Insights Success The 10 Most innovative 3D Printing Solution Providers 2017 by Insights Success Media

www.insightssuccess.com August 2017

The way of business solutions

The

10 MOST INNOVATIVE

printing Solution Providers

3D Gestalt Decoding the Past, Present and Future of 3D Printing

Trends to watch Trends that will Shape the Future of 3D Printing Clayton Webster CEO

SIMPLIFY

Leading Universal Software Makes Printing Easy

A perfect

Day start with

Coffee

Editorial

hile 3D printing appears to be well suited in the plot of a futuristic science ﬁction novel, it is well within our grasp. Using an assortment of materials that incorporate wood, plastics, metal, and textures, we are now ready to print different threedimensional items; ranging from food, weapons, spare parts, homes, organs, medicinal gadgets, apparel and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Moving faster into the mainstream than its forerunner, this new technology has immediately blossomed as a result of new printing methods, a consistently developing scope of new materials and simple access to the specialized printing devices.

Is 3D Printing Really Printing the Future?

While FDM has enhanced as the years progressed — printing in thinner layers and different materials like clay and rubber — a number of alternatives, more intricate techniques have risen. Having the capacity to yield in more materials has likewise propelled 3D printing, which makes metal alloys, plastic, chocolate, glass, sugar, pharmaceuticals and even human tissue, 3D printable. What’s more; innovators have used these materials to print objects as varied as wristwatch bands and human heart valves. Notwithstanding material alternatives, color selection has also made strides. Contingent upon the printing strategy and materials used, objects can even be yield in full color, with different hues appearing up on a similar object, using the similar materials. Be that as it may, for some users, an ever better alternative than purchasing a little, economical 3D printer is to not own one by any means. Online printing solutions let users create objects without investing in the technology whatsoever. All they need to do is simply upload their exceptional ﬁle through an Internet-based service, select the suitable output choices, and press “buy.” No doubt, 3D printing technology has made some amazing progress and is still advancing and developing. The technology has a considerable measure to offer particularly to entrepreneurs since it decreases the expenses of large scale manufacturing, making it possible for people to get into business without the need to have high start-up capital. In this manner, 3D printing has created and is still anticipated to create more business opportunities in the future.

Abhijeet Parade

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Ariana Lawrence Managing Editor Abhijeet Parade Co-Editors David Smith Sourav Mukherjee Kaustav Roy Visualiser David King Art & Design Director Amol Kamble Co-designer Alex Noel Picture Editor Poonam Mahajan Art Editor Vinod Alhat Business Development Manager Mike Thomas Nick Adams Marketing Manager Philip Walker Business Development Executives Andy, David, Peter, Kevin, John, Brian Research Analyst Jennifer Circulation Manager Robert Database Management Steve Technology Consultant Vishal More sales@insightssuccess.com

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Cover Story BRAND OF THE MONTH

16 BMW Group: Pioneer in Additive Manufacturing

COMPANY OF THE MONTH

22 Local Motors: Manufacturing Future Ready Vehicles

CXO Standpoint

46 In an Ever Faster Changing World Extreme Conď&#x20AC; gurability is the Answer

08 Simplify3D:

Make the Change Or become the change

Leading Universal Software that Makes Printing Easy

Articles

3D GESTALT Decoding the Past, Present and Future of 3D Printing

TRENDS TO WATCH

Trends that will Shape the Future of 3D Printing

Contents 26

3D Platform:

A Leading and Trusted Manufacturer of 3D Printers

34 Cytosurge AG: Redening Scientic Measurements and Robotic Systems

42 German RepRap: Building World’s 1st Open Platform 3D Printers

BigRep: A Newfangled Startup Printing the Future of Tomorrow

28 Genius Printers: Facilitating the Revolution of 3D Printing with its Future Solutions

36 ReDeTec: Offering Integrated Recycling Technology for 3D Printing

3D Printing: The Manufacturing Revolution

s 3-D printers become faster, easier to use, handle multiple materials, and print active components or systems, they are ﬁnding usage beyond rapid prototyping. Several technology trends are feeding these expectancies. An evolving class of mid-level 3-D printers is starting to offer many high-end system features in a desktop form factor at lower price points. What’s more; Printer speeds are increasing across the product spectrum; at least one high-end system under development could print up to 500 times faster than today’s top machines. And essential patents are about to expire, an event likely to hasten the pace of innovation. The 3D printing solution providers are amidst of the sea of opportunities, and from here, it will only increase further. To showcase the innovative companies those are using novel approaches to 3D printing solutions, we have come up with the annual listing of The 10 Most innovative 3D Printing Solution Providers, 2017. In this issue, we have shortlisted 3D printing companies, which make printing easy, affordable and efﬁcient.

As our cover story, we have Simplify3D for providing industry leading 3D printing software that converts 3D models into real physical parts using a wide range of desktop 3D printers. Clayton Webster, company’s CEO set out to tackle the software challenges faced by 3D printing companies and took place the formation of Simplify3D in 2013. The software analyzes your digital 3D models to determine the best way to fabricate these parts through additive manufacturing. Acting as the brain of the 3D printer, the software precisely controls speed, temperature, cooling, extrusion, and positioning to ensure the highest quality of output. Apart from this in our special issues, we have BMW Group as Brands of the Month and Local Motors as Company of the Month. BMW Group was one of the earlier adopters of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology, while founded in 2007, Local Motors has already created the World’s first 3D Printed car, the Strati, which took only 44 hours to print. In our listing, we have BigRep, which is one of the well-known as The World’s Largest Standardized 3D Printer Manufacturer. CYTOSURGE AG, is fast growing high-tech company develops and distributes scientific measuring instruments and robotic systems based on the patented FluidFM technology. Genius Printers is a 3D printing technology solution provider, which boasts an unmatched profile of pending patent features. German RepRap makes the world’s first industrial quality, open platform 3D Printers capable of printing all materials on large build platforms and finally, ReDeTec which recycles the 3D printer waste back into filament for FDM 3D printing. Going forward, we have 3D Gestald – Decoding the Past, Present and Future of 3D Printing and Trends to Watch – Trends that will Shape the Future of 3D Printing from our in-house writers. Let’s get started, then!

Cover Story

Leading Universal Software Makes 3D Printing Easy We have tested and optimized our software on hundreds of 3D printers so that users will have exceptional results right out-of-the-box

Clayton Webster CEO

Cover Story he popularity of 3D printers has expanded extraordinarily in the past couple of years. Machine reliability has increased dramatically, and new materials for printing are being introduced each day, with printers now being capable of delivering one-off prints in everything from plastic to metal. Some forward-thinking research groups have even begun working on creating 3D printed chocolate structures and human tissue.

improve the results, thereby enabling more designers, inventors, and engineers to harness the power of additive manufacturing. At present, Simplify3D is trusted by users in over 120 countries to provide total control over the printing process and consistently deliver the best results.

Today’s desktop printers are signiﬁcantly closer to the quality and features of industrial 3D printers. A high rate of innovation has resulted in faster printing speeds, greater reliability, and the availability of unique new materials. This makes Additive Manufacturing an appropriate technology for new applications in more sectors. While desktop 3D printers were earlier used by hobbyists or for constrained utilization in the education sector, these printers are progressively discovering applications in different industries, for example, engineering, art, jewelry, product design, dentistry, architecture, biomedical and consumer products.

A Visionary Set Out to Make a Difference Nearly a decade ago, Webster was studying Engineering at Purdue University when he got his ﬁrst taste of 3D printing. At the time, 3D printers were very costly and were typically only accessible to skilled technicians. Purdue offered a Computer Aided Design (CAD) course that allowed students to design digital models on their computers, and then fabricate those models using one of the SLA 3D printers at the university. “I remember having to pay $20 to use the machine and waiting about three weeks to receive the ﬁnished parts”, Webster recounted. “The parts were quite brittle, and if a change was needed, you were stuck waiting several more weeks before you could get a replacement.” Despite these constraints, watching a digital design come to life in a real physical part was a transformative experience, and he quickly started looking at ways to make this technology more accessible.

The desktop 3D printing segment is less than a decade old, with many of the most signiﬁcant advancements occurring in the last 5 years. Industrial 3D printing had been in use for over three decades, but high-cost entry constrained it to be used by trained technicians in well-funded corporate environments. As desktop printers came into the picture, a much broader audience was able to experience the thrill of an object coming to life before their eyes. These new printers were smaller, more user-friendly, and could be purchased for a fraction of the cost. The market was taking root, but a need for reliable software to make the most of this technology was rising as well. Truth be told, the potential for success exists for those who seize the opportunity before anyone else. Clayton Webster set out to tackle these software challenges by founding Simplify3D in 2013. Today, Simplify3D provides industryleading 3D printing software that is trusted by professionals worldwide. The software analyzes your digital 3D models to determine the best way to fabricate these parts through additive manufacturing. Acting as the brain of the 3D printer, the software precisely controls speed, temperature, cooling, extrusion, and positioning to ensure the highest quality of output. The team at Simplify3D is driven to empower innovation through 3D printing. They strive to simplify the process and

Great leaders do not set out to be a leader; they set out to make a difference. Webster wanted to make a difference so that 3D printing would be more accessible and thus became a part of the early group of pioneers in the personal 3D printing sector, working to lay a foundation for the industry. There were no off-the-shelf machines or kits back then that could be purchased, so Webster took a leap of faith, and designed and fabricated his first 3D printer in his college dorm room. “After the printer was built, raw materials became the next hurdle. I convinced a local plastics company to create a small batch of specialty filament that would work with this new type of 3D printer. It was expensive, but it worked!” The next two years were spent on electronics and control systems development. One of his largest contributions during this time was the development of the printer firmware that handles communication, motor control, sensors, and printer kinematics. He released the code to the open-source community, and many printers on the market today are still powered by a variant of this firmware. With an intimate knowledge of hardware, electronics, and

We provide the most extensive print settings, allowing you to achieve the highest level of quality even with the most complex prints

firmware control systems, Webster turned his efforts to software – the final piece of the puzzle and something that would consume his energies for several years to come. In order for 3D printing to truly empower innovation at the grassroots level, it would require software that could tap the power of these revolutionary machines. Making 3D Printing Much More Accessible to a Global Audience The road to the destination was not always easy. Webster had confidence that it was only a matter of time before the challenges could vanish. It needed patience, a lot of it, and a dogged determination to stay focused on the goal, and he had both. One of the challenges Webster and the team faced was the Fragmented Industry. Hundreds of 3D printing companies created a fragmented global groundswell of hardware options across the industry. There were very few standards in this new market. Different machines used different commands, various file formats, and offered completely different sets of

capabilities. Yet since its inception, Simplify3D was committed to the goal of universal software compatibility, allowing the software to work with nearly any desktop 3D printer on the market. To tackle this complexity and provide 3D printing companies with a single universal software interface, Simplify3D partnered with 3D printing companies around the globe to provide a single software solution for desktop 3D printers. This unifying effort involves constant collaboration with hardware manufacturers and a continuous effort to integrate the latest advancements into the software. As a result of partnerships formed

between Simplify3D and OEM companies, end users have one-click access to optimized settings for the most popular 3D printers. With support added for almost 100 new printers in just the last year, Simplify3D is the one-stop software solution to operate all users’ machines all around the globe.

Cover Story Another major challenge that the company faced was the rapid adoption of 3D printing around the world. To support a growing global market, Simplify3D is now available in 6 different languages. Also, the company works with distributors in over 30 countries who sell Simplify3D with their own 3D printers and provide skilled support for their local markets. Expanded language support and OEM partnerships have made 3D printing and Simplify3D much more accessible to a global audience. Offering the Freedom that Customers Need Simplify3D is recognized for complete control over the 3D printing process – giving customers the freedom they need to optimize results even for the most complex projects. This has led to groundbreaking applications such as surgeons using the software to build an accurate replica of a human heart, visualization of complex protein molecules, or even prototyping for next generation engine designs. The latest release of the Simpify3D software, Version 4.0, has unlocked even more functionality by allowing customers to apply different physical properties within a single model. By altering how the part is printed, users can now optimize strength, weight, or finish quality within different regions of the model. The software enables customers to push the limits of additive manufacturing and focus on their creative ideas. Offering Specialized Programs to Students, Teachers, and Labs The last two years have witnessed a significant rise of educational interest in Simplify3D, with many schools and universities now offering courses dedicated to 3D printing. These institutions have recognized the importance of training the next generation understand how to integrate additive manufacturing into the design process. To assist schools that are incorporating 3D printing into their curriculum, Simplify3D also offers specialized packages for students, teachers, and labs. Schools typically own multiple brands and styles of 3D printers, so having Simplify3D act as a single software interface for all their machines provides significant efficiencies in teaching and student learning. The Team that Uses their Vast Knowledge to Develop Extensive Resources It does not take strength; rather takes the true heart of the team to win. The expert team at Simplify3D has calibrated and optimized hundreds of 3D printers, and they are arguably the world leader in this expertise. Their knowledge became the foundation for extensive resources that explain

how to achieve the best results from your 3D printer. In keeping with the goals of the company founder, these resources are shared freely with the entire community to advance the adoption of 3D printing. The company also offers a highly-skilled support team that is available to help schools, businesses, and consumers achieve greater success with their 3D printing projects. Values that Drive Simplify3D Ahead Developing long-term relationships with their customers is always their top priority, and they achieve this by listening to the customers’ needs to determine the most popular feature requests to integrate into the software. The entire Simplify3D team knows the importance of this customerfocused attitude, and they consistently use this feedback to plan their future development roadmap. With more than 25 software updates since 2013, the software continues to keep pace with customer suggestions. Additional online tools help customers know how to apply software settings to achieve the best results. For example, the widely

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Company Name

Management

Brief

3D Platform 3dplatform.com

Jonathan Schroeder President

3D Platform is a leading manufacturer of large-scale, industrial-class 3D printers.

BigRep bigrep.com

René Gurka CEO & Co-founder

BigRep is a Berlin-based technology start-up that develops and manufactures the world’s largest standardized 3D printer.

Dr. Jens Ertel

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium ﬁnancial and mobility services.

BMW Group bmwgroup.com

Head of the BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Centre

Dr.-Ing. Udo Hänle Senior Vice President BMW Group Production Strategy & Technical Integration

Pascal Behr Co-founder & CEO

Cytosurge AG is a fast-growing high-tech company based in Zurich, Switzerland which develops and distributes scientiﬁc measuring instruments and robotic systems based on its patented FluidFM technology.

Genius Printers geniusprinters.com

Markus Ulrich CEO & Founder

Genius Printers is a 3D printing technology solution provider which possesses an unrivaled list of future innovations in printing.

German RepRap germanreprap.com

Florian Bautz Managing Director

German RepRap makes the world’s ﬁrst industrial quality, open platform 3D Printers capable of printing all materials on huge build platforms.

Local Motors localmotors.com

Jay Rogers CEO & Co-founder

Local Motors is an American headquartered technology company focused on low volume manufacturing of crowd created vehicle designs, using multiple microfactories.

ReDeTec redetec.com

Dennon Oosterman CEO

ReDeTec recycles the 3D printer waste back into ﬁlament for FDM 3D printing.

Rize Inc. rize3d.com

Eugene Giller Founder & President

Rize’s patented dual extrusion/jetting APD platform delivers an innovative combination of unique material properties and process that expands additive manufacturing beyond the lab to entirely new applications not possible with any other 3D printer.

Clayton Webster CEO

Simplify3D Software, based in Cincinnati, OH, provides industry leading 3D printing software that converts 3D models into real physical parts using a wide range of desktop 3D printers.

Cytosurge AG cytosurge.com FluidFM.com

Simpify3D simplify3d.com

| August 2017 |

D Printing has quickly become one of the fastest embraced manufacturing and prototyping innovations throughout the automotive industry. Recently, it has been utilized to manufacture engine parts, a replica of historical race cars, customized exhaust systems and even whole street prepared cars. While 3D printing is not another innovation by any methods, it is just in the last half-decade that it has begun to be plainly received by a large portion of the automobile industry. However, not everyone currently is jumping on the 3D printing fad; a few organizations can be considered pioneers and have been using it for decades. German automobile giant, BMW Group was one of the earlier adopters of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology. When they opened their Rapid Technologies Center in 1990, the firm essentially used their stereo lithography machine to 3D print early ideas and part models. The parts would frequently be used as a proof of concept before they proceeded onward to traditional tooling, or be used for model vehicles. In the beginning, the additively produced parts were mostly used for concept cars but were further developed for additional purposes over the years. Depending on the component specifications, BMW Group applies different procedures and materials. Be that as it may, as per BMW, those early positive experiences with 3D printing for a quarter of a century helped shaped how the organization used 3D printing today, and how they will be using it later on. Refining Additive Manufacturing Processes The BMW Group is in constant work of refining additive manufacturing processes for series production. Dominating the conventional point-topoint 3D printing methods, the new, planar printing technologies enable considerably faster production times, and go above and beyond to ease the printing process. Beamers or infrared sources are used to expose the full surface, rather than point-to-point, high-priced light sources, such CO2 or UV lasers.

| August 2017 |

Dr. Jens Ertel, head of the BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Centre says, “Planar technologies are central to the use of additive processes in series production. The most recent example can be found in the preliminary trials of the HP Multi Jet Fusion technology. The process will initially be used in prototyping, but we plan to extend it into series production over the long term.” The process utilizes print heads and liquid agents, like a conventional inkjet printer. At the start of the process, a thin layer of base powder material is applied. The print head then sprays fusing and detailing agents onto the powder bed. What is unusual is that at the same time, the respective layer of the component is fused using infrared radiation. This speeds up production time and increases flexibility. Using CLIP Technology to its Fullest Potential Last year saw the introduction of CLIP technology (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) – a breakthrough in the field of planar 3D printing process. Since this method works with planar exposure from a beamer, it shortens production times considerably. The BMW Group used the process for the first time to produce individualized side indicators for the “DriveNow” car-sharing fleet. In a social media campaign, German customers voted on names for a total of 100 MINIs in the fleet. CLIP technology was then used to integrate these in the indicator body of the vehicles being tested on the roads in Germany. The Additive Manufacturing Centre at the company’s Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) has also been using these forming processes to produce parts for the new Rolls-Royce Dawn since the start of the year. The team at the FIZ handles nearly 25,000 prototype orders annually and delivers more than 100,000 components per year to customers within the BMW Group. The spectrum ranges from small plastic holders to design samples to metal chassis components for functional testing. Depending on the

process used and size of the parts, components are often available within just a few days. Decades of Experience Helping Overcome Every Hurdle With more than a quarter of a century usage, many areas have enjoyed the benefits of additively-manufactured components from BMW Group. Classic examples of additive manufacturing are areas where customized and, in some cases, highly complex components are required in small quantities – mainly in pre-development, vehicle validation and testing or for concept and show cars, but also small series production. Along these lines, the company is constantly working to harness new additive methods for vehicles from prototypes to classic cars. However, the methods are also utilized in tool-making and manufacturing equipment. The BMW Group celebrated the first successful use of this technology in small-series production in 2010, with the additively-manufactured water pump wheel still fitted in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) vehicles to this day. Expanding its Pioneering Role into the Future The BMW Group is bit by bit pursuing the evolution and use of advanced additive-manufacturing methods. The BMW Group is confident that planar 3D printing technologies will enable much faster production times and more economical production in the future and the company aims to continue expanding this pioneering role in the future. About the Key Executive Dr.-Ing. Udo Hänle, is Senior Vice President, Production Strategy and Technical Integration at BMW Group. Born in Friedrichshafen/Bodensee, Dr. Udo completed his studies and master degree in Aerospace Engineering, from the University of Stuttgart. From the same university, he later got his Ph.D. Since then, he has been at forefront of BMW Group, performing every role he was given to successfully. At his current role, he looks after production strategy and technical integration at BMW.

Trends to Watch

Trends that will Shape the Future of

3D Printing N

owadays, the tech world is mostly focusing on AI, big data, machine learning, and how all these will affect our daily lives later on. However, developing with the same pace, but with slightly less hype is 3D printing, a technology which is going to have a massive impact on our daily lives in the near future. It is a small step from spraying toner on paper to putting down layers of plastic resin until they add up to an object, by empowering a machine to make objects of any shape and size, on the spot as needed by the user. One of the early innovators of the 3D printing technology is Singapore Airlines, which is wellknown for the amount of luxury it provides on its long-haul flights. Its subsidiary, Singapore Airlines Engineering Company, signed a deal with Stratasys recently in order to explore the world of 3D printing technology for research, design, and production of various aircraft parts. However, at first the airline company will use the technology in various interior parts rather than printing any structural elements of the frame or any engine parts. Right now, the organization needs to maintain inventories which include a ton of different parts that need to be replaced across the fleet once the fleet is replaced. This makes the airliner’s life harder, thanks to the problems related to logistics and replacements.

| August 2017 |

So, with the technology adaption from companies like Singapore Airlines, BMW, etc. the 3D printing platform is expected to grow massively over the next few years. So, here are few trends that will eventually shape up the industry in the near future.

started to print low volume products that weren't viable before. The medical sector will be the one of the most beneﬁted sectors, thanks to the ability of these printers to print surgical instruments without the burden of high production cost.

When it comes to materials, soon the industry is going to see vendors putting more importance into development, chemistry and delivery of those materials. It might be the availability of higher-temperature materials, materials with more structural strength and integrity, and materials that are more ﬂexible. Additionally, the new kind of materials will reﬂect more and more about the way how people want to create and use different parts. Recently few researchers have developed a 3D printed gel that mimics cartilage of humans when dried. Other than that, another group of researchers from Madrid has come up with printable human skin, that will eventually help in skin transplants.

3D printers can also be used for architectural purposes. Last year, a China based company built ten 3D-printed concrete houses in a day and each of them cost around $4800. Recently, the company took 3D printing to new heights by building a ﬁve-story apartment building and a 1,100-square meter villa. The structures were made by printing large portions of the building and then by assembling them. As per the company, it used ﬁberglass, rubble, steel, and cement binder to make the ink.

Soon users can expect increased availability of affordable and widely adopted usage of materials for metal manufacturing. Until now, most available metal 3D printing technologies have been quite expensive, which used to act as a barrier while prototyping or mass producing. With much lower price points and better availability of materials, organizations can fully explore the world of 3D printing. With the better availability of materials, soon prosthetics, are now also getting printed. 3D printed prosthetics are cheaper and much lighter than their regular counter parts, which are much more easier to use especially for children and pets. Kids normally outgrow their mechanical limbs within a year, so being able to replace those limbs affordably could eventually revolutionize the market.

With cheaper printing costs, the adoption of the technology would be much wider. Back in 2015, a 3D printed supercar was revealed, and a year later the company partnered with French manufacturer Peugeot signaling a wider acceptance of 3D printing in the automotive sector. Later in 2016, a 3D printed superbike was also unveiled at the LA Auto Show. Which makes it clear that the automotive industry is embracing the technology. So, here we have pointed out few of the trends that could change the course of various industries. However, 3D printing is not the answer to all the manufacturing issues that we face today. For now, it is mainly being adopted in sectors like healthcare, automotive, aviation, and energy sectors. But one can expect that over the time production cost will fall, and it will transform various sectors including clothing, manufacturing, healthcare, and others.

The best innovation must have to be the 3D printed coral reefs. As everyone knows coral reefs are very important for the marine ecosystem. However, according to various agencies around seventy percent of world's coral reef is either damaged or destroyed, thanks to industrial development and pollution. So, a Bahrain based organization is countering the destruction by printing reefs in 3D printers and installing those along the coast line of Persian Gulf. So, if the printing cost goes down, then the environment will also be beneﬁted. Off late, 3D printing has been a game changer for the manufacturing sector, especially for those companies that had ideas in mind but couldn't sell enough to justify large industrial scale manufacturing. Now organizations have

| August 2017 |

Jay Rogers CEO & Co-founder

| August 2017 |

Company of the Month

Local Motors:

Manufacturing Future Ready Vehicles

n the early 1980s, an engineer named Chuck Hull went to his boss with an idea; to build a machine that printed items people could hold in their hands. However, his idea was not approved by his manager and he was only discouraged because of the same — after all, the company was producing UV lamps, not “Star Trek” replicators. However, the world wasn’t ready to wait, and the two men eventually reached to a compromise; by day, Chuck would dedicate himself to the company’s lamps; at night, he'd cobble together his dream machine. Fast forward to thirty years, 3D printing has made its way in our lives, and its practical applications are endless. Today, 3D printing is being widely used by small start-up companies to large OEM vehicle and aircraft manufacturers allowing faster and more cost effective alternatives to traditional manufacturing methods. However, this wasn’t the case back in 2007, when only a few knew how effective 3D printing could be if used to its true potential. One of those talented minds who believed in 3D printing was John B. Rogers Jr. (Jay Rogers), who – after serving for seven years in the United States Marine Corps, where he was an Infantry Company Commander – founded Local Motors as a way to bring manufacturing and customization to the people. Ten years later, with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona Local Motors is a leading technology company that designs, builds and sells vehicles. Local Motors has already created the World’s ﬁrst 3D Printed car, the Strati, which took only 44 hours in production. 3D Printing was seen as the future and Jay saw it for what it’s true worth only to lead that movement from the forefront. An Entrepreneur who saw Future before it Arrived Rogers has entrepreneurship in his DNA. From his grandfather who was an entrepreneur, he drew inspiration. After graduating from Princeton along with a Masters’ degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and having spent time in consulting and in banking, Rogers headed down an academic and professional route that seemed appropriate for a future entrepreneur. However, a seven year stint in the

are unlike any manufacturer “ We you have ever seen

“

| August 2017 |

United States Marine Corps had the most profound impact on his career where he learned about leading in precarious situations with imperfect information. In his career, he has worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Co., as an investment analyst at Ewing & Partners, and at a startup medical device company in the People’s Republic of China. He also serves as the Chief Investment Ofﬁcer and Director of the RBR Foundation, a philanthropic foundation focused on education and healthcare. Driving the Commercialization of High Technology Products Local Motors is focused on lowvolume manufacturing of open source motor vehicles designed using microfactories. Using co-creation and micro manufacturing, it drives the commercialization of high technology products. “When you drive the commercialization of technology products, which we do for own accounts and some other large businesses that have similarly complex high technology products, it is about changing a hundred-year paradigm in mass manufacturing. We are now using the crowd. We are using a bespoke community that we build with suppliers and customers. Then we are changing the way we think about manufacturing. We have a mass oriented way of thinking about product commercialization,” asserts Rogers.

which not only carries passengers, but also talks to them. To enable such level of human interaction, Olli leverages four Watson APIs — Speech to Text, Entity Extraction, Natural Language Classiﬁer and Text to Speech. Olli uses laser sensors that can detect the distance of objects in order to get around town, and also analyzes and learns from the high volumes of transportation data the sensors produce. Olli has a maximum speed of 25 mph and can transport up to 12 people. Local Motors has incorporated 30 sensors in this self-driving bus to collect the data, allowing it to make quick decisions. “Olli offers a smart, safe and sustainable transportation solution that is long overdue,” Rogers says. “Olli with Watson acts as our entry into the world of self-driving vehicles, something we’ve been quietly working on with our co-creative community for the past year,” he adds on Olli. Understanding the Wants and Needs of Consumers Being an open source company, Local Motors brings thoughts, ideas and solutions together on its online community SaaS platform, Launch Forth. The manufacturing company cocreates its vehicles and products to understand the wants and needs of consumers of today and the future. Local Motors collaborates with prestigious companies such as IBM, Siemens, GE and Airbus to redeﬁne not only the process but the outcome.

small company, especially in comparison to OEM Manufacturers. “We have to educate our critics on what differentiates us from our competitors and constantly push the envelope and show that what Local Motors is doing, is the future,” he adds. Values that Drive the Innovation Local Motors’ core values are cocreation, open source technology and Direct Digital Manufacturing with 3D printing in Micro-factories. They believe that everyone has valuable ideas and thoughts, and they want to not only make them heard, but also to make them a reality. For instance, an electrical engineer at a large company is asked to only provide feedback and information on electrical, but they believe that this person may also have a great idea for the way an interior can be designed. Local Motors believes in giving everyone the ability to “have a seat at the table” and bringing their ideas, thoughts and experiences to light, which will only help to create a better vehicle product in the end. “The future is unknown, but we are trying to pave that path as we move forward. We see 3D printing becoming the standard in manufacturing, instead of the exception,” concludes Rogers on the future of 3D printing.

Making the World Ready For the Future Leading from the front, Rogers still Amongst Local Motors’ greatest achievements is Olli, a self-driving bus considers Local Motors as a fairly

| August 2017 |

A Leading and Trusted Manufacturer of 3D Printers

magine printing a new plate when a small kid in the house drops your favorite dish. Envision a gift printed with your own hands for your friends and family members’ birthday. Visualize printing your favorite design or quote on a T-shirt of your own. If you would have asked anyone a few years back, they would have said, ‘it’s impossible.’ But that’s what technology is for – to make its way into reality through our imagination and bring us closer towards a better tomorrow. Thanks to the way 3D printing has evolved over the course of time and the promises it has made along the way, we are already here, in the World of 3D Printing. However, it’s the manufacturing sector that is getting beneﬁtted because of this Jetsonian technology. The large-scale 3D printers are making it ridiculously easy for the companies to produce widgets in very short order, make required variations to those parts and lay them into assembly. 3D Platform (3DP) is a trusted global leader in designing and manufacturing of industrial, large & extra-large format, and FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) type 3D printer. Based in Roscoe, Illinois, USA, 3D Platform is focused on driving advancements in technology to innovate, design, and build nextgeneration equipment for additive manufacturing. Its global distribution network supported by Certiﬁed Service Providers has helped 3D Platform deploy more large-format, open-market 3D printers than any of its competitors

and provide fast, local support to its customers than anyone else. Products that are ahead of the League 3D Platform has always seen the future long before it arrived, and their products are a testament of this point. Their distinctive products include – 3D Printers: The company’s flagship large-format printers are now in their 5th generation and are available for sale as a family of printers. The most economical printer in the family, the WorkTable, starts at just $14,999 USD with a 1 x 1 x 0.5-meter print volume. The WorkbenchExtreme offers the highest performance and the largest print volume (1 x 1.5 x 0.7 meters) starting at $36,999 USD. One of the keys to 3DP’s affordability is the amount of customization available to 3DP's customers – the machines are designed in a configurable manner and customers can choose the options and upgrades that are needed for their specific application. For customers needing an extra-large format printer, 3DP’s Excel machine has a starting print bed size of 1.2 x 2.4 meters (4x8 feet!) and the machine can be adapted to customer needs as wide as 16 feet and as long as 100 meters (330 feet!). The Excel machine can even have multiple gantries to print a part much faster or to divide the bed and print different objects. Extruders: 3D Platform’s HFA and HFE extruders are the fastest filament

extruders in the market with up to 16x more speed than that of its competitors. It’s Quick-Swap dual extruder heads deliver high quality 3D prints and are independently controlled for speed and extruded material amounts. Filament: Every 3D printing work requires dependable, quality filament to finish the job. 3D Platform has a wide selection of material and colors that gives clients choices for their industrial 3D printing work. With diverse open market filament material selections, the client can print exactly as they design. The Key Traits that make 3D Platform Unique 3D Platform is one of the pioneers in the large format, open market category and has a wider installed base than anyone else in this category which gives them better economies of scale. This 3D printing firm has been growing rapidly since its formation in 2014. However, the key attributes that have helped 3D Platform lead the market in a short span of 3 years are – Big, Fast, Affordable. Unlike other companies who get one or two out of these three, 3D Platform successfully delivers all of them. With 20-54x the build volume of a typical desktop printer, their WorkSeries printers are some of the biggest printers in the market you can buy. The savings that 3D Platform realizes through large volume purchases and production runs are passed on to its customers. Also, a lower purchase price with faster

| August 2017 |

Jonathan Schroeder President

production allows its customers to achieve a better/faster ROI – making 3DP’s printers the most affordable option! An Intellect Who Leads the Pack Jonathan Schroeder, is the President of 3D Platform. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from Kellogg’s Executive Program (EMBA). He is a licensed, professional engineer (PE) and has more than ten patents. “We are driven to help our customers succeed. We have pushed our machine to have the best ROI of any large format 3D printer on the market – and we continue to push it to be better. We have customers that have told us that their ROI is only a single project or just a few months,” – asserts Jonathan. Knowing the Applications of 3D Printing Better Despite the popularity 3D printing has gained over the years, people are yet to realize how big is 3D printing. Jonathan, thus believes that one of the greatest challenges is going beyond the word “3D Printer.” In his opinion, buying a 3D Printer is like buying a car. Like a car has different options to choose from; 2 doors or 4, sports car, a family transporter or a truck, 3D printer also has many options available which people are yet to know. ISO/ASTM5290015 deﬁnes seven unique additive processes (3D Printer). Each one is ideal for certain types of end use parts with little overlap between each type. FFF/FDM machines are great for larger polymer parts. In contrast, SLA is good at small parts with ﬁne detail. SLS is used to produce metal parts. However, 3D Platform also believes that as these processes are used more, consumers will begin to ask for

| August 2017 |

We are committed to aﬀordable ﬂexibility with open market software and control solutions

the specific machine by their type and they will have a better understanding of the capabilities of each type of machine. Fully-Prepared for the Future Additive manufacturing is continually pushing the boundaries; most typically in materials, size and/or speed, and 3D Platform is well prepared. Materials: 3D Platform machines are ‘open market materials’, meaning their customers can use pellets and filament from any manufacturer. As new materials come to market, they can be used on 3D Platform’s machines to produce more complex and higher performing end user parts. Size: While some companies are trying to capture the micro- and nano- additive manufacturing trend, 3D Platform has a niche in large format printing. It's Excel machine can produce a 100-meter-long part. Speed: Unlike pellet fed extruders that are fast but are not suitable for all customers/applications, 3D Platform has developed its own spoon-fed extruders that offer more than 30X throughout the standard desktop printers. While other 3D printing companies are trying to find the base in the market, 3D Platform is leading the market with pride.

A Newfangled Startup Printing the Future of Tomorrow

Within a short span of over three years, BigRep is already one of the wellknown names in the 3D Printing industry.

an open and unheated design space with heat resistance of 115°C and Pro HS Filament that reduces printing time by up to 50 percent.

Today, more than hundred years later since Ford’s industry-deﬁning statement, 3D printing is here and is making its way into the mainstream while allowing anyone to create customized products at affordable prices. It has enabled us to tailor our products that meet our individual needs at little or no cost at all. However, the additive manufacturing has been around for the last 30 years. But only in the past ﬁve years has it gained this great recognition. With the promise: everyone can print objects at home with a 3D printer and become a designer, BigRep entered the market in 2014 only to lead the industry later.

The World’s Largest Standardized 3D Printer Manufacturer Headquartered in Berlin-Kreuzberg, with offices in New York and Singapore, BigRep develops and manufactures the world’s largest standardized 3D printer. One of the groundbreaking developments of this startup is the BigRep ONE, which is supplemented by the smaller BigRep STUDIO. A lot of new features have been introduced to the latest version of the BigRep ONE large scale 3D printer aimed to achieve the best possible conditions for printing large objects. BigRep has redesigned the modular print which in combination with a larger flexible spool holder which provides the ideal 3D printer for manufacturing large-scale objects. The company’s new high throughput extruder for 1 and 2mm nozzles allows for the highest performances, making the BigRep ONE v3, one of the fastest large-scale 3D printers on the market. Apart from these, the company has Pro HT Filament, world’s first high temperature filament for 3D printing in

Revolutionizing Design, Prototyping and Industrial Production Interdisciplinarity and well-founded experience in the ﬁeld of additive production has been the key factor of this ever-growing company which characterizes the multi-national team of more than 60 employees. In addition to new products, the company is now concentrating on complete solutions for industrial customers in the form of integrated additive manufacturing systems – such as the continuous printing project with TNO – announced in Autumn 2016. A highly innovative engineering company that BigRep is, aims to revolutionize design, prototyping and industrial production from the ground up. Over the next ﬁve years, BigRep intends to become a leading international supplier of additive manufacturing systems.

n 1909, the master of efﬁciency and standardization, Henry Ford popularly said, “any customer can have a car painted any color so long as it is black.” The machines were introduced in the First Industrial Revolution to replace hand labor when Ford helped usher in what was eventually the core of mass production. While the ﬁrst revolution was all about introducing machines, the later era – the Second Industrial Revolution took place using those machines to produce massive quantities of standardized products.

René Gurka: A Visionary Actively Involved in Additive Manufacturing René Gurka, the CEO, and co-founder of BigRep has been actively involved in the future of additive manufacturing

| August 2017 |

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR BIG IDEAS. THINK BIG – GO BigRep! René Gurka

CEO & Co-founder

together with his international interdisciplinary team for the last three years. In the past, he worked among other positions as CEO for Berlin Partner GmbH which is responsible for the business development of the German capital as well as for the German-American Chamber of Trade in San Francisco. “We listen carefully when our customers talk about their wishes and needs. This has also led to the development of another compact ofﬁce solution. With the BigRep Studio, we are opening up a new dimension of 3D printing. The print volume of 500 x 1000 x 500 mm provides an adequate area for large-format prints, setting new standards in speed and precision. The perfect combination of design, size and functionality allows printing in almost all places such as ofﬁce, studio or loft,” explains René Gurka on the current industry trends. Developing an End-to-End AM System Today, BigRep not only builds the largest series-produced FFF machines in the world but, together with the Dutch TNO, is developing an end-to-end AM system which aims to raise the industrial production of additive parts to an entirely new level. No doubt, the 3D startup has reached the peak, but the winds and the waves were always on the side of BigRep which made it happen. Nonetheless, the challenges are still there, but team BigRep is prepared to tackle every obstacle. Painting the Picture of Tomorrow Long Before Anyone Production time is still one of the greatest challenges faced

| August 2017 |

by additive manufacturing, and BigRep understands this very well. FDM, SLS or SLM technologies still require up to three days to complete a 3D printed large product. However, the industry requires significantly shorter production times, like those offered by conventional massproduction. Thus, in the company’s in-house innovation department, NOWlab, industrial designers, mechanical engineers, mechatronics and software developers, are together developing unique machines, materials and products, and are sketching tomorrow’s application scenarios. On the one hand, this not only includes entirely new machine concepts, but also solutions, such as a noncontact switch, which can be integrated into additively manufactured components. On the Verge of Technical Revolution Undoubtedly, fully-automated 3D printing will revolutionize industrial manufacturing over the next five years. An annual growth rate of about 20 percent is predicted by the year 2030 which represents an increase from currently 4.1 to about 40 billion US dollars. However, the ultimate truth is the biggest growth comes from production, and not from prototyping. “We must master these challenges as quickly as possible, because one thing is certain: we are at the beginning of a technical revolution. AM technology will decisively influence the entire value chain in industrial production over the next five years. We should take advantage of this opportunity!” shares René on the future. www.bigrep.com

MAKE THE

Change OR

BECOME THE

Change O

n landing at the Bengaluru airport last week, I ferried my backpack to the shared cab stand on a pleasant 18 degree Celsius morning, and waited for Uber. In a few minutes a cheerful person in mid-forties showed up and opened up the trunk to put my cabin bag over and looked over at my backpack and said “Nice bag, sir!” Appreciating my fully stuffed overnighter ready Tumi laptop backpack. “Where are you coming from, Sir?” Being the conversationalist, I went “Thank you. I am coming from Pune. Where are you from?” He goes “I am from Assam, sir” as he turned on the car and started the ride on his uber app. I observed him navigate through the trafﬁc and as we rode along, I learnt a lot about how this Assamese driver with no formal education moved to Bengaluru in his early forties and learned a new language & culture (he spoke broken Kannada at the toll booth) and how to use a smartphone and

this App and ﬁgured out a way he can earn livelihood. As I chatted with my new Assamese friend for a few minutes on the post demonetised economy and its impact (which BTW is my current favourite topic for cab driver conversation), I could see the change that this guy with almost no education embraced in the last 3 years - language, culture, distance migration into a new state, learnt new technology & embraced a new business model of shared cab services, battled with taxi unions and ﬁgured out a way to co-exist A mammoth change for a security guy turned entrepreneur driver. I wondered whether this super senior IT leader, I am meeting at Flipkart today might be ready for this much change? He was. As I discovered later. At Searce, as we help businesses become ready for the future, one of the key challenges we face is “ongoing change management” - getting companies ready for the change is easy given the current trend on modernizing IT

| August 2017 |

CXO STANDPOINT

About The Author Hardik Parekh, Founder & CEO of Searce, is a vibrant, straight talking, tech-enthusiast. Besides his signiď&#x20AC; cant prowess in frontloading information, Hardik shines as a natural design thinker, who valiantly discovers new domains and achieves expertise in the same. Being an engineer, he has worked as a management consultant in the area of Technology-led Business Process Improvement. He holds a MS degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. Entirely meticulous, spontaneous, dedicated and observant, Hardik is the energy core that powers Searce.

Hardik Parekh Founder & CEO Searce

| August 2017 |

and getting future ready etc., but resisting the status quo post the change is a super interesting challenge. And driving change management after the decision & purchase, battling status quo as the new senior executives join in the finance department (with the dinosaur age experience and the mere nature of their profession, they definitely carry a lot of weight) and go “But, I could do this on my excel spreadsheet and this cloud version does not carry that exact button. And I don't have time for this as I need to prepare this budget that needs to go to the Chairman tomorrow.” First thought that comes to mind is to point them to my dear new friend - “The Change Superman” - Assamese driver in Bengaluru. BTW: We have internalized a concept for this at Searce, “finding the same old buttons in the new car”. And ‘finding this buttons business’ becomes especially challenging when you just moved them into a Tesla. And when the Finance department (or for that matter Operations, Sales etc.) insists on putting petrol in the charging inlet of your Tesla S, we need strong change advocates in the top management to put their foot down and say, “get used to the buttonless car, dude! or go drive your ford on uber or ola.” But my Assamese friend crush them there too. He's definitely more change ready. This is the single-most driver for success in today’s businesses - Is the CEO or leader or the board (depending on the size of the company) going to make the change or become the change? While leading the digital transformation journey through cloud, automation & analytics for 1200+ businesses, our experience has been counter intuitive Just like my friend ‘The Change Superman’ - the normal tech laggards in traditional industries like manufacturing, retail and logistics have been more “ongoing change ready” than some of the large tech/IT/ITES/e-commerce companies - given the depth of baggage they carry at times. If you are an entrepreneur or wannabe entrepreneur starting now - It is super exciting times to help futurify businesses. Advancements in cloud and automation technologies are changing the industry landscape for good. Conversations have shifted from ‘Why cloud?’ to ‘How can I best move to cloud?’.

move their processes to cloud. Rest won’t exist! For businesses to stay relevant in such a rapidly changing environment, adaptability to new age technologies remains the key. As an entrepreneur, if you are not asking ‘How is my business being changed by digital technology and How do I adapt?’, a non-competitor might soon be emerging around the corner with a tech-led disruption. Don’t get blind-sided. Digital Transformation is forcing us to plan for a radical, long term evolution in the ways we interact with our customers and employees. Visionary C-level leaders are not just riding the cloud and automation wave but are using it as an opportunity to fundamentally disrupt their own business models before someone else does. Digital transformation not only requires strong leadership to drive change, but it also requires a clear vision for what parts of the company need to transform and how soon. Helping leaders in deﬁning and executing this vision is where Searce continues to play a strong catalytic role. As we work with businesses and help them futurify (stay relevant for future), we constantly challenge ourselves and our partners to get out of the ‘comfort zone’ and to ‘think beyond’. While driving digital transformation, our consultants continually experiment with new age technology and help business discover what to improve, where to innovate and how to transform. Transforming Work & Operations by digitizing processes and enhancing employee collaboration, Transforming Culture & People Processes by having democratic more social way of doing things, Transforming Customer Experience using customer analytics & Transforming Business Models by digitally modifying existing businesses remain the main foundations for driving a successful Digital Transformation strategy. Technology advancements have always been beneﬁcial for the humankind in the long run & Industrial Revolution 2.0 is going to be no different. Let us embrace the changes and prepare better for the future, now!

Gartner predicts that by 2020 anything other than a cloudonly strategy for new IT initiatives will require justiﬁcation at more than 30% of large-enterprise organizations. It is also highly likely that by 2025, 80% of organizations will

| August 2017 |

TELLING

LIFEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STORIES FROM MEMORY

1800 102 2055

Redeﬁning Scientiﬁc Measurements and Robotic Systems

n this changing digital era of the 21st century, every day is a day for innovation. Technology is fast evolving and renovating new terms in the world of improvement. While talking about the industry of 3D printers, it is to be noted that the sector is improving itself in a rapid speed and bringing up new trends in the market. The current scenario suggests that there are different patterns observed in the 3D printing sector namely, manufacturing parts faster, bigger, even smaller yet, more accurate with new materials or made up of composites. 3D printing remains to be an industry sector for creative scientists and developers, therefore, making space for various improvements in the future. It began with a prime focus on rapid prototyping and spare parts manufacturing industry which then turned to design, optimization, and production of whole parts. With the emergence of FluidFM 3D printing technology, the industry has found entirely new possibilities of 3D printing and object manufacturing at the Micro- and Nano-level. To serve the continuous demand of mankind to combine more and more

functionality on ever smaller devices and miniaturized objects, to enable scientists to conduct research beyond existing boundaries, CYTOSURGE AG, Switzerland based fast growing high-tech company develops and distributes scientific measuring instruments and robotic systems based on the patented FluidFM technology. Headquartered in Zurich, the company with their FluidFM technology, enables versatile application in the areas of material science, physics, biology and 3D printing technology. This fluidfilled hollow cantilever technology gives customers the capability to directly print metal components at the microscale in a single process step without the need for any support structures, at room temperature, and that is what is keeping Cytosurge AG ahead of others. The team at Cytosurge AG is always innovating and redefining technology to make progress in the industry. The company has recently developed their “FluidFM μ3Dprinter” to serve the research oriented industry and university market with its unique micro metal printing capabilities. The company has exhibited in various occasions like Inside3D Düsseldorf,

Germany; Hannover Messe, Germany; IDTechEx, Berlin, Germany; Advanced Material Congress, and has earned the winner award as the Best Development 3D Printing 2017-Europe from IDTechEX. Offering Unique 3D Printing Solutions Cytosurge is known to use a unique process which enables the printing of the micrometer size objects and resolutions minutely precise and accurate. The company produces printed objects which are even smaller in size than the diameter of the metal powder grains used by the other 3D printing methods. The patented technology of Cytosurge AG, FluidFM process allows direct metal printing of complex structure even with overhangs and at ambient temperature. The enterprise has developed a new 3D metal printing process which enables to print complex metal objects invisible to the human eye. Cytosurge says that the exact scale of the printed objects is a major challenging factor, but there are few to none existing metal objects which could be replaced with objects, manufactured with the FluidFM enabled printing technology. For Cytosurge, the challenge was to

| August 2017 |

We provide a new generation of tools to stimulate novel applications at the forefront of nanotechnology, in additive manufacturing, in life sciences Pascal Behr

Co-founder & CEO

make smart people think completely “Out of the Box” rather than to let them remain trapped in their existing object scale and product size paradigm. To overcome this challenge, the company has developed multiple relationships with universities and innovation department of various companies. This Swiss nanotechnology company comprises of a heterogeneous team where experienced seniority meets ambitious and well educated young specialists. At Cytosurge, each employee is encouraged to participate in the continuous “Culture at Cytosurge” – a program which aims to actively build a culture every member can recognize. The company works in an environment with lots of freedom promoting natural self-responsibility. About the Pillar of Cytosurge Pascal Behr, Co-founder, and CEO of Cytosurge is redefining technology and leading the industry. After completing his engineering degree in Electricals and Nanotechnology at ETH Zurich and Northwestern University, USA, Pascal finished his doctoral studies in the Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics at ETH Zurich and started focusing his research on the combination of atomic force microscopy with microfluidics; a technology termed FluidFM. Pascal is a man of excellence. Along with gaining an extreme level of academic knowledge, Pascal has also co-invented several patents related to FluidFM technology. He has been featured in numerous national and international blog posts and newspaper articles as a cofounder of Cytosurge.

| August 2017 |

and in single cell biology

Under Pascal’s guidance, Cytosurge has won various prestigious awards like 2017 “Best Development in 3D Printing” Award from ID TechEx in Berlin, Germany and “Pionierpreis” presented by Zürcher Kantonalbank and Technopark Zurich in 2012 which is the most prestigious Startup award in Switzerland. Apart from leading the team of Cytosurge, Pascal is a Board member in a private Swiss industrial enterprise where he is responsible for innovation and digital transformation. Future of 3D Printing through the Eyes of Cytosurge In general, the 3D printing sector is a fast-growing one and it is important that Cytosurge provides value and benefit due its ability to build very complex structures providing clear technical advantages. Cytosurge said that the future of 3D printing using FluidFM is very different since the technology is opening the possibility to build objects at a significantly smaller scale than any other 3D metal printing technique has achieved so far. Cytosurge’s technologies are offering an additional future benefit to the industry which gives businesses to parallelize the printing process utilizing established semiconductor manufacturing techniques. This possibility opens up new doors regarding manufacturing which stand firm as a difficult challenge for other 3D printing technologies.

Facilitating the Revolution of 3D Printing with its Future Solutions

he era of 3D printing has arrived and it is here to stay. From producing artiﬁcial prosthetics to the creation of humanlike kidneys – the variation and advancements of this technology is growing meteorically, print by print. Though it might take some time before 3D printing commands its dominance over the building design industry; the current printed projection showcases the colossal potential of this technology in the near future. Additionally, with the reducing cost of owning a printer, as well as the declining cost of manufacturing, the printing sector is poised to revolutionize the future of technology for numerous industries. Those familiar with this industry would most likely be aware of some of the most common and existing printing technologies in the market which includes FDM, DMLS, SLS, etc. But there has been a soaring rise in the number of 3D printing technology types in the recent past, with new and emerging companies developing and ﬁling patent for their unique methods of printing. This ongoing 3D printing revolution, also known as additive manufacturing, is shifting our perception of ideation and production.

One company that is playing its part in facilitating this shift is Genius Printers, a 3D printing technology solution provider, which boasts an unmatched proﬁle of pending patent features. Driving the Industry with Acute 3D Printing Technologies In recent years, 3D printing has found acceptance in various industry verticals. The current printing technologies are driven by its material properties, enabling the production of objects with the same functionalities but in lower tooling cost and product weight. At Genius Printers, their team of proﬁcient employees is dedicated to create and provide innovative 3D printing technologies. Whether it is FDM, SLA, SLS, or Gel Processing robot arms, their broad reach of expertise enables them to provide a solution for nearly every application. The Brain behind these Innovations Empires of the future are built upon the Empires of the mind. Markus Ulrich, CEO and Founder of Genius Printers, is the visionary who has led this company from its very beginning. All the technologies invented by Genius Printers have cropped out of the mind of Markus. Born in Germany, Markus

completed his mechanical engineering degree from the Dortmund University. He then went on to gain extensive knowledge as a broker, trader and trustee. Markus then formed and founded an IT-database company and sold the business 13 years later. Turning Digital Files into Physical Objects The recent developments within the printing arena have fuelled speculations concerning the various production abilities that 3D printing may be capable of in the future. We have all heard about the possibilities of printing dentures, houses, wheels or cars through this technology, but we fail to realize whether it can live up to our standards of usability. Most printed objects are ﬁne for demonstration purposes, but surface roughness and material distribution isn’t comparable to injection or stamped parts. As the layers aren’t well joined, they don’t possess the requisite vector strength. Thus printed parts, at least FDM prints, can hardly be used for functional purposes. This is where Genius Printers’ adequate solutions come into play, to tackle with the abovementioned issues. Genius Printers has come up with a

| August 2017 |

Oﬀering printing technologies that can print the future Markus Ulrich CEO & Founder

development and has filed a patent to reserve the rights for the innovation they are on the path of achieving. Their solution involves the usage of centrifugal force inside a drum to press out or inject granulates, which is currently used by injection molders, thereby reducing the flowing plastic’s viscosity for a fraction of a second. This is due to the spark at each tiny little hole inside a cartridge, contrastingly similar to the inkjet printers we use in our mundane lives. Genius Printers has even filed a patent for using a flexible and turn-able nozzle to produce detailed fine lines as well as wide ones, hence printing up to 100 times faster than the present FDM printing technology. They believe that the same principle applies to concrete, silicone, gel or any other liquefied process-able materials. Through this, they can unage the current printer designs, derived almost 30 years ago, and start off with self-driven gel-printing robotic arms to produce structures like real-sized cars or vehicles for design departments, or huge scale-ups for marketing purposes in stores as exhibitions. A Future Full of Promises Genius Printers is preparing to exploit all areas of its patents in the coming few years by seeking funds in Europe and the US in exchange for shares. They are even welcoming tech-savvy engineers and experienced marketing professionals to join their team of professionals. Genius Printers views the future market as highly valuable for their filed patents. They believe that robotic arms – on a

| August 2017 |

moving platform – will help to print objects and houses; their drum printers based upon resin powder and granulate will enable 100 times faster print speed; they see a market for big daylight resin printers and functional granulateprocessing printers as well. Genius Printers aims to optimize production by offering new printing technologies, which are so fast that even real mass production becomes possible for multi-color and multi-material objects. They have formulated a 3-year plan that would enable them to realize the potential of every technology developed by them.

The world’s ﬁrst 6 ﬁlament FDM printhead, made by Genius Printers For further infos and investments please contact: investors@geniusprinters.com

| August 2017 |

Building World’s 1st Open Platform 3D Printers

oday, almost every organization understands the opportunities of 3D Printing and the advantages for their business. Likewise, the declining costs for hardware and consumables have enabled small and medium sized businesses to utilize all beneﬁts of additive manufacturing. The quick development of new materials which resulted in 3D printed objects with high mechanical and thermal strength opens an extensive range of new applications from functional prototypes to small series of end products. As an outcome of that, the level of knowledge of additive manufacturing is rising in the organizations so are the expectations for the procedure itself. Engineers want to have a full control of the 3D printing process as opposed to having an algorithm performing their job and ascertaining ideal software parameters. Also, they hope to have the full adaptability with regards to the decision of what material can be utilized for their applications. This aligns perfectly with the “Open Platform” philosophy of German RepRap that makes the world's ﬁrst industrial quality, open platform 3D Printers capable of printing all

materials on huge build platforms. Based in Feldkirchen near Munich, German RepRap was originally founded as a German RepRap Foundation (GRRF). Since then, the company has been developing and distributing 3D printers based on FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technology, as well as filaments, software, and accessories. German RepRap is also the first company in Germany to offer the X1000, a large volume 3D printer for industrial requirements. An Engineer’s First Choice The product line increases steadily and consists of 3D printers for professional users in product development, automobile, aerospace, prototyping, mold and model-making, architecture, design and much more. German RepRap’s customer base comprises leading industry companies, designers, architects, artists, model makers, universities, and schools. German RepRap is the first preference of engineer’s that offers full control over the 3D printing service and has the flexibility of using any material that the printer can technically process. The latest machine of the x-series is the German RepRap X500 with new

features like auto bed leveling, a heated building chamber, filament feed control, brand new DD4 extruder technology and much more. Besides the X-series, German RepRap has just announced a new, innovative 3D printing technology called Liquid Additive Manufacturing. Extremely complex geometries that can’t be manufactured with the conventional molding techniques can now be 3D printed for the very first time, as well as small or medium size batches, where the costs of tools and casts do not allow an economic process. A Passionate Leader in 3D Printing Florian Bautz, Managing Director, German RepRap has always been passionate about 3D printing. He took part in the Open Source RepRap project (self-replicating, rapid prototype), which led to an extensive spread of the FFF technology for the very first time. He started with an online shop of spare parts for RepRap printers as a lot of those components had to be imported to Germany back in 2010. His plan took off as within the first 24 hours of the online presence; his online shop was sold out. He then realized a

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Florian Bautz Managing Director

rising demand for the RepRap project in Europe, and the decision to design his own RepRap printer was a logical consequence, and German RepRap was thus founded. After three years, he created the first large volume 3D printer, and X400 was born, just to print components for the existing smaller printers more efficiently. However, as industrial companies started to reach out to German RepRap for the X400, he realized the absence of the comparable system in the market and a tremendous opportunity in focus on B2B demands. Again, his decision to concentrate on industrial 3D printers from 2014 was logical, market driven, and successful, and led the brand German RepRap to become one of the fastest growing 3D printing companies with a growth rate of 60 % in 2016 and a full range of industrial 3D printers, the X series. Leading from the Front and Overcoming Struggles Since its inception, German RepRap has experienced a huge gap between the expectations of its customers and the actual possibilities of 3D printing technology in general. The lack of knowledge among clients and the hype over 3D printing created by the media were the reason behind wrong expectations. Overcoming these false expectations to deliver the actual result was a challenge for the firm.

We see ourselves as the engineer’s choice, oﬀering full control over the 3D printing process while having the ﬂexibility of using any material that the printer can technically process

printing. 3D printing is a time-consuming process which demands skilled individuals in different disciplines. Also, with the technology just starting to get implemented into university programs, it was not at all easy to find the right set of people. The Future that Looks Promising As the development of the technology and the consumables are moving so fast, German RepRap sees themselves more than just a manufacturer of 3D printers, but also as a consultant helping to find out if the ideas of the engineers can be realized with their technology and if so in what specific way. There are fascinating times ahead for German RepRap, especially because of the massive speed of development in all 3D printing related fields, such as hardware, software, and consumables. Everyone speaks about industry 4.0 where 3D Printing already will play a huge role, in combination with the trend of customization which shows the limits of traditional manufacturing. At present, German RepRap serves more than 24 countries already, and they strive to continue growing their presence in the new markets as well. German RepRap has a strong connection to the industry, and they plan to use that advantage to align their R&D activities as close as possible to the demands of the industry.

Another challenge German RepRap faced was to ﬁnd the right people that have already gained knowledge of 3D

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Oﬀering Integrated Recycling Technology for 3D Printing

n the past few years, 3D printing has matured beyond its initial hype cycle. While there isn’t going to be a 3D printer in every home any time soon, 3D printing has started to appear in small and medium businesses, classrooms and labs, around the world. When you consider the “use case potential”, this makes sense – there isn't much you can 3D print for your home, but rapid prototyping, STEAM education, architecture, product design, and many other fields have real use cases for 3D printing right now. However, as 3D printing is often used for rapid prototyping or one-of production, a significant amount of waste can be created – enters ReDeTec to the rescue with its recycling solutions for 3D printing. To solve the wastage issues and the higher costs associated with 3D printing, ReDeTec has developed a technology that recycles the 3D printer waste back into filament for FDM 3D printing. This is known as ProtoCycler, which eliminates all printer wastes, reduces printing costs by over 80%, and allows full-fledged control over the color and material used in 3D printing.

A Leader who Experienced Joy of 3D Printing before People Heard of it Dennon Oosterman, CEO of ReDeTec is one of the very few people, who has been lucky enough to experience the uniqueness and joy of 3D printing before most of the people even heard of the technology. However, while experiencing 3D printing, he also came across how much it costs and how quickly the obsolete and nearly useless prototypes start ﬁlling trash cans, which eventually led to the foundation of ReDeTec. Dennon’s prior experience in two other start-ups and a brief stint in Venture Capital have helped him and other Co-founders to guide the business since the time of its inception. However, thanks to the healthy dosage of technical know-how in the funding team and brilliant support network of advisors on the business side helped the company reach where it is today. Dennon is an engineering graduate from The University of British Columbia, he loves to make stuff in his free time- which can be anything from wooden boats, to vintage guitar ampliﬁer, or even beer. According to Dennon, making something by himself

is more satisfying and affordable than buying off the shelf, which even allows to get the desired thing. Rising above the Challenges to Achieve their Vision Since its very inception, ReDeTec has had a very tumultuous journey to reach where it stands today. From cash flow gaps in manufacturing to the almost torturous process of safety certification; to last minute experiment failures or shipping logistics and fulfillment; the list of challenges they had to face goes on. A recurring theme among all of their obstacles and struggles has been the fact that no one had ever done or attempted this before in the 3D industry. Their vision of recycling plastic with consumer appliance was something unheard of before and to implement the same with 3D printing further complicated the process. ReDeTec had to invest a lot of effort in R&D and even in-house production, as no one else in the industry was able to produce their envisioned technologies at their price point.

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We want everyone to be able to create whatever they wish, with no concerns for their wallet or the environment Dennon Oosterman CEO

Company Philosophy Summed-up in Two Words – Creative Empowerment ReDeTec facilitates freedom for everyone, everywhere, to make almost anything. Irrespective of the pollution that it may cause, the expenses that it may bear, or the number of attempts that it may take, ReDeTec ensures democracy of fabrication where everyone has the freedom to make anything. ReDeTec wants waste pickers in developing countries to be able to make custom prosthetic hand; they want NASA to be able to recycle waste on the International Space Station into new needed tools; they want children to learn about science and technology in the most hands-on way possible. By giving everyone, everywhere the ability to physically manifest their ideas, ReDeTec believes that they can change the world and it has already begun according to them. Tackling the Competition and Staying One-Step ahead of the Industry According to Dennon Oosterman, “I think the future of 3D printing lies in two key areas - usability and colour. Right now 3D printers are like the original dot matrix "2d" printers...they work, but in an extremely limited and difﬁcult way.” ReDeTec realizes these issues and is now allowing people to tweak the printers for free, as well as allowing customized colors. In addition to these, the company is currently working on a new extrusion technology to allow full colour printing, which as they rightfully claim to be a “gamechanger.”

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It should come off as no surprise that till date, ReDeTec is the only company in the world that offers integrated recycling technology for 3D printing. There is no other available product in the market like ProtoCycler, which can take 3D printer waste and return it to filament form – from grinding through to spooling phase, completely automated. To stay ahead of their contemporaries and the industry itself, ReDeTec also possess a patent pending plastic extrusion technology. This technology significantly reduces the time and energy required to extrude plastic at any scale, and is the only filament extruder in the market to be certified for safety by UL, FCC, CE, etc.

In an Ever Faster Changing World Extreme Conﬁgurability is the Answer

he “scalable software business” is enabling the rapid growth of many of the current day disrupting companies, such as Uber and Airbnb. This should be a source of inspiration also for those of us working with software in combination with hardware. And why? Because “scalable” can also be spelled “ﬂexible” or “adaptable” and that is something the manufacturing industry is looking for.

Here is a brief introduction to, how we try to apply this kind of mindset at IVISYS in our development of full vision system solutions. But first a bit of background and insights on the main challenges of our industry, the automated quality control industry: Since the 1980s the use of vision systems--camera-based automated quality control--has spread to many industries. Many of these systems rely on so-called vision sensors (and smart cams) —small integrated units with optics, an output signal, a data processor and a software-pack. Most frequently, they are single-purpose units, programmed for performing only one type of inspection. Is the tide turning against such single-purpose solutions? At IVISYS, we believe so. Many of these are legacy-systems hailing from the vision industry’s early years. Often, they have limited or no use today, as they have shown to be too inflexible for the changing demands of current day manufacturing. Two of the main obstacles for ongoing deployment of the early-generation vision systems is the lack of robustness and flexibility, mostly due to light distortions and inadequate data processing speed. Light reflections and other variations related to the light source is one of the main challenges for these legacy vision systems, as small variations in reflected light distorts image data and thereby the robustness of the inspection. Moreover, legacy systems often present manufactures to with a painful trade-off: Since each legacy vision sensor has a limited data processing capacity, manufacturers has to have multiple such sensors if they wish to control various quality points without losing production speed, and high resolution inspections are only feasible if the production speed is low. All-in-all, the outcome has often been unsatisfying levels of robustness and flexibility—as truly satisfying results are only achievable in environments with very stable light conditions with several sensors and long production cycles, all needing individual set-up and programming. Luckily, the vision industry is characterized by a high level of innovation driven by a wide range of competing industry players, who all have their take on how to solve these well-known challenges. At IVISYS, our approach is multidimensional. First of all, we have solved the lighting issue by developing our own light source solutions combined with limited light sensitivity in our image processing. Secondly, we have decided to make data processing speed a priority. The ongoing revolution in general data processing capacity, following Moore’s law, has enabled several industry players to leverage Ultra High-Definition cameras, which has made a focus on data processing speed mandatory. However, all vision system technology companies have access to pretty much the same optics as well as the same data processing hardware. Therefore, the specifications of a vision system’s data processing equipment do not really tell the full

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CXO Standpoint

story about how a company will keep up with the increasing demand for even speedier solutions in the future. Instead, manufacturers should really ask in-depth questions when considering a vision system. The real challenge is to develop software which is capable of handling ever increasing data flow levels. If the prospective provider cannot account for how they will be able to keep up with the ever-increasing levels of data available, they will most likely not be able to keep up with the customers’ demands. At IVISYS, our answer to such questions is that we rely on patented image data processing methods, built on novel data processing algorithms, powering our in-house developed software, backed up by test data. In addition to the inspiration from the Ubers and Airbnbs of the world, we also must relate to a constantly changing environment driven by the rise of Internet of Things, rapidly improving optics and constantly changing data processing capabilities. All this has made us convinced that the time is no longer only for small integrated single-purpose units. Instead, we believe in building up larger inspection stations, which is a ‘one-stop-shop- for all inspections of an object. Moreover, we provide ‘open solutions’, where each component is replaceable. In addition, the whole technical setup can be moved in its entirety—or alternatively be taken apart and assembled again. The end results are solutions, which are flexible in virtually all regards-- ‘extreme configurability’. In this manner, our solution resembles the ‘disrupter enablers’ as the customer will always be able to add new capabilities to our systems—and we will not miss any new emerging trends.

About the Author:

Jakob Kesje founders IVISYS

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Jakob Kesje is one of the two founders of IVISYS, he has been a board member and CEO of the company since 2013. Jakob holds an MBA from CBS, Copenhagen Business School. Jakob is chairman of several company boards and has held multiple CEO positions prior to his position at IVISYS, mainly in the manufacturing industry, for companies such as FrontPac AB, FronPac Tryck AB and Frontprint AB. Moreover, Jakob has launched a number of companies and lead them on a path of continued growth, such as Frontwell AB, Johannesson & Co as well as Via Music.