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3D Printing News Briefs, September 29, 2021: Research, Molds, & Bridges https://ift.tt/3F3aS8T We’re starting off with some heavy-duty research in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs as scientists from Pusan National University are 4D printing humidity-responsive polymers and 3D printed components are helping to improve the performance of an electrochemical reactor. Astronomers are 3D printing handheld stellar nurseries, and we don’t mean the kind where your baby goes to sleep. Hybrid AM technology is being used to fabricate carbon fiber-filled molds for an automotive project, and finally, a 21-meter-long 3D printed bridge was unveiled in China. 4D Printing Humidity-Responsive Polymers Innovations like sensors, smart textiles, soft robots, and weather-responsive architecture are typically based on materials that respond to external stimuli, such as light, temperature, and humidity, by changing shape. Liquid crystal (LC)-based lightly crosslinked polymers, or LC elastomers (LCEs), have this actuating ability, but most don’t respond to humidity changes, or if they do, they’re brittle. A team of scientists from Pusan National University in Korea, have developed a new class of smart LCEs, which can be 3D printed, are very deformable, and respond to environmental humidity—making them 4D printed. First, they prepared LC ink using dimethylamino group functionalized LC oligomers, which were then 3D printed, using UV-assisted direct-ink-writing technology, in a variety of geometries. Finally, an acidic solution was used to activate the 3D printed LCE surfaces, and the resulting novel humidity-responsive LCEs can undergo both programmed and reversible shape changes, such as twisting, bending, and forming the letters ‘P,’ ‘N,’ and ‘U.’
You can learn more by reading the Pusan team’s published study. 3D Printing Improves Performance of Electrochemical Reactor Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, collaborating with Stanford University and oil and gas company Total American Services, recently used 3D printing to rapidly enhance the performance of electrochemical reactors used for converting CO2 into chemicals, material feedstocks, and energy sources. The collaborating researchers are working under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), and published a paper proving the 3D printed components allowed the vapor-fed electrochemical systems to produce higher yields of feedstocks and fuels, like ethanol and ethylene, and majorly speed up the process of building the reactors. The team used projection micro-stereolithography and other photochemical-based 3D printing processes at LLNL to design and print new housings for the reactors, in an effort to find better ways to control the environment around the catalyst. By using the technology to optimize the design, they were able to improve the overall mass transport for delivering reactants to, and removing products from, the catalyst surroundings, as well as introduce what the researchers call a “paradigm-shifting approach to designing future reactors and rethinking how chemical reactions are done.”
3D Printed Handheld Stellar Nurseries Artist and astrophysicist Nia Imara, a professor of astronomy at the University of California Santa Cruz, has combined both of her passions to help scientists better visualize the giant clouds of gas and dust that birth stars, also known as a stellar nursery. She and her team used high-resolution, bitmap-based 3D printing to fabricate polished orbs—small enough to fit in your hand—that resemble giant marbles containing beautiful swirling patterns. These 3D printed stellar nursery models feature patterns that come from simulations that were run of star-forming clouds, showing how the nurseries are affected by different processes, such as magnetic fields and turbulence. Opaque resin was used to print the models, and Amara’s team also printed half-spheres to offer a simulated view into the cross sections of the stellar nurseries. Quote request Are you looking to buy a 3D printer or 3D scanner? We're here to help. Get free expert advice and quotes from trusted suppliers in your area. Powered by Aniwaa
Imara plans to use the 3D printed models in an astrophysics course she will be teaching this fall. To learn more, you can read the published paper here. Hybrid Manufacturing Helps with Custom Vehicle Restoration In June, multi-axis machining specialist CMS SpA, based in Italy and the US, introduced its hybrid composite large-format Kreator 3D printer and multi-axis milling machine, and has now announced the first commercial project developed with the technology. Together with Italian company Bercella S.r.l., which specializes in large and complex structures, CMS is using the new hybrid Kreator to fabricate carbon fiber-filled molds for Bercella’s custom Restomod Maserati vehicle restoration project. CMS worked with Fraunhofer IWU to develop the Kreator, which combines milling with large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM), and the first use case was the redesign of 26 body components, including the bumpers, door, roof, and hood, for the Restomod Maserati MV 3200 GTC. Using the CMS Kreator, the components were built from carbon fiber prepreg, manufactured via hand layup on molds—3D printed out of 40% carbon fiber-filled PA6—and then cured in an autoclave. The ultimate goal is to produce an entire carbon fiber restoration vehicle out of 3D printed molds.
3D Printed Bridge Unveiled in Chengdu Finally, a park in Chengdu, China is now home to a 3D printed bridge that’s over 21 meters long. The bridge, 3D printed out of polymer composite materials instead of concrete or metal, is actually part of the larger Liuyun Bridge in the city’s Yimahe Park. This bridge measures 66.8 meters long, and the flexible 21.58-meter-long 3D printed portion is 8 meters at its widest point and 2.68 meters at its highest point. Made from 12 tonnes of polymer ASA and glass fiber for more strength and weather resistance, the design team of China Southwest Architecture cooperated with a printing team in Shanghai, and used the country’s largest polymer printer to build the bridge, which was inspired by the “free running form of the Stage Horse River and the dancing silk.” The fully automated printing system took 35 days to complete the 3D printed portion of the Liuyun Bridge.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 29, 2021 at 08:36AM
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Essentium CEO Discusses High Speed 3D Printing’s Rapid Rise at RAPID+TCT 2021 https://ift.tt/3CUzpeD Essentium, Inc. is one of the fastest developing startups in the fused filament fabrication (FFF) space, in that it is quickly rolling out advanced technology while also growing beyond the FFF space. At RAPID + TCT 2021 and on the heels of its acquisition of Collider, the company showcased the latest addition to its high speed extrusion (HSE) line, the HSE 280i HT. To learn more about Essenitum’s quick take off and stellar trajectory, we spoke to CEO Blake Teipel. Founded in 2013 with an initial focus on materials and overcoming Z-axis weakness in FFF, Essentium got up and running quickly. With $22 million in investment from BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, and Materialise, the leading additive manufacturing (AM) service bureau and software provider, the firm presented to the world a high-temperature, high-speed FFF machine, the HSE 180 HT. Teipel explained that the company still considers itself a materials-first technology, but that it needed to get into the machine making business because it couldn’t find original equipment manufacturers capable of delivering the quality necessary for Essentium’s materials. In turn, the firm developed a technology capable of achieving low-cost printing with a broad range of materials. Though there are many companies now releasing high-temperature FFF systems, it was clear with the HSE 180 that Essentium’s was different, not just because it was advertised to be five to 15 times faster than the competition, but because you could tell that the company was trying to advance the technology in other ways beyond temperature and speed. This was proven with the release of the HSE 280i HT. The new machine is an extension of Essentium’s existing 180 series, building upon the preceding HSE 180 HT with a new architecture capable of dual independent extruders. Unlike other machines that boast multiple, independent extruders, those on the 280i HT are truly separate. They don’t share the same X-axis, as is the case with others, but have fully independent travel nodes on both the X- and Y-axes. In turn, the machine can produce separate designs or potentially collaborate on a single, large print. Generally, high temperature FFF machines enable the printing of performance plastics by heating the chamber. However, the HSE 280i HT uses a multimodal heating method, eliminating the need for the entire chamber to reach the necessary temperatures. This, along with the high speed of the machine itself, could double productivity compared other systems, according to the company. Among the materials that the machine can print with is a new polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), to complement a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) that was already qualified for the HSE process, as well as the PEEK/PEKK cousin polyetherimide (PEI). Like PEEK and PEI, PEKK is an extremely tough, temperature and chemical resistant polymer that is popular in aerospace and medical applications. The decision to pursue Essentium PEKK, made with Arkema 6002 Kepstan, came from Essentium’s work with the U.S. Air Force, which wanted yet another flight-qualified material for flight-critical applications. With high-speed, high-temperature FFF 3D printing now a reality, Teipel explained that the company aims to tackle other issues associated with 3D printing, as well—namely Z-axis weakness. In addition to slow speeds, FFF 3D printing is generally hindered by anisotropic physical properties, in which the Z-axis of the part doesn’t match the strength of the X- and Y-axes. Quote request Are you looking to buy a 3D printer or 3D scanner? We're here to help. Get free expert advice and quotes from trusted suppliers in your area. Powered by Aniwaa When Essentium launched in 2018, it touted the use of an electromagnetic energy system for melding the individual layers of a part to achieve near-complete fusion. This FlashFuse technology relied on the coupling of electromagnetic elements within Essenitum’s specialty materials, allowed for strong inter-layer adhesion. According to Teipel, this technology was initially put on the back burner so that the company could get to market more quickly.
For a young company, it is interesting to note that it has already made an acquisition. Earlier this year, it purchased Collider. Despite the firm’s exciting technology, Collider had been experiencing financial issues in part associated with the pandemic. Previously referred to as programmable tooling, Collider’s digital light processing (DLP) technology involves 3D printing a high-resolution shell from a water-soluble resin before filling the printed mold with a specialty two-part epoxy material. The resin can then be rinsed away, revealing a solid part with properties comparable to those made with IM.
In addition to being able to potentially use the myriad materials already available in IM, Collider’s process can also print with metals. Instead of injecting an epoxy material into the shell, a metal-infused slurry can be injected. The resulting green part can then be sintered in an oven to create a solid, metal component. Teipel said that the market roll-out for Collider’s technology is still in the planning stage but wasn’t ready to make a specific announcement. Similarly, he couldn’t announce whether or not his firm is aiming to pursue a SPAC merger like many other exciting startups in the industry. However, in concluding our conversation, he certainly didn’t close the door on any possibilities, SPAC or otherwise, for the young startup.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 29, 2021 at 08:06AM
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$300M Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Florida to Leverage 3D Printing https://ift.tt/3m65f1j Small satellite provider Terran Orbital, known for collaborating with NASA and commercial space companies on orbital and lunar spacecraft, will spend $300 million in Florida to construct a 660,000 square foot state-of-the-art commercial spacecraft facility that will create 2,100 jobs to produce thousands of different types of space vehicles per year. Terran will be partnering with Florida’s aerospace and spaceport development authority, Space Florida, to build the facility. In fact, Space Florida assisted Terran in obtaining third-party capital for the construction. Once open in 2025, the site will feature a campus-based artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled supply chain enabling the Irvine, California-based company to continue industrializing satellite production, offering customers greater speed, lower costs, and higher quality satellites and Earth observation constellations for upcoming missions. As part of the facility’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, it will also boast 3D printing technologies to accelerate the space vehicle delivery to market and capabilities to produce and fabricate the highest quality, technologically advanced, printed circuit board assembly with extensive electronic storage vaults. In addition, Terran will employ augmented and assisted workforce product lines to produce a vast array of complex electronic and mechanical devices. An already busy low Earth orbit (LEO) is about to get more active as the growing demand for small, lower-cost satellites is increasing, driving companies like Terran to expand. Record-breaking satellite launches in 2020 were already an indication that the satellite market was on the rise. During the year, 1,283 satellites were launched. However, in 2021, almost 850 satellites traveled to orbit during the first four months of the year alone. Furthermore, by 2030, satellite launches could quintuple, or more, opening up space to more companies and startups than ever before. Planning to supply enough satellites for the upcoming global demand, Terran Orbital is one of many businesses leveraging 3D printing technology to create spacecraft parts. Leading the trend are space giants like SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Relativity Space, and much more. In the last few years, startups worldwide have turned to additive manufacturing for space applications due to the countless advantages of the technology, including low costs, reduced lead times, and increased design flexibility. On September 27, 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello and Terran Orbital Co-Founder and CEO Marc Bell to announce the new major step in the rapid advancement of Florida’s space coast. This 72-mile Eastern coastline is home to the world’s top space and aerospace employers. DeSantis commented on the upcoming site, stating that it will have a hugely positive impact on the area, building off the previous success from other companies that have moved to the space coast in the last few years, including Sierra Space CAE and Redwire. The Governor also highlighted that there is already a big pool of local talent for space companies to hire. Still, the state is placing a premium to prepare college students for careers in locational-based sectors like the space industry. Constructed at Cape Canaveral’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) on Merritt Island, Florida, the site will consist of ten automated and augmented hangers capable of producing over 1,000 satellites and more than one million satellite components per year, according to Bell.
Focused on developing the largest vertically integrated satellite assembly facility, Bell said that the 660,000 square foot area is part of Phase I and will bring all aspects of satellite creation, manufacturing, and production into one place. Most importantly, Terran will own its supply chain and continue adding other companies to its portfolio to enhance products in the next decade. Aside from building satellites for customers in the civil, commercial, and government, Terran is aiming to develop its LEO satellite constellation. Terran’s first constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites is being developed by PredaSAR, a subsidiary of Terran that creates small satellites with on-board integrated SAR that continuously travel around the earth to provide continuous global coverage, 24/7, all-weather coverage of the world’s population, critical areas of commerce, and specific areas of interest, both terrestrial and maritime. Based on space-proven hardware, state-of-the-art radar, and lights out software automation on a secure high-speed global infrastructure, SAR peers through conditions that other solutions can’t, such as clouds, smoke, and bad weather. It will launch on SpaceX in 2022. But PredaSAR is just one type of satellite that will be manufactured at the new site. Terran has many customers that will see their satellites coming out of the new facility in a few years, including Lockheed Martin, the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, Northrop Grumman, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and much more. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 29, 2021 at 07:36AM
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Coral Reefs Restoration Pursued with Binder Jet 3D Printing https://ift.tt/3ATOuN0 According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 25% of all marine life is dependent upon the biodiverse underwater ecosystems known as coral reefs. Unfortunately, as coral reef conservation organization SECORE International reports, 55% of the world’s coral reefs have died over the last thirty years, and we could lose 99% of the existing ones within the next century if something isn’t done to help. Overfishing and pollution both majorly threaten coral reefs, but another big issue is climate change, which is why a design technologist in California is using 3D printing to help save the marine ecosystem by restoring coral reefs that have been negatively impacted. This design technologist, Alex Schofield, is the director of Objects and Ideograms, which, according to the website, has “an obsession of materiality and its meaning to us in various global contexts.” The workshop has used 3D printing for other projects like a coffee table and coffee bar, but Schofield has been working since 2019 to use his knowledge of coral research, computational design, and 3D modeling to create complex surfaces out of calcium carbonate—a limestone from which coral skeletons are made.
This material substrate is biomimicry at its finest—the calcium carbonate is ground down into a fine powder, which is then 3D printed, using binder jet technology, in order to copy the tough, textural structure that houses the living polyps in coral.
Together with the California College of the Arts, Schofield’s workshop has attached the 3D printed calcium carbonate scaffolds to an environmental demonstration project and research platform called the Buoyant Ecologies Float Lab, created by designers and architects and deployed in the San Francisco Bay in 2019. The lab is a floating breakwater structure that uses an “ecologically optimized fiber-reinforced polymer composite substrate,” and features varied topographies that perform tasks both above and below the water, such as channeling rainwater into watershed pools for intertidal habitats and providing underwater habitats.
The workshop’s project has secured a proprietary pending patent for the production and application of its proprietary 3D printed calcium carbonate material, which can be fabricated in a variety of forms to accommodate many aquatic organisms, in the hopes of offering a healthy, diverse underwater ecosystem to restore coral reefs.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 29, 2021 at 07:24AM
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Free (really) Forever (truly) – Create your own website in a snap (did we mention for free) https://ift.tt/3kSZd4s Introducing GetResponse Free-Forever. Yes, it’s real and it’s spectacular. Free. Forever-ever.Get your business online. Easily. Affordably. What does that even mean? <We interrupt this introduction for an urgent announcement> In a bit of a big turn for us here at GetResponse, even for us employees, really, for the first time in two decades we’re offering a free plan so anyone – everyone – can create their very own website and use foundational tools, such as email marketing, to get their business online. And anyone out there can get their business online without complications, using our totally code-free, AI-driven website builder, all at the genuinely low cost of FREE. Yup, say it again – Free. Forever. <Horns triumphantly blare> Introducing … the GetResponse Free-Forever Plan. Yes, it’s extraordinarily real. Free-Forever. Forever. Getting Started<Back to our question at hand> So, what does it mean, getting your business online? At the heart of it, it means creating a website so that your business literally (digitally?) can be online for everyone to find. Not just any website, but one that looks great, captures attention, tells your story, and helps you connect with your customers online. Beyond that, being online usually means having email communication with your customers (current and potential ones) so that you can keep them up to date on your offers, specials, discounts, new releases, and more. Usually, people will give you their email address in a signup form on your website (you may have done this yourself) knowing that by agreeing to get emails from you, you’ll be giving them some great insights, access, and discounts. That’s the start of it, and sometimes getting started is the hardest part. We know that all too well. Creating a website, and a presence online, maybe it sounds a tad daunting, if your business is not online yet and you don’t have any coding experience, or familiarity with what you need to have a website that fits all your needs. We’re here to demystify – and even provide a solution to – all of that. Sticker shock (free?!?)I admit it, when we heard the announcement internally, we were taken a bit aback. We’re a bunch of people who genuinely like helping other people, and this was a clear and true opportunity to help anyone and everyone. On the heels of launching our new Website Builder this year, we figured it was time to merge the tool and approach to truly helping out all businesses get started getting online, while alleviating the real costs of money and time. So, here we are. You can create a website, way easier than it was before, without know a lick of coding, and with the help of professionally-designed templates, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and even an AI-powered website creator that will do the heavy lifting for you. You can use one of our available domains (that’s the www. part that tells people where to go) or even plug in your own domain for free. Some other “free” options out there make you pay for this part, which is a bummer because having your own domain is a boost by using your own branding for an even better presence and deliverability. A seriously simple, and engaging, website awaits you if you’re not online yet. And you can create that website for free. And keep it up online, attracting customers, and making sales. Free. Forever. (I have to keep saying it myself.) You can do it, without help from an agency, or relying on an expert programmer and coder, or having to pay for a consultant. Create your own website (no really, I’ve tried it myself and I don’t know a lick of code) without frustration so your business can be online. And do it at the foundational level without having to pay at all. And you can actually publish your website and have it live online, without needing to pay for any add-ons or upgrades, so you can truly get your business online, quickly and (extremely) affordably. In the mode of take stock and adapt that we’ve all been in since last year, the Free-Forever plan fits the current reality (for there’s nothing “new” about it) of people seeking to fill needs and wants online – meaning businesses and customers (the majority of people) are online now. I’d say most businesses can’t afford to stay totally offline anymore. <Announcer voice> But wait, there’s more! You can also incorporate other tools for free, such as email marketing to create newsletters and connect with more information and offers for your audience, as well as signup forms to collect those email addresses, and landing pages to present offers to them, all so you can nurture your new online audience. Not sure what nurturing is exactly? We’ll get to that in a bit. What do you get? For how long?First off … The full details of what exactly you get in the Free-Forever plan, here for your benefit: … Oh wait, one more thing. Because we gotta.… when you sign up for the Free-Forever plan, you will get access beyond what’s available in that plan for 30 days to test it all out (if you wanna). Meaning, you get access to the premium suite of tools but only for those first 30 days. Ok here goes, the Free-Forever nitty-gritty:
Those words, you keep mentioning those words – what are the “premium features”? Here’s what you’ll get access to for the first 30 days in addition to the free forever tools. These are there for you to take for a test drive, and even if you don’t need them now, they’re there waiting for you if you need them down the road and want to upgrade your plan. As you grow you might want and need more marketing tools to embark on engaging your audience further, and we still offer paid plans (of course) to empower anyone to start doing those things too. You might be familiar with other businesses that offer part of their platform for free, with expanded capability and access at higher level plans, companies such as Duolingo, Spotify, YouTube, and more. For instance, one step up is creating a social media ad that brings more visitors to your new website. Creating a weekly or regular email series to connect with your audience and offer them up your special offers, discounts, holiday sales all scheduled and sent automatically with marketing automation. As people sign up for your new email list by filling out some basic information in exchange for your offers. If it’s not in your wheelhouse right now, cool, keep on chugging along with the Free-Forever plan, and it’s all good. Premium features available for the first 30 days:
Obstacles omittedSo now that first big hurdle is removed to start getting your business online – cost. And the second one two – approachability and functionality. Nurturing your presence means treating what you do online as you would in your real store. Engage with people, greet them, show them who you are, why you’re worth doing business with, and build relationships. Give them discounts, and special offers for loyal, repeat buyers. <In the near future> So, you’ve done it! Your own website is online, live as they say. And you even have a signup form collecting email addresses from your willing audience. Now, you can email them with a newsletter, some special discounts, promotions for a seasonal item or sale, even some videos or menu items if you have them. And that’s where the next step, growing your business online, comes in. That’s there for you if and when you want and need it. For now, let’s get you online. Printing via GetResponse Blog https://ift.tt/2Xap2TD September 29, 2021 at 06:59AM
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Julia Schimautz | Every Thought You’ve Ever Had Music Video https://ift.tt/2ZGIOIt Julia Schimautz, a graphic designer and printmaker based in Cape Town, recently created a fully Riso-printed video for one of musician, Pan Well‘s, latest tracks. Performed and recorded in Pan Well’s bedroom, Every Thought You’ve Ever Had is essentially about that – one’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings that come rushing all at once. Going on a journey which dips through the juxtaposed worlds of dark and light, exploring intensity, tension, growth, and a movement to euphoria, the video is a trip through one’s mind. Julia created the video in After Effects, bringing together Risograph prints she printed at Dream Press. Altogether, it consists of 1102 frames spread over x12 A3’s, printed, scanned and put back together on the computer. Julia printed the works in Yellow, Orange, Bright Red, Teal and Black. Huge bass, phasing synths and a relentless disco beat, Every Thought You’ve Ever Had is a track that’s as much for the dancefloor, as it is for the headphones. “But this is just my take on it, let the visuals and sounds do it’s own thing for you,” concludes Julia. Written, Produced, Performed & Mixed: Pan Well www.juliaschimautz.com Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 September 29, 2021 at 05:31AM
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Autonomous 3D Printed Vehicle Olli Coming to Eastern Michigan University https://ift.tt/3omTIx4 Local Motors has been working hard on its 3D printed electric, autonomous Olli shuttle this year, installing a wireless charging system developed by ORNL, placing a large order for Protean’s in-wheel drive motors, and partnering with a Berlin-based mobility company to create ride-pooling software to enable autonomous 3D printed shuttles in Europe. Now it’s being deployed in the US, as Eastern Michigan University is launching a service for the Olli shuttle on campus.
The university’s GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology will be deploying two of the company’s autonomous shuttles, which are 80% 3D printed, on the campus this year, and is also opening a new space for R&D purposes at the American Center for Mobility, which is a Michigan-based collaborative effort made up of government, industry, and academic organizations focused on accelerating the mobility industry through testing, research, standards development, and educational programming.
GameAbove is a group of EMU alumni and supporters that have worked to fund multiple initiatives across campus, such as this latest with Local Motors, a partnership with Perrone Robotics for three senior projects, and helping to support a new Senior Research Engineer position at ACM.
EMU’s new vehicle lab at ACM will work on autonomous vehicle cybersecurity research, and the partnership will also help obtain grants and projects with industry leaders, as well as help support the new research position.
One of the self-driving, mostly 3D printed shuttles, dubbed Eagle Shuttles for the university’s mascot, was recently on display outside outside Rynearson Stadium for the season’s first football game. Planned routes for the low-speed, electric shuttles will be shared during the school year, but we do know that the Eagle Shuttles will transport students and faculty around campus, as well as to nearby locations within the Ypsilanti community.
(Source: WDIV ClickOnDetroit) Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 28, 2021 at 09:06AM
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Rapid + TCT 2021: CEO Reichental on New Nexa3D Products and the 3D Printing Industry https://ift.tt/3m7VeAt During the recent RAPID + TCT 2021 event, ultrafast polymer 3D printer maker Nexa3D showcased its end-to-end 3D printing validated workflow for the first time. From September 13 through 15, attendees got to experience first-hand the benefits of Nexa3D’s equipment as well as new product launches and partnership announcements at the event held. In addition, Nexa3D Co-Founder and CEO Avi Reichental discussed with 3DPrint.com the demand for 3D printing in several industries, the company’s plans for the future, and the heightened interest from investors in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. Nexa3D started operations in the US in 2014, after Reichental and co-founders Andrea Denaro, Gianni Zitelli, and Luciano Tringali decided to focus on building super-fast 3D printing technology that could unlock the full potential of additively manufactured polymers for volume production. Leveraging speed and scale as two of the building blocks of Nexa3D’s success, the company has raised $95 million and is one of 3DPrint.com’s potential businesses in line to become 3D printing unicorns, unless they decide to go the SPAC route, like many competing firms these days. The business had enormous capital efficiency throughout every phase of its growth over the past five years, and the latest $64 million round gives it greater financial strength and flexibility.
At the RAPID + TCT 2021 event in McCormick Place, Chicago, Nexa3D announced the immediate commercialization of its next-generation Everlast-2 Membrane for use with Nexa3D NXE series printers, and attendees got to witness it in action. The new product extends the useful life of Nexa3D liquid interface technology membranes exponentially, providing less downtime for membrane changes and much longer continuous runs in demanding series-production operations. Also showcased at the Nexa3D stand was the SKOP stethoscope. Additively manufactured in partnership with polymers leader Henkel and French medical device company WeMed, the product is described as the world’s first connected stethoscope entirely 3D printed at scale with production volumes that could exceed 100,000 units per year. Nexa3D also announced the development of turnkey AM production systems with Henkel to accelerate adoption in targeted end-use markets. Additionally, the duo opened a full-scale AM customer center called NEXTFACTORY in Ventura, California. Talking about the company’s WeMed SKOP, Reichental said it represents a new class of products developed and optimized fully for additive production, taking full advantage of biomimicry acoustics to get to market quickly and scale without the brittleness, constraints, and complexity of traditional supply chains. The SKOP is a great example of how the healthcare sector is quickly becoming one of the most relevant markets for 3D printing, something Reichental said he envisioned back in 2019. Today, and like many, he believes the coronavirus pandemic continues to act as a catalyst for accelerated adoption.
As for Nexa3D’s future in the healthcare and dental industries, he considers both sectors are “truly open-ended verticals for AM in general and Nexa3D in particular.” Reichental commented that the advent of better functional biocompatible materials that Nexa3D can now deliver, coupled with its 20 times greater productivity and lower total cost of ownership (as low as 85% compared to other solutions on the market), makes Nexa3D a very compelling solution for dental labs, aligner manufacturers and healthcare products and devices companies. Reichental also predicts that surgeries will change in the next few years, as surgeons continue to rely on 3D printed implants, 3D models for successful surgeries, training, and medical device testing.
Considered by many to be a tech visionary, Reichental is also a serial entrepreneur. Aside from his role at Nexa3D, he is also the founder and CEO of XponentialWorks, an advisory, venture investment, and incubation ecosystem company for exponential tech innovation. For 12 years, Reichental also served as the CEO of 3D printing pioneer 3D Systems, is an active inventor with 40 patents, and is part of Singularity University’s core faculty in Santa Clara, California. When it comes to the disruptive effect of the 3D printing industry, he says several industries are “ripe” to embrace AM and take it to large-scale production. In particular, Reichental is excited about the advances that Nexa3D is making for lightweight transportation, like the Fun Utility Vehicle (FUV) project with Arcimoto, which was showcased at the Nexa3D RAPID + TCT stand. The affordable, ultra-efficient, small-footprint electric vehicle is great for maneuverability and performance, extends the driving range on a single charge, and is good for the environment since Nexa3D managed to put “certain parts on a diet of between 35% and 50% weight reduction,” stated Reichental.
At the Nexa3D booth, attendees got to see the company’s end-to-end validated workflow for the first time, following the recent release of the xWASH post-processing system. In addition, visitors learned about the benefits of applying the full range of equipment that makes up Nexa3D’s end-to-end solution for industrial and dental, and health applications. The stand featured the ultrafast NXE400 photo plastic 3D printer and the NXD200 dental 3D printer, alongside post-processing equipment such as the xCURE. With so many announcements this year and a commitment to digitizing the world’s supply chain sustainably, Nexa3D is all about enhancing productivity and performance orders of magnitude, according to its CEO.
At this rate, by 2030, Reichental predicts that 33% of global manufacturers will have additive production lines on their factory floor. That’s excellent news for the company as it continues to expand its portfolio of ultrafast 3D printing products and seeks out partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions, understanding that the 3D printing ecosystem is built upon collaborative efforts. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 28, 2021 at 08:36AM
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Carbon Founder’s 3D Printed Vaccine Patch Could Increase Disease Immunity https://ift.tt/3uj3Bgh One topic that may or may not be on everyone’s minds at the moment: vaccines. You may think we’re either getting too many of them or not enough of them. Researchers from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have their own thoughts on the topic, namely replacing injections with a “vaccine patch” that they found to trigger an immune response that is up to 50 times greater than traditional, needle-based vaccines. One of the innovators behind the technology is none other than former Carbon CEO and founder Joseph M. DeSimone, who is also a professor of translational medicine and chemical engineering at Stanford University and professor emeritus at UNC-Chapel Hill. DeSimone, with his fellow scientists, 3D printed microneedle patches that can be customized for a variety of vaccines, including COVID-19, as well as the flu, measles, hepatitis and more. To do so, the team relied on Carbon’s continuous light interface processing (CLIP) technology, a unique form of digital light processing 3D printing that allows for rapid, engineering-grade parts. The vast majority of vaccines rely on taking a vaccine from a refrigerator or freezer before filling a syringe with the formula and injecting it into a person’s body. This necessitates both cold storage and trained professionals to administer them. In contrast, vaccine patches consist of microneedles coated with the vaccine that dissolve on into the skin. They don’t require special handling and can be self-administered. Though microneedle patches have been experimented with in the past, they typically rely on the creation of a master template used to mold microneedles. 3D printing, obviously, offers greater flexibility and timelines. Lead author Shaomin Tian, researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine, explained, “These issues, coupled with manufacturing challenges, have arguably held back the field of microneedles for vaccine delivery. “Our approach allows us to directly 3D print the microneedles which gives us lots of design latitude for making the best microneedles from a performance and cost point-of-view.” According to the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the patch is not only easy to use and less invasive, but it resulted in T-cell and antigen-specific antibody response 50 times larger than injections in animals. It may even make it possible to apply smaller doses than traditional vaccines, while achieving the same immune response. The researchers are now exploring the possibility of 3D printing mRNA vaccines like those used in the large-scale, live Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials currently taking place globally. Interestingly, University of North Carolina is also the home of Dr. Ralph Baric, who was involved in bat coronavirus research with the director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In that study, the team received USAID funding from EcoHealth Alliance, a Department of Defense-backed organization that also participated in bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “In developing this technology, we hope to set the foundation for even more rapid global development of vaccines, at lower doses, in a pain- and anxiety-free manner,” DeSimone said. “One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned during the pandemic is that innovation in science and technology can make or break a global response. Thankfully we have biotech and health care workers pushing the envelope for us all.” If Carbon were able to assist in the commercialization of such a technology, it would certainly be a massive coup for the 3D printing unicorn. The company already played a lead role in the development of 3D printed nasal swabs that seemed to outperform traditionally made counterparts with the added benefit of rapid producibility. This could potentially upend the way that test swabs are manufactured. A similar disruption in vaccines could reap enormous profits in an industry that was worth some $35 billion before COVID-19. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 28, 2021 at 08:06AM
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MX3D 3D Prints Lunar Flooring for ESA to Test 3D Printing on the Moon https://ift.tt/3kMTvkR The European Space Agency (ESA) is backing architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in developing a habitat to be built on the moon. A prototype for a skeletal floor has been developed by metal 3D printing firm MX3D, famous earlier this year for their metal 3D printed bridge in Amsterdam, built with wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), which leverages a robotic arm to melt metal wire into a freestanding object. For the floor system, engineers needed to meet construction constraints maintaining structural integrity. By delineating stress map analysis and an optimized continuous topology, MX3D scientists created a structure with a smooth web pattern design which cantilevers towards the center to outside, allowing these cross sections to be printed at a reduced thickness without losing structural integrity. The floor was printed using MX3D’s proprietary WAAM method with 308LSi stainless steel, a popular material in the aerospace and space industries. The print took 246 hours, weighed in at 395 kg and measured 4.5 m long. Six separate segments make up the overall floor design, these pieces are printed individually and then are welded together, the structure is held up by three columns and features a series of floor panels.
Space-based construction is thought to benefit greatly from the convenience and customizability that 3D printing affords. In theory, printers can be set up and used to build entire habitations, even using the planet’s own regolith as feedstock. Spacecraft could potentially include 3D printing systems allowing astronauts to print parts or tools as necessary, as already occurs on the International Space Station. NASA itself is currently backing 36 projects related to lunar 3D printing. As a part of its Artemis project, which aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 to explore the south pole, NASA is also looking for ways to inhabit the moon long-term. Last year, the space agency contracted construction 3D printing firm ICON to prototype a moon base. Termed Project Olympus, the firm is working to develop buildings that; can be printed directly on the moon, withstand extraterrestrial conditions, use materials found on the moon, and leave no waste. Such technology, when developed, could prove useful for sustainable construction here on Earth as well. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 28, 2021 at 07:36AM |
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