ADDITIVE INSIGHT ROUND-UP

Laura Griffiths provides a rundown of the biggest AM news and developments.

THE INDUSTRY RECOVERS After a challenging couple of years due to the pandemic, market intelligence company CONTEXT has some good news for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. According to its latest report, 3D printer shipments are said to have experienced "phenomenal" year-on-year growth in Q2 2021. While not back to preCovid levels, global shipments continued to accelerate throughout the year with deliveries of Industrial class (machines costing 100K USD+) growing by +61% and by +43% for those in the Design class (20K-100K USD), the two segments which were the most negatively impacted by pandemic-related disruptions.

The report will undoubtedly be welcomed by the large number of companies launching new hardware at Formnext this year (highlights on pages 43-49). This includes Markforged, which recently revealed more details about its FX20 composite system, described as the company’s ‘most sophisticated’ machine to date, and Essentium which has announced the launch of its new High Speed Extrusion (HSE) 240 HT Dual Extruder system to support the production of parts in small and medium-sized factory spaces. Massivit 3D Printing Technologies also recently launched a new large-format composite 3D printing system designed to ‘eliminate the bottlenecks of mould production.’

In materials, Desktop Metal has qualified nickelchromium superalloy nickel alloy IN625 for its Production System. Credited for its high strength, resistance to corrosion and oxidation, weldability, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures, the material is expected to appeal to industries such as aerospace, marine, power generation and chemical processing for the additive manufacture of hydraulics, turbine blades, internal combustion blocks and valve bodies. Meanwhile in polymers, BASF Forward AM has announced the launch of its Ultrafuse Flexible Filament portfolio of materials for extrusion-based polymer 3D printers. The Ultrafuse TPU 64D, TPU 95A and TPS 90A materials are said to feature soft but durable haptics, high mechanical strength and excellent abrasion resistance. It follows the launch of the Ultrafuse TPU 85A and Ultrafuse TPC 45D flexible materials in 2018. Suited to a wide range of industrial applications, BASF believes the new materials will enable the ‘easy, rapid and cost-efficient’ production of parts with ‘outstanding flexibility and impact resistance.’

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ESSENTIUM HSE 240 HT DUAL EXTRUDER SYSTEM

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THE HB.T BIKE USED BY TEAM GB AT TOKYO 2020

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INTERNAL COMBUSTION BLOCK PRINTED IN NICKEL ALLOY IN625 announced the sale of a further three of its huge NXG XII 600 metal 3D printers to Divergent Technologies. First announced at last year’s Formnext, the 12-laser system is said to support the automotive company’s “shift from prototyping to production of complex structures,” with this latest purchase bringing its total NXG XII 600 install base up to six.

Elsewhere, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games may be over but Renishaw has shared how its metal 3D printing technology was used to produce customised components for the Great Britain Cycling Team (GBCT). Approached in 2019 to help develop a new track bike, 3D printing was initially used to produce plastic and metal prototypes for aerodynamic testing followed by customised aluminium and titanium end-use parts, including handlebars, produced on the RenAM 500Q system.

ACQUISITIONS CONTINUE While the major acquisitions trend appears to have quietened somewhat, PrinterPrezz has announced the acquisition of Vertex Manufacturing, the advanced manufacturing service provider set up by Morris Technologies founder and TCT Hall of Famer Greg Morris. After first aligning back in April, the merger will see PrinterPrezz’s Silicon Valley facility continuing to focus on medical devices, and Vertex Manufacturing continuing to serve its wider range of vertical markets from Cincinnati, Ohio. Meanwhile, Stratasys has acquired remaining shares of Xaar 3D six months after it launched its H350 3D printing platform based on Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) technology.

Speaking of Stratasys, on the latest Innovators on Innovators episode of the Additive Insight podcast, industry consultant Phil Reeves (who we also speak to on page 19) chatted with Stratasys EMEA President Andreas Langfeld about the past and future of AM following a busy year of acquisitions for the AM pioneer. On the subject of application-specific 3D printers, Reeves commented, “There's an assumption that there's a market out there for 10,000 parts a year. And I'm not sure there is,” while Langfeld opted for a more optimistic approach, suggesting manufacturers need to “rethink inventory” in order for AM to make sense.