3D Printing News Digest

3D Printing Industry news sliced: GE Additive, PostProcess Technologies, ACEO, Formlabs, Materialise, Sennheiser and more

在此版本的切片中3D Printing Industry news digest, we cover the latest business developments, partnerships, and novel applications in the wider 3D printing sector.

Today’s edition features a number of collaborations and investments, new 3D scanning hardware, software updates, medical updates, and leading research in the field of 3D printed X-ray detectors.

Read on for the most recent updates from Hexagon, Microsoft, CyBe Construction, Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, AM Solutions and more.

A building in Milan 3D printed by CyBe Construction. Photo via CyBe Construction.
A concrete building in Milan 3D printed by CyBe Construction. Photo via CyBe Construction.

New partnerships in additive manufacturing

3D printer OEMFormlabsrecently announced a partnership with audio companySennheiser’s AMBEO divisionto begin offering customers custom 3D printed earphones. Together, the partners will work to develop a new production method that utilizes phone-based 3D scanning, enabling users to send in scans of their ear crevices. Using Formlabs’ SLA technology, custom earphone geometries can then be 3D printed on an individual basis, ensuring a unique fit better suited to the ear of the customer.

“我们与Sennheiser的技术合作试图通过启用更定制,以用户为中心的产品开发方法来改变客户与他们喜欢的品牌的互动方式,” Formlabs音频总监Iain McLeod说。“ Formlabs的深厚行业知识和广泛的专业知识在开发可扩展的解决方案方面使我们能够为客户提供切实的创新。在这种情况下,我们正在与Sennheiser的Ambeo团队合作,提供独特的可访问,定制的体验。”

Elsewhere, software developerMaterialisehas announced a partnership with precision 3D printer OEMBoston Micro Fabrication(BMF). Materialise has developed a custom Magics Print slicing software that integrates with BMF’s Projection Micro Stereolithography (PμSL) micro-precision 3D printing systems, providing users with improved support generation functionality and reduced preprocessing times.

“Today’s agreement will combine the strengths of our leading 3D file editing software with BMF’s powerful PµSL 3D printing technology,” said Karel Brans, Senior Market Director at Materialise. “This will help BMF’s customers achieve the highest level of precision and accuracy available on the market today.”

BMF's Magics Print software. Image via Materialise.
BMF’s Magics Print software. Image via Materialise.

CyBe Construction, a specialist in 3D concrete printing, has revealed its materials supplier for the first time in almost a decade. Building materials manufacturerKorodurhas been supplying CyBe with its special 3D printable mortar mix since the duo started working together in 2012. Together, they have completed a whole host of construction projects across Europe, including residential buildings.

弗兰克•桑德Korodur技术经理, “We implemented our first joint project, a residential construction in Dubai, in the desert under the most difficult conditions. Since then, even more exciting properties have been added to this, for example in India, Japan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.”

Manufacturing equipment supplierPhillips Corporationhas also announced a partnership with 3D printer OEMMarkforged, to distribute Markforged’s Digital Forge across both the Americas and Asia. The AI-powered platform includes the company’s metal and composite FFF 3D printing technology, as well as its extensive suite of material filaments.

“Partnering with Phillips Corporation provides Markforged with additional distribution across the Americas and Asia while giving Phillips’ commercial and federal government customers more tools to help them reinvent manufacturing and run more efficiently,” said Shai Terem, CEO at Markforged. “With Markforged, Phillips Corporation customers can harness the power of additive to do everything from optimizing their supply chains by producing parts on demand to truly transforming their businesses.”

Finally, metal powder supplierNanoALhas signed a Commercial License Agreement withMitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan这将使纳米尔的Addalloy铝合金粉末家族在亚洲的3D打印市场中重新分配。合作伙伴还签署了一封意向书,以实现未来潜在的纳米铝合金产品的额外合作伙伴关系,包括为汽车等部门进行的铸造和滚动床单。

Nanoal首席执行官Nhon Vo博士补充说:“此公告是Addalloy Powders市场需求的巨大信号。与全球综合企业企业三菱公司的全资子公司RTMJ合作,我们现在将能够在全球范围内实现我们铝合金技术的出色性能和经济性的承诺。”

A residential bathroom 3D printed by CyBe Construction. Photo via CyBe Construction.
A residential bathroom 3D printed by CyBe Construction. Photo via CyBe Construction.

Business developments and investments in the 3D printing sector

UK-based manufacturing equipment OEMHybrid Manufacturing Technologies(HMT) has debuted its new subsidiary, Hybrid Advanced Manufacturing (Hybrid AM). The new company ultimately serves to improve HMT’s accessibility by providing Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) using HMT’s proprietary hybrid 3D printing systems.

HMT的联合创始人兼首席执行官Jason Jones博士解释说:“我们了解许多人希望访问我们的技术,但尚无足够的需求购买自己的系统。这个新的部门进一步使我们的使命是使更广泛地访问混合技术。我们用于数字制造的综合方法为不实用的客户应用程序驱动了未开发的价值。”

Elsewhere,ICD Applied Technologies, a powder metallurgy subsidiary of international conglomerate ICD Group, has announced its investment in aGE Additive Concept LaserM2 3D printer. Without much detail, the company has stated that it will use its new industrial-grade PBF system to “manufacture complex components for demanding applications”.

Jan Siebert, a General Manager at GE Additive, said, “We are thrilled to see this investment and trust placed in our laser technology. It’s great to see the ICD Applied Technologies team put additive and an M2 system at the heart of its technology strategy, but also acknowledge the complementary synergies with conventional manufacturing.”

To round things off, 3D printing service bureauAM Solutionshas purchased a DECI Duo metal surface finishing system from post-processing equipment OEMPostProcess Technologies. The investment is set to complement AM Solutions’ extensive portfolio of metal 3D printers, enabling the company to deliver high-quality metal components to its customers.

Ubaldo Concilio, General Manager of AM Solutions, explains, “With the DECI Duo, we have an additional innovative solution to develop tailor-made and hybrid processes, delivering high-quality finishing results for complex metal parts to our customers. It is our main goal to deliver the top-tier results that meet the unique needs of our customers, and the new finishing technology will help us to achieve these goals.”

The Concept Laser M2 Series 5. Photo via GE Additive.
The Concept Laser M2 Series 5. Photo via GE Additive.

Hardware, software and materials updates from Hexagon, Microsoft and ACEO

Engineering companyHexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligencedivision recently launched a new high speed, non-contact sensor for use with its GLOBAL S and OPTIV M lines of CMM 3D scanners. The sensor operates on chromatic white light technology and is primarily aimed at electronics and medical manufacturers looking to rapidly inspect delicate parts, including 3D printed ones, with a variety of surface finishes.

Wolfgang Madlener, VP of machine tools and sensor devices at Hexagon, said, “We are excited to introduce these highly specialized sensors to address the need for continuous sampling at high accuracy and speed. We recognise that our customers need new approaches to address evolving product designs, manufacturing techniques and the agility to address new markets.”

Hexagon has also recently advanced its existing partnership with France’sTechnical Centre for Mechanical Industry(CETIM). As part of the collaboration, the partners will add binder jet 3D printing to Hexagon’sESPRIT CAM工程软件。该程序已经支持DED和PB​​F 3D打印,现已使用CETIM使用数字金属binder jetting system.

ESPRIT的添加产品经理Clement Girard解释说:“我们使用ESPRIT添加剂PBF产品切片3D型号,并生成兼容的文件格式,该格式将由Digital Metal的机器可读。所有数据制备均使用仍在开发的ESPRIT添加剂PBF版本进行。”

In an unforeseen turn of events, tech giant微软has removed the ‘3D Objects’ folder from the sidebar of the File Explorer. The largely unused repository has previously been dubbed Windows 10’s most useless folder, and was culled with the launch of Windows 10 1703, the Creators Update. The company has replaced the folder with the ‘3D Viewer’ application, which enables users to inspect and manipulate 3D models in a virtual workspace.

根据更新的发行说明:“ 3D对象文件夹将在更新此构建后不再显示为文件资源管理器中的特殊文件夹。如果您需要访问此文件夹,则可以通过在文件资源管理器中的键入%userProfile%或通过“导航窗格”选项进行操作。Show all folders.”

Finally, 3D printing service providerACEO, the silicone 3D printing arm of瓦克,已为其材料Jet 3D打印技术推出了新的多物质组合。ACEO客户现在将能够委托3D打印的软硅胶弹性体以及硬环氧热匠材料,使用户能够尝试新颖的功能组件。这些材料可以轻松分开,ACEO将提供设计指南,以帮助用户设计其硬/软材料零件。雷竞技官网登录

粘合剂制造商产品管理主管Karl Bitzer博士DELO, adds, “Epoxies are typically used in high durability applications. Enabling 3D printing in combination with silicone elastomers will open up new opportunities in high performance market segments such as electronics, automotive, manufacturing tooling, and more.”

The binder jet 3D printed impeller components. Photo via ESPRIT.
The binder jet 3D printed impeller components. Photo via ESPRIT.

Medical 3D printing applications from BCN3D and FLEXpine

IDEX FFF 3D printing technology from OEMBCN3Dhas been used to help treat cancer patients in Argentina. Specifically, Dr. Gustavo Nari collaborated with engineering firmMirai3dto 3D print lifelike medical models of a 65-year-old patient’s liver, one that suffered from cancerous liver metastasis. The models enabled improved visualization and were used in the surgery planning stage of the patient’s treatment, increasing the chances of success while cutting the surgery time significantly.

Dr Nari explains, “Thanks to the use of this 3D model, the surgical time could be reduced by approximately 45 minutes, resulting in a total surgery time of 3 hours.”

Elsewhere, 3D printed medical device providerFLEXpine Brace最近宣布,其专利3 d打印scoliosis back brace had been used to treat its 300th patient. While conventional rigid back braces are long and limit user motion, FLEXpine’s 3D printed braces are shorter and custom fit for each individual patient. This enables wearers to exercise actively and strengthen their back muscles, helping in the rehabilitation process.

The FLEXpine scoliosis back brace. Photo via FLEXpine Brace.
FLEXpine’s scoliosis back brace. Photo via FLEXpine Brace.

3D printed X-ray detectors fromEPFL

在学术领域,来自École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne瑞士(欧洲),最近的3 d打印一组working X-ray detectors using a 3D aerosol jet printer. The structures are an integral part of medical imaging devices such as CT scanners, and serve to detect the level of radiation being emitted by an X-ray source. Here, the 3D printed detectors consisted of perovskite pillars on a graphene substrate, where the former acted as the actual detector and the latter amplified the outgoing electrical signal.

Interestingly, the team’s 3D printed detectors recorded a four-fold improvement in sensitivity when compared to current best-in-class medical imaging devices. “By using photovoltaic perovskites with graphene, the response to X-rays has increased tremendously,” says László Forró, lead author of the study. “This means that if we would use these modules in X-ray imaging, the required X-ray dose for forming an image could be decreased by more than a thousand times, decreasing the health hazard of this high-energy ionizing radiation to humans.”

The 3D printed X-ray detectors. Image via EPFL.
The 3D printed X-ray detectors. Image via EPFL.

3D Print Congress & Exhibition postponed to April 2022

3D Print Congress & Exhibition, a France-based additive manufacturing trade show, has postponed its next event to 5 – 7 April 2022. The show was originally set to take place in June 2021 in Lyon but the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions have made this impossible. To make up for the missed show, the event organizers have also proposed a 3D Print Congress & Exhibition event this Autumn in Paris, although this will depend on the trajectory of the virus over the coming months.

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Featured image shows the Sliced logo on an image of a 3D printed X-ray detector. Image via EPFL.