While 3D printed armor and uniforms are nothing new, HP has been printing protective headgear for a very peculiar client. It appears even the Vatican are modernising, having requested 3D printed helmets for the Pope’s Swiss guards. The new helmets mark a change in design after about 500 years. However, these alterations are not just an […]
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Designer Mark Beecroft of the Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art has been exploring the potential of 3D printing in industrial knitting in his recently published paper, ‘Digital interlooping: 3D printing of weft-knitted textile-based tubular structures using selective laser sintering of nylon powder.’
The technology of 3D printing is perfectly suited to this type of textiles manufacturing, and specifically, using selective laser sintering (SLS) in the fabrication of tubular forms of varying sizes. The use of 3D printing is also appropriate for the production of apparel as the technology has lent so much already to the bold realm of fashion, from dresses to bathing suits to shoes.
With the accompaniment of CAD-based programs, knitting manufacturers can easily create interloping structures that loop and extend with the proper elasticity.
“By 3D printing knit-based structures it’s possible to embed knit’s inherent properties of stretch and flexibility, whilst exploiting the mechanical properties of the material used to print with,” states Beecroft.
While previous research into 3D printing knitting structures has been performed, it mainly pertained to non-continuous, linked geometries. Here, Beecroft examines the use of 3D printing continuous fiber type geometries and testing resulting structures that are both single- and double-face. Evaluation of each structure includes checking how well they handle being compressed and extended, along with total flexibility.
SLS with nylon has historically been known as an excellent combination, resulting in:
Some SLS printers (but not the one used in the experiment) can also handle polyurethane plastics (TPU) well—notably exemplified in 3D fashions by Iris van Herpen and Julia Koerner.
The knit structures studied by Beecroft were 3D printed on an EOS Formiga P110, with Nylon PA12 as the selected material, requiring no extra supports apart from loose powder, and offering the required stability and strength.
Tube A: compressed, extended, stretched and folded.
Manual compression of tubes was used in testing in evaluations:
“Once printed each of the tubes were tested to determine their compressed and extended length, this was achieved by compressing each of the tubes by hand to the minimum length without deformation of the loops and recording the measurement,” states Beecroft. “Each tube was then extended by hand to the maximum length without deformation of the loops this measurement was then recorded.”
“Following this, each tube was tested for stretch capability by manually stretching each tube over a cardboard cone structure with a minimum diameter of 25 cm and a maximum diameter of 55 cm. The stretching over the cone was repeated 10 times to test stretch and recovery properties of each tube. Finally, each tube was manually manipulated by bending and folding by hand to test for overall flexibility and ability to return back to original form.”
Tube B: compressed, extended, stretched and folded.
Tube C: compressed, extended, broken loop (detail) and folded.
Tube D: compressed, extended, stretched and folded
Tube E: compressed, extended, stretched and folded.
The structures showed good recovery after compression, along with the proper flexibility (We would be curious to see how long this property will last). Beecroft was encouraged by the study, stating that it shows the potential for 3D printed tubular knit structures.
“However, a limitation of this research is the lack of standards or defined test procedures suitable for testing 3D printed textile-based structures,” concluded Beecroft. “The author is planning to carry out further research to test the durability of these printed structures in a controlled laboratory environment to test tensile strength, elongation and load to the breaking point.”
“This research has shown that SLS is a suitable manufacturing process to achieve flexible tubular knit-based structures using Nylon (PA12) powder. Further research into other flexible powder material such as TPU would be of interest to test the mechanical behaviour of the material, in combination with the knitted structure’s inherent properties of stretch and flexibility. This would enable a comparative study to be made between Nylon (PA12) and TPU.”
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.
Whenever we say chocolate, we immediately start wanting to eat some. Chocolate has been around for quite a long time, in fact, it is said it has been around since 350 B.C. as cacao beverages or chocolate drinks. And when we thought that the chocolate industry reached its peak, the 3D printing era made sure to take chocolate to a whole new level.
Additive manufacturing has reached many food markets so it is no surprise that 3D printing made its impact on the chocolate industry. Companies such as Hershey, Nestlé, Mars Inc., and Mondelez International had been experimenting with 3D printed chocolate for the last few years, and 3D printing brings creativeness and innovation to the industry.
It is clear that taste is not enough to attract chocolatiers, and that design is now becoming an important aspect in the industry. In order to seduce customers, 3D models can be turned into an edible chocolate creations.
So, how does it work?
The majority of chocolate 3D printers work with CAD files, just like as a normal 3D printer. Instead of a filament, the chocolate 3D printers use a syringe, which is loaded and then it keeps the chocolate at temperature as it prints. The extruder head moves around and lays down the melted chocolate with the shape desired in layers. The chocolate eventually cools and becomes solid. The syringe loading system is food-safe, clean, efficient, and keeps the chocolate fresh. If the operating temperatures are followed, the chocolate shouldn’t dry up in the syringe at all.
Why is it harder to print?
It is easier to print plastic than to print chocolate. Chocolate has very different melting and cooling properties than plastic, thus melted chocolate can’t harden as fast. This could lead to 3D printed chocolate losing its shape due to the temperature and gravity. The type of chocolate is also important. Whether it’s milk, dark or white chocolate, they all have different viscosities, for it is recommended to use a high-quality and machine-tempered chocolate like Belgian dark chocolate. If not then one has to temper the chocolate on the device. In some cases people have added significant amounts of pectin to try to make 3D printing easier as well. Since chocolate can’t be rolled into a hard filament because the texture is too soft, the melted chocolate is stored in a cartridge and extruded with a syringe. Belgian chocolate has mostly shown better printing results compared to other types of chocolate since it has higher levels of cocoa solids.
Which are the limitations of 3D printing chocolate?
Chocolate 3D printers haven’t been around for very long, so the chocolate industry has yet to expand and learn what more could be done with 3D printers. Chocolate 3D printers aren’t suitable for mass production but it is perfect for those who want to try them out, customize chocolate, or just design new shapes. The main problem with chocolate 3D printers is the temperature. The process can be time-consuming and this is due to temperature complications. The chocolate has to be heated enough to melt and at the same time it must be cool and dry enough to maintain its shape.
And the main benefits?
Apart from being chocolate and us being able to eat it, chocolate 3D printers let us customize shapes and forms perhaps making individual bonbons or topical sweets for events. 3D printing, in general, is already about ultra-personalization. Anyone can enjoy complex 3D designs that would be impossible to do it with our own hands. Sculpting and molding is a bit limited and chocolate 3D printers help us expand our ideas.
It is always recommended to use models that aren’t too large, that have areas of fine detail, or unsupported overhand or angles that are too steep. In the said case, the model will have to be edited. To print complex models, reduce the printing speed so the chocolate has more time to dry and harden and the next layer can be built.
The chocolate industry has yet to expand in the world of 3D printing. The temperature, time, and process are the three main issues that must be solved in order to make the production more efficient. In the meantime, we can still enjoy chocolate with traditional or new and 3D printed designs. Maybe it’s time I get myself a chocolate 3D printer!
We’ve got some exciting dental news to share first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs – Stratasys just announced its new full-color dental 3D printer at LMT Lab Day. Moving on, Farsoon has been busy developing an advanced pure copper laser sintering process, and Aether is working with Procter & Gamble on a joint development project. DyeMansion has announced a new UK distributor for its products, and three researchers address the challenges of adopting additive manufacturing in a new book about best practices in the AM industry.
Stratasys Introduces Full-Color Dental 3D Printer
This week at LMT Lab Day Chicago, the largest dental laboratory event in the US, Stratasys has introduced its new full-color, multi-material J720 Dental 3D printer which lets you have 500,000 color combinations for making very high resolution, patient-specific models. Its large build tray can print six materials at the same time, and it’s backed by GrabCAD Print software.
“Labs today operate in a very competitive space where differentiation counts on mastering the digital workflow and expanding into new products and services. The J720 Dental 3D Printer is designed to change the game – allowing levels of speed, productivity and realism the market has never seen,” said Barry Diener, Dental Segment Sales Leader for Stratasys. “This powers laboratories to meet the demands of a competitive market and push the boundaries of digital dentistry.”
See the new J720 Dental 3D printer at LMT Lab Day Chicago today and tomorrow at Stratasys Booth A9. It’s expected to be available for purchase this May.
Farsoon 3D Printing Pure Copper
Pure copper heat exchanger
Two years ago, after Farsoon Technologies had introduced its metal laser sintering system, the company’s application team began working with industrial partners to develop an advanced 3D printing process that could additively produce components made of pure copper. Copper is a soft, ductile metal with both high electrical and thermal conductivity, and it’s often used in industries like shipbuilding, electronics, automotive, and aerospace. But most additive copper is based on alloys, and not the pure metal itself, which is hard for lasers to regularly and continuously melt and can cause problems like thermal cracking and interface failure.
That’s why Farsoon’s work is important – all of its metal laser sintering systems can successfully create cost-effective, high-quality pure copper parts. The company’s process and unique parametric design is able to meet custom needs of customers, and to date, it’s launched 13 process parameters for metal powder sintering, including pure copper. Some of the parts that have come out of Farsoon’s recent collaborations include a pure copper heat exchanger, which featured a 0.5 mm wall thickness, complex spiral geometry and was printed in a single piece. Farsoon is open for additional partners seeking to further develop the 3D printing of pure copper and other specialized materials.
Aether and Procter & Gamble Begin Joint Development Project
Aether CEO Ryan Franks and Director of Engineering Marissa Buell with an Aether 1
San Francisco 3D bioprinting startup Aether has entered into a two-year joint development agreement with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in order to develop 3D printing and artificial intelligence technologies. The two will use the multi-material, multi-tool Aether 1 3D printer as a technology creation platform, and will create several hardware and software capabilities that hope to automate and improve P&G’s product research applications and develop a next-generation Aether 3D printer. An interconnected network of computer vision and AI algorithms aims to increase automation for multi-tool and multi-material 3D printing, while high-performance cameras will enable new robotics capabilities. Aether is also working on additional software that will help P&G automate and speed up image processing.
“Aether is working with P&G to completely redefine 3D printing. It’s no longer going to be just about depositing a material or two in a specific pattern. We’re building something more like an intelligent robotic craftsman, able to perform highly complex tasks with many different tools, visually evaluate and correct its work throughout the fabrication process, and constantly learn how to improve,” said Aether CEO and Founder Ryan Franks.
DyeMansion Names New UK Distributor
3D print finishing systems distributor DyeMansion, headquartered in Munich, announced that Cheshire-based 3D printing services supplier Europac3D will be the UK distributor for its range of machines. Per the agreement, Europac3D will now offer all of the AM finishing systems in DyeMansion’s Print-to-Product workflow, which includes its Powershot C powder blasting system, DM60 industrial coloring system, and the PowerShot S, which delivers homogeneous surface quality to 3D printed, powder-based plastics. Because of this, Europac3D is one step closer to achieving its mission of being a one-stop shop for 3D printing, scanning, and post-processing services.
“DyeMansion’s post-production systems are worldclass and add the all important finish to additive manufacturing,” said John Beckett, the Managing Director of Europac3D. “Their systems are perfect for companies or 3D print bureaus that have multiple SLS or HP 3D printers and allow us to extend our offer by providing market leading additive manufacturing finishing systems for 3D-printed polymer parts.”
New 3D Printing ‘Best Practices’ Book
We could go on and on about the many benefits offered by 3D printing (and we do), but there are still industry executives who remain unconvinced when it comes to adopting the technology. But a new book, titled “Additive Manufacturing Change Management: Best Practices” and released today, is here to provide some guidance for those still holding back. The book, which addresses some of the challenges of adopting 3D printing, was published by CRC Press as part of its Continuous Improvement Series and written by Dr. Elizabeth A. Cudney, an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, along with Divergent 3D’s VP of Additive Manufacturing Michael Kenworthy and Dr. David M. Dietrich, who is an Additive Manufacturing Engineering Design Fellow for Honeywell Aerospace and Dr. Cudney’s former doctoral student.
Dr. Cudney said, “If company leaders are interested in bringing additive manufacturing online, this book can help them decide if it makes sense for their industry.
“There’s often a lack of planning, a lack of understanding, a resistance to change and sometimes fear of the unknown. Our hope is that this book will provide a good road map for managers to advance additive manufacturing at a faster pace.
“We wanted to take a look at how companies can roll out a new technology, new processes and equipment and integrate that in such a way that you have a good product in the end.”
In the 17-chapter book, the authors present what Dr. Cudney refers to as a ‘road map’ for business leaders looking to adopt 3D printing. The eBook format costs $52.16, but if you want that shiny new hardcover version, it will set you back $191.25.
Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.
The United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey serves as the main R&D group for the U.S. Army armament and munitions systems. There, personnel continue to specialize in material property innovation, along with developing advanced technology. It makes perfect sense that they would branch out into additive manufacturing processes and further study of materials that would fit in with needs for the military.
Currently, ARDEC houses 25 3D printers of varying types. Matthew Brauer, scientist for the Advanced Materials Branch of ARDEC, states that currently they are using everything from compact desktop machines in the $500 range to industrial size additive manufacturing equipment that costs over $500,000. The goal is for such processes to be available to soldiers in the field when they need to make parts right way, either as replacements or for general maintenance.
The hardware has to be reliable, streamlined and user-friendly, as well as safe and durable for what can be rigorous conditions. Any 3D printers used by the military must also comply with performance requirements, along with rigid regulations for storing and disposing of waste materials—and this can vary by country.
The Rize hybrid augmented deposition process offers multiple benefits to not only ARDEC but also the Advanced Materials & Technology Branch within ARDEC. Printing is performed through extrusion of thermoplastics and the jetting of inks.
“It’s easy to peel away supports from intricate geometries, and that provides a faster part in the soldier’s hand,” said Matthew Brauer, Scientist, Advanced Materials Branch of ARDEC.
James Zunino, Materials Engineer at ARDEC, also adds that less post-processing is highly desirable in areas where there simply isn’t enough water for exercises like post-processing in 3D printing.
On-demand parts and tools are produced affordably and quickly on the Rize One 3D printer. More importantly though, the parts are strong and durable for fabrication of parts like wheels for robotics and parts for military vehicles. The Rize case study offers the example of Humvee window knobs and handles that can break easily, making entering and exiting difficult. With the Rize One, engineers at ARDEC were able to make new handles, and at rapid speed—with the parts ready for immediate installation, saving hours of time from previous processes.
“A system can go down because of one missing part and something like 3D printing can get you back in the fight,” says Zunino. “That’s a huge benefit to the Army. If a handle is broken on purge pump or wheel is damaged on an EOD robot, you can print a new one.”
ARDEC is also using the Rize One for creating many specialized tools needed in the field, like special apparatus for opening 55-gallon drums, as well as other basic items like wrenches, created with modeling programs like SolidWorks. Weapons can also be repaired and maintained, along with the creation of parts as ARDEC engineers download files, customize them, and 3D print.
Nearly all divisions of the military, from the Army to the Marines to the Navy—along with famed aerospace organizations such as NASA—have been enjoying the benefits of 3D printing for decades, and they continue to use progressive technology to improve mission-critical applications for soldiers who are often in remote locations.
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: Rize Case Study sent to 3DPrint.com]
Have you used Versatile Plastic to make 3D printed prototypes? How about for end-use products? In Part Three of our Material of the Month series, we are going to demonstrate the strength and flexibility of this material.
Take a look!
Versatile Plastic is printed with an SLS process that uses a laser to fuse together nylon powder. This enables interlocking parts. When printed with thin features in a chainmail pattern, it’s flexible and folds like fabric.
Versatile Plastic could be the perfect material for you. Upload your file now for an instant quote.
Learn how you can utilize SLS technology to expand the manufacturing capabilities of your business.
Part One: Material Overview
Part Two: Voytek Medical Uses Versatile Plastic to Transform the Landscape of Healthcare
Part Three: How Strong and Flexible is Versatile Plastic?
Part Four: Stayed tuned! We’ll be answering your questions about Versatile Plastic in the last part of our series.
The post How Strong and Flexible is Versatile Plastic? appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.
Super rad 3D printed pi zero stand from @helenevirolan on Twitter, check it out here!
Our 3D printed Pi Zero stand came out nicely! Love this little project from @adafruit ! #3Dprinting #RaspberryPi #prusa #prusai3mk3 pic.twitter.com/sAunwKlrtd
— Helene (@helenevirolan) February 16, 2019
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
Techstars to host live AMA event to answer questions about their 2019 investment focus on additive manufacturing and sustainable tech.
On February 27, 2019, Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker will host a live AMA (Ask me Anything) to provide a platform for startups and industry experts to ask questions about their upcoming accelerator.
Applications are currently open for the 2019 STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator. Scheduled to start in July 2019, the accepted companies receive up to $120,000.00 in funding, access to over $1M in additional resources, access to world-class mentors including executives, founders, investors and technical experts, and life-long membership in the Techstars network.
While Techstars posts their FAQs right on their website, they understand that founders will often want to ask questions directly to program leadership. “The AMA provides an opportunity for people from around the world to ask questions directly to me, and to leadership from Stanley Black and Decker including Marty Guay, Vice President of Business Development and Peter Bates, Vice President of Packaging” – said Claudia Reuter, Managing Director of the STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator.
The stats on Techstars companies are pretty well-known. With over 1600 investments, and exits including Amazon’s recent$1B acquisition of Pillpack and the IPO of SendGrid and its subsequent $3B acquisition by Twilio, accepted companies will find themselves in good company. Looking more closely at the ten companies who recently completed the 2018 STANLEY + Techstars Program provides another view of the potential for accepted companies. Of the 10 companies, most are in the process of finalizing additional capital and expanding their businesses, and 4 of them have already received follow on investment directly from the STANLEY Ventures team.
Industry giants like Stanley Black & Decker have recognized that startups with solutions in additive manufacturing or sustainable tech have the potential to transform the industry and the world. The AMA is a chance for those looking to make an impact to learn more.
Credit: Techstars. / Techstars Logo for the STANLEY+ Techstars Accelerator
The Digital Twin is a concept that is being established by the Enterprise CAD software crowd as well as people working in industrial automation. Heard among many a chin-chin with white wine and a smile; the digital twin could refer to just how well this term pairs with a higher “share of stomach” of manufacturer spending. Or it could very well relate to just how well this concept goes down with the Industrie 4.0 crowd along with with a reinheitsgebot beer and dreams of renewed German precision manufacturing hegemony.
The digital twin as a concept refers to the idea that in a digital manufacturing world mass customization coupled with software will mean that each and every single product in a company’s inventory will have a (perhaps) unique file encompassing all of the settings and necessary production information for that one part. A million unique hearing aids will all have accessible trackable digital twins that specify when and how they were created.
One can easily see how as a storage company this would make one salivate. For a manufacturer, as agile Chinese companies nip as one’s Achilles heels a renewed push into integration and complication with a side order of software could be just what staves off the competition and keeps everyone A6’s and A8’s for a while. Integration, software integration and plugging one’s product into the aorta of a firm sound very compelling. Once your process or machine is wrapped around the main artery along with ERP and PLM, they’re never going to rip any of that out. We have cured the patient forever; he need only keep taking our insulin. Forever revenue, annual maintenance fees, and a more high tech product, what’s not to like? What’s more, rather than make a device and sell it once we can write code and sell it lots of times. Perhaps this is a path for our stodgy firm to get a better multiple as well.
For manufacturers afraid of a future that they don’t understand, a vague, fluffy wave of a safety net sounds compelling as well. Track all of the products? Track all parts? Analyze all of the parts. Compliance on everything all of the time. Would you say no? After CRM, PLM, and ERP the digital twin could be the next multi-billion dollar dream of total control through software. For governments, the digital twin represents all of their dreams in one, and it seems like a future surefire innovation subsidy darling. Mittel GmbH, a family firm founded in 1810, the largest manufacturer of specialized hand tools for ski lifts in WestElbe Ostfalen, has implemented the digital twin to produce custom tools more efficiently using digital manufacturing in Germany. Perhaps in this century, European subsidies will produce mountains of code instead of butter.
Perhaps you can feel a slight skepticism on my part towards the digital twin. Just a smidgen maybe. Having worked in software, I’ve never seen it as a refuge for altruists. Historically much of software’s labor-saving potential has seemed to be absorbed by the vendor rather than have been created for the benefit of the client. I do however believe in digital manufacturing, and that 3D printing is quickly becoming a viable mass manufacturing technology for millions of highly detailed end-use parts. For that to happen, something like the digital twin has to exist. I had high hopes for something a bit more elegant, robust and open: a stuff DNA or sDNA where all of a files ingredients, parameters of the design, rights, and attributions are included in all 3D printing files themselves in an open format. I still think that this is a much better idea, but the digital twin with its fluffy enterprise software husk and the meaty, dense interior is a veritable beef wellington of profits compared to the ceviche thin earning potential of adding sDNA to all of the things in a universally accessible and free format.
They will PowerPoint this into our heads, and it will become what we need to want. Assuming then that the digital twin will, therefore, become commonplace I’ve been giving the concept some thought. I believe I’ve come up a much improved (and far more profitable!) addition to the idea. Enter: the Digital Triplet.
During production, each individual part will need one record of its precise making, and this will exist for the life of the product, available for tracking, querying, and analysis. We should keep this virtual sibling for reference, warranty, process optimization, and simulation. But, what could make it even more valuable? If a third sibling were added: a digital version of the product which entails everything that has happened to it throughout its lifetime. By implementing a “separation of concerns” between the recipe of what we thought we made and how the actual thing has been treated and has performed. Through doing this, we can compare what we thought we wanted to make and what we actually obtained. The third sibling would also be editable and expandable by notes from installers, customers, maintenance personnel and can be updated with new information on new replacement parts, telemetry, and IoT as well as other sensor data. Through this way we can after a year compare all of the versions of a product made on a single day with their deployed versions and actually find out how our products are doing in the wild.
By having a digital triplet we can truly have the product, its digital copy and a file of its actual use in the wild as three separate things which can all be analyzed and tracked. Interoperability of environments, systems, software, parts, and people can all be compared and continually updated. A manufacturer can not only see how well its parts have performed but also how well those serviced by Hans did. Manufacturers can track how well products do in certain countries and begin to develop more intelligent hypotheses on product life, maintenance cycles, and real-world performance. Complex systems suffer from concurrent interaction and feedback loops from various real-world forces as well as layers of interacting systems. By logging and tracking all of these in the log triplet, the effects of different firmwares, software updates and versions on part performance and interaction can be gaged.
As more firms adopt iterative versions of product development and more agile engineering methods we will have many more interactions of many different parts upon each other. With 3D printing, especially files, slicing and toolpath generation will have effects on part strength and longevity. With only the digital twin one could tell that a part was made on a particular day with a specific machine. But, you wouldn’t be able to understand what has happened to the part. The digital twin is just the product and its birth but what is its biography? What has happened to it over time? Perhaps if we learn that all of the parts that fail five years later were installed on days which were humid and rainy, then we can begin to understand the effect that life in the real world has had on that particular thing. With the complexities of additive thrown in it is through this process that we can finally begin to understand not just how unique things are made but how they live their lives as products in the real world.
https://www.quora.com/Have-3-D-printer-manufacturers-agreed-upon-a-universally-accepted-programming-language-that-accepts-templates-while-also-permitting-user-friendly-customization/answer/Joris-Peels
Images Creative Commons Attribution: Joel Cooper, Thomas and Phil Dolby.
