SLM Solutions Group, a German manufacturer of metal 3D printers, is to support the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), who has founded the Additive Manufacturing Steering Committee in the DIN Standards Committee Technology of Materials. Dr. Dieter Schwarze, Director of Scientific and Technology Research at SLM Solutions, is expected to steer the committee as Deputy […]
Poland: Inter-Faculty Project Yields 3D Printed Parts for Silesian Greenpower Racecar
3D printing has the potential to become a driving force in automobiles of the future. Allowing for exponentially more economical design and production, as well as invaluable rapid prototyping, this technology has been in use for many of the bigger names in car production for decades; in fact, companies like BMW have employed 3D printers for over 25 years and continue to invest further.
Racing enthusiasts have caught on quickly to the benefits of 3D printing also. With their own hardware on site—or in working with other parties to create and fabricate parts—those involved in building cars in a more DIY fashion can design parts, evaluate them as prototypes, and then continue to go back to the drawing board as often as needed without breaking the bank.
Building a racecar is not an uncommon endeavor for university students engaged in engineering studies, but with the addition of 3D design and 3D printing, their education and skillset for the future is expanded significantly. In a new twist, faculty at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland not only created several 3D printed parts for a bolide (also known as a fast-racing vehicle) but they became immersed in studying the dynamics of 3D printing and testing its true fortitude for their needs.
In ‘Studies on optimization of 3D-printed elements applied in Silesian Greenpower vehicle,’ authors A. Baier, P. Zur, A. Kolodziej, P. Konopka and M. Komander explain their process for creating 3D printed parts for their Silesian Greenpower electric racing vehicle, as well as the reasoning behind the project overall. The Silesian Greenpower Bullet SGR’s main parts (the frame and body) were created using Siemens NX software, while all cars competing at Greenpower were required to use identical electric motors with two 12-volt batteries for power.
The model of the fairing for back wheels of SG electric vehicle.
Model of the mirror case.
In testing 3D printing processes in the creation of both the fairing and mirror casing for their car, the team used a 3DGence 3D printer with a .5 mm nozzle. Test parts were created in PLA (1.75mm), chosen due to its more environmentally friendly nature, and its ability to decompose within 18 to 24 months. The team made 56 samples, allowing them to examine temperatures, cooling rates, and layer heights.
The model of the frame of Silesian Greenpower electric vehicle.
“It can be seen, that Young’s modulus varies between of 721 – 1274MPa with the percentage relative deviation in the range of 1.52 – 28.91 % – 2 out of 8 results are more than 25 %, therefore, these results obtained for Young’s modulus are not accurate,” state the researchers in their paper. “However, each of the results is in the range of the reference value for PLA. Maximum forces applied vary between 1.14 – 2.39 kN.”
“Percentage relative deviation for tensile strength is between 1.61 – 14.22 %, so results are accurate. Values of tensile strength are in the range of 29 – 57 MPa. Percentage relative deviation is the same as of maximum force for the corresponding series since tensile strength value is derived from force value. Most of the results of tensile strength are on the higher end of reference value range – 6 out of 8 results are above 45 MPa with the upper limit of 60 MPa. On the contrary, results of the elongation value are on the very low end of reference range with the value between 3.90 – 5.57 %.”
The model of the body of Silesian Greenpower bolide.
On conclusion, the team realized that while lower 3D printing temperatures do not have as much of an impact on quality, layer height is much improved.
“Smaller layer height provides better connection of the outline with the filling, and of the filling itself,” stated the researchers.
Higher temperatures, however, led to improved tensile strength—a requirement for creating car parts.
“At higher printing temperature and lower layer height, the higher cooling rate influences fragility of the material – lowers tensile strength significantly,” concluded the team. “The material is cooled down too rapidly whereby individual strokes did not connect enough with each other. Low printing temperature and high layer height cause a decrease in tensile strength by almost half, also the outline of the specimen is not well connected with the filling.”
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[Source / Images: Studies on optimization of 3D-printed elements applied in Silesian Greenpower vehicle].
Optomec Opens New EMEA Operations Center in Switzerland
Dave Ramahi, Urs Berger- Optomec, Harald Moder- Merconics, Lars Sommerhäuser & Pierangelo Gröning, Empa- at the Coating Competency Center at Empa in Switzerland [Image: Optomec]
New Mexico-based company Optomec has been around since 1997, and has gotten a lot accomplished in those 21 years. The company is known for two major 3D printing technologies. Aerosol Jet 3D printing enables the printing of electronics, using aerodynamic focusing to precisely and accurately deposit electronic inks onto substrates. The ink is placed into an atomizer, which creates a dense mist of material laden droplets; that mist is then delivered to the deposition head where it is focused by a sheath gas, which surrounds the aerosol as an annular ring. When the sheath gas and aerosol pass through the nozzle, they accelerate and the aerosol becomes focused into a tight stream, which is then aimed at the substrate.
Optomec’s other technology, LENS, is a metal 3D printing method, using a high-powered laser to fuse metal powder into dense 3D structures. The process takes place in a hermetically sealed chamber which is purged with argon so that the oxygen and moisture levels stay below 10 parts per million, keeping the part clean and preventing oxidation. The powder is delivered to the deposition head by a proprietary powder feed system which can precisely regulate mass flow.
Just recently, Optomec introduced a new technology – a hybrid system that combines LENS technology with CNC milling. The company is consistently developing new innovations, and is always expanding – Optomec has now announced that it is opening Optomec GmbH, a new Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations Center located in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Optomec GmbH will be located at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. Empa is an institution of the ETH domain and is affiliated with the ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology).
Empa has been responsible for some big 3D printing innovations itself, especially in the materials department. It’s also the location of the DFAB House, a project involving multiple digital construction technologies including 3D printing.
“Recognized for its leading-edge research in materials science and interdisciplinary technology, Empa is an ideal setting for Optomec to establish its EMEA Operations Center,” said Mike Kardos, VP World Wide Sales at Optomec. “Our office and demo center will be staffed with engineers and service technicians as well as the latest equipment to better support our partners and grow our customer base in the region. Also, our partnership with Empa enables Optomec to leverage their extensive network of European partnerships and collaborate on research activities that are well aligned with Optomec’s technology roadmap.”
Empa employs about 1,000 people and is dedicated to research and development in the field of sustainable materials science and technology.
“The new EMEA office demonstrates Optomec’s commitment to growing our presence and serving our clients in this region,” said Urs Berger, Optomec Director of Sales for EMEA. “I’m pleased to play an integral role in this expansion and look forward to the exciting development opportunities this presents for our clients and our industry.”
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Researchers Develop Plant Based Steak Printing Method
Food printing has presented some very interesting ideas over the years, including pizzas and novel baking solutions. Now, researchers in Barcelona are pairing up additive manufacturing with another growing field: cruelty-free meat solutions. Giuseppe Scionti and his team have developed a plant based steak production method that aims to replicate the real thing. While Scionti’s “steaks” are […]
The post Researchers Develop Plant Based Steak Printing Method appeared first on 3D Printing.
3D printing news Sliced: 3D Systems, Optomec, Luxexcel, Local Motors
Today in Sliced, our regular 3D printing news digest, we feature new 3D printing university courses, fiber-reinforced filament, cutting edge additive manufacturing research, the future of 3D printed electronics and an autonomous vehicle challenge. Read on for the latest news form 3D Systems, the University of Plymouth, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Optomec, Luxexcel, Local Motors and more. […]
Betatype reengineers 3D printed electrical generator housing for Safran Electrical & Power
The Buckinghamshire, UK, site of Safran Electrical & Power, a French aeronautical electrical company, develops landing systems for commercial and military aircrafts. With over 90 years of experience, the company and its subsidiaries have tested, serviced, and installed generation systems for Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Considering the increasing use of additive manufacturing in the aerospace […]
3D Printed Ligaments Could Change the Way Common Injuries are Treated
Ligament tears are becoming more common in sports. They’re painful and debilitating, and difficult to treat. The current standard is to replace the torn ligament with tendons, but that can cause additional problems down the line.
“What can happen over time is that the tendon itself begins to kind of stretch and become a little bit relaxed in the joint,” said Christina Salas, PhD, a scientist at the University of New Mexico. “Then (the tendon) becomes deficient again.”
Dr. Salas is currently working on creating 3D printed ligaments, which she says has never been done before. It’s an area of focus she has been working on for some time, with help from students and professors at the University of New Mexico.
“This is something that hopefully can reduce some of those failures we see,” said Dustin Richter, Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery. “And get people back to doing what they enjoy.”
The researchers have developed a special technique involving electrospinning, which uses electric force to create fibers.
“The near-field electrospinning technique that we have added to the bio-printer actually produces really highly aligned fibers that replicate the ligament tissue,” said Dr. Salas.
Doctors could then take a CT or MRI scan of a patient’s damaged joint and create an exact replica using 3D printing. This could allow for less-invasive surgery, and could be a more permanent solution as the synthetic 3D printed ligament would not wear out or weaken.
“We want to make sure that those patients can truly maintain their full function even longer as they grow older in life,” said Dr. Salas.
Dr. Christina Salas
The biggest challenge Dr. Salas and her colleagues are facing is figuring out how to attach the 3D printed ligaments to the bone. Dr. Salas recently received a two-year, $150,000 grant for the research.
3D printing is changing the way doctors and scientists look at the treatment of common injuries, such as torn ligaments. Recently, Queensland researchers revealed a new method of 3D printing joint cartilage, which could greatly shorten recovery time after surgery for arthritis and joint injuries – and that’s only one example of the extensive research that is taking place around the world involving the use of 3D printing for the repair of damaged bones and muscles.
Dr. Salas’ research involves artificial ligaments, but other work is taking place that involves 3D printing new tissue using the patient’s own stem cells. Many people automatically jump directly to talking about 3D printing organs when 3D bioprinting is mentioned, but major progress is being made in other areas, like the treatments of degenerative illnesses and common injuries. With 3D printing, athletes have the potential to stay in the game for much longer than they would have otherwise. There may also be less need for things like walkers and wheelchairs as people age, as diseases like arthritis are healed with new cartilage.
When 3D printed organs eventually become realized, they will potentially enable people to live longer than ever before. Until then, bioprinting has the ability to help people live with better quality of life for their natural lifespans.
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[Source: KRQE]
TU Delft: 3D Printed Chaise Lounge Morphs into a Bed
Netherlands-based Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is one of the world’s leading higher learning institutions, evidenced by continual innovations in student research. We have followed as TU Delft faculty have 3D printed electronic devices, students have fabricated parts for racecars, and even performed studies regarding some pretty amazing potential for 3D printed bacteria and its uses in space; however, student research at TU Delft also seems to have a recent and strong focus on delving into the 4D, giving us a glimpse into the future as we move even beyond the third dimension and look forward to objects that can adapt and morph—depending on the needs of their users.
No strangers to the world of soft robotics, 3D printed shape-shifting assemblies, as well as the fabrication of a variety of metamaterials, researchers have now set their sights on 3D printed pieces that could change the way furniture is designed and manufactured in the future. Arwin Hidding is a student at TU Delft, centering around current work with the Robotic Building research group. After finishing his master’s degree in architecture (and just before embarking on his PhD in 3D printed architecture), Hidding began working on a design for an innovative chaise lounge that sounds as if it could spoil consumers forever in terms of features and comfort.
Transforming from a lounge chair into a bed within mere seconds, this 3D printed piece is all about giving the user what they require in the moment—whether they want to sit and relax—or lie down, activating movement as they lean against the rear of the chaise.
“In the past, furniture could only take on a different shape in cartoons. 3D robot printing, variable stiffness, and adaptive structures were unheard of at the time,” Hidding told 3DPrint.com.
“The aim of the project was to develop a 3D printable pattern that would allow control over the stiffness over the material. Variable stiffness is employed in this project as an adaptation strategy to achieve multi-functionality.”
Using growing expertise in the field of both 3D printing and architecture, Hidding and a team of TU Delft researchers experimented with the concept of shape-shifting furniture. Along with progressive design concepts, they relied on intricate structural analysis, robotic path simulations, and 3D robotic printing for creating the ‘adaptive structure.’ The design is meant to support an average-sized human, with the morphing mechanism activated by their weight on the back of the structure.
“This shape change is achieved by combining variation in material distribution and use of thermoplastic elastomers,” Hidding told 3DPrint.com.
Other project members from TU Delft included Henriette Bier, Patrick Teuffel, Qing Wang, and Senatore Gennaro. The 3D printed chaise lounge is slated to be on display for the public at the Dutch Design Week from 20-28 of October in Eindhoven. Find out more about this project and other Robotic Building projects here.
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GE Transportation to introduce 250 3D printed locomotive parts by 2025
According to reports in UK rail industry authority the Railway Gazette GE is looking to apply additive manufacturing to components for its locomotives. If all goes according to plan, this could mean that in the next seven years GE Transportation will have an inventory of up to 250 3D printed train components. A pilot initiative for 3D […]
Ultimaker 3 door clip and stand #3DThursday #3DPrinting
Shared by Airtibi on Thingiverse:
Simple clip and stand for Ultimaker3. It can be placed with the standard screws and can be good for Extended version as well, but bigger size of plexiglass needed.
During printing the clips, it can be placed as planned, so no support needed.
Download the files and learn more
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!