Evolve Additive Solutions set for another round of investment funding

Evolve Additive Solutions, a former subsidiary of Stratasys, has announced that it will be receiving continued support from Stanley Black & Decker (SB&D), an S&P 500 company, in the form of an additional round of funding. SB&D, along with LEGO, initially invested in Evolve back in 2017 when its proprietary STEP (Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process) […]

Stanley Black & Decker Invests in Evolve Additive at $19 Million Valuation

The developer of a novel mass 3D printing technology, Evolve Additive Solutions, has announced additional investment support by Stanley Black & Decker through a new round of investment funding as it looks to accelerate its growth and new market opportunities.

This second stage of undisclosed funding revealed on Thursday supports Evolve’s vision of expansion into new markets, applications, and opportunities. In 2017, Evolve raised $19 million in equity funding with the LEGO Brand Group and Stanley Black & Decker investing in its STEP (Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process) 3D printing process, which this year began its Beta system phase and will soon move into commercial sales, ahead of next years expected industry integration.

Designed for automated manufacturing and full incorporation onto the factory-floor, the company’s breakthrough technology allows users to employ production-grade thermoplastics for volume manufacturing applications across multiple industries, including automotive, industrial, and medical.

STEP technology (Credit: Evolve Additive Solutions)

Evolve’s STEP technology is expected to sit on the manufacturing floor alongside traditional manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, and the company claims it will augment an organization’s production capabilities allowing freedom of design and faster time to market with “toolless” production. This new scalable and extensible solution combines Evolve’s own proprietary technology with electrophotography to produce additive manufactured parts that meet or exceed the quality of traditionally fabricated ones.

“Stanley Black & Decker is excited about the continued relationship. Evolve’s vision in the Additive Manufacturing space enables the company to commercialize this new state-of-the-art technology and provide high quality production parts,” said Larry Harper, vice president of Stanley Ventures for Stanley Black & Decker.

An S&P 500 company, Stanley Black & Decker is well known as a global provider of hand tools, power tools, electronic security solutions, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems, and much more. In recent years, it has taken on projects that entail 3D-printed parts, 3D printing materials, and supporting 3D printing startups. Moreover, Evolve’s additive manufacturing technology is expected to have great potential in the production of high-quality, medium-volume plastic components for a number of Stanley Black & Decker’s product categories.

“Our continued relationship expands our market opportunity,” stated Steve Chillscyzn, CEO and founder of Evolve. “As a startup organization that is redefining the market, the continued confidence and trust from Stanley gives us proof that there is a strong demand for our technology in the marketplace”.

What started in 2009 as a research project led by Chillscyzn to introduce 3D printing for manufacturing, has become a potentially robust technology platform for manufacturers across many industries to develop products made with engineering plastics. Born out of Stratasys, the incubation project turned independent company already has over 100 granted and pending patents and more than 21 engineers working on its underlying technology system which was built from the ground up, instead of revamping or rethinking other industrial technologies.

The STEP process combines time-tested 2D imaging technology with proprietary subsystems developed by Evolve to precisely align incoming layers and bond them to create final parts that are fully dense with isotropic properties, that the company claims are equal or even exceed those of injection molding.

STEP technology introduces a range of new features that could radically improve manufacturing. From a lower cost per part for short to medium batch sizes to multiple material printing and industry 4.0. As the Minneapolis-based company approaches full commercialization it has already established a joint agreement with German specialty chemicals company Evonik to work together on new formulations of thermoplastic materials that can be used in Evolve’s STEP process, which was designed to function with production-grade thermoplastics. So that, along with the expectations surrounding Evolve’s new technology, users will also have a lot to look forward to in terms of material choices, as the combined efforts of the partners could result in a wider range of materials for users and more 3D printing material choices for production than are commonly utilized in traditionally manufactured products.

Evolve’s STEP technology is ready for integration with industry (Credit: Evolve Additive Solutions)

Last year, after Evolve’s STEP system entered the Alpha development stage and was sent for testing to a strategic partner’s manufacturing headquarters, the company had already begun looking for Beta partners that could benefit from a technology like STEP to produce what they refer to as “true manufacturing with additive at volume.” Evolve directors even suggested they were actively discussing participation in the STEP Beta program with companies across many industries including automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, industrial manufacturing, and medical.

With Evolve’s STEP technology expected to begin commercial sales later this year, this additional investment enables the company to further strengthen its brand momentum and capitalize on its position as a new global player in the additive manufacturing market.

The post Stanley Black & Decker Invests in Evolve Additive at $19 Million Valuation appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing News Briefs: October 6, 2019

We’ve got lots of material news for you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, starting with a Material Development Kit from RPS. Polymaker and Covestro are releasing three new materials and EOS has introduced a new TPU material for industrial 3D printing. Moving on, CASTOR and Stanley Black & Decker used EOS 3D printing to reduce costs and lead time, and Velo3D is partnering with PWR to make high performance heat exchangers.

RPS Introduces Material Development Kit for NEO800

UK 3D printer manufacturer RPS just launched its NEO Material Development Kit, which was designed by company engineers to be used as a polymer research and development tool for its NEO800 SLA 3D printer. The MDK comes in multiple platform and vat sizes, and allows developers to work with different resin formulations, so that R&D companies can work to develop a range of polymers that are not available in today’s industry. Users can print single layer exposure panes with Titanium software and the 1 liter vat in order to find the photo-speed of the formulation they’re developing; then, tensile testing of different material formulations can commence. Once this initial testing is finished, developers can scale up to the 13 liter vat – perfect for 3D printing prototype parts for use in optimizing final configuration settings.

“This NEO Material Development Kit now opens the door for large industrial chemical companies such as BASF, DSM and Heinkel to push the boundaries of UV photopolymers,” said David Storey, the Director of RPS. “The industry is looking for a quantum jump in materials to print end-user production parts from the stereolithography process.”

New Polycarbonate-Based Materials by Polymaker and Covestro

Advanced 3D printing materials leader Polymaker and polymer company Covestro are teaming up to launch three polycarbonate-based materials. These versatile new materials coming to the market each have unique properties that are used often in a variety of different industries.

The first is PC-ABS, a polycarbonate and ABS blend which uses Covestro’s Bayblend family as its base material. Due to its high impact and heat resistance, this material is specialized for surface finishings such as metallization and electroplating, so it’s good for post-processing work. Polymaker PC-PBT, which blends the toughness and strength of polycarbonate with PBT’s high chemical resistance, is created from Covestro’s Makroblend family and performs well under extreme circumstances, whether it’s subzero temperatures or coming into contact with hydrocarbon-based chemicals. Finally, PolyMax PC-FR is a flame retardant material that’s based in Covestro’s Makrolon family and has a good balance between safety and mechanical performance – perfect for applications in aerospace motor mounts and battery housings.

EOS Offers New Flexible TPU Material

In another materials news, EOS has launched TPU 1301, a new flexible polymer for industrial, serial 3D printing. Available immediately, this thermoplastic polyurethane has high UV-stability, great resilience, and good hydrolysis resistance as well. TPU materials are often used in applications that require easy process capabilities and elastomeric properties, so this is a great step to take towards 3D printing mass production.

“The EOS TPU 1301 offers a great resilience after deformation, very good shock absorption, and very high process stability, at the same time providing a smooth surface of the 3D printed part,” said Tim Rüttermann, the Senior Vice President for Polymer Systems & Materials at EOS. “As such the material is particularly suited for applications in footwear, lifestyle and automotive – such as cushioning elements, protective gears, and shoe soles.”

You can see application examples for TPU 1301 at the EOS booth D31, hall 11.1, at formnext in Frankfurt next month, and the material will also be featured by the company at K Fair in Dusseldorf next week.

CASTOR, Stanley Black & Decker, and EOS Reduce Costs and Lead Time

Speaking of EOS, Stanley Black & Decker recently worked with Tel Aviv startup CASTOR to majorly reduce the lead time, and cost, for an end-use metal production part that was 3D printed on EOS machinery. This was the first time that 3D printing has been incorporated into the production line of Stanley Engineered Fastening. In a CASTOR video, EOS North America’s Business Development Manager Jon Walker explained that for most companies, the issue isn’t deciding if they want to use AM, but rather how and where to use it…which is where CASTOR enters.

“They have a very cool software in which we can just upload the part of the assembly CAD file, and within a matter of minutes, it can automatically analyze the part, and give us the feasibility of whether the part is suitable for additive manufacturing or not. And in case it is not suitable, it can also let us know why it is not suitable, and what needs to be changed. It can also tell us what is the approximate cost, which material and printer we can use,” said Moses Pezarkar, a Manufacturing Engineer at Stanley’s Smart Factory, in the video.

To learn more, check out the case study, or watch the video below:

PWR and Velo3D Collaborating on 3D Printed Heat Exchangers

Cooling solutions supplier PWR and Velo3D have entered into a collaborative materials development partnership for serial manufacturing of next-generation heat exchangers, and for the Sapphire metal 3D printer. PWR will be the first in the APAC region to have a production Sapphire machine, which it will use to explore high-performance thermal management strategies through 3D printing for multiple heat exchange applications. Together, the two companies will work on developing aluminum alloy designs with more complex, thinner heat exchange features.

“PWR chose Velo3D after extensive testing. The Velo3D Sapphire printer demonstrated the ability to produce class-leading thin-wall capabilities and high-quality surfaces with zero porosity. Velo3D and PWR share a passion for pushing the limits of technology to deliver truly disruptive, class-leading, products. We are a natural fit and look forward to building a strong partnership going forward,” said Matthew Bryson, the General Manager of Engineering for PWR.

“Heat exchanger weight and pressure-drop characteristics have a huge impact on performance and are significant factors in all motorsport categories. Using additive manufacturing to print lightweight structures, enhancing performance with freedom-of-design, we have the ability to further optimize these characteristics to the customer’s requirements whilst providing the necessary cooling. The broad design capabilities and extremely high print accuracy of the Velo3D Sapphire 3D metal printer will help us optimize these various performance attributes.”

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

The post 3D Printing News Briefs: October 6, 2019 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing Industry jobs, career moves and facility openings update: Evolve Additive Solutions, Re:3D, Sigma Labs, Senvol, GE Additive

If you’re searching for a 3D printing job or seeking to hire additive manufacturing experts, our jobs site has new positions available. This jobs update details new opportunities from re:3D, and Evolve Additive Solutions, as well as recent hires from Senvol, Sigma Labs and a facility opening from GE Additive. Embedded Software Engineer, Re:3D, Houston, […]

10 startups announced for the 2019 STANLEY + Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator

Ten companies have been announced for the 2019 STANLEY+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator program based in Hartford, Connecticut.   Run by Techstars, a Colorado-based venture capital firm, and multinational tool manufacturer Stanley Black & Decker, this program supports and mentors startups with the aim of forwarding new technologies onto the market.  Claudia Reuter, Managing Director at Techstars, […]

AstroPrint closes $1M in funding from Stanley Venture and Alma Mundi Ventures

3D printing cloud platform AstroPrint has raised $1 million in funding contributed by Stanley Ventures, the VC arm of Stanley Black & Decker and fellow VC Alma Mundi Ventures. The second round of fundraising for the company since it launched in 2013, the new capital takes the total invested in AstroPrint to $2.1 million. The money will […]

3D Printing Industry News Sliced: Stratasys, Markforged, XYZprinting and more

In this week’s edition of the 3D Printing Industry news digest Sliced, you can find the latest stories from an expanding filament to mobile phone security,  3D printed art pieces at Milano Design, and life-size comic book characters. We also cover the latest updates from the likes of Stratasys, Markforged, PyroGenesis and WASP. Read on for […]

Join Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker for a Live AMA to learn more about their 3D Printing Accelerator

Techstars to host second live AMA event to answer questions about their 2019 investment focus on additive manufacturing and sustainable tech.

On April 3rd 2019, Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker will host a live AMA (Ask me Anything) to provide a platform for startups and industry experts to ask questions about their upcoming accelerator. This second AMA will allow startups to learn more about how the Stanley Ventures divisions considers investment.

Applications are currently open for the 2019 STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator. Scheduled to start in July 2019, the accepted companies receive up to $120,000.00 in funding, access to over $1M in additional resources, access to world-class mentors including executives, founders, investors and technical experts, and life-long membership in the Techstars network.

While Techstars posts their FAQs right on their website, they understand that founders will often want to ask questions directly to program leadership.  For their second AMA you will have an opportunity to have all of your questions answered by: 

  • Claudia Reuter, Managing Director, STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator
  • Martin Guay, Vice President Business Development, Stanley Black & Decker
  • Michael Mahan, Managing Director, Stanley Ventures

The stats on Techstars companies are pretty well-known. With over 1600 investments, and exits including Amazon’s recent$1B acquisition of Pillpack and the IPO of SendGrid and its subsequent $3B acquisition by Twilio, accepted companies will find themselves in good company. Looking more closely at the ten companies who recently completed the 2018 STANLEY + Techstars Program provides another view of the potential for accepted companies. Of the 10 companies, most are in the process of finalizing additional capital and expanding their businesses, and 4 of them have already received follow on investment directly from the STANLEY Ventures team. 

Industry giants like Stanley Black & Decker have recognized that startups with solutions in additive manufacturing or sustainable tech have the potential to transform the industry and the world.  The AMA is a chance for those looking to make an impact to learn more.

Stanley Black & Decker is Using AstroPrint to Optimize and Control Its 3D Printer Fleets

Cloud-based 3D printing management software AstroPrint, officially launched on Kickstarter in 2014, is a venture-backed company that’s both a service and a device, with features such as file management, live video streaming, and a mobile app. The company recently made a pretty great deal for itself – it’s partnering with Stanley Black & Decker in order to create a distributed network of 3D printers.

“Thanks to this partnership, we will gain visibility into ROI, uptime, value, resource optimization, and competence development in regards to 3D printer usage at Stanley Black and Decker. These are critical drivers for Additive Manufacturing success for every enterprise. We are confident that the AstroPrint software solution has a great deal of promise for us and for the industry,” said Martin Guay, VP of Business Development at Stanley Black and Decker.

Using AstroPrint’s Enterprise Cloud, Stanley Black & Decker will work to connect, control, and optimize its fleet of 3D printers across multiple facilities, automating its AM workflows and systems on one platform to ensure that resources are being shared as they should. At the same time, the partnership with AstroPrint will allow Stanley Black & Decker to acquire new intelligence when it comes to opportunities in growth and productivity.

The software will make it possible for Stanley Black & Decker engineers to collect data on their 3D printers, in addition to checking productivity, usage, and any potential issues on every 3D printer in its fleet. This will help the company make smart decisions on how to scale their 3D printing up and out, and continue optimizing its workflows. As Stanley Black & Decker uses its 3D printers for everything from small run manufacturing of existing product parts to new design prototyping, this is very important.

AstroPrint founder-CEO Drew Taylor. [Image: Steve Laschever, Hartford Business Journal]

“We’ve been in the 3D Printing industry for a long time now and we are proud to have pioneered one of the first (and best) software systems to manage 3D Printers through the cloud,” said Drew Taylor, the CEO of AstroPrint. “It’s now time for us to anticipate the needs and bottlenecks that large, multi-location companies, such as Stanley Black & Decker, will face as they invest significantly to grow their Additive Manufacturing programs.”

As Stanley Black & Decker continues to invest in, and contribute to, 3D printing, the first thing the company will do with AstroPrint is connect its 3D printers and teams in different worldwide offices. Then, company engineers will be able to use a single dashboard to, as AstroPrint put it, “gain a commanding view of all the 3D printers in the fleet.” This connection will allow them to control 3D printer fleets for larger scale projects from one system, as well as share resources from any of its 3D printers around the world. Additionally, managers can set various permissions for team members, and even external consultants and contractors, based what responsibilities they have.

The data collected by AstroPrint’s Enterprise Cloud will be used by the company’s senior managers, along with its business development teams, to plan budgets, make more accurate projections, create business cases for new areas of growth, and review Returns on Investment (ROI) for projects.

This partnership with Stanley Black & Decker is a pretty significant one for AstroPrint. Now, it can focus on scaling out its Enterprise Cloud in order to make it more accessible to large manufacturers who need to better connect, control, and optimize their own fleets of 3D printers. It is clear that networked desktop 3D printers will be the future for universities and enterprise customers but who will win in the space? Will it be Astroprint, Ultimaker’s Cura, a Materialise app or something from Dassault or Autodesk? It is early days yet but this is a good move for Astroprint’s sake.

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

Stanley Black & Decker and Astroprint partner to create 3D printing network

Stanley Black & Decker, an American manufacturer of industrial tools and household hardware, has partnered with AstroPrint, a San Diego-based provider of cloud software, to control and optimize its fleet of 3D printers. As Stanley Black & Decker continues to invest and develop 3D printing ventures, particularly through the STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator, the company will utilize […]