A group of researchers from Imperial College London has developed a technique for 3D printing metals such as silver, gold and platinum onto natural fabrics. The process could also be used to incorporate batteries, wireless technologies and sensors into paper and cotton textiles. These technologies could have several applications, including new low-cost medical diagnostic tools, wirelessly powered sticker sensors to measure air pollution, or clothing capable of monitoring the wearer’s health.

This isn’t the first time that metals have been printed onto fabrics, but in the past, the process would coat the fabric with plastic, which would leave it waterproof but brittle. The researchers’ method, which they describe in a paper entitled “Autocatalytic Metallization of Fabrics Using Si Ink, for Biosensors, Batteries and Energy Harvesting,” allows metal inks to cover entire fibers rather than coating the surface of the fabric.

“Fabrics are ubiquitous and some forms such as paper, are ancient,” said Max Grell, PhD candidate in the Department of Bioengineering. “With this new method of metallizing fabrics it will be possible to create new classes of advanced applications.”

The researchers first covered the fibers in microscopic particles of silicon and then submerged the material into a solution containing metal ions. The process is known as Si ink-enabled autocatalytic metallization, or SIAM, and it allows the metals to grow through the material as the ions are deposited on the silicon particles. The technique coats metal throughout the fabric, allowing paper and textiles to maintain their ability to absorb water and their flexibility while also providing a large metallic surface. Many advanced technologies require these properties to function, particularly sensors and batteries, where ions in solutions must interact with electrons in metals.

The researchers, for a proof of concept study, dropped the silicon ink by hand onto the fabrics, but they also say that the process could be scaled up and performed by large conventional 3D printers.

As an example, the researchers printed silver coil antennas on paper, which can be used for data and power transmission in wireless devices such as contactless payment systems. They also deposited silver onto paper and then added zinc to form a battery, and used the technique to produce a range of sensors, including a paper-based sensor to detect the genetic indicators of Johne’s disease, an illness that is fatal to grass-eating animals and is associated with Crohn’s disease in humans.

The researchers say that sensors made within natural fabrics would be cheaper and easier to store and transport, and could be used in clothing that monitors health.

“We chose applications from a range of different areas to show how versatile and enabling this approach could be,” said Grell. “It involved a lot of collaboration and we hope we have demonstrated the potential of this method so people who specialise in different areas can then develop these applications. The beauty of this approach is that it can also combine different technologies to serve a more complex application, for example low-cost sensors can be printed on paper that can then transmit the data they collect through contactless technology. This could be particularly useful in the developing world where diagnostic tests need to be conducted at the point of care, in remote locations and cheaply.”

The researchers demonstrated that creating a coil antenna using their approach cost as little as $0.001, compared to conventional methods which cost $0.05. The team has applied for a patent and is looking for industry partners. The next step is to demonstrate the use of the new method in real-world applications.

Authors of the paper include Max Grell, Can Dincer, Thao Le, Alberto Lauri, Estefania Nunez Bajo, Michael Kasimatis, Giandrin Barundin, Stefan A. Maier, Anthony E.G. Cass and Firat Güder.

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The Radtech BIG IDEAS for UV+EB Technology conference takes place on Tuesday, March 19th and Wednesday, March 20th in Redondo Beach California. The BIG IDEAS for UV+EB Technology is the place to learn about advances photopolymer material development for 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing.

By being specialized and focused on UV curable materials, this two-day conference is the one place in the world to find out what is happening in UV curable 3D printing technologies. This is the most efficient way for you to in one to be up to speed with the current state of UV curing in 3D Printing. All of the critical leaps in photopolymer technology from new materials to new industrializations of products and new applications will be discussed here. You can learn from companies such as Formlabs, Fast Radius, Origin, Sartomer, Allnex, NIST, and more. At the conference, you can also learn directly from exhibitors, other attendees, and of course the speakers. The technologies Inkjet, stereolithography, DLP as well as emerging technologies will be covered.

Some speakers will include Darryl Boyd, of the US Naval Research Lab who will talk about “Photopolymerization of Thiolyne Polymers for Use in Additive Manufacturing.” While Ali Khademhosseini of UCLA will discuss “Light-Enabled Materials for Regenerative Engineering.” Ellen Lee, of Ford, will talk about, “Driving Additive Manufacturing Towards Production of End-Use Parts.” You can have a look at the complete program here.

Dr. Mike Idacavage is the Session Chair for Additive Manufacturing a the conference. We reached out to him to find out what is happening in the UV curables for 3D printing space.

Who are you looking to reach?

“We are looking to reach anyone within the entire photopolymer supply chain that is looking for a big idea in materials and processing to transition their SLA, DLP, and inkjet 3D printing from prototyping to production parts. We want the chemistry suppliers, material developers, equipment builders, and users of 3D printing and additive manufacturing to work together to build a stronger photopolymer supply chain and this is done through sharing big ideas.”

Is there anything unique or special about the conference?

“While many other 3D printing and additive manufacturing conferences focus on all the different printing processes, we focus only on photopolymer materials, and we bring together the experts and industry leaders to discuss big ideas. It is this deep dive into the science and applications of photopolymer 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing that makes the BIG Ideas conference unique when compared to just about any (all?) other conferences in this field.”

What makes photopolymers exciting right now?

Like most areas of chemistry, research on expanding the boundaries of what photopolymers can achieve has been steadily moving forward. However, what has accelerated the rate of development in photopolymers has been the demands of a wide range of industrial applications. Due to the tremendous pull of new applications, including Additive Manufacturing, Raw Material supply companies have focused on pushing the performance of photopolymers to meet the needs of the end user.

What are the advantages of printing with photopolymers?

Several advantages differentiate the use of photopolymers as a base material in 3D Printing from other methods. One f the most significant is that objects printed using photopolymers are typically stronger in the Z directions. During 3D printing using photopolymers, a chemical reaction takes place in the confined area where the UV energy interacts with the UV curable raw materials. The increased strength results from chemical bonding that takes place between the printed layers. As most objects printed by Additive Manufacturing require strength that is at least comparable to objects made by traditional methods such as injection molding, the increased strength in the Z direction is important. Another advantage in the use of photopolymers is the increase in resolution that results from focusing a very narrow region of UV energy in a liquid resin formulation to start the formation of a solid photopolymer. This gives a higher level of layer resolution than other more common forms of Additive Manufacturing such as FDM or SLS. There have been published reports of resolution in the nanometer scale using photopolymers in academic labs. While this is not yet practical in industry, it does indicate the potential for photopolymers. A third advantage is a result of the higher resolution. When properly tuned with the printer, an almost smooth surface can result which minimizes or eliminates any need for surface finishing of the printed object.

What are some exciting developments in photopolymers?  

In my opinion, the two most exciting areas of photopolymer development work are improvements to the raw materials used in the resin formulations and work being done in formulation labs to creatively combine different chemistries to achieve performance not yet obtainable from a single class of UV reactive materials.

Are materials improving?

Yes! Most raw material manufacturers are investing research time in the development of new materials that extend the performance of the fully cured photopolymer. An example of this is the current work being done by different companies to produce a liquid UV curable material that is both tough and flexible after cure. This target is extremely challenging, but results are being reported at conferences such as Big Ideas that clearly show that the cured performance properties are being expanded to the levels required by end-use.

What kind of new manufacturing applications do you see emerging in 3D printing photopolymers?

The majority of the current efforts in photopolymer Additive Manufacturing are focused on targeting industrial applications where individual/single or short manufacturing runs are needed. In addition, the performance of the object in the application requires properties currently obtained by bulk polymers using traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding. Examples of the marriage between individual production of an object that must perform in the field and customization would be in the automotive industry in the custom replacement of hard to get parts, the shipping industry in preventing idle time of trains/ships by quickly making a replacement part and the electronics industry in the custom manufacture of earphones.

Would you like to learn more? See all of the exhibitors, scheduled talks and pricing information on the Radtech BIG IDEAS for UV+EB Technology Conference here.

A 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainer performs depot maintenance on an F-22 Raptor at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Over the years, the US Air Force has turned to 3D printing numerous times, from fabricating parts for fighter jets and other aircraft components to saving thousands – even millions – of dollars by using 3D printing to make cup handles and modify standard-issue gas masks. The technology can help create new things, and can also be used to make parts for legacy aircraft that, due to manufacturing obsolescence, are no longer readily available.

3D printing is also being used more often to keep the Air Force’s fifth-generation aircraft in working order. This summer, the 388th Maintenance Group of the Hill Air Force Base in Utah began 3D printing specific replacement parts for the F-35 fighter jet, and we’ve recently learned that last month, engineers on the 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at the same base installed the first metallic 3D printed part on an operational F-22 Raptor during depot maintenance.

The new 3D printed part will replace an aluminum component in the aircraft cockpit’s kick panel assembly. The old part ended up having to be replaced 80% of the time during maintenance, which is definitely a waste of time, money, and effort.

Robert Lewin, AMXS director for the 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, explained, “One of the most difficult things to overcome in the F-22 community, because of the small fleet size, is the availability of additional parts to support the aircraft.”

The fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin, features a “unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, and situational awareness, combined with lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry.”

A new metallic 3D printed part alongside the aluminum part it will replace on an F-22 Raptor during depot repair at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

By using 3D printing to manufacture this component, maintainers will be able to quickly get their hands on necessary replacement parts without needing to worry about minimum order quantity. Not only does this keep the important jet in the air, as it decreases how much time it must spend in maintenance, but it also helps save taxpayer money.

The new 3D printed titanium bracket, made using a powder bed fusion process that builds the part up layer by layer with a laser, won’t pit or fail as the old aluminum one did so often. But should something unexpected happen to the component, Air Force maintainers can simply order a new bracket, and it will be delivered to the depot to be installed on the F-22 in as little as three days.

The Air Force is being cautious, and the part will be monitored while it’s in service, then inspected upon its return to Hill AFB for maintenance.

Robert Blind, Lockheed Martin modifications manager, said, “We had to go to engineering, get the prints modified, we had to go through stress testing to make sure the part could withstand the loads it would be experiencing – which isn’t that much, that is why we chose a secondary part.”

[Image: Lockheed Martin]

If the part is validated after testing, then it will be installed during maintenance on all other F-22 aircraft.

Blind said, “We’re looking to go a little bit further as this part proves itself out.”

However, this 3D printed titanium F-22 bracket is just the first of many other 3D printed metallic parts the Air Force has planned through its public-private partnerships – at least five additional 3D printed F-22 parts are in the works to be validated on the aircraft. If this venture is successful, it will ensure faster repairs and lower the turnaround for getting the aircraft back into service.

Lewin said, “Once we get to the more complicated parts, the result could be a 60-70 day reduction in flow time for aircraft to be here for maintenance.”

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images: US Air Force photos by R. Nial Bradshaw unless otherwise noted]

Researchers at Imperial College London wanted to develop a microfluidic biosensor for analysis of cancer cells that was quicker and easier to produce. A microfluidic device involves biological material traveling through tiny channels and electrodes passing electrical current through the material so that a microchip can analyze what the material contains. The Imperial College London scientists focused on the electrode in improving their device – by 3D printing the electrode, they could save a lot of time and money, they discovered.

Dr. Ali Salehi-Reyhani

“We had an idea about how we could pattern these electrodes in a simple manner,” said Imperial College London chemistry department lead researcher Dr. Ali Salehi-Reyhani. “And it is using the patterns of microfluidic channels to pattern that down onto a surface, so you can get these complicated designs that would otherwise be extremely difficult to make.”

The electrode sits between the channels of the microfluidic device, and the biological material flows over it. Dr. Salehi-Reyhani and his team realized that they could design an electrode on a computer and 3D print it.

“We draw something on the PC [personal computer], five minutes later you have your template and half an hour after that you have your got electrodes,” said Dr. Salehi-Reyhani.

They had a little fun with the technology while testing it out, as well.

“We like IronMan so we did a Google image search and loaded it into Photoshop and printed it out,” Dr. Salehi-Reyhani continued.

Conventional labs on a chip use gold electrodes, and while the 3D printed material was not as conductive as gold, it was still conductive enough to get the job done, especially after some improvements made by the researchers.

“All you need was to send an alternating current, alternating voltage to disrupt the cells,” said Dr. Salehi-Reyhani.

Dr. Salehi-Reyhani hopes that the 3D printing of things like electrodes will democratize the creation of highly specialized scientific equipment like microfluidic devices. He believes that the scientific community can benefit from the input of the maker and hacker community, with its inclination towards coming up with cheaper and quicker ways to create things, even for fields like science and health care.

“With our method researchers and startups can more easily design and develop analytical devices, even when they need electronics that can’t be bought off-the-shelf,” he said. “Community hackspaces are great for democratising science, allowing more people to try out new technology solutions. We hope this method will allow bioelectronics to benefit from that ecosystem of hackers getting hands-on with problems and solutions in healthcare.”

The researchers had to make sure that the 3D printed electrode material was compatible with the biomolecules for the bioassay analysis, and they also needed to ensure that the electrode would stick to the substrate upon which the lab on a chip sits. The next step is to produce a microfluidic biosensor that can undergo clinical trials in medical centers for use by non-experts. The biosensor could detect the difference between viral and bacterial infections with just a drop of a patient’s blood. Dr. Salehi-Reyhani also wants to look into developing wearable biosensor applications like sweat analysis.

The research is documented in a paper entitled “Micropatterning of planar metal electrodes by vacuum filling microfluidic channel geometries.” Authors of the paper include Stelios Chatzimichail, Pashini Supramanian, Oscar Ces and Ali Salehi-Reyhani.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

Trabecular bone, also known as spongy or cancellous bone, is one of two types of bone found in the human body. It is found at the end of long bones, in the pelvic bones, ribs, skull and vertebrae. Trabecular bone is one of many microstructures with spatially varying properties found in nature. In a paper entitled “Compatibility in microstructural optimization for additive manufacturing,” a group of researchers points out that these microstructures can now be created by additive manufacturing. One challenge in the computational design of such materials is ensuring compatibility between adjacent microstructures. The researchers’ work aims to find the optimal connectivity between topology optimized microstructures.

“Given the fact that the optimality of connectivity can be evaluated by the resulting physical properties of the assemblies, we propose to consider the assembly of adjacent cells together with the optimization of individual cells,” the researchers explain. “In particular, our method simultaneously optimizes the physical properties of the individual cells as well as those of neighbouring pairs, to ensure material connectivity and smoothly varying physical properties. This idea is substantiated on the design of graded microstructures with maximized bulk moduli under varying volume fractions. The graded microstructures are employed in designing an implant, which is fabricated by additive manufacturing.”

When designing orthopedic implants, the researchers point out, it “may be desirable to have a continuous transition from denser microstructures in the central region to highly porous microstructures at the bone-implant interface.” This functional gradation promotes bony ingrowth at the bone-implant interface, they continue, while maintaining structural integrity and increasing mechanical properties in areas where bony ingrowth is not relevant.

The researchers presented a method of ensuring mechanical compatibility among topology optimized microstructures.

“Our results show that the bulk moduli of individual cells reach the theoretical bounds predicted by the Hashin–Shtrikman model, meaning that the optimization of compatibility does not compromise the performance of individual cells,” they state. “Furthermore, the bulk moduli of neighbouring pairs also agree well with the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds.”

The method was extended to allow maximum length scale and isotropy in microstructures. The researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of their proposed method in a number of designs, including functionally graded materials and multiscale structures. They also showed that the optimized microstructures can be fabricated by additive manufacturing technology. This has implications for a number of applications, including orthopedic implants, which 3D printing can optimize for better growth of new bone.

“As future work, we are particularly interested in the following aspects,” the researchers conclude. “Firstly, this method is directly applicable to 3D design problems. To alleviate the computational burden in 3D, the GPU-based topology optimization framework can be used. Secondly, while we have applied the compound formulation for maximizing bulk modulus, its applicability to other physical problems such as conductivity is left to be demonstrated.”

Authors of the paper include Eric Garner, Helena M.A. Kulken, Charlie C.L. Wang, Amir A. Zadpoor and Jun Wu.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

3D printing has given businesses the ability to create prototypes quickly and at a low price. Using a 3D printer, it is now simpler than ever to turn a digital 3D design into a physical object: desktop 3D printers are affordable and relatively easy to operate, while online 3D printing services allow non-experts to have their prototypes printed by those with a more in-depth knowledge of the process.

But while 3D printing is often cheaper than traditional manufacturing processes, it can still represent a significant investment. For young businesses in particular — those looking to develop their first products — forking out on a 3D printed prototype can eat up a large chunk of budget.

Fortunately, help is at hand. By observing a few simple rules regarding materials, design features and different 3D printing processes, the cost of 3D printed prototypes can be reduced without sacrificing quality. Prototyping specialist 3ERP knows how to deliver professional-quality 3D printed prototypes on a budget, and is here to offer advice for prototyping on a budget.

Why 3D printing can be cheaper than the alternatives

While there are particular ways to reduce the cost of a 3D printed prototype, it is important to know why 3D printing or additive manufacturing is, in general, an affordable means of creating prototypes.

One of the fundamental advantages of 3D printing is its economy with material. Where other processes like CNC machining and injection molding require excess material — CNC machines turn part of the workpiece into waste metal chips; injection molding requires the creation of a mold — 3D printing uses only the amount of material needed for the object itself. A small amount of material may be sanded or cut away during post-processing, but 3D printing generally uses the bare minimum of raw material.

3D printing can also help to save money over the entire product development process. Since no tooling is required, businesses can modify their digital design to create radically new iterations of a prototype at no extra cost. By contrast, amending an injection molded prototype would require the creation of a new mold — at a much greater cost than a single 3D printed prototype.

Ways to reduce the cost of 3D printed prototypes

Material selection

The simplest way to reduce the cost of a 3D printed prototype is to select a low-cost material for the project. This needn’t have an adverse effect on the outcome: if the prototype will only be used for display purposes, affordable materials like PLA or ABS are perfectly capable of producing a quality-looking prototype that can later be developed into something more robust.

Of course, material selection is directly linked to the type of 3D printing process that will be used. The most common 3D printing process, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), allows for the cheapest materials, such as PLA. More expensive processes like Stereolithography (SLA) are not compatible with materials like PLA, but have their own range of low-end materials. Prototyping with a standard SLA resin, for example, will be cheaper than prototyping with a durable or rubber-like resin.

Remember that prototypes do not necessarily need to be made from the same material as the finished part. For example, a carbon-reinforced nylon automotive part could be prototyped using a standard nylon for display purposes; the carbon version would only need to be made at the testing or pre-production stage.

Design considerations

Hollowing out

A huge advantage of 3D printing is its ability to create objects with hollow or partially hollow interiors. Since a 3D printed part is built up layer by layer and not simply flooded with a liquid material, businesses can use the technology to create hollow or near-hollow 3D printed prototypes.

Creating a hollow 3D printed part can entail designing the prototype in such a way using CAD software. Alternatively, most FDM 3D printer software has an Infill setting, allowing the user to modify the density (and effective material usage) of a 3D printed part. Using less material by hollowing out the inside of a part naturally reduces material costs.

Supports

Complex 3D printed parts — those with features that jut out, for example — often require support structures: sections of material that are printed solely to act as scaffolding, used to prevent the main structure of the part from collapsing during the printing process. These support structures are often necessary, but careful consideration of the design makes it possible to reduce their number.

While compromising on a design is not ideal, it can be beneficial to think of the 3D design in terms of how it will be printed. If overhanging features are not entirely necessary, or if their angles can be adjusted to reduce the size or number of supports, the material usage and eventual cost of the print job can be reduced.

Scaling down

A seemingly obvious (but often forgotten) way to reduce the cost of a 3D printed prototype is to simply scale it down. Non-functional prototypes can often be created in scaled-down form if the smaller version is still able to demonstrate the appearance and function of the product.

By scaling down a 3D printed prototype, money can be saved by reducing the total material usage and cutting down the operation time of the printer.

Finishing

3D printed parts can be post-processed in various ways, from a rough sanding of the printed part to more complex processes such as coloring, epoxy coating and metal plating. In general, simpler finishing options will be cheaper to accomplish, resulting in a lower total cost.

Working with a budget-conscious prototyping service

For companies looking to create a 3D printed prototype via a third-party service, it is beneficial to select a partner with expertise in additive manufacturing and one that knows how to keep costs to a minimum.

Prototyping specialist 3ERP is one such company. Not only does the prototyping service provider offer a range of services including 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding and vacuum casting, it also has experience working with a wide variety of clients, from internationally recognized companies like BMW, Lamborghini and Thyssenkrupp to young startups creating their very first prototype.

Because of this experience at both ends of the spectrum, 3ERP knows how to deal with companies working on a budget. Its staff are happy to work with a client to decide on material, design and process options, finding a solution that is both practical and cost-effective.

Contact 3ERP to discuss the possibilities of 3D printed prototypes.

My dogs: Mick, Dash, and Gracie

I have three dogs, all of whom are considered medium-sized in that they weigh roughly over 16 kg but less than 30 kg. When they run at you, especially my larger two, it’s not so much cute as it is potentially painful, because you know that they could pretty much bowl you over if you’re not fully prepared for the onslaught.

As Lucca, a 1-year-old Shih Tzu who lives in the UK, is an adorable breed of toy dog, his little legs are pretty short…but they were causing him some big pain. One of his legs is deformed, which can often happen to smaller breeds and cause them major discomfort if the condition is not fixed.

Lucca and his owner. [Image: Langford Vets]

Two of the bones in Lucca’s right front leg developed at different rates, and when one stopped growing too early, it started to act like a bow string, and caused his other leg to painfully twist and bend. But Lucca was lucky enough to be taken to Langford Veterinary Services in Bristol, where small animal orthopedic clinician Dr. Kevin Parsons sent CT scans of his tiny legs to

, an 

CBM Wales has used its 3D printing and scanning services to create objects like aerospace components and medical devices, such as bespoke surgical implants and guides for both human and animal patients. We’ve seen both cats and dogs receive veterinary care through the use of 3D printed surgical implants, just like Lucca was able to benefit from his own 3D printed solution that would fix his bones and straighten out his legs in a precise and quick way.

“We’re trying to make complex problems simpler for these surgeons,” said Dr. Ffion O’Malley, an advanced-manufacturing medical engineer at CBM.

“The technology is the same.”

When determining the optimal place to cut a bone, or how best to manipulate it, surgeons have to engage in a lot of visual estimations, which is a little nerve-wracking.

“Previously, angular limb deformity surgery was planned on an X-ray, and measurements taken would be used in the operating theater. This process was a complicated process that sometimes resulted in variable outcomes,” Dr. Parsons explained.

As Dr. Parsons receives specialist referrals from all over southwest England, he normally sees a new case of canine angular deformity about every other month. He developed a partnership with CBM through Dr. O’Malley, who joined CBM three years ago and has a background in maxillofacial surgery. She specializes in creating 3D printed parts that can be used as surgical guides and visual aids for human surgeries, and joined the firm when it was looking to build up its veterinary business.

CBM’s 3D printed digital surgical planning guides and implants can help make more accurate osteotomies (cutting or removing a piece of bone), and it used the CT scans Dr. Parsons sent of Lucca’s deformed leg to create a 3D printed cutting guide for the surgery. Dr. Parsons was able to successfully place the guide on the dog’s leg and bone, then cut through it to remove a small wedge in order to properly re-position the bone.

According to Dr. O’Malley, it’s not too different to 3D print parts for small-dog surgery than it is for human surgery, and Dr. Parsons, who sees animal patients that mostly weight between 7 and 12 kg, was game to give it a go.

Dr. Parsons said about CBM’s work, “It seemed applicable to dogs with bent legs.”

For a different dog, the team designed a bespoke spinal titanium implant and guide that allowed them to attach it to the bone. [Image: CBM Wales]

Dr. O’Malley uses an Arcam EBM 3D printer from GE Additive to 3D print parts for dogs like Lucca. When she explains 3D printing surgical guides and implants to customers, Dr. O’Malley calls it a “three-dimensional jigsaw system,” since cutting, re-positioning, adding, and taking away are all involved in the process. Dr. Parsons said that CBM’s 3D printed guides made everything more “

Additionally, CBM 3D printed and delivered a titanium implant with 10 screw holes to Langford Veterinary Services, so that Dr. Parsons could attach it to Lucca’s twisted bone in order to hold it in the correct position. He says that these 3D printed implants are very helpful when a dog’s leg is bent in an awkward position, like Lucca’s, and has to be rotated.

The bespoke implant that CBM 3D printed for Lucca fit him perfectly, and the little dog was back to his normal activity level after only a few weeks of recovery. As we know, adding 3D printing to the surgical mix can definitely speed up the recovery process, and Dr. Parsons also explained that being able to fix a dog’s bent leg in just one procedure makes the overall treatment much faster and less expensive as well.

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Source:

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HVAC Lever Arm

Digital manufacturing company Carbon and the Ford Motor Company, which recently announced the opening of its new Advanced Manufacturing Center in Michigan, have revealed that they are expanding their existing collaboration, which began in 2015 around the time that Silicon Valley-based Carbon emerged from stealth mode with its innovative CLIP technology. The original partnership centered around materials research and using 3D printing for current and future vehicle design, and now the two companies will be working together to design and digitally manufacture several new durable, end-use automotive parts.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ford Motor Company and are excited about the many opportunities to leverage the power of digital manufacturing to deliver durable, end-use parts with similar – or better – properties as injection molded parts. The automotive industry shows significant promise for using digital fabrication at scale, and our work with Ford is a perfect example of the kind of innovation you can achieve when you design on the means of production,” said Dr. Joseph DeSimone, the CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon.

Parking Brake Bracket

This week, Carbon, which has worked in the automotive sector in the past, revealed for the first time some of the new 3D printed polymer parts it produced for Ford, which was recognized for its work in automotive 3D printing in the fall as a triple finalist in the Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, which is held by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Carbon used its robust 3D printers, proprietary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology, and durable EPX (epoxy) 82 material to create several automotive parts, including HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) Lever Arm Service Parts for the Ford Focus, Ford F-150 Raptor Auxiliary Plugs for a niche market, and Ford Mustang GT500 Electric Parking Brake Brackets.

Together, Carbon and Ford jointly presented the new applications at the Additive Manufacturing for Automotive Workshop, which is part of the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit this week.

When it comes to materials, Carbon knows what it’s talking about – the company’s mission is to reinvent how we design, engineer, manufacture, and deliver polymer products. Its EPX 82 material, part of its epoxy resin family, was a perfect choice for 3D printing the new automotive parts.

The components not only passed the rigorous performance standards set down by Ford for their selected applications, but they were also able to hold up well in terms of critical requirements, like fluid and chemical resistance, flammability (ISO 3795), short- and long-term heat exposures, interior weathering, UV stability, and fogging (SAEJ1756).

Carbon has been a major power player in the 3D printing field since it arrived on the scene. Now, through some of its more high-profile partnerships with companies such as Vitamix, Johnson & Johnson, adidas, and Ford, the company is moving past 3D printing and, in its own words, on “to full-scale digital manufacturing” by working with its customers to create high quality, well-made products across multiple industries.

What do you think? Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images provided by Carbon]