Todd Grimm discusses EnvisionTEC’s P4 at RAPID. [Image: Sarah Goehrke]

Last week,

on the first part of Todd Grimm’s rapid-fire What’s New talk at

. Grimm continued his talk by discussing the latest trends in digital light processing, commonly know as DLP. As Grimm explained, DLP (for 3D printing) is a technology that has been around for 15 years and was pioneered by

. And there was some news from EnvisionTEC, as they introduced a new light engine for DLP, their

of their fourth generation Perfactory 4 (P4) model lineup. The new LED system on the P4 is intended to offer low operational costs, and to improve speed and detail.

Admatec’s goal is to drive down the cost of DLP ceramic and metal parts, and they recently introduced two new machines to their lineup; the ADMAFLEX 130 and ADMETALFLEX, each of which costs about $90K. The machines lay down a thin film of photopolymer loaded with either ceramic or metal powder. As Grimm noted, when printed parts come out of the machines they are considered “green parts,” as they have to be placed in a furnace to sinter the powered material together.

Of course, Carbon was still the talk of the town with their CLIP technology. Their new M2 3D printer has twice the surface area (in X & Y) of their previous machine, the M1. They also introduced a Smart Part Washer that knows the material that you build in and the geometry of the part and it configures itself for the optimal cycle to clean the parts and recycle the excess resin. This is part of their SpeedCell system where the 3D printer and part washer talk to each other.

Coobx uses a process where they starve their photo resins of oxygen to accelerate curing. Their LIFTCell system automates the printers around a robotic core that can refill resin, store and clean printed parts, depending on its configuration. 3D Systems uses a similar concept that uses a linear setup, in contrast to the LIFTCell’s circular layout. Their Figure 4 demonstrator debuted at last year’s RAPID conference, and at IMTS was highlighted as a part of the company’s strategy to move toward manufacturing — now it’s shipping as Figure 4 production platform. It also automates filling resin, and extracting, cleaning and curing parts. It’s configurable, expandable up to 16 printers.

New trends in FDM printing. [Image: Sarah Goehrke]

Grimm also highlighted some innovations in the world of FDM printing.

is a workgroup solution for printing prototypes quickly. They consist of the Stratasys F170, F270 and Stratasys F370 and they can print in PLA, ABS and ASA, with the 370 adding PC-ABS. We covered 3D Platform’s

. Grimm discussed their Workbench Extreme, which adds an extra half meter to the Workbench’s build area. He also discussed

 new high-flow extruders.

Titan Robotics also has a new pellet extruder. It allows Titan to use a wider range of thermoplastics and cuts material costs. Their Cronus printer has up to 5 printheads that work in tandem to dramatically speed printing and is powered by Autodesk Netfabb’s collaborative multi-head 3D printing technology. Essentium and BASF recently entered into a new partnership. Essentium is adding its FlashFuse electric welding technology, which enhances layer to layer adhesion of 3D printed parts, to BASF’s wide-range of FDM materials.

Grimm then moved on from FDM to the hot topic at RAPID, which was metal 3D printing.

“Now the big, big trend is metal. Still a small segment of the (additive manufacturing) industry based on the number of users, the number of machines, but everybody wants in,” said Grimm.

Metal printing was the hot topic at RAPID. [Image: Sarah Goehrke]

won the

for their work, “Liquid Metal 3D Printing: A Magnetohydrodynamic Approach,” on Vader’s revolutionary MagnetoJet technology. Vader’s process differs from most other metal 3D printing technologies, as it

as opposed to using a metal powder and sintering it. MagnetoJet utilizes standard metal wire, reducing costs. It melts the wire in a crucible and uses an electro-magnetic pulse to fire a single droplet of metal.

Adira is a sheet metal stamping equipment manufacturer and they have come up with a new technology, tile additive manufacturing. They use powder bed fusion in 1′ x 1′ working areas, or tiles, and use an array of 3 tiles in the X axis and Y axis, for a total of 9 tiles to give it a 3′ x 3′ work area. Adira then uses a second process, directed energy deposition (DED), to combine the separate parts through a welding operation, and that machine has a 5′ x 5′ x 5′ build volume.

Markforged is using material extrusion for metal parts. The Metal X prints a thermoplastic that is heavily embedded with metal powder. This creates a green part, that then has to go through a de-binding process to get rid of the thermoplastic and then the piece is run through a furnace to consolidate the final part. Desktop Metal‘s recently introduced DM Studio System and DM Production System were highly anticipated products that attendees of the conference were clamoring to see. The Studio System uses an extrusion process similar to what Markforged is doing with the Metal X, whereas their DM Production System process is binder jet.

“What’s really interesting, and I can’t go into detail is all their secret sauce. They get a support release strategy where right out of the furnace the supports just pull right off of the parts,” said Grimm. “They also have a brand new furnace… that’s microwave enhanced and office compatible.”

There was a ton more news in Grimm’s expansive talk and there will be more of that to come in the next installment of his presentation. Stay tuned for that and much more from RAPID.

For the past two decades, Carina Canoy has worked as a project manager, the person responsible for successfully orchestrating the organization, risk management, and financial responsibilities, and information needs of any particular project. In 2012, while coordinating the production of a necessary plastic component that was an integral part of bringing a project to completion, she suggested to her client that they look to have the part 3D printed. The idea was completely new to her client and was instrumental in ensuring the success of the work they had been doing. It was then that she realized that while 3D printing held enormous potential, many companies simply didn’t understand how it could, or could not, be integrated into their workflow.

Now, Canoy is embarking on a new phase in her professional life as she launches Peer2Tech, a platform for helping other companies understand whether or not 3D printing solutions might be right for them. We recently caught up with Canoy and were able to ask her some questions about what she is doing now and how she got there as part of our series highlighting women working with 3D printing.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your background? Such as where you grew up, what you studied at school, and any interests you had that have helped you to develop your current business model?

“I was born and raised in Amsterdam, my father was a singer/actor. After the pre-university education (Gymnasium) I first worked for 4 years, before starting my studies, as I had no clue what I wanted to be. I thought, maybe an estate agent is something for me, so I started with a BA (Bachelor’s degree) in Management, Economics and Law, including annotation Brokerage/property, Fontys Hogeschool, in Eindhoven. After that I studied Law (part-time), Dutch Law, Major Property Rights, Radboud University, in Nijmegen.

I was a job-hopper in real estate and specialized myself in European tenders (which was very new in 1994). In 1998 I started as an independent worker, which was not normal for a woman, certainly not for a young, blond woman of 30 years old. At that time there were interim managers, 45+, men, grey. One even asked me, what are you doing here? But I was very successful and worked for some days a week for 11 years at Schiphol Airport, all over the company in many roles (project manager, program manager, advisor) in many projects.

In addition, I worked for municipalities as a lawyer for European procurement. In 2008 I set up the Contract management for PPP projects at the Government Building Service (part of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment). I was disappointed that this client didn’t want to invest in capturing and transferring the experience for later projects. Governments don’t share information, especially not the things that have gone wrong. I found it a pity, so I wrote a book, Public Private Partnership Step by Step. I also hoped to become a specialist, sort of ‘Miss PPP’ in the Netherlands. Although that succeeded a bit, there were too little projects in the Netherlands and they were too big to ask an independent like me to become the project manager.”

What exactly does a project manager do?

“A project manager is responsible for time, finance, risks, organization, information of the project with a start and end. She is overall responsible and sends the parties who must carry out the project. So she has to keep parties behind their rags and manage the risks, to make sure the project will be done within time and money.”

And what was it that first attracted your attention to 3D printing?

“In 2012 I was upgrading a department of purchase of an infra company. There I was confronted with issues with a supplier in Italy. We wanted to order extra parts, but there were problems with delivering time, new price. The supplier had problems with raw materials. I asked ‘this is plastic, so why don’t we print it?’At that time people really looked at me as if I came from Mars. I realized that I am a pioneer, several times I have been a bit too far ahead of other people.

On 1st of January 2014 I woke up and knew I wanted to do something with innovation and 3D printing. I built my own 3D printer, an Ultimaker Original, in a workshop with about 10 other people. But it was a lot do it yourself. I started printing all kind of things and also experimented with different materials, like PLA, ABS, woodfill, glow in the dark, PET, flex, bronzefill.

The first steps in 3D printing were amazing. It’s a fancy world, with mostly technical people, but the software was for me like starting with MS DOS. I thought this can be done better, easier and fancier.”

What have you done to build up your expertise in the area of 3D printing for businesses?

“I went to fairs about 3D printing. The first year those more focused on the makers world, later I focused on the industrial world. I talked to people, went to meetups, followed the news and twitter. I also went to suppliers and collected information. I have built a database with this information (which I am still continuing to develop), to make sure what I can offer and what are the possibilities but also what 3D printing is not suitable for. I talked to big companies to see what they had done with 3D printing and what they would like to do with it.”

What is your vision for Peer2Tech both in the immediate and long term?

“I wanted to open an innovation centre, where businesses and students could work on projects together, an initiative to promote innovation by connecting students and businesses and make new techniques more accessible to a wider public. I wanted to offer a platform were people could not only develop their own projects together, but these also could be tested by the public.

My idea was not only about 3D printing, but also about our new way of living. The idea of knowledge sharing regarding the new way of learning and working started with discontent about the rhythm of sitting whole day behind the computer, in a course or in a car and then working out in a cheerless fitness center in the evening. So I placed a treadmill under my computer and walked while typing. When combining these things it felt like a new way of living, working, and learning. Many people are looking for the same, so I wondered why don’t we share the knowledge and experience we have?

I also built a website. On the website you can do a quick scan, whether 3D printing can offer benefits. With Peer2Tech I am offering the guidance of companies in successfully implementing 3D printing in their organization. The process starts with an orientation conversation, a business case, pilot, roll-out and starts or ends with training. I can offer that, because of my knowledge of the 3D print market, a network of professional parties and a wealth of experience with projects in many different organizations. I don’t sell equipment and am therefore independent.

My vision for the long term is to open an innovation centre like I wanted in 2015. I believe that when companies and students of different branches work in the same room, cross-pollination and innovation arise in a natural way.”

What kinds of businesses do you think will benefit most from the services that you will be offering?

“I think 3D printing can be very useful for construction market, tools, obsolete spare parts, renovation, maintenance. After the construction market I want to approach the dental and medical market. The construction market is very conservative. So if there is someone who did some experience with 3D printing, it will often be a one-off gadget. I want to help them to implement it seriously.”

Do you have any advice for other women who are interested in getting more involved in 3D printing?

“I am used to work in a male dominated world. It is useful to be a woman, as I can ask ‘blond’ things and they are willing to tell and explain more to a woman to a man. This is because I am not a threat to them. My advice to other women who are interested in getting more involved in 3D printing is to first orientate very well, before starting and go and talk to fairs, so you will be a seen person.”

Canoy is launching her business this summer and we will be checking back with her in the fall to get an update on how things are unfolding.

If you are interested in sharing your story, or know a woman we should get in touch with for this series, please reach out any time. Send us an email or connect on Twitter. We’re looking forward to sharing more stories about women in 3D printing. Find all the features in this series here.

Jeremy Vos, Sales Director, RP Sales America (left), Dan Terpstra, President, RP Support America

In the West, we don’t necessarily know a great deal about the shape of the Asian 3D printing market; we do know that China in particular has been working on additive manufacturing technology for some time and has a very active industry. Even the most thorough 3D printing analysts, though, cannot agree on an approximation of the number of participants in the Chinese industry as both the most recent Wohlers Report and Sculpteo’s State of 3D Printing note the opacity of that market. How many companies are making 3D printers in China? That may well be anyone’s guess at this point.

Shanghai-based UnionTech came to our attention in November, when the company made its move into the US market working with Iowa-based RP Support America / RP Sales America to bring its high-quality stereolithography technology Stateside via US subsidiary Union Tech. Because seeing is believing, I welcomed the opportunity earlier this month at RAPID + TCT to see a UnionTech 3D printer in person, as well as meet with the teams from both Union Tech and RP Sales to learn more about what sets these offerings apart.

“UnionTech was established in China in 2000, and came to the US in October 2016, due to a change in patents,” RP Support America President Dan Terpstra told me of the company. “The machine is assembled in Shanghai using international parts, including some from Spectra Physics, ScanLabs, and Panasonic, all top-of-the-line components. UnionTech is the industry leader in China, selling a few hundred machines per year.”

Terpstra described their surface quality as “the best at this show”

The SLA technology put to use in Union Tech’s offerings is, the RP Sales team noted, a direct competitor to offerings from industry-leading 3D Systems. Some of the key differences on which Union Tech hangs its hat, though, are in its open source philosophy and the price point of its machines. Union Tech uses open source materials and software, and the systems start at $125K, running up to about $260K.

“It’s competition that fuels innovation,” Terpstra told me with a smile.

Inside the back of the RSPro 600

I spoke as well with Jim Reitz, General Manager of Union Tech, who told me that the company’s value proposition is based on a few key aspects:

1. Cost-effective lifecycle
2. Off-the-shelf robust components and an open design
3. Capable of fine finish

“This is equipment from China, but we don’t have a Chinese machine,” Reitz said as he stood next to the large 3D printer.

Union Tech offers four model sizes for its RSPro Equipment Line:

• Pilot SD
  • Build Envelope: 250 x 250 x 250 mm
  • Accuracy: ±0.025mm
• RSPro 450
  • Envelope: 450 x 450 x 400 mm
  • Accuracy: ±0.1mm
• RSPro 600
  • Envelope: 600 x 600 x 500 mm
  • Accuracy: ±0.1mm
• RSPro 800
  • Build envelope: 800 x 800 x 550 mm
  • Accuracy: ±0.15mm

Jim Reitz, General Manager, Union Tech (left) holding an electroplated part while Dan Terpstra looks on, in front of a 3D printed bridge-inspired footstool

On-site in Pittsburgh, the UnionTech RSPro 600 showcased a robust build and a plethora of 3D printed example builds covering a number of bases. Terpstra and RP Sales’ Jeremy Vos, Sales Director, opened up the back of the machine so I could see inside, where granite adds to the stability and robustness of the system. RSPro 3D printers feature an open back vat to pour resin in.

“SLA has been around a long time; we call this a fresh dimension,” Terpstra said of the systems.

Key applications highlighted at the show included investment casting, ceramic-filled materials, electroplating, and even wiffle balls and fine detail uses along with, of course, prototyping. Vos noted that Materialise Magics software is used to “add to the innovation,” while DSM SOMOS materials highlighted durability and accuracy of builds. One build that drew attention at the show was in keeping with RAPID’s location this year in Pittsburgh, as bridges were in focus, and a large (18″ x 10″ x 10″) footstool with bridge-like structures proved to draw curious visitors to learn more. One that caught my eye, though, was a little electroplated part. Terpstra and Vos promised me that the metal-plated plastic part was strong enough to stand on; so I did.

Unseen but present: small 3D printed plated part under my foot

3D printed plastic parts plated with metal are starting a new trend, offering strength along with light weight and low costs compared to fully metal parts. The part at this booth stood up to my standing on it without a problem (other than my general lack of balance on a small, narrow structure). I’ll be curious to see how this application grows across the board as the year goes on.

Iowa-based RP Sales is the exclusive UnionTech distributor in the US, bringing with it, Vos noted, Midwest values as a Midwest company. RP Sales offers service and support to create enduring relationships with customers. The US-based Union Tech subsidiary, for its part, is based in Illinois.

[Photos: Sarah Goehrke]

In 2014, we were introduced to Sinterit, founded by a group of former Google employees who formed their own 3D printer company. Their first product was the Lisa, an affordable SLS 3D printer that debuted in 2015. The 3D printer and the company have both shown a great deal of promise, with Sinterit bringing in a fresh €1.1 million in funding this year from FIT AG. The appeal is easy to understand – SLS (selective laser sintering) machines have traditionally been industrial-sized and industrial-priced, with costs running well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sinterit Lisa, meanwhile, is a desktop-sized SLS 3D printer that costs around $15,000.

Now the young company is introducing a new product – not a 3D printer this time, but a tool to make SLS 3D printing even easier for consumers. Sinterit has developed a sieve for the Lisa 3D printer that automates the powder sieving process, making it faster, easier and cleaner. It’s also eco-friendly and cost-effective, allowing the user to reuse the powder multiple times.

With dimensions of 338 x 330 x 585 mm, the sieve is a little bit smaller than the 3D printer, and can sieve five liters of powder, greatly reducing the requirement for time-consuming manual work. After the sieving is complete, the device automatically shuts off. Users can also change a mesh in the sieve to optimize it for different powder materials.

Terms like “plug and play” or “user friendly” don’t generally make you think of SLS 3D printing right away, but they fit the Lisa and its accessories, including the sieve, well. The Lisa itself does not require calibration; it’s ready to go as soon as it’s removed from the box. A four-inch touchscreen, built-in camera and WiFi capabilities make operation and monitoring easy, and recently Sinterit added a couple of new features including automatic leveling of the powder surface and automatic setting of the bed height. A few of the Lisa’s specifications, to refresh your memory:

• Dimensions: 65 x 55 x 45 cm
• Weight: 35 kg (77 lbs)
• Build volume: 150 x 200 x 150 mm
• Layer thickness: 0.075 – 0.175 mm
• Print bed: Heated

The Lisa spreads layers of nylon powder and sinters them with a laser. Materials include the finely detailed PA12 Smooth and the flexible, rubberlike Flexa Black. Advantages of SLS 3D printing over FDM or SLA include the ability to produce complex parts with moving components all in one piece, as well as the ability to 3D print without supports. The Lisa makes complicated builds easy, which is in line with Sinterit’s mission to simplify additive manufacturing through their extensive software knowledge.

In addition to the sieve, the Lisa is sold with a sandblaster that cleans excess powder from completed 3D printed objects. The three machines together create an end-to-end system that makes every stage of the SLS process simple, quick and relatively inexpensive. If you’re interested in purchasing the system, you can contact Sinterit directly or find a local reseller here.

Sinterit is based in Krakow, Poland and ships its products all over the world. Though it’s only three years old, the company seems as though it’s been around for longer, racking up an impressive number of awards already in its three years of existence. Sinterit won the formnext Startup Challenge in 2015 and the FabCon 3.D Start-up Award in 2016, while the Lisa was named the “Best New Polish Printer 2015.” The company has stayed busy, creating accessories such as the powder sieve, which allows users to have a full additive manufacturing factory right in their own offices and homes.

For more information, you can contact Sinterit here. Below, you can see a video of the full Sinterit Lisa system, complete with sieve and sandblaster:

VIDEO

GE, well known as a big-name end-user and additive manufacturing innovator, has invested around $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies. The company acquired a 75% stake in Concept Laser and 76.15% of Arcam AB last year, as the company set about moving forward with bold moves in additive manufacturing. It also developed additive applications across six GE businesses, including its dedicated GE Additive branch. In early 2017, GE announced that it would be investing $10 million over the next five years in the GE Additive Education Program (AEP), a two-part educational initiative that’s designed specifically to foster and develop students’ skills to prepare them for the workforce.

Even though 3D printer costs are lower, and the industry has an increased focus on schools and educational 3D printers, the technology is not affordable for a lot of schools. That’s why the AEP’s mission is to provide schools at the primary, secondary, and collegiate levels with 3D printers. $8 million of GE’s investment was designated to provide metal 3D printers to higher education institutions, while $2 million was set aside to give desktop 3D printers to primary and secondary schools. The worldwide response was huge: GE Additive received over 250 applications from colleges and universities, and over 500 applications from primary and secondary schools. A team of GE specialists evaluated each school in order to determine the final selections.

GE Additive has announced that it has chosen more than 400 schools around the world to receive 3D printers as part of the program. As part of its commitment to developing future additive manufacturing talent around the world, GE will be sending a desktop polymer 3D printer package to around 400 primary and secondary schools, and a metal 3D printer to eight universities; globally, this initiative will reach over 180,000 students.

In January, GE stated, “We are looking to support a diverse cross-section of schools, representing a variety of sizes, types and cultures from around the world.”

Primary and secondary schools all over the world, including the US and Canada in North America; Germany, Spain, and the UK in Europe; and China and India in Asia, will have access to the AEP’s 3D printer packages. Each package will include one XYZprinting printer and one Polar 3D printer, both of which are Polar Cloud-enabled polymer printers.

Additionally, the schools will receive Polar 3D’s STEAMtrax curriculum, which comes with a two-year license, six rolls of 3D printing filament, and its “Tinkering with Turbines” module kit, where students will research types of energy and then have the opportunity to design, print, and test a wind turbine model that transforms wind energy into electric energy.

Polar 3D acquired STEAMtrax from 3D Systems back in 2016. The innovative curriculum integrates 3D printing technology and engineering with core academic knowledge in several STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) subject areas. Each lesson uses 3D design, 3D printing, and 3D scanning technology as an important part of the STEAMtrax Engineering Process, and students can participate in relevant learning scenarios that encourage problem solving, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. The curriculum modules offer hands-on learning stations and are available in print or digital platforms.

Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President of GE Additive, said, “Additive manufacturing and 3D printing is revolutionizing the way we think about designing and manufacturing products. We want a pipeline of engineering talent that have additive in their DNA. This education program is our way of supporting that goal.”

In addition to providing the primary and secondary schools with desktop 3D printers as part of the first year of its AEP, GE will be giving eight universities a $250K Concept Laser MLAB Cusing 100R metal 3D printer.

The following schools will receive a Concept Laser metal 3D printer:

• Auburn University
• Boston University
• Iowa State University
• North Carolina State University
• Ohio State University
• University of Cincinnati
• U.S. Naval Academy
• University of New South Wales

GE has been an active supporter of education for over 100 years, focusing on the areas that can improve student outcomes; the company has invested over $225 million to support public education in just the US. By helping educational institutions give students access to 3D printers, the worldwide adoption of additive manufacturing is accelerated. GE Additive will deliver 3D printers to the chosen schools later this year. If your school is interested in the AEP, GE will continue to provide 3D printers to schools over the next four years; the next application window, which will be open during the first quarter of 2018, will be announced on the GE Additive website.