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Hidden Hands Collective https://ift.tt/3pphEOh Hidden Hands Collective are a group of artists from different countries, backgrounds, and art disciplines. Working together, they create a wide range of products and homewares using traditional printmaking techniques and digital printing, inspired by folk and traditional art with a modern, contemporary twist.
The collective is composed of Jesse Singleton, Mabe, and Susanna Widmann. Their story started a few years ago when they met working as tattooists in a studio in London. They state; “We liked each other’s work style and we enjoyed spending time together, so before we even thought about creating the Hidden Hands Collective as an art hub and online shop, we were already doing Group Exhibitions and Art Fairs together in London.” As a group, their artworks are heavily influenced by their tattooing styles and tastes, and the techniques they use are also very much “hands on”, since that is how they like working. “Some people tell their stories in writing, some using their voice and others through movement. We do it with our hands and the personal connection that tattooing brings has always been particularly special to us” say the trio. Hidden Hands Collective is still a very young business; born during the first UK lockdown in 2020 when the trio found themselves isolated at home in need of inspiration and motivation. Their aim is to become a platform and selling point for all sorts of artists; a place for them all to connect, collaborate and, ultimately, increase awareness of their work to a wider audience. Jesse Singleton fell in love with body modification whist studying Anthropology and spent years working as a piercer before starting to tattoo. With no formal art background, his interest stems from the physicality of working with tools and allowing the creativity to flow into the pieces he creates. Tattooing was always an ideal medium, and recently he has started relief printing, a process which translates well for his style of art which is influenced by traditional tribal and Asiatic designs. Jesse also works with Risograph printing, creating bold, colourful, graphic prints which are an exciting departure from his usual style of work. Mabe has an effervescent creative mind; always in motion and in constant experimentation and mutation between many practices from traditional printmaking, to modern digital illustrations, painting, sewing flags, and tattooing. Thus, his work is not easy to label or categorise due to the wide spectrum and diverse directions he embraces. Susanna Widmann studied Arts and Illustration in Barcelona. Her work is mainly figurative and with a strong illustrative sense. Her love for old encyclopaedias and botanical books and plates are a big influence in her work. Susanna has two main lines of work: the first is her printmaking, mainly photopolymer, in which she works with minimal colour and lots of detail, exploring and combining different elements resulting in surreal dream-like images. The second is fresher, minimalistic, and with a greater emphasis in the design, line work, and colour. Although very different from one another, these two ways of expression balance each other out and give her more creative freedom. The trio have already started contacting artists of different disciplines to invite them into the Collective to broaden and grow as a group. In January, they welcomed Valeria Nicolucci of Azonzo Ceramics. Her unique approach to the creation of beautiful ceramics by “pinching” rather than using the potter’s wheel gives her pieces a very special feel. “One of our favourite things is the connection amongst like-minded people, between the different artists and makers, the collaboration work that can spark from a simple conversation” state the collective. Despite the challenges of current times, they have organised a few collaborative works that they found were “an absolute joy to make as well as a great business success”. The Art Codex that Susanna made in collaboration Marta Soley involving photopolymer etching and bookbinding was all plotted and thought out via Zoom and produced between the UK and Spain. The project sold out within a few days, and there is now a waiting list, with a second edition planned for later this year. Mabe has also produced a series of flags as collaborative commissions for tattoo studios in Switzerland and Italy, sewing their stories into the pieces, following in the spirit of the ancient art of quilt making. He has a few more ready that will be available to purchase through their website shortly. www.hiddenhandscollective.com Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 January 27, 2021 at 09:38AM
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AMS 2021 Early Bird Rates Increase on January 29 https://ift.tt/39jgE8K Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS), co-hosted by 3DPrint.com and SmarTech Analysis, is only two weeks away. As presenters and attendees gear up for the event, the price for AMS will increase from the current early bird rate of $149. Starting on January 29, the cost of the event will jump to $199, meaning that anyone who has yet to register will want to do so now. AMS will be hosted virtually this year over the course of two days, February 9 and 10, with each day split up into morning and afternoon sessions dedicated to a total of four different verticals across each session. Each day will also open with a forecast presentation from a SmarTech analyst about the day’s two dedicated verticals, which will include information typically only available through the purchase of SmarTech research reports. The event will feature a number of exciting speakers from some of the leading businesses in 3D printing. These range from bold startups such as Desktop Metal, PostProcess Technologies, XJet, and VELO3D to industry stalwarts, such as Carptenter, Materialise, EOS, Stratasys, 3D Systems, and more. Key institutional voices will also be heard, including those from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. In order to take full advantage of the early bird rates, now is the time to register before prices increase on January 29. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 09:02AM
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Sandvik & Co. Acquire Dental and Medical 3D Printing Firm Proxera https://ift.tt/2YiTs47 My dad has a Sandvik saw blade. It’s a great tool that has lasted many years. Now, Sandvik saws is owned by Snap-On. The rest of Sandvik has grown into a steel behemoth that makes mining components and steels. Sandvik is going to be entering a consumer market again, however. The company owns a significant stake in Italian service bureau BEAMIT, which acquired service company Zare in August 2020. Via Zare, this Matryoshka of companies has now acquired a majority stake in Proxera an Italian medical and dental 3D printing service. So, Sandvik can now mine, make powder, post-process, and wants to 3D print your next medical implant. This move to consolidation was one that we anticipated in previous posts about Sandvik. The Matryoshka doll approach also means that Sandvik itself is insulated against large liabilities that could result from things going wrong with medical implants.
This makes Sandvik a major player in 3D printing. At the same time, the company is building a superalloys plant, which sees its capacity for materials for space and aerospace increase. By being so thoroughly integrated vertically, the company can learn an immense amount from what is needed in terms of powder and processing at each step. There are a lot of variables and many different effects and outcomes in 3D printing. Tackling them all—from file prep, to destressing, to HIP finishing and then making a certified part for a critical application—is very difficult. Now Sandvik is doing all of this and can match the needs of that with the powders that they design. This is an incredible advantage for a powder company. GKN can also do this through its GKN production businesses, which use 3D printing, and its powders unit. Oerlikon also has powder and service businesses. This trio of very disparate firms have all made significant investments in 3D printing and stand to reap outsized benefits from them. GE also makes powders and has an OEM business, but doesn’t yet want to sell 3D printed parts to other people.
Proxera itself is a dental implant manufacturing firm, making crowns and bridges mostly using Concept Laser machines. The dental metal 3D printing business was very problematic for a while, so they may have picked this up on the cheap, especially since there has been a slowdown in many surgeries and dental clinics worldwide during COVID. It is clear from the copy and images we were sent that implantology and things like acetabular cups will feature in the firm’s future growth plans. Sandvik and their Italian friends are investing in owning the entire value chain. I think that this is a very good idea indeed, especially in medical devices and aerospace. Control and reputation, along with expensive certifications, is an essential part of maintaining a lead in these highly regulated industries. 3D printing definitely has value in implants and this is a growing market. Making medical devices is also an extremely high-margin, precision business to be in (<40%). And once you have established leadership, it will be hard to dislodge you. Sandvik’s rocks-to-implants business seems like a logical but bold step forward for the firm. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 08:32AM Optomec Announces New Aerosol Jet HD2 Electronics 3D Printer https://ift.tt/3ohRhs8 Additive manufacturing systems supplier Optomec is pretty well-known in the industry for its LENS 3D printers for metal components, but the New Mexico-based company has also made major waves with its patented Aerosol Jet Systems, meant for 3D printing electronics—definitely an area in which Optomec excels. Now, it’s introducing a new machine to its line of additive electronics printers, one that’s meant specifically for advanced electronics packaging and inline production. The new Aerosol Jet HD2 is optimized for use in the cutting-edge, $4 billion semiconductor packaging and assembly market, one of Optomec’s major applications. This market even encompasses competing technologies, including dispensing and wire bonding, which see an average of 5,000 – 10,000 machine shipments a year.
Optomec developed this new printer to meet continuing demand for miniaturized wearables and mobile products, and uses its patented Aerosol Jet technology to print circuitry at a high resolution. According to the release, the new Aerosol Jet HD2 is able to “dispense conformal 3D interconnects” between substrates, chips, components, and dies, which is important because the powerful interconnects are actually able to perform better at high frequencies; good news for mmWave and 5G applications. Additionally, no wire bonding is required. Aerosol Jet technology lays a fine mist of inks, based on conductive nanoparticles or dielectric inks, down onto a surface using precision jet printing. It supports 3D printing on different kinds of substrates, including ceramics and metallic structures, though commercially available materials, such as the nanoparticle-based inks, have been optimized for the process so that you can print on plastics with low heat deflection temperatures. Additionally, Optomec’s Aerosol Jet process can also be used to apply adhesive and insulating materials. 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 One potential application for this electronics 3D printer is the fabrication of antennas, sensors, and transmission lines onto different materials, such as ceramic, metal, glass, polymers, FR4, and IC materials. But a major possibility is to use the new Aerosol Jet HD2 as a “drop-in replacement” for the time-tested process of using wire bonds to connect electrical components. Wire bonds can have a lot of issues, which makes component connection tough: they need a high impact level of mechanical contact with the IC, which can often result in the production of scrap that just ends up being wasted. Wire bonds also need more space in a package: not helpful when you’re trying to create miniaturized devices for consumer electronics, where smaller is usually better. Finally, the high frequency MMwave signals needed for automotive radar and 5G communications can be cut off by wire bonds. The new Aerosol Jet HD2 printer can fabricate features that are as narrow as ten microns, with an accuracy of under 5 microns. Then, the nanoparticles are sintered together to build a solid metal conductor of either silver, copper, or gold. Meant for high-volume manufacturing, customers can purchase the system with an optional in-line conveying process for automated part loading, or a rotating table for 4-axis processing. The system can process part trays or substrates up to 300 mm wide, and takes QA compliance seriously by including production-friendly software so operators can easily figure out the start-up process. (Source/Images: Optomec) Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 08:02AM
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3D Printed, Vascularized Lung Models Push 3D Systems into Bioprinting https://ift.tt/3ovPeRz 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) has announced that it is diving further into the bioprinting space, upon significant progress made by its partner United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) and its subsidiary Lung Biotechnology PBC. Together, the companies have developed a method for quickly fabricating hydrogel scaffolds that are then perfused with living cells. The technology has shown such promising results for tissue engineering applications that 3D Systems has decided to invest much more into bioprinting. The partnership between 3D Systems and United Therapeutics began in 2017 and, after three years of work, they were able to create a method for rapidly 3D printing full-size, vascularized lung scaffolds with micron-level detail. This resulted in 3D Systems’ development of an entire portfolio of bioprinters and biomaterials for, in the company’s words, “lung manufacturing.” 3D Systems calls the process “Print to Perfusion” and it involves using Figure 4 systems to 3D print “large, vascularized, highly detailed hydrogel scaffolds at rapid speeds” that are then permeated with living cells. The company’s Figure 4 system will be expanded to better address bioprinting and regenerative medicine. The company’s continuous digital light processing platform is a truly fast method for making organ scaffolds, as Figure 4 is able to 3D print complete objects in just minutes.
3D Systems suggests that the technology will not only apply to lungs, but other tissues, as well. This will see it pour more resources into programs associated with different applications in the space, as well as bringing additional experts onto its bioprinting team. It will also deepen its partnerships with Israel’s CollPlant Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:CLGN) and Belgium’s Antleron. CollPlant’s proprietary recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen) BioInk was crucial in the lung printing project with United Therapeutics and its organ manufacturing and transplant subsidiary, Lung Biotechnology PBC. The company is already heavily involved in the bioprinting space since at least 2016, most recently working with United Therapeutics on 3D printing kidneys. With 3D Systems handling the 3D printers and CollPlant the BioInks, the partners will be able to develop tissue and scaffold bioprinting processes for third parties. In 2019, 3D Systems also began to collaborate with Antleron, which combines 3D printing, bioreactors and artificial intelligence to transform cells into biotherapeutic solutions. The exact nature of their partnership is a bit clouded in marketing-speak, but involves the use of 3D Systems’ ProJet MJP 2500 and Figure 4 3D printers, as well as its materials and software. The ultimate goal is to “make 3D printing an integrated part of modular and digital factory-of-the-future solutions to enable sustainable and personalized manufacturing of cell & gene therapies, vaccines, tissues, and organs.”
3D Systems has an established reputation in the medical field, which Viyamesh Joshi highlighted during his tenure as the firm’s CEO. This is embodied in its Colorado-based healthcare facility, which not only 3D prints dental and medical devices but also develops its virtual surgical planning technologies. With a robust bioprinting portfolio, the company will be able to move even further into the digital medicine space. Bioprinted organs and tissues will allow for testing and drug development that don’t rely on animal test subjects. Given the market turnaround that has already occurred under Graves, it’s hard not to think that this news won’t also cause a stir for 3D Systems. As Vice President of Research for SmarTech Analysis Scott Dunham recently noted, this time in the 3D printing industry feels akin to the excitement that percolated circa 2014. Whereas desktop machines were driving most of the attention then, industrial 3D printing is doing so now. Bioprinting has made such progress since then that we have an entire map dedicated to this subsegment. My hope is that, as good as this news may be for 3D Systems, it might actually mean 3D printed organs may be ready for transplant sooner rather than later. For full transparency, I own a very small number of shares of 3D Systems stock. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 07:32AM
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Thor3D & ProtoTech Solutions Combine 3D Scanning with Body Measuring Software https://ift.tt/39mELUb Germany and Russia-based handheld 3D scanner developer Thor3D, creator of such scanning systems as the Calibry and the (now discontinued) Drake, has been practicing its trade since 2015. Recently, the company, which was launched by former Artec employees, announced that it had entered into a new partnership with software development service provider ProtoTech Solutions, the vendor for automated body measurement platform 3D Measure Up.
The 3D Measure Up platform is able to extract accurate, real-time measurements and identify landmarks, such as right wrist point and center point of brow ridge, from full 3D body scans, which should definitely be appealing for companies that specialize in the medical, fitness, and apparel industries. With over 100 measurements taken from all over the body, a full 3D body scan beats a regular 2D picture any day.
Customers can use ProtoTech’s 3D Measure Up technology in a few different ways, including as a web application for end users and a web API for companies looking to increase their value by adding body measurements to their offering. Additionally, 3D Measure Up can work as an OEM widget for 3D scanner companies, such as Thor3D, that want to bundle their hardware solutions with their own branded measurement app. This last option is what Thor3D and ProtoTech will gain out of their new partnership.
As Thor3D looks to expand its reach, the two companies will now offer a bundled product together. End-users can quickly achieve precise, automated body measurements using the lightweight Calibry scanner, which features a built-in touchscreen, proprietary camera, and three different tracking modes to capture all the necessary data. Then, 3D Measure Up uses its hundreds of measurement parameters to help provide Made-To-Measure (MTM) products to customers. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 07:02AM
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Why it is important to have a broad SLS powder range? https://ift.tt/3omKAFa Expectations of 3D printers are growing. Especially in the field of prototyping. To do it right, you need not only a reliable 3D printer but a wide range of materials to print from. It is important to consider while choosing your device. SLS 3D printers are known for their impressive accuracy, readiness to print complicated parts, with inner geometries and without supporting structures. But it is not all. SLS was always associated with a wide range of materials. In 2014 this expensive and only available to a handful of users technology was brought to the mass market when the SLS patent expired and a few producers decided to develop small, benchtop SLS 3D printers. While the price was more than ten times lower compared to industrial machines, the number of available powders was also modest. Why was that? Different laser types within the SLS branchDeveloping a small SLS 3D printer is way more complicated than just scaling down an industrial one. For example, CO2 lasers used in big machines are long, usually over a meter in length. It is one of the reasons that transferring them to smaller devices is pointless. Especially that it is also bulky and heavy, so a system of mirrors is needed to deliver a laser beam where it should be. This is why in small and medium-sized SLS 3D printers infrared laser diode is used. With shorter wavelength, those lasers are as precise as CO2 models, but can’t cope with white materials, mostly known from large SLS 3D printers. Is it a problem?
PA12 Smooth, the king of small SLS powders.The first available material, and until now mostly used with small SLS 3D printers was PA12. It is quite stiff and has excellent quality of print surface and details, thus it is used mostly for detailed printouts, complex spatial shapes, as well as structural or mechanical elements. Most of the functional prototypes or final parts are made with PA12. Black, or rather dark grey color has some advantages. It doesn’t change the color as time goes on, while white printouts from CO2 laser equipped printers to become yellowish due to UV, The blackish color of PA12 used on small SLS 3D printers is achieved by adding a very small amount of an absorber, that doesn’t change the properties of a printout. The differences found in laboratory tests are within the margin of statistical error.
How many types of powders you could have on a small SLS 3D printer?The use of a diode laser and the smaller size of the printer itself do not limit the material base. .. You can use materials from diverse groups such as PA, TPU, or TPE differ, among others melting temperature. The construction of the SLS 3D printer needs to maintain the best conditions during the printing process, but also make it easy to clean the printer before changing the powder type. Especially when you need to change the powder from one with a lower melting point (like TPE) to the higher (PA).
A material that suits my needsExpectations for SLS prints are not only dimensional accuracy and durability, but also specific needs like insulation, electric conductivity, flexibility, and tightness. As the most common application in SLS is prototyping – the demand for the diversified material portfolio is something even more significant than the need for speed. Let’s take a look at the materials on the example of the Sinterit offer (the most available materials for printing on small SLS) PA11 for high resistance against impactsBesides the most popular PA12 Smooth, users are especially fond of PA11 Onyx, which is a polyamide powder (nylon) with superior thermal resistance, stable to light, UV, and weather. It is useful for jigs, fixtures, and tool elements. Users decide to use PA11 Onyx when they prototype covers, housings, enclosures, as well as snap-fit designs. This material needs an anaerobic environment. Sinterit uses nitrogen which could be applied to Lisa PRO SLS 3D printer. PA11 ESD – a material with heat resistance and ESD functionalityThis version of PA11 is one of the newest powers developed for the Sinterit Lisa PRO printer. For companies prototyping electronic devices, it is the first choice thanks to the powder parameters. As an ESD safe material with better thermal properties, it could be used for electronic casings, test fixtures for electronics, or the assembly of electronic components. If the printed part needs to be used in an explosive atmosphere, this material is ideal for it. PA12Due to its versatility and good mechanical properties, it is the most popular material in SLS. The key parameter, apart from durability, is the cost of the material. In SLS, the purchase cost itself is not so significant. The low value of the refresh ratio means low costs of subsequent prints. The market standard is 70-50%, but Sinterit develops a material with the lowest ratio of26%. Flexa Grey, an introduction to TPUSometimes high elasticity is a must. Prototypes or final parts from TPU are used when flexible prints with increased extensibility are needed. As stiff, rigid elements can be easily produced with PA materials, TPU is irreplaceable when it comes to standard rubber items, shock and vibration absorbers, or protectors. Flexa Bright – the only offwhite material available for small SLSDying SLS printed parts may not be so popular, but prints made from Flexa Bright can be dyed to other colors. Pre-surgery and training printouts in the medical industry or mock-ups and models that need elastic characteristics are perfect for this unique TPU material. As soft as it could be – Flexa SoftIf Flexa Bright is considered as a soft material then Flexa Soft is an absolute champion. Thanks to a low Shore-A (45/56 – depending on printer settings) it could be used in design, art, and simulation of really soft materials. Sinterit’s experience shows that it is most commonly used for gaskets, medical models, sensory toys, or clothing parts. Waterproof and airproof readiness – TPEAlmost all materials available for SLS 3D printers are characterized by porosity, which could disqualify prototypes that need to be water or airtight. With TPE it is possible to print functional prototypes such as pumps, bellows, gaskets, and other elastic solutions dedicated to working in difficult conditions. After sealer covering it becomes watertight & airtight. For years the availability of SLS technology was limited by the prices of industrial solutions. Thanks to the first small printers, the market for materials for SLS began to grow intensively. Today there are hundreds of developing programs on technical universities and research centers developing new materials for engineering, manufacturing, and medical applications. Today, the largest range of materials (7 different) is offered by SInterit. They also declare the development of new ones in a short time. This is a big advantage over other systems limited to one or two materials. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 06:32AM
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How Has COVID-19 Impacted 3D Printing Jobs? https://ift.tt/3csCAQX With the pandemic still having a major impact on economies and industries across the globe, there will undoubtedly be questions about what impact it is having on jobs and salaries! Thankfully, Additive Manufacturing Talent Specialist, Alexander Daniels Global, are launching their 5th Annual Global Salary Survey on February 1st, which hopes to answer some of the burning questions organisations and individuals might have about the talent market for AM. The report offers the reader an in-depth look into the salary landscape across six main disciplines: Service; Applications and Consulting; Sales; Marketing; R&D and Engineering; and Software. Salaries are broken down by seniority/years of experience and then also across three geographies: North America; EMEA and Asia The data for the report comes directly from the industry with organisations and individuals contributing. Alexander Daniels Global partnered with The Barnes Global Advisors and Janne Kyttanen to launch the survey in October 2020 through a competition, which resulted in a record number of responses. Speaking about the report, Founder and Director of Alexander Daniels Global, Nick Pearce said, “We are always overwhelmed by the support from the industry, without whom the salary survey would not be possible. This year we received more responses than ever before which gives even better validity to the data.” “2020 was a turbulent year for the AM industry.” Nick goes on to say. “In my 5 plus years in AM it has always operated at near full employment, but that changed last year. The number of people looking for work versus the number of companies hiring changed dramatically.” Reading the report offers some startling early insights into the impact COVID-19 had on the jobs market; a 60% reduction in job opportunities in 2020 by comparison to 2019. “There are still positive signs the industry is growing” Nick says. “Demand certainly dropped off in larger, more established AM companies; with many key players like Stratasys, 3D Systems and Desktop Metal making layoffs. Smaller, high growth start-ups and scale-ups, less dependent on revenue or more focused on technology development continued to hire and grow.” This provides some notable insights on salaries: where in many cases the average salary in each discipline is decreasing, but the highest salary is still increasing. Nick comments that, “There is still low supply and high demand in some specialist skill areas, like Software, Controls and Mechanical Engineering, where talented professionals can command large salary increases. There are also big discrepancies between Countries and States, for example between Germany and Spain, or Massachusetts and Michigan, which the report doesn’t cover directly, but impact the results.” The detailed report offers useful evidence of changing motivations for talent and key HR challenges that organisations will face, as well as the most ‘in-demand’ skills employers are looking for. It is an essential guide for all employers in Additive Manufacturing and an especially useful tool for hiring managers and HR professionals alike. You can download a ‘free’ copy of the report by visiting https://www.alexanderdanielsglobal.com/salary-survey-2021/ Founded in 2015, Alexander Daniels Global is a boutique recruitment consultancy, specialising exclusively in Additive Manufacturing. Built on the vision that, ‘Additive Manufacturing will change people’s lives’, the companies mission is, ‘To enable the industrial revolution in Additive Manufacturing through talent.’ Working from offices in the UK, Germany, Spain and the US, the company partner with 3D Printer OEM’s, Material Developers, Software Companies and Adopters of AM Technology to help identify talent. More information on their range of services can be found at https://www.alexanderdanielsglobal.com/. Should you wish to discuss the salary survey directly or have any other questions you can contact Nick Pearce directly by e-mail on [email protected]. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 27, 2021 at 06:02AM
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Alex Khabbazi https://ift.tt/2My8T64 With a background in architecture, Brighton based designer Alex Khabbazi explores the relationship between colour, line, texture and typography in his artwork. Like many designers, Alex has been pushed by the pandemic to make radical changes to his working life, which in his case meant switching career almost entirely. Jumping into the deep end, and making the risky shift into art and graphic design, the young architectural designer has been using skills from his former trade in his new craft, employing architectural design software to form repeating shapes in his works. Although the medium differs, the process of creating a meaningful design remains the same. Combining digital and physical techniques, these graphic experiments have come together as a series of tangible artworks, giclée printed on archival-grade fine art paper. The theme that inspires the experiment is represented in the text on the images; more often than not, mirroring the isolated loop of life that lockdown has thrown us all into. www.alexander-k.co.uk Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 January 27, 2021 at 05:23AM
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Laser Wars: SLM Solutions to Sell Five 12-Laser Metal 3D Printers https://ift.tt/3iW8Qgs In other news, some sales person as SLM Solutions (AM3D.DE) just hit it way out of the park on their quarterly bonus before the end of January. The company announced that it has signed an MOU to sell five of its humungous NXG XII 600 machines to a “major European OEM” for delivery in 2022. The 12-laser behemoth was unveiled in November and a sale to a “major OEM” is a big step for the firm. It means that the customer trusts SLM Solutions enough to bet on machines that have not been tested completely. So, that’s a lot of money for a rendering. It’s a big company bet that SLM Solutions can develop and deliver this machine on time and in good working order. Given the complexity of such a task it will be a tall order. It also showcases that, now we’ll be seeing real volume in part size being done with SLM Solutions’ machines. Series production of larger parts in industrial cases looks closer than ever. They also got five machines, which means that the parts are either large or larger volumes than we are used to seeing. Rather than one niche element, we’re looking at a larger production case.
The firm also says that, “The final binding agreement will be signed by Q2 2021.” So, there is still time for this to go sideways. We’re all curious to find out who this mysterious OEM is. A car company, now? That seems far-fetched, but maybe the person from the works council was on vacation and someone at Volkswagen decided to splurge. If so, it could also mean that they’re more likely to enter into Formula 1, which I’m still hoping that they’ll do someday. Could it be Airbus, now? Also not a time for them to splurge while selling one plane per quarter. Also, to the person who bought that plane, “good for you!” More likely, it is Tesla or a commercial space company. Who do you think it is? The timing of the announcement now and the follow-up deal is nagging me. First off, this comes a few days after O’Leary replaced the previous CEO and, boy, would this have been a nice thing for Hadjar to leave on. But, by postponing it like this and announcing the deal in such a way, it looks like either his leaving wasn’t as cordial as it was made out to be or this is finance talk. This to me looks a lot like a nice little story arc for an IPO or an issue or a raise, to create buzz and a continued building of the SLM Solutions messaging. Then, to all involved, it would make sense to do this now, and with the new CEO in place, in order to get his name out there, as well. SLM Solutions is public and the stock has been up for the year, but has hovered around $20 per share. That’s less than half of what it was in 2018. Major shareholders are ARK, which is riding the 3D printing market coattails rather well, and Elliott Investment Management, which is still in after botching the sale of SLM Solutions to GE (There was no movie this time). Another is the now 76-year-old Hans-Joachim Ihde, who must have seen more tumultuous board meetings than most due to the fact that he’s been with the oft-reorganized firm since the HEK and MCP days. Invesco Advisers, Inc. and ENA are also in (ENA company wins the Louis Bacon award for the least helpful website by the way for 2021. I can’t tell if they sell insurance or if they’re an exclusive men’s club). Everyone could use some good spirits and a nice bounce. This is especially true when we see precipitous rises in the valuations of other 3D printing firms. We’re 3D printing a Permanently High Plateau this time. It just looks and feels a lot like this is trying to build buzz for a later share issue or capital raise. If SLM Solutions does successfully ship this huge system, they will need more capital to sell more of them and to get to the next level in their evolution. If they don’t, they’ll need more capital as not to get crushed by EOS and GE. All the complexity of these machines will require a lot more investment as well to get to the next level beyond that. So, some kind of a raise looks like it could be in the offing. Another option is that the company is trying to make itself more attractive in the eyes of an acquiring company. Of the large machine tool companies, Mazak, DMG Mori, and Trumpf all have 3D printing offerings. Along with others, Schuler, for example, is probably smarting from the slowdown in automotive. So, it’s difficult to say but, everything is a snack for Siemens. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com January 26, 2021 at 12:31PM |
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