Schematic of Powder Bed Fusion processing

In a recent research project backed by 3DTech, thesis student Dung Ha was offered work in examining re-use of Nylon PA12 powder from 3D printing Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) manufacturing. The author’s findings were detailed in the recently published thesis paper, ‘A Study on Recycling of Waste Polyamide 12 Powder into 3D Printing Filaments.’ While the idea of recycling 3D materials is not exactly new, Dung Ha also explores how fine powders can be handled safely and then processed into filament.

Nylon Polyamide 12 (PA12) is chosen by many users because it is both tough but flexible, and offers high performance in printing with strong layer adhesion. Dung Ha sees PA12 as worthy of study and recycling due to its extraordinary properties, but also points out that there are definite challenges in working with this substance too, due to problems with loss of integrity after processing, and the tendency to absorb water. Because the author has a strong focus on lab work, safety is a major priority, and an expansive part of this study; however, the real topic at hand is how the powder can be recycled and re-used as 3D printing filament.

PA12 is one of the most commonly used materials in 3D printing, and especially for researchers and engineers. Benefits of this 3D printing powder include:

• Chemical resistance
• Water resistance
• Strong mechanical properties
• Resistance to stress cracking
• Self-supporting for final products

This powder is suitable for use in a variety of different applications, to include rapid prototyping, for medical models, and more, and can be improved overall with a variety of different additives like carbon, glass, or aluminum. 3DTech uses PA12 for their 3D printing products, usually with a particle size of around 55 – 60 µm, and they contributed the waste product used in the study.

Technical property (a) and General property of PA12

Powder waste, collected manually, was comprised of combined powders from a variety of bed printer positions, and stored in three plastic boxes that were sealed and kept at the Arcada lab.

Sealed powder boxes in Arcada lab.

“Because PA12 powder in this research belongs to microparticle group and is based on Material Safety Data Sheet of PA12 powder, explosion of fine powder and health effects of fine powder through inhalation are got high attention in this thesis,” said Dung Ha.

The most common reason for a dust cloud explosion is usually a spark forming somewhere in the lab. Explosions may occur in some instances, and especially if there is a combination of dust and air that are considered dangerous due to intense concentrations. This tends to happen with finer particle sizes.

Safety must be taken into consideration, and while flammability is an issue, emissions are often in question regarding 3D printing too. Users can easily inhale fine particles, posing health risks—and especially due to the smaller particles:

“As they can go deep into the lungs; they can offer a chance of chemical absorption into the blood along with physical interaction with [the] respiratory system,” states Dung Ha.

Multiple other studies have been performed in recent years regarding particles and emissions, such as specific testing for indoor air quality as well as studying emissions overall. The author goes into greater detail here than we usually see, regarding how users can prevent exposure from affecting them or hurting them in an unfortunate explosion. Proper handling procedures must be followed, along with wearing appropriate protective gear such as goggles, lab coats, masks, and following measures like washing all areas that have contact with powder, as well as avoiding eating or drinking in the lab.

Colors of virgin (left) and waste powders (right) from 3DTech Company.

Chemical degradation and oxidation of PA12 powder in an unmolten state is an issue, and as Dung Ha points out, ‘the time and heat of [the] printing bed close to melting point increase molecular weight of PA12 powder, thus viscosity of PA12 powder decreases.’ Oxidation does also cause the white powder to turn both yellow and brown, and waste powder requires enhancing. To combat degradation and discoloration, other researchers have previously used Tungsten carbide (WC) as an additive.

Oxidation in an HP MJF printed bucket

For making filament with the recycled materials, the researcher used a 1.75 mm nozzle, with a constant temperature setting of 180 celsius. There were some challenges in experimentation, and adjusting the WC additive helped; however, the researcher concluded that it simply may not be possible to make a ‘high-strength 3D product’ from a high-strength filament. Dung Ha recommends that when developing filaments, users must consider the performance of the FDM 3D printing system being used.

Overall, the author concluded that recycled filaments were a success, resulting in good tensile strength and modulus. The filament also worked successfully in their MakerBot Replicator 2.0, with no clogging.

3D printing has opened doors for so many designers and engineers around the world, leading to an almost worldwide euphoria of ongoing creativity. But almost as soon as the fun started, users began worrying about issues in safety, emissions, and what to do with 3D printing waste—including methods in recycling, from filament to plastics. Find out more about recycling of polyamide 12 powder into filament here. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

Filament processing by Filastruder

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In the recently published ‘Hydrogel 3D printing with the capacitor edge effect,’ authors Jikun Wang, Tongqing Lu, Meng Yang, Danqi Sun, Yukun Xia and Tiejun Wang further explore the use of hydrogels with progressive fabrication techniques, and outline their new method for overcoming current challenges.

While hydrogels are often central to bioprinting today, these structures are also used in many other applications like manufacturing diapers, contact lenses, and drug delivery. The medical field is of course benefiting from their continued use, however, in tissue engineering. Hydrogels have also branched off into numerous different categories such as functional, responsive, double-network, tough, along with those included in soft sensors, actuators, and ionic devices.

The authors put the issue at hand very clearly here: as hydrogels become more advanced, so should the techniques being used to create them. In this study, they detail a new way to pattern liquids with the capacitor edge effect, offering a method they expect to be applied for creating comprehensive hydrogel 3D printing systems. They go into detail regarding techniques for rapid prototyping of:

• Hydrogel scaffolds
• Hydrogel composites that are temperature-sensitive
• Ionic high-integrity hydrogel display device

The principles of PLEEC: An asymmetric capacitor is separated by a dielectric layer.

In using the capacitor edge effect (PLEEC), hydrogels can be created with many different properties, and cross-linking is possible too with a variety of mechanisms and materials.

“The asymmetric design of the capacitor makes it possible to build a real 3D object rather than merely 2D patterns within two electrodes,” state the researchers. “We build a 3D printing system based on the new method and demonstrate a series of printed hydrogel structures including a hydrogel scaffold, a hydrogel composite, and hydrogel ionic devices.”

Essentially, capacitors store electrical charges. Here, the authors study and compare both symmetric and asymmetric capacitors—with the end goal of producing the asymmetric forms to both ‘trap and control liquids in an open space.’ Their 3D printing system for hydrogels is made up of seven parts:

1. Mechanical module
2. PLEEC panel
3. Solution-adding unit
4. Curing platform
5. Curing unit
6. Power supply
7. Control module

The researchers use an Arduino Mega 2560 R3 to control the system, with three 42-stepper motors controlled by Leadshine DM542 to actuate the three sliding rails. They also use a high-voltage power supply (Trek 610E), applied at 3000 V at 1 kHz.

Polymerization can be achieved through heat curing, UV curing, or ion-exchange curing, and hydrogels are easily patterned into different composites. The researchers state that this method of curing allows for ‘excellent integrity and bonding.’

Hydrogel 3D printing system with PLEEC. (Photo credit: Jikun Wang, Xi’an Jiaotong University.)

“The precision of our printing technique can be further improved if a dielectric layer with higher permittivity is used or if the apparatus is immersed in an environment with higher electrical breakdown strength,” concluded the researchers. “The activation voltage can also be markedly decreased if a more advanced technique is used to fabricate a much thinner layer. If the pixel size can be further decreased to micrometer scale or smaller, this printing technique has great potential to print very complex and precise hydrogel structures such as artificial tissues, soft metamaterials, soft electronics, and soft robotics.”

3D printing hydrogels is popular in many research labs today as bioprinting continues to reach new heights. While tissue engineering is a very real science that is already helping many patients today as they receive 3D printed implants and medical professionals rely on 3D printed medical models and surgical guides, the ultimate goal is in actually 3D printing human organs. Currently though, hydrogels can be used in a wide range of applications. Find out more about use of the capacitator edge effect here.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

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While the substantial benefits of 3D printing are discussed often in the progressive industrial and technological sectors today, the advantages they can have for just one business and their innovative endeavors are enormous. For a company like GH Induction Group, being able to 3D print with copper allows the Valencia, Spain-headquartered induction heating company to offer improved solutions for over 4,000 customers around the globe—many of whom may benefit from electromagnetic induction heating based on new production processes in electron beam melting (EBM).

Now, GH Induction Group is launching 3Dinductors, their new website (http://www.3dinductors.com) completely dedicated to their 3D printed coils and inductors, made of pure copper. While copper is a metal that offers a list of almost magical benefits due to its malleable texture and excellent ductility, accompanied by 3D printing technology, GH can produce inductors with a significantly increased service life (up to four times higher in some cases), higher density, and stronger mechanical properties. Coil spares are manufactured to be identical geometrically, and all parts are optimized for the high performance.

“This means reduced production costs per part and an improvement in treatment that cannot be achieved with current technology,” states the GE team in their most recent press release.

Critical attention to research and design, and ongoing development—as well as experimenting with other 3D printing processes that could not deliver like EBM does—has allowed GH to make serious breakthroughs for industrial companies engaged in manufacturing processes that require industrial induction heating technology. Applications such as automotive are a perfect example of industries that will benefit further from such techniques as part production cost is significantly reduced, production is much more efficient overall, and less inventory is required.

Although there are many different production methods for 3D printing and additive manufacturing methods today using metal, electron beam melting is the only method allowing GH to print pure copper alloy. To begin, the GH team can engineer their own 3D CAD designs, making changes as needed, and quickly. They are also able to control production and quality, preventing the number of hot spots, improving coil cooling as they transform inductor characteristics when necessary, and manufacture in a vacuum atmosphere to prevent porosity issues and rusting. 3D printed inductors can also be fixed just like conventionally-manufactured designs.

3D printing with metal has become popular for a wide range of industries because it offers the ability to manufacture extremely strong but lightweight parts with complex geometries. We have seen numerous other forays into 3D printing with copper too, as researchers create pure copper powder, construction engineers design 3D printed copper roofs, and others are dedicated to improving processes using this metal and others. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: GH Induction Group]

Two years ago, we told you about one of the world’s first 3D printed, functionally integrated building façade elements. The concept of a 3D printed translucent façade was developed by a team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), led by Moritz Mungenast, co-founder of 3F Studio and a research fellow at the university’s Associate Professorship of Architectural Design and Building Envelope. Now the idea is being taken to the next level – the Deutsches Museum in Munich will soon undergo its largest renovation by adding one of these 3D printed façade envelopes to the face of the building.

The team obviously planned and designed their façade concept, called fluid morphology, so that it would appear very fluid, but interestingly enough used a very deliberately designed wave structure. The multifunctional elements of the translucent façade were designed for digital fabrication, so that building designers could have total freedom in making these integrated façade elements. Not only do these architectural features look beautiful, but they’re functional as well, offering the interior of a building insulation, shade, and ventilation.

“but how much light really penetrates the new, printed facade elements, and where? how resistant are they to UV radiation and the stress of wind, rain and snow? how efficiently do they insulate? long-term measurement of a complete facade element in the solar station, a testing installation on the main building of the TUM in munich’s arcisstraße, is to provide the answers to these questions,” the design team stated. “over a period of one year, sensors will collect data used to improve the design before creating further prototypes made of polycarbonate, a material certified for use in facades.”

Now that this testing period has been completed, the team’s 3D printed façade concept can go out into the real world. The complete façade for the museum will be divided into square meter panels weighing about 10 to 15 kg each. Within its six to eight cm material thickness, air-filled cavities will offer optimum insulation and structural integrity to the building, while bulges and the previously mentioned textural waves create shadows for shade. Thin, integrated tubes inside the 3D printed façade will make it possible for air to circulate from one side of the element to the other for optimal ventilation.

All of these functions are adaptable, so that they can accommodate any building requirements, and also operate across any scale. Additionally, only minimal post-processing will be required, so the 3D printed façade elements can be directly installed, and because no support structures are needed, the team also saves on material.

The 45 x 15 meter façade, which will be 3D printed out of PETG material and weigh approximately 8,000-12,000 kg, is scheduled to envelop the museum’s new entrance by October of 2020. The museum is also undergoing a larger renovation, which will be led by Schmidt-Schicketanz und partner (SSP).

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

[Source:

/ Images: TUM’s Andreas Heddergott, unless otherwise noted]

Elite-level athletes are notorious for trying to stay one-step ahead.

In the past, this has meant using nutrition science, advanced statistics, and even doping using performance-enhancing drugs. But in the future it may mean doping with technology instead. 3D printing could play a big role in this, further complicating the job of sports’ anti-doping policing force, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

What is Technology Doping?

Technology doping is an unofficial term, but generally refers to athletes gaining an unfair competitive advantage from their equipment.

Not mentioned in the current version of the WADA Code (global sport’s doping rulebook), “technology doping” is ostensibly considered a violation of the “spirit of sport”. This is a catch-all term to describe sport’s intrinsic values of ethics, honesty, and fair play. While WADA has addressed some technology-related issues (specifically hyperbaric chambers), for now it allows each sport’s International Federation to make their own tech doping rules.

Natural vs. Unnatural Evolution

From soft leather to hard plastic helmets in football, wood to carbon-reinforced polymer rackets in tennis, to the synthetic-surface playing fields themselves common in many sports, technology advancements have always helped evolve sport. All of these undoubtedly have enhanced athletes’ performance, but when does it do so too much?

In 2009, FINA (the international governing body for swimming) drew that line. After 17 world records fell at a single international meet, the Speedo LZR racer swimsuit worn by many of the record breakers came under global scrutiny. FINA decided to ban the elastane-nylon and polyurethane body-length suits which improving swimmers’ speed by increasing buoyancy and repelling water.  

Beyond just changing the record books overnight, tech doping has other possible consequences. Unregulated equipment use could lead to an athletic arms race that focuses more on technology than human performance. This in turn could further the gap between traditional sporting nations and those that already can’t afford to keep up resource-wise.

How 3D Printing Could Contribute To Technology Doping

Given how traditionally-manufactured advances in technology have completely changed some sports, it’s not hard to imagine how 3D printing could initiate an even greater revolution. In many ways, it already has.

In 2014, Nike unveiled 3D-printed ‘concept’ cleats like the Nike Vapor HyperAgility, built specifically for American football’s shuttle run drill. Four years later, the company released Nike Flyprint, the “first 3D-printed textile upper in performance footwear.” After capturing athlete data to determine optimal material composition, Flyprint is produced by “solid deposit modeling (SDM), a process whereby a TPU filament is unwound from a coil, melted and laid down in layers.” In other words, it is Fused Deposition Modeling by yet another name. 

The first Flyprint was created for Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan distance runner who currently holds the world record in the marathon (2:01:39). That record-setting time was registered in the rain, and despite his legendary performance, Kipchoge complained that his shoes absorbed too much water. In response, Nike came back to Kipchoge with the new 3D-printed Flyprint uppers, which are 11 grams lighter than those he wore during his record-breaking run. While it’s impossible to say Kipchoge won’t improve on his world record time even more with or without the shoes, these advancements certainly don’t hurt.

Paralympic athletes are also taking advantage of 3D printing technology. German cyclist Denise Schindler used a prosthetic leg printed by Autodesk in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. While Schindler didn’t appear to have an unfair advantage or even medal, 3D-printed prosthetics that significantly improve para-athletes’ performance seem like they could be the most impactful instance of technological doping in the near future.

The fear would be technology creating cyborg-esque athletes that outperform even ‘able-bodied ones’, which is perhaps why the IAAF (track and field’s governing body) briefly banned “any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete” such as Olympic and Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius’ carbon-fiber prosthetics.

The examples go on and on, touching seemingly every sport from biathlon to luge. So far, no international sport body has publicly (issued) a warning regarding 3D-printed equipment—it seems all is fair game as long as the improvement in performance isn’t too obvious or drastic. Given that 3D printing will only become more affordable in the future, maybe IFs consider the playing field level enough as long as nothing turns into a proverbial wood versus metal-level mismatch.

Combatting Technology Doping

But should sports equipment continue to get lighter, stronger, and more customized to the point that it’s creating an unfair advantage, how could tech doping be shorted?

It seems unlikely WADA would add a section to the Code blanket-banning 3D printing, as it would be at odds with its ‘one-size fits all’ approach to policing regular doping. It’s more likely that individual sports will continue to monitor performance as it pertains to their particular sports on a case-by-base basis. A new version of The Code is set to be released in 2021, but currently there’s no indication 3D printing or similar technology is on the table for inclusion.

Should a printing breakthrough become a literal gamechanger, equipment inspections could become mandatory before a game or competition, or done randomly afterward ala urine and blood testing. This would be no job for an ordinary official, and might require a new specifically trained one that knows his polyester from his polypropylene. Counter-technology that can tell “legally-produced” equipment from prohibited technology might also be something sport organizations seek to have developed, undoubtedly signaling the beginning of another giant cat and mouse game akin to the one that policing regular doping already is.

In the end, it will be a human judgment call about which technologies allow athletes to get too far ahead, and which are fair game.

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

Dutch company Admatec (Additive Manufacturing Technologies) has been manufacturing its ADMAFLEX ceramic 3D printers since 2014, and released its first metal 3D printer in 2017. That same year, investment casting company Aristo-Cast, which has producing 3D printed wax patterns since 1993, began working with one of the company’s ceramic systems in order to create a new pattern-less process that could completely overhaul the traditional process of investment casting.

“We’ve been working with Admaflex 130+ Ceramic 3d printer for approximately 18 months,” said Jack Ziemba, the CEO at Aristo-Cast. “During this time we have developed a process allowing us to revolutionize the investment casting process.”

Conventional investment casting is lengthy and labor-intensive. It involves injecting, or 3D printing, a pattern, which is then invested (dipped) in a ceramic slurry multiple times to make the coating for a shell. Each coat has to dry before adding the next, and while the first is the most important in terms of surface finish and fine detailing, it can take up to eight coats to finish the shell. Later, the pattern is burned out from the coating, which leaves behind a cavity that is filled with an alloy in order to create a close tolerance casting.

The most difficult investment patterns are those with complex passages or cores, as it’s difficult to verify the coat’s integrity and when it’s dry enough to apply the next coat. But with the new process that Aristo-Cast developed with the ADMAFLEX 130, it’s possible to directly 3D print the shell, which reduces the steps involved in the traditional process and the need for an expensive injection mold or 3D printed pattern. In addition, when the shell is 3D printed from a CAD file, you no longer have to worry about what the surface detail looks like, the time can be reduced by up to 75% since you don’t have to wait for multiple coats to dry, and it’s possible to inspect intricate core passages before you pour the alloy to create the cast.

Ziemba said, “We’re only scratching the surface on the advantages that shell printing can bring.”

Admatec and Aristo-Cast have been working together to develop a ceramic formula that matches the required shell formulation, which led to Admatec’s creation of an investment casting material that’s also suitable for 3D printing and compatible with the 3D printed shell process.

“The Admatec 3d printer has taken the investment casting prototype manufacturing to the next level,” Ziemba stated. “Its simplicity and ease of operation are unmatched compared to traditional pattern 3d printing.”

By combining this new material with Admatec’s DLP technology, Aristo-Cast is now able to 3D print highly accurate, intrinsic geometries and very thin walls.

“The reduction in material used, allowed a more consistent isotropic shrinkage of the final part and the ability to print a perfect hollow surface from the inside of the Shell allowing easier removal of the core,” Ziemba said.

“With the Admatec technology, anybody that is able to melt metal could become an investment caster.”

While the cost savings will vary, as the price depends on how complex the part itself is, customers could save up to 50% using this new process. Admatec’s investment casting solutions are now available for customers on the market.

“Here at Admatec we strive to assist customers with custom made solutions through our expertise in material and machine development,” said Admatec COO Jaco Saurwalt. “If you’re looking for a partner to improve or develop new solutions with ceramic and metal additive manufacturing we’d like to hear from you!”

Next week at the AMUG Conference in Chicago, Aristo-Cast will present the new 3D printed investment casting approach it developed with Admatec. Stop into Room PDR2 at the conference on Tuesday, April 2nd between 1:30 and 2:30 to discuss the approach with local sales director John Koch and CCO Sandeep Rana.

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

[Images provided by Admatec]

Cross section view of the corrugated conical horn antenna design

While most 3D printed antennas are made with metal, two researchers from Turkey’s Yasar University recently completed a study about using PLA material to make a 3D printed conical corrugated horn antenna, which is used to feed reflector antennas in direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems. The paper, titled “The Prototype of a Wideband Ku-Band Conical Corrugated Horn Antenna with 3-D Printing Technology,” discusses the researchers’ design, production, and verification of a prototype antenna fabricated with FDM 3D printing and nickel conductive aerosol painting.

The abstract reads, “The antenna designed with CST Microwave Studio program operates within wideband of 10.5-18.5 GHz at Ku-band. The prototype is realized with new generation 3D printing technology and conductive paint coating method, which makes the antenna lightweight and provides low cost and faster production. According to measurement results, the antenna has return loss almost better than 20 dB, gain value of minimum 14.5 dBi and sidelobe level of -18 dB at most within 1.76:1 frequency bandwidth. Antenna is observed to have a gain loss of at most 1.5-2 dB within the band as compared to the same antenna with high conductivity metal, which needs higher cost and production time for the manufacturing.”

3D printed halves of antenna prototype

Typically, conical corrugated horn antennas are used in dual or circular polarization applications, like satellite communication, and are made up of four main sections: input (feed) waveguide, transition, corrugated profile (mode converter), and the antenna aperture; however, this prototype only has three.

The interior surface slots and teeth in this type of antenna work as a feed for reflectors in remote sensing systems and satellites, due to its “directivity and gain as well as low cross-polarization level, low side and back lobe levels and good return loss value.”

“When there is TE11 mode propagation in the input waveguide section, which is a smooth and flat walled structure, TE11 and TM11 modes propagates in the corrugated surface. The propagation of the both electric and magnetic field components of TE and TM modes are at the same velocity, which results in as a single hybrid (HE11) mode,” the researchers explained. “Therefore, the corrugated surface of the antenna actually behaves like a mode converter. Hybrid mode propagation provides extremely good beam symmetry in radiation patterns with low cross-polarization levels, with high beam efficiency. For these reasons, corrugated horns provide good wide-bandwidth performance.”

Assembled antenna structure

Because they are made up of complex geometric shapes, you need a highly precise manufacturing process to make these. CNC and CCM machines are used most often, but they’re expensive and take a long time, which is why some people choose to use FDM 3D printing.

This antenna was specifically designed to operate within wideband between 10.5 and 18.5 GHz, so it can cover both the general RX band (10.5-12.75 GHz) and TX band (17.3-18.4 GHz) in DBS communications and the TX/RX bands of 10.7-12.75 GHz and 13.75-14.5 GHz in telecommand and telemetry satellite applications. Simulations within CST Microwave Studio 2017 were used to optimize these dimensions, first using Perfect Electric Conductor (PEC) material to make the process faster, and then with dielectric PLA and the nickel conductive aerosol paint coating.

“Besides, the results with PEC material are used as reference results for comparison such that they can be approximately taken as the results when the antenna is manufactured with CNC machine and high conductivity material such as aluminum,” the researchers explained.

“From the simulation results given for the coated antenna, it can be concluded that PLA/nickel materials have quite slight effect on the return loss performance of the antenna where the return loss values are almost above 20 dB for 10-19 GHz. The values slightly drop below 20 dB for the frequencies around 10 GHz. This is due to the reason that the coating thickness on PLA decreases the inner dimensions of the antenna including the feed rectangular waveguide. Therefore, the cutoff frequency of the waveguide (and the antenna) becomes closer to 10 GHz, at which the return loss of the antenna is deteriorated.”

Return loss measurement setup

An Ultimaker 2+ was used to manufacture the antenna prototype out of PLA, which is easier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly to print than ABS. A 0.4 mm nozzle was used to apply 0.2 mm layers, with 50% infill, at 50 mm/second, which took about 23 hours.

Measuring directivity and radiation patterns

“After printing, the identical parts are coated by using three coats of Super Shield-841 nickel conductive aerosol paint spray to give the coating thickness of approximately 0.1 mm. Finally, the fabricated half-pieces are assembled by combining them with a special adjustable clamp system,” the researchers noted. “After the manufacturing steps are completed, the total weight of the prototype antenna is measured as about 230 gr, which is sufficiently lightweight.”

The performances – directivity, radiation patterns, realized gain, and return loss – of the antenna were measured. Additionally, the researchers compared the cost, production cost, and weight of the antenna when made with 3D printed PLA and nickel, and one made out of aluminum with CNC-based milling.

Not surprisingly, the research shows that the 3D printed prototype takes less time and money to make, and is also more lightweight.

“Although a conductive material (nickel) with moderate conductivity is used for spray coating with a thickness of about 0.1 mm, it is found from the measurements that the antenna gives not more than 2 dB gain loss as compared to same antenna manufactured with high conductivity material and CNC-based manufacturing. The proposed antenna structure manufactured with proposed technique still has highly satisfactory performances such that it provides more than 17 dB return loss, 14.5 dBi gain and peak sidelobe level of -18 dB in E-plane and H-plane at the given frequency band (1.76:1 bandwidth),” the researchers concluded. “The proposed fabrication technique has the advantages of low weight, low cost and low production time as compared to CNC-based production in spite of slight loss in the gain. As a conclusion, 3-D printing and coating method is very useful especially for research and prototype verification in antenna and microwave systems.”

Co-authors of the paper are M. E. Carkaci & M. Secmen.

[Image: AMUG via Facebook]

It’s almost time for this year’s

 in Chicago, and we’ve been

plenty of

ahead of the yearly event. Now we’ve got another one: global science-based company

, located in the Netherlands, has just announced its program for the show. For starters, DSM, which is also a diamond sponsor for the conference, will have the beta version of its new powder 3D printing material at the event, and announced that it is continuing to

with a number of new partnerships.

“Tomorrow, the entire manufacturing industry should see AM as a viable route to sustainable production. This requires an accelerated adoption of AM technology. At DSM we are looking at all options to support this development,” said Hugo da Silva, DSM’s VP of Additive Manufacturing. “We are moving quickly to introduce new materials and collaborate with partners as and where possible.”

DSM’s conference schedule looks pretty busy, as the company works to continue speeding up the adoption of 3D printing. Its AMUG program really shows off its ecosystem and vision of industry partnerships and sustainability. For instance, a beta version of the company’s new PBT 3D printing powder product – a first for the company – will be announced at the show.

Hugo da Silva

“Our prime ambition is to unleash the full potential of additive manufacturing and to increase adoption in the manufacturing industry,” said da Silva. “That is why we are proud to announce the first beta PBT powder of our technology platform in co-development with the market. The final outcome will suit the needs of our customers even better.”

It’s the first PBT powder made commercially available for SLS 3D printing, as well as the first developed from DSM’s new powder technology platform. The company is working to co-develop this platform with customers, so it will definitely meet viable application and market needs.

From 6 to 10 pm on Sunday, March 31st and 10 am to noon on Monday, April 1st, DSM will introduce its powder, and its business leaders, along with exhibiting demo applications of its other materials, at booth D18 and in conference suite 4J.

DSM, which is well-known for its AM ecosystem approach, has also announced numerous partnerships over the last year, including with companies like Adaptive3D, Fortify, Chromatic, and JuggerBot 3D.

“At DSM, we like to offer our customers choices; and as we cannot do everything ourselves, we are always on the lookout for new partnerships. This is exactly how the 3D printing ecosystem matures further,” da Silva explained. “Some of our partners (such as printer manufacturers) play elsewhere in the value chain while others are materials companies. They help us bring an expanded portfolio to our customers – exemplified by our ventures with Adaptive3D (DLP) and Chromatic 3D (Thermoset 2K Extrusion) and a partnership with Fortify (DLP).”

DSM is continuing to increase its collaborative efforts in the AM industry in order to ramp up adoption of the technology.  Hopefully we’ll get some more information on these efforts soon. Until then, the company and some of its partners are presenting about some of these collaborations at the AMUG Conference.

First up, Walter Voit from Adaptive3D will be presenting “Adaptive3D and DSM AM Partner to Bring Photopolymer Resins to Market to Enable Tough, Strain-Tolerant Rubbers and Elastomers” from 3 to 4 pm on Monday in the DSM suite. Tuesday morning from 10:30 to 11:30, Ultimaker’s Bas de Jong and DSM’s Noud Steffens will be presenting “Ultimaker and DSM AM accelerate the adoption of high performance thermoplastic filaments to produce jigs and fixtures” in the suite, followed by a short presentation at 2:30 that same day by Chromatic’s Cora Leibig, entitled “Partnership between Chromatic 3D Materials and DSM AM develop first printable industrial polyurethanes.”

The final partner presentation will take place in DSM’s suite at 1:30 on Wednesday. Dan Fernback & Zac DiVencenzo from JuggerBot 3D will be presenting “Opportunities and challenges of 3D printed tooling in production programs.”

Many of DSM’s thought leaders will be attending the conference and giving talks and presentations during the event. At 1:30 on Monday in the Hilton Chicago’s Wilford A/B, da Silva will discuss why 3D printing should be sustainable from the get-go in “Sustainable Manufacturing – No Longer a Dream With 3D Printing.”

“As the industry gathers momentum, it is presented with a huge opportunity to make AM sustainable from day one,” da Silva said.

“We have a historic window to develop, from the beginning, new materials that are recyclable, reusable and/or bio-degradable or bio-based. Investing in solutions where plastics can be 3D printed into usable applications fits perfectly with the intrinsically sustainable nature of AM as a production process. Using only what is needed to build layer by layer, it reduces scrap and waste. As it can be done locally, it has the potential to reduce carbon emissions substantially by shortening the supply chain.”

On Tuesday, DSM’s Greg Costantino will present “High Performance Filaments for Automotive Spare Parts” at 1:30 in the company’s suite, followed by DSM’s first Learning Lab at 3 pm in Spaces C1 and C2 in Salon C. Pieter Leen from DSM will give an in-suite presentation titled “Rapid tooling solutions to increase product development speed and optimize manufacturing processes” from 3 to 4 on Wednesday, and the company’s Global Director Marketing and Sales for Additive Manufacturing, Jill Cohen, will later lead a panel discussion, titled “The Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem Shapes Sustainable Manufacturing,” from 4:30 to 5:30 in Wilford C.

Thursday morning at 10:30, DSM’s Jasper van Dieten will present “Qualification of Materials for medical applications” in the company’s suite, and DSM’s second Learning Lab will be presented by John Schaefer at 1:30 in Salon C, Spaces 1 and 2.

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Luxury watch manufacturers like Ulysse Nardin are certainly aware that enthusiasts today want something modern and unique, but they still expect pristine quality and spectacular style. Adding a 3D concept is an excellent way to garner the attention of savvy consumers, along with enjoying all the manufacturing benefits of 3D printing too.

The FREAK neXt watch is still a concept piece in the prototyping stages—following production of the first FREAK watch fifteen years ago—but it shows off technical and watchmaking skills of the future, along with the fruits of Ulysee Nardin’s labor in collaborating with Swiss 3D printing glass microdevice manufacturer, FEMTOprint. Together, the two dynamic companies have used their expertise to create an impressive piece, featuring details such as:

• 3D glass minute hand
• 3D printed oscillator
• Glass bridge with integrated shock protection
• Self-winding mechanism

FREAK neXt timepiece with the 3D glass logo-decoration (Photo: Ulysse Nardin/FEMTOprint)

FEMTOprint’s focus in 3D printing is centered around transforming microfabrication, mainly with glass microdevices. Their platform applies to numerous applications, including microfluidics, packaging, photonics, a wide range of manufacturing, and other works involving fine mechanics.

“There is no doubt that glass has unique properties and advantages compared to materials such as metals and polymers: it is optically transparent, resistant to thermal shocks, abrasion and scratches, it is biocompatible by nature, chemically stable and electrically insulating, but what is less evident is that, it has fantastic elasticity properties and a high failure strength after chemical treatment,” states the FEMTOprint team as they report on their case study with Ulysse Nardin.

Traditionally, quality watchmakers are in need of glass materials for parts like dials, actuators, balance wheels, and indicators. This new prototype is meant to show a ‘technological milestone’ to the world for watch enthusiasts, and other designers and engineers too, with the 3D printed flying oscillator accompanying the carousel baguette movement. The oscillator serves as a regulating device for the watch, but in this design is suspended in mid-air. This unique engineering prevents friction on the bearings and allows for better performance overall.

“This is a radical development that hugely improves the traditional principle of balance spring regulation introduced in the 17th century,” states FEMTOprint in their case study.

FREAK neXt with 3D glass tubes for luminescence (Photo: Ulysse Nardin/FEMTOprint)

(Photo: Ulysse Nardin)

The new FREAK watch also features a phosphorescence dial, only visible in the dark, produced by a strontium aluminate–based, non-radioactive and nontoxic photoluminescent pigment and 3D tubes. This device could be put into production in the very near future, according to the designer.

VIDEO

Before the advent of smartphones glued to our hands, most of us relied on more conventional timepieces; in fact, if you did not, your character could be swiftly judged as someone asked, ‘what kind of person doesn’t wear a watch?’ Today not as many of us do, which makes the watch a real statement of style.

When you now have an iPhone to gaze upon, it can tell you what time it is in any city in the world, remind you what to do on the hour, and tell you when to go to sleep, when to wake up, and even count your breakfast calories for you. What goes on your wrist is a statement of style, and 3D printing is propelling watchmakers into the future with so many options now, whether they are making watch straps, experimenting with 3D printed metal in production, or even fabricating parts for wearables like smartwatches.

Find out more about the design partnership between FEMTOprint and Ulysse Nardin here. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

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