San-Francisco-based 3DPrinterOS, specialists in cloud-additive manufacturing management software, has just appointed Michelle Bockman as Chief Executive Officer as part of its strategy to grow in the enterprise customer space.

Michelle Bockman, CEO of 3DPrinterOS

Bockman brings highly relevant experience in the enterprise sector, an area 3DPrinterOS is very much looking to further expand into. This includes her time at GE, as Executive Vice President at GE Digital, and most recently at HP, where she served as General Manager and Global Head of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing for Automotive & High-Value Applications. 3DPrint.com had interviewed her when she had joined HP as Global Head of 3D Printing Commercial Expansion & Development, to help drive global expansion and partnerships for HP’s MJF industrial 3D printing solutions. At GE Digital, she left having established a $15 billion software-drive business for large industrial customers.

“We are pleased to welcome a talented, driven leader with exceptional industry experience who has a holistic understanding of the complexities, and security challenges that product managers and manufacturing executives face” said John Dogru, President, Chief Architect, and Founder of 3DPrinterOS.

At HP, she had a “broad responsibility to expand the overall 3D printing market for HP in partnership with our foundational customers, strategic partners, and materials ecosystem, and drive the development of new digital services for the 3D printing business. It means going beyond creating customer experience to being hyper-focused on customer success and all the steps needed to get there. Part of this effort was strengthening partnerships with key enterprise customers such as BMW, Jabil, Johnson & Johnson, and Nike.”

3DPrinterOS sees Bockman as a leader who brings “a wealth of experience in the enterprise 3D printing industry, she is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges that customers face. Bockman is an executive leader whose experience spans the entire ecosystem of additive manufacturing, including supply chains, software platform development, and assessment of feasibility, applications, and product marketing.”

Commenting on her new role as CEO, Bockman, also a great example of leading women in the 3D printing industry, said, “With our game-changing platform, there is an opportunity to transform the way enterprise manufacturers do business,” said Bockman. “Our platform is primed to shake up the industry as it provides the essential missing link for mass adoption of digital manufacturing. We can reduce the time from prototype to market, while also ensuring the highest security levels for end-to-end encrypted 3D printing workflows that protect intellectual property.”

Cloud-based 3DPrinterOS platform                          (Image courtesy of 3DPrinterOS)

3DPrinterOS was founded in 2014 in Estonia by John Dogru and now-CTO Anton Vedeshin, to provide a single platform to connect and track multiple 3D printing manufacturing technologies in real-time—bringing much needed efficiency and scale for printer farms. With a focus on cloud-based one-click printer and order management, the platform-agnostic software also provides storage, licensing and security for design to production to distribution 3D printing workflows.

The platform has developed beyond a workflow management tool to control, monitor, and audit the widest range of 3D printers, and traditional manufacturing platforms (CNC machines, laser cutters, industrial robotic arms), in the market. The platform allows for integration with other third party design or manufacturing software, is hosted on Azure cloud (and compatible with Amazon AWS and Google Cloud) and the company has partnered with Microsoft to provide IT-compliant software bundled for all Azure cloud users, particularly existing enterprise customers which include 14% of all institutions and 90% of Fortune 500 companies.

The problem 3DPrinterOS is solving for enterprises, government and educational institutions        (Image courtesy of 3DPrinterOS)

Early on, due to the perception in the industry regarding FDM printers and associated printer farms, 3DPrinterOS found universities and educational institutions as customers willing to try the product and help drive early stage development. One of their most prominent early customers is Duke University that started with 10 printers, 10 students and 3D printing operators. Today, the university boasts over 6000 students and over 150 printers all managed on the 3DPrinterOS platform, which has encouraged nearly one of every two Duke students to 3D print at least once. The company’s platform now has over 20,000 university students from MIT, Harvard, Purdue, Berkeley and Yale. Interestingly, the company compares its early stage development at universities as akin to that of Apple and Microsoft, when industrial mainframes were preferred over personal computer systems for enterprise customers from Sun Microsystems or Cray – or even Honda’s early beginnings in selling moped’s to students.

In the enterprise space, OEM’s struggle to build integrated, flexible, operating systems, focusing more on highly specific machines and enterprise environments than platform or industry agnostic solutions. In fact, 3DPrinterOS’s break into the enterprise space came primarily because Bosch decided to drop collaboration with Autodesk in developing the Dremel 3D printers, as the latter chose to merge its Spark platform into Forge. Bosch, needing a cloud solution for its Dremel platform, reached out to 3DPrinterOS and became its first major enterprise customer. Now, 3DPrinterOS’s customer’s include Google, Microsoft, John Deere, NASA, and governmental defence agencies, and through its partnership with Slant3D, also includes Amazon, Haddington Dynamics and Nickelodeon.

“We have given direct 3d print access to over 100,000 users on college campuses and saw a 70X utilization rate increase with 3DPrinterOS vs. the industry standard. Now we will give the same access to every enterprise in the world to enable their 1000’s of engineers to direct print without any other human interaction with the machine.  Ultimately we wish to give access to over a Billion people in the world.”  John Dogru Chief Architect Founder 3DPrinterOS

The company sees its platform as the missing piece in accelerating large-scale enterprise adoption of 3D printing and related-technologies, explaining that it is “an advanced manufacturing operating system software solution for enterprise organizations. Much like how the operating systems for the personal computer and smartphone allowed for many hardware and software manufacturers to accelerate adoption of the technology, and revolutionize the information age, 3DPrinterOS is aiming to revolutionize the digital manufacturing age. The operating system for manufacturing is the missing link for the industry to achieve mass adoption.”

In January this year, the company partnered with Florida-based MilleBot to provide the software platform connecting via 5G the latter’s container-based mobile 3D printing systems for production at scale. Previously, 3DPrinterOS had also partnered with Robo in education, and Kodak for their 3D portrait printer.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, 3D printing has been making major headlines, whether the technology is being used to make PPE, ventilators, and nasal swabs, or researchers are trying to come up with a vaccine…or a test.

The latter is what a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) have been working on, using the patented Aerosol Jet process by Optomec to create a novel, inexpensive sensor that takes about ten second to identify COVID-19 antibodies. The team’s sensitive test is said to be the fastest known COVID-19 antibody test available, and it’s all due to an electrochemical reaction and 3D printing.

Rahul Panat at the 3D aerosol jet printer.

Rahul Panat, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CMU, researches different AM techniques for producing biosensing devices and human-computer interfaces, and led the team that developed the sensor. He worked with Shou-Jiang Gao, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh and leader of the Cancer Virology Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Azahar Ali, a postdoctoral researcher in Panat’s Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Lab, was the lead author of the study the team completed, which is currently waiting for peer review.

Panat explained, “We’re sharing these results at the time of preprint and prior to peer review because of the significant, potential impact on public health.”

The additional authors of the study were Chunshan Hu, Sanjida Jahan, Bin Yuan, and Mohammad Sadeq Saleh from CMU, and UPMC’s Enguo Ju.

Carnegie Mellon Researchers Azahar Ali and Rahul Panat.

“My research team was working on 3D printed high-performance sensors to detect dopamine, a chemical in the brain, when we realized that we could adapt our work for COVID-19 testing,” Panat said. “We shifted our research to apply our expertise to combatting this devastating pandemic. The Aerosol Jet process was critical to producing a sensor with high sensitivity and speed.”

Aerosol Jet printed gold micropillars

Aerosol jetting can print both conductive and non-conductive materials that are very precise, with features as fine as ten microns, which is why it’s a perfect technology for an efficient testing device that requires repeatable accuracy. To make the COVID-19 antibody sensor, tiny inexpensive, gold micropillar electrodes are 3D printed at the nanoscale out of aerosol droplets. The droplets are thermally sintered together at high speeds to form an irregular, rough surface, building up a matrix structure of 100 micropillars in 2 mm squares.

The sintering causes an enhanced electrochemical reaction, which causes antibodies to bind to the antigens, using reduced graphene oxide, that coat the gold electrodes.

Antibodies stick to antigens on the 3D printed electrodes that are coated with reduced graphene oxide.

The surface characteristics and specific geometry of the 3D printed structure are what allow the gold micropillars to load more proteins, giving clinicians the ability to accurately detect, in just seconds, if two of the antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the novel coronavirus are present, even at very low concentrations.

To administer the test, only a very small drop of blood is needed from a person’s fingertip to determine if the spike S1 protein and receptor binding domain (RBD) are present. Detection comes from the electrochemical reaction within the 3D printed, handheld sensor device, which can interface with a smartphone to send the results of the blood draw. If thoughts of false-positives from rapid tests are filling your brain, the researchers explained that their test has a very low error rate, because the binding reaction between the antigen in the 3D printed microfluidic device and the COVID-19 antibodies is “highly selective.”

The 3D printed sensing device is about the size of a quarter.

Additionally, it takes less than a minute to clean, or regenerate, the sensing platform with a special chemistry the team discovered that makes it possible to get several successive readings off of the same device. Obviously, an accurate and quick antibody test like this 3D printed one could be a very big deal in terms of pandemic control, and it doesn’t hurt that the device, which already has a provisional patent, costs very little to make as well.

CMU researchers are now starting to focus on whether or not the platform could also detect the active COVID-19 virus, and not just its antibodies.

An interface with a mobile phone provides the results of the antibody test.

Panat even said, “This sensing platform can also be used to detect other infectious diseases, potentially affecting the course of pandemics.”

Some of these other viruses, according to the research team, include HIV, Ebola, and Zika.

(Photos courtesy of College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University)

Dutch chemical company Royal DSM has announced that it will be partnering with Nedcam, a spin-off company from the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN), to add capacity and develop new applications for large-size 3D printing. Specifically, Nedcam, a provider of innovative 3D technology solutions, will be offering Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) 3D printing using DSM materials. Also, as part of the collaboration, the two companies will explore new applications in tooling, large-size, and circular end-use parts.

There has been an increase in the demand for large format printing across many industries. From aerospace to military and defense, upscaling large-format 3D printing has the potential to enhance the manufacturing industry by enabling low-cost, full-scale prototyping, and faster lead times. During the last few years, several companies have developed large-scale production technologies, anticipating a growing demand in the future, particularly from Asia Pacific countries, like China, India, and Japan, due to their booming economy, adaptability, technological advancements, and sustainable needs.

Through this new collaboration with DSM on material and 3D printing technology, Nedcam will offer commercial 3D printing production services to manufacturers looking for large-size applications, using DSM’s optimized pellet materials. The two companies will also collaborate to develop and test new materials, processes, and applications and will bring innovative solutions to markets requiring large-size 3D printing, such as marine, renewable energy, construction, and infrastructure. They are currently collaborating closely with Royal HaskoningDHV – an international, non-listed engineering consultancy firm with headquarters in Amersfoort, Netherlands – for slicing of structural elements.

Nedcam founders Erwin van Maaren and Jan Volker. (Image courtesy of Nedcam)

“At DSM we believe that FGF is a critical technology to address the need for manufacturing structural and large-size components using highly filled polymers at competitive production lead times,” said Pieter Leen, Application Development Specialist Additive Manufacturing at DSM. “Nedcam provides an important link between product development and market demand and their printing activities will help accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing.”

There is also an added sustainability benefit to the cooperation, as the two companies aim to drive production towards more sustainable and circular processes to realize their common ambition. Nedcam currently produces plugs and molds from various materials, including glass fiber reinforced composites and steel, often for single or limited use, resulting in tons of waste every year. Instead, FGF production using recyclable materials offers a route to a more sustainable process.

In fact, the adoption of large-format polymeric pellet-based additive manufacturing (AM) systems is increasing. FGF 3D printing is expected to play an important role in the future of the 3D printing industry, studies indicate, especially since the technology has the potential to leverage more sustainable processes by increasing the use of recycled polymers in 3D printing. According to Michigan Technological University researchers, the advantages of printing with recycled particles rather than filament will also lead to lower costs, and easier to print large objects.

DSM’s Arnite AM8527, a sustainable PET material for fused granulate fabrication (FGF) AM. (Image courtesy of Royal DSM)

“We absolutely want to reduce the waste in our production process and go circular,” said Erwin van Maaren, Co-founder and Commercial Director at Nedcam. “By combining DSM’s 3D printing and thermoplastics expertise with our production knowledge and production facilities, we want to take the necessary steps toward a sustainable and fully circular model production process.”

Since its foundation, Nedcam has become the link between design and reality for many industries, by providing total solutions in shaping 3D technology, ranging from engineering, material selection, and tooling to special transport. Recently, the company added a CEAD AM Flexbot robotic 3D printer to its site in Heerenveen. Siemens and CEAD developed the hybrid 3D printing robotic arm as part of their ongoing partnership. The AM Flexbot, launched in November 2019 uses a large-scale industrial robotic arm as a motion platform and features CEAD’s single screw extruder unit mounted onto a Comau robotic arm, all controlled by Siemens’ Sinumerik CNC with Run MyRobot /Direct Control software.

Materials giant DSM has been forging collaborations and partnerships for years. Since announcing in 2017 that it was establishing a DSM AM organization, it became clear that the company was serious about 3D printing. DSM has gone on to collaborate with several companies to create 3D printing solutions for different industries, like its recently announced partnership with Youngstown, Ohio’s Juggerbot 3D to develop 3D printers and materials for pellet-based manufacturing. Continuing to design for circularity, by reducing waste, and pollution towards a more sustainable future, DSM and Nedcam’s collaboration will impact industrial large-format AM in the next decade.

In collaboration with the Scientific Park of the Miguel Hernandez University (PCUMH) in Elche, Spain-based 3DFils has developed a line of antibacterial filament materials for 3D printing. Called abFil, the new line of materials will support the printing of reusable parts for applications in medical devices or equipment, and in general to enhance safety in health or risk environments.

Image courtesy of 3DFils.

The company added silver ions to the chemical composition of TPU or PLA-based filament, which gives the material the added ability to protect from bacteria. Silver is known for its antibacterial properties, as its ions can penetrate bacteria—such as Aspergillus niger, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Legionella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus Aureus or Salmonella enteritidis, to name a few—to distort and inhibit the bacteria’s replication process. Pablo Valero, Chief of Operations, explained their use of silver, an ‘excelled antiseptic’, saying,

“The main advantages of silver as an antibacterial agent are its efficacy against a wide spectrum of bacterial agents, its long-lasting effect over time, its excellent skin compatibility or its pro-healing effect. These ions are totally safe and innocuous for the human being and allow the filaments to be sterilized with different methods ”, assures Valero.

The  abFil filaments were tested in an independent laboratory and results showed that over 99% of bacteria were eliminated. In addition to being effective and safe for human use, using silver allows for the filament to be sterilized by a variety methods.

Sterilization usually requires temperatures around 120°C for plastic objects (in the autoclaves of scientific or medical labs). Yet repeated heating can degrade the structure of the plastic material over time. With antibacterial filaments, the length of time for sterilization and the frequency of sterilization can be reduced, and the antibacterial component, copper or silver, provides an active shield that provides protection naturally. Such filament would add inherent antibacterial properties and increase the usability or reusability of medical supplies, equipment, and devices. These would be especially relevant for components with high geometric complexities, with areas typically difficult to clean or sterilize.

The abFil filament is certified with ISO 22196, a standard to measure the antibacterial activity on a plastic or non-porous surface. It has already been applied in 3D printing protective glasses and masks in collaboration with organizations working with PCUMH in Elche, Spain. Using the antibacterial material, more than one hundred protective glasses were made to improve safety for food distribution volunteers. As such, 3DFils joins the network of companies collaborating with PCUMH, and local governments, such as the Generalitat Valenciana, to support innovation that will help fight against the spread of the coronavirus, locally and globally.

Antibacterial filament used to print a mask holder                                                         Image courtesy of 3DFils

Notable advances have been made recently in the antibacterial, antimicrobial space. Several filament products have been developed using a base material in combination with antibacterial or antimicrobial additives, as well as in powder or liquid materials in stereolithography, selective laser sintering, binder jetting, electron beam melting and selective laser melting, as outlined in this paper published in Nature earlier this year. Interestingly, antimicrobial/bacterial properties can be developed through different approaches, either through altering the surface roughness to develop anti-adhesive properties, or by chemical modification by adding in metals with biocidal properties, such as copper, zinc, or the more commonly used silver, or even natural plant-derived resins.

Previously, Copper3D had specialized in the development of antimicrobial filament that naturally repels or prevents the development of microbes. They used a patented nano-copper additive to ensure, as per the claim on their website, that over 99.99% of fungi, viruses, bacteria and a wide range of organisms are eliminated within 24 hours. The filament is called PLACTIV, and is especially relevant for medical applications on earth, and in space. NASA has been studying Copper3D’s PLACTIVE for use in manufacturing medical equipment in space.

Given that companies may use them interchangeably, it’s key to know the difference between anticmicrobial and antibacterial filaments. The former provides protection against a range of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes, while the latter is specifically focused on keeping the material free from bacteria. Antimicrobial filaments are more effective and provide the most protection against microbes in general, yet the antibacterial filaments provide specific protection against contamination of surfaces by bacteria. Both these would be all the more relevant as the pandemic-impacted world becomes increasingly conscious of viruses or bacteria and preventing their spread. With the availability of material innovations such as these, it is possible to introduce these properties directly into the material and part itself.

I met Jos Burger when I was working for Shapeways years ago. He’s astute, very bright and a natural leader who later worked at Ultimaker while I was there as well. Naturally, we discussed what Burger calls “Ultimaker’s romantic period,” or the chaotic period between hobby and hyper-growth that he stepped into.

We talked about going direct versus indirect for production, Ultimaker’s European loan, the private equity investment, the number of printers the firm has sold to date (over 130,000!), and the Ultimaker ecosystem. Burger tells us of future plans and the positioning of the firm. He talks of the Business Development teams’ application development, as well as training and Ultimaker Essentials.

We also discuss positioning and price points. As Ultimaker moves up in the world towards corporates what does the company lose? Will they lose touch with makers, educators, and people in the developing world? Will there be fewer community improvements? Burger emphatically redoubles his support for Ultimaker’s open source roots and character and calls it essential for the firm, which may assuage many a worry. All in all, both Max and I really liked hanging out with Jos Burger and we think that you’ll enjoy this thoughtful conversation also.

Podcast (podcast-audio): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android |

3D printing startup Origin was selected to participate in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Rapid Sustainment Office’s (RSO) inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Olympics (AM Olympics). The event, which is already underway, will end with a virtual showcase – held from October 20 through 23 – to test the limits of innovative new manufacturing techniques that can lead to faster maintenance turnaround, cheaper upkeep, and more flexible flight operations. Specifically, a team of Origin engineers will take part in a challenge to quickly fabricate flight-ready F-16 fighter jet parts and get them certified for flight.

As part of the AM Olympics, the RSO and its partners “want more than 60 teams to channel the speed and precision of the world’s top athletes as they chase a new standard in airworthy, 3D printed plane parts,” reported Air Force Magazine. A total of 64 teams from industry, government, and academia will be vying for a $1 million prize spread across five technical challenges that feature additive manufacturing and reverse engineering to solve some of the Air Force’s most significant sustainment issues.

Stress optimization of the clamp using nTopology’s nTop platform. Image courtesy of Origin.

San Francisco-based Origin teamed up with engineering software company nTopology and the consulting engineering business Stress Engineering Services to compete in the Approval Sprints Technical Challenge. The joint team of engineers will be up against other highly capable teams that will compete to design, analyze, and deliver a polymer additively manufactured replacement solution for the rapid deployment of a specified F-16 aircraft component. Deliverables include sample components, a technical data package, and an accelerated qualification strategy for full approval of proposed materials, machines, and a complete family of components.

3D printed clamp undergoes fire testing. Image courtesy of Origin.

Relying on manufacturing technologies capable of rapid production for sustainment is crucial for the Air Force fleet and infrastructure. However, it is difficult to exploit these capabilities without the radical improvement of Air Force certification methods and timelines required to approve new materials, processes, and components.

“There is a pressing need to rapidly deploy engineering solutions for US Air Force fleet and infrastructure sustainment,” said Ian Muceus, Director of Government Programs at Origin. “We are excited to be one of the companies selected to participate in this challenge and use our advanced additive manufacturing technology to help with these obsolescence and sustainment challenges by identifying innovative strategies for rapidly designing, qualifying, and deploying solutions that leverage new manufacturing processes, materials, and components.”

Quote request

Are you looking to buy a 3D printer or 3D scanner? We're here to help. Get free expert advice and quotes from trusted suppliers in your area.

Powered by Aniwaa

3D printed clamp undergoes freezing testing. Image courtesy of Origin.

For the upcoming challenge, the engineers at Origin have already been working together remotely with Stress Engineering and nTopology to produce a viable solution to a difficult aerospace problem in just three weeks. The particular challenge involved developing a hydraulic line clamp for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which is considered the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter plane. Aircraft utilize a variety of clamps and the Air Force in particular has thousands of unique clamps across its fleet.

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Image courtesy of U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede.

According to Origin, the requirements for the challenge were complex and looked at dimensional accuracy, stresses/loads, flammability compliance, temperature ratings (low and high), jet fuel exposure, vibration tolerance, hydraulic fluid exposure, and engine oil exposure. Origin has already tested a number of different materials, printed test fixtures, and conducted multi-material printing. Finally, the part submitted by the team for this challenge was designed on nTopology’s platform; used Loctite 3955, a flame-retardant chemically-resistant material from Henkel; was manufactured on the Origin One 3D printer, and validated by Stress Engineering Services.

clamp print heating Origin One. Image courtesy of Origin.

Origin’s manufacturing-grade 3D printer uses programmable photopolymerization to precisely control light, heat, and force among other variables to produce parts with exceptional accuracy and consistency. The San Francisco-based company is pioneering the concept of Open Additive Manufacturing, a new way to build based on open materials, extensible software, and modular hardware. For this challenge Origin’s technology was combined with nTopology’s engineering design tools for advanced manufacturing, which seamlessly joined synthesized geometry and simulation results in finely tuned manufacturing models.

3D printed clamp undergoes UV post-cure. Image courtesy of Origin.

Challenge rules determine that the top component design that meets the minimum specified requirements will be eligible for installation and a one-time flight on an F-16 fighter jet during the AM Olympics. But before that happens, a panel of judges from the military and private sector will evaluate the results of each test. Once the results are in, first-place winners for each challenge will walk away with $100,000, while those in second place will earn $50,000, and the third-place teams will get $40,000. To find out more about the free event, attendees can follow along and watch the final results here.

What:

The U.S. Postal Service announces a new stamp dedicated to the festive Jewish holiday Hanukkah.

Families come together each year to celebrate Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights. In 2020, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Dec. 10.

News of the stamp is being shared with hashtag #HanukkahStamps.

Who:

USPS Controller and Vice President Cara Greene

Union for Reform Judaism Senior Vice President Emeritus Rabbi Lennard Thal

Artist Jing Jing Tsong

When:

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at 11 a.m. EDT

Where:

A virtual stamp dedication ceremony for the Hanukkah stamp will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Please visit usps.com/hanukkah for details of the event.

Why:

The stamp art’s colorful digital illustration shows the lighting of the hanukiah on the last evening of Hanukkah. Artist Jing Jing Tsong chose her colors intentionally to evoke Hanukkah traditions as seen through the eyes of children.

The darker blue colors in the background symbolize winter, while the brightly colored flaming candles reflect the spirit and warmth of sharing the holiday traditions.

The Hanukkah stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in a pane of 20. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Pre-orders for the Hanukkah stamp can be placed online at usps.com and by phone at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

###

TrySight is the leading Canadian manufacturer of magnification and reading systems for those with sight loss, developing various hardware and software solutions to help those with low vision and blindness. Its clients include educational institutions, hospitals, and rehabilitation departments.

TrySight operates in a niche market where production runs are relatively low, 50 to 1000 units. Additionally, design changes to parts are frequent. The combination of low production volumes with frequent design iterations made traditional tooling methods uneconomical. Furthermore, the company needed a way to quickly run through design changes to validate product concepts.

The FDM printed prototype has rough surface finish and stress fracture.

To address these challenges, TrySight used FDM 3D printing technologies for more than five years, for prototype as well as production parts. However, the quality of the parts TrySight was producing with FDM did not meet dimensional tolerances, strength, or temperature resistance for end-use. Labor and material costs also were significant, due to high print failure rates and a two-dimensional build area that only allowed a few parts to be printed at a time.

FDM part failure.

The requirement for support structures on FDM parts required special considerations during the design process which was suboptimal. Furthermore, the parts lacked aesthetic appeal due to visible layer lines and resulted in a lower quality feel of the final product.

These limitations resulted in a low success rate for high-value institutional contracts, which cut into TrySight’s bottom-line and limited the overall growth of the business.

The Printer Comparison Showed a Clear Winner

TrySight had been searching for a better solution and decided to migrate its part manufacturing to selective laser sintering (SLS), a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse thermoplastic powder to build parts.  After six months of analysis and comparison with virtually all competing solutions, TrySight selected the MfgPro230 xS from XYZprinting, owing to its quality, compact size, and open materials ecosystem, as well as the best price and performance ratio on the market.

The SLS printed prototype gives smooth surface finish and tough flexible buttons.

TrySight now designs its parts with very few design limitations because support structures are no longer required. Parts from the MfgPro230 xS are superior in virtually all aspects (tensile strength, temperature resistance, surface finish, etc.)

High strength part from MfgPro230 xS

The ability to pack parts in three dimensions allows TrySight to manufacture dozens of parts per day with minimal failures, thereby reducing labor costs. Since components that are used for prototyping are also used for production, there is no design effort to move from prototyping to production. Changes can be made instantly and released into production within hours instead of weeks with zero setup cost.

The open materials philosophy of the MfgPro230 xS has allowed TrySight to experiment with third-party materials to expand its offerings. Flexible parts using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) allow for the manufacture of custom-fit wearable products, which is a capability not achievable by traditional manufacturing methods.

3D printed TPU part.

SLS Parts Rival Injection Molding, Cost Less

The MfgPro230 xS has taken TrySight’s business to the next level with professionally produced, short-run parts that rival injection molding with no tooling cost. Additionally, the ability to produce bespoke parts allows TrySight to offer clients custom fit parts in a variety of materials which provides a unique competitive edge.

Only three months after purchasing its first MfgPro230 xS, TrySight recouped 100% of its investment in the printer through an increase in product orders.