Adafruit Weekly Editorial Round-Up: 3D Printing Meets Indoor Plants, Circuit Playground, Simon Game for PyRyler & more

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ADAFRUIT WEEKLY EDITORIAL ROUND-UP


We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.


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Burning Man Begins Sunday August 25 2019! Have Your Projects Ready!

Can you hear the call of Black Rock City? This year the theme for Burning man is #Metamorphoses so make sure your projects and wearables reflect change and transformation. But most importantly make sure your projects are ready for the trip! Read more.

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LEARN

Circuit Playground: R is for Robots – Make robot friend, not robot enemy

Learn the ABCs of Robots & sing along with Adabot, Minerva, & Ruby!

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Browse all that’s new in the Adafruit Learning System here!

Refining Macro and Microscopic Topology Optimization for AM Processes

Researchers from Italy and Germany continue along the path so many are following in refining and perfecting 3D printing processes. In the recently published ‘Structural multiscale topology optimization with stress constraint for additive manufacturing,’ authors Ferdinando Auricchio, Elena Bonetti, Massimo Carraturo, Dietmar Hömberg, Alessandro Realik, and Elisabetta Rocca are experimenting with ways to improve topology with new algorithms, parameters, and workflows in FDM 3D printing and additive manufacturing for industrial production.

Better functionality in parts is the goal as the authors examined methods for optimizing geometries, analyzing stress constraints, and exploring further ways to create functionally graded material structures (FGMs), along with the potential for using homogenization methods. In using FGMs, they expect to also be able to create structures that are multi-material graded also, and in allowing for a constraint on the stress σ they can improve AM processes—especially for ‘lightweight structures with small material volume.’

“As it is known, one of the main characteristics of AM technology is the possibility to construct objects with prescribed macroscopic and microscopic structure,” stated the researchers. “We aim to introduce a model to get a combined optimization of the two scales of this structure: a macroscopic scale corresponding either to the presence of material or to the presence of no material (i.e. voids), and a microscopic scale corresponding to the microscopic density of the material.”

The authors created a model of double phase-fields, with two sets of ‘positive measure’ meant to offer optimization of both the macroscopic and microscopic scales of the structure. The new model defines both material presence, and density.

Cantilever beam: Reference structure obtained using a single material.

Cantilever beam: Sensitivity study of the graded-material structure with respect to the parameter κ2 . χ value distribution.

Cantilever beam: Sensitivity study of the graded-material structure with respect to the parameter κ2 . Von Mises stress value distribution.

As a sample for their project, the authors manufactured an optimized cantilever beam on an FDM 3D printer at the University of Pavia ProtoLab. They were able to use two different polymer filaments, employing an ‘extremely intuitive approach,’ with an χ distribution threshold, separating structures into two regions for multi-material production. And while they found that this technique did not allow them to vary material density as hoped, they are working on more complex methods for the future.

FDM machine at ProtoLab and 3D printed cantilever beam

Description of possible workflow to obtain from a continuous χ distribution a 3D printed object: In the first step the continuous χ distribution (a) is split in two parts and the corresponding .STL files are generate (b), in a second step the 2D geometries are extruded to obtain a printable file (c) which can be directly sent to the FDM machine to obtain the printed structure (d).

The team was successful in creating the FGM structures they were striving for, through intense analysis and the creation of a numerical algorithm, along with the introduction of a ‘simple but effective’ workflow allowing for 3D printing of samples in their research.

“As further outlooks for the present contribution we plan to investigate the influence of the microstructure on the material model and to extend the numerical algorithm to 3D problems,” concluded the researchers.

Optimization of topology is ongoing within 3D printing, from streamlining workflow in creating orthotics to considering fields and implicit geometry, to improving components for the automotive industry, and more. 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: ‘Structural multiscale topology optimization with stress constraint for additive manufacturing’]

The post Refining Macro and Microscopic Topology Optimization for AM Processes appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

The Benefits of 3D Printed SLS Parts For Alfa Romeo Formula One

Twelve races down for the first half of the 2019 season, and Alfa Romeo’s Sauber Formula One (F1) team is good to go for the remaining nine races of the year, with both, lead driver Kimi Raikkonen, and Alfa Romeo ranking within the top ten drivers and teams on the scoreboard. Car and driver were considered to be brilliant during the last race, the Hungarian Grand Prix, after which the experienced F1 driver said: “the car behaved great”. Of course, the results in F1 are a combination of both man and machine, but the machines show off the dedicated work of engineering and mechanical masterminds, pushing the boundaries of speed, power, technology, and innovation. For Sauber Motorsport AG (the company operating the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team), additive manufacturing (AM) has played a huge role in the last decades and is considered a pioneer in AM, designing and producing components in 3D printers to enable formal constructions that are not possible by means of conventional methods such as milling, turning or casting. Sauber has been using 3D Systems machines for over 10 years and in 2018 incorporated five new 3D Systems ProX 800 SLA 3D printers at its headquarters and engineering facilities in Hinwil, Switzerland.

Richard Broad

Recently, 3D Systems and Alfa Romeo Racing teamed up for a webinar to overview the 3D printing company Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) product offering as well as some context around how they are suited to a production environment and the advantages that it can bring, particularly in the automotive arena of cutting edge Alfa Romeo Sauber F1. Claiming that SLS technology moves beyond the creation of design prototypes, making production parts with very high precision, durability and reliable repeatability at low overall operating costs. The experts, Richard Broad, 3D Systems Director of Applications Engineering for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and India, along with Marco Gehrig, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Sauber Engineering, explained how SLS technology is used effectively in the automotive sector.

“From a materials development perspective, the aim at 3D Systems is to produce materials that not only improve what is currently possible from a mechanical performance and part quality angle, but we also look into niche applications where specific properties can open up new possibilities,” said Broad.

3D Systems is a pioneer in additive manufacturing. Co-founded by the inventor of 3D printing, Charles Hull, 3D Systems has grown into a global 3D solutions company. Since the first Stereolithography machine (SLA) in 1983, the company has grown to incorporate a wide range of platforms, materials, software, and hardware, as well as on-demand manufacturing services.

Alfa Romeo F1 car

Alfa Romeo F1 now uses the SLS platforms to stay at the cutting edge of the automotive sector. Even though Alfa Romeo has competed in motor racing as both a constructor and engine supplier on and off since 1950, it returned to the sport as their own team while being operated by Sauber Motorsport AG. Sauber Engineering has been testing out AM since 1995 with external suppliers, but in 2007 they began their own in-house production to reduce the lead time. One year later, due to the increasing demand for AM parts, the production levels had to be constantly upgraded and right now they are running thirteen 3D Systems SLS and SLA printers, including four 3D Systems S Pro 140 units and two 3D Systems S Pro 230 units. All of them operating 24/7 to supply the increasing demand of the F1 car as well as other projects the company is engaged in.

SLS is mainly used for the aerodynamic development of the Alfa Romeo F1 car in the wind tunnel, as well as a wide variety of laminating molds, cores, and complex serial parts. During production, they use a powder-based material developed by Sauber Engineering: carbon-reinforced polyamide or HiPAC, which is used when particularly light and rigid components are required, from F1 brake ventilation and body components for pre-production vehicles and prototypes to a wide range of ready-to-use construction elements.

SLS 3D Systems machines at Sauber headquarters in Switzerland

Broad claims that SLS is very well suited for demanding applications in the automotive sector, making 3D production a reality with shorter product development cycles, functional prototypes that meet requirements (like heat, strength, precision and mechanics), small series, and tool-free production of quality parts equivalent to injection molded parts.

“The shorter product development cycles avoid the need for costly new stakes in the product design process, allows to build multiple iterations to test the design in a very short time scale, with more robust product development time scales and product development designs which avoids the costly mistakes when going into the production phase,” Broad suggested.

He went on to say that “the platforms offer quality and repeatability and diversification from traditional part creation methods such as injection moulding or CNC. One of the advantages of AM is the ability to increase the freedom of design, without any restraints around the common traditional production or machining methods used. And that is what gives us the ability to add lightness into parts by removing unnecessary materials, also allowing consolidation and assembly of parts into one component and simplifying design, changing and tweaking them as frequently as required to the extent of mass customization.” 

The development departments of the F1 teams were among the first to experiment with AM and to explore the dimensions of the technology. To them, the additive process is comparatively fast and cost-effective, which are two key factors for success in F1 so they can deliver efficient development of new components and immediate production. Sauber Engineering works in partnership with leading manufacturers of equipment for 3D metal printing and 3D plastic-based printing processes. In 2018 3D systems even became a promotional partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.

Marco Gehrig

 

According to Gehrig, Sauber is printing more than 20,000 SLS parts per year. That includes parts for the Sauber C37 Ferrari (the entire drivetrain of the Alfa Romeo racecar is supplied by Ferrari), parts for the 60% wind tunnel model, as well as many customer projects 

“SLS is very sensitive because of the influence of its surroundings, including moisture, temperature and how you treat the system,” explained Gehrig. “In the past, we faced a few problems due to the weather conditions, during winter we had different material properties than in summer, so we invested a lot in our infrastructures, such as in external laser cooling, a power supply system, and constant conditions for our infrastructure, like temperature, air humidity and for our materials.”

Sauber engineer working with an SLS sliderbottom for F1

“Today we have our own certified 3D Systems technician in-house so that if something happens with the machines, from maintenance to calibration of lasers, we know he is available on call and won’t have to wait for a service engineer from Germany (where 3D Systems European headquarter is) and that saves a lot of time, especially for F1, where parts have to be done quickly otherwise, the cost is higher than expected,” revealed Gehrig.

Sauber is printing many small parts that go into the race car, from cooling channels for electronics to Benzing front wing, as well as brake cooling ducts, and even box equipment (mainly tools to heat up and cool down the break). 

Nothing says custom made like an F1 car, so it’s no wonder the parts it needs follow along that line. According to both Broad and Gehrig, the SLS system is an ideal match for the Sauber team of engineers who need faster part production and shorter assembly turnaround times, as well as part consolidation to reduce assembly work, sources of error, costs and time. In F1, time wasted means the car could be out of the race, and that costs a lot of money, it could even cost a race car driver his pole position on the next Grand Prix. An F1 car can cost between 10 to 20 million dollars, and racing along the track at more than 200 miles per hour, the teams want to make sure that they have invested enough in the cars’ technology to get a victory. Earlier this year, Forbes revealed that championship winners spent an annual average of $285.3 million during the year before their victory. That means having 3D printing systems in place is probably a good decision, and in the case of SLS, both experts said the advantage is the increased strain and impact resistance for demanding applications, as well as being able to create different geometries that the car demands to cut weight and size and enhance performance. 

“The car needs to perform in different weather conditions, so the influence of the brake cooling duct is extremely important, so we try out different shapes that we then test on the track to see which one to add to the car. The aim is always to have the best aerodynamics but also great cooling capacities,” Gehrig went on. 

The same goes for the Benzing front wing, which Sauber engineers tested in Barcelona two weeks prior to the start of the season. Each different shape is tested out and after measurements and data analysis, they choose one of the designs, something Gehrig says would be extremely expensive to do without their own 3D printers, enabling the team to perform real tests and fast iterations, production of fewer parts since SLS parts are more resistant to wear and environmental influences, and storage and reproduction of parts and shapes with data that can never deteriorate, get lost in transport or entail high storage costs.

SLS applications for the F1 Alfa Romeo car at Sauber

During the webinar, Broad suggested that SLS is one of the few AM processes that gives real ease and that 3D Systems’ main aim is to provide a very user-friendly turn-key solution. Adding that the easy processing in SLS results in:

  1. More possibilities. As the parts are supported by unsintered powder, no support structures have to be printed, enhancing freedom of design.
  2. Low working costs. There are no support structures to be removed which save in operating staff and technicians.
  3. Efficient production. Large series can be quickly printed and easily processed, which makes SLS the best choice for AM on the production floor.

“Freedom of design means that previously impossible geometries can be manufactured in one part and built in a layer by layer process. We can remove the complexity and the need for an assembly and simplify the process resulting in a much more robust and reliable part, a part that is easier to produce and less reliant on sourcing raw materials. Leading to immediate production, as well as the ability to print parts on demand without relying on often costly outcome sourcing services,” Broad claimed.

Sauber engaging with SLS produced parts

F1 teams are at the cutting edge of motorsports and what they are doing with materials, platforms and production techniques will find its way very quickly into a standard production environment. The motorsport has the fastest cars in the world, the best drivers, top branding and races at eight of the richest countries in the world, it’s a dream scenario for any sports fan. But beyond that, the advances in auto technology have a big impact on the design and production of cars in general, especially when it comes to safety, reliability, and endurance. This trickle-down effect can benefit a lot of people, not just racers. And the advances provided by 3D printing are a big part of that because they speed up innovation, which means carmakers will imitate them in their mass-manufactured cars, not to mention implementing 3D printing techniques to also help them reduce costs and improve production altogether. In particular, SLS has proven a great match for 3D Systems and Alfa Romeo F1, so we’ll surely hear more in the future about 3D printed parts for the race car.

[Images: Sauber Engineering, 3D Systems]

The post The Benefits of 3D Printed SLS Parts For Alfa Romeo Formula One appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing Seating With BLB Industries

When Swedish 3D printing company BLB Industries is commissioned to produce BIG pieces, they go SMALL, that is, The BOX SMALL. Needless to say, the large-format 3D printer was ironically named. Have a look at some of their work, though, and it becomes clear that BLB Industries takes 3D printing seriously. They 3D print all […]

The post 3D Printing Seating With BLB Industries appeared first on 3D Printing.

Ravensburger launches 3D printable board game character competition

London-based 3D content platform MyMiniFactory, and German game and toy company Ravensburger, have partnered to launch a co-creation 3D printing design competition for the board game, Labyrinth.  In what is said to be a first, the partners, under an IP licensing agreement, are inviting makers to create new monetizable themes and figurine for the game. Chengxi Wang, […]

voxeljet reports Q2, H1 2019 financial results driven by systems sales

German industrial 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet (NYSE:VJET) has reported its financial results for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2019. Q2 2019 revenue decreased 4 percent to €5 million compared to the same period in 2018 which reported revenue of €5.2 million. Of the total revenue, voxeljet Systems revenue constituted €2.1 million, a […]

Oliver Cabell launches $95 3D printed sneakers made from recycled plastic water bottles

Oliver Cabell, an independent U.S.-based footwear brand, has released a new line of shoes made using 3D printing. Titled “Phoenix”, the sneakers are 3D printed from recycled water bottles, and will set you back $95.  The sustainable approach was adopted by Oliver Cabell in response to the ever-present environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution. When […]

3D Printing Buying Guide 2019

What a difference a year makes. Once again we’ve seen some monumental shifts and changes in the 3D printing landscape for desktop 3D printers. At the low-end competition has been murderous with many players forced from the market. In the midrange and higher-end systems, we see more sophistication and refinement. Many vendors are improving their systems to cater to users in reliability and usability here. Compared to only a few years ago, 3D printing is becoming much more accessible and cost-effective to do. In higher-end systems, we are getting easy to use systems that are accurate and reliable. 3D printing is still not simple, but it is getting much better for you, the user.

We created this guide to be a resource for you. We hope that we can help you find some systems that are worth considering at every price point.

The desktop 3D printing market consists of low-cost desktop 3D printers for around $500, midrange systems for approximately $1,000 and Pro systems for above $2,500.

Low-Cost Desktop 3D Printers
In low-cost systems, printers barely work or function intermittently. There is often some assembly required and a lot of tweaking to be done. With Tender Loving Care, these printers can work. They’re for those who are budget constrained or want to impulse buy a printer. I’d recommend them to someone who likes to hardware hack and modifies things but not if you’re going to print a lot of stuff. It would be perfect for the mechanical engineering student who has time to invest in improving it.

It’s worth noting that specifically in this segment, paid reviews, and affiliate links are the norm. Due to this, many may have gotten have an overly optimistic view of these printers. Many reviews online contain falsehoods and over claim. Simultaneously some marketing tactics employed by players in this market segment are deplorable. They include behavior such as negatively reviewing each other’s printers. In some cases, companies are claiming that a competitor’s printer has had disastrous failures or fires (additionally, sometimes these things actually catch fire as well). Even for our market, this is very cowboy territory, so buyer beware.

XYZ Printing Da Vinci Nano $221

The Da Vinci Nano has a tiny build volume, but this compact printer has an enclosed printer that comes with software and anything you need to get started for $249. Print quality is not stellar, but the ease of use, especially out of the box is good.

Monoprice MP Select Mini Pro (V3) $199

In aluminium, I also think this looks fantastic.

Monoprice is good at improving and rebadging existing printers and selling them at extremely low price points. The previous versions of the Select Mini V3 built up quite a following. This printer engendered a lively Facebook group that helped you support and improve the machine. In some cases, it seems to have gotten out of hand with people spending much more on upgrades than on the base machine. Although there is a lot to be said for sticking to the old V2 version, given how much information is out there on how to hack it, the new V3 irons out a lot of kinks for a low price. Build volumes are small, but this still is a competent printer that’s relatively easy to use.

Creality Ender 3 $229

The Ender is a value-engineered printer with a large build volume that needs tweaking, love, and care. By no means a high-quality experience or part. But, if you do give it that care this can turn out to be a real workhorse for you.

Anet A8 Plus $249 

I’ll probably get a lot of flack for this since the previous version had issues with catching fire. Reviewers that I know and trust however have managed to run this one without any hitch for months now. Simple and a lot of bang for your buck, now with an aluminum frame.

JG Aurora A5S $399

There seem to be some QC issues with the JG Aurora printers but there is a community to help you with that. Some people are ecstatic with them while others complain of assembly and wiring issues. At any other price point, I’d find this difficult to recommend, but the results that selected people have been getting from this machine are stellar.

Flashforge Adventurer 3 $449

I love this thing. It’s enclosed, relatively well built and for around $400 to $500 is a great buy. Flashforge has been plugging away at making better and better printers for years now, and this one seems a real winner. There is no real community around this printer yet, but it’s worth the extra money to have more ease of use. Heated bed, wifi, filament end detection, cloud printing, simple nozzle removal, it packs a lot of features. The only super annoying thing is that it limits you to using 0.5 Kg rolls of filament which means that you have to spool on a smaller spool interesting filaments.

Wanhao Duplicator 7 $430

We are seeing a huge expansion in low-cost DLP and SLA systems. Partially due to consumer interest and partly because these systems have few moving parts, these are becoming more available. Better optics and lower cost light sources from LCD, DLP and other sources are also feeding this trend. There is a massive amount of systems out there now. The one with a track record at $500 is the Duplicator. Please be careful with all SLA and DLP resins, but the fine detail will amaze at this price point.

Midrange Desktop 3D Printers
Midrange systems are best for people who want to print parts. They are more reliable than entry-level systems and have components that last longer. With a lot of tweaking, some of these systems provide high-quality parts. Official Prusa i3s, for example, can with correct tweaking make great parts even for manufacturing. We’re seeing better prints in this category and more things such as touchscreens while automated bed leveling is becoming commonplace. In this category, more people are paying attention to the ecosystem, so looking at filaments, settings, and software to enable better prints and better user experience.

Prusa i3 MK3S $999

The best just got better. The Original is an amazing assembled 3D printer for $999. If you want a first printer, buy this one. If you want a printer to hack, modify, and improve, buy this one. If you want a motion stage for your bioprinting lab, buy this. Well calibrated Prusa’s make some of the highest quality FDM 3D prints out there. Yes, there is a steep learning curve for a beginner, but this could be your first printer and your last one as well.

Craftbot Plus $999 

A Craftbot Plus is an excellent printer to buy for around $999 while the Craftbot XL is a large build volume workhorse for $1900. I love what Hungarian firm Craftbot is doing on software, support and most of all on building these reliable fire and forget 3D printers that are a dream to use.

Pro 3D Printers
Pro 3D printers are meant to be used for businesses. Generally, more effort has been put into ease of use, component quality of the hardware, user-friendliness of screens and software as well as print quality. Build volumes and speeds should be higher as should overall performance. These printers now are approaching “printing with a few clicks and some user knowledge,” and hopefully we’ll see more “fire and forget” and less “guess your way to a part” in the future.

Formlabs Form 3 $3500

Uniquely, Formlabs has a wholly integrated vision for the desktop from materials to manuals and software. Formlabs top-down ecosystem means that you are constrained to a certain degree. But, in place of this comes an ease of use that other systems simply do not have at all. The Form 3 comes with more refinement in software, sensors, and better screen removal, which should enable more accurate parts with both more extensive and more delicate cross-sections. The Form 3 is new, so it has a limited track record as of today. If you want to opt for more of a track record, get a Form 2. This is still the best desktop SLA and one of the best printers out there.

Ultimaker S5 $6000

The S5 is a reliable printer that can repeatably make FDM parts with a lot of accuracy. $6000 is a lot of change when compared to a lot of other printers out there. If you want ease of use and are using this as a central printer for your office or just want the least total headaches, then the S5 is a great tool. I’m still in love with the print cores feature of these machines and their overall simplicity for me as a user.

The post 3D Printing Buying Guide 2019 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.