24th issue am magazine jan by Additive Manufacturing Technologies Magazine

The Magazine

AM –13/14 Vol.05 Issue 25 Website: www.ammagazine.in

on the cover: The ‘New FORMIGA P110 Plastic-EOS’

latest updates: 22.

Press Release: Stratasys Introduces Tough Unfilled Nylon for Additive Manufacturing

23. News Release: Renishaw - BLOODHOUND SSC turns to Renishaw for 3D printing expertise 24. Press Release: Voxeljet - Custom bikes in batch sizes of one

regulars: 4.Editorial Insight 5. White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trend in Aerospace: Leading the way

10. Modelling Luxury -Stratasys

12. Medical: Saving Cyrano: How Additive Manufacturing Helped Create a One-of-a-kind Knee Joint for a Cat- EOS

14. Lotus F1 Team and 3D Systems move together towards raceready mass production of parts

16. Case study: The 3D Printed Pen is Mightier than the Sword

18. Case Study: Innovative methods for testing aortic aneurysm devices

20. Case study-Turbine Wheel

Editorial:

Additive Manufacturing Technology Magazine Dear Readers, Wish you all a happy and prosperous new year‐ 2014. It is our great pleasure to announce that The RPD Magazine has become AM Magazine. The continuous innovation of new 3D printing and additive manufacturing process has been a revolution in the field of additive manufacturing. Aha 3D Innovations Pvt. Ltd., India’s first designer and manufacturer of indigenous 3D printers has come out with ProtoCentre 999 and ProtoCentre1812 PRO Rapid Prototyping Machines. The process works on Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), one of the popular processes of Rapid Prototyping which fabricates a 3D object by depositing layer upon layer of a molten thermoplastic thread (Fused Filament). It is good news for Additive Manufacturing Service bureau’s, academics and research & development organisations to look in to the new AM technology for their applications. -L. Jyothish Kumar CEO and Managing Editor

White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace: Leading the way

By Joe Hiemenz, Stratasys, Inc. Aerospace is the industry that other industries look to for a glimpse at what’s on the horizon. Aerospace has a long history of being an early adopter, innovator and investigator. What this industry was doing decades ago has now become commonplace, almost pedestrian. For example, the aerospace industry was the earliest adopter of carbon fiber, and it was the first to integrate CAD/CAM into its design process. There are many other examples that show that trends in aerospace are predictors of future trends in manufacturing across all industries. The aerospace industry has incorporated additive manufacturing (AM) throughout all processes and functions; from the design concept to near‐end‐of‐life repairs. With each success, it then drives AM deeper into related processes, making it multi‐purpose. And aerospace continues to investigate new applications and invest in research to make them possible. Ultimately, the outcome of that research trickles down to AM users in a wide spectrum of disciplines and applications. The aerospace industry has incorporated additive manufacturing (AM) throughout all processes and functions; from the design concept to near‐end‐of‐life repairs. With each success, it then drives AM deeper into related processes, making it multi‐purpose. And aerospace continues to investigate new applications and invest in research to make them possible. Ultimately, the outcome of that research trickles down to AM users in a wide spectrum of disciplines and applications. As a design tool, AM, also known as 3D printing, has been used for two decades. Aerospace led the way, and all other industries have followed in its footsteps. So, this is a reminder, not a predictor, of aerospace’s trend‐setting role and of the value of AM. Much like CAD/CAM, AM is no longer a tool that requires financial justification. Its value is a given, and the attitude is “Let’s just 3D print it,” as one aerospace staffer commented. It is an “enabler,” said another. So how is AM being used in the aerospace industry today, which can predict similar use in mainstream manufacturing in the near future? Prototype SelectTech Geospatial, an advanced manufacturing facility for commercial and defense applications, has the distinction of producing the first 3D‐printed unmanned aerial system (UAS) to take off and land on its gear. The airframe was made entirely from AM parts. For SelectTech, AM offers the flexibility to iterate. It uses AM in a trial‐ and‐error approach that avoids lengthy delays for analysis and simulation. Its process is simple, direct and efficient: Design, print, assemble, fly, learn and repeat. According to Frank Beafore, engineering director for SelectTech, “[There were] no failures; each attempt gave us information,” he said. “3D printing is an enabler.” Fig.1.For SelectTech, UAS test flight damage is a learning experience.

Test When building a handful of highly customized vehicles and subjecting them to punishment, NASA decided that stock parts and traditional manufacturing methods weren’t the best choice. NASA’s 3D‐printed parts for the Mars rover included items such as flame‐retardant vents and housings, camera mounts and large pod doors. Fig.2.NASA outfitted the Mars rovers with 70 AM parts

White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace: Leading the way

AM offered the design flexibility and quick turnaround to build custom‐tailored housings. For example, one ear‐shaped, exterior housing is deep and contorted, making it impossible — or at least prohibitively expensive — to machine. In all, NASA produced 70 AM parts for its test vehicles. This ensured that the rover’s parts are based on the best possible design by solving challenges before committing to expensive tooling. “Everyone’s got a budget to deal with, and we’re no different,” says Chris Chapman, NASA test engineer. Manufacturing Processes Between design and production lie many opportunities to leverage AM for custom manufacturing tools. Although AM doesn’t manufacture the finished goods in this set of applications, it produces jigs, fixtures, aids, gages and other tools that make production more efficient while minimizing expenses and delays. Tooling Advanced Composite Structures (ACS) repairs fixed‐wing and rotary‐wing aircraft and performs low‐volume component manufacturing, using composite parts. This work needs layup tools, mandrels, cores and drill guides. When these are CNC machined, ACS invests several months and many thousands of dollars. And when changes occur, costs rise and delays mount. The resolution is AM for nearly all of its composite tooling needs. On average, layup tools cost only $400 and are ready for use in 24 hours, which means that changes are no longer serious issues. Fig.3.ACS helicopter fin (center) with AM drill guide (front).

AM really shines for hollow composite parts, such as a capsule for a remotely piloted vehicle. Wrapping composites around a soluble core made with AM eliminates tooling bucks and two‐piece clamshell tooling. “For the repairs and short‐volume production work that we specialize in, tooling often constitutes a major portion of the overall cost. Moving from traditional methods to producing composite tooling with Fused Deposition Modeling has helped us substantially improve our competitive position,” said Bruce Anning, ACS owner. Connecticut Corsair is a volunteer organization dedicated to restoring its namesake, historic aircraft. On every project, it faces the challenge of replacing legacy parts. They are difficult to locate and just as hard to replicate since most don’t match the archived engineering drawings. Another challenge is the low‐volume of parts. Because each forming die could cost tens of thousands of dollars, this nonprofit organization struggled to find the funds to reproduce needed parts. Fig.4. An original Corsair in flight. It’s counterintuitive, but plastic tools, made with AM, can be used in the high‐pressure hydro forming process to make sheet metal parts. According to Craig McBurney, the organization’s founder and project manager “Once we have that file, we print out forming blocks and have the sheet metal parts hydro formed. It was unheard of in our industry to do that so quickly and so accurately,” he said. Piper Aircraft also uses hydro forming, but its application is for hundreds of aluminum structural parts on new aircraft. In the past, it used machined tools for sheet metal forming. Piper determined that polycarbonate tools could withstand hydro forming pressures ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 psi, making it suitable for forming all of its structural parts. Fig.5.Piper Aircraft hydroforms sheet metal parts on FDM‐Created tools

White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace: Leading the way

“I can program an FDM part in 10 minutes while a typical CNC program takes four hours to write,” said Jacob Allenbaugh, manufacturing engineer, Piper Aircraft. “The FDM machine can be much faster than a CNC machine and does not require an operator in attendance.” Another AM advantage: “Material waste with FDM is much less than CNC machining because the FDM support material is typically less than 20 percent of the total,” said Allenbaugh. Piper’s next phase of plastic AM forming tools will focus on building a more efficient aircraft by moving to more complex and organically shaped parts. These parts will be made practical by AM. Jigs, Fixtures & Surrogates “There are also big benefits from the more mundane AM applications, such as fixture making and surrogate parts,” said Jeff DeGrange, vice president of direct digital manufacturing for Stratasys and formerly of Boeing. For each vehicle, companies may have hundreds of fixtures, guides, templates and gauges printed with AM — typically with 60 to 90 percent reductions in cost and lead time. Fig.6.CH‐53E Super Stallion ‐ candidate for surrogate parts. Photo by Lance Cpl Steve Acuff.

The value in surrogates – which are placeholders for the production assemblies — is a full‐featured replacement that is a substitute for high‐value parts. Surrogates are used on the production floor and in the training room. For example, both NASA and Sheppard Air Force Base use AM surrogates for technician and operator training.

Production

The final frontier is production — making finished goods with AM. “We’re now seeing early acceptance in the commercial aviation industry, which has some of the toughest performance standards,” said DeGrange. “Examples include air grates, panel covers and other interior parts. Behind an aircraft’s skins there are HVAC ducts, power distribution panes, and lots of mounting and attachment hardware, all being manufactured with AM,” said DeGrange, who noted that these parts are both for new and in‐service aircraft. Fig.7.Surrogate landing gear for commercial jet.

Commercial/ Military DeGrange highlighted business jets where, “Companies build 500 jets for 50 customers, each with different specs. AM gives them economies of scale and the flexibility to meet the needs of a wide product mix.” Taylor‐Deal Automation is one such company. It uses AM for prototyping through production for its engineering and modification of specialty fluid and air handling parts. “With AM we have design flexibility, cost reductions, weight savings and improved lead times,” said Brian Taylor, president, “all with low‐quantity production.” Taylor’s material of choice is ULTEM® 9085, which meets FAA flame regulations. Having a flight‐grade material, “gives designers much more flexibility when designing parts. It allows us to reduce engineering time and manufacture a less expensive part.”

White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace: Leading the way

The design and manufacturing flexibility results in more efficient aircraft. The AM parts contain less material, so their weight is approximately one‐third (or less) of that of the metal parts they replace. Kelly Manufacturing Co. (KMC) makes the R.C. Allen line of aircraft instrumentation and is the world’s largest manufacturer of general aviation instruments. Its example of production AM applications is a toroid housing in a turn‐and‐bank indicator. Previously, parts were made from urethane molded in soft (rubber) tooling. This was the process of choice for low‐volume production because it is much cheaper and faster than a composite layup. But AM has replaced rubber molding since it further reduces cost and time. Fig.8. This instrument contains a toroid housing, produced via additive manufacturing. The toroid housing, cast in a rubber mold, would have taken three to four weeks for a 500‐piece order. Now, KMC produces 500 toroid housings in one overnight run of its FDM system. Justin Kelley, KMC president, said, “From order to delivery, it Takes only three days to have certified production parts.” Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

“UAS production is a rapidly growing segment for AM because of the complex systems, rapid design iterations, low‐volume, structural complexity and no passenger safety regulations to hinder deployment,” said DeGrange. Fig.9.500 toroid housings are produced overnight with an FDM‐based Fortus machine.

Aurora Flight Sciences, which develops and manufactures advanced unmanned systems and aerospace vehicles, fabricated and flew a 62‐inch wingspan aircraft — the wing composed entirely of AM components. This manufacturing approach reduces the design constraints engineers’ face when using traditional fabrication techniques. The design of the wing’s structure was optimized to reduce weight while maintaining strength. “The success of this wing has shown that 3D printing can be used to rapidly fabricate the structure of a small airplane,” said Dan Campbell, structures research engineer at Aurora. “If a wing replacement is necessary, we simply click print, and within a couple days we have a new wing ready to fly.” Fig.10.Aurora smart wing: 3D‐printed structure with printed electronics.

Aurora also sheds light on an emerging application: ‘smart parts’, which are hybrid parts that include 3D‐printed structures and printed electronics. Aurora worked with Stratasys and Optomec to combine FDM and Aerosol Jet electronics printing to fabricate wings with integrated electronics.

“Bringing together 3D printing and printed electronic circuitry will be a game changer for design and manufacturing,” says DeGrange. “It has the potential to completely streamline production by requiring fewer materials and steps to bring a product to market.” “The ability to fabricate functional electronics into complexly shaped structures using additive manufacturing can allow UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] to be built more quickly, with more customization, potentially closer to the field where they’re needed. All these benefits can lead to efficient, cost‐effective field vehicles,” said Campbell.

White Paper: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace: Leading the way

Smart parts enhance performance and functionality in two ways. 3D printers enable lighter weight mechanical structures. Conformal electronics printed directly onto the structure frees up space for additional payload. Leptron produces remotely piloted helicopters. For its RDASS 4 project, AM allowed Leptron to make 200 design changes — each component had at least four modifications — without incurring a penalty in time or cost. When the design was ready to take off, Leptron had flight‐ready parts in less than 48 hours, all thanks to AM. And for this project, there were multiple designs for specific applications, such as eight variations for the nesting integrated fuselage components. If it had used injection molding, as it had in the past, tooling expense would have exceeded $250,000 and production parts would have arrived six months later. Fig.11.Leptron’s RDASS 4 UAS.

This mid‐sized company embodies the aerospace trend: No machine shop; instead, an additive manufacturing machine that is used for prototyping through production. In aerospace, AM has become a tool for designing, testing, tooling and production that extends beyond the aircraft that this industry manufactures. Companies also rely on these AM applications for their ground support systems and repair depots. Yet, according to DeGrange, “We haven’t begun to flood into all the areas in which we can use AM. That makes it exciting. “The technology is very versatile,” he says. “One week it’s used for engineering prototypes, the next to make tools for manufacturing processes and the next to produce finished goods. The versatility is tremendous.” Fig.12.Ground support systems use AM.

That versatility extends beyond aerospace applications to encompass a diversity of industries in which AM has, and will be, applied. Versatility, in one word, is also the aerospace trend to watch, follow and implement.

Case Study: Modelling Luxury‐ Stratasys

From tires to interiors, Bentley designs with 3D printing

“Stratasys’ rapid prototyping systems have allowed us to develop things in a totally new way. With this technology, we can simulate exactly how the car will look.” — Kevin Baker, Bentley Motors Fig.1 .Bentley designers hone nearly every detail of the car, inside and out, with the help of a 3D printer.

When your very name conjures up visions of luxury, quality and detail, your design studio has to employ the very best minds working with the very best technology. Founded from modest beginnings in England in 1919, Bentley Motors Ltd. is dedicated to making responsive and powerful Grand Tourer automobiles with the stamina to cross continents at speed, in refined comfort and style. Fig.2. Designers can use Objet 3D Printers to produce virtually any detail on the car’s exterior or interior to scale

Long before mission statements became popular, the company’s creator, W.O. Bentley, said the company’s objective was “to build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class.” Maintaining this tradition for automotive excellence and prestige is a fundamental focus for Bentley as it combines innovative technologies with traditional craftsmanship at every stage of development and production. Little surprise then, that Bentley should equip its design studio with Objet30 Pro desktop and Objet500 Connex multi‐material 3D printers. Using patented PolyJet technology, Stratasys 3D Printers enable the design studio team to easily and quickly produce small‐scale models,as well as full‐size parts, for assessment and testing prior to production on the assembly line. Virtually every part is prototyped in miniature, right down to the crystal decanter. “The accuracy of the Objet30 3D Printer enables us to take a full‐size part and scale it down to produce a one‐tenth scale model,” explains David Hayward, operations and projects manager at the Bentley Design Studio. “Once we have approval The Objet500 Connex 3D Printer can build a rubber tire at this scale, we can move onto our larger Objet500 Connex 3D and rigid wheel rim in one piece. Printer to produce one‐third scale models, full‐sized parts as well as parts that combine different material properties without assembly.”

Case study: Modelling Luxury‐ Stratasys

Multi‐Material Capability The Objet500 Connex 3D Printer also empowers the design studio team to combine a variety of material properties within the same printing process. From wheel rims and tires, to full‐size tail pipe trims, multi‐material 3D printing enables Bentley engineers to produce models across several engineering functions with a diverse range of material properties. A single prototype can combine rigid and rubber‐like, clear and opaque materials with no assembly required, enabling you to 3D print, for example, a rubber tire on a wheel rim. In fact, according to Hayward, every conceivable object used on either a car’s interior or exterior can be created using this technology. “We can reproduce grills, mouldings, headlamps, door mirrors — basically every part that we see on the car — a design‐intent production model,” he explains. PolyJet’s rubber‐like material enables Bentley to simulate rubber with different levels of hardness, elongation and tear resistance. “We can also produce rubber components with a variety of different tensile strengths,” continues Hayward. “We’ve even developed designs for actual glassware and the decanter using the clear material.” Kevin Baker, design model manager at the Bentley Design Studio, is equally impressed with the way the team’s 3D printing solutions have revolutionized the design processes. “Stratasys’ rapid prototyping systems have allowed us to develop things in a totally new way. With this technology, we can simulate exactly how the car will look,” he says.

Medical Case Study: Saving Cyrano‐ How Additive Manufacturing Helped Create a one‐of‐a kind knee joint for a cat ‐ EOS

Cyrano escaped a leg amputation thanks to laser sintered prosthesis For quite some time, Mr. Cyrano L. Catte II, an orange‐and‐white cat, had the perfect life. He had a nice home in Upperville, Va., U.S.A., more than adequate food, and owners who loved him very much. Then, at the age of nine, he got bone cancer in his left hind leg. Cyrano’s owners spared no expense or effort. They took him to the University of Colorado, where he made instant veterinary history by being the first cat to receive stereotactic radiation (focused beams aimed at the tumor) therapy. Two sets of radiation cured his cancer – full remission – but one of the side effects was bone deterioration of his distal femur and some on the upper end of the tibia as well. The normal procedure for such a condition would be to amputate the leg. In Cyrano’s case, that was not recommended: he weighed 26 pounds, and movement on three legs would be difficult. Cyrano the cat (above) is the first feline in the U.S to receive a Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA ). Femoral and tibial components were created with a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system from EOS (Source: NC State University).

Challenge One potential alternative would be a complete replacement of the cat’s knee (stifle) with an artificial one – a first in the U.S. for felines. Cyrano’s intrepid owners took him to the veterinary facility at North Carolina State University in Raleigh to met with Dr. Denis Marcellin‐Little, a veterinary surgeon and a professor of orthopedic, and Professor Ola Harrysson of the Industrial and Systems Engi‐ neering (ISE) department. Right away they recognized the challenges: The implants have to be very small and because of the poor quality of the joint’s bone structure stems were needed to anchor the implant components with the bones. Just as quick, they decided using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) from EOS to make the two main components of the artificial knee. The addition of the stems and the incorporation of features to match up with custom drilling and cutting guides gave the metal components shapes that were not readily manufacturable by traditional molding or subtractive cutting Process. There was also the issue of the varied surface textures of the final device. “From an orthopedic standpoint, we wanted to include different types of surfaces,” Marcellin‐Little says. The two stems that extended inside the hollowed‐out femur and tibia were slightly textured to promote bone ingrowth. Further up on the femoral and tibial components was an area of porous mesh to facilitate strong osseointegration. While the stems provided short‐term stability for the implant, the textured and meshed surfaces would promote long‐term stability. Finally, the bearing surface at the end of each cobalt chrome piece had to be extremely polished to enable smooth motion against the polyethylene tibial mobile bearing surface, which would rotate during leg movement. Solution

Design started with 3D data from CT scans of Cyrano’s good and bad hind legs. 3D design models of the implant components were made using MIMICS software from Materialise. “We started from one of BioMedtrix’s knee implants for dogs and miniaturized it,” Marcellin‐Little says. “We added the stems, the bolts that hold the stems in place, and other features unique to this design.” The result was very sophisticated compared to other feline implants currently in use. “We incorporated features from human devices,” Harrysson says. “The trick was in making them small enough for a cat – think of a finger joint prosthesis, which would be about the right size. The metal component models were manufactured at EOS’ global headquarter in Krailling, Germany, sent to BioMedtrix for finishing and then the DMLS parts were ready for handing off to the surgical team.

Medical Case Study: Saving Cyrano‐ How Additive Manufacturing Helped Create a one of‐a‐kind knee joint for a cat ‐ EOS

Results DMLS can work with a number of different metals. Titanium is great for bone ingrowth but it is much softer than cobalt chromium. “The loads on a titanium femoral head would wear the metal down eventually. Because the implant components would already be thin in some places, they might be subject to breaking or cracking if they eroded still further. Cobalt chromium was our best choice,” Marcellin‐Little points out. All these textures were possible, and fairly easy to create, by using Additive Manufacturing. “The EOS technology not only gives us design freedom for orthopedic implants,” Harrysson says. “It also offers the means to build osseointegrated surfaces directly into the part.” Traditionally manufactured implants often have surfaces added in post‐processing, such as multiple layers of beads sintered on manually. Plasma spraying and other surfacing techniques are not as accurate as DMLS, which allows designers to specify the pore size, density, and the layout of the porous section. Key to the project was assembling a multi‐talented design and manu‐ facturing team, which consisted of 16 experts and spanned five states and two continents. “This kind of implant had never been made before, and this surgery never attempted,” Marcellin‐Little says.

The surgery, which took six hours, went smoothly. “As we suspected, Cyrano’s distal femur had very poor bone quality,” Marcellin‐ Little notes. “Without the stems that we had designed in, the femoral component would not have been stable at all, even if we had used polymethylmethacrylate bone cement.” Afterwards Cyrano began the long road of rehabilitation and therapy that would lead to his recovery. He did well. Besides his observable limp, he is able to use the leg and joint. “Cyrano was a perfect patient, very cool and very calm,” Marcellin‐ Little says. “He is much more comfortable than he had been since the cancer developed, and he’s pleased, and his owners are pleased" “The main change this techno‐ logy has brought is that the manufacturing process is no longer a barrier to the imagination of an orthopaedic clinician who needs to create something very specific.” Dr. Denis Marcellin‐Little, Veterinary Surgeon and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State

“What we learned from the Cyrano project is transferable to other animals and even to human medicine. Now that we know how to miniaturize a joint this sophisticated there are a number of potential applications, in hands or jaws, for example.”‐ Ola Harrysson, Professor of the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) department at NC State

Lotus F1 team and 3D systems move together towards race‐ready mass production of parts

Formula 1 is a sport revolving around engineering innovation where teams work relentlessly to reach and maintain a competitive advantage. The research and development machine never stops and at Lotus F1 Team the contributions of Technical Partners plays a crucial role in helping a lean and efficient organization reach its targets.

“Race after race, new components made of complex composites and aerospace alloys see the light after surviving a harsh selection in the R/D and simulation labs,” ‐ Technical Director Nick Chester explains. IMG.1 (SLA prototype of 1999 gearbox hydraulic manifold)

“At the end of a racing season, we expect our race car to be in excess of a second per lap quicker than when we started and Technical Partners have to survive the same ruthless selection. We are not interested in relationships that are not capable of bringing value to this quest for performance.” The history of Rapid Manufacturing in Enstone began in 1998, when the first 3D Systems SLA® 5000 was deployed to do what it said on the tin: rapid prototyping. This is a useful discipline in a sport where aerodynamic surfacing constrains internal race‐car components under a tightly packaged set of curvy panels. If function/fit tests were the main application for this new machine, the potential of the technology could not pass unobserved as aerodynamicists of the then Benetton Formula One team saw the complexity of the components coming out of the SLA® 5000. Dirk de Beer, Lotus F1 Team Head of Aerodynamics, explains: “Once the team got their 3D Systems machine, they began using it to develop component prototypes with a size‐fit function. The use of solid imaging technology then gradually expanded from rapid prototyping to wind tunnel model manufacturing, allowing our Aero Department to grow from 11 to 80 employees. In Wind Tunnel testing, aerodynamics is an empirical science. We design and compare new ideas and choose directions to follow. The more ideas we can compare and evaluate, the more successful we will be on the track.” Dirk continues: “The car model in the wind tunnel features a complex network of pressure sensors. The sensors were positioned by drilling pressure tappings into metal and carbon fiber components before SLA technologies became available. The ability to produce complex solids with intricate internal channels has revolutionized our ability to place these sensors and increase their numbers. It’s a dream come true for aerodynamicists!” IMG.2 (Wind Tunnel model SLA Air‐box)

Lotus now has nine of these centers and houses five SLA® iPro 8000 Systems, one SLA® 7000, one Sinterstation® Pro 140 SLS® System and two Sinterstation® HiQ™ SLS® Systems, which today allow direct manufacture of production parts for our race cars.

Lotus F1 team and 3D systems move together towards race‐ready mass production of parts

Thomas Mayer, COO at Lotus F1 Team, is in no doubt of the added efficiency these technologies have brought to the team: “The first SLA® System parts were installed in a racecar in 2001 and following their success, we have continued to explore the boundaries of these materials. Since the launch of our Advanced Digital Manufacturing (ADM) Centre in 2002, 3D Systems’ technologies have become an effective new manufacturing process that enabled us to reduce both cycle times and cost, and has added invaluable benefit to the team. On one hand, we enjoy the ability to manufacture multiple iterations of the same part for Wind Tunnel testing while on the other we see the number of sintered components in the actual car grow every year.” In practical terms, Lotus F1 Team can not only test more than 600 components per week in the Wind Tunnel, but also build some race‐car parts directly from digital data using CAD and SLS® technology. Designers electronically flag a design as complete and send it, along with the material selection, to the ADM Department. Using SLS, complex car components are produced in hours rather than weeks, and in some cases the part is ready for inspection before the drawing has even passed through the system. In practical terms, Lotus F1 Team can not only test more than 600 components per week in the Wind Tunnel, but also build some race‐car parts directly from digital data using CAD and SLS® technology. Designers electronically flag a design as complete and send it, along with the material selection, to the ADM Department. Using SLS, complex car components are produced in hours rather than weeks, and in some cases the part is ready for inspection before the drawing has even passed through the system. Lotus F1 Team also produces gearbox and suspension components via accurate casting patterns, and can be more creative with their part design now that restrictions on permissible complexities have been removed. The SLA® process follows the exact blueprint of their CAD designs, and because the process is so accurate, time is saved on proof machining for the finished casting. To reduce cycle time and cost, the Lotus F1 Team’s ultimate goal is to use Advanced Digital Manufacturing as a fully industrialized technology to deliver race‐ready car parts in volume. Lotus is especially looking forward to 3D Systems’ development of materials that can withstand the punishing environment presented by an F1 car. The intense temperatures (the average temperature of a Formula One car is 250°C) and vibrations present a high hurdle but, like F1, 3D Systems’ technologies are ever‐evolving.

IMG. 3 Gearbox casting pattern

Case study: The 3D Printed Pen is Mightier than the Sword

The 3D Printed Pen is Mightier than the Sword: Additive Manufacturing (aka 3D Printing) is said to be unleashing a third industrial revolution, due in part to the entrepreneurs who are bringing exciting new products onto the market aided by this technology. These are unique products that aim at niche audiences worldwide who are inadequately served by mass production. One of these entrepreneurs is Rein van der Mast (SOLide), an Industrial Design Engineer from the Netherlands. Van der Mast has been working with Additive Manufacturing (AM) since its early days and, thanks to recent advances in materials and technologies, he felt it was time to bring something new onto the market. As van der Mast explains, “I found a product that matched perfectly: an item that is luxurious, certainly when personalised, and valuable. A product that truly combines art and technology: the fountain pen.” When it came time to make his plan a reality, van der Mast knew that he could count on Materialise to help him get the job done

A High‐Value, Customized Product for the Individual Customer Supported by Materialise, LayerWise, CNC Consult, and Innplate, van der Mast has successfully produced an exotically sculpted pen in a way that allows every single product to be one of a kind. As he explains, “Manufacturers of consumer products can finally start listening to individual clients. When manufacturers digitally link all their machines and stocks, they can have every single product configured separately. It can be rather appealing to have the individual customer decide on the final shape of a part instead of opting for a general design. AM allows this to happen.” Van der Mast’s pen concept is one in which the essential parts differ only slightly. Small series and even single pieces would be made based on themes requested by clients. Small series would include several differing elements, such as the user’s monogram or initials, in 3D – which is much more pronounced than with an engraving. In order to test his concept, he set out to make a pen based on a theme close to his own heart: the Cavalry and its patron saint, St. George. As such, the pen depicts the legend of St. George and the Dragon in which St. George slays a dragon in order to rescue a young princess. From Concept to Reality with the Right Software… and AM After sculpting the pen in 3DS Max, assisted by Evgeny with impossibly large low level files to deal with in Rhino. Bazurov, an animator from Moscow, van der Mast was left Van der Mast used Materialise’s Magics software to reduce the number of triangles of those files and to manually body was then successfully printed in titanium. The cap handles some minor improvements. The resulting pen’s on the other hand, was printed in both plastic (in SL) and titanium. As you can see in the image below, the walls are not only quite thin, but there are also four integrated, titanium springs on the inside which allow for a perfect fit and ‘click’ when placed on the pen.

Case study: The 3D Printed Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Grey: titanium (except for the nib) Yellow: photopolymer (stereolithography)

In order to produce a case fitting of his pen, van der Mast continued with his cavalry theme, for instance, creating a manifold hinge of 16 parallel sword blades. He combined the box, the hinge and the cover into a single 3D print. Printed separately were the little rubbers under the case as well as the frame on top of the pen and the depiction of St. George, both of which were successfully silver plated. “The most thrilling aspect related to the case,” he continues, “was however, not the manifold hinge, but its surface finish. I did not want to spend a lot of time on finishing, so I needed a texture to mask all laser sintering related roughness. In cavalry, there is only one appropriate texture: shagreen, which mimics the skin of the stingray. Stingray skin was popular on the grip of swords as it provided the owner with grip during a fight, even with blood all over the sword.” He ran various tests with Materialise, using the 3D texturing feature in 3‐matic in addition to tests on the printed result, and found a new way to achieve the finish he desired. For the rubber‐like inside of the case, van derMast turned to rapid tooling, creating a mold using stereolithography at Materialise.

Tried, Tested, and Ready for Market Pjotr pens start at 7,000.00 Euros, depending on the complexity of the design and additional materials applied ‐ like precious stones. Van der Mast: “With this concept, the customer decides what his or her design should look like. Or better even, the customer can tell me exactly what they wish. With their preferences, l can demonstrate how the theme can best be depicted, also considering the budget, and if they agree, it can be materialised.”

Case study: Innovative methods for testing aortic aneurysm devices

Innovative methods for testing aortic aneurysm devices: Case presented by Srinivasan Varahoor, PhD, Medtronic Endovascular, USA Using patient‐specific data to create bench‐top models is important for accurate and realistic testing. “The Mimics Innovation Suite helped us to transform patient‐specific data into physical test models. Our stent designs were tested within the physical models to define and quantify device performance,” Srinivasan Varahoor, PhD, Principal R&D Engineer, Medtronic Endovascular. The ability to utilize geometric parameters to quantify anatomy, and show a method for developing a set of regularized, patient‐based models using three‐dimensional imaging and CAD tools has been a breakthrough for Medtronic Endovascular. Medtronic: advancing treatment and improving lives Medtronic is the global leader in medical technology. The Endovascular division designs and manufactures devices that treat cardiovascular disease such as Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms. Medtronic Endovascular commits unwaveringly to improving lives with patient outreach, educational programs that raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, and the continuing pursuit of new treatment options. Medtronic Endovascular is proud to have helped physicians treat over 200,000 patients worldwide. Stent graft device used to treat Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

New Ways To Design Stent Test Models When testing grafts used to treat Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms, Medtronic’s goal is to develop models that help to accurately mimic in‐vivo device performance. Due to the critical role these grafts play in a patient’s well‐ being, a new method of designing test models was developed. By incorporating statistical analysis with the development of bench‐top test models, Medtronic is able to ensure that their devices will perform under challenging conditions. 3D model reconstruction from CT images in Mimics

Using the Mimics Innovation Suite, Medtronic developed a method of obtaining geometric parameters from actual patient data to define the in‐vivo use conditions. Patient CT data from the field was collected and delivered to the research and development team. Using Materialise’s Mimics software, the team segmented the 3D aortic model from the datasets. A centerline was automatically calculated in Mimics to fit the aortic model. To describe challenge‐use conditions, the centerline was morphed to fit the 95th percentile value for each geometric parameter. Using this hybrid method of combining actual patient data and statistically assessed geometric parameters, the vascular models are able to be adapted to fit any requirements for testing purposes. After forming the hybrid centerline, Materialise’s 3‐matic software was used to design a thin walled patient‐based aortic model. Supports and standard test‐fittings were also designed into the device before using additive manufacturing technology to print a physical bench‐top test model. Aortic model generated from centerline and geometric parameters

Case study: Innovative methods for testing aortic aneurysm devices

The model was then fitted into the bench‐top test apparatus with cycling fluid to evaluate and quantify several performance metrics of the stent graft and its delivery system. Medtronic’s method for designing a patient‐based bench‐top test apparatus can be simplified to five steps: • Measure geometric parameters • Calculate centerline • Adapt centerline to fit statistical models • Design test apparatus • Print model with additive manufacturing

Promising results achieved with the Mimics Innovation Suite The use of the Mimics Innovation Suite to develop this method to quantify anatomical geometry and generate a set of standard patient‐based models has created an unsurpassed standard for bench‐top testing at Medtronic. “Mimics allows us to quantify edge of failure conditions and 3‐matic can incorporate those performance limits into next generation device development test models,” Srinivasan Varahoor. These models can help systematically pin‐ point conditions for possible device failure during testing, and thereby, result in more robust designs. This approach is applicable to the testing and development for any vascular device system in the future. Patient-based aortic model

Final bench‐top design ready for manufacturing Digital representation of the manufactured test apparatus

Why choose the Mimics Innovation Suite: – Extremely accurate 3D models can be generated and segmented – Critical steps that were once difficult or impossible are achieved in just minutes – Models can be hollowed effortlessly – Designing directly on an STL file is easy and avoids the need to return to traditional CAD – Organic shapes of the body can be more accurately represented and manipulated – Scan data can be exported in a format required for additive manufacturing

Case study: Turbine Wheel

Turbine Wheel: A new turbine wheel with 3D printing A defective turbine wheel meant that a small hospital in Ethiopia was no longer able to warrant the supply of its electricity. The purchase of new wheel did not appear feasible due to the cost. However, the problem was solved quickly and without bureaucracy due to the social commitment of several technology companies and the use of innovative production methods. The project for the production of a new wheel was led by Swiss‐based Turbal AG, a medium‐sized family‐owned company with 50 years of experience in turbine and equipment construction. Other participants in the direct‐help project included voxeljet technology and steel foundry Wolfensberger. The problem: The conventional production of wheels is an extremely cumbersome and expensive process because it requires the manual production of several sand core segments and complicated undercuts. voxeljet's innovative 3D print technology offers an elegant, rapid and cost‐effective solution for this problem. Voxeljet produced the Francis wheel for the flow‐carrying interior area that was required for Ethiopia with a monoblock sand core. In this context, one single sand core, which is created on a fully automated basis using 3D printing, replaces many manually product core segments that are strung together. 3D print technology offers enormous production‐related advantages that affect quality, production targets and profitability equally. In this case, the 3D print resulted in higher component accuracy, fewer cleaning requirements and an excellent surface quality and contour precision.

Case study: Turbine Wheel

TECHNICAL DATA: SANDMOULDS

CASTINGS

Total size (mm)

426,3 x 426,3 x 227,4

Total size (mm)

360 x 360 x 230

Weight (kg)

26,5

Weight (kg)

Individual pieces

Material

Steel

Material

Sand

Lead time (weeks)

Layer thickness (mm)

0,3

Lead time (days)

Build time (hours)

9,5

Press Release: Stratasys Introduces Tough Unfilled Nylon for Additive Manufacturing

Stratasys Introduces Tough Unfilled Nylon for Additive Manufacturing: MINNEAPOLIS & REHOVOT, Israel‐‐(BUSINESS WIRE) ‐‐ Stratasys Ltd., a manufacturer of 3D printers and materials for personal use, prototyping and production, today introduced FDM Nylon 12, the first nylon material specifically engineered for the company's line of Fortus 3D Production Systems. Stratasys believes that with FDM Nylon 12, its Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology creates tougher, more flexible unfilled nylon parts than other additive manufacturing technologies can. FDM Nylon 12 offers up to five times greater resistance to breaking and better impact strength compared to even the strongest FDM materials. The new material's elongation‐at‐ break specification surpasses that of other 3D printed nylon 12 material by up to 100 percent based on published specifications. This can create new opportunities for manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, home appliance and consumer electronics to more easily create durable parts that can stand up to high vibration, repetitive stress or fatigue. Examples include end‐use parts, like interior panels, covers, environmental control ducting and vibration‐resistant components, as well as tools, manufacturing aids, and jigs and fixtures used in the manufacturing process. "Nylon is one of the most widely used materials in today's plastic products, and among FDM users it has been one of the top requested materials," said Fred Fischer, Stratasys materials product director. "It is also the first semi‐crystalline material and the toughest material Stratasys has ever offered. We expect it to be used for applications requiring repetitive snap fits, high fatigue endurance, strong chemical resistance, high impact strength or press‐fit inserts. This material offers users a clean, simple way to produce nylon parts with an additive process." In addition to being tough, FDM Nylon 12 is chemical resistant, so it is expected to be used in automotive applications. (Photo: Business Wire)

FDM Nylon 12 is available for the Fortus 360, 400 and 900 systems. FDM Nylon 12 is initially offered in black, and is paired with SR110, a new soluble support material optimized for FDM Nylon 12. Support removal requires virtually no labor and is conveniently washed away in the same cleaning agent as other FDM soluble supports.

Press Release: Press Release: BLOODHOUND SSC turns to Renishaw for 3D printing expertise BLOODHOUND SSC turns to Renishaw for 3D printing expertise

Press Release: BLOODHOUND SSC turns to Renishaw for 3D printing expertise Renishaw, one of the UK’s leading engineering technologies companies, is contributing its knowledge in additive manufacturing to create key prototype parts for the BLOODHOUND Supersonic Car, which will attempt to break the 1,000 mph speed barrier during Summer 2015. One of the most critical components is the nose tip for the car, which will be the very first part to break through any new land speed record and is subject to forces as high as 12 tonnes per square metre. To cope with such loadings, a prototype tip has been designed in titanium and will be bonded to BLOODHOUND’s carbon fibre monocoque body which forms the front‐half of the car. Renishaw is providing a manufacturing resource to the project team to produce the nose tip on its laser melting machines, which use an additive manufacturing process to fuse together very thin layers of fine metallic powders to form highly complex functional components. The prototype will be used by the BLOODHOUND team to evaluate possible manufacturing processes and carry out further engineering analysis. Dan Johns, lead engineer at BLOODHOUND SSC responsible for materials, process and technologies, says: “We believe that the key benefit of using an additive manufacturing process to produce the nose tip is the ability to create a hollow, but highly rigid titanium structure, and to vary the wall thickness of the tip to minimise weight. To machine this component conventionally would be extremely challenging, result in design compromises, and waste as much as 95% of the expensive raw material. ”

On 4th July, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP, UK Minister for Universities and Science, formally opened the new BLOODHOUND Technical Centre in Avonmouth, Bristol, where the iconic car is now being assembled. He also announced a £1 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to support the BLOODHOUND Project’s education and outreach mission, which aims to inspire children about STEM subjects. During his visit, Mr Willetts was presented with a special commemorative plaque containing a prototype nose tip manufactured by Renishaw on one of its AM250 additive manufacturing machines. Says Simon Scott, Director of Renishaw’s Additive Manufacturing Products Division, “With 3D printing having such a high profile within the media and political circles, it is fantastic that the only UK manufacturer of a metal‐based additive manufacturing machine is able to contribute to this iconic British project which aims to inspire a new generation of engineers here and around the world.”

Press Release: Custom bikes in batch sizes of one

Custom bikes in batch sizes of one: Ideas 2cycles is an interesting initiative that aims to develop new bike concepts and quickly bring them to market. This idea is driven not by commercial interest, but rather the energy of a young generation: "We want to develop the craziest bikes and immediately implement our creations with the help of state‐of‐the‐art production methods," says Kim‐Niklas Antin, founder of the organisation and self‐confessed bike enthusiast. "We do not want to just discuss forever; we want to turn our ideas into reality and build our own cool bikes."

Magnesium casted sleeves

Printed sleeves

Customized bike by ideas 2cycles Light sleeves for the bike frame

There are two reasons why projects such as this one can be implemented: First, Antin is a graduate engineer who has the required know‐how, and second, digital production methods now allow for the cost‐effective implementation of creative ideas into practice. In this context, Antin bases the concept of the bike frame on a simple but ingenious design, and combines the various frame tubes with exactly calculated sleeves. A magnesium alloy is used for the precision casting parts to save on weight. "We have tried a variety of methods for building bike frames according to customer specifications in single batch sizes. The 3D printing technology turned out to be the simplest and most cost‐efficient method," says Antin. The clever guy from Finland e‐mails the CAD data for the sleeves to the voxeljet service centre. Here, a 3D printer quickly prepares the plastic models for subsequent precision casting in a fully automated process without the use of tools. The plastic moulds are as precise and true‐to‐detail as prescribed by the requirements. Kim‐Niklas Antin already envisions the bike production of tomorrow: "The customer will select his favourite frame from a set of basic types, which is then customised to his requirements in CAD and subsequently printed using the 3D printing method – finished."