3D Printing News Briefs: October 10, 2018

It’s business news as usual to kick things off in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then we’re moving on to a little medical and metal 3D printing news, followed by a 3D printing experiment and a superhero-sized 3D printed statue. The LEHVOSS Group is expanding the production capacities for its LUVOCOM material, DyeMansion has announced that its new RAL colors are now available, and the Million Waves Project receives a large grant from Shell Oil. A medical technology company is using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion to 3D print dental aligners, a YouTube video shows the depowdering process for a metal 3D printed turbine, and an experiment shows if it’s possible to use a DLP 3D printer for PCB etching. Finally, WhiteClouds designed and 3D printed a huge statue of She-Ra for a special event.

LEHVOSS Group Expanding LUVOCOM Production Capacity

Not long ago, the LEHVOSS Group, which operates under the management of parent company Lehmann&Voss&Co., revealed that that it would be showcasing its high-performance, thermoplastic LUVOCOM 3F 3D printing compounds at upcoming trade shows. Now, in order to keep meeting the ever increasing demand for these materials, the company has taken important steps, such as constructing a new laboratory and innovation center in Hamburg and commissioning an additional compounding line, to expand the worldwide production capacities for LUVOCOM.

“At the same time, these investments are just another consistent step within the framework of our long-term growth strategy,” said Dr. Thomas Oehmichen, a shareholder of Lehmann&Voss&Co. with personal liability. “Additional extensive investments in the expansion of our plastics business are currently the subject of detailed planning and are set to follow shortly.”

DyeMansion’s New RAL Colors Available

While attending the TCT Show in Birmingham recently, DyeMansion launched three machines that work together to depowder, surface treat, and dye 3D printed parts. The DM60 is the fully automated dyeing part of the system, and the company added a brand new palette of 170 standard RAL colors for PA2200 to its portfolio to let people expand the color range of the system significantly.

DyeMansion has now announced that its new RAL colors for the PolyShot Surfacing (PSS) finish are now available for DM60 color cartridges, and can be ordered via the DyeMansion On-Demand Service. To check if your favorite colors are available, type in the RAL color code on the website. To learn more about the RAL palette and the Print-to-Product workflow, visit DyeMansion’s booth 3.1-G61 at formnext in Germany next month.

Shell Oil Gives Million Waves Project a $5,000 Grant

About 40 million people in the developing world don’t have access to the prosthetic limbs they desperately need, while an estimated 28 billion pounds of plastic trash is dumped into our oceans each year. 501c(3) non-profit organization the Million Waves Project is working to fix both of these problems by using recycled ocean plastic to make inexpensive, 3D printed prosthetic limbs for children. The organization is pleased to announce that it will be now be able to make even more 3D printed prosthetics for kids thanks to a $5,000 grant that Shell Oil is providing.

“We are so excited to partner with this incredible nonprofit that aims to help serve the millions of people in need of prosthetic limbs,” said Brenna Clairr, an external relations advisor at Shell. “Our vision at the refinery is to proudly fuel life in the Pacific Northwest for our employees, contractors and our community, and we help bring that vision to life by collaborating with organizations like a Million Waves Project.”

HP’s MJF Technology Used to 3D Print Dental Aligners

Swiss medical technology company nivellmedical AG is focused on developing, manufacturing, and distributing nivellipso, a novel clear aligner system for correcting misaligned teeth. The system, a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to the conventional fixed braces, uses biocompatible, invisible plastic splints that gently move teeth to the desired position. The company is using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology to make its  dental aligners, which has helped improve its digital workflow.

“We are putting our focus on precision and quality work,” said Dr. Milan Stojanovic, the head of the nivellmedical board. “3D printing technology has simplified a lot of the production of aligners.

The patient’s mouth is scanned, and the scan is then sent to the laboratory, where a model is 3D printed and used to properly fit the aligners before they are shipped out to the patient. Learn more about the process in the video below:

Depowdering a Metal 3D Print Build

Have you ever seen those videos on the internet that are supposed to be ‘oddly satisfying’ and stress-reliving in a way you can’t quite figure out? The ones that show a ton of matches lighting up in a pattern, or someone slowly squishing their hands in a beautifully decorated pile of slime or some other weird material? Nick Drobchenko, a YouTube user from Saint Petersburg, has now introduced the 3D printing equivalent with his video of using a brush to slowly remove the metal powder from a 3D printed part.

“Hollow stainless steel turbine, 90mm diameter. Printing time 4.5 hours,” Drobchenko wrote in the video description. “Printing cost $140, about 30 cm3.”

If the video below does not soothe and/or satisfy you, then I’m not sure what will:

Can a DLP 3D Printer Be Used for PCB Etching?

A maker named Andrei who goes by Electronoobs online recently acquired a couple of DLP 3D printers. After reviewing them, he wanted to see if it was possible to use DLP 3D printers to build the mask for PCB etching. So he created an experiment – with surprising results – and published a video about his experience on YouTube.

“I would only use the UV light of the printer to create the mask for the PCB, and then etch it using acid for copper PCBs just as always,” he explained in the video.

In addition to the DLP 3D printers, other things required for this experiment included copper boards, dry photosensitive film, sodium carbonate, latex gloves, and an iron. Spoiler alert – Electronoobs succeeds in using DLP technology to 3D print a mask for PCB etching. To see the rest of his impressive experiment, check out the video below:

3D Printed She-Ra Statue for New York Comic-Con

[Image: Darinda Ropelato via Facebook]

Utah-based 3D printing services company Whiteclouds has plenty of experience with the technology in many applications, from aerospace, gaming, and mapping to medical for both animals and humans. But recently, the employees got to participate in a project that was, as Whiteclouds CEO Jerry Ropelato told 3DPrint.com, “one of the coolest (and funnest) 3D prints” they’ve ever worked on. The company was asked to design and 3D print the statue of She-Ra at the recent New York Comic-Con.

“It was our tallest at 11 foot tall,” Ropelato told us.

DreamWorks and Netflix are bringing She-Ra and the Princesses of Power back to life with an animated series that will begin next month. According to a Facebook post by Ropelato, Whiteclouds enjoyed every bit of the Comic-Con project, which included designing and 3D printing She-Ra’s throne and sword. The team used touch-sensitivity electronics for activating the sound and lighting for the statue, and were proud to have a small part in the She-Ra reboot.

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

3D Printing News Briefs: September 29, 2018

We’ve got some 3D printing event news to share with you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, along with some business news and a story about a cool 3D printed container. At the TCT Show this week, Additive Industries announced a partnership with Laser Lines, and DEVELOP3D Magazine will soon celebrate product design and metal 3D printing at a live event. CRP Technology has created an updated 3D printed fairing for the Energica Ego Corsa superbike, and employees at the GE Additive Customer Experience Center in Munich made a 3D printed beer krug just in time for Oktoberest.

Additive Industries Partnering with Laser Lines

L-R: Mark Beard, General Manager UK, Additive Industries; Mark Tyrtania, Sales Director, Laser Lines; Daan Kersten, CEO, Additive Industries; and Phil Craxford, Sales Manager, Laser Lines

At the opening of the TCT Show, which took place in Birmingham earlier this week, Additive Industries announced a new partnership with Laser Lines Ltd. in order to speed up its 3D printing presence in the UK and Ireland. Laser Lines is a UK supplier of 3D printers, 3D scanning equipment, lasers, and related accessories, and will work together with Additive Industries to help grow the maturing market in the UK and Ireland for industrial 3D printers. Laser Lines will support Additive Industries in its work to further develop the industrial market for various applications in the aerospace, automotive, machine building, and medical sectors.

“With the recently announced expansion to the UK with a dedicated Process & Application Development Centre, we already acknowledge that the UK & Ireland is an important market that provides great opportunities for industrial companies to enter into industrial metal additive manufacturing,” said Daan Kersten, the CEO of Additive Industries. “With Laser Lines Ltd we add an experienced partner to our fast growing worldwide network that will work with us to identify and manage these opportunities that will contribute to our execution of our accelerated growth.”

DEVELOP3D Magazine Holding Live Event

Each year, DEVELOP3D, a monthly print and digital design journal, holds a live US event all about product design. This year’s DEVELOP3D Live event will be held this coming Tuesday, October 2nd, from 8 am – 6:30 pm at Boston University.

“We have some really fascinating folks coming to celebrate product design in the 21st Century,” Martyn Day from X3D Media, which runs DEVELOP3D, told 3DPrint.com. “We are especially pleased to have Ti Chang from Crave, Tatjana Dzambazova from new metals 3D printing company Velo3D and Olympian, Jon Owen from Team USA Luge.

“Our day is split with MainStage presentations from designers and the industry, together with a track dedicated to Additive Manufacturing, with all the latest in metals 3D printing.”

Tickets are just $50, and include full access to the conference and all 30 exhibitors, plus refreshments, lunch, and drinks at a social mixer. There will be 20 speakers presenting in two separate streams, and topics include CAD, topology optimization, 3D printing, virtual reality, and product development.

3D Printed Fairing for Ego Corsa

Together, Italy-based CRP Group and its subsidiary Energica have been using 3D printing and Windform materials to develop components for electric motorcycles and superbikes for a few years now. In April, the Ego Corsa electric motorcycle completed its third demo lap, and at the last series of road tests before the first edition of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the 2019 2019 Ego Corsa prototype hit the track with a new 3D printed fairing, manufacturing by CRP Technology with its laser sintering technology and Windform XT 2.0 Carbon-fiber reinforced composite material. The 3D printed fairing update has improved the Ego Corsa’s aerodynamics.

“We have had the fairing available in short time. Thanks to the professional 3D printing and CRP Technology’s Windform composite materials, it is possible to modify motorcycle components – even large ones – from one race to the next ones, in order to test different solutions directly on the track,” said the Energica technical staff.

“This fairing is not only more aerodynamic, but it also has a smaller frontal and lateral section. These improvements led to achieve increase in terms of performance and they led to achieve greater manageability in fast corners.

“The Windform XT 2.0 has once again proved to be a high performance composite material. We are very happy how the 3D printed new fairing behaved during the tests.”

GE Additive 3D Prints Metal Beer Stein

Even though the month of October doesn’t start for another few days, Oktoberfest itself officially kicked off last Saturday in Germany. In order to celebrate the occasion, the AddWorks team at the GE Additive Customer Experience Center in Munich, which opened last winter, decided to take another look at the traditional glass beer krug; what we’d call a pitcher or stein in the US.

The unfortunate thing about glass is that it breaks. Obviously, if you’ve enjoyed too much beer at an event like Oktoberfest, the likelihood of breaking your glass drink container goes way up. So AddWorks decided to create a new prototype beer krug, but instead of using glass, they 3D printed it using a combination of stainless steel and titanium…and the result is pretty impressive.

Take a look at the video below, which stars the head of the Munich CEC (Matthew Beaumont), to see the whole process:

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2018 TCT Hall of Fame Inductees and 3D Printing Award Winners Announced

This year’s TCT Show, held in Birmingham as usual, ended earlier this week, and yielded many announcements about new 3D printing materials, software, and of course, 3D printers and their associated hardware. Additionally, the annual TCT Awards was held for the second time during a gala dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Wednesday. British actor and presenter Robert Llewellyn hosted the nearly 300 guests at the awards, which celebrates, according to TCT Group owner Rapid News Publications Ltd, “the people, technology and collaborations behind the best in design-to-manufacturing innovation.”

There were 14 competitive award categories, and the TCT Awards recognized the partners in many collaborative projects, in addition to the designers, technology providers, and engineers. Three more 3D printing industry leaders were also inducted into the TCT Hall of Fame in honor of “their contribution to the industry and to the growth in technology adoption.”

“Once again it was a privilege to share an evening with so many truly exceptional people,” said Duncan Wood, Chief Executive of Rapid News. “All of the winners are to be congratulated for their successes, and of course in particular the Hall of Fame inductees need a special mention, their innovation, entrepreneurship and commitment has played a huge part in the development and success of the industry.

“I must also thank our sponsors 3ecruit, as well as our supporting partner, Innovate UK for their endorsement of the event and of course our judges. The TCT Awards night is fast becoming THE night of the year for the industry and we are looking forward to the 2019 edition already!”

The first of the new TCT Hall of Fame inductees is Dr. Carl Deckard, who invented and developed Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology while based at the University of Texas. Together with his former professor Joe Beaman, Dr. Deckard co-founded DTM Corporation, which was later purchased by 3D Systems, to commercialize SLS 3D printing.

The second 2018 inductee into the TCT Hall of Fame is application specialist and process pioneer Greg Morris. In 1994 he founded Morris Technologies, a specialist AM services provider, which was purchased by GE Aviation in 2012, along with sister company Rapid Quality Manufacturing. His work in developing metal 3D printing applications and processes has increased their adoption in the aerospace and medical sectors, and he distributes his knowledge through his involvement in the speaking circuit.

Professor Emanuel ‘Ely’ Sachs, who invented binder jet printing at MIT in 1989, is this year’s final TCT Hall of Fame Inductee. Professor Sachs, who is on the leadership team of Desktop Metal and still teaches at MIT, actually coined the phrase ‘3D printing’ at that time, and binder jetting technology is a building block for much of the market’s current technology.



As for the rest of the TCT Awards, Project MELT, with its tech lead listed as BEEVERYCREATIVE, won this year’s Aerospace Application Award, while the winner of the Automotive Application Award was the BMW i8 roadster SLM bracket by tech lead SLM Solutions.

Vitamix nozzle at RAPID 2018 [Image: Sarah Saunders for 3DPrint.com]

The Vitamix nozzle by Carbon won the Consumer Product Application Award, while the winner of the Creative Application Award was the Embrace jewelry collection by Cooksongold for Boltenstern. SPEE3D won the Hardware Award – Non Polymers for LightSPEE3D, and the Hardware Award – Polymers went to E3D for its Tool-Changer.

Axial3D won the Healthcare Application Award for the use of its pre-op planning model aids in a world-first surgery at Belfast City Hospital, and Trinckle 3D won the Industrial Product Application Award for its mass customization of copper inductors. The Materials Award – Non Polymer went to SABIC for its EXL AMHI240F 3D printing filament, and NanoSteel took the Materials Award – Polymers for its BLDRmetal L-40 steel 3D printing material.

3D Systems was the winner of the Metrology Award for its Aircraft Damage Assessment for Easyjet, and Steros GPA Innovate S.L. won the Post-Processing Award for its DLyte: Metal DryLyte Electropolishing. Materialise won the Software Award for its e-Stage Metal, and this year’s Rising Star Award was given to HiETA Technologies Ltd.

To learn more about the winning projects and companies, and see the Highly Commended projects, visit the TCT Awards website.

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

3D Printing News Briefs: September 27, 2018

We’re starting with some news from the ongoing TCT Show in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then moving on to webcasts and YouTube videos, finishing with an update on the upcoming Viaggio a Shamballa event by WASP. At the TCT Show, AMFG has unveiled its new Supplier Integration Network. An applications engineer from Fisher Unitech conducted a webcast about using Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing to optimize additive manufacturing, a Technical University of Denmark professor talked about the possibilities of topology optimization for 3D printing, and a Boeing engineer discussed 3D printing in the aeronautics industry. Finally,  we’re getting ever closer to the date that WASP will publicly present its Crane construction 3D printer, and the village it’s building, in Massa Lombarda, Italy.

AMFG Introducing Supplier Integration Network at TCT Show

At the TCT Show, which continues in Birmingham through this Thursday, AM automation software provider AMFG is unveiling the newest feature in its software platform: the Supplier Integration Network, which lets manufacturers coordinate their AM supply chain network and automate production. With the Supplier Integration Network, manufacturers can outsource production or post-processing to their suppliers, and suppliers and service bureaus can use it to give OEMs easier access to their services. The company believes that this latest feature will make its portfolio more attractive to manufacturers looking to invest in 3D printing.

“Manufacturers are looking to scale their additive production effectively and we’re committed to giving them the software infrastructure to do so. Facilitating greater connectivity between all players along the supply chain, through automation, is a large part of this,” said Keyvan Karimi, CEO of AMFG. “Our vision with the Supplier Integration Network is also to help companies achieve truly distributed manufacturing by providing a greater level of connectivity along the supply chain through our platform. Of course, the Supplier Integration Network feature is designed to be used in conjunction with our other AM solutions, from project management to production planning and more.”

To see this new automation platform for yourself, visit AMFG at Stand J42 at the TCT Show.

Fisher Unitech Webcast: Optimizing Additive with Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing

3D printer and 3D product development software provider Fisher Unitech, a distributor of MakerBot and Nano Dimension 3D printers, is on a mission to advance manufacturing in America by supporting, delivering, and training customers on the best software and manufacturing solutions. Recently, Gerald Matarazzo, a 3D Printing Application Engineer with the company, as well as a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, recorded a webcast all about using the Lean Six Sigma methodology to optimize additive manufacturing. During the webcast, Matarazzo introduces viewers to some Lean Six Sigma best practices, tips, tools, and tricks to help 3D printing companies stop getting hung up on costly delays.

“I want to be very clear – this presentation is meant for managers, not analysts,” Matarazzo explains in the webcast. “What that basically means is, once again, we’re going to be going over management tools, optimization, and tips and tricks on how to better manage a team or better manage a fleet of machines.”

Watch the 30-minute webcast below to learn more:

Topology Optimization Possibilities for 3D Printing

In a new YouTube video posted by Simuleon, a reseller of Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA products, you can see an interview with Ole Sigmund, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the keynote speaker at Dassault’s Additive Manufacturing Symposium, which opened this year’s popular Science in the Age of Experience event. Sigmund is one of the inventors of topology optimization, a mathematical approach that optimizes material layout within a given design space. It allows designers to take advantage of the geometrical freedoms possible through 3D printing. In the video, Sigmund discusses the possibilities of topology optimization, and infill technologies, for additive manufacturing.

“So essentially additive manufacturing offers ultimate freedom for manufacturing but they don’t know how to come up with these optimal parts. And on the other hand, topology optimization uses this ultimate freedom to come up with parts that are optimized for specific load cases and extreme situations. And so topology optimization provides the designs to additive manufacturing and additive manufacturing makes it possible to realize the designs coming from topology optimization, so that is an ideal marriage.”

3D Printing in the Aeronautics Industry

At this summer’s EAA Oshkosh AirVenture aviation event in Wisconsin, Boeing structures researcher Bernardo Malfitano delivered an hour-long talk about the use of 3D printing in the aeronautics industry. Understanding Airplanes recently published the YouTube video of the talk, along with the presentation slides. The Boeing researcher’s talk discussed the history of aviation companies using common 3D printing methods like SLA and FFF, how the the technology is currently used in the aerospace industry, and the ongoing research that will introduce even more applications in the future, such as surface smoothing and fatigue testing. The presentation also shows dozens of 3D printed parts that are currently in use on aircraft by companies and organizations like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and NASA.

“I should probably specify that this isn’t really 3D printing for home builders, because I’m mostly gonna talk about more advanced technologies and more expensive 3D printers,” Malfitano said at the beginning of his talk. “I’m gonna talk about 3D printers that can print metal parts that cost millions of dollars.”

You can watch the whole presentation in the video below:

Viaggio a Shamballa Event by WASP Coming Soon

The versatile Italian company WASP, or the World’s Advanced Saving Project, has spent the last two years developing a new large-scale construction 3D printer called the Crane, a modular system consisting of multiple print bodies that’s evolved from the BigDelta 12M. In less than two weeks, WASP will be presenting the Crane to the public in Massa Lombarda, which is where the village of Shamballa is being 3D printed. On October 6th and 7th, a program will be held surrounding the introduction of the WASP Crane 3D printer and the Gaia Module 3D printed earth house. The conference “A call to save the world” will open the event, focusing on future 3D printing construction developments and proposing themes for reflection on both design strategy and the technology’s potential in architecture.

“Knowledge applied to common good. If we use digital manufacturing techniques to respond to the basic human needs, we start up a real hope and this will be the guiding thread of “A call to save the world”. A home is undoubtedly a primary need and WASP’s mission has always been to develop processes and tools to allow men, wherever they are, to build 3D printed houses with material found on site and at a cost that tends to zero,” WASP wrote in a press release.

“The WASP call is addressed to all those who want to collaborate and spread the new construction techniques, with the final aim to create a better world. Representatives of international organizations involved in architectural research, such as IaaC (Institute Advanced Architecture Catalunya, ES), XtreeE (FR), D-Shape (IT), Emerging Objects (USA), will take part in the meeting.”

Check out the complete program here.

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Fabpilot by Sculpteo Demonstrating New FDM 3D Printing Integration at TCT Show

Last year, French 3D printing company Sculpteo first introduced its standalone Fabpilot software in October, before officially launching the fully cloud-based solution at formnext the month after. Now this week, at the 2018 TCT Show in Birmingham, Fabpilot by Sculpteo will be presenting its new Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) integration – the software solution now directly connects to FDM 3D printers in order to optimize their production and handle industrial production.

Fabpilot is a Software as a Service (SaaS) and this update helps it serve professionals who own several FDM 3D printers and are looking for a better way to manage them. Especially in businesses where multiple users control the machines and need file security and traceability.

“Fabpilot aims to eliminate the insecure and error prone practices of physically moving data around,” explained Alex Gryson, Product Owner. “Machine integration such as with FDMs makes this a reality for any scale of lab or production facility.”

It took Sculpteo eight years of in-house development to create Fabpilot, which provides third parties with a way to better manage and optimize their 3D printers. The software provides traceability, auto-routing for machine scheduling, streamlined file analysis and repair, file management and versioning, and a historical record of settings and configurations. The company claims that by using Fabpilot companies can increase overall production efficiency by 35%, and improve part quality.

Now, with its new direct FDM machine integration, Fabpilot is on a mission to support 3D printing for makerspaces, FabLabs, educational programs, universities, manufacturers and other businesses that provide 3D printing services. These can all use Fabpilot for direct integration with most FDM 3D printers, in order to combine file analysis and repair, quotation, part and order management, and performance analytics, as well as controlling end-to-end FDM production from the same cloud-based platform.

“FDM is by far the most common 3D printing technology: it’s cost-effective, highly adaptable, and the applications, from a microscopic scale to 3D printing houses, are endless. When thinking about the next progression, it made perfect sense to integrate directly with FDM,” said Clément Moreau, CEO and Co-Founder of Sculpteo and Fabpilot. “I am very proud of releasing this new functionality, which will bring a huge increase in the return-over investment ratio for users.”

With the new integration, Fabpilot users will be able to connect directly to FDM 3D printers and print from the cloud. It only takes a simple set-up and instance of Fabpilot to upload files, analyze and repair STLs, slice, and send G-code right to the FDM 3D printer. Some of the features the integration offers include:

  • Multi-machine control: automatically assign jobs to available printers.
  • 2D Nesting: arrange the maximum number of parts on the build plate while avoiding a collision to reduce the number of required jobs to print parts.
  • Cloud slicing: upload over 30 file types, which are sliced and have their toolpaths defined so that G-code is ready to be sent to the printer.
  • Optimize orientation: use Fabpilot’s current automatic orientation algorithm to find the best orientation and minimize the need for support structures.
  • Print from the cloud: no need to download G-code and manually upload it, because slicing is completed in the cloud and sent directly to the printer.

This new development by Sculpteo’s Fabpilot protects files in a single platform from upload all the way to printing, completes the end-to-end workflow, and streamlines FDM 3D printing for several kinds of 3D printing labs.

The company’s new direct FDM integration was announced today at the TCT Show. At booth #P48 at the show this week, Fabpilot by Sculpteo will be proving it to visitors. There will be several demos of the integration, and a fun 3D Tetris Challenge with an interactive display will also be held.

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

Shapeways Teams Up With Stratasys to Offer Full-Color, Multi-Material 3D Printing to Customers

People and organizations all around the globe use Shapeways, the largest 3D printing service and marketplace in the world, to build up business by creating 3D printed products. The company, which has 3D printed more than 10 million products, offers over 40 materials and finishes. Its latest customer is Biologic Models, a company that turns x-ray crystallography data into detailed, 3D printed protein models millions of times larger than the actual protein.

Today at the 2018 TCT Show in Birmingham, Shapeways announced a new agreement with global 3D printing leader Stratasys – the two are partnering up to make full-color, multi-material 3D printing more accessible to creators, designers, and companies like Biologic Models, which will be one of the first Shapeways customers to enjoy unprecedented access to the Stratasys J750 3D printer. One of the only full-color, multi-material 3D printers in the world, the Stratasys J750 is what the new manufacturing services are based around.

“Since its introduction, the Stratasys J750 has driven transformation across a number of industries. With Shapeways, the unmatched capabilities of the J750 will now be made available to an entirely new community of designers and creators,” said Pat Carey, Senior Vice President of Sales North America for Stratasys.

Shapeways and Stratasys are working together to bring the potential that the J750 3D printer offers to a much wider market. Now, customers that wouldn’t ordinarily have access to the full-color, multi-material capabilities of the J750 due to economics, lack of expertise, or barriers-to-access will be able to take advantage of the system, and use it make realistic prototypes with more streamlined design-to-prototype workflows.

Not only will using the PolyJet-driven Stratasys J750 allow customers to lower their time to revenue, but it will also help decrease time-to-market as well. The 3D printer provides over 500,000 color combinations, with transparent to opaque color gradients, accurate color-matching, and advanced, textured clear material that can create extremely fine and delicate details.


“The vivid colors of the Stratasys J750 3D Printer will enable the Shapeways community of designers, businesses, students, and artists to realize their brightest ideas and boldest ambitions in true physical form with full-color, texture mapping and color gradients,” said Shapeways CEO Greg Kess. “It’s exactly what our customers have been asking for.”

The Stratasys J750 can consistently and reliably fabricate parts that feel, look, and operate just like fully finished products, and gets rid of any lengthy assembly, painting, or post-processing requirements, which helps decrease production cycles. It’s perfect for Shapeways and its workflow – the platform can help design 3D printable objects that take full advantage of the 3D printer’s capabilities, along with running the systems at scale and providing ready-to-sell products.

This is perfect for Biologic Models, which uses its multi-colored protein data models to explain the subtle interactions of proteins and molecules. The company, founded by award-winning medical animator and 3D designer Casey Steffen in 2008, visualizes the unique properties of the molecules with 3D printed models that are millions of times larger than their actual size, which are then used by educators and scientists as helpful visual aids to explain the various properties of specific proteins, and their subtle interactions with molecules.

The 3D printed, multi-colored models, which the company pairs with augmented reality apps and 3D medical animations, also help in explaining the nature of disease and health that occurs on the molecular landscape.

“J750 is the best of both manufacturing worlds, full-color 3D printing combined with high-quality transparent plastics,” said Steffen, who is also the Director of Operations at Biologic Models. “This is exactly what my customers want. Transparency and color coding are necessary features to create the highest quality and most durable models. The J750 tackles these design and manufacturing challenges head on.”

Beta customers for the new agreement between Stratasys and Shapeways will be able to access this service before the year is out. A full launch should occur sometime in 2019. To learn more, visit Shapeways & Stratasys at the TCT Show this week in Hall 3, Stand H36.

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

Xaar to Showcase Variety of 3D Printing Technologies at TCT Show

English company Xaar has been a part of the 3D printing world since 2014, when it helped to develop the FACTUM 3D printer, a high speed sintering machine. Before that, the company was a developer of inkjet printing technology, so the transition to 3D printing was a natural one. Since then, Xaar has focused on high speed sintering (HSS) technology, and earlier this year formed a spinoff company focused solely on HSS.

In addition to being a pioneer in HSS, Xaar is known for what it calls High Laydown (HL) technology, which allows for the jetting of 3D fluids with high viscosities. The company will be presenting its High Laydown technology at this year’s TCT Show, which is taking place from September 25th to 27th in Birmingham, England. Significantly increased throughputs can be achieved with High Laydown technology, allowing for the faster 3D printing of parts with improved mechanical properties like tensile strength.

Xaar will showcase samples produced with the technology using BASF 3D Printing Solutions’ high viscosity photoresins. Print samples will also be available to show how Xaar’s 3D printhead portfolio can be used in different 3D printing methods including high speed sintering, binder jetting and photopolymer jetting.

Angus Condie, Xaar’s Director of Integration and Applications, will give a presentation entitled “High Volume Manufacturing in Photopolymer Jetting” on the TCT Introducing Stage on Tuesday, September 25th at 1:50 PM. He will discuss how High Laydown technology can increase the productivity of inkjet-based systems and allow for a more diverse fluid portfolio.

“The TCT Show is a major event for the 3D Printing sector and we are excited to be exhibiting for the first time with our 3D printhead portfolio and High Laydown Technology,” said Simon Kirk, Senior Product Manager at Xaar. “We provide continuous support to our customers from early fluid evaluation through to successful solution development. That’s why we are welcoming manufacturers and integrators to discuss their project proposals and discover how Xaar can help them lower development costs, get to market quicker, and introduce printers that deliver a true competitive edge and a real value to 3D end-users.”

Xaar has been in business for more than 25 years, and before it joined the 3D printing industry, it was a leader in piezo-based drop-on-demand inkjet technologies. The company has approximately 280 patents registered or pending, and works with a variety of industries and applications. Since it became a player in the 3D printing industry, it has been a significant one, putting forth efforts to transform 3D printing technology from prototyping to volume production.

If you’ll be at the TCT Show this year, you can visit Xaar and learn more about its variety of technologies and products at stand J21. 3DPrint.com will be at the show as well, bringing you all the immediate news directly from the show floor.

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

[Images: Xaar]

 

3D Printing News Briefs: August 31, 2018

Welcome to this month’s last edition of 3D Printing News Briefs! Today, in honor a new month starting tomorrow, we’re starting with stories about everything new. BEEVERYCREATIVE will soon launch a new 3D printer kit, while Fast Radius is opening a new headquarters and Thor3D welcomes a new CEO. Verashape is introducing the latest version of its SOFTSHAPER software, and Link3D launched a new additive manufacturing scheduling solution. Moving on from new things, Midwest Engineered Systems, an official KUKA partner, will be displaying its technology at IMTS 2018, and a company used its innovative laser cladding technology to restore a CNC spindle.

BEEVERYCREATIVE’s New 3D Printer Kit

Portuguese 3D printer manufacturer BEEVERYCREATIVE is getting ready to launch a new 3D printer DIY kit, and will present it publicly for the first time at the upcoming TCT Show 2018 in Birmingham. This is a big deal for the company, as it hasn’t introduced had a product launch for a new 3D printer since 2015; employees have been very busy working on the MELT project for the European Space Agency for the last two years, and are more than ready to introduce the new B2X300 3D printer kit.

BEEVERYCREATIVE conduct multiple studies before the launch, including market research on 3D printer user patterns and collecting quantitative and qualitative information from users about its helloBEEprusa 3D printer kits. The B2X300 is named for the company’s brand (B), its two extruders (2X), and its 300 x 200 x 300 mm print area (300), and was delivered to several beta testers this spring for testing and feedback. Aside from its build area, number of extruders, and the fact that it features auto bed leveling and trinamic drivers, we don’t know much about the 3D printer kit yet. But all will be revealed by mid-September.

Fast Radius Opening New Headquarters and AM Factory

The Fast Radius team, L-R: John Nanry, chief product officer; Bill King, chief scientist; Lou Rassey, CEO; and Pat McCusker, COO [Image: Manuel Martinez, Chicago Business]

3D printing solutions provider Fast Radius is scaling up its manufacturing footprint, and recently opened its new headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop, which features an advanced, industrial-grade 3D printing facility. This facility is home to extensive HP MultiJet Fusion technology, as well as what the company calls the largest Carbon production facility in the Western Hemisphere. This was a well-thought out location: the building of the Chicago-based Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) was where the company’s new CEO Lou Rassey first collaborated with several other Fast Radius executives, including Chief Scientist Bill King, PhD, Chief Product Officer John Nanry, and Enterprise Solutions Leader John Ramirez. The rest of the company’s executive team includes Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brian Simms and COO Pat McCusker.

Rassey said, “It was important to the Fast Radius team that we were headquartered in Chicago, as we are passionate about being a part of the next great industrial manufacturing renaissance in this city, the Midwest, and ultimately, the world.

“Pat, John, Bill, John and Brian form the perfect core team to grow Fast Radius as we build out our technology platform and global footprint to bring manufacturing innovation to the world at scale.”

Thor3D Welcomes New CEO

Anna Zevelyov

This week, Moscow-headquartered 3D scanner manufacturer Thor3D announced that it has appointed its very first Chief Executive Officer. The new CEO, Anna Zevelyov, is a company co-founder and a 3D printing market veteran who had been serving as Thor3D’s Sales Director; her long-time lieutenant, Vadim Fomichev, will now be taking on this role. Under Zevelyov’s leadership, the company will be focusing on R&D, with plans to release at least one new 3D scanner each year.

“Some history…the company was, until now, ruled by committee. Although periodically, this “collective-wisdom” approach was beneficial, over time we realized that a strict hierarchy and one person at the helm is needed,” Zevelyov wrote in a statement. “The Board of Directors took 6 months to consider whether to nominate a CEO and if yes, who that might be. After much debate about how this could change the culture of the company, the decision was made this month. I was elected unanimously, which, naturally, boosts confidence, as I take on this new challenge.

“I am honored and optimistic. My first priority will be R&D (after all, Thor3D is, first and foremost, a technology company). My aim will be to significantly improve our current technology and to introduce a new 3D scanner at least once a year (expect to hear big news before the end of the year). Another priority will be organization of our intellectual property. I anticipate filing a number of international patents over the next year to formalize the innovative work that has been done in the company over the previous months.”

New SOFTSHAPER Software Version

Verashape, which manufactures the VSHAPER line of 3D printers, has just introduced the latest version of its SOFTSHAPER software. Thanks to a license granted to the company by Siemens PLM Software last year, SOFTSHAPER 2019 is based on Parasolid Communicator. There are many improvements and new features in this latest version of SOFTSHAPER, including a technological process tree, detailed reports, and the ability to group layers and print manually adjusted supports.

“A huge simplification that SOFTSHAPER 2019 provides us with is the ability to print supports with higher density,” explained Seweryn Nitek, a Software Engineer at Verashape. “The density is higher only in the area of contact with the model. In other areas, the density of supports is selected in relation to the required stiffness. This saves time for printing supports, which are then removed by the user.”

Midwest Engineered Systems Displaying KUKA Technology at IMTS 2018

Two years ago at IMTS 2016 in Chicago, KUKA Robotics showcased how its robots integrate with 3D technology thanks to partnerships with companies like Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES), a leader in complex systems integration. MWES provides services such as robotic welding, machine tending, material handling, and automated production lines, but has become well-known in the last few years for its work in laser wire additive manufacturing. This technology is able to create very large parts, while also saving up to 90% of the material normally machined away.

“We’ve actually come up with a way way to print with metal using wire. Really what that does is allows you to print larger parts and it allows you to print them faster,” said Scott Woida, the President of MWES, in a video.

The company’s additive manufacturing system uses the hot wire process to preheat wire before it enters the molten pool. At the upcoming IMTS 2018, you can check out the MWES technology for yourself at KUKA’s Booth N-236200.

Restoring CNC Spindle with Laser Cladding

A company called Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLC (SAM), which claims to be one of the only turnkey jobshops to offer metalworking services like final machining, heat treating, metal forming, 3D CAD design, and 3D printing, also developed a laser cladding process is a more cost-effective alternative to hard chrome coatings. The company offers a 24 hour turnaround on the dimensional restoration of rotating components, like motor shafts and CNC spindles, using this technology.

In a new video, SAM demonstrated how its laser cladding method can be used to restore a CNC spindle. The technology offers a good metallurgical bond, and there is no chipping away or peeling once the restoration is complete. You can see this for yourself in the video below:

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

3D Printing News Briefs: August 18, 2018

In 3D Printing News Briefs, in which we share news about some upcoming events, and then move on to business, science, and 3D printing pen art. Europac 3D and Addition Design and Research are showing their plans for the upcoming TCT Show, and the Formlabs Roadshow is coming to Chicago next month. Makelab has launched its on-demand production platform, powered by AMFG software, and Rize published a brief about 3D printing in life sciences. Finally, 3Doodler announced an upcoming video class series on 3D printing pen art.

Europac 3D Announces Lineup for TCT Show 2018

Top UK 3D printing, scanning, and inspection business Europac 3D announced that its booth for this year’s TCT Show in Birmingham will be its “biggest and most informative” yet, showcasing the latest in 3D printing innovations. In addition to displaying and 3D printing a range of sunglasses during the show to illustrate its end-to-end solutions, the company will also display 3D printers from HP and UnionTech, NX software from Siemens, and 3D scanners from Artec and Kreon Technologies. Experts will also be on hand at Europac’s booth to answer any questions.

“We will have our biggest and best stand to date at TCT this year and will be hosting 3D printing, scanning and modelling experts to provide visitors with a one stop shop for all their technical queries,” said John Beckett, Managing Director of Europac. “Europac 3D will be on hand to demonstrate all of our latest projects and innovations. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand for what promises to be an unforgettable event.”

Check out what Europac to offer at Stand M26 at the TCT Show, running from September 25th-27th.

Addition Design and Research Attending TCT Show 2018

Another 3D printing company that’s announced its plans to exhibit at the TCT Show is contract research and development (CRD) supplier Addition Design & Research, which provides end-to-end advanced design and manufacturing solutions using 3D printing. While the company is rather new to the 3D printing industry, it’s long worked at the intersection of CRD, high value design and engineering, and AM with other organizations to create high quality business solutions.

Addition Design & Research will be available during the TCT Show at Stand K49 for one-on-one meetings to provide insight into its expertise, offer advice on how to adopt 3D printing, and to discuss collaboration. Any organizations in the UK searching for a primer on using 3D printing as a business solution should attend the company’s training course in Sheffield just ahead of the show.

Formlabs Roadshow Hits the Road in Chicago

The popular Formlabs Roadshow has visited many big cities, from New York City and San Francisco to Los Angeles and now Chicago.

“Formlabs is traveling to industry hubs across North America to celebrate the capabilities of 3D printing in digital manufacturing,” the event reads. “We are bringing together local innovators and global disruptors to discuss how accessible 3D printing technology is enabling manufacturing across the business and education landscapes. Join us as we tackle opportunities and barriers in digital manufacturing and design with industry experts.”

The event, which centers around taking advantage of Industry 4.0, will be held from 10:30 – 2 on Friday, September 14th at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). Speakers include several well-known 3D printing experts, including Luke Winston, the Chief Business Officer at Formlabs, and Siemens’ Additive Manufacturing Solutions Director Chris Weber, with more to be announced soon. Tickets are less than $70, so sign up here to attend.

Makelab Launched On-Demand Production Platform

Brooklyn-based 3D printing service bureau Makelab is partnering with AMFG, which creates automation software for industrial 3D printing, to launch a new on-demand production platform. AMFG’s software will automate Makelab’s manufacturing operations, as well as make its 3D printing services more accessible to universities, engineers, and designers. Customers can use AMFG’s on-demand portal to easily request 3D printed parts with its auto-quoting tool, while Makelab will be able to track parts and requests, automatically schedule jobs and optimize build space, plan for post-processing, and conduct quality assurance.

“With AMFG, we’ve found an end-to-end solution which not only takes care of the auto-quoting in a more user-friendly and intuitive way, but also takes care of managing production, which is a huge advantage for us. As we scale our business, we’re always looking for innovative ways to solve key issues like keeping track of all our machines, effectively packing builds and ultimately, optimising our workflow for maximum efficiency,” said Makelab Co-Founder Christina Perla. “AMFG answered all of these questions and more, so we can provide a faster, more efficient service for our customers.”

Rize Commissions Brief on Life Sciences 3D Printing

Boston-based 3D printing company Rize recently commissioned a new Insight Brief, titled “Personalized 3D Printing in Life Sciences,” written by Axendia’s Eric Luyer, an Industry Research Analyst, and Ellyn McMullin, a Research Associate. There are many applications for 3D printing in the healthcare, medical device, pharmaceutical, and surgery industries, and Life Sciences companies can use the technology to break down barriers. But there are plenty of complex regulations to be managed in order for this to be successful. The brief discusses 3D printing applications in Life Sciences, some of the FDA guidelines, and how Rize’s 3D printing Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology is very important to controlling some of the important processes that Life Sciences manufacturers need.

“RIZE’S patented APD system is key to Traceability, Control of Process Parameters and validated processes that Manufacturers must maintain and control to meet FDA 21 CFR 820.30 Design Controls requirements. It’s an industrial 3D Printer where complex geometry can be manufactured matching patients’ anatomy,” said Kishore Boyalakuntla, Vice President of Product at RIZE.

The brief also discusses how global medical device manufacturer CONMED used Rize’s technology to 3D print molds for producing medical-grade elastomeric products.

3Doodler Working on 3D Pen Art Video Class Series

Popular Kickstarter-backed company 3Doodler is working with Bluprint, owned by NBCUniversal, on a series of 3D Pen Art video classes aimed at teaching makers and crafters how to create works of art with the 3Doodler Create+ 3D Pen. Its content, available for free online through Bluprint, Craftsy, and streaming apps like Roku, will be part of the new entity’s expanded subscription service, and Grace Du Prez, an internationally renowned 3D pen artist whose work we’ve covered before, will be the host of the show, which marks the first such broadcast agreement for 3Doodler.

Six episodes will run through the 2018 holiday season, and the first five are already up, covering projects like phone cases, terrariums, and lantern lights; you will need to sign up for a free Bluprint trial to watch. The sixth video class will be an episode of Doodle Wars, a new, family-friendly NBC competition series. Check out a teaser video for Doodle Wars below:

NEW SHOW TIME: Doodle Wars is here ! These artists are incredible and thanks to this show I’m now calling myself Bob Ross Jr. Shoutout to Bluprint NBC and the whole awesome Hudsun Media team that made it happen and our great judges Zoe Hong + Jon Chad. Catch the whole season over at mybluprint.com now!….#doodlewars #iamadoodlerwarrior #doodle #scribble #draw #art #doodling #competition #mybluprint

Gepostet von Paul Costabile am Mittwoch, 15. August 2018

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