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Winners Announced for 3D Health Hackathon to 3D Print PPE to Fight COVID-19

The Jersey City Rapid Maker Response Group (JCRMRG), an all-volunteer collective, was founded as the result of a Reddit post calling on 3D printing hobbyists to organize, make, and deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of 3D printed face shields for medical workers and first responders in New Jersey and New York during the continuing COVID-19 crisis. While the team ended up switching to injection molding to create over 75,000 face shields, which were subsequently donated to healthcare workers all around the US, the JCRMRG recognized the great potential of using 3D printing to help during the pandemic, and launched a virtual nationwide 3D Health Hackathon, with the goal of taking on PPE-related wearability, sustainability, and supply chain issues.

Now, the winners of the hackathon have been announced.

“Hackers came up with solutions to keep people COVID free, and help citizens and businesses adapt to the challenges of the world we all live in,” JCRMRG’s Laura Sankowich told me.

100 hackers from countries all over the world, like India, Mexico, and Nepal, participated in the hackathon, which was supported by a 21-person multidisciplinary mentor team that helped by scrutinizing the functionality of designs and offering support and advice. The hackers ranged from teenage makers and university students to doctors, executives, scientists, and other professionals, with Carnegie Mellon University, Fairfield University, NJIT, NYU, Penn State, Rutgers, and Stevens Institute of Technology represented by teams. The event was sponsored by:

  • 3DPrint.com
  • Asimov Ventures
  • Dassault Systèmes
  • DesignPoint
  • Devpost
  • Indiegrove
  • Jersey City Tech Meetup
  • PicoSolutions
  • PSE&G
  • PrusaPrinters
  • Stevens Venture Center
  • TechUnited
  • Women in 3D Printing

There were three hack categories: create methodology for reducing waste in the production process in order to facilitate sustainable PPE; develop modular/mobile manufacturing labs that can be deployed easily in healthcare, emergent, and even educational settings; and design day-to-day PPE, like face shields, that can be used by commuters and at businesses and schools to help resume day-to-day life.

“Our goal is to be responsible partners in the ecosystem that we are currently a part of, while acting as a catalyst for innovation, and we are the only all volunteer PPE group in the country doing an event like this. We want to pay it forward, enable our hackers to walk away with enough feedback and support to launch their own successful ventures that can continue to support the battle against COVID, and combat supply chain disruption through maker-led initiatives,” said JCRMRG founder Justin Handsman.

The Armdle

The team of judges deliberated for three days, and the hackathon winners have been announced. Blizzard Robotics, a high school team out of California made up of Riya Bhatia, Abeer Bajpai, and Peter Xu, came in third place for their versatile door handle attachment, which they dubbed the Armdle. They noticed when visiting hospitals and orthodontists, people had to touch the same door handles when entering and exiting bathrooms inside the facility. If the handles are not properly sanitized, bacteria on one person’s hand can easily be transferred to others when they touch the handle. So they developed the Armdle, a universal door handle attachment that can be placed on the side or top of most door handles to help stop the spread of infection through shared surfaces.

The Armdle concept is simple—a person simply uses their arm to push down, or to the side of, the handle, and when they pull back, the attachment’s raised lip hooks onto their arm, so they can open the door without having to use their hands. The attachment actually forms a kind of platform over the handle, so it works with push-doors as well, since people can push down on the Armdle to open the door. Facilities can use zip ties to attach the Armdle to the door handles, resulting in a quick, inexpensive, safer solution.

Howard Chong, Michael Noes, and Ethan White, or Team Bunny PAPR, came in second place for their user-friendly, scalable, and open source Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR).

Bunny PAPR

Their goal was to help the world get back on its feet, back to work, and back to socializing without distance by addressing the global shortage of N95 equipment, while also keeping essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic safe. Commercial PAPRs cost about $1,000, but the hospital-grade Bunny PAPR is only $30. This PPE solution is not only affordable and easy to sterilize, but it’s also disposable, reusable, and can be made with readily available parts—an FDA-approved viral filter, a disposable bag and USB battery pack, and a laptop/XBox fan. Additional benefits include higher comfort levels, support for those with breathing conditions who can’t wear N95 masks, and compatibility with wearables.

Speaking of wearables, STEM advocates Natasha Dzurny, Casey Walker, and Elizabeth Spencer, who make up the Jersey City team Slice Girls, won first place in the hackathon for their Ready Set Wearables hack, which makes it possible for users to carry essential items, such as a door pull, hand sanitizer, and emergency medication, on their watch, dog leash, shoelaces, a carabiner or wrist band, etc.

The team members worked with CAD software and 3D printed prototypes to figure out their functional yet fashionable designs, which enable users to leave the house with all the COVID-19 essentials without having to carry a purse or bag, or worrying that you left something important at home. For instance, one component is a collapsible door pull, and another watch-friendly accessory is a small clip-on dispenser for hand sanitizer. Finally, the last Ready Set Wearables accessory is a container that allows the wearer to carry a small amount of medication.

“We will reduce anxiety, increase compliance with CDC health regulations, and save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” the Slice Girls state in their video.

Congratulations to all of the hackathon winners!

(Images courtesy of the Jersey City Rapid Maker Response Group)

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3D Printing News Briefs: June 25, 2019

Recently, HP released its sustainable impact report for 2018, which is the first item we’ll tell you about in our 3D Printing News Briefs. Then it’s on to more good news – the 3D Factory Incubator in Barcelona is reporting a very positive first 100 days in business, while AMUG has named the winners from its Technical Competition. We’ll close with some metal 3D printing – Nanoscribe published a fly-over video that illustrates the design freedom of nano- and microscale 3D printing, and Laser Lines is now a UK reseller for Xact Metal.

HP Releases 2018 Sustainable Impact Report

HP recycling bottle shred: Through its recycling programs, HP is transforming how we design, deliver, recover, repair, and reuse our products and solutions for a circular future.

HP has released its Sustainable Impact Report for 2018, which talks about the company’s latest advancements in achieving more sustainable impact across its business, as well as the communities it serves, in order to create a better green future. Its sustainability programs drove over $900 million in new revenue last year, and the report shows how HP is using 3D printing to drive a sustainable industrial revolution, such as reducing the amount of materials it uses and expanding its recycling program. The report also states new commitments the company set for itself in order to drive a low-carbon, circular economy.

“Companies have critically important roles to play in solving societal challenges, and we continue to reinvent HP to meet the needs of our changing world. This isn’t a nice to do, it’s a business imperative,” explained Dion Weisler, the President and CEO of HP Inc. “Brands that lead with purpose and stand for more than the products they sell will create the most value for customers, shareholders and society as a whole. Together with our partners, we will build on our progress and find innovative new ways to turn the challenges of today into the opportunities of tomorrow.”

To learn more about HP’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint, such as investing in an initiative to keep post-consumer plastic from entering our waterways and the recycling program it started with new partner SmileDirectClub, visit the company’s dedicated Sustainable Impact website.

Successful First 100 Days at 3D Factory Incubator

On February 11th, 2019, 3D Factory Incubator – the first European incubator of 3D printing – was officially inaugurated in Barcelona. It’s now been over 100 days since the launch, and things are going very well. In that time period, the incubator is reporting a total of 15,000 3D printed pieces, and 20 incubated companies, and still has room for more interested projects, though all its private spaces are now occupied. The original goal is to incubate 100 companies in 5 years, and it seems as if 3D Factory Incubator is well on its way.

Located in the Zona Franca Industrial Estate, the unique initiative is led by El Consorci de Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) and the Fundación LEITAT, and has received an investment of €3 million. The goal of the incubator is promote the growth of 3D printing initiatives, and there are a wide variety of companies hosted there, including consumer goods, a logistics company, healthcare companies, design initiatives, and mobility.

AMUG Technical Competition Winners Announced

(top) Erika Berg’s digitally printed helmet liner components and Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision Diamond Helmet; (left) Maddie Frank’s cello, and (right) Bill Braune’s Master Chief reproduction.

At the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference in April, 17 entries were on display to compete for the gold in the annual Technical Competition of excellence in additive manufacturing. The winners have finally been announced, and it seems like the panel of judges had a hard time deciding – they were unable to break the tie in the Advanced Finishing category. Maddie Frank of the University of Wisconsin, with her 3D printed electric cello, and Bill Braune of Met-L-Flo, with his 30 inch-tall model of “The Master Chief” Halo video game character, are co-winners in this category for their attention to detail and “exceptional execution,” while Erika Berg of Carbon won the Advanced Applications category with her digitally printed helmet liner for Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision Diamond Helmet.

“The 17 entries in the Technical Competition were amazing in their beauty, innovation, and practicality,” said Mark Barfoot, AMUG past president and coordinator of the Technical Competition. “Our panel of judges deliberated at length to make the final decision.”

The winners each received a commemorative award, as well as complimentary admission to next year’s AMUG Conference.

Nanoscribe Shows off Design Freedom in Fly-Over Video

The versatility sample impressively illustrates the capabilities of Photonic Professional systems in 3D Microfabrication.

German company Nanoscribe, which manufactures and supplies high-resolution 3D printers for the nanoscale and microscale, is showing the world how its systems can up many opportunities in 3D microfabrication, with a new fly-over video, which truly highlights the design freedom it can offer when making 3D microparts with submicron features. The video shows actual scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of extreme filigree structures that were 3D printed on its Photonic Professional GT2.

From a variety of angles, you can see diverse geometries, which show off just how versatile Nanoscribe’s high-resolution 3D printing can be – all 18 of the objects and structures were printed in just over an hour. The company’s microfabrication technology makes it possible to create designs, like undercuts and curved shapes, and customizable topographies that would have been extremely difficult to do otherwise. To streamline the microfabrication process for its customers, Nanoscribe offers ready-to-use Solution Sets for its Photonic Professional GT2 printers, which, according to the company, “are based on the most suitable combination of precision optics, a broad range of materials and sophisticated software recipes for specific applications and scales.”

Xact Metal Names Laser Lines New UK Reseller

Pennsylvaniastartup Xact Metal welcomes Laser Lines – a total solutions provider of 3D printers and laser equipment – as a UK reseller for its metal 3D printers. These machines, which offer extremely compact footprints, are meant for customers in high-performance industries that require high-throughput and print speed, such as medical and aerospace. Laser Lines will immediately begin distributing the Xact Metal XM200C and XM200S systems, as well as the XM300C model once it becomes available next year.

“We are delighted to be the chosen UK supplier for Xact Metal, whose metal printing systems are establishing new levels of price and performance. Making quality metal printing accessible requires innovation. Xact Metal’s printing technology is built on the patent-pending Xact Core – a high speed gantry system platform where light, simple mirrors move quickly and consistently above the powder-bed on an X-Y axis. It’s another step change for our industry and opens a whole range of exciting opportunities,” stated Mark Tyrtania, the Sales Director at Laser Lines.

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

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Solvay Announces Winners of 2019 Solvay AM Cup, First Place Winners Take $10K Home

It’s that time of year again, as Italy’s Solvay announces winners for what seems to have become a yearly tradition with their AM Cup. For 2019, students were at the ready, and given an industrial task as they were challenged to use Radel® PPSU AM-ready filament for creating an ASTM D638 Type V size tensile bar in the z-axis, along with a wavy-shaped pressure pipe.

While it may seem like an easy challenge to be given an assignment to print out a couple of parts, there was much more to it than that; in fact, students from three continents participated in this contest, with 35 student teams from 32 universities. Solvay’s ultimate goal in initiating the 2019 Solvay AM Cup was to highlight the impact 3D printing materials can have on different applications today due to the high performance of parts—and the availability of different materials and methods. Solvay’s focus was for the students to explore the disruptive technology and learn more about ‘the art of the possible.’

The teams were judged on their collective enterprise in making the parts, judged on:

  • Creativity in 3D printing
  • Maximum dimensional accuracy
  • Mechanical properties
  • Performance in burst pressure tests and translucency

Each team was provided with a spool of Radel® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) AM filament and sent on their way to make plans for winning the competition. Those who were successful in their mission have just been announced:

“The team secured the first prize due to its ability to achieve 100 percent z-axis strength in the Type V size tensile bar and its wavy pipe showed overall dimensional accuracy, surface uniformity, and a remarkable mechanical performance by enduring a burst pressure test of 1,400 psi (96.5 bar) for two hours,” states Solvay in their press release, also commenting that there was very little separating the teams who won second and third place regarding performance in strength and ductility of their parts.

The winners won $10,000, $5,000, and $3,000, respectively, with the idea that these funds would be well-invested in activities related to higher learning, or ‘societal or entrepreneurial’ endeavors. The 3D printed parts they submitted for the challenge will be on display at the Rapid + TCT show in Detroit, MI (Booth #747) from May 21-23.

“It was inspiring to see the various approaches to solving the challenges of fused filament fabrication (FFF) such as bed adhesion and chamber temperature management. The winning team demonstrated once more that 3D printed parts can virtually match the performance and quality of conventional injection molded parts, provided material, hardware, and process are optimized together,” said Ryan Hammonds, R&D platform manager for Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit and president of the AM Cup Jury.

“We look forward to sharing with our customers the benefits gained from this edition of the Solvay AM Cup for 3D printing the best possible PPSU parts for applications in various industries such as aerospace, healthcare and industrial.”

Along with inspiring students to explore the infinite opportunities available with 3D design and printing, Solvay has continued their momentum, offering strong opinions on the future of 3D printing, expanding materials within their manufacturing processes, and entering into dynamic partnerships. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Solvay]

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UC Berkeley Researcher Receives Award from Johnson & Johnson for Smart 3D Printer

In 2015, Johnson & Johnson launched the WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Math, Manufacturing and Design) program in order to increase the representation of women in the scientific and technical fields, along with the development of female leaders. The unique, multifaceted program is meant to engage women at three important development phases of their lives: youth (ages 5-18), the university graduate level, and in their professional careers.

J&J began offering its WiSTEM2D Scholars Award in 2017, which is meant to fuel development of female leaders in STEM2D, as well as add to the talent pipeline. The award supports the winners’ research, while also inspiring other women to go down similar career paths in their own STEM2D fields. Now in its third year, nominations for the Scholars Award were accepted from female scholars in each of the STEM2D disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design. An independent Advisory Board was set up to choose the winners from over 400 international applicants, and the six winners were recently announced.

“Through this Award and other programs, Johnson & Johnson is working to increase the participation of women in STEM2D fields worldwide. We want to nourish the development of women leaders building a larger pool of highly-trained, female researchers so that they can lead STEM2D breakthroughs in the future,” said Cat Oyler, Vice President, Global Public Health, Tuberculosis, Johnson & Johnson and WiSTEM2D University Sponsor.

In addition to being recognized at an awards ceremony tonight at Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide headquarters in New Jersey, the winners – all assistant or associate academic professors, or the global equivalent of such – will each receive $150,000 in research funding, as well as three years of mentorship from Johnson & Johnson.

Just like Johnson & Johnson, we here at 3DPrint.com have also worked hard to highlight the 3D printing-related accomplishments of young girls and women in STEM and tech fields. That’s why I was thrilled to learn that one of this year’s winners is focused on manufacturing and 3D printing.

Each Scholars Award winner represents one of the STEM2D disciplines:

  •  Katia Vega, PhD, Assistant Professor of Design, UC Davis: while she’s already using the human body as a source of wearable technology, she’ll move on to experimenting with interactive skin and biosensors.
  • Ronke Olabisi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University: developing a new hydrogel that can be placed over an injury and constantly deliver insulin and stem cell growth factors for faster skin and tissue growth.
  • Grace X. Gu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley: developing a smarter, more efficient 3D printer that can self-correct during a print job.
  • Rebecca Morrison, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at University of Colorado, Boulder: identifying flexible algorithms that can run calculations on shifting variables more quickly and accurately.
  • Naama Geva-Zatorsky, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institure of Technology: studying the interactions between the immune system and gut microbes.
  • Shengxi Huang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, The Penn State University: developing one device to measure potential disease-causing biomolecules, like cancer cells.

Grace Gu, PhD

Gu, who joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 2018, is looking to address the limitations in manufacturing and materials design with her smart, self-correcting 3D printer.

“I am really excited to build my research group at Berkeley, meet and mentor undergraduate and graduate students, teach foundational mechanical engineering classes, collaborate with exceptional faculty members within and outside the university, and work on 3D-printing projects with students to create a better tomorrow,” Gu said when she began her job at the university.

Gu received her BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2012, picking up an MS from MIT two years later and remaining at MIT to earn her PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2018. According to UC Berkeley, her research interests include harnessing the power of “tools such as advanced computational analysis, machine learning and topology optimization to revolutionize the field of smart additive manufacturing.”

In her research group at the university, the work is focused on bio-inspired materials.

“The big goal is to develop materials that are inspired by nature, like seashells and bones, and discover new material combinations never before manufactured. These biomaterials possess remarkable mechanical properties that are yet to be replicated by man-made counterparts,” Gu said. “This way we can make implants, for instance, tailored to each individual with the properties necessary for structural integrity of the part—and push the frontiers of additive manufacturing.”

[Image: UC Berkeley]

The work for which she received her WiSTEM2D Scholars Award is centered around building a smarter 3D printer. As Berkeley Engineering put it, she trained “a model for a smart 3D printer that can perform predictive diagnostics to ensure optimal printing quality.”

Gu is taking computer science concepts and applying them to manufacturing in order to create her smart 3D printer. The ultimate goal of this particular research is develop a 3D printer that’s able to correct mistakes by itself while working, while also using a wider range of materials in order to more quickly and reliably produce objects like tougher bike helmets and stronger prosthetics.

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

[Images: Johnson & Johnson unless otherwise noted]

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3D Printing News Briefs: March 23, 2019

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

Winners Announces for Additive World DfAM Challenge 2019

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

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

BeAM Joins Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre

Membership agreement signing ceremony held in ARTC

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

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

PostProcess Technologies Announces New Solution for SLA Resin Removal

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

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

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

Protolabs Offering Aluminum Anodizing; Partners with Wohlers Associates

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

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

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

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

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

Arkema Opening New PEKK Plant

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

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

New AM Digital Career Growth Platform Launched

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

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

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

AMable Launches Second Open Project Call

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

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

Express Group Appointed New UK Distributor for Mayku

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

An architect forming a dome template on the FormBox.

 

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

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

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3D Printing News Briefs: December 19, 2018

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, a maker has published a free 3D print management app in the Play Store, while Formlabs works to continue accelerating its growth in the Asia Pacific region. America Makes has announced the winners of two Directed Project Opportunities, and a chemist employed by Sinterit has won a prestigious award. Finally, an engineer with a thirst for vengeance used 3D printing and a lot of glitter to get back at the people who steal packages from his porch.

Free 3D Printing App for Filament Management

A new app, simply called 3D Print, is now available to download for free on the Google Play Store. The app was published by a maker who goes by paratiDev on Google Play, and was developed to help other makers better manage their filament.

“It has happened to all of us, you want to print a piece and not to know for sure if you have enough filament in the coil to print it. If you have only one coil of that filament, you have only two options; you can use another filament that has more quantity or risk and print it,” paratiDev writes.

“In the first case it forces you to use another filament different from the one you wanted while in the second case you run the risk that there is not enough filament and the piece remains halfway, assuming a loss of money, filament and time.”

The app allows users to visualize how much filament they have left, view the history of 3D printed pieces they’ve made, and can also generate invoices and quotations for 3D prints. The free 3D Print app also allows you to create projects that group together several pieces, and will visualize the wight and total cost of the project.

Formlabs Continues to Grow in APAC Region

Today, Formlabs announced that its growth in the APAC region is continuing to speed up. The company, which first entered the China market in 2015, is planning to open its new APAC headquarters in Singapore soon, and has also completed a new warehouse in Shenzhen, China for more efficient processing and shipping. While its physical presence in the region is growing, so too is its headcount: Formlabs also announced that David Tan, previously the APAC director of strategy and programs for Oracle Cloud Platform, Alliances & Channels, has been hired on as a new general manager for its own APAC team.

“Formlabs has long set its sights on making 3D printing processes more accessible. Part of this strategy has been completely rethinking 3D printing technologies from the ground up. The second is bringing the technology to market,” explained Max Lobovsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Formlabs. “There is an immense amount of opportunity in Asia Pacific, we’re looking forward to what David and these new locations can do to improve our growing success in the region.”

America Makes Announces Directed Project Opportunities Winners

America Makes has announced the award winners of two Directed Project Opportunities, both of which were funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division. The first is the acceleration of large scale additive manufacturing (ALSAM) project, with the objective of getting past the shortcomings of SLM 3D printing, and America Makes awarded $2.1 million to GE Global Research, in conjunction with GE Additive and the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. With at least $525,000 in matching funds from the team, the total funding for the ALSAM Directed Project to develop an open source, multi-laser manufacturing research platform will be about $2.6 million.

The second is the advancing AM post-processing techniques (AAPT) project, with a goal of improving process control and lowering costs for qualifying complex parts made with SLM technology. The first awardee is Arizona State University, in conjunction with Quintus Technologies, Phoenix Heat Treating, Inc., and Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc., and the second is led by the ASTM International AM Center of Excellence collaborative, in conjunction with Quintus Technologies, Carpenter Technologies Corporation, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Rolls Royce Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, GE Aviation, and Raytheon. America Makes awarded a total of $1.6 million to the two teams, which will also contribute at least $800,000 in matching funds. Both projects are expected to begin next month.

Sinterit Chemist Makes Forbes List of ’25 Under 25′ Poland

Desktop SLS 3D printer manufacturer Sinterit is proud to announce that its chemist, Paweł Piszko, has been selected by Forbes and the Warsaw office of McKinsey & Company as one of the prestigious “25 Under 25” in Poland. There are five categories in the awards, with five winners in each, and the jury appreciated Piszko’s work on increasing the efficiency of energy collection from renewable sources. When asked by his employers what his goal was, he answered that he wanted to have “an impact on the architecture of society.”

“We are delighted that Paweł chose Sinterit as a place where he can develop his skills and check the results of his scientific activities in practice,” Sinterit wrote in a blog post. “As part of his work, he researches the chemical processes that occur during the sintering of polymers, which allows us to improve the materials that Lisa and Lisa Pro, our flagship SLS 3D printers, print from.”

3DPrint.com congratulates Paweł on this exciting achievement!

Engineer Uses 3D Printed Component to Make Glitter Bomb

Revenge is a dish best served with glitter and fart spray…at least according to a mechanical engineer and evil genius Mark Rober. He spent nine years working at NASA’s JPL – mostly on the Curiosity Rover – and later founded a company called Digital Dudz. He was upset when someone stole a delivered package right off of his porch, and decided to employ all kinds of technology to take revenge.

“I just felt like something needs to be done to take a stand against dishonest punks like this,” Rober said in his YouTube video.

“I spent nine years designing hardware that’s currently roving around on another freaking planet. If anyone was going to make a revenge bait package and over-engineer the crap out of it, it was going to be me.”

Over the course of several months, Rober sketched his idea out, then finished it in CAD before getting to work on the physical prototypes. The package contains a 3D printed component that’s contoured in such a way that four hidden phones inside can capture package thieves opening the box and getting hit with a giant cloud of colorful glitter and continuous blasts of fart spray. Check out his video below to see how things turned out, though be warned that there is some bleeped out profanity. To learn more about the details of his build, check out his friend Sean’s video as well.

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 17, 2018

In Today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re covering a lot of business and a little medical news. AMFG is partnering with a top UK bearings manufacturer to help automate its digital manufacturing workflows, while Segula Technologies has begun an industrial 3D printing partnership with digital manufacturing company Multistation. Techniplas has completed a deployment of Sharebot 3D printers to its 14 manufacturing facilities around the world, and the winners of the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition have been announced. Finally, a pediatric cardiologist used the Sinterit Lisa to create a 3D printed model of a newborn boy’s heart to plan his risky surgery.

Bowman International Announces Partnership with AMFG

Bowman’s bearings

Automation software specialist AMFG, which recently launched a new AI software platform, has partnered with Bowman International, one of the top bearings manufacturers in the UK, as it works to grow its 3D printing capabilities through its Bowman Additive Production (AP) division. Bowman AP has several MJF and SLS 3D printers available for its use, and uses 3D printing to design and produce its end-part bearings, which has helped increase their load bearing capacity by up to 70%.

In the meantime, Bowman International’s goal is to use AMFG’s AI-powered production automation software to oversee production of said bearings, by automating production job scheduling, optimizing digital CAD files for production with printability analyses, and creating a custom digital part catalog.

“We’re very pleased to be partnering with AMFG and using their automation software to scale our already expanding AM facility,” said Jacob Turner, the Head of Additive Production at Bowman International. “Additive manufacturing is transforming the way bearings are manufactured, and we aim to continue to be at the forefront of innovating the production of bearings using AM. AMFG’s automation software will enable us to achieve this by significantly increasing the efficiency of our production processes.”

Multistation Partners with Segula Technologies

Another newly announced 3D printing partnership is the one between international engineering group Segula Technologies and Paris-based 3D printing company Multistation. The two are working together to further develop the potential of 3D printing in the industrial sector, which will allow both companies to increase their offerings and provide customers with excellent services along the AM value chain. Segula will bring its design, product-process qualification, and technology integration in industrial environments to the table, while Multistation will share and apply its expertise in AM design and simulation by determining any potential parts that could be 3D printed instead of fabricated with a more traditional method of manufacturing.

“Additive manufacturing is an integral part of a value chain within which Multistation provides a comprehensive offering; Segula Technologies was an obvious partner of choice to enable our Additive Consulting division to address manufacturers’ concerns more effectively,” said Yannick Loisance, the CEO of Multistation. “We will thus be able to supply them not just with software packages, machines and materials, but also with a more comprehensive range of high-quality engineering services that are suited to a host of different business sectors.”

Techniplas Adds Sharebot 3D Printers to Its Manufacturing Facilities

This fall, Italian professional-grade 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot joined the open innovation program at Techniplas, a top automotive design and manufacturing provider. Now, as part of its own continuing digital transformation, Techniplas has deployed Sharebot 3D printers to all of its 14 manufacturing facilities across five continents. This move will allow the company to 3D print the majority of the manufacturing products it uses every day on-site, which will equal major cost and time savings as Techniplas previously used only third-party providers for this task.

“With Sharebot 3D printers installed in all of our manufacturing facilities worldwide, we are taking decisive steps toward fabricating the majority of our manufacturing line assembly tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges and even robotic arm attachments in-house. Based on our experience with Sharebot printers thus far, we expect to significantly reduce our development time and annual assembly line tooling costs in each manufacturing facility over time,” said Techniplas COO Manfred Kwade.

Winners of the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition Announced

For the fourth year running, advanced manufacturing technology industry organization SME and Stratasys have co-sponsored the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Contest, held during the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville. The winners of this year’s student contest, which asks contestants to solve real world problems with 3D printing, were just announced. This year, entrants had to design an adaptive device for a veteran, who had endured a traumatic thumb amputation, so he could keep playing his PlayStation 3. Prizes include RAPID + TCT conference passes, SOLIDWORKS’ 3D-CAD design software, SME Education Foundation scholarships (for high school participants), a one-year Tooling U-SME subscription, and a MakerBot Mini 3D printer.

“The SkillsUSA contest is designed to help students and educators realize the power of additive manufacturing to drive innovation. This year’s competition was particularly meaningful as it directly resulted in enhancing a veteran’s life with a custom solution not possible without additive manufacturing,” said Gina Scala, the Director of Marketing, Global Education at Stratasys.

The high school winners include:

  • Gold medal: Getty George and Sam Green, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside, California
  • Silver medal: Noah Logan and Johnathan Urbani, Stafford Tech Center, Rutland, Vermont
  • Bronze medal: Andrew Daddone and Layke Martin, Frederick County Career & Tech Center, Frederick, Maryland

The college winners include:

  • Gold medal: Adolfo Vargas and Alexander Kemnitz, Central Community College-Hastings, Hastings, Nebraska
  • Silver medal: Deema Al Namee and Aric Donerkiel, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, Vermont
  • Bronze medal: William Swaner and Ashton DeZwarte, Tenneseee College of Applied Tech-Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee

Watch a video about the 2018 competition here, and check out the winning designs here; you can also view SME’s Flickr album for more competition photos.

Surgeon 3D Prints Pediatric Heart Model with Sinterit Lisa

Desktop SLS 3D printer manufacturing Sinterit has seen its flagship Lisa 3D printer, which went through a recent upgrade, used to save lives in multiple ways, from fighting wildfires and protecting the faces of children to providing assistance in a tough pediatric cardiac surgery.

“Delivering desktop SLS 3D printer for more than three years caused that our clients send us tonnes of useful and exciting cases. Writing about all of them is hard, if not impossible, but when 3D printing helps saving lives, especially those most fragile, we feel proud, and also a duty to share it with you,” Michał Krzak, Sinterit’s Marketing Communication Manager, told 3DPrint.com.

A newborn’s heart can weigh barely 20 grams, and fits in the palm of an adult’s hand, so you can imagine that surgeries on such a delicate organ are exceedingly difficult. Jarosław Meyer-Szary, MD, from the Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects at the University Clinical Center in Poland recently turned to Sinterit’s Lisa 3D printer to save the life of Kordian, an infant less than one month old suffering from a potentially fatal heart disease called interrupted aortic arch.

Meyer-Szary created 3D printed, life-size model of Kordian’s tiny heart, and SLS technology was able to recreate each intricate artery and vein. The model not only helped him plan the surgery ahead of time, but also helped Kordian’s mother gain a more thorough understanding of her son’s condition. Kordian is now a thriving and happy 18 month-old, thanks to Sinterit’s SLS technology.

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

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3D Printing in Architecture, Engineering, Product Design: 3D Hubs Announces 2018 Student Grant Winners

Last year, 3D Hubs, the world’s largest online network of 3D printing services, reported that nearly 500 applicants from 300 universities around the world applied for its extremely popular Student Grant program, which encourages students to make a positive influence on the world by using 3D printing in a creative way.

Just a few months ago, 3D Hubs announced that it would be kicking off its Student Grant program for the second year in a row, and offering grants to students who were able to illustrate the best use of 3D printing in the architecture, engineering, and product design fields. The grant amount was increased this year from $500 to $1,000, to be used for project expenses and continued funding. Unsurprisingly, the reception for the grant program was great once again.

“We’ve had some amazingly innovative applicants from around the world using 3D printing for some unique applications,” George Fisher-Wilson, the Communications Manager for 3D Hubs, told 3DPrint.com.

There were applicants from more than 50 countries this time around, entering a wide array of innovative 3D printed projects that, as Fisher-Wilson told us, were diverse, including “underwater jetpacks, prosthetics for mountain biking and a 3D printed head with sensors used as a training device for robotic surgery.”

Today, 3D Hubs has announced the three awardees for this year’s 3D Hubs Student Grant program, who were chosen based on the core concept, impact, and functionality of their projects, along with how creatively 3D printing was used to make their ideas a reality. 44.6% of all entries this year were for the Product Design category, followed up by 27.5% for Architecture and 25.9% for Engineering. For the second year in a row, Loughborough University in the UK had the most entries, while New York’s Pratt Institute came in second and the Politecnico di Milano in Italy was third.

“After the success of last year it was great to see more refreshing and new ideas being submitted,” said Filemon Schoffer, the CMO of 3D Hubs. “Our goal is to give students affordable access to all manufacturing technologies so [their] ideas don’t have to be restrictive. The 3D Hubs Student Grant is always a great way to showcase the talented people we having using the platform who will be pushing the industry forward.”

The winners of this year’s Architecture category were Benedikt Boschert and Miriam Boldt from Hochschule Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, with their 3D printed model of a public swimming pool. Their particular project turned the old culture of bathing on its head and into a new, more modern concept.

“With the background of a real task for our city, this concept is weaving the conditions to [an] optimal design of contemporary public swimming pools,” explained Boschert and Boldt in their project description.”

The students 3D printed over 25 pieces for the swimming pool model with an FDM 3D printer, then bonded them together, which helped them turn their original design into a physical model.

Rory Geoghegan and Dr. Mendelsohn from UCLA, who are in the bioengineering and biomedical engineering field, were awarded the 3D Hubs grant in the Engineering category for their Training Platform for Transoral Robotic Surgery.

Using an FDM 3D printer and PLA materials, the two created a 3D printed model of a human head, which also includes a synthetic oral tumor and an anatomically accurate aerodigestive tract, to be used as a training platform.

“Robotic surgery can be used to remove tumors from deep inside the mouth,” Dr. Mendelsohn and Geoghegan explained. “Currently there is no training platform to facilitate the necessary skills acquisition for surgical residents.”

The model is cost-effective, which is good if replacement parts are needed quickly during training, and also includes force sensors underneath the structures that are most often damaged by new surgeons, such as the lips and teeth.

Archie O’Brien from Loughborough University was awarded the final 3D Hubs grant, in Product Design, for his 3D printed, underwater jet pack. He calls his project, named Cuda, the “fastest underwater jetpack” in the world, and says it can be used for multiple purposes, such as underwater exploration, lifeguard duties, “and of course fun.”

The functional 3D printed prototype, designed in SOLIDWORKS, shows what O’Brien calls a “complex use of 3D printing,” as the prototype and most of its internal components were 3D printed using mostly PLA.

During this year’s program, 3D Hubs also took a close look at the most commonly used 3D modeling software – SOLIDWORKS was at the top, with Rhino following closely behind – and the most popular materials (PLA was the clear winner) used by students for their projects.

To take a look at the rest of these findings, and all of the top ten finalists in each of the three award categories, check out the 3D Hubs blog post. While dates and categories won’t be confirmed until later this year, the 3D Hubs Student Grant, open to all registered students, will definitely be returning for a third iteration in 2019.

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

[Images provided by 3D Hubs]