3D Printing News Briefs: July 27, 2018 https://ift.tt/2Lt7XOQ We’ve got plenty of awards and other business news for you today in 3D Printing News Briefs. Sinterit and ViscoTec each received awards for their technology, while Arkema announced that it is opening a 3D Printing Center of Excellence at its Pennsylvania facility. Vectary and Sketchfab are integrating, and Xometry is now offering SLA 3D printing. Finally, OPEN MIND Technologies has introduced its latest hyperMILL CAM software. Sinterit Lisa Receives Award from All3DP Sinterit, one of the fastest growing manufacturers of SLS 3D printers, just received the “Best Desktop SLS 3D Printer Summer 2018” award for its Lisa 3D printer by All3DP. The award shows that the company is moving in the right direction, and confirms that the Lisa is the perfect choice for 3D printing professionals looking to upgrade to SLS technology without breaking the bank. Even better for Sinterit: the award was announced in the final week of a pre-order period for its upgraded Lisa model, which will feature better hardware, bigger 3D prints, and easier maintenance.
ViscoTec Awarded Special Title Two Years Running For the second year in a row, German company ViscoTec, which specializes in pump and dose technology and has 3D printing viscous liquid products for silicone and other materials was awarded the “Bayern’s Best 50” title. For 17 years, the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs has honored the 50 most dynamic, medium-sized companies in Bavaria, and the jury considers criteria such as number of employees, turnover, and social and economic contributions. ViscoTec, and the other 49 winning companies were personally awarded the title, a certificate, and a Bavarian porcelain lion by Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Energy and Technology Franz Josef Pschierer at a recent event in Schleißheim Castle.
Arkema to Open 3D Printing Center of Excellence This Monday, July 30th, speciality chemical and advanced materials developer Arkema will be holding the grand opening for its new 3D Printing Center of Excellence. The center will be located at the Exton, Pennsylvania facility of its Sartomer subsidiary, which designs engineered resins for UV-curable additive manufacturing under its N3xtDimension brand. The 3D Printing Center of Excellence will work to advance 3D printing resins technology and be home to most UV-based 3D printing technologies, such as Digital Light Processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), and HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). It will offer a collaborative space for developing custom resins, and complete the company’s worldwide R&D network, which is dedicated to developing advanced 3D printing materials.
Vectary Integrates Sketchfab Online 3D design tool Vectary is giving its users access to thousands of new 3D models, as it has now integrated Sketchfab, the world’s largest platform for interactive 3D content. Vectary users can connect to the Sketchfab library and import hundreds of thousands of 3D models with one click, as well as export, publish, and even sell their own 3D work on Sketchfab. Vectary CEO Michal Koor, who co-founded the tool in 2014 with Pavol Sovis said, “Easily importing Sketchfab 3D models in the Vectary 3D tool can be a great way to create design concepts and bring more inspiration to their work. Exporting their Vectary models to Sketchfab gets them exposure to a larger audience, which can mean an increased customer base and new income possibilities by selling their work on one of the best 3D marketplaces available.” Xometry Adds SLA 3D Printing to List of Services 3D printing service provider Xometry, has added stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing to the list of 3D printing processes it provides. Versatile SLA technology offers higher resolution 3D printing, which will allow Xometry’s customers to achieve prints with good surface finish and fine detail – perfect for production parts and prototypes. The technology also enables you to print large products and parts and can create complex parts, to meet tolerances of +/- 0.004” or +/- 0.001” per inch, in a single operation. Xometry also offers plenty of SLA-friendly materials, such as the Accura and Somos brands. Try it out today – upload your 3D CAD file to Xometry now to get an instant SLA quote. New Version of hyperMILL CAM Software Released Germany CAD/CAM software solutions develop OPEN MIND Technologies AG has released the latest version of its advanced CAM software, hyperMILL 2018.2, which provides more machining efficiency and several new enhancements and features. 3D Z-level Shape Finishing, available in the hyperCAD -S module, now comes with automatic face extension to automatically extend selected milling surfaces during CAM programming, and can now also support conical barrel cutters. This version also provides a “V sketch” command, which allows users to make easy changes to turning contours and milling boundaries by assigning geometric constraints to 2D contours. Other enhancements to the -S module include being able to measure and record distances between two shapes, like meshes, solids, and face models.
Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 02:45PM
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WWI stamp honors those who served https://ift.tt/2NP1ytT KANSAS CITY — Post Offices across the nation are selling the newest stamps to honor the millions of Americans, both home and abroad, who participated in World War I, considered the seminal conflict of the 20th century. World War I: Turning the Tide Forever stamps were dedicated in a special ceremony today at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/2hH9aDC July 27, 2018 at 12:05PM Cloud-Based Simulation and More Among New Features in Netfabb 2019 https://ift.tt/2mPGhFa Netfabb has been a popular software program even since before it was acquired by Autodesk, and each year it offers more and more features to its users as Autodesk brings out new versions. Recently, Autodesk introduced Netfabb 2019, which has several new features in addition to updates to some of its existing features. The new release focuses on improved productivity and updates the simulation and latticing, two of the software’s most significant features. Simulation is a critical part of the additive manufacturing process, particularly metal additive manufacturing. It saves time and materials by allowing the user to run through a process before running it for real, and to smooth out any issues that the software predicts. Netfabb subscribers beginning at the Premium tier can now take advantage of cloud-based, multi-scale, metal powder bed process simulation.
Netfabb simulation uses a multi-scale modelling approach. Users can input machine parameters and material properties to develop their PRM files, then simulate large, complex parts “with a fully predictive part-scale simulation which captures the complex thermal and mechanical interaction between parts during the build process,” says Autodesk. The cloud credit cost for a PRM file is fixed, but part-scale simulation depends on the complexity of the parts being submitted. In addition, the PRM library has been redesigned to give the user visibility into process parameters. PRM files can now be edited directly from the library. Manual latticing is now available to customers at the Premium tier, and all Netfabb lattice functionality is now available from a single location. Additional updates allow for better productivity, such as:
Netfabb 2019 also includes a new workspace for the DMG Mori Lasertec 30 and features updated Form2 integration, giving the user direct access to Form2 from Netfabb. That’s only a few of the new and updated features that Netfabb 2019 offers – for a full list, you can find out more here. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Source/Images: Autodesk]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 12:01PM Custom 3D Printed CT-Bone Graft Implants Coming to Japan and Europe https://ift.tt/2Ah9RNe We first heard of innovative CT-Bone technology three years ago, when Dutch company Xilloc reached an agreement with Tokyo-based Next21 K.K., the creator of CT-Bone, to bring 3D printable bone into hospitals in Europe. Back in 2001, Next 21 K.K. collaborated with the University of Tokyo and RIKEN on developmental research into the technology, which uses 3D printing to make synthetic bone grafts out of calcium-deficient HA material. Now, after receiving an approval for manufacturing and marketing medical devices from the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), the company is announcing formal approval for a new technology to 3D print synthetic bone grafts, which can both fuse and be assimilated into a patient’s existing bone. There are currently four different types of existing bone grafts for patients with different kinds of bone defects and deformities: Autograft and Allograft (the most common), Synthetic Bone graft, and Xenograft. Custom synthetic graft materials are shaped from a heated and sintered block of material with machine tools, and is hard for natural bone tissue to absorb, which could lead to inflammation. Autograft, which is the foremost transplant method in Japan, requires an additional surgery in order to remove a piece of bone from the patient’s leg or hip, so patients have to go through a second invasive procedure and deal with the potential risks, like damage and infection, from extended exposure. Allograft from a bone bank is the most common in the US and Europe, but as it’s harvested from cadavers, there are potential infectious and ethical conundrums to consider. Additionally, it can be hard to find a cadaver bone that’s the appropriate size and shape to match a patient’s original bone. But, 3D printing makes it possible to reproduce the shape of the original bone with 0.1 mm accuracy, and CT-Bone also uses a curing treatment method to help with recrystallization. This the technology, as Next21 K.K. puts it, “most suitable for molding biomaterial like a bone graft.” CT-Bone does not use a sintering process to increase mechanical strength like other synthetic bones or 3D printed ceramics do, so it actually becomes physiologically activated; this helps the material in the custom implant fuse and assimilate to the patient’s existing bone much more quickly. While most typical bone implants are made from material like titanium or PEEK, or even cut and re-positioned bone from the patient, CT-bone is a 3D printable, calcium phosphate implant that’s actually converted into real bone by the patient’s own body. After a CT-scan, Next21 K.K.’s biomedical engineers work with the surgeons to create a patient-specific implant (PSI), which can incorporate porosity and match the patient’s anatomy perfectly, which helps facilitate bony ingrowth and good bone-to-implant contact. It only takes a few months post-implantation for CT-Bone to unify with the patient’s existing bone. Thanks to a subsidy from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), the company completed a pre-clinical study for CT-Bone, titled “Computed tomographic evaluation of novel custom-made artificial bones, “CT-bone”, applied for maxillofacial reconstruction” and performed with support from the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN). Co-authors include Yuki Kanno from the University of Tokyo, Takashi Nakatsuka with Saitama Medical School, Hideto Saijo, Yuko Fujihara, and Hikita Atsuhiko from the university, Ung-il Chung with the university’s Graduate Schools of Engineering and Medicine, and Tsuyoshi Takato and Kazuto Hoshi with the university.
CT-Bone grafts were implanted into 23 sites on 20 patients with facial bone deformities and then evaluated through the use of CT scans post-op, minimally for one year and then maximally for seven years and three months after transplantation.
Next21 K.K. plans to commercialize CT-bone in the Japanese market, and initiate export to other Asian countries. Having already reached a license agreement with Xilloc for local manufacturing and sales of CT-Bone in the EU, the company will also expand sales to Europe. Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below. [Images provided by Next21 K.K.] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 11:00AM Fashion Designer Creates Both Attractive and Wearable 3D Printed Clothing https://ift.tt/2AhkX4W Often fashion on the runways looks good but is unwearable in a real-life setting, and that goes double for 3D printed fashion. Much of it is stiff and uncomfortable-looking, but some designers are incorporating the technology in a way that is both attractive and wearable. Lingxiao Luo of the Royal College of Art is one of those designers. Her work combines 3D printing with knitted fabric to create brightly colored, unique garments that feature 3D printed details and unusual seams. Luo is pursuing a Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art, but she first learned about 3D printing as an undergraduate at the London College of Fashion. The pieces she saw combined 3D printing with mesh fabric, and she began to think about the possibility of knitted fabric combined with 3D printing. She bought her own 3D printer and set about developing her own techniques for melding the two methods of fabrication. She came up with three different techniques, in fact. The first is to use 3D printed patterns to join two different fabrics together, while the second is to print onto loosely knit nature-fiber fabric and felt the fabric afterwards “so that the contraction during the felting process can change the printed patterns and create 3D structure,” she explains. The third technique involves using a flexible filament to print onto tightly knitted elastic fabric and twist the printed patterns into a 3D structure.
She also says that her designs are “less plastic-like” and “much more wearable” than a lot of other 3D printed fashion, and they can also be easily washed and cared for, as any other clothing. She wants to appeal to consumers with both the aesthetic and user-friendliness of her designs, as well as the customization possibilities.
Luo eventually hopes to work with a 3D printer company to develop fashion-specific 3D printers that can print wearable, consumer-friendly clothing. She plans to start her own business, as well.
So look for Luo’s work in the near future; if you’re interested in trying 3D printed clothing, hers is definitely a good place to start, with its wearability and aesthetic appeal. Some 3D printed fashion looks great, but as a gallery piece – Luo’s is well-suited to both the runway and the closet. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Source: Design News/Images: Royal College of Art]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 10:24AM How to 3D Print PVDF: Settings and Applications for 3D Printing a new FDM material https://ift.tt/2LvtMx9 Some of the most popular polymers in the manufacturing world as a whole are difficult to 3D print. Some, like PEEK and PEKK, have only become accessible for 3D printing recently, as 3D printers have advanced and become more capable of printing at high temperatures. PVDF is a material that is well known in many industries and is now being commercialized for 3D printing by several companies. PVDF is very promising because it doesn’t need a high-temperature 3D printer to print but does open up some very interesting capabilities for 3D printing. We took a deeper dive into the material and interviewed experts at different companies about so that you may be able to see if this material is right for your business. What are the Applications for PVDF? Polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, has been around since the 1960s. Its resistance to nuclear radiation made it a material that could be used in the nuclear industry; it was also used in pulp and paper. Its uses then expanded into tubing and piping for chemical plants, underground fuel containment, offshore oil platforms, and more. Until very recently, PVDF has not been seen in the 3D printing industry, but that’s changing. More than one company is now carrying filament made from Arkema’s Kynar PVDF material and some are rumoured to be working on other PVDF filaments from other suppliers which could include Solvay (Solef), Daikin (Neoflon or Polyflon), Kureha (KF Polymer) or 3M Dyneon. Brian Alexander, the Global Product Application Manager Business Incubation-Additive Manufacturing at Solvay told 3DPrint.com that, “We tailor our materials and develop a specific grade for the AM technology in question. We have a great deal of experience with a variety of Fluoropolymers, including PVDF, for which we are developing an optimised filament for the FFF/FDM process” Nile Polymers, based out of Centerville, Utah, recently began offering what it is calling Fluorinar-H, a Kynar-based filament designed for industrial-grade 3D printing. They have a 100% Kynar grade while other products are blends, including Nile Polymers’ Fluorinar-C PVDF copolymer filament. Other companies offering Kynar-based products are 3DXTech and Convena Polymers. What is special about PVDF? So what’s so special about PVDF, and why is it likely to become a sought-after material for 3D printing? There’s the nuclear resistance factor, which should appeal to the growing number of applications for 3D printing in the nuclear power industry. It’s also highly chemical-resistant, performing well long-term in contact with a wide range of chemicals, including oil, gas, and lubricants, as well as fully halogenated hydrocarbons, alcohols, acids and bases. It’s UV-resistant as well and can be exposed to sunlight for years without losing its mechanical properties. It has excellent material release properties, can be sterilized with gamma rays without loss of tensile strength, and has low smoke and flame characteristics – the base resin is rated V-0. It also has a high continuous use temperature of up to 150ºC. PVDF is non-hygroscopic, meaning that it does not absorb moisture and requires no special drying or storage, unlike materials such as PLA and nylon. It has long-term hydrolytic stability and is food-safe in its pure form. PVDF is well-suited to a wide variety of applications. Due to its high mechanical strength, chemical resistance and low permeability, Kynar is used as a contact surface for the production, storage and transfer of corrosive fluids. It’s also used in mechanical components, fabricated vessels, tanks, pumps, valves, filters, heat exchangers, tower packing, piping systems and more. Its resistance to fire, chemicals, impact and abrasion makes it a good candidate for wires and cables, and it also has a number of applications in electricity and electronics such as protective sheathing, insulation for plenum and communications cables. In the automotive industry, Kynar is used as a barrier liner for fuel line and gas station fuel pumps, in decorative films, as a binder in HEV/EV batteries, as molded and thermoformed body components, and as tank trailer linings for corrosion protection. What are the 3D Printing Applications of PVDF? Those are some of the general applications for PVDF, but what about in 3D printing? As a 3D printing material, pure PVDF is so new that it hasn’t yet proven itself on a widespread basis, but its aforementioned characteristics make it a promising candidate for 3D printed applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, as well as electronics, building materials, and nuclear applications. It may be a good material for prototyping and small volume production especially in things requiring chemical resistance such as industrial valves. 3DPrint.com reached out to the producers of PVDF filament to find out more. Arkema‘s Guillaume de Crevoisier told us that,”filaments, based on Arkema’s Kynar® PVDF, are exceptional because they are stronger and more isotropic than many other extrusion printing materials.” Howard Fisher of Nile Polymers responded to us with some real-life examples of using PVDF in 3D printing:
Volker Kappius of Convena told us, that initial customers for them have been, ” Universities and the Aerospace industry as well as online filament dealers.” Guillaume de Crevoisier, Global Business Director 3D Printing at Arkemamentioned to 3DPrint.com that “ Our customers choose Firewire filaments to print a variety of parts for chemical handling operations, such as fixtures and valve components, as well as fittings that may become exposed to acids, solvents, and other harsh chemicals. Arkema’s Kynar PVDF is widely recognized for its chemical resistance, and our customers find it to be very effective in these applications.” What about PVDF’s Printability? We asked Howard Fisher of Nile Polymers what it was like to work with the material:
Volker Kappius of Convena told 3DPrint.com,
Bart Ebus of reseller 3Dogg told 3DPrint.com that, “The PVDF-C (the copolymer) is very easy to print, on practically any 3D printer. There is almost no warping and large objects are also not a problem. The PVDF-H, on the other hand, is much more difficult to print.” Settings PVDF is not a super-high-temperature material, and the point that it can be printed on most open-material consumer 3D printers is an exciting one. It should be extruded at a temperature of 240-260ºC, where a heated bed at 100ºC can help to prevent warpage. The best print surface is generally thought to be a PEI sheet, with the use of a glue stick (But Howard and Bart Ebus print directly on the glass with a glue stick). PVDF works best when extruded relatively slowly at between 10 and 30 mm/s. Bart Ebus mentioned that his best settings on a Creatbot F160 saw him use a “nozzle temperature of 250ºC, a bed temperature of 100ºC at 20 mm/s with a brim and using Elmers Purple for adhesion. Cost The downside to PVDF filament is that it’s expensive. It’s not the kind of filament that an average maker is going to buy, though, – it’s much more of an industrially-suited type of material. Its excellent properties should make it worth the cost, as well. Nile Polymers sells 500 grammes Fluorinar-H filament in both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm diameters for $100. 3DXtech sell what they claim is an ESD safe PVDF for $170 for 500 grammes. Although we’re not sure what the testing protocol is for that in a filament. Also, it is interesting that they didn’t use Quadrant’s Symalit ESD Safe granulate but apparently they opted for Kynar and then made it ESD safe by compounding it themselves? A regular spool of PVDF costs $130 at 3DXtech for 500 grammes. Both of these are Arkema Kynar based. Covena doesn’t publish prices on their filaments site but they also use the Kynar for filament but also have 3M’s Dyneon PVDF which they sell as regrind and virgin granulate. On 3Dogg a 500-gramme spool of PVDF-H and PVDF-C are 125 Euros. Safety Another important thing to note is that PVDF should also always be used only in an enclosed 3D printer with filters. The PVDF material should never be heated above 350ºC because then it will release toxic fumes such as hydrogen fluoride. The move towards more industrial materials should be accompanied by industrial safety standards as well. Conclusion The development of PVDF as a 3D printing material should open many doors for new 3D printing applications. The fact that it can be 3D printed on an average desktop 3D printer could lead to broad adoption. Industrial firms already used to working with PVDF will welcome this development. The applications that PVDF can be used for are many, and its release as a 3D printing material is another step toward expanding the use of 3D printing for industrial production. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Images: Nile Polymers] Additional reporting by Joris Peels
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 10:06AM Trends & Innovations in Dentistry: Sign Up at the Early Bird Rate through August 17 https://ift.tt/2K1wXHz September is right around the corner — and our three-day showcase, Trends & Innovations in Dentistry and 3D Printing for Dental Materials, starts September 25. In the interactive 3-day online course, you’ll join leaders in the dental industry who will share the latest innovations and trends in digital dentistry. In addition to the live sessions and Q&A, you’ll have access to ongoing discussions through the online classroom. When you sign up today through August 17, you’ll take advantage of our special early bird rate (45 percent savings). We are continuing to confirm speakers to present alongside a roster of thought leaders, including Menno Pot, Senior Application Technology Engineer for Dental 3D Systems, who will present his session, Materials, Dental Markets and the Investment Perspective, on day three of the course. Sign up now through August 17 for Trends & Innovations in Dentistry and 3D Printing for Dental Materials at our early bird rate (45 percent savings). You can also check out our other fall classes, 3D Printing in Metal and 3D Printing with Polymers, starting in September and October, respectively. We’re offering special early bird rates for each class. In addition to savings, early sign ups will get access to advance materials to get started learning right away!
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 27, 2018 at 09:36AM
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Why Invoicing Matters to the Success of Your Small Business https://ift.tt/2v5u7M5 Besides just being the thing that gets you paid, invoicing has benefits that the savviest small business owners are wise to take advantage of. Without the clout of a big business name, you have to stand out wherever you can. When done right, your invoicing practices can help you do just that, speaking volumes about the qualities you want to show as a business.
All too often, invoicing is treated as another annoying administrative task that no one wants to bother with. But, invoicing offers you more paths for success than just getting paid on-time! With Independent Retailer Month winding down, there’s no better time than the present for indie businesses to think about ways to gain momentum all year long. And you can do that by using the power of a well-thought invoice.
From using your invoice as a marketing tool to building meaningful relationships with customers, here are five reasons why proper invoicing is crucial to the success of your small business or startup.
1. Invoicing helps maintain steady cash flow.Invoicing is what keeps the income coming in. And your company’s financial health is measured by that steady flow of cash – steady being the operative word here. Unless you have a boatload of capital just lying around, it’s nearly impossible to keep a small business afloat without a steady stream of income. It’s simple: the more effective your invoicing process, the quicker you’ll get paid. To increase your chances of prompt payment, don’t delay sending out your invoices. It’s easy to push off, but invoicing should be a routine procedure. People generally want to pay for the things they receive – your customer mentally parts with their cash before they actually complete their purchase. Shorten the period between purchase and payment as much as you can. The longer the transactional process, the less eager the customer will be to pay. So don’t drag your feet – steady, consistent invoicing equals steady, consistent cash flow. 2. Invoicing forges meaningful relationships with clients.You can show your customer that you care about them and value their business with your invoice. Seizing this opportunity ensures customer loyalty. Stand out, don’t be generic. You don’t have to build each invoice from scratch – have a format that allows some personalization for each client. If you’re unsure where to start, use free invoicing templates that are relevant to your industry. Your invoice should show your brand’s humanity and reflect your sense of authenticity. Address your point person by name and reference past communications. Your invoice is part of your formal business communications, but there’s no reason it can’t result in a legitimate connection. Customers don’t connect with a faceless business. Luckily, you have a face – show it with your invoice. 3. Invoicing is a branding opportunity.And a free one, at that! An invoice that gets paid without a second glance is good, but an invoice that catches the eye and makes the customer remember why they began doing business with you in the first place is much better. So design it carefully. A carefully crafted invoice is the easiest way to show your company in its best light. You have full control over it, so be deliberate with every choice you make. Small details can make a big difference. Think twice about each design element, as well as the message they send. (Think about logo placement, colors, branding, and any personal notes you want to include on your invoice to lend a human, on-brand touch.) At the very least, your invoice should return a payment. If thoughtfully designed, it can do a lot more. 4. Invoicing encourages repeat business.An invoice commands attention, and we all know the value of attention. Don’t squander it by neglecting to let customers know of upcoming promotions or sales you’re running. It’ll keep your company top-of-mind, while providing a financial incentive to continue doing business with you. Your invoice is going to be seen, so make sure it’s remembered. An easy way to do this is to have your invoice double as a coupon. First-time and repeat customers alike should receive promotional offers embedded into each invoice. Imparting value on the customer’s end is the most effective way to soften the bill at hand while encouraging ongoing business. This might go without saying, but make sure the offers are actually good. Your most vocal advocates, repeat customers are a huge value to a small business. 5. Invoicing establishes your professionalism.It’s important to give the impression that when clients work with you, they don’t have to worry about anything. Especially if you’re a small operation, you have to let them know that you know what you’re doing. Professional, authoritative invoicing can really hammer that home. A sure-fire way to gain professional trust and respect is through clear, honest communication. Your invoice is a great place to set clear expectations – from there, you just have to deliver. Moreover, an invoice is more than a receipt – it’s a comprehensive summary of your agreement. That includes not only the balance due, but also the details and terms of the transaction. You want to lay it all out to leave no room for misunderstanding. A confused client is an unhappy client. Of course, you don’t want to go too far with professional sentiment. The cold touch (or worse, feigned hominess) of big business is never well-received. Shoot straight, but temper your authority with a warm touch.
Plain and simple, invoicing matters.Your invoicing process concludes each transaction you make. If you do it wrong, you run the risk of letting it conclude the whole relationship with what could be a great, long-term client. So keep your cash flow steady, your brand on-point, and your customers happy, connected, and coming back with solid invoicing practices. Did I miss anything? Share your best invoicing advice in the comments below!
For more small business tips, be sure to read: Small Business Marketing: How to Use Email to Build Relationships and Sell More 7 Ways Small Business Can Catch Up Using Marketing Automation 11 Essential Marketing Apps for Small Business Owners The 6 Emails Every Small Business Needs to Send ASAP Online Marketing Growth Tactics for Small Business
Author: Kay Dexter is Sage’s Small Business Product Marketing Strategist and entrepreneur advocate for Sage in Atlanta. Sage is the global market leader for technology that helps businesses of all sizes manage everything from money to people – whether they’re a start-up, scale-up or enterprise. Sage frees business builders from the burden of admin, so they can spend more time doing what they love.
The post Why Invoicing Matters to the Success of Your Small Business appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Online Marketing Tips. Printing via GetResponse Blog – Online Marketing Tips https://ift.tt/1Qs2QKR July 26, 2018 at 04:09PM US Air Force Base in Utah Creating 3D Printed Replacement Parts for F-35 Fighter Jets https://ift.tt/2NKOlT4 The US military has not shied away from implementing modern manufacturing methods such as 3D printing, but has actually embraced the technology. In fact, the US Air Force has used 3D printing for multiple projects, including components for aircraft and fighter jets, such as the F-35. This is what’s known as a next-generation fighter, and the 388th Maintenance Group of the Hill Air Force Base in Utah recently began 3D printing specific replacement parts for the F-35. Base officials are hoping that the technology will help to lower costs and increase availability. Many branches of the military have turned to 3D printing to make replacement parts for those very same reasons.
According to Tech. Sgt. Scott Mathews, assistant manager of the 388th MG’s Air Force Repair and Enhancement Program, early returns are showing that when his shop gets in damaged parts that are able to be reproduced through 3D printing, they are then able to be introduced into the supply chain with greater speed and at lower cost.
One of the first items the team at the 388th MG created was a small-scale replica of the F-35 fighter jet. But now they’ve moved onto 3D printing simple plastic replacement parts, such as cable splitters, fasteners, grommets, housing boxes, and wiring harnesses. Tech. Sgt. Mathews said that many areas of the shop have figured out how to make the 3D printing easier to work with by “getting away from a lot of fancy metals and getting into composites and plastics.” However, the technology is still young in the shop at Hill AFB, and the unit’s airmen are using trial and error to refine things, including using computer software to make their own in-house designs. There are even signs that they could manufacture more complex parts out of stronger materials in-house one day.
The first two F-35 fighter jets arrived at Hill AFB in September of 2015. But, by the end of 2019, there will be three whole fighter squadrons, made up of a total of 78 jets, on the base. The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and the reserve 419th both fly and maintain the jets, while the Ogden Air Logistics Complex on base performs maintenance on all of the F-35s. Hopefully, 3D printing can soon be used to help with all of this maintenance.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. [Source: Standard Examiner] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com July 26, 2018 at 04:00PM Birds in Winter Nest on Postage https://ift.tt/2AdGT0D New U.S. Postal Service Stamps to be Dedicated in Vermont Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/2hH9aDC July 26, 2018 at 03:01PM |
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