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3D Printing News Unpeeled: Cornell Breast Scaffolds, New Prusa MK4 https://ift.tt/YgbMNjr Cornell researchers are working on better breast implants specifically making 3D printed nipple scaffolds for mastectomy patients. Xue Dong aided by Jason Spector and others used the material Poly-4-Hydroxybutyrate or P4HB for the implant. Along with BellaSeno, Lattice Medical, Healshape, anymedi and more the team is working on an emerging area that could be a huge 3D printing application.
Prusa Research released its long awaited 3D printer. The Prusa MK4 3D printer reatails for $1099, has a 32-bit STM32-powered mainboard, “xBuddy board”, Trinamic 2130 stepper drivers, has a nozzle temp of 300C, bed temp of 120C, which makes polyamides very accessible. The printer has better sensors a magnetic heatbed with a removable PEI spring steel sheet, improved extruders with reduced slippage, autoleveling through a load cell that is said to improve your first layer. The chassis is of injection molded aluminum which is different from the joined extruded profiles that are now commonplace. The New Raw has released a large planter, seating furniture item that can also be a desk. Kind of a big lobby ¨we love the environment statement¨ the piece is made from 350 kilos of recycled polymer. The post 3D Printing News Unpeeled: Cornell Breast Scaffolds, New Prusa MK4 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/nWmYjQ8 March 30, 2023 at 09:19AM
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EOS Remains Nimble in Rapidly Changing Metal 3D Printing Industry https://ift.tt/qQ3j9bT German 3D printer manufacturer EOS is not only a pioneer in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, but it also maintains the market share for metal 3D printing with its own take on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. However, the industry is rapidly changing, with competition coming in the form of an increasing number of metal LPBF machine makers and large conglomerates upping their stakes in the metal AM sector. At the 2023 Additive Manufacturing Users (AMUG) Conference, we had the chance to sit down with the EOS team to learn about how the pioneer remains nimble amid this competitive landscape. Greg Hayes, Senior Vice President of Applied Technology, and Michael Wohlfart, Senior Additive Manufacturing Consultant, indicated that part of the answer lays in the research and development expertise of the company, as well as its organizational structure. “Support-Free” Metal 3D PrintingThanks to the introduction of Silicon Valley startup Velo3D (NYSE: VLD) to the market, the concept of “support-free” metal 3D printing has become a hot topic in the world of LPBF. This is because support structures are a key hassle when it comes to parts made with the technology and Velo3D’s initial marketing campaigns showcased the ability of its machines to 3D print metal components without supports. In turn, other LPBF machine makers had to show the public that they too could achieve “support-free” 3D printing. What has become clear more recently is that most, if not all, LPBF machines could potentially be used to produce parts without the use of support structures, but that their strategy isn’t always made public. At the 2022 RAPID+TCT show, for instance, AddUp had displayed several metal items 3D printed without the use of supports. More recently, EOS has launched its own marketing campaign devoted to the topic.
In most cases, support-free 3D printing is accomplished by drastically slowing down the print process or by pre-calculating a build and addressing specific areas of a specific geometry. However, in the case of EOS, it’s the result of a new software solution: Smart Fusion, that the company is releasing at this year’s RAPID+TCT event, called Smart Fusion—and it’s not just about eliminating support structures. It’s about the much larger and more important issue of in-process quality control.
He went on to explain that, using the EOSTATE ExposureOT Monitoring System, it is possible to capture light emissions from the melt pool in the printer. Measuring the light emissions, it’s possible for Smart Fusion to automatically detect overheating and then adjust the process parameters in the subsequent layer.
In other words, EOS has developed a tool for improving build outcomes altogether in an automated fashion. Support-free 3D printing just so happens to be a side benefit. And it is able to achieve this without slowing down the build rate of the equipment at all. A Changing Metal 3D Printing MarketIt’s not just the ability to 3D print without supports that is shaking up the metal AM industry, however. Given the current economic climate and Nikon’s acquisition of SLM Solutions, the scent of mergers and acquisitions is in the air. How will EOS fair? Hayes was quick to point out the legacy behind the German stalwart.
The legendary Langer family that founded and owns EOS may not be interested in selling to a corporate behemoth lurking in the shadows and waiting to pounce into AM. As the industry expands quickly (expected to reach $25 billion by 2025, according to SmarTech Analysis), will EOS then grow just as fast? We can imagine that the firm could acquire its fair share of businesses or merge with another AM stalwart—though I would guess an offer from Nano Dimension wouldn’t be considered too seriously. Hayes pointed out that EOS may not need to build up its own relative size in order to remain the market leader. For instance, EOS will not be releasing its own large-scale metal 3D printer under the traditional EOS brand, as it already does that through AMCM. The EOS subsidiary was an early innovator in 3D printing for space applications and continues to be a large supplier to the new space market. Meanwhile, AM Ventures, an independent firm that was launched with seed investment from the Langer family, has built out a portfolio of startups that offer a variety of unique capabilities to the 3D printing market. Their focus ranges from orthodontic solutions and manufacturing execution software to electric motor components and micro metal 3D printing. As stand-alone businesses, they operate flexibly in the market, but they can also act as crucial business partners for EOS. DyeMansion is a case in point. The post-processing startup has been important for EOS customers who need to finish their polymer printed parts, but Stratasys has also taken to DyeMansion’s technology for its own polymer PBF technology. Meanwhile, in at least one case, an EOS competitor, 3D Systems, has acquired an AM Ventures business, Additive Works. Because there is no formal relationship between the portfolio businesses and EOS, they are able to move freely in the AM space. However, they and EOS’s other operations may give the German stalwart the nimbleness to adapt to the industry as it continues to change shape in a post-COVID environment. Hayes concluded the interview summing the sector up this way:
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The Advanced Manufacturing Talent Pipeline Forming on Chicago’s West Side https://ift.tt/8WyQ35m Advanced manufacturing can be used as an entry point into many different industries, but finding those opportunities can be challenging. One company in Chicago is creating a pathway within the community to highlight those possibilities. 3Degrees offers a free, eight-week program called AMx, where the goal of this course is to expose adults to the career pathways that are available through advanced manufacturing in an accelerated and practical manner. The idea was created by Mike Vasquez, owner of 3Degrees. Mike provides 3D printing and materials science consultation to additive manufacturing companies, finding one striking similarity among all of them: the need to grow their team with people that have experience in manufacturing.
In an effort to find a solution and take advantage of untapped pipelines of talent that exist in underserved neighborhoods (especially like those on the west side of Chicago), AMx was created. Advanced manufacturing is an industry that is rapidly evolving, which is why AMx provides mentorship and industry tours alongside a conventional classroom curriculum. Many companies opened their doors for facility tours, including Renishaw, Impossible Objects, mHub, Azul 3D, MxD, Sciaky, and Daley Community College. Each student is paired with at least one industry mentor in sectors ranging from automotive and aerospace to medical, just to name a few. Networking is a critical factor for a successful manufacturing career, but the program also gives students insight into what a typical workday would be like within an industry. The current course is focused on industrial 3D printing and the workflow required to make production parts. AMx offers a hands-on, internal curriculum provided by America Makes called Additive Edge, where students are taught different methods of how to utilize 3D printing. They then pitch their business ideas to their peers using those concepts, concluding the course with a presentation of their ideas. Students also receive insight from leaders in the advanced manufacturing industry, including: Ryan Larson, Director of Digital and 3D Cushioning at Nike; Dave Krzeminski, Senior Consultant at EOS; SJ Jones, Velo3D; Carl Dekker, President at Met-l-Flo; Casey Melvin, The Future of Jewelry; and Yash Bandari, an Additive Manufacturing Product Manager at Meltio. AMx is supported by several partners including America Makes, West Side Forward, and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center.
Understanding the technology can be a real challenge, especially for new personnel. The hands-on experience provided by AMx creates a smooth transition into the workforce for trainers and trainees. Ryan Larson, Nike’s Direct of Digital and 3D Cushioning, mentioned that “as a longtime user of AM technologies, one of the most time intensive aspects for me has been the training associated with bringing on new employees and teammates who may have only heard about 3D printing.” As the course progresses, students’ comprehension of the hardware, materials, and software significantly improves. The course aims to leave its students feeling confident and empowered going into the workforce while benefiting both industry and communities. The only qualities necessary to get started in advanced manufacturing are an open mind, a positive work ethic, and a willingness to work with your hands. As time goes on, 3Degrees plans on expanding the course throughout the US to expand the advanced manufacturing pipeline to multiple states. So, do you like working with your hands? Are you looking for a direct path into a budding industry? Or are you interested in being a mentor or host of a local AMx cohort.? Learn more about the Advanced Manufacturing Experience and tap into your potential today! About 3Degrees: 3Degrees helps companies implement winning 3D Printing solutions through practical insights and materials expertise. It was founded in 2012 by Dr. Mike Vasquez. The team has decades of expertise in material design and selection, part evaluation, training and safety and designing 3D Printing roadmaps and long-term strategies. 3Degrees is also a member of America Makes and is based in Chicago, IL. The post The Advanced Manufacturing Talent Pipeline Forming on Chicago’s West Side appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 30, 2023 at 08:33AM
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AM Drilldown: Canadian Carbon Credits Could Fuel 3D Printing and More https://ift.tt/CU7jJYQ Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled the country’s latest budget, which offers $16.4 billion in tax credits for clean tech manufacturing, clean electricity and hydrogen over the next five years, alongside $500 million in support carbon capture and storage (CCS). Canada is in the process of using its new national budget to introduce a system to lock in future carbon prices. This, in turn, will be used as a means of increasing investment into low-carbon technologies, which could include additive manufacturing (AM). Canada’s Carbon Credit Contracts for Difference“Contracts for difference” set a future price on tradable carbon credits, awarded to heavy emitters for cutting their pollution output. The Canadian government will make up the difference if the market price for these credits fall below the contract minimum. A growth fund established in last year’s budget that will be up and running “in the coming months” will be used to drive large projects. The country’s largest polluters, such as those in oil and gas, have claimed that the lack of any certainty related carbon credit pricing has limited their willingness to invest in emission reduction projects, such as carbon capture and hydrogen, that could earn them these points. Moreover, if a credit pricing system were to be dismantled in the future, such projects would be financially wasteful from their perspectives. Existing rules see polluters pay per tonne of carbon emitted above a sector-specific level. They can also create credits through emissions reduction and sell the credits. However, such a carbon credit market is seen as unstable due to the fact that cheap credits could flood the markets as large-scale projects begin operating. Through contracts for difference, the Canadian government can guarantee pricing stability, incentivizing more businesses from participating in the carbon credit market.
The plan is meant to target large-scale decarbonization projects, but the scheme is being discussed as a means of potentially targeting smaller programs as well. Carbon Credit ProjectsWhen most people think about emission reduction technologies, the first thoughts that come to mind are wind and solar. However, these forms of renewable energy have their own limitations, particularly for industrial operations that require large amounts of energy storage. Others may consider less developed climate solutions, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) or hydrogen power, both of which still require substantial technological or infrastructure advances. Before further-out technological solutions to the climate crises can be rolled out at scale, nearer-term tools, such as 3D printing and other forms of advanced production, now represent the best low-hanging fruit in the world of energy efficiency. For this reason, at least a portion of these investments will surely be directed into AM. AM is especially relevant to the oil and gas industry, to which the global economy is still intricately dependent. Those players, who wish to manage the energy transition as much as possible in order to ensure their survival, are aiming to first improve the efficiency of their own operations before they are willing and/or able to fully commit to renewables. For this reason, they will turn more and more to AM to optimize fossil fuel use in order to make every last drop of fuel last that much longer. Of all the world’s oil and gas sectors, Canada may be one of the best-positioned to secure its existence with AM. Then, as other technologies move in to replace fossil fuel infrastructure, their developers will also rely on AM in order to increase the energy efficiency of their own technologies. This means that AM will also become the go-to manufacturing process wherever and whenever it fits for wind, solar, and nuclear. For less-developed replacements, like CCS and hydrogen, 3D printing will obviously be key for the early design and testing phases before it is utilized for reasons of energy efficiency. Global TrendWhat’s crucial to note about this development from Canada is that it is being in part attributed to moves already being made by the United States. Specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will lead to over $1 trillion in investment into such areas as renewable energy. This, along with related bills like Bipartisan Infrastructure and CHIPS Acts, will also fuel an AM boom for the same reasons stated above. Metal 3D printing startup Seurat and materials firm 6K both believe that to be the case, while GE is already priming IRA funds to be directed toward 3D printing. As national governments seek to keep pace with the U.S., we will continue to see moves like those made by Canada. In addition to the contracts for differences, Canada aims to implement a 30% investment tax credit to boost clean-tech manufacturing, especially in the electric vehicle supply chain. We can rightly assume that these funds will also make their way into AM and other advanced manufacturing technologies. In fact, we’ve already seen Canada’s Project Arrow apply AM to vehicle production. This should just be a foreshadowing of what’s to come. The post AM Drilldown: Canadian Carbon Credits Could Fuel 3D Printing and More appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 30, 2023 at 08:33AM
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Closing Women’s History Month with a Look at Five Leaders in AM https://ift.tt/TXdS9FH As Women’s History Month ends, 3DPrint.com highlights five visionary individuals empowering fellow women to excel in 3D printing and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Driven by their entrepreneurial approach and steadfast leadership in a male-dominated industry, these are just five women in an evergrowing sector doing great things. Kate BlackA Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Liverpool’s School of Engineering and avid researcher of functional materials for inkjet printing, Kate Black is also the co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) of Meta Additive, a U.K. binder jet technology startup that Desktop Metal acquired in 2021. Voted one of the “Top 50 Women in Engineering” by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and The Daily Telegraph, Black founded LivWISE (Liverpool Women in Science & Engineering) in 2013 to celebrate, support, and promote women in STEM. Black is one of the leading faces for women in AM, campaigning to broaden recruitment into the industry and other STEM careers.
Callie HigginsWomen in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) Ambassador Callie Higgins is so immersed in AM that she aims to inspire others to see how wonderful the industry is. Higgins’s career as a materials research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – a U.S. Department of Commerce federal agency – began in 2017 when she became a National Research Council (NRC) postdoctoral fellow. Today, the electrical engineer leads by example and reinforces her innovative spirit with plenty of research initiatives and photopolymer AM projects. In Colorado, where she lives and works, Higgins leads the local Wi3DP chapter and ensures the group’s mission of an inclusive environment in AM is passed on to other women. Stacey DelVecchioWith 35 years of experience in the heavy-duty industrial markets, Stacey DelVecchio is a leading force in a broad range of areas, from AM to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has led organization-wide initiatives that challenged the status quo and started Caterpillar’s AM program. A chemical engineer and former President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), DelVecchio today manages her firm, StaceyD Consulting, focused on deploying AM in the industrial sector and advancements toward gender equity in STEM fields. Aside from volunteer efforts in her local community of Peoria, Illinois, she continues to advocate for 3D printing and is a champion for gender equity in STEM. Ruba Al NashashAdditive manufacturing (AM) expert and Founder of Dubai-based 3D printing business 3Dinova Ruba Al Nashash is leading the charge for women leaders in STEM. A civil engineer and entrepreneur, Al Nashash is not only running her own company but is focused on incorporating 3D printing in education by providing 3D printing workshops and training for anyone who wants to learn, from students and hobbyists to professionals. A mother of two, Al Nashash has always worked in male-dominated industries, first oil and gas and then construction, before choosing to create her own company where she can impart her experience and inspire creativity. Stefanie BrickwedeMeet Stefanie Brickwede, managing director of Mobility Goes Additive (MGA) – an international network for industrial AM – and head of AM at German national railway company Deutsche Bahn. Not only is she behind new network initiatives for 3D printing in the public transport industry and sustainable goals, but Brickwede is considered a “promoter of heterogeneous and thus more successful teams.” In 2019 she created the annual “Women in Additive Manufacturing” conference, sharing her ambitious 3D printing goals with colleagues. This same passion she imparted to attendees when Brickwede delivered her keynote speech on transportation at the recent Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2023 (AMS) trade show in New York. The legacyLike many before them, these five ladies are flagbearers for women in STEM and plenty of other fields where women are underrepresented. Their love for 3D printing, learning, sharing, and research does not intimidate them but leaves them wanting more: more leadership positions, more inclusion, more gender and racial equality, and even more empathy. Women make great leaders; although many organizations still don’t realize it, they need them. After all, gender-diverse businesses have higher average revenue than less diverse ones. Food for thoughtFor years, statistics about women’s untapped potential have plagued the news. However, since the early 1990s, research has shown that despite numerous obstacles and often challenging working conditions, women in STEM fields enjoy their work. Regrettably, women face a harsh reality in workplaces dominated by their male counterparts, such as the manufacturing sector. This bleak picture has slightly improved in countries like Norway and New Zealand. For example, in the U.S., women make up a quarter or fewer of workers in computing and engineering, but there is still plenty of variation in women’s representation across different jobs. Regardless, minorities, like Hispanic and Black workers, continue to be severely underrepresented, according to a Pew Research Center study. A 2022 quarterly publication by AM organization Wi3DP, titled “Diversity for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM): Differences in Pay within the Industry,” highlighted the issue of gender pay as part of its dedication to promoting, supporting, and inspiring women in AM. The inevitable conclusion that the AM community has a wage gap between men and women—and all the more so once accounting for motherhood, is just the tip of the iceberg. A lack of job salary information in markets like AM is dragging down what feels more like a battle of wages, a long one at that. The post Closing Women’s History Month with a Look at Five Leaders in AM appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 30, 2023 at 08:33AM
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US Army Advanced Manufacturing Commercialization Center Set to Open in Detroit Suburbs https://ift.tt/Ei3koJP On April 6, 2023, the US Army will open the Advanced Manufacturing Commercialization Center (AMCC) in Sterling Heights, MI, less than 20 miles from downtown Detroit. The new facility is a joint project between nonprofit SAE Government Technologies, of Troy, MI, and the Army’s Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC) and Tank Automotive Command (TACOM), both located in Warren, MI. Significantly, the AMCC will house the Jointless Hull subsection tool, which was designed alongside the full-size Jointless Hull stir friction additive manufacturing (AM) machine, the latter of which should be operational any day now at the Army’s Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. A joint project between Ingersoll Rand and metal AM company MELD Manufacturing — essentially the only game in town so far when it comes to stir friction AM, at least in the US — the platform destined for Rock Island is often touted as “the world’s largest metal 3D printer”. The Jointless Hull subsection tool was specifically made to support the activity of the larger model at Rock Island. The Materials Division at DEVCOM GVSC was also responsible, earlier this month, for granting Wichita State University (WSU) a five-year, $100 million contract to R&D digital manufacturing for the army’s ground fleet. This suggests WSU could potentially use some of the funds to purchase its own Jointless Hull subsection tool. In any case, its R&D will certainly benefit from access to the one at the new AMCC. The key to understanding how important to US industry are the many developments such as this one that have already been announced so far in 2023, lies in the first C in AMCC: commercialization. Military projects literally can’t afford to be solely military projects at this point, because the scale and pace of expansion necessary to “shore up the defense industrial base”, as they say, will require rapidly accelerating the incorporation of new private industry partners into the defense procurement supply chain. Bearing that out, this is the second announcement related to a new military AM center in less than a month, with Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. and Sintavia announcing a joint venture to build a center in Florida for US Navy submarine production. That’s not to mention the dizzying array of other announcements related to AM for defense that have also been rolling out in a constant rhythm this year. That includes the announcement just a couple of days ago by Divergent, that the company had named former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, to its board. This is all indicative of the fact that, for all the technologies comprising advanced manufacturing, and perhaps most of all for AM, commercialization is on its way, and is indeed already here. It may take some time to be noticeably reflected in the balance sheets of 3D printing companies, but the US military clearly considers the commercial health of the 3D printing sector to be vital to national security. The post US Army Advanced Manufacturing Commercialization Center Set to Open in Detroit Suburbs appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 29, 2023 at 09:45AM
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3D Printing News Unpeeled: FluidForm and Merck, Ultrafast Nano Holography, Teamcenter https://ift.tt/Ro1AxBM Fluidform books progress in cardiac tissue and drug discovery. Working with Merck & Co. the company has seen success with its Cardiac Drug Discovery Platform (CDDP) for in-vitro toxicology and pharmacology testing. The duo found that, ¨including highly aligned cells at true physiologic density, with reproducible calcium transients and fast conduction velocity. When subjected to the β-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol, tissue showed native-like positive chronotropic and inotropic responses.¨ FluidForm’s Adam Feinberg said,
This is a huge opportunity for FRESH and bioprinting in proving its worth in drug discovery before 3D printing organs. A new open access Nature paper, Ultrafast 3D nanofabrication via digital holography, by Wenqi Ouyang, Xiayi Xu and others explores how Daimler Truck has opted for Siemens Xcelerator (NX) based Teamcenter for PLM. This is a great moment to be selling PLM software and we must realize the power and market that Siemens has and just how long companies like Daimler are likely to stick with it. The post 3D Printing News Unpeeled: FluidForm and Merck, Ultrafast Nano Holography, Teamcenter appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 29, 2023 at 09:45AM
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TECHART Releases GTsteet R Flyweight with Weight-saving 3D Printed Seat Pads https://ift.tt/HTaxLQV TECHART, a premium international brand for high-quality custom Porsche vehicles, recently revealed its new GTstreet R Flyweight based on the Porsche 911 Turbo S. This car becomes the lightest division TECHART offers and meets the demands of the race circuit enthusiast while also remaining extremely drivable on city streets. The GTstreet R Flyweight boasts a ton of weight-saving features from added carbon fiber panels, to the removal of the back seats, and yes, even 3D printed seat pads. First revealed at the 2023 Bangkok International Motor Show, TECHART’s new GTstreet R Flyweight follows up on the company’s previously successful GTstreet R program. Its first GTstreet R quickly sold-out of the 87 copies, capped at 87 for TECHART’s founding year of 1987. The company limited this release too, only planning to sell 19 editions of the GTstreet R Flyweight. This finishes out the firm’s founding year and makes this car extremely exclusive in the motor world. TECHART drew inspiration for its “Flyweight” concept from the Flyweight boxing division. The company wanted a vehicle that was not only light and agile, but also packed a punch. The result was a car that is 60 kilograms (~132 lbs) lighter and houses 800 horsepower in its trunk. To remove that much weight from the previous iteration, the engineers searched for anything and everything they could replace with lighter components. The front hood, tailgate panel, and rear wing have been switched with carbon fiber parts, the windows have been substituted with lightweight polycarbonate, and even the locks have been swapped out for light weight fasteners. But that only accounts for the outside. Inside, TECHART completely removed the back seats to save a few kilograms and made the front seats as light as possible. The company partnered with RECARO Automotive, an automotive seating specialist, to create the light-weight seat shells for the Flyweight and OECHSLER, a German manufacturer increasingly making use of additive manufacturing, to create the 3D printed seat pads. The seat shells come in around 4.9 kilograms and, with the 3D printed cushions, they weigh below the standard 11.5-12.8 kg of a typical driver seat. The 3D printed pads also have the added benefit of better ventilation, dampening, and can be customized to a driver’s preferences. With all those kilograms saved, TECHART’s GTstreet R Flyweight performs phenomenally on track. With the TECHART Powerkit TA092/T2.1, the car is able to reach 100 kmh (~62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, and 200 kmh (~124 mph) in 7.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 350 kmh (~217 mph) which is almost the exact speed of the fastest F1 car in 2022 driven by HAAS’s Kevin Magnussen who reached 351.7 kmh. If you are interested in getting this car yourself, hurry because there are only 19 units available. It will cost you a pretty penny, but you are getting a high-quality, handmade, custom car that you can take to the track whenever. The post TECHART Releases GTsteet R Flyweight with Weight-saving 3D Printed Seat Pads appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 29, 2023 at 09:45AM
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Interview: Rosotics Wants to Revolutionize Space Manufacturing with New Metal 3D Printer https://ift.tt/pzS3Rgr With its sights set on the space industry, newcomer Rosotics unveiled a metal 3D printer capable of manufacturing large-format components of up to 30 feet in diameter. At a reveal event held at the Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona, Friday, March 24, 2023, the company showcased a prototype of its first-generation metal additive manufacturing (AM) system, called Mantis, which will begin booking services to qualified buyers on October 1, 2023, starting at a deposit of $95,000, based on configuration. Nicknamed “baby SpaceX” in the industry, Rosotics has already caught the eye of investors and leaders in aerospace. It was established in 2019 to develop large-scale metal 3D printers for aerospace and adjacent industries. Using its proprietary biomimicry-inspired “Rapid Induction Printing” technology, the brand has already launched its first heavy metal 3D printer for massive metal parts (like those used in rockets). The technique requires less energy and infrastructure than other laser-based systems while producing an equivalent level o metallurgical performance. Its process can print at a rate of 15 kilograms per hour per print head in a controlled manner, and Mantis uses up to three simultaneously. The company states that this allows the system to produce large prints, reaching a cumulative print speed of nearly 50 kilograms per hour using challenging materials such as aerospace-grade steel and aluminum. Designed to be quite versatile in materials, the team plans to expand beyond stainless steel and aluminum, especially into niche applications that demand unique alloys, such as copper-nickel, for the marine industry. One of the most favorable aspects of Rosotics’ Mantis is that the platform works with predominantly commercial off-the-shelf feedstocks, so plenty of firms will find their system an attractive product. Mantis, which utilizes what Rosotics described at the reveal event as a “structural drive” specifically engineered to articulate each joint of the system’s arms in a particular manner, is designed to be suited to the challenging requirements of complex metallurgy and the pain points of aerospace manufacturers.
Starting pointBefore unveiling Mantis, 3DPrint.com spoke to Rosotics Founder and CEO Christian LaRosa about the challenges that led him to create the technology and why this is the best time for his company to come out of stealth mode. During his junior year at Arizona State University, LaRosa became a NASA intern contributing to the agency’s Psyche and Lucy missions for asteroid exploration. It was in these roles that LaRosa realized that the toolsets available for design development and production of aerospace vehicles had limitations. Instead, the revolution in 3D printing promised a change in how parts were created. Like many before, La Rosa’s discovery would lead to the creation of a new printing technique.
With a print volume of up to 30 ft in diameter and several metric tons of printed mass, the first-generation Mantis system promises unmatched production capabilities with vastly simplified long-term maintenance and ease of use. In particular, the company’s aerospace customers will benefit from this innovation for producing traditionally difficult-to-produce structures such as rocket stages, complex domes, and fuselage. LaRosa says the company is already printing tanks, domes, and integrated bulkheads, as well as running a pilot program for a major player in the rocket business. Solving challengesAs for the company’s future and machine, LaRosa indicates plans to move into other industries that also demand large-format 3D printing. Rosotics had interest from several sectors. Although aerospace came first, it’s also looking to expand into energy, maritime, and in-time applications beyond Earth –places like Mars or the Moon– where LaRosa considers the technology would be ideally suited.
With that statement in mind, we can imagine LaRosa and his team have big plans for the future. But, for now, the young CEO says that moving into the production of the Mantis platform will drive the flywheel of innovation faster because the team will gain feedback from multiple customers. That data will drive the product further into areas of application that are far more difficult and far more complex than anything Rosotics could do. Rosotics is advancing rapidly as a startup in the metal AM scene. Aside from its highly-anticipated Mantis reveal, the startup also announced the establishment of a highly advanced production campus on Falcon Field to support the progress of manufacturing and spaceflight capabilities in the region. For this undertaking, the team has the support of the Falcon Field Airport in Mesa and the Governor’s Office. In addition, the day of the event was decreed as an Aerospace Innovation Day, in which innovators such as Rosotics may “use their knowledge gained for the betterment of humanity,” fostering new advancements in flight, rocketry, and scientific endeavor. The post Interview: Rosotics Wants to Revolutionize Space Manufacturing with New Metal 3D Printer appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 29, 2023 at 08:18AM
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MiddleGround Capital Announces Intent to Acquire 3D Printing Bureaus https://ift.tt/nIpkiY2 The additive manufacturing (AM) industry is currently experiencing an interesting set of roll-ups related to 3D printing service bureaus. Given the pace of the sector and the number of smaller businesses in the space, we may expect the trend to continue for some time. Behind the wheel of much of this consolidation is private equity, with investment vehicles seeing an opportunity to consolidate a fragmented market in the midst of a temporary economic downshift for the industry. The latest such firm to set its eyes on digital manufacturing services is MiddleGround Capital. With a focus on medium-sized businesses in the U.S. and North America, MiddleGround has begun its foray into the space with the purchase of Megatech, a Canadian CNC provider based in Montreal. The investment firm alerted us to the fact that this was just its entry point into digital manufacturing and that MiddleGround had its sights set on 3D printing next. We spoke to MiddleGround Director Marten Sjoquist to learn more. Based in Lexington, Kentucky with offices in New York and Amsterdam, MiddleGround is a comparatively new private equity firm established about five years ago. The company targets businesses with revenue of over $75 million, providing equity investments of between $20 million and $350 million, and operating in transactions of over $500 million. One of the unique features that sets MiddleGround apart from many of the private equity groups driving the service bureau consolidation in AM is the fact that its leadership team comes from the manufacturing world.
MiddleGround also features a large in-house operations team who all have experience in industry and serve as instrumental resources for the management teams of the firm’s our portfolio companies. They work hand in hand with management teams to implement specific value creation projects. Sjoquist listed examples that include improving labor efficiency, managing capital, optimizing supply chains, and executing new capital projects. Rather than rely on debt or financial engineering to generate returns, MiddleGround aims to perform operational improvements to the businesses that it acquires. As the company has invested in the industrial sector, it also conducts thematic investing, including industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing. In addition to the general benefits of 3D printing, ranging from part complexity to shorter product development cycles and mass customization, Sjoquist highlighted the role that AM will have in supply chain resilience as a key factor for the company’s interest in the technology.
Altogether, this has driven MiddleGround to build a platform dedicated to high complexity, low volume, high mix manufacturing services for technologically advanced and secularly growing and resilient end markets. The first piece of this platform is Megatech, which produces complex, low-volume components for such sectors optics and photonics robotics, medical, non-destructive testing, and aerospace. To do so, the company uses a combination of advanced software programs, in-house machine programming expertise, and state-of-the-art equipment. However, Megatech is only just the beginning.
There are potential benefits to blending a CNC business like Megatech with newer 3D printing bureaus. Sjoquist pointed out that established subtractive manufacturing firms have solid industrial customer relationships due to their longevity, while 3D printing companies may have strong digital platforms without the same level of relationships. Just as subtractive and additive production are complementary at the physical level, so too can they be at the business level. Of the private equity firms in the market performing these types of consolidations, MiddleGround is definitely unique in a number of ways: from Sjoquist’s candid discussion of the topic to the manufacturing background of the company’s leadership, as well as MiddleGround’s reliance on operational excellence over debt financing. With such a player in the field, we’re not only witnessing the evolution of AM technology itself, but also the investors interested in that technology. With MiddleGround’s next acquisition, we’re sure to see exactly how the service bureau industry begins to evolve from what we’re used to to a greater number of differentiators across businesses. The post MiddleGround Capital Announces Intent to Acquire 3D Printing Bureaus appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/HbkPwgh March 29, 2023 at 08:18AM |
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