine a light on some of the opportunities, and challenges, involved in deploying 3D printing for marine parts, such as approval and certification processes. The application deadline for this phase is 6 pm on April 6, 2020.

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HP and NTU Singapore Officially Open Joint Corporate 3D Printing Lab

This week, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore officially opened the doors to a new corporate lab that will help manufacturing companies as they work towards adopting digital technology. This new lab, created through a collaboration between the university and HP, will offer a digital manufacturing skills development program for Industry 4.0.

L-R: The HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab was officially opened by NRF Singapore Executive Director Lim Tuang Liang; NTU Senior Vice President (Research) Prof. Lam Khin Yong; HP Inc CTO Shane Wall; and HP Inc Chief Technologist, Print, Glen Hopkins.

The facility has been dubbed the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, and features a variety of technologies, such as supply chain models that enable faster time to market and intelligent design software tools that automate advanced customization, that will help make manufacturing operations more cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable. Members of tomorrow’s workforce can then become better equipped for work in the future manufacturing industry.

The partnership between the university, HP, and the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) was first announced last October, and this new facility is HP’s first university laboratory collaboration in Asia. Using the lab’s intelligent design software tools, engineers will be better able to customize and optimize the mechanical properties of their materials, while the automated technology will allow for designs that use the best combination of these properties so the resulting 3D printed parts have the necessary flexibility, strength, and weight. Then, manufacturers can rapidly scale production of custom goods even when the demand is high.

“HP’s passion for innovation, together with NTU’s world-class research capabilities, allow us to achieve new breakthroughs and unlock new solutions for both business and society,” said Shane Wall, Head of HP Labs and the company’s CTO.

One of NTU and HP’s joint goals is to recruit 100 researchers to work in the new lab, which already employs 60, in order to create new and innovative products. One current research project taking place there is focused on designing and optimizing end-to-end supply chain operations, so that manufacturers can use better business models and analytics to reduce how much time is needed to find parts that may be good candidates for fabricating with 3D printing, and also better measure their impact on the world’s carbon footprint.

This proof-of-concept project, and others, were presented at the opening of the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, along with several technology demonstrations. Additionally, the grand opening was part of HP’s anniversary celebration of 50 years of growing its business in Singapore,

NTU Professor Tan Ming Jen and Dr. Mike Regan, co-directors of the HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, holding up 3D printed products from the HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printer.

In conjunction with opening the new lab, NTU and HP worked together to create six SkillsFuture courses for manufacturing professionals.

“Our joint work in 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, security and sustainability will produce disruptive technologies that define the future of manufacturing,” stated Wall. “Working together, we can create the workforce of the future and ensure the fourth Industrial Revolution is also a sustainable revolution.”

The skills development program will offer training in additive manufacturing and digital design under SkillsFuture, covering topics like AM fundamentals, automation, user experience, digital product designs, business models, and data management. About 120 workers each year can participate in these courses.

“The advanced technologies and automation solutions jointly developed by NTU and HP are expected to impact businesses in Singapore and beyond, as these innovations are geared towards efficiency, productivity and most importantly, sustainability,” said Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU’s Senior Vice President of research.

“The new SkillsFuture courses developed jointly with HP also bring valuable industrial perspectives to help upskill and train a critical talent pool for Singapore.

“This will support the country’s drive towards becoming a smart nation as it faces the challenges of the fourth Industrial Revolution.”

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[Source: The Straits Times / Images: NTU Singapore]

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3D Printing News Briefs: December 15, 2019

In this edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, it’s business, business, business, and then an upcoming event, 3D Alliances signed a collaboration agreement with Xact Metal. Sigma Labs has appointed a new Executive Chairman to its board of directors. Finally, mark your calendars – NAMIC Summit 2020 is coming to Singapore in May.

3D Alliances Teams Up with Xact Metal, Welcomes Team Member

Israeli consulting company 3D Alliances has announced a new collaboration agreement with Pennsylvania startup Xact Metal, which develops metal powder bed fusion systems. 3D Alliances will be supporting Xact Metal as it works to deploy channels and find new sales partners in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

“No doubt, metal 3D printing solutions are on the rise as professional and industrial users are looking for new solutions that will help them integrate metal technologies in their research and development, prototyping and short run manufacturing processes. Xact Metal answers these exact needs offering professional systems in a very attractive entry point,” stated Gil Lavi, the Founder and CEO of 3D Alliances. “Once the price barrier is no longer a big issue, the acceleration in the adoption of metal systems is inevitable. We look forward working with Xact Metal team bringing it’s great products to the Asia Pacific market.”

But that’s not the only news 3D Alliances is sharing – Scott Hill, a veteran in the 3D printing industry, is joining the company as a senior consultant for North America. This completes its global coverage, as 3D Alliances also has teams in APAC and the DACH region of Europe.

Sigma Labs Names Mark K. Ruport New Executive Chairman

Speaking of new additions, 3D printing quality assurance software developer Sigma Labs has appointed Mark K. Ruport as its executive chairman, and a member of its board of directors. Ruport is an accomplished software executive, with over three decades of experience in both public and private companies, and will work with fellow board member, and the company’s CEO, John Rice to help drive the formation of strategic relationships and sales strategies, increase shareholder value, and speed up growth.

Ruport said, “The ability to have an immediate, tangible impact on Sigma Labs with the apparent adoption of its incredible technology in the marketplace is a unique and exciting opportunity. My focus will be on accelerating our commercial adoption with strategic partners and amplifying the recent success John and his team have achieved. This blueprint is something I am very familiar with given my experience with disruptive companies in the software sector and I look forward to working with the entire team at Sigma Labs to drive forward its strategic initiatives.”

As an inducement award outside of its 2013 Equity Incentive Plan, Sigma Labs granted Ruport non-qualified stock options, in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

Save the Date for NAMIC Summit 2020

NAMIC (National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster) is hosting its AM Summit 2020 at the Marina Bay Sands EXPO and Convention Centre in Singapore, May 11-15. In addition to a full conference, featuring more than 1,000 local and international delegates and industry leaders, the summit will also include workshops and certification courses, an industry showcase, behind-the-scenes tours at several industry facilities, and the NAMIC Start-up Innovation Forum, held at SGInnovate on the last day of the summit.

“Presenting a variety of activities and programmes with the NAMIC Conference anchoring the summit, this will be a unique experience for global 3D printing experts, adopters, innovators and professionals to interact for knowledge sharing and discussions on the latest 3D printing innovations, designs and process development as well as wide-spread industrial adoption,” the NAMIC AM Summit 2020 states on its website.

You can register your interest in attending the latest summit by NAMIC here.

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2019 NAMIC Global Additive Manufacturing Summit Day One

Our bellies full of hawker food we walk towards the Singapore Expo. We’re two and two becoming part of NAMIC’s Global Additive Manufacturing Summit a small part of a significant attempt of the candle power heavy nation of Singapore to become a nexus of 3D printing. A few countries are making concerted efforts to concentrate 3D printing within their borders. NAMIC is Singapore’s initiative, as 3DPrint.com we desperately wanted to engage with it because it was so research and application heavy. 3D printing research from Singapore has exploded over the past few years as have a number of very application-specific startups that together make up a core of a Singaporean 3D printing cluster. Additionally, Singapore has also managed to attract the attentions of various 3D printing companies such as Additive Industries, HP, GE with partnerships. The country has also reached out to companies such as Siemens to get them to concentrate their 3D printing efforts here. All in all, it is an irresistible effort that paper by part and MOU by MOU is layer by layer constructing a 3D printing cluster here.

And this is pretty remarkable. Long a technology powerhouse Asia has been a fast follower at best in 3D printing. Our industry is concentrated in Europe and spread out in the states. For long Asian researchers, centers and companies were far and few in between. Until the recent ascendancy of Chinese startups in low-cost FDM, Asia wasn’t really leading in any area of 3D printing. It is optimism bordering on the foolhardy to then place a stake in the ground to try to engineer an industry core here. But this is exactly what NAMIC is doing and so far they’re really making headway. The scene here is vibrant and growing quickly. Out of all the countries that have national initiatives I admire Denmark’s and Singapore’s the most since they’re getting the most bang for their buck and really spending where it counts. In sheer coordination and leveraging the experience of the country in building from nothing I believe the most in the Singaporean initiative over all others.

Also, they have the best food. Post hawker daze, therefore, we sat down to listen to Mahendran Reddy, NAMICs Business Development Director deliver his opening then Dr Ho Chaw Sing, Managing Director, NAMIC welcomed us. The Guest of Honour, Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Trade and Industry and Education then spoke, telling us that “Additive Manufacturing will improve lives.”

Larry Lyons Vice President of Product, Desktop Metal then spoke of the company’s journey quoting some incredible print speeds. Sylvia Monsheimer Head of Market Segment N3D, Evonik Germany spoke of high-performance materials while Benjamin Moey Vice President, Additive Manufacturing (Asia Pacific), Siemens wants to design materials for industrial additive manufacturing as well so perhaps they should get together.

Javier Fernandez of Chitonous gave a fascinating presentation on biologically inspired materials. He spoke of biomaterials for “$6 a kilo, the prices of engineering plastics.” Chitionous takes chitosan and other “abundant biomaterials” and takes products such as shrilk which is an artificial insect skin material that can be used by industry. Some of these materials are 3D printable and the company has made 5-meter tall parts out of biomaterials from Singapore. Chitonous’ vision is for local recycling to collect and use biomaterials locally.

Volker Hammes Managing Director BASF New Business GmbH, talked about collaborating on materials fit for purpose. He spoke of BASF’s broad materials portfolio in 3D printing and their willingness to look hard and deep at using in-process waste for new more efficient materials. He also explained that the company was now scoring all new materials on competitiveness and sustainability and will move into more sustainable solutions.

Christopher Eonta the Founder and CEO of the MolyWorks Materials Corporation where he detailed how they were developing a containerized atomization solution that could take a wide array of scrap materials and turn them into 3D printing powder for metal printers. The company has several NSF and US Military grants and is now trying to take $1.40 a pound scrap into $ 95-pound powder and then $1100 a pound aerospace parts. The relatively lower energy costs were very exciting as was the company’s grasp of the value chain.

All in all it was an exciting and thoughtful day and I’m looking for tomorrow.

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3D Printing News Sliced: PyroGenesis, Under Armour, Onshape, Apollo 11

This week’s edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, features a 3D printed celebration of the first moon landing, virtual clothes shopping, and the launch of an AM Network Map. This roundup also includes stories from Knust-Godwin, Torus Group, SPIE, Open Bionics, Geomiq, Onshape, Wikifactory, ETH Zurich, 3DEO, AlphaSTAR, PyroGenesis, Hermeus and more. […]

Bralco and GE Additive Sign MoU for Increased Development of 3D Printed Magnetic Components in APAC Region

Singapore-based metal Bralco Advanced Materials, a research, product development, and commercialization company specializing in metal 3D printing, just announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GE Additive in order to speed up the development and manufacturing processes for 3D printed magnets and electromagnetic components in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Bralco often collaborates with academic research institution Nanyang Technological University of Singapore (NTU). The company works to leverage the power of 3D printing to provide quicker, less expensive solutions for developing, prototyping, and customized mass manufacturing complex electromagnetic components for customers in the aerospace, energy, e-mobility, industrial automation/rotating devices, and robotics fields.

“Bralco is honored to be working with GE Additive in this very exciting space of digital industry 4.0. This collaboration is a major milestone for us, coming at a time when the demand for soft and hard magnets is growing rapidly due to their use in every aspect of modern life be it health care, mobility, personal communication devices, renewable energy or robotics,” said Amit Nanavati, the founder and CEO of Bralco Advanced Materials.

“Moreover, the adoption of additive manufacturing technology will save millions of dollars in material cost due to the additive nature of this technology compared to the traditional manufacturing processes.”

L-R: Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, Managing Director, National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster, H.E.; Mr. Javed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India; Mr. Amit Nanavati, Founder & CEO of Bralco Advanced Materials Pte. Ltd.; Mr. Tan Czek Haan, General Manager, GE Additive; Mr. Wouter Van Wersch, President & CEO, GE ASEAN & NZ; Mr. Francis Chan, Trade Commissioner of Canada [Image: Bralco]

We often see 3D printed magnetic components used for applications in the aerospace, automotive, energy industrial automation, medical, and robotics fields.

Combining its own expertise in magnetic materials with GE Additive’s 3D printing and powder manufacturing technology know-how, Bralco will be able to increase the speed of development for both hard and soft magnets and components with complex shapes, high mechanical strength, differentiated magnetic fields, high frequencies and torque conditions, and able to operate at elevated temperatures. These kinds of magnetic components for perfect for demanding applications, like electric vehicles’ traction motors.

“We are very excited to set up our first R&D Lab and Product Innovation Centre in Singapore, fully equipped with GE Additive machine and a state-of-the-art powder and built parts testing and characterisation lab,” Nanavati continued.

“We hope these steps will add to the growing importance of Singapore as a global center for the additive manufacturing industry and as one of the most attractive locations to set up a high tech R&D facility – an achievement largely due to the vision of the Singapore government in early adoption of Industry 4.0 and Additive Manufacturing and the untiring efforts of its nodal agencies National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Enterprise Development Board (EDB).

The signed MoU will give Bralco access to GE Additive’s AP&C (Advanced Powders & Coatings) materials division, as well as its engineering consultancy team Addworks – enabling the company to decrease both the product development and commercialization cycles. Additionally, the MoU looks at the future potential of appointing Bralco an APAC service provider for 3D printing parts and components, based on its own magnetic material compositions, with GE Additive machines and powder materials.

“We, at Bralco, are very excited to be right at the front of this leap into the digital future,” Nanavati concluded. “We look forward to exploring ground breaking discoveries through our work with GE Additive in this next chapter of our journey.”

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3D Printing News Briefs: April 10, 2019

We’ve got some business news for you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, before moving on to an upcoming industry event and new materials. 3DVinci Creations and the American University in Dubai will establish a facility for concrete 3D printing, while Telset signed a contract with Relativity. Lincoln Electric has acquired Baker Industries for its 3D printing technology, and Jabil is sharing the results of its survey report on 3D printing. Next month is the NAMIC Summit, with its flagship DfAM event, and Nile Polymers has announced two new PVDF filaments.

Agreement Signed to Establish Center for 3D Concrete Printing

A cooperation agreement was signed between 3DVinci Creations, the American University in Dubai (AUD), Arabtec Construction Company, and global engineering consultancy firm Robert Bird Group to establish The Center for 3D Concrete Printing and Digital Construction on AUD’s campus. The scientific research center, equipped with a 3DVinci Creations 3D printer, will serve researchers from the university’s three project partners, as well as university students and members of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. It will build partnerships, create a consortium of academic, government, and industry entities interested in the growing 3D concrete printing and digital construction fields, work with state officials to promote 3D printing culture in construction, and eventually develop and administer training workshops and seminars on concrete 3D printing.

“With this cooperation agreement, we aim to perform strategic analyses of the present and future capabilities of 3D Concrete Printing and of digitally-driven construction systems. The Center will work with local regulatory bodies to develop newly updated building codes that pertain to 3D printed buildings and structures,” said Edouard Baaklini, CEO of 3DVinci Creations. “We will also develop cost models of 3D Printed Concrete buildings and structures together with tools for value analysis vis-à-vis traditional construction methodologies.”

Relativity Signs Contract with Telesat

Los Angeles 3D printed rocket manufacturer Relativity just signed its first public, multi-year commercial contract with satellite services vendor Telesat. This is a big deal, as it’s the first agreement between a major satellite operator and a venture-backed “New Space” industry company. It costs about $10 million for Relativity to launch a 1,250 kg payload to low Earth orbit – a price that’s $10 to $20 million less than it would be using a European Ariane rocket or Indian PSLV rocket. The company can keep its costs down by using automation and metal 3D printing in its design and manufacturing processes, and claims its rockets can be made in just 60 days, with far less components. Relativity has completed 136 engine tests and is currently testing its avionics systems, with the first launch of its 3D printed Terran 1 rocket scheduled for the end of 2020.

“Early in our LEO program we decided that, in addition to working with outstanding leaders in satellite manufacturing and launch services who we know well, Telesat should also include New Space companies whose technologies and manufacturing methods offer lower costs and greater flexibility for deploying our constellation. Relativity is just such a company with their metal 3D printing, use of robotics and other advances,” said Dave Wendling, Telesat’s CTO. “Telesat continues to establish a world-class supplier team to construct, deploy and operate our global LEO network and we are very pleased to welcome Relativity to the Telesat LEO program.”

Lincoln Electric Acquires Baker Industries

According to a report published last year by SmarTech Industries, the global additive manufacturing market grew 18% to reach $9.3 billion in size, and Lincoln Electric (LECO) wanted a piece of that pie. The company announced that it has acquired Detroit-based Baker Industries, which developed 3D printing tech for the aerospace and automotive industries, for an undisclosed sum as part of a previously announced initiative to expand into the AM industry.

Baker was founded in 1992 to manufacture custom fixtures, parts, and tooling that are Nadcap-accredited, AS9100D-certified, and adhere to the tough aerospace quality management standards. While you can learn more about its services in the video below, Baker primarily offers CNC machining, design, fabrication, prototyping, quality assurance, tooling, and 3D printing services to its customers. With its acquisition of Baker, Lincoln will be able to position itself in the ever growing AM, automation, and tooling sector.

Jabil Shares Results of Survey Report

According to the 2019 Additive Materials and 3D Printing study by Jabil, the practical applications in 3D printing have grown significantly over the last two years. The company surveyed over 300 professionals who are responsible for 3D printing at manufacturing companies, and found that the technology has found its way into almost every step of production, though prototyping still remains the most popular application.

Jabil shared how several key industries, such as medical, transportation, and aerospace, are using the technology today, and reported that 25% of respondents said that 3D printing can be as much as 20 times faster than traditional forms of manufacturing – obviously a major benefit. Jabil itself has adopted the technology at some of its sites because it takes 3D printing very seriously, and believes that the technology “has unlimited potential in the future.” Nearly all of the survey’s respondents said they expected their companies’ 3D printing use to increase over the next two to five years. You can read the full survey report here.

DfAM Conference at NAMIC Summit Coming Up

Next month in Singapore, the 2019 NAMIC Summit will take place from May 6-10, with its flagship event – the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) Conference & AM Industry Showcase – happening on May 7th at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. You can register now for the event to take advantage of early bird rates.

You can spend the day meeting other like-minded professionals in networking sessions, or take in a presentation by one of over ten distinguished speakers who will be sharing their knowledge about simulation and modeling, industrial applications of digital design solutions, and generative design For example, John Barnes, the founder and managing director of The Barnes Group Advisors, will be speaking about “Design for Manufacturing: The Transformative Role of Design in Driving Innovation in the Future of Manufacturing” at 9:30 am, and the CEO and co-founder of Assembrix Ltd, Lior Polak, will present “Distributed Manufacturing in Action: Dynamic Machine Allocation and Real-Time Monitoring at 1:30 pm.

Nile Polymers Introduces New Additions to Fluorinar PVDF Family

Utah-based Nile Polymers, which offers an industrial-grade PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) filament based on Arkema’s Kynar PVDF material, just announced the addition of two new filaments to its Fluorinar PVDF family – Fluorinar-B and Fluorinar-ESD, also built on Arkema’s Kynar. Chemical-resistant Fluorinar filaments differ from other PVDF materials because they don’t have any additional diluents or polymer additives, and they are tough, flexible, high-strength, and offer flame suppression and UV protection qualities. Sample filaments are available for both

Black-colored Fluorinar-B combines the company’s Fluorosmooth adhesive, which increases the surface energy of a print at its interface with a glass build plate, with the dependability of Kynar PVDF, and carbon pigment increases the part’s tensile strength and permeation resistance as well. Graphene-enhanced electrostatic dissipation (ESD) filament Fluorinar-ESD is perfect for applications that have parts which can’t tolerate static build-up, and calibrates impact strength and melt viscosity carefully so the final part is durable and strong.

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3D Printing News Briefs: March 23, 2019

We’ve got plenty of business news to share in this week’s 3D Printing News Briefs, but first we’ll start off with something fun – the winners have been announced for this year’s Additive World DfAM Challenge. Moving right along, BeAM is now a Tier 2 member of the ARTC, and PostProcess Technologies has announced improved processing times for SLA resin removal. Protolabs is offering new anodizing services, in addition to teaming up with Wohlers Associates, and Arkema will soon open a new PEKK plant in the US. Continuing with new things, a new AM digital career growth platform just launched, and there’s a new open project call for the European AMable project. Finally, GoPrint3D is the new UK distributor for Mayku and its desktop vacuum casting unit.

Winners Announces for Additive World DfAM Challenge 2019

This week during an awards dinner at the Additive World Conference in Eindhoven, Ultimaker’s Steven van de Staak, Chairman of the 5-member jury for this year’s Additive Industries’ Design for Additive Manufacturing Challenge, announced the two winners and their “inspiring use cases of industrial 3D metal printing.”

Obasogie Okpamen from The Landmark University in Nigeria won first place, and an Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer, in the student category for his Twin Spark Engine Connection Rod. While the connection rod that he redesigned for an Alfa Romeo 75 Twin Spark Turbo engine has not yet been fully tested, he won “because of the example it sets” for distributed localized manufacturing of spare parts with 3D printing. Dutch company K3D took home first place, and an Ultimaker 3, in the professional category for the Dough Cutting Knife it developed for Kaak Group, a leader in the bakery equipment world. The team integrated mechanical parts into the design, which can be 3D printed without any support structures and has improved functionality. The knife sits in a dough extrusion line and due to its light weight less knives and robot arms can do the same amount of cutting. This means that the extrusion line itself is cheaper. Furthermore the knife has been optimized for a cleaner cut with less knife sticking to the dough.

BeAM Joins Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre

Membership agreement signing ceremony held in ARTC

France-based BeAM, which has subsidiaries in the US and Singapore and was acquired by AddUp this summer, is now partnering with the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) as a Tier 2 member in an effort to expand its research activities in southeast Asia. The center provides a collaborative platform, which will help BeAM as it continues developing its Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology with companies from the aerospace, consumer goods, marine, and oil & goods sectors.

This summer, BeAM, which also became a member of the Aachen Centre for Additive Manufacturing earlier this month, will install its Modulo 400, featuring a controlled atmosphere system, at ARTC, so other members can safely develop non-reactive and reactive materials. The two will also work to develop process monitoring systems that can expand DED’s range of applications.

PostProcess Technologies Announces New Solution for SLA Resin Removal

A new and improved solution for SLA resin removal by PostProcess Technologies vastly improves process times by 5-10 minutes – quite possibly the fastest on the market. The system can clean up to five times as many parts before detergent saturation when compared to solvent resin removal, and is part of the company’s automated AM post-print offering. The patent-pending solution, which also reduces environmental hazards and preserves fine feature details, was validated with eight different resin materials in several production environments, and uses the company’s proprietary AUTOMAT3D software and SVC (Submersed Vortex Cavitation) technology in the DEMI and CENTI machines.

“PostProcess’ latest innovation of the most advanced SLA resin removal solution in the world reinforces our commitment to providing the AM industry with transformative post- printing solutions enabling the market to scale. SLA is one of the most popular 3D printing technologies in the world. No matter what volume of printing, any SLA user can benefit from the remarkable efficiencies of our solution’s decreased processing time, increased throughput, increased detergent longevity, and improved safety,” said PostProcess Technologies CEO Jeff Mize. “PostProcess has designed the world’s first complete SLA resin removal system, available only from the pioneers in forward-thinking 3D post-printing.”

The new SLA Resin Removal technology will be on display at PostProcess booth P21 at the upcoming AMUG Conference in Chicago. You can also read about it in the company’s new whitepaper.

Protolabs Offering Aluminum Anodizing; Partners with Wohlers Associates

As part of its on-demand production service, digital manufacturer Protolabs is now offering aluminium anodizing in response to demand from customers in need of a single-source solution. Anodizing forms a protective oxide layer by applying a thin, protective coat to the part, which increases abrasion resistance and creates a barrier against corrosion. The company will be offering two levels of this service for Aluminum 6082 and 7075: hard anodizing to ISI 10074 for parts requiring protection from harsh environments, and decorative anodizing to ISO 7599 for parts that need an aesthetic finish. All parts will be sealed, unless they need to be painted post-anodizing.

“Talking to our clients, we realised that if they needed to anodise an aluminium part it was often difficult for them to source and then manage a supplier. They not only have to do all the research and then raise a separate purchase order, but often find that the supplier only accepts large quantities of parts in an order, which isn’t great for low volume runs,” explained Stephen Dyson, Special Operations Manager at Protolabs.

“Keeping the entire production process with a single supplier makes perfect sense for manufacturers. It means they can get their finished parts shipped in a matter of days and our technical team can advise them through the entire process, right from the initial design of the part to the best approach for the final anodising finish.”

In other Protolabs news, the company is partnering up with AM consultants Wohlers Associates to jointly hold an immersive course on DfAM. The class, which is invitation-only, will take place over the course of three days near Raleigh, North Carolina, and will end at Protolabs’ 77,000 sq. ft. 3D printing facility. Olaf Diefel, Associate Consultant at Wohlers Associates, and Principle Consultant and President Terry Wohlers will lead the discussion, in addition to being joined by several Protolabs engineers who are skilled in polymer and metal 3D printing.

“Designing for AM offers unique challenges and opportunities not found in traditional design methods. Protolabs brings tremendous depth of expertise and leadership in 3D printing. We’re thrilled to work together to equip attendees with technical skills and manufacturing knowledge needed to unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing,” said Wohlers.

Arkema Opening New PEKK Plant

Arkema, one of the largest specialty chemical and advanced materials developers, has been busily producing polyetherketoneketone, or PEKK, in France. But this coming Monday, March 24th, it is celebrating its new Kepstan PEKK plant near Mobile, Alabama with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The durability and customizable abilities of PEKK make it a good material for a variety of 3D printing purposes. Monday’s event will take place from 10:30 am to 1:30, and will also include VIP comments and lunch. The increased volume of this PEAK material will shake up the high-performance polymer market making PEKK a viable alternative to PEEK and PEI.

New AM Digital Career Growth Platform Launched

A free interactive platform to help AM professionals enhance their skills and fulfill career opportunities is now launching. i-AMdigital, which counts HP as one of its backing partners, is a joint venture between AM industry recruiter Alexander Daniels Global, digital venture company TES Network, and web and UX design company De Wortel van Drie. The platform was created to develop a growing AM talent pool, and uses smart matching and AI to offer customized career advice, courses, training, and job opportunities.

“There just isn’t enough talent out there. At the same time the learning and development landscape for additive manufacturing is very fragmented. This makes it difficult for individuals and organisations alike to access courses that can help them upskill. i-AMdigital solves both problems through our digital career growth platform,” said CEO and Co-Founder Nick Pearce of Alexander Daniels Global.

“It is an essential tool for the AM industry that will allow talent to grow their career and make an impact in additive manufacturing. It will provide organisations access to a growing and educated talent force to address their hiring needs and a marketplace for learning and development that can help them upskill their existing workforce in the latest technologies.”

AMable Launches Second Open Project Call

The AMable project, which receives funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, has just launched its second project call for proposals and ideas that can be applied to AM. The project is continuing to look for new ways to innovate on services for mid-caps and SMEs in the EU, and chosen teams will receive support from the AMable unit.

AMable is a Factories of the Future (FoF) project participating in I4MS (ICT for Manufacturing SMEs), and is working to increase adoption of AM technologies through the EU. The project will build a digital model that will provide unbiased access to the best AM knowledge in Europe in an effort to support this adoption. For more details on the call, visit the AMable site.

Express Group Appointed New UK Distributor for Mayku

GoPrint3D, a division of Express Group Ltd, has just been named the new UK distributor for London startup Mayku. The startup created a desktop vacuum casting unit called the FormBox, which is a handy partner for your 3D printer. Once you create a 3D printed mold, you can put it inside the compact FormBox, which is powered by any vacuum cleaner and works with many materials like wax and concrete, to cast a series from it – putting the power of making in your own hands.

An architect forming a dome template on the FormBox.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Express Group on our UK and Ireland distribution, building on our existing servicing and repair relationship,” said Alex Smilansky, Mayku Co-Founder and CEO. “When we founded Mayku, our goal was to bring the power of making to as wide an audience as possible. The partnership with Express Group will allow us to deliver a first-class making experience to more people than ever before.”

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

Singapore: 3D Bioprinting with Magnesium Alloys to Create Bone Scaffolds

SEM micrographs of samples sintered at different temperatures in the regime of super solidus liquid phase sintering for 5 h, a) 535 °C, b) 550 °C, c) 565 °C, d) 580 °C, e) 595 °C, and f) 610 °C.

Strides in the medical field today via 3D printing have been staggering, and especially in bioprinting, with many different technologies and materials being created. Now, researchers in Singapore are exploring the use of alloys like magnesium in fabricating scaffolding, with their findings detailed in ‘Additive manufacturing of magnesium–zinc–zirconium (ZK) alloys via capillary-mediated binderless three-dimensional printing.’

Magnesium is an alloy that can be used in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, as a third-generation biomaterial useful in tissue engineering; however, as the researchers point out, there are myriad challenges. High affinity to oxygen and a low boiling temperature are issues, along with careful consideration that must be applied when disposing of magnesium powders due to the possibility of reactions with other chemicals.

High vapor pressure can be a major obstacle in using magnesium too, leading the researchers to explore AM processes with ambient temperature. This can allow for all the benefits of powder-bed inkjet 3D printing to be enjoyed, as it can be employed at ambient temperatures, no supports are required, and powder can be fully recycled. Here, the researchers have created a new 3D printing technique including a sintering process which transforms magnesium powder and green objects into functional parts that can be used in scaffolding, producing parts with mechanical properties as strong as human bone.

The research team customized their own ink-jet 3D printer for this study, working to overcome previous challenges with the use of magnesium. Maintaining oxygen percentages at the lowest levels possible was of ‘paramount importance’:

“Conserving oxygen in green objects in low level indicates the promise of formulated solvent for AM of Mg-based alloys,” stated the researchers.

3D printed green samples showed no change at all in composition after the sintering process, leaving the team to point out that this means it is a ‘compositionally zero-sum process.’ With temperature variations, both density and stability were affected. The researchers state that dimensional precision is another element of paramount importance and is influenced when deviations occur in printing. Swelling may cause substantial problems too, resulting in shape loss of printed objects, noted at an increased sintering temperature from to 595 °C and 610 °C. Swelling can also interfere with functionality of components.

Samples after 5 h sintering at different temperature in the range of 535 °C to 610 °C.

In continuing to examine other features, the researchers found that density increases with temperature. In studying the effects of holding time on physical and mechanical properties, they also found that strength may be low even though density has become high. Overall though, for overcoming the challenges required in creating scaffolds, mechanical integrity must be present, along with balanced stiffness and strength:

“Mechanical properties of scaffolds could significantly affect cells behavior and the osteointegration between host tissues and the scaffold; premature collapse of subchondral bonearound bone defects may happen if the scaffold provides more than enough mechanical support,” said the researchers. “Thus, stiffness and strength of scaffolds should be modulated to match with those of host tissues in order to avoid post-surgery stress shielding effects and promote tissue regeneration.”

Healthy scaffolds exhibit good pore percentage, size, and shape, offering osteointegration, nutrients transportation, tissue in-growth, and waste products removal. With all those quotients in order, bone tissue regeneration is possible.

“Mg based alloys classify as a third generation of biomaterials when it comes to clinical outcomes, and capillary-mediated binderless 3D printed Mg part after sintering can provide comparable properties with bone,” stated the researchers.

In their paper, the researchers explain more about the structure of human cortical bone, a hierarchical ‘organization’ of three sizes to include:

Haversian and Volkmann vascular canals having diameter in the range of 40 to 100 μm
Osteocyte lacunae with size ranging from 10 to 30 μm
Canaliculi having diameters on an order of a few tens of nanometers

Issues in porosity can be dealt with as larger pores are created in 3D to compensate for a required percentage, thus refining scaffold for better tissue engineering with bone.

“Increasing holding time from 5 h to 20, 40, and 60 h at optimum sintering temperature of 573 °C allowed steady improvements in microstructural, physical, and mechanical properties for each additional hold time while avoiding the undesirable dimensional loss. Interconnected open-porous structures with apparent porosity of 29%, average pore size of 15 μm, compressive strength of 174 MPa, and elastic modulus of 18 GPa were achieved,” concluded the scientists. “These values are well comparable with those seen for human cortical bone types.”

There is a huge momentum between 3D printing and the medical field today, and it just keeps growing as scientists and researchers continue to work toward the holy grail of fabricating human organs. Along with that, many different types of medical implants have been created and are now improving the quality of patients lives, from facial implants to those meant to facilitate knee replacements. Tissue engineering continues to be at the forefront of 3D printing also with the range of bioinks continuing to expand.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

Schematic illustrations of super-solidus liquid phase sintering process of 3D printed parts, a) total decomposition of interparticle bridges in a green sample after reaching 400 °C, b) nucleation of liquid phase along the grain boundaries and within the discrete islands throughout the grains at the temperature above the solidus, c) breaking MgO film for several particles with increasing temperature, leaking the liquid phase, forming liquid bridges among particles, and d) break down of MgO film, formation of liquid bridges between adjacent Mg particles, and growth of sinter necks diameter in the sample sintered at 573 °C for 40 h.

[Source / Images: Additive manufacturing of magnesium–zinc–zirconium (ZK) alloys via capillary-mediated binderless three-dimensional printing]

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.