Wolfmet 3D 3D Prints 100% Tungsten Using SLM Showcases Its Products at TCT Birmingham 20189/25/2018
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Wolfmet 3D 3D Prints 100% Tungsten Using SLM Showcases Its Products at TCT Birmingham 2018 https://ift.tt/2xMjO0U Wolfmet 3D is the commercialization of 3D Printing methods developed at M&I Metals to 3D print tungsten. The company is a service bureau that makes tungsten 3D printed components for industry. Tungsten is not completely new to 3D printing with us having written about a study looking into the parameters of 3D printed tungsten and looking at Philips subsidiary Smit Rontgen 3D printing tungsten. Now, Wolfmet 3D will try to conquer the world with this very special very dense material that for our industry is very exotic. To introduce their product the Wolfmet3D team is exhibiting at the TCT show in Birmingham and we interviewed them about 3D printing tungsten. Curious about them? Check them out at stand G41. What is Wolfmet 3D?
What are the applications for 3D printed tungsten?
Tungsten is a very heavy metal. We almost always think about lightweighting things using 3D printing. But your material is used to make things heavier?
What do you see as future applications for 3D printing tungsten?
How is tungsten used in vibration damping?
Why does one want to 3D print a collimator?
What is the DEPICT system?
Do you see many more applications in MRI or imaging generally?
Are imaging apertures also a good application for your technology? “In principle, yes, if the design is complex, as is increasingly the case.” Isn’t shrinkage a huge problem with tungsten?
What kind of part properties can you get with this material?
What kind of alloys are available?
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 25, 2018 at 03:42AM
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Minifactory Releases the Minifactory Ultra High Temperature Printer for PEEK and PEI at the TCT Show9/25/2018
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Minifactory Releases the Minifactory Ultra High Temperature Printer for PEEK and PEI at the TCT Show https://ift.tt/2IcVYA5 Fins have this concept called Sisu. Sisu is a kind of hail mary pass, fatalistic almost, belief in one’s own toughness, resilience and survivability in the face of adversity. It’s kind of a gritty gumption with a side of never give up. Its this inner strength that shines through in what Minifactory does. Minifactory is a small but dedicated team of 3D printer builders in Finland. They’ve got Susi in spades. Often confused with MyMinifactory this one is not a download site but a builder of some of the world’s best high-temperature printers. The team is now releasing the Minifactory Ultra. The Ultra is a new high-temperature 3D printer optimized for PEEK, PEI, PEKK and other ultra-high-performance materials.
The 100 x 80 x 100cm printer is a proper industrial device that displays good build quality. The parts that come off of it are very high quality. It is extremely difficult to 3D print PEEK. The material is difficult to process and one can get lots of issues with trying to obtain crystallization and build a part. Many 3D printers essentially ‘wick’ heat with a lot of heat flowing out of the chamber during builds. Operators and OEMs solve this by raising the nozzle temperature higher and higher. This is akin to you putting your oven on high in order to try to heat your house. Therefore many PEEK parts fail due to the temperature being too high or there being insufficient thermal control over the chamber. By focusing on good thermal management and thermal control Minifactory seems to have solved many of the issues affecting PEEK prints. Another issue is that incomplete or improper crystallization can lead to poor part performance. This they seem to be actively trying to solve. By optimizing the machine so that it can anneal on the machine itself users can bake their parts after printing to improve the results. This removes a handling step and would be easier for operators but at the same time is not super optimal in machine utilization. The fact that they’re focussing on this though means that they understand the needs of their customers. Annealing itself is a controlled heating of the part so that stress is relieved this then can combat warping, dimensional issues and improve physical properties of parts. Sales and marketing director Olli Pihlajamäki told us
Only a few years ago high-temperature desktop 3D printers didn’t exist. Now there is an expanding and growing market of credible working machines that are being used to test and make parts in some of the most high-performance materials in the polymer world. The potential market for these things is huge with many companies turning to these materials to replace metal, lightweight things and make implants. I personally believe that these kinds of systems are the future. A system that is accurate and has good thermal control and management will print any material well. Carbon filter, servos, linear guides and annealing are all features that I want on my home machine too. $45,000 is far away from the RepRap kits we started with but it’s not a lot of money if it prints high-performance parts reliably for business users. The Minifactory Ultra is available now at minifactory.fi and if you’re in Birmingham for TCT, then they’re at J18. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 25, 2018 at 03:35AM
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A WHOLE NEW WORLD https://ift.tt/2Occ6qQ Characterised by the phrase ‘Sometimes nice, sometimes uncomfortable’, Corrado Dalcò’s new fanzine titled A WHOLE NEW WORLD (produced by Aalphabet) is ruffling some feathers with its new limited edition 28 page publication for the IV edition of #DIYNIGHT. Corrado Dalcò is an Italian born photographer who found his fame in London, Barcelona and Berlin. His work integrates abstraction and the tangible world with the female nude as the main theme, showing his interest in sensations perceived and unobserved during the sexual act. A WHOLE NEW WORLD represents “love with a delicate, mysterious and very close air” and we were able to get an extract from Dalcò hearing about his experience with creating his lovely piece of print: “The more the subject is real, strong in their presence and often with a direct look, the more the photo is erotic for me. I worked a lot on the set to have a feeling of the centrality of the woman, as a person before as a subject, and the relationship that is established between the person who photographs and the person who is photographed. The title came to my mind as I flipped through the book. It immediately gave me the impression that it was something constantly changing, new, or what I would like people to see without seeing a naked girl in a succession of forms in the constant struggle between realism and fiction”. Featured within its pages, the sweeping curves and beautiful shapes of the female figures captured by Dalcò are wondrous to see. Althouh may (arguably) shock a viewer at first you begin to notice every detail of the human body as you study the shapes and angles, which perhaps resulting in promoting a more understanding and positive persepctive on female body image. 25 photographs www.behance.net/corradodalco Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 September 25, 2018 at 03:07AM
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Freshfiber Offers Stylish 3D Printed Bands for the Apple Watch https://ift.tt/2MZsgPU Amsterdam-based company Freshfiber was an early promoter of 3D printing, selling fully 3D printed products in its stores back in 2009 when most people still hadn’t even heard of the technology. At that time, smartphones were only starting to become ubiquitous, but Freshfiber saw an opportunity and took it, offering 3D printed phone cases that it described as sculptural works of art. As soon as Apple announced the development of its smart Apple Watch, Freshfiber was ready to meet a new demand – 3D printed watch bands. Now Freshfiber is introducing a new collection of bands for the Apple Watch. There are three designs: the Pulse, the Obsidian and the Aurora. Here is how Freshfiber describes each design:
Freshfiber describes the structure of each of the bands as “a flat strip of material helix coiled into a flattened spiral,” each made from semi-rigid nylon material and wrapped into a helical spring. The bands are both flexible and sturdy and will return to their original shape if stretched or twisted. They come in a total of five sizes, compatible with 38mm/40mm and 42mm/44mm Apple Watch Series 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each band has a printed clasp that is easily interchangeable so that the bands can be quickly swapped out if desired. The closure is hidden and integrated with the Freshfiber logo, and it has a novel press-and-release function that enables the watch to fit snugly around the wrist. Both ends of the watch band merge seamlessly together, without the closure disrupting the decorative elements. The bands are lightweight and have a pleasant feel on the wrist, according to Freshfiber. In addition to the different designs, the watch bands are available in five different colors: black, gray, brown, red and blue, so if you’ve got some money to spare, you can get a whole collection of different bands, to match each outfit or situation. Each model costs €37.15. The designs were created by Matthijs Kok, Creative Director of Freshfiber. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below. [Images: Freshfiber]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 04:03PM
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Additive Works to Present Latest Version of Amphyon Software at Formnext 2018 https://ift.tt/2N0u0rU German company Additive Works has spent a great deal of time perfecting its Amphyon software, a simulation tool for powder bed-based, laser beam melting 3D printing that allows users to run through the additive manufacturing process before doing it for real. The simulation enables users to see and address any problems that may arise, making it possible to achieve a perfect part on the first try. At formnext, which is taking place in Frankfurt from November 13th to 16th, Additive Works will be presenting the newest version of Amphyon. The new Amphyon release includes a support structure module that automatically generates necessary supports, making sure that critical values are not exceeded and that the desired shape of the part will be achieved. The automatic creation of the support geometry means that less post-processing is required and that the 3D printing process is stable and smooth. It saves material and reduces calculation time and development costs. Another new feature in the latest version of Amphyon is adaptive meshing, which allows for the calculation of larger and more complex components and the possibility of exporting layer data. This will save time when developing models and create an improved workflow, integrating the support module and an improved connectivity to machines.
Formnext will feature more than 500 exhibitors and is expecting over 20,000 visitors from around the world. Focused on the latest developments in additive manufacturing, the event will give attendees a fresh idea of how the technology can be used in serial production. At the Additive Works booth, visitors can get a look at the new version of Amphyon and see live demos. Experts from the company will be on hand to talk about the new features and capabilities of the software, and to answer any questions about additive manufacturing. If you’ll be attending formnext, you can stop by and visit Additive Works at Booth #3.1-G51. 3DPrint.com will be in attendance at the event as well. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 01:57PM
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DS Doll Presents Prototype of 3D Printed Sex Robot https://ift.tt/2DqnqLP Robots are capable of doing all sorts of amazing things. Tiny micro-robots may be able to perform tasks like personalized drug delivery, while giant robots are being used to build houses. Robots are being used underwater and in outer space. People are becoming used to the idea of living and working alongside robots as they become more and more a part of our everyday lives. Humanoid robots are being developed as well, and while most of them possess some level of creepiness, the new 3D printed sex robot from DS Doll is a new level of disturbing.
In a video put out by the Chinese company, a prototype of the doll, which features a mechanical-looking skeleton and a human-looking head, seems to “wake up,” shaking itself alert and then moving somewhat jerkily. It has rather malevolent-looking eyes, not exactly what you’d want to find yourself gazing into in the middle of the night, at least in my opinion. But this robot isn’t just for sex purposes, according to DS Doll’s Chief Development Office Qiao Wu.
The fear of robots replacing humans is a legitimate one, especially when you consider having humanoid robots working in the service industry. How many people will be put out of jobs if we have pretty robots taking our dinner orders, greeting us at front desks, etc.? Most of us have already experienced the frustration of being unable to get a human being on the other end of the line when calling about our electric bills and credit cards and such. What happens when we take human interaction out of our typical face-to-face encounters, like dining and visiting the doctor? Robotics and 3D printing have been evolving alongside each other, and as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, 3D printing materials have become more advanced as well, allowing us to create medical models that look and feel like real skin and organs – some that even bleed. Creating full-body robots that look and feel incredibly human is not so far-fetched. Why is that a problem? It depends on how you look at it, but in addition to the potential for taking away jobs from people in the service industry, the very idea of a realistic sex robot is unsettling. One could argue that people have been using artificial means for achieving sexual pleasure for ages, and that’s true – but there’s no intimacy in a typical sex toy. A robot that feels like a human, and that can respond and whisper sweet nothings, comes close to replacing the human element of sexual intimacy – or at least that’s the idea. One could argue that if this kind of companionshipmakes people happy, there’s no harm in it – but there’s plenty of reason to be cautious about how much we blur the lines between humans and robots, and not just the danger that robots could become more intelligent that us and eventually destroy us all, as Stephen Hawking famously said. How much necessary human interaction can we replace with machines before we start to lose some of our own humanity? DS Doll, with its new prototype, is aiming to create the world’s first commercially viable 3D printed sex robot – but with the way technology is progressing, it almost certainly won’t be the last. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 01:21PM
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Filaments.ca Releases True Food Safe Filament https://ift.tt/2DsNTZe Filaments.ca is a Canadian supplier of 3D printing materials. Started by polymer specialists who saw an opportunity to make high-quality filaments available in Canada, the company now serves an international market. It produces filaments made with 100% virgin plastic with tolerances of +/-0.05mm on and +/-0.01mm ovality. By manufacturing themselves and selling directly they are able to keep costs low without sacrificing quality. The team is now turning to innovation and process control to introduce the next generation of filaments. The True FS line of filaments is the first true food safe filament in the world. Other filament manufacturers have mentioned that the plastic may be food safe but only Filaments.ca has ensured that their entire manufacturing process results in a food safe filament. What does this mean for 3D printer operators? Right now you can purchase True FS PLA from Filaments.ca. According to Founder Ron Rivkind, “This product will be different than other PLA filaments on the market that claim to be food safe as ours was specifically manufactured from the very start with food safety as a key production component.” By following the pharmaceutical industry manufacturing standard GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) the company is able to ensure that each and every batch conforms and is safe. The company adheres to a number of steps in order to maintain and verify the food safety of its products
The sum total of this effort results in a true food safe filament. The company does want to point out that, “A customer should keep in mind though, that while we can guarantee the material leaving our warehouse is completely food safe, there are other risks that are beyond our control; such as the cleanliness of the 3D printer being used, the composition of the printer components such as brass nozzles and the fact that the spacing between layer lines can potentially harbor contaminants if not thoroughly cleaned/sanitized.” The True FS Filament will be available in 18 different colors. They are: WATER NATURAL, BLACK LICORICE,EGGSHELL WHITE, BERRY BLUE,BLUE RAZ,WATERMELON RED,SEA TEAL, PINEAPPLE YELLOW, SILVER PLATTER, EGGPLANT PURPLE, STRAWBERRY RED, TANGERINE ORANGE, PINK DRAGONFRUIT, CHOCOLATE BROWN, CHARCOAL GREY, GREEN APPLE, LACINATO GREEN and MULBERRY PURPLE. These funky and fun colors will be available in both 1.75mm and 2.85mm diameter. A 750-gram roll will cost $44.95. True FS Filaments will let users make food safe 3D printed products. Companies can make molds for chocolate, sweets and other food. Think of a special 3D printed mold for mash potatoes in tree shapes for Christmas for example. Or a cookie cutter could mean that this coffee shop has cookies for every major holiday or event. Bakeries and food service companies can make tools, machine parts and toppers with this filament. By making PLA safe for food use Filaments.ca has expanded what chefs, food service professionals, bakeries and you can make using 3D printing. What’s more, the company will have a PETG variant on the market in a few months.
Head over to the page to learn more. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 01:09PM
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Airbus Helicopters Beginning Serial Production of 3D Printed Door Latch Shafts for A350 Passenger Aircraft https://ift.tt/2MZpiej Helicopters can perform tasks that other aircraft are not able to, with applications in fields such as construction, law enforcement, military, tourism, and transportation. 3D printing parts and components for helicopters, such as pump brackets and turbine nozzles, will allow them to be manufactured at lower costs and be more easily operated by pilots. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has often used 3D printing to fabricate aircraft parts, and its helicopter manufacturing division, Airbus Helicopters, has definitely followed suit over the years, using the technology to manufacture components like windshield wipers and camera mount extensions. Now, Airbus Helicopters is getting ready to begin serial production of 3D printed door components for its A350 passenger aircraft. The Airbus facility in Donauwörth, Germany, is currently qualifying the 3D printing production of titanium door latch shafts for the long-haul aircraft, and serial production is scheduled to begin in early 2019. The first A350 aircraft containing the 3D printed components, with serial number 420, should be flying the friendly skies in 2020. The company is using an EOS M400-4 3D printer to manufacture the latch shafts out of titanium powder. By using four laser beams to melt the powder before the components are built up, it’s possible to make them from far less material, which makes the part more lightweight but still as strong as the original latch shaft component.
Once the current titanium latch shaft was successfully redesigned, things really got moving. Thanks to the redesign and the new production process, according to FlightGlobal, Airbus says that this new move represents its “first large-scale production of metallic 3D-printed components.”
In a single 3D printing process, Airbus can produce up to 28 latch shafts on the M400-4. 3D printing has also allowed the company to make the part 45% more lightweight than the original. Because each A350 has a total of 16 latch shafts, 3D printing the parts has translated to a roughly four kg weight reduction per aircraft. In addition, Airbus has also achieved a 25% production cost reduction. All in all, the company can now offer more economical and environmentally friendly aircraft – all thanks to 3D printing. Once its new metallic 3D printing production is fully operational, Airbus Helicopters plans to deliver 2,200 components a year. Preparations have also begun to 3D print more A350 door components, and the company also plans to use the technology to make helicopter components for its rotorcraft. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
[Images: Christian D. Keller, Airbus Helicopters]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 01:03PM
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Dog Recovering After Groundbreaking Surgery to Implant 3D Printed Skull Cap https://ift.tt/2NytE0Q Patches is a nine-year-old dachshund who, for years, had a small and apparently harmless bump on her head. Recently, however, that bump began growing until it became the size of an orange, and turned out to be cancerous. Patches’ owner was referred by her veterinarian to Cornell University‘s veterinary program, which in turn pointed her toward Michelle Oblak, a veterinary surgical oncologist with the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. Oblak had been studying the use of 3D printing technology for dogs. Patches’ tumor had grown right through her skull; normally for a case like hers the tumor and part of the skull would be removed, and then a titanium mesh would be fitted in place. According to Oblak, the procedure is imprecise, costly and lengthy. However, Patches, who needed about 70 percent of her skull removed and replaced, was a perfect candidate for a new procedure, in which a custom titanium skull cap is 3D printed. According to Oblak, veterinarians in the United Kingdom had performed a similar procedure, though on a much smaller scale. Patches’ owner, Danielle Dymeck, was nervous about the prospect, but decided to go ahead with the procedure.
Oblak and her team started by taking a CT scan of Patches’ head, then used several different software programs to digitally cut out the tumor and diseased parts of the skull from the CT image. They then designed the 3D printed replacement, complete with holes for screws to hold it in place, and sent the design to ADEISS, a London, Ontario-based medical 3D printing company, which 3D printed a custom titanium skull cap. It took about two hours to design the skull cap and send it to ADEISS, and the final print was ready in about two weeks. Oblak also created a cutting guide to follow during the surgery.
On March 23, the surgery on Patches was carried out. Veterinarians removed the tumor and the affected parts of the dog’s skull, then carefully replaced them with the 3D printed skull cap. The entire procedure took about four hours, and within 30 minutes after waking up, Patches was taking a walk outside. Oblak hopes to have the details of the procedure, which she believes is the first of its kind in North America, published in the upcoming months. A similar case was treated in Texas earlier this year, but a titanium mesh was used rather than a full skull cap, and tragically, the dog passed away from complications after the surgery. Patches, on the other hand, is doing well, despite the fact that in a separate incident a week after the surgery, she suffered a slipped disk that paralyzed her hind legs. She is in good spirits, however, and otherwise healthy and cancer-free.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Source/Images: The Province]
Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 09:48AM Dyze Design to Introduce Its New Pro Series Extruder and Hotend at the TCT Show https://ift.tt/2IbtkiQ Montreal-based company Dyze Design has been in the 3D printing industry since 2015 developing and manufacturing cutting-edge high performance, reliable, and innovative extrusion systems and 3D printers components. As of today, many 3D printer manufacturers have chosen their hotends, extruders, and nozzles as OEM parts for their industrial or high-end printers. The Canadian company is known for its DyzeXtruder-GT, a lightweight high performance and high pushing force 3D printer extruder, and for its DyzEnd-X hotend, a fast print, fast heating and high temperature hot end that enables precise readings up to 500°C. As a result, you can use any thermoplastics with the DyzEnd-X and DyzeXtruder-GT combo. However, in the last few years, Dyze’s crusade to achieve the highest performance in terms of 3D printing quality did not stop there. The company will be presenting its new Pro Series at this year’s TCT Show, which is taking place from September 25th to 27th in Birmingham, England. The Pro Series, which includes the DyzEnd Pro hotend and the DyzeXtruder Pro extruder, boasts increased performance compared to its predecessors.
The DyzEnd Pro has a really small form factor making it one of the smallest hotends on the market. It is designed with a new high temperature heat block, a new ceramic coated transition tube, vibration dampening feature, reinforced sealing properties, and smaller vibration resistant connectors that are better suited for 3D printers in closed environment. Moreover, the DyzEnd Pro comes equipped with Dyze Design’s new ultra wear resistance tungsten carbide nozzle, which was launched last year on Kickstarter. The high thermal performance of the tungsten carbide keeps the nozzle tip hot, thus allowing faster printing speed without sacrificing the quality. Tungsten carbide has exceptional wear resistance due to its high hardness. As for the DyzeXtruder Pro, the all-metal extruder is very lightweight (around 300g) and also has one of the smallest form factors on the market: it is not larger than the NEMA 17 it uses, making it very space efficient on a multiple extruder configuration. Besides, the extruder is stronger than ever. With the improved teeth and new bearings types, the DyzeXtruder Pro is able to push as much as 10 kg (22 pounds) of force. This is more than necessary for all 3D printing applications. Finally, the new backblock has cooling fins for increased heat spreading in room environments. and the DyzeXtruder Pro comes with a connector and a cable for its motor so you can easily maintain it. Here are some of the DyzEnd Pro and DyzeXtruder Pro’s main features. DyzEnd Pro
DyzeXtruder Pro
The Pro Series is now on pre-order sale directly on Dyze Design’s website and will be officially released in early November. Typhoon: a new prototype to also be showcased by Dyze Design during TCTDuring TCT this week, Dyze Design will not only be presenting its Pro Series, but also a new prototype, the Typhoon, that should be released later in 2019. Typhoon is described as a high flow all-in-one extrusion system specifically designed for industrial large-scale 3d printers. This product will include a pressure sensor and filament monitoring directly on the product. It will be compatible with standard firmware and will be capable of outputting a flow around 200mm³/s ( Dyze hotend can output around 25mm³/s ). If you’ll be attending the TCT Show this week, you can visit Dyze Design at booth F16, Hall 3 and learn more about these new products. You can check out their website here. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 24, 2018 at 07:45AM |
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