Posted on

3D Printing News Briefs: November 7, 2018

We’re starting with more formnext announcements on today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to classes and workshops. Verashape is launching a new 3D printer at next week’s event in Frankfurt, while Cubicure will be presenting its new CSS software solution for 3D printing. In the meantime, SelfCAD is releasing an updated version of its software. Finally, the EU-funded METALS project has published an online 3D printing course, and the people behind a new program for 3D printed construction technology in India are organizing a workshop on construction 3D printing.

VSHAPER 500 Med Launching at formnext

Just like Polish 3D printer manufacturer Verashape introduced its 5-Axis VSHAPER 3D printer at last year’s formnext, the company is taking advantage of the 2018 event in Frankfurt, estimated to gather a record number of participants in its largest space yet, to launch its newest 3D printer – the VSHAPER 500 MED, which was developed to meet the growing demands for spatial printouts used in the medical field. The VSHAPER 500 MED, which includes a vacuum table, a closed chamber with UV light, and silver-based antibacterial coatings, is perfect for creating precise, high quality 3D printed medical models. The 3D printer also has a 420 x 420 x 400 mm workspace, along with an extruder with two V-JET heads.

“3D Printing technology is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in medical diseases treatment, fighting disabilities and increasing the effectiveness of complicated surgeries,” said Marcin Szymański, the company’s VSHAPER Product Manager. “The technology is already used to aid the creation of dental crowns, bone parts, blood vessels and hip-joints prosthetics.”

To see the new VSHAPER 500 MED 3D printer for yourself, visit Verashape at formnext from November 13-16 at Stand 3.1-G88.

Cubicure Presenting CSS Software Solution at formnext

Cubicure, a spin-off company of TU Wien, will be presenting its new, platform-independent software solution for additive manufacturing data preparation at formnext. The software, called CSS for Cubicure Support & Slice, can generate complex support geometries, as well as edit STL files. The comprehensive tool allows users to generate, edit and repair 3D models, in addition to easily exporting layer information for the 3D printing process. Developed with graphic software provider DeskArtes and based on 3Data Expert, CSS is applicable for DLP and SLA (stereolithography), and Cubicure’s own Hot Lithography technology, and also comes with an intuitive import function of several surface models, a user-friendly GUI, and data conversion tools.

Dr. Robert Gmeiner, the CEO of Cubicure GmbH, said, “With this software solution Cubicure offers another important product for the additive manufacturing value chain.”

You can visit Cubicure Booth G59 in Hall 3.1 at formnext.

SelfCAD Releasing Updated Software

Browser-based 3D design platform SelfCAD, founded in 2015, combines 3D modeling, slicing, and several other tools and functions in one easy program. Now, SelfCAD has launched an updated version of its software, which was developed based on users’ expectations of powerful but easy to use 3D modeling software. Version 2.0 of the modeling software includes more capabilities, like a 3D sketching toolset to increase the user’s level of freedom, and simplified design, including an intuitive user interface with a less confusing toolbar that makes it easy to use, even for beginners.

Additional features include new selection modes, a simple objects view with both light and dark modes, a measurement option for easier design of accurate models, new sketching brushes, and new shapes. What’s not new is that SelfCAD, with a price of $14.99 a month or $139.99 a year after a 10-day free trial.

METALS Project Publishes Online 3D Printing Course

The three-year MachinE Tool Alliance for Skills (METALS) project, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program and coordinated by CECIMO, ended last week, but not before releasing a free, online course about the fundamentals of AM. The project was characterized by a comprehensive partnership across Germany, Italy, and Spain, with a goal of increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s machine tool industry by providing the necessary skills to benefit from new disruptive technologies, such as 3D printing. The e-learning course, which is available in English, German, Italian and Spanish, intends to support the development of the AM workforce, and includes 27 learning units divided along three main areas: knowledge of AM, work-process, and entrepreneurship.

“Training and education are important elements for the industrialisation of additive technologies in Europe, which is the objective of CECIMO,” said Filip Geerts, CECIMO’s Director General. “With METALS, learners will be able to access relevant online knowledge at no cost and start building their competences to interact with AM. Coupled with on-hands training, which remains essential, initiatives like METALS are useful to increase the overall awareness of what AM concretely is and entails.”

National Workshop in India on 3D Printing Construction

Indian 3D printing startup Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, based out of Bangalore and Chennai, is a design and manufacturing organization that specializes in industrial 3D printing. The startup, founded by a group of alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, developed India’s first 3D printed concrete structure in collaboration with the IIT Madras Civil Department. Now, Tvasta and IIT Madras are organizing a national workshop, to be held in Chennai on November 16, all about 3D printing in construction.

The objective of the conference is to present how construction 3D printing has the potential to majorly boost the country’s affordable housing sector. Many reputable speakers from around the world, including academic and industry experts, have been invited to speak about developments in automation, specialized concrete mixes, structural design, and other topics during the workshop. The conference will be held in the IC & SR Auditorium at IIT Madras.

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

Posted on

MetalMaker 3D Launching Rapid Prototyping Service for Metal 3D Printed Parts On Demand

Tomorrow, North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event, FABTECH, will begin at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Many industry announcements will be made at the trade show, including one from advanced manufacturing startup MetalMaker 3D. The Connecticut-based company has just launched its new rapid prototyping service for on-demand 3D printing of metal parts. The process, which integrates investment casting with 3D printing, is said to be a more practical alternative to direct metal laser sintering, or DMLS, 3D printing.

“Until now, there has been a clear divide between the promise of metal additive manufacturing and reality of the types of metal parts that can practically be used in industry,” Eric Sammut, the CEO of MetalMaker 3D, told 3DPrint.com. “We are bridging that gap and offering a solution that maintains the performance of traditional manufacturing while delivering on the promise of additive manufacturing.”

Backed by seed accelerator Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker, MetalMaker 3D offers an industry-compatible solution for 3D printing metal parts that addresses many limitations of DMLS. Because parts made with DMLS 3D printing don’t have the same material properties as traditionally manufactured components, they are often also too expensive to use for the purposes of prototyping. But, MetalMaker 3D claims that it can offer truly isotropic metal parts, which are up to ten times cheaper than parts made with DMLS, with just one week of lead time.

Sammut explained, “Our goal is to enable manufacturers to use this additive pattern investment casting process in-house to produce custom metal parts in less than 24 hours.

“By combining additive manufacturing with investment casting, we get the best of both worlds: the design freedom, customizability, and rapid iteration of additive, along with the consistent mechanical, dimensional, and material properties of metal casting.”

The startup’s process can make functional metal parts with the design freedom inherent to 3D printing, while also providing the “isotropic mechanical and dimensional properties” that occur with high precision casting.

Currently, MetalMaker 3D is developing small-scale foundry systems for in-house investment casting so manufacturers can use the process for prototyping and low-volume production of complex metal parts, and is already working with several manufacturers, including partner Stanley, on real-world case studies. But, at FABTECH tomorrow, the startup will officially launch its rapid prototyping service, which involves working closely with its manufacturing customers to “refine their commercial product offering.”

While MetalMaker 3D does plan to expand its range of material options in the future, it will begin by offering rapid prototyping for aluminum parts with the aluminum 356 casting alloy – one of the most widely used in both the aerospace and automotive industries. In addition, the startup will also be offering optional T6 heat treatments as part of its new prototyping service.

Sammut said, “We can match the alloy, process, and heat treatment to create functional metal parts that are indistinguishable from commercially manufactured components.”

MetalMaker 3D will be running its prototyping service at the same time it works to continue developing its product offering, so its manufacturing customers can complete the process in-house. To request quotes and order custom 3D printed metal parts through the startup’s new on-demand rapid prototyping service, just fill out the quote form to receive a response within 48 hours…once FABTECH is over, of course.

If you will be attending the trade show in Georgia this week, visit MetalMaker 3D at Booth B5642 in the Additive Pavilion.

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

Posted on

3D Printing Used to Decorate Biodegradable KOFFINs that are Personalized for the Deceased

While the way we live is vastly different from the way we did 100, 50, and even 20 years ago, the way we say goodbye to loved ones when they’ve passed away is still pretty much the same. Funerals are not easy for a number of reasons, but the last thing on anyone’s mind should be the cost of these emotional events and ceremonies; unfortunately, that’s not often the case. According to SunLife, funeral costs have shot up over 70% in the last decade.

With this in mind, Koffin, a Liverpool startup founded by artist Gina Czarnecki in 2014, is working with business program LCR 4.0 and using Industry 4.0 technology – specifically 3D printing and advanced material testing – to help cut down on the cost of funerals with customizable, biodegradable eco-coffins.

“Funeral prices are increasing drastically, and people deserve the right to a personalised send-off that isn’t going to break the bank. Planning a funeral can be a difficult time, but we’ve found that having something tangible to take control of and make your own improves people’s wellbeing and peace of mind,” said Czarnecki.

“The work with LCR 4.0 has enabled us to test our design that creates a cost-effective alternative that emits less CO2 emissions than a natural plant.”

Together with brand consultant Clare Barry, Czarnecki set out to redesign the coffin – typically a narrow wooden box. But a KOFFIN, according to the startup’s website, is “a light, eco-friendly capsule made from bioplastic,” which is definitely different from the more traditional, pricey Victorian-style coffins we’re used to seeing.

“The way we currently bury or cremate our loved ones is poisoning the earth,” the Koffin website states.

“Besides… your funeral is your last hurrah, right?

“…So shouldn’t your coffin be as unique as you are?”

The 100% biodegradable KOFFINS were created to help people take back their rights to a personal, affordable funeral. They are made with a lignin-based biopolymer and don’t require any glues or metals to hold them together. They produce less ash residue than other coffins, are leak-proof without having to use wax linings, and will decompose in the earth just like natural tree wood. Additionally, the oval capsules can be completely personalized with different colors, hand-written messages, photographs, and a variety of attachable, 3D printed decorations.

During the development of the KOFFIN prototype, the startup was in need of expert technical support during testing. So Koffin turned to LCR 4.0, partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and its partners Sensor City and Liverpool John Moores University to test its inexpensive, sustainable prototype, and use 3D printing for added personalization.

“Koffin is unlike any other start-up that we’ve helped to date,” said Jaime Mora-Fernandez, LCR 4.0 product design engineer at Sensor City. “The work carried out illustrates how new technologies can help businesses in a wide variety of sectors transform the way they approach the design and manufacturing process.”

The LCR 4.0 team at Sensor City helped Koffin complete a finite element analysis (FEA) of the design to find the right material thickness to withhold sufficient pressure. This helps reduce material costs, which will trickle down to lower consumer costs. Then, the partners tested the prototype, and completed a report that concluded the material’s thickness would be robust enough for its purpose.


After four long years of development, the startup has officially gone into production with its first run of biodegradable, customizable, eco-friendly KOFFINs.

“Our involvement with the LCR 4.0 scheme has resulted in outputs being produced in a timely and efficient manner, using expert advice and linking disciplines seamlessly,” said Czarnecki.

Starting today, 20 of the KOFFINs, decorated through a national public call-out, will be displayed at the Oratory, next to the Anglican Cathedral, in Liverpool; some of them even bear some interesting 3D printed decorations. Soon, the startup will also launch a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise the necessary funds to take the KOFFINs to market.

 

This isn’t the first time that 3D printing has been utilized in the death care industry. We’ve seen 3D printed urns, 3D printed busts of the deceased, and even 3D printed jewelry made from the ashes of our loved ones. As 3D printing also comes into play often with sustainability efforts, the KOFFINs seem to be a perfect mix of life and death.

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

Posted on

3D Printing News Briefs: October 16, 2018

We’re starting with some business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, including stories about a new 3D printer, an anniversary, and a 3D printing investment. Cincinnati Incorporated has launched a new high temperature version of its SAAM 3D printer, and EOS will supply Visser Precision with five new metal 3D printers, including its M 400-4. VBN Components celebrates its tenth anniversary, and an Israeli 3D printing startup has received about $400,000 in funding. Researchers in Iran have successfully 3D printed flexible electronic circuits, and 3D printing was used to replicate a Chinese grotto. Finally, the Golf Channel will be featuring 3D printed golf clubs tonight.

New High Temperature Version of SAAM 3D Printer

Last week at FABTECH 2018 in Georgia, build-to-order machine tool manufacturer Cincinnati Incorporated (CI) launched a brand new high temperature version of its SAAM (Small Area Additive Manufacturing) 3D printer series. The SAAM HT 3D printer has a nozzle that can sustain temperatures up to 450°C and a bed temperature up to 260°C, which makes it possible to process materials like polycarbonate, PEEK, and ULTEM. Courtesy of its continuous patented automatic-ejection mechanism, the SAAM HT can be used for small batch production, and is a good choice for manufacturing tooling involved in high temperature operations.

“All materials compatible with SAAM can be used on the HT version. This level of versatility makes it a valuable asset in any manufacturing setting. We are enabling manufacturers and engineers to create the custom parts they need for their most demanding applications,” said Chris Haid, the General Manager of the NVBOTS Business Unit at CI.

EOS Supplying Visser Precision with New Metal 3D Printers

EOS M400-4

Denver-based Visser Precision, which provides advanced metals manufacturing solutions, has doubled its metal 3D printing capacity, thanks to the terms of an agreement reached with EOS at the recent IMTS trade fair. Visser has purchased three EOS M 400-4 3D printers, and two of the recently introduced EOS M 300-4 systems, making it the first organization to acquire the new platform. Market demands for DMLS-quality metal components in industries like aerospace and defense led Visser to grow its metal 3D printer capacity, and the new EOS systems will be delivered in a few months.

Ryan Coniam, the President of Visser Precision, said, “Our customers require the highest-performance, highest quality components and we feel partnering with EOS – the metal AM industry pioneers and leaders in DMLS – provides us with the capabilities we need to meet market demands now and in the next few years. Nearly anyone nowadays can 3D print something in metal, the trick is repeatability while meeting and maintaining quality and our investments with EOS mean we can deliver that to our customers.”

VBN Components Celebrating 10 Years in Business

Swedish materials development company VBN Components AB was founded in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, and has come a long way since then. The award-winning company works to continuously develop new and better materials, including its corrosion and wear resistant Vibenite 350 for the plastics industry and Vibenite 290, the “World’s Hardest Steel.”

Martin Nilsson, CEO and one of the founders of VBN Components, said, “After our first patent, describing the process of making extremely clean and low-oxygen-rate materials, we realised that we were on to something big.”

This year, VBN Components is celebrating 10 years in business, with several patents and new, hard materials under its belt. But stay tuned – the company will soon unveil the greatest news in its history, which has been described as “a revolution in material development.”

Israeli 3D Printing Startup Receives Funding

TAU Ventures team, R-L: Nimrod Cohen, Managing Partner at TAU Ventures; Shira Gal, Director of Incubator Programs; Yaara Benbenishty, Director of Marketing and Operations [Image: Eylon Yehiel]

TAU Ventures, the venture capital fund of Tel Aviv University, announced that it has led an investment round worth nearly $2 million for two Israeli startups, including Hoopo and 3D printing company Castor. Founded two years ago by Omer Blaier and Elad Schiller, Castor combines 3D printing with artificial intelligence for its high-tech customers, which enables the companies to lower costs by using advanced technology. Castor’s technology automatically analyzes and determines the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of using 3D printing in the manufacturing process.

The startup will be receiving about $400,000 in combined funding from Stanley Black & Decker, the Techstars Accelerator, British businessman Jeremy Coller, and TAU Ventures, which is the first and only academic-based venture capital fund in Israel.

3D Printing Flexible Electronic Circuits

Researchers from a knowledge-based company in Iran have recently developed 3D printers that can fabricate flexible electronic circuits, which could be used in the future as wearables for clothing, pressure sensors, or industrial talc for cars.

The unnamed company’s project manager, Ali Gharekhani, told Mehr News that these 3D printers only take a few seconds to 3D print the flexible electronic circuits, and that foreign versions of this system are “very expensive.” Gharekhani also said that in light of this new development, his company has already received some proposals for Turkey, and “intends to reach an agreement with the Turkish side on production of clothes by 3D printers” before its rivals in Germany, Canada, and Korea.

3D Printed Replica of Chinese Grotto

Yungang Grottoes are a cradle of Buddhist art, playing host to more than 51,000 sculptures. [Image: Zhang Xingjian, China Daily]

There are over 59,000 statues carved in 45 different caves in the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001. This week, a full-size, 3D printed replica of one of the grottoes passed experts’ tests. The Yungang Grottoes Research Institute in northern China’s Shanxi province, a Shenzhen company, and Zhejiang University launched the project, which is based on original cave No 12, also called the “Cave of Music.” The 3D printed replica is 15 meters long, 11 meters wide, and 9 meters high, weighs less than 5 metric tons, and is claimed by the institute to be the world’s largest 3D printed movable grotto. High precision 3D data was collected to print the replica out of resin, which took about six months, and it can be divided in parts and pieced together within a week.

“We plan to color it with mineral pigments before the end of this year,” said Zhang Zhuo, head of the institute. “In this way, the replica will maintain its original size, texture and color.”

In the future, the 3D printed grotto replica will be added to exhibition tours with the institute’s other cultural relics.

3D Printed Golf Clubs on the Golf Channel

Tonight, at 9 pm EDT, EOS will be featured, together with Wilson Golf, on the NBC Golf Channel show Driver Vs. Driver. The seven-episode series follows aspiring designers of golf equipment as they compete against each other for the chance to win $500,000. In addition to the money, the winner will also have the opportunity to have their driver design sold, under the Wilson Staff name, at retail stores.

The show gives viewers a behind the scenes look as advancing teams work with engineers at the company’s innovation hub, Wilson LABS, to evaluate, refine, and test out their concepts. Tonight is the third episode, and showcases several designers’ use of 3D printing to make the best golf driver club. Wilson is among a few other companies, including Krone Golf, Ping, Callaway Golf Company, and Cobra Puma Golf, that is using 3D printing to produce golf clubs and other equipment.

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

Posted on

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.

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

Posted on

3D Printing News Briefs: July 10, 2018

We’re starting things off with a little business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, then moving on to news from the medical and construction industries, and finishing up with a few fun stories to make you smile. First up, Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric, has joined the board at Desktop Metal, and an industrial 3D printer distributor is offering a new cleaning unit by Omegasonics to its customers. Moving on, Insight Medical and Onkos Surgical are exploring the use of augmented reality in musculoskeletal oncology together, while Australian researchers introduced a new model for large-scale 3D facial recognition and a family has officially moved into the Nantes 3D printed house. Finally, a vegan confection startup is selling its popsicles, made with 3D printed molds, at select Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, and an EnvisionTEC 3D printer is being used to create characters for a stop motion series about superheroes.

Desktop Metal Board Welcomes Jeff Immelt

Jeffrey Immelt

Leading metal 3D printing company Desktop Metal, located near Boston, was founded three years ago with the goal of making metal 3D printing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers. The company announced today that it has elected a new member to its Board of Directors – Jeffrey Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of GE until he retired from the company last year after 16 years. Immelt, who began his tenure only days before 9/11 and skillfully led GE through the crisis, has decades of experience, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished, innovative business technology leaders in the world. This makes him a valuable asset as Desktop Metal continues to grow.

“I am excited and honored to join the Desktop Metal board and work with this exceptional team of visionary entrepreneurs. Since it was founded nearly three years ago, Desktop Metal has become a trailblazer across the additive manufacturing landscape and I have a tremendous respect for the company’s ability to innovate,” said Immelt. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction and growth of this emerging metal 3D printing pioneer.”

Dr. Ken Washington, CTO and Vice President of Research and Advanced Engineering at the Ford Motor Company, was also recently appointed to the Desktop Metal board.

Industrial 3D Printer Distributor Offering Customers New Omegasonics Cleaning Unit

815BTX

Plural Additive Manufacturing, which is the exclusive North American distributor for industrial 3D printers by 3ntr, is offering the new 815BTX cleaning unit from ultrasonic cleaning systems leader Omegasonics to customers who purchase its 3D printers. The versatile and cost-effective unit is the 3D printing market’s first dual tank/dual action bench top ultrasonic cleaning machine, and can help easily remove water soluble support material.

The left tank of the 815BTX uses a biodegradable cleaning detergent developed by Plural, called BioSolv, while the right tank uses hot water; the model’s dual action then ensures the safe and efficient cleaning of 3D printed parts. The 815BTX also has programmable alternating cycles for hands-off cleaning.

“3ntr manufacturers’ of 3D printers utilize a variety of support materials, some require chemicals for support removal, while others need only hot water. The 815BTX eliminates the need to have two separate cleaning machines or deal with the cost of frequent cleaning detergent changes to get the job done,” explained Frank Pedeflous, the President of Omegasonics. “It’s an all-in-one solution.”

Onkos Surgical and Insight Medical Exploring Augmented Reality in Musculoskeletal Oncology

California medical device company Insight Medical Systems has partnered with Onkos Surgical, Inc. on a pilot project to explore different applications and opportunities for using Insight Medical’s ARVIS (Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System) headset in musculoskeletal oncology, and possibly tumor surgery. Still under development, ARVIS uses its tracking and visualization capabilities to deliver efficient and precise surgical plan execution. The headset can project virtual models of a specific patient’s anatomy and implants into a surgeon’s field of view during a procedure, in order to show hidden anatomical structures and important measurements.

“Onkos Surgical is investing heavily in capabilities and technology to bring innovation to musculoskeletal oncology surgeons,” said Onkos CEO and Co-Founder Patrick Treacy. “Augmented reality technology has the potential of simplifying the complex and providing surgeons with input and feedback that may improve the precision of surgical planning and interoperative workflow. This technology fits well with our portfolio of Precision Oncology solutions.”

University of Western Australia Introduces New Model for Large-Scale 3D Facial Recognition

2D facial recognition is used often for applications in the IT, security, and surveillance industries, and relies on a computer model to know whether a person is legitimate or not. But this method has several issues, such as data being easily accessible online, which aren’t the case with more advanced 3D models. 3D models can address changes in facial expression, poses, scale, and texture, but the data can be hard to gather. Now, researchers from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have developed a first of its kind system that can complete large-scale 3D facial recognition. The researchers, who published a paper on their work in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, analyzed 3.1 million 3D scans of over 100,000 people, and trained the innovative new 3D Facial Recognition model (FR3DNet) to learn the identities of a large dataset of ‘known’ persons, then match a test face to one.

Dr. Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, who created the 3D model, said, “With off-the-shelf 3D cameras becoming cheap and affordable, the future for pure 3D face recognition does not seem far away.

“Our research shows that recognition performance on 3D scans is better and more robust. Your 3D scan could be in any pose, wearing glasses or a face mask, and laughing or just smiling and the deep model can recognise you in an instant.

“We hope that this research will help improve security on devices that use facial recognition to grant access to networks and systems.”

Nantes 3D Printed House Welcomes First Tenants

In 2017, a collaborative team of researchers in France began an ambitious project where an industrial 3D printer and a patented concrete construction process called BatiPrint3D were used to build a five-room house in just days. This spring, after 54 hours of 3D printing and four months of contractors adding the roof, windows, and doors, the team finished the 95-square-meter, environmentally-friendly YHNOVA house in the district of Nantes Bottière. The house features wheelchair access and digital controls, and its curved walls are said to reduce the effects of humidity. But it still only cost around £176,000 to build – 20% cheaper than an identical house manufactured with traditional methods. Now, the NMH Housing Award Committee has allocated the house to a French family, and Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, are being hailed as the world’s first family to live in a 3D printed house.

Nordine said, “It’s a big honour to be a part of this project.

“We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it’s a big change for us.

“It’s really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house.”

The THNOVA team now believes they can 3D print the same house in just 33 hours.

Dream Pops Selling 3D Printed Popsicles at LA Starbucks

Vegan confection startup Dream Pops, headquartered in Los Angeles, creates organic, gluten- and soy-free, and vegan popsicles that are tasty, healthy, and made using 3D printed molds. These premier dairy-free popsicles consist of fruit and superfoods pureed together and cooled inside the molds at an accelerated rate with liquid nitrogen. Now, the startup has announced that its sweet treats are now available at five select Starbucks locations in the city – Third Street Promenade, La Brea and 4th, San Vincente and Barrington, Melrose and Stanley, and Wilshire and Santa Monica. The vegan ice cream pops, each of which contain fewer than 100 calories and seven grams of sugar, comes in five distinct flavors: Berry Dreams, Coconut Latte, Mango Rosemary, Vanilla Matcha, and a Dream Flight, which includes all four flavors.

“Our aim is to become the Willy Wonka of plant-based confections starting with our first product the Dream Pop and extending into adjacent better-for-you desserts,” said Dream Pops Co-Founder and CEO David Greenfield.

Dream Pops’ popsicles will be available at these Starbucks locations until October 5th.

3D Printed Stop Motion Characters

3D printing has been used many times to help create characters and backdrops for ads and commercials, music videos, and even movies that use popular stop motion animation. If you’re a fan of the stop motion show Robot Chicken, then you might also recognize the name of the full-service production company that creates it. California-based Stoopid Buddy Stoodios specializes in developing and producing stop-motion, CG, and 2D animated content, and also creates an animated stop motion comedy series called SuperMansion. The studio fabricates most of the show’s characters with a Perfactory 3D printer from EnvisionTEC.

“By utilizing 3D printing, we’re able to tell a story about superheroes and love and conflict and action and adventure,” said Kei Chong, Digital Design Supervisor at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.

To learn more, check out the video below.

3D Printing for Animation | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios from EnvisionTEC on Vimeo.

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