TCT Europe 24.3 by TCT Magazine

VOLUME 24 ISSUE 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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VOLUME 24 ISSUE 3

ISSN 1751-0333

EDITORIAL HEAD OF CONTENT

James Woodcock james@rapidnews.com GROUP EDITOR

Daniel O’Connor daniel.oconnor@rapidnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Laura Griffiths laura.griffiths@rapidnews.com NEWSDESK

+44 (0) 1244 680222 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Todd Grimm tgrimm@tagrimm.com

ADVERTISING GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER

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PRODUCTION Sam Hamlyn Tracey Roberts

MANAGEMENT C.O.O. / PUBLISHER

Duncan Wood C.E.O.

Mark Blezard

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The Intrepid Traveller

ne of the many allures of applying for a role to work on TCT Magazine some three and a quarter years ago was the promise of worldwide travel. Having spent four months schlepping across South East Asia in 2010 the travel bug had claimed its latest victim. In my early 30s without any dependents the idea of getting to see the world as part of my job is really rather appealing. Before I started at TCT I’d been to one German city I’ve now visited eight, the Low Countries were never particularly on my list, in the space of five days I stopped in seven cities seeing seven 3D printing companies in a whistlestop driving tour. Despite spending a great deal of time in Hong Kong and Asia before this job I had never been to China now I’ve spent two birthdays in Shanghai, I had never been to the United States of America, I have been to 15 of the 48 Contiguous United States, I was on ten flights in the month of May alone, 3D printing is happening on all corners of the earth. “Ok, we get it, you travel a lot.” I can hear you screaming as you read those first two paragraphs, let me lighten the mood somewhat… Top travel tip; pre-book taxis when flying into regional American airports, especially on a Sunday. I learnt this lesson the hard way, flying into Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Latrobre, Pennsylvania at 6pm in order to visit the HQ of ExOne for an upcoming story. The hotel I’d booked was a two minute walk to the North Huntingdon HQ of the binder jetting company and ‘conveniently’ just a 30 minute drive from the airport… but taxis in the Latrobe area on a Sunday night are like the Loch Ness Monster, non-existent – after a 45 minute walk down a freezing cold highway without a sidewalk, in the rain, to the nearest hotel it became apparent that getting an animal stuffed was a more realistic option than getting

a cab as the receptionist’s response when I asked for a taxi in my scouse brogue was to rifle through a drawer of cards and say, “taxidermist?” Stories in this issue come from all corners of the globe, Assistant Editor Laura Griffiths travelled to Barcelona to visit HP (page 53), Head of Content Jim went to Dallas to see the ‘factory in a box’ (page 29), I went to the world’s hippest trade show in Berlin to meet Autodesk’s CTO (page 19) and all three of us packed off to to Orlando for RAPID, which you’ll see references to dotted throughout this issue. In total (as the crow flies not including connections) for this issue alone we’ve travelled the circumference of the globe one and a half times. Not mentioning, the lead news from Australia, two United States based columnists and a conversation with somebody printing hands for refugees in Syria This is a global industry and there are always new products to see, new facilities to visit, new applications to discover but for now there’s a bit of breathing space. At the time of writing the next big event is TCT Show in September, which is amazingly just three short months away. Register for the show, it’s going to be bigger and better than ever, the conference line up is shaping up to be another festival of additive activity. www.tctshow.com Druck on

Daniel O’Connor Group Editor

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

FROM THE EDITOR

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

CONTENTS

TCT | VOLUME 24 ISSUE 3 EDITION

LEAD NEWS

Justin Elsey, CEO at Asiga on how the availability of certified, biocompatible 3D printing materials are transforming the way dental devices are being made.

Laura speaks to two established machining companies about how they’re embracing additive technologies to deliver complete turnkey solutions.

NEW METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING

3D PRINTING FOR DIGITAL DENTISTRY

A roundup of all the latest news from the last month, for more on each story visit www.tctmagazine.com

Laura reports on a visit to HP’s 3D Printing Lab in Barcelona to get a first look at the graphics goliath’s long-awaited Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution.

HP AND THE MIGHTY VOXEL

NEWS

AEROSPACE Focus

Group Editor, Daniel O’Connor takes a closer look at EnvisionTEC’s unexpected change of direction with its new mammoth SLCOM 1 composite 3D printing technology.

Laura speaks with Simon Fried, Co-founder of Nano Dimension about how the Israeli 3D printed electronics company is changing the role of PCBs by opening engineers up to new ways of designing electronics.

NEW TRICKS

MENTORING THE MACHINES

Dan heads to Berlin to meet with Autodesk’s Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Kowalski to talk about the software giant’s push towards generative design and how it’s impacting the development of bionic structures for aerospace.

3D PRINTING MANUFACTURING AIDS

Assistant Editor, Laura Griffiths looks at how engineers are solving traditional manufacturing problems with custom 3D printed jigs and fixtures.

ELECTRONICS ON THE FLY

THE PATH TO GLORY

Dan meets with world-champion cyclist Denise Schindler to find out how one woman’s journey to Rio 2016 may open up a world of customised prosthetics for victims of war.

PERSONALIZE PRINTING PRESS

A pick of some of the best 3D prints we’ve spotted over the last month.

Sponsored by

3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SERVICE PROVIDER LOCATOR The annual UK service provider map is back to help you find the right 3D technologies provider to turn your ideas into reality.

RAPID REVIEW

Dan reports on last month’s trip to Orlando, Florida for North America’s largest 3D technologies event.

PEOPLE POWER

A year after setting up one of the UK’s leading 3D printing service bureaux, we revisit 3D Print Bureau to find out how things are going. Clue: We interviewed the team at its new second location in Stoke.

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GUEST COLUMN TODD GRIMM COLUMN

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LEAD NEWS: ASIga

Asiga’s CEO Justin Elsey discusses new developments in

3D printing for digital dentistry W O R D S : J U S T I N E L S E Y, C E O A S I GA

Our newest milestones are the development of biocompatible 3D printing materials for dental splints and temporary crowns and bridges CLARA REGNERI OF DETAX

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The clear plastic device illustrated above represents a new way of manufacturing a dental splint. Splints are worn to protect teeth against grinding during sleep or to produce an orthodontic effect. The novelty of this splint is that it was 3D printed in a biocompatible material certified for up to 12 months in the mouth. Such materials have become commercially available recently and are transforming the way dental devices are being made.

elcome to the world of digital dentistry, where game-changing innovations are arriving at an extraordinary pace. Dentistry represents a significant opportunity to 3D printer manufacturers like Asiga due to its sheer size. BCC Research reports that by 2019 the global dental market will grow to $55 billion led largely by advances in digital technology and CAD/CAM equipment. Dental laboratories are no strangers to digital manufacturing. For more than a decade they have been 3D scanning dental models and using specialised CAD software to design crown and bridge restorations. Milling has traditionally been the preferred method of production as it can be used to shape zirconia, one of the hardest dental ceramics available. 3D printing is becoming more prevalent as the industry moves towards fully digital workflows. This transition is being facilitated by the advent of intraoral scanners. “We have seen a rapid take-up of our intra oral scanner technology by dentists, implantologists, prosthedontists and orthodontists” explains Flemming Thorup, president and CEO of 3Shape, a developer of 3D scanning technology and design software based in Denmark. “The 3D files are transferred to dental laboratories or used in the dental practice to design and produce restorations.” With the industry going digital there is greater demand for output machines. In this respect there are several advantages of 3D printing over milling. 3D Printing can

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

produce smaller feature sizes compared to milling which is restricted by the diameter of the milling tool. Furthermore, 3D printing places no restrictions on part geometry whereas milling requires that every point on the object’s surface be accessible to the milling tool. Denis Hamant, director of Kreos, a French distributor of dental CAD/CAM hardware and software, comments “The market is in transition as it assimilates the arrival of intraoral scanners, affordable high-resolution 3D printers and new materials which present exciting opportunities. Ultimately, a fully digital workflow produces better quality and repeatability resulting in improved patient outcomes”. Asiga’s clients are using 3D printing for the production of dental models, customised impression trays, surgical drill guides, splints, casting patterns for partial dentures, crowns and bridges. Materials development is central to the adoption of 3D printing in new dental applications. “3D printing provides a high degree of laboratory rationalisation as it can satisfy many different dental indications and is also cost-effective” notes Clara Regneri of Detax, a German manufacturer of biomedical materials. “Our newest milestones are the development of biocompatible 3D printing materials for dental splints and temporary crowns and bridges. This will enable 3D printers to be used for chair-side dental applications and prosthodontic treatments.”

We have seen a rapid take-up of our intra oral scanner technology by dentists, implantologists, prosthedontists and orthodontists FLEMMING THORUP, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF 3SHAPE



ABOVE: Dental splints printed on an Asiga PRO2 3D printer using FreePRINT Splint material supplied by DETAX. Picture courtesy of DETAX GmbH.

Dr Martin Klare, CEO of Pro3Dure, a German manufacturer of dental materials is aware of the opportunities new materials present. “Materials with higher filler contents which are also processable in 3D printers are desirable” states Klare. “This will allow the production of dental restorations with long-term stability. New material classes for w3D printers like PEEK and semicrystalline polymers will enable new dental applications.” In an industry where the focus is on integration and compatibility, Asiga has taken the approach of making high-performance 3D printers which are open to materials from third party developers. Users have full access to the printer’s operating parameters and materials configuration database allowing new materials to be readily deployed. This permits easy integration into existing workflows and access to the full range of materials now available. For more information visit www.ASIGA.COM

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Dutch manufacturer Additive Industries has announced the sale of one of its MetalFAB1 metal additive machines to GKN Powder Metallurgy, a world leader in the manufacturing of precision automotive components. The ambition of this sale goes beyond a regular customer journey as Additive Industries are joining forces with GKN to apply the MetalFAB1 system for industrialised automotive serial production that is compliant with ISO/TS 16949 at significantly higher productivity than ever before. 

FORMLABS ACQUIRES 3D PRINTING DESIGN COMMUNITY PINSHAPE  Formlabs recently announced the acquisition of Canada-based 3D printing design marketplace, Pinshape. The news came shortly after an announcement from Pinshape in April that revealed the online community was to close. Marking Formlabs’ very first acquisition, the desktop stereolithography machine manufacturer has stepped in to expand its range of sophisticated 3D solutions with Pinshape’s established community and content and provide a place for Formlabs’ users to share and discuss their 3D designs. 

NEWS

With RAPID 2016 taking its fill of the limelight last month as the additive industry masses gathered in sunny Orlando, we’ve rounded up some of the best news stories from the event and other significant updates you may have missed from elsewhere in the industry.

FOR THESE STORIES IN FULL CLICK TO WWW.TCTMAGAZINE.COM ENVISIONTEC LAUNCHES CONTINUOUS DIGITAL LIGHT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Hot off the heels of its SLCOM 1 launch at RAPID (more on p. 13), EnvisonTEC unveiled a new, patented breakthrough technology, (cDLM, Continuous Digital Light Manufacturing). The Micro Plus cDLM is the first 3D printer to feature the technology and is capable of printing 3D jewellery models in minutes using industry standard 3D print casting material PIC 100 and EnvisionTEC’s fastest material, QView. 

3D PRINTING DIRECTLY FROM CAD WITH STRATASYS’ GRABCAD PRINT APP  At RAPID Stratasys launched GrabCAD Print, a new software solution that, makes it easier for engineers across the globe to 3D print. The cloud-based platform allows mechanical engineers to 3D print directly from a CAD file, taking away the process of converting a file into an STL. Stratasys acquired CrabCAD back in 2014 and has been working on bringing the community greater access to its range of 3D printing solutions. The new app will be available in BETA later this summer with additional rollout throughout the year to the 3 million designers on the platform. 

3MF AND ASTM SIGN AGREEMENT TO SET 3D PRINTING STANDARDS  Leading standards-development organisation, ASTM International (ASTM) and the 3MF Consortium (3MF) have engaged in a liaison agreement to explore ways to align standards that will help advance and increase confidence in additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies. Launched last year, the 3MF Consortium is an industry association created to develop and promote a new full-fidelity file format to replace out-dated 3D printing fie formats. ASTM’s Committee on Additive Manufacturing Technologies launched in 2009 and now includes nearly 400 leading technical experts from 22 countries. 

MATERIALISE INTRODUCES MAGICS 3D PRINT SUITE  At RAPID Belgian 3D printing company, Materialise launched the Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite, a complete software solution for additive manufacturing. This new software suite combines the functionality of multiple applications into one complete set of business solutions. The Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite’s unique neutrality gives its customers the possibility to utilize data generated from numerous sources, convert it into innovative applications and print it with any printer available in the market.  24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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AEROSPACE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

New Tricks 

ABOVE: The EnvisionTEC team unveil the SLCOM 1 at RAPID

Daniel O’Connor takes a look at how EnvisionTEC pulled a rabbit out of the hat at RAPID 2016. WOR DS : DA NIE L O’ C ON NOR

It’s fair to suggest that recent developments in resin-based 3D printing had some industry experts at least contemplate, EnvisionTEC’s standing in the upper echelons of 3D printing manufacturer royalty. Many wondered what kind of effect Carbon’s promised speed, Formlabs’ consistent development or the heft Autodesk were putting behind Ember would have on one of the industry’s traditional big players. When whispers began to circulate that EnvisionTEC was to launch something significant at RAPID, it was safe to assume that it would be an upgrade to its existing technology. That like 3D

Systems with the SLA-bot1 it would launch its answer to the glut of systems using “Continuous” resin printing. However, As EnvisionTEC CEO, Al Siblani prepared to launch the company’s brand new machine to the waiting RAPID crowd, it was evident from the gargantuan device too big to hide behind curtains that this would be a totally different beast. “In keeping with EnvisionTEC’s traditions of being first to market we’re very excited to launch the brand new technology of SLCOM, which stands for Selective Lamination of Composite Object Manufacturing,” Siblani told TCT at the time. “It’s a new

Create materials and parts that have never been done before in the Additive Manufacturing (AM) space

technology that allows you to build thermoplastic reinforced composites with different types of fibres and different types of thermoplastics to create materials and parts that have never been done before in the Additive Manufacturing (AM) space.” The SLCOM 1 is quite the departure for the company known for its high-resolution smaller machinery suitable for precision projects like jewellery and dentistry. This machine EnvisionTEC say is the first and only thermoplastic reinforced woven composite 3D printer, capable of manufacturing parts in materials like PEEK, Polycarbonate, fiberglass and carbon fibre. ››

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AEROSPACE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

BELOW: The Dreamliner factory

COMPOSING COMPOSITES Traditional processes of manufacturing composite parts involve intensive manual labour and that’s after sheets have been cut using a CNC. Laying up sheets of differing composites over epoxy moulds cutting to exact size, vacuum sealing, baking and post processing is all done by hand. The advancements in materials available over the past decade have meant, despite the labour intensive process, it has been worthwhile to countless sectors from aerospace to sporting goods. Any ability to shorten the process would be thoroughly welcomed. There are only a few other companies offering a composite 3D printing solution on the market at the minute; Markforged whose Mark One and Two series of printers are desktop machines that embed strands of composites into matrix thermoplastic materials; and Impossible Objects, whose beta machine takes sheets of composite material prints a thermoplastic onto each layer and is then baked in the oven in order to fuse the layers together. EnvisionTEC’s SLCOM1 is a step towards a more industrial offering from a company with almost two decades of building machinery. With an impressive build envelope of 24 inches in Y, 30 inches in X, and 24 inches in Z Al Siblani said the machine’s sizeable build volume was “significant enough to appeal to many industries.”

polycarbonate mixed with the desired fibre making the SLCOM 1 a hugely versatile machine for the customer.

ABOVE: Model printed on SLCOM 1 Using rolls of pre-impregnated thermoplastic composites, there are three main obvious innovations in the mechanics of the SLCOM 1; the use of an ultrasonic cutter to eliminate fraying on the cut of the thermoplastic sheets; a rotating platform that allows for multi-directional layering of the composite sheets, which can be turned clockwise and counter clockwise in 15 degree increments thus significantly increasing strength; and the use of an inkjet-like head to spray an anti-adhesive around the outside of the plotted layer inhibiting the next sheet from sticking to that area, meaning removal of the excess material (AKA decubing) is exponentially easier. Those are significant advancements in the hardware but perhaps, as all good magicians they’re acting as a distraction to another very revolutionary and hugely important part to SLCOM technology, the ability to deliver bespoke materials to the customer. Because of EnvisionTEC’s unique laminated roll system a customer can demand any combination of prepreged thermoplastic including PEEK, Nylon,

RUNWAY TO SUCCESS The manufacture of composite parts is a massive departure for EnvisonTEC this much is clear, but it is one that has been carefully deliberated and seemingly impeccably executed. Al Siblani told TCT more at RAPID: “When you look at the 3D printing and AM space in general we found that there’s a huge attraction in metal AM especially coming from the aerospace sector,” said Siblani. “But there are too many players in that space. We thought about an area where we could go and develop a technology in an uncrowded space and when we looked at the composite market, specifically carbon fibre and fibreglass we found out that there’s no actual player in the space for AM and given that aerospace companies spend 50% or more of their budget on composites we thought that would be the right place for us to invest in.” ›› 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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AEROSPACE FOCUS

5ABOVE: Boeing 787 materials chart Siblani, like all CEOs, has always talked a good game so perhaps we should take that 50% as ambitious but if the Boeing 787 is anything to go by then that stat is dead on the money. The “Dreamliner” – Boeing’s largest passenger jet is made up of exactly 50% composite parts, the previous model, the 777, was made up of just 12% composite material. Boeing’s main rival, Airbus, are currently flight testing the A350 XWB that comprises of 53% composite material, not only that but the XWB is the same plane that we were told has over 1,000 3D printed parts on board from the Concept Laser’s LASERcusing bracket to the Stratasys’ multiple FDM internal parts. In her 2013 report into “The use of composites in aerospace: Past, present and future challenges”, Dr Faye Smith of Avalon Consultancy Services Ltd concluded that: “Environmental regulations have meant that the cost of introduction of lightweight composite structures is now often offset by the gains and has significant increase in the use of aerospace composite structures.” But that a current challenge was the “development of rapid rate manufacturing process.” Plenty are trying to create a solution for this challenge, Hexcel – one of the largest suppliers of carbon fibre in the US – have

announced, a strategic investment in Oxford Performance Materials to advance composite 3D printing in aerospace with Hexcel’s CEO commenting; “Aerospace adoption of reinforced manufactured parts using Hexcel carbon fibre is becoming a viable and meaningful design solution due to its performance and processing advantages. With the adoption of these lightweight, high-performing materials expected to accelerate, this is an ideal opportunity for our two companies to work together enabling faster product development and adoption for our customers.” It comes as no surprise then that Al Siblani told TCT at RAPID, “There’s a lot of people in many industries that have expressed excitement in SLCOM technology already. We’ve had some great and amazing reaction from the aerospace industry.” By not joining the metal 3D printing game, circling the airport, waiting to land that major aerospace client, the SLCOM technology has EnvisionTEC signalling them in to their own private airfield. Of course, there’s room for both technologies on the factory floors of conglomerates like Airbus and Boeing each offering their own unique features. SLCOM, for instance, is

STEALTHILY DOES IT The SLCOM 1 project has been in the making for a number of years and goes someway to explaining why EnvisionTEC staff seemed to exude a confidence in their company like no other, they knew they had a trick up their sleeve that they’d shock the industry with. There are several reasons why EnvisionTEC were able to keep SLCOM under their hats for so long, firstly Al Siblani likes to demonstrate running technology rather than concepts at trade shows and it is likely that the SLCOM 1 was only finished shortly before being displayed at RAPID. Plus, unlike many of the other industry big boys, EnvisionTEC is a private company, in an interview with the BBC recently the top British fashion designer, Paul Smith, said that a big advantage of still being a private firm is that you don’t have “shareholders breathing down your neck the whole time”, the same may well apply to Al Siblani and company, they don’t have to placate anyone every single time a new piece of technology comes to market, they can go about their business quietly and efficiently. And for their next trick, less than a month after RAPID, EnvisionTEC announced that Continuous DLP method we were all expecting them to. For more information visit www.envisiontec.COM

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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AEROSPACE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



RIGHT: Jeff Kowalski with the partition

Mentoring the Machines

WOR D S : DAN IE L O’ C ON NOR

s I was ushered into a private room in the Ritz Carlton in Berlin, resplendent with fruit platters, pastries, French press coffee, and premium bottled waters, the interview that I’d arranged with Autodesk’s Chief Technology Officer began to feel more like I was interviewing Jeff Bridges than Jeff Kowalski. Those initial intimidations were quickly washed away when I was introduced to Jeff, an unassuming man dressed in sneakers and comfortable clothing. Jeff speaks of complex subjects with a clarity that makes you believe he would have been the greatest teacher you never had. As soon as I left the interview with the man so passionately behind Autodesk’s push towards generative design, I felt more intelligent, such is Jeff’s ability to explain concepts like how slime mould networks maintain contact when moving from food source to food source and how that can be applied to manufacturing today.

I think that the stories that we tell have a power to manifest themselves in the careers that we pursue and the things we put on the planet.

This is what makes Jeff such an engaging speaker; hours after our interview the man who joined Autodesk in 1993 and assumed the role of CTO in 2006 is due on stage presenting his keynote on “The Shape of Things to Come” at re:publica 2016. Not that you’d know, Jeff is man comfortable with his subject, even in the face of questions like “Can you talk about the negative side of technology in the context of Adorno and Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment?” (the first question from the audience he was asked post-presentation in front of an auditorium of over 1,000 people), Jeff fielded this question, clearly designed to trip him up, with a smile and a passionate response: “Because on Star Trek Captain Kirk was able to call the Enterprise from his hand, before we had any such technology, when that technology started to materialise we already knew what to do with it and we welcomed it. I think that the stories that we tell have a power to manifest themselves in the careers that we pursue and the things we put on the planet.” ››

BELOW: Build of partition parts in Scallmalloy from EOS M400

Jeff Kowaski

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AEROSPACE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

BELOW: The Bionic Partition

We’re trying to get to forms and design objects that really exploit the power of additive manufacturing. Jeff Kowaski

DIVIDE AND CONQUER Before that grilling and before I sat down with Jeff I had the chance to talk to Bastian Schaefer, Innovation Manager at Airbus. Bastian’s work on designing an entirely new 3D printed partition wall is pride of place on the Autodesk booth at re:publica. After debuting at Autodesk University the design has been featured everywhere from Wired Magazine to Fox News, such is the vision behind a mundane part of the aeroplane that divides passengers from crew quarters. The “Bionic Wall” is 45% lighter and just as strong if not stronger than the current iteration of the wall flying in every single A320 in the world. By applying this design throughout the cabin on the backlog of A320s, Airbus estimates a saving of up to 465,000 metric tons of C02 emissions per year, the equivalent of taking about 96,000 passenger cars off the road for one year. The partition structure is entirely 3D printed but due to the fact that it represents one of the biggest individual components to an aircraft it was printed in 162 individual parts across eight builds using a mixture of the EOS M400 machinery and Concept Laser’s M2 platform. 122 of the parts were printed in Airbus Group’s second-generation aluminummagnesiumscandium alloy, Scallmalloy, with the further 40 being printed in titanium. Although the assembling of the partition does away with one of 3D printing’s key benefits Bastian assured me that they are working with OEMs in order to make a machine that would be capable of building this in one shot. Bastian says there is also a company, Arevo Labs, who claim that they can make the partition in one shot using an extrusion technology and composite materials.

NEXT GEN DESIGN 3D printing is only one step of the process; the key to the partition’s ability to be both lighter and stronger than the traditional counterpart is in the design. David Benjamin, the Founder and Principal of The Living design studio in New York, which was acquired by Autodesk in 2014, met with Bastian Schaefer at Autodesk University’s exclusive gathering, the Design Symposium. David’s research into the aforementioned slime mould networks and bionic design intrigued Bastian, who really wants to revolutionise the way we traverse the globe. “They’re both passionate about changing the bulk head design that is used for aircraft, submarines and pressure vessels, which has been around for centuries,” explains Jeff Kowalski in the plush hotel meeting room. “Moving past that design concept and mental constraint by reenvisioning the aeroplane of the future. At the same time at Autodesk we had a desire to reapply what we found to be an overabundance of computing and experiment with the idea of generative design, using the computer as the tool for exploration as opposed to just documentation and analysis, those two seemed like a natural fit.” Another natural fit is generative design and additive manufacturing; I asked Jeff if he felt that the two were creating a

perfect storm towards Industry 4.0. “We’re trying to get to forms and design objects that really exploit the power of additive manufacturing. Every area of the volume can be addressable, objects don’t just have to be the solid shapes that you could have done on the mill. The types of things that generative design has been creating seem to be pretty well exploitative of that. “Once we start getting into bespoke materials where we can have material gradients as opposed to isotropic or monolithic materials we’re really going to be able to exploit the generative design aspect,” Jeff begins to coil with excitement. “Take the mechanical hinge of my glasses, that is just one way of achieving that type of functionality I could equally have had software come up with the need for flexibility realised in a flexible material that maybe was only flexible in the horizontal direction and not in the vertical direction and be able to actually materialise that.” ››

BELOW: Bionic Partition placement on plane

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.medical

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It is clear from Jeff’s forward thinking why he makes such a good CTO, why he’s entrusted with Autodesk’s long-term technology vision. He is equally adept to seeing current limitations as he is to seeing the future solution. Take the Airbus design for instance; it has been mooted before that as much as 80% of an aircraft could be 3D printed, if that were the case could we build it with generative design? “Today’s generative design software solves structural problems very well,” explains the CTO. “Issues of structure, strength vs. weight vs. cost vs. manufacturability are in the realm of trivial for generative design to now solve, computational fluid dynamics, the aerodynamics of the plane aren’t something I would want to be tackling using the software today.” Though according to Jeff the software’s ability to compute aerodynamics is just a matter of time, one issue that is causing a bottleneck for the adoption of new technologies, particularly in the realms of aerospace, is that of qualification. Only perhaps in the medical world, particularly in the US where FDA approval is notoriously difficult to attain, is it more difficult to get a part to market, but difficult isn’t a word Jeff shies away from. “It’s one of the reasons why we picked working with Airbus as a partner, There’s a lot of qualification that has to go into Scalmalloy as a material and then the coupons having printed it using one particular process, and then taking those end results and testing that, then taking the entire structure and testing that. It is a rate limiting step but when aerospace pioneers it gets adopted more quickly in other sectors.”

DEVIOUS DESIGN As Jeff says, the fact that “you can pull a car to the side of the road” means that the trickle down effect of certification from aerospace to automotive and even further down the industrial hierarchy is a lot quicker. So once we have cracked it in the sky, everything on the ground will be generatively designed, right? “One of the biggest challenges we have is a little bit more,” Jeff pauses for thought. “…sinister. We can create objects that engineers no longer have a way of mentally relating to. When we make things like this chair leg out of a solid bar, you and I both know how a solid bar performs; it clearly performs, as I’m sitting on this chair, under compression, it also happens to perform well, by accident, under torsion. If I’m (generatively) designing a chair I’m going to tell the software that it needs to perform well under compression but I might not ask for it to perform well under torsion, generative may very well design me a chair that as soon as I rock back on it, it folds underneath itself. It would have a design that is complex enough as I look at it that the torsion issue is not immediately obvious to me as an engineer, there’s something insidious in that, something we need to overcome.” Autodesk is pumping funds into researching how they close that gap between what designers ask for and what that objects needs to be but it is a third technology at the junction of innovation and application, that generative and additive are patiently waiting at; machine learning is on its way and according to Jeff it will have exponential ramifications. “Every single analyses that has been run by any engineer on the planet up until now has fallen to the floor,” Jeff bemoans. “Every one of those was a training set for computers to understand what’s really going on inside a particular design object. If that knowledge could be shared by one

generative design programme it would already know how to design what we struggle to do today. “Last summer we generated synthetic bodies, just shapes and subject them to computational fluid dynamics,” Jeff continues. “We just made object and stuck it in the wind tunnel, made an object and stuck it in the wind tunnel, we kept doing that over and over again but we did that under the supervision of a machine learning system. After 10,000 iterations we were able to show a novel object that the machine learning system had never seen before and it would simply give us the flow field within 2 per cent. That’s pretty damn good!” So with all that in mind I asked Jeff that with his current knowledge of the convergence of these three paradigm shifting technologies, what would he be studying if he were a to become a student now? “It’s a good idea to study what has come before and understand that precedent but not to be limited by it. I don’t think there’s any problem for students to continue to be exposed to, but not reliant upon, drawing things by hand or using the computer. “We’re going to end up as mentors to these tools because they’re going to be remembering what kind of work they’re performing. In the same way that you go to art school to learn different kinds of genres, why wouldn’t a computer that has a memory of its interaction with humans be taught different kinds of classifications of things. In the fullness of time I might want to say ‘Design me these glasses as if Philippe Starck did that’ and it would know what I meant. Or we could do some kind of semantic transfer where I say “I really like my glasses and I wish I had some cutlery that was of the same kind.” the ability to be able to say make this like that is still something that is purely human but I think that it can be learnt by a computer.  24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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3D Printing Manufacturing Aids

3D Platform is renowned for its large-format FDM machine that can produce products as big as a piece of furniture or even a motorcycle body with its huge 1 x 1 x 0.5 metre build area. What people probably don’t realise is that the recently upgraded 3DP1000 machine has found itself an entirely different niche in the somewhat less glamorous but equally noteworthy world of manufacturing aids.

RIGHT:

3D printed rail wiper

WOR D S : LA U R A G R IFFITH S

anufacturing aids can range from anything from simple guides to complex fixtures and can be used to enhance a manufacturing or assembly production. They are traditionally produced using conventional tooling methods but as with any low-volume production run, this can prove both cost and time consuming. With 3D technologies, engineers have the freedom to recognise a problem and design, test and manufacture a simple solution in a matter of days. Take for example this Profile Rail Wiper (pictured above) designed by an engineer at 3D Platform’s parent company PBC Linear. Engineered to replace the built-in wiper on an industrial steel rail-cutting machine, the fixture pushes away big steel chips while helping retain oil and lubrication in the rail bearings. However there was a problem where the original wiper would fail to catch smaller steel chips, which if left on the rail could cause the ball bearing system to fail or the entire system to stop. Rather than going to the expense of designing and manufacturing

With 3D technologies, engineers have the freedom to recognise a problem and design, test and manufacture a simple solution in a matter of days.

an alternative wiper through tooling, the engineers used the 3DP1000 to 3D print an add-on wiper that would fit tightly on the rail and catch even the smallest chips of steel. “We were able to overcome easily a simple issue that otherwise would have cost us thousands of dollars in tooling and specialty services,” Mitch Van Vleet, Engineer at PBC Linear, explained. “I was able to analyse the solution, and experiment with different designs until I landed on the one that worked best. This also benefited me by allowing me to work solo, and not having to take a toolmaker away from another project to assist me.” Using 3D modelling and 3D printing, Mitch was able to test various iterations and materials to determine the best solution. A total of eight design iterations were used in order to get the final optimised design with each taking just ›› 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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20 minutes to print in PLA at a cost of $0.20 per piece. This method proved a massive 500% saving in cost compared to traditional tooling. “3D printing has allowed us to approach many projects more confidently,” Mitch explained. “Rather than gambling large amounts of time and resources when implementing new ideas or product designs; we can simply turn to our 3D printers for a cheap, effective method of prototyping and experimentation. With a vast array of capabilities and wealth of printable materials, we have found this process to be very versatile and efficient.” Another example is this custom designed Thread Rolling Machine Die Holder (pictured top left) designed by a fellow PBC Linear engineer. The device is used to house several production instruments including a pair of die, blot and test pieces in one easy-to-access place. This particular thread rolling machine has over 50 sets of cylindrical dies that require appropriate storage to avoid contamination and corrosion over time. In addition, the operation entails a streamlined workflow to ensure each set of dies is stored with its pairing test pieces and blot. Typically to manufacture a die holder in low volume will usually cost a minimum of $300 per piece with a 2-5 week lead-time. Using 3D printing, this can be reduced to less than a day. “3D printing has given me a very easy and fast way to prototype new designs. Before I would create a design and then send it to a tool maker for initial production,” Cameron Paulson, Engineer at PBC Linear said. “If the design did not work the way we expected we would have to

Rather than gambling large amounts of time and resources when implementing new ideas or product designs; we can simply turn to our 3D printers for a cheap, effective method of prototyping

make adjustments to the design, which is normal in developing process. Every time we have to redesign it wastes engineering time, the machine operator’s time, and building materials. With 3D printing, I can make rough designs and print them out without having to worry about machining time or material cost.” The design was modelled using CAD and Simplify3D and 3D printed in one piece using PLA. The team set up the 3DP1000 to print four cases at a time and they were able to leave the machine running even after the factory had shut down. After just two iterations, the holder was put to use in less than a week at a cost of $100 per piece. For low-volume, customised products like these manufacturing aids, 3D printing can be a simple, fast and inexpensive method of manufacture, requiring minimal labour and giving engineers the flexibility to trial designs with less risk. Just as the technology has proved somewhat of an unsung hero in the tooling world, for engineers exploring ways of improving conventional manufacturing tools it is proving to offer the same subtle but valuable benefits. In these particular cases, 3D printing is less about stepping in to replace traditional manufacturing methods but rather a catalyst to advance their capabilities. “3D printing has a reputation of only being used to print trinkets or small parts,” Cameron commented. “Thinking of fixturing projects with 3D printing applications will definitely expand the scope of 3D printing. The goal for 3D printing is not to replace traditional manufacturing methods but use it in conjunction to augment the application possibilities.” Mitch added. “It helps break away from the mould of only being able to use what is available for purchase on the market and shoehorning it to fit your needs. Rather, specific fixturing can just be created for any purpose-built application.” 

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FACTORY IN A BOX ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

This probably won’t be the first time you’ve seen the term ‘Factory in a Box’. We’ve seen it in the maker community where desktop machines are described as your very own home manufacturing device all the way through to institutions like the Manufacturing Technology Centre in the Coventry, which recently launched an initiative under the moniker to turn small and medium-sized UK manufacturing businesses into global digital factories

Electronics on

The Fly

ounded in 2012 Israeli tech company, Nano Dimension has taken a different view on the term with the launch of its DragonFly 2020 3D Printer, designed to be the ultimate rapid prototyping tool for professional electronics. Envisaged as the first system to solve a real problem in the manufacture of electronics, the DragonFly brings a traditionally outsourced part of the manufacturing process in-house via “one box”. Like 3D printing, printed electronics have been around for some time but it’s only just beginning to mature. Nano Dimension is by no means the first name to tackle 3D printed electronics but unlike Voxel8, that’s just started shipping its Developer’s Kit 3D Printer, it identifies itself as the first company that’s solely focused on 3D printing electronics in the professional space. “Plastic printing is good for some things, 3D metal printing is good for others, but our world is one where electronics are everywhere,” Simon Fried, Chief Business Officer and Co-founder of Nano Dimension, commented. “To be able to merge printed electronics and 3D printing will open doors to new ways of making things and ultimately making different things.” Creating PCBs is a notoriously long process. Whilst the rest of the manufacturing process has welcomed the digital advantages of time compression technologies like additive manufacturing, the production of PCBs remains a slow practice. Describing the typical workflow that goes into making an electronic product, Simon says electronics teams are “hamstrung by the fact that once they make a design, they have to turn to a third party to make that prototype”, which ultimately slows down the entire production cycle.

To be able to merge printed electronics and 3D printing will open doors to new ways of making things and ultimately making different things

W O R D S : L A U R A G R I F F I T HS

The DragonFly uses an inkjet deposition and curing system to print multi-layer circuit boards in a matter of hours. Capable of printing in two materials, the machine exclusively uses Nano Dimension’s in-house developed AgCite nanoparticle conductive silver inks. Nano Dimension’s ink scientists can extract 10-100+ nanometer-sized particles of pure silver and are able to control the size, shape and dispersion of nanoparticles to achieve the best levels of conductivity, flexibility and adhesion. Simon says he believes using proprietary materials is “the only way” to achieve the ultimate ››

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FACTORY IN A BOX ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

precision required for electronics to function, as they should. “It’s really a whole system you can’t swap out any bit and expect that the end result will then work - every part is engineered for every other part,” Simon commented. Minimal training is required to get started with the machine and engineers can continue to use regular design software packages like Cadence before Nano Dimension’s technology takes over to turn the PCB into a printable object. With the benefit of a proposed 10-minute learning curve, the DragonFly opens engineers up to new ways of thinking about designing electronics. The current way of making PCBs is dictated by enduring restrictions. They’re either vertical or horizontal and due to the fine resolution, they’re much less forgiving than a standard printed component. With that Simon believes the potential for 3D printing is much bigger in the electronics industry than any other sector because it has the ability to completely change the idea of how PCBs are applied altogether by giving engineers more freedom and flexibility. “Instead of vertical or horizontal traces which is what PCBs are today you can have coils, things that wind their way through geometries which are currently not possible and ultimately you can also have positioning of components within the print,” Simon explained. Nano Dimension hopes we’ll see more electronics engineers taking risks in their approach to design thanks to the benefits afforded by 3D printing. The typical 10-day turnaround for a 10 or 12 layer PCB can often mean engineers remain conservative about the process as any mistakes can come with high risk in terms of cost and time. With 3D printed electronics, engineering teams have the ability change the way they work, moving from linear workflows to a much more flexible system where they can print an entire board or just part of a circuit, whilst iterating on the fly. “You can explore things a little bit closer to the edge because the cost of making a mistake is thinking you’re going to have to print everything again by tomorrow, that means you can afford to be much more innovative,” Simon commented. Though it’s not going to happen tomorrow, the goal is to eventually incorporate up to 10 different inks with components to turn out complete products. This could have a strong impact on the production of consumer technologies like smart watches, where more complex electronics could be embedded into finished products in place of PCBs which currently have to be considered in any structural designs.

The long term vision is actually that PCBs should cease to exist and be a part of whatever the object is.

“Whilst we’re currently printing PCBs, the long term vision is actually that PCBs should cease to exist and be a part of whatever the object is,” Simon explained. “It’s just in there as an inherent part of a structural piece of the product.” FROM CONCEPT TO BETA IN MONTHS The DragonFly is a product of 3D innovation itself. Designed using a combination of SOLIDWORKS 3D design software, Composer, Simulator and PDM Professional, the machine was conceptualised and realised in just 17 months inspired by nature, the automotive industry and the dragonfly image itself. The machine is scheduled for commercial release later this year in key manufacturing and tech hot spots across the U.S., Europe and Asia. They’re already working with a select few companies in beta including Silicon Valley 3D printing service provider FATHOM and aerospace technology developer Israel Aerospace Industries, which will be among the first to receive a printer upon release. Nano Dimension is looking for partners in various industries including telecom, aerospace, consumer electronics, automotive and even Internet of Things. Each of these sectors have completely different needs from the technology, whether it’s simply speeding up development cycles, weight-saving or embedding into consumer products. “Different questions are being asked across the board,” Simon concluded. “We don’t have answers to all of them yet but by working in each of those areas it will get clearer all of the time.” 

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GUEST COLUMN

David Burns

is the Principal and Founder of Global Business Advisory Services LLC, an international advising firm specializing in the field of manufacturing technologies. With more than 35 years of experience, David provides insight to businesses and individuals focused on industrial and manufacturing processes ranging from traditional manufacturing to 3D printing. www.gbadvisoryservices.com

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

The current trends that I see that will be transformational are centered on the integration of industrial 3D printing into traditional machine tools and machining lines.

Is the REVOLUTION HERE? W O R D S : DAV I D B U R N S

AT RAPID 2016, I saw and heard multiple claims that exhibiting companies were there to “revolutionise manufacturing”. That phrase has become over-used and almost trite. By definition, “revolutionise” means to “change something radically or fundamentally”. Do the newest forms of 3D technologies meet that criteria? In the context of many centuries of manufacturing, I think not. That said, are there fundamental trends in 3D printing that will, in fact, transform manufacturing? The answer in my eyes is an absolute yes. For at least 30 years, manufacturing practitioners have embraced the idea of pursuing an optimal state in manufacturing – one in which there is zero waste. Our training in Lean Manufacturing tells us that the journey to that optimal state is never through, but that each step along the road yields immense benefits to companies involved in manufacturing (like lower costs, shorter lead times, bigger profits), to customers (through more customized products at lower prices) and to society (using less resources to create greater output, raising the standard of living). The current trends that I see that will be transformational are centered on the integration of industrial 3D printing into traditional machine tools and machining lines. There are a few different ways that this is being done: • Some traditional machine tool builders are adding 3D printing “stations” within machines that contain other machining capabilities. Thus, using pallets, the user can add material in a 3D printing process and then index the part into a station for machining of the part, including sections that were 3D printed. • Other machine builders are showing machines that allow parts to be 3D printed in their entirety, with machining operations possible on-machine, during the 3D printing process. • Finally, a new idea is emerging of rotating a 3D printing head through the tool changer, just as tools and inspection devices are carried in the tool changer.

I do not want to comment upon the strengths or weaknesses of each approach. Instead, let’s look at these from a macro-trend perspective. A few years ago, industrial 3D printing was basically in the experimental stage, and in stand-alone configurations. Now, just a few years later, major machine tool companies are embracing industrial 3D printing and integrating it into their core products and processes. This rate of adaptation by major machine tool companies is very significant, not only because it validates that industrial 3D printing is feasible, but also because the significant resources that these machine tool companies can apply to product development far exceed the resources of companies that were involved in industrial 3DP a few years ago. The natural result of machine tool companies entering the 3D printing market will be a further and rapid acceleration of product development. Additionally, machine tool companies understand all of the factors that are required to make products really operate in a manufacturing plant – from reliability to service to the supply chain required in a production environment. Resulting products will be more robust and production-ready. The emergence of multi-function machine tools that have 3D printing capability, combined with the sort of companies producing those tools, means that we have taken a significant step toward embedding 3D technologies into the production process. That, in the end, is truly transformational. I think back to the teachings of people like Taiicchi Ohno (considered by many to be the father of the Toyota Production System) and Richard Schonberger (the author of World Class Manufacturing). I believe that both would be convinced that the current trend of multi-function machines - that have embedded 3D printing - represent steps forward on the journey towards lean optimization. While not a revolution, this DOES change manufacturing forever. 

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ROAD TO RIO

Ed itor, Da n ie l O’ C on nor l ooks at ho w o n e wom an’ s qu e s t for G OL D at R io 2 0 1 6 c o u l d open up a wor l d of c u s t om is e d pr o s t he sis for v ic tim s of wa r.

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

The Path to Glory D

enise Schindler is officially according to cycling’s

governing body, UCI, the fastest road cyclist in her classification in the world. She is a World Champion, European Cup Winner, German Champion and London 2012 Silver Medallist. That last one, the silver medal, she’s hoping to upgrade to gold this summer, in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The bulk of the work towards gold will be done in the countless hours Denise spends on track and on the road, but, like, any top athlete Denise Schindler is squeezing every last drop out of the equipment and being amputated below the knee since the age of two after an accident, there’s one more piece of equipment to add to the bike, the helmet and the sportswear that the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and co spend hours tinkering with… her prosthetic. Sports prosthesis are highly customised and precise pieces of equipment, they are usually hand-made by orthopaedic technicians, they are expensive, they are not accessible. Denise hopes with the help of Autodesk and 3D printing technology to not only add a further competitive edge to her medal hunt in Rio but to make sport more accessible to those who require prosthesis. “We started working on a new way of producing my prosthetic one and a half years ago,” Denise tells me at the hip re:publica 2016 even in Berlin. “It was very challenging, we started by scanning my limb and tried to do a fitting directly from the software but we discovered that the traditional way using plaster cast gives the technician a lot of chance to build structure around specific areas, that person is an expert at feeling that certain areas can bear weight, certain areas might be too bony to do so, the scan can’t detect that. The main challenge was to find a way in Fusion360 that we could have the scan and input that orthopaedic expertise.” ›› 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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ROAD TO RIO

GOING FOR GOLD The finished prosthetic was printed in Polycarbonate using a Stratasys Fortus FDM machine and painted by hand to finish, Denise says she plans on a go faster stripe paint job as well as a UCI certification sticker. It bulges at the top for comfort around the limb and becomes sleeker and more aerodynamic towards the shin area, the bottom is flat and is clamped directly onto the bike pedal. A traditional prosthesis would weigh more than 1.5 kilograms, this weighs under 1 kg. It can also take production time from about 10 weeks to five days and be made for about a quarter of the price. A week before showcasing her Paralympic prosthetic to this magazine editor Denise had been showcasing it to Angela Merkel and POTUS himself, Barack Obama. Of course, the genesis of this idea was to propel her to glory on the road and on the track but as spokesperson for a community of people who require amputees, Denise sees this as an opportunity to radically alter the way amputees approach sport. “Sport for me during my childhood was not a big deal,” Denise recalls. “I was always last in sports class and it was nothing I had fun with. Later on in life I figured out that sport can be really nice, something I can do

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Once the team including a Fusion360 expert, an orthopaedic technician and Schindler herself had a design they were happy with they used FDM printing to test it out immediately. “I was very happy that it just fitted,” Schindler enthused. “I was able to test it for stability and power on the track doing various exercises like starts and sprints. Fitting was fine but I needed more stability for the sprints, I was losing power because it was too flexible. In that first version the designer tried to soften a lot of points to take pressure points away for my limb but it was too soft.” Back to the drawing board, but that’s just the beauty of digital design, the team went through 50 to 60 iterations before getting to the point whereby they were happy with the prosthetic. “Every time the designer thought he was finished I came up with a new idea, a new challenge for him. When I was ready then my prosthesis expert would come along and ask for something extra.”

We have the chance with 3D printing to create a very custom made product for a price that is affordable

ABOVE: Denise and her 3d

manufactured prosthetic

without pain, something I can have fun with, that’s really a door opener to a person’s confidence. We have the chance with 3D printing to create a very custom made product for a price that is affordable, if this was the case the average amputee would buy prosthetics like everybody else buys expensive shoes.” Denise says that now that her scan data is in the system and they know it works and fits, she can create a specifically tailored prosthetic to different activities. “Just like you have business shoes to look good, everyday shoes for comfort, climbing shoes for climbing this could be the case for prosthetics, so I love diving, I will just use my diving leg.” ››

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN In 2013 as the civil war in his country reached crisis point, Syrian, Asem Hasna, left his mathematical studies to volunteer as a paramedic. He was loading injured people into his ambulance when an explosion severed his leg. With his life hanging in the balance his medical colleagues sent him off to Jordan where he was amputated and able to get sufficient treatment to be able to walk on a prosthetic leg at the fifth operation asking. While he was hospitalised and undergoing rehabilitation he trained to become a prosthetic technician in order to help out other Syrian amputees, here Asem came into contact with Refugee Open Ware (ROW) and saw how 3D printing could be used to create basic prosthetics for those in dire need. He was immediately addicted, devouring 3D printing texts and teaching himself how to make a functional prosthesis on a basic FDM 3D printer. As ROW’s 3D Printing expert Asem was able to help hundreds of victims of war not just physically but psychologically too. Asem joined Denise Schindler on stage at re:publica to discuss how empowering the amputees to take part in the design process gives them a psychological boost as well as the physical aid that is required. On stage Asem discussed Zane, a sixyear-old Yemeni boy who lost his hand and was badly burned in an explosion during fighting, ROW made him a 3D printed prosthetic, not any old prosthetic

but one in the style of his hero Ben 10. “When we met Zane for the first time he was scared,” Asem said. “He was scared because all of his body was burned but when he started to see this Ben 10 hand he started to be more relaxed, the first day he didn’t take off the hand, only when he went to sleep did his father remove the hand.” Having seen, first hand at a makerspace in London, the disappointment of parents whose child’s affliction was not suitable for a 3D printed prosthetic, I asked Asem

if all these feelgood stories we see of 3D printed prosthesis (guilty as charged on that front) could possibly be a negative thing? “3D printed prosthetics are not the best solutions ever, there are bionic hands that costs tens of thousands of euros but for now they are providing an alternative solution for people who can’t get access to advanced healthcare,” Asem explained. “There are 100,000 amputees in Syria, you have two choices you can provide cutting edge prosthesis to one hundred of them or to provide basic arms or limbs to as many as you can.” But Asem sees that changing. Asem sees people like Denise Schindler and believes that more innovation at the top of the market will push prices down and allow for greater innovation in the open-source end were he and ROW operate. “I really believe in the future we will have low cost bionic perfect prosthetics accessible to everyone.” Denise thrives on motivation, she is smashing through the barriers and not just breaking records but opening doors to accessibility, perhaps opening doors to people who will be come her competitor. “I hope my story is an inspiration not to stop,” she says. “An inspiration to see the things amputees can do, I hope people see what I can do, how I chose my path, how I cycle my path and start to ask for things that they want to have, to do the things they did before. I think this is the biggest thing I can do.”  For more information visit www.row.org

RIGHT: Denise Schindler’s competition prosthetic 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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RAPID REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Rapid Review WOR DS : DA N IE L O ’C O N N O R

rlando is synonymous

for two things, the heat and theme parks but for three days in May it also took on the form of 3D printing mecca as the world’s top 3D manufacturing companies converged on the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for RAPID 2016. The annual event hosted by SME has, concurrently with the industry, grown at a steady rate. The 2016 was the biggest yet with gargantuan stands like that of HP rubbing shoulders with smaller companies like MakeShaper and established players like 3D Systems rubbing shoulders with startups like Rize, Inc. All showing something novel, something that will help people reduce time to market. SHOW FLOOR All aspects of 3D manufacturing were on display at RAPID 2016, from additive manufacturing machinery to powder solutions, a visitor can see a whole supply chain and workflow, that’s one of the beauties of trade shows - a concentrated base of information. It was a technological overload at the OCCC as companies elbowed for room to talk about their latest and greatest product launches, many of which, like EnvisionTEC (page 13) and HP (page 53), are featured in-depth throughout this issue.

One of the most talked about launches was that of XJet, this was the first opportunity to see the Nanoparticle Jetting technology from a team that includes several founder members of Objet including Founder and CEO, Hanan Gothait. During a tour of the machinery and booth Markets Development Manager, Avi Cohen formerly of Objet and Stratasys told me: “We’re not just a start up of three guys, a problem that may have taken me ten years to solve elsewhere took me just ten days when I got to XJet.” Stratasys launched its GrabCAD Print feature that makes it easier for engineers across the globe to 3D print. The new cloud-based platform allows mechanical engineers to 3D print directly from a CAD file, taking away the sometimes-tricky process of converting a file into an STL. Carbon showcased its M1 CLIP technology to the wider world after a smaller showing at AMUG, Lulzbot debuted the TAZ 6, Formlabs debuted its biocompatible dental resin, Materialise demoed the new Magics 3D Print Suite, you get the picture there were a LOT of new products on show. Subscribe to youtube.com/user/tctmagazine for more on those launches



ABOVE: A busy RAPID show floor (top) and the 3D Printed Fashion Show

ABOVE: XJet parts 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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RAPID REVIEW

The first four considerations were achieved with design, the latter two with material science and the first surgery was performed in 2012. Patient number one had never been off a ventilator for his entire 16 months on earth, six weeks after the operation he was breathing on his own. “We’re just scratching the surface of what is possible with 3D printed medical devices,” said Dr Robert Morrison to a rapturous round of applause.



LEFT: Hans Langer receives his award from Jason Jones

AWARDS At the 26th annual RAPID event, SME We’re just hosted its Additive scratching Manufacturing the surface Community Awards, of what is highlighting some of the most possible with influential figures 3D printed and achievements in medical the 3D technologies devices industry. The 2016 SME Additive Manufacturing Industry Achievement Award went to Hans Langer, PhD, founder and CEO of EOS GmbH. Langer is a major pioneer in the additive manufacturing industry, racking up several industry awards and accolades including the Bavarian State Medal and ranking highly on lists of influential industry figures, including one in this very magazine. Jason Jones, PhD, chair of SME’s Additive Manufacturing Community, commented: “This award is a recognition of Dr. Langer’s technical innovations and the widespread impact his company has had on the additive manufacturing industry since its start in 1989.” SME also announced the winners of the Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Award, named after the late additive manufacturing pioneer Dick Aubin, for “Contact-Free Support Structures for Part Overhangs in Powder-Bed Metal Additive Manufacturing,” written by Kevin Chou, PhD, and Bo Cheng of the University of Alabama, and Kenneth Cooper and Phillip Steele of Marshall Space Flight Centre.

The Rochester Institute of Technology sponsored the award, which was given for the paper’s documented concept of employing a novel thermal management strategy to avoid distortion in parts made with metal powderbed fusion. In the 2016 Design for Direct Digital Manufacturing Competition, high school and college designers and engineers were challenged to take an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design, and improve it using additive manufacturing. The winners were students Tito Arana, Jordan Castillo, Michael Gager, Dan Stella and Joanel Vasquez, along with their academic advisor, Stephen Johnston, PhD, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The RAPID Innovation Award, sponsored by Stratasys, recognises new products or services at RAPID that demonstrate the greatest potential impact on the industry. With a record number of 27 entries this year, the finalists were 3DSIM, Additive Industries, Essentium Materials and HP Inc. All four companies brought forth inventive, significant technological advancements. The overall winner was Essentium, which introduced a new and innovative method for welding thermoplastic interfaces of 3D-printed parts using the extreme heating response of nanoparticles. The RAPID People’s Choice Award, also sponsored by Stratasys, was determined by popular vote of RAPID attendees. The award went to HP for being the most interactive, technically impressive and engaging with their Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution launch. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS As you may have read in the last issue, next year’s RAPID Event represents an entirely new beast, SME and our publishers, Rapid News Publications Ltd. have joined forces to bring RAPID + TCT to the North American market. By combining decades of experience of the two brands, the 2017 edition will offer exhibitors and visitors the ultimate in 3D manufacturing trade shows.  RAPID + TCT 2017 will be hosted at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA on May 8-11, 2017. 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

CONFERENCING The conference line-up at this year’s Rapid was nothing short of stellar with keynotes from Terry Wohlers, Workshops from FIAT Chrysler automobiles, Seminars from the United States Naval Academy, lectures on the 3D printing of optically transparent glass from MIT and more. It was a veritable feast for the mind but one particular talk this editor enjoyed was the second day keynote, ‘4D Printing in Medicine: Developing Medical Devices for the Growing Patient’ by Robert Morrison, MD and Scott Hollister, PhD from the University of Michigan. The disease that the two doctors were faced with treating is Tracheobronchomalacia - a disease that effects 1:2,100 infants. Current treatment includes complicated surgery and constant ventilation; morbidity rates are high with surgery. For adults who develop the illness a tracheal splint can help, the problem with infantile Tracheobronchomalacia is growth, children grow at a rapid speed and no one splint solution is viable. Growth in this case is the fourth dimension. The team had to create tracheal splints that would grow alongside the pressure of human growth. 3D printing would help create the bespoke splint in the first place but how could they get the splint to react? There were six design considerations that went into achieving this: • Archetype Device Design needed to: • Resist External Compression • Allow Flexion/Bending • Allow Radial Expansion/Growth • Be Customisable for Variable Anatomy • Be Bioresorbable (Last 2-4 Years) • Be Biocompatible

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24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

BUREAUX UPDATE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

People Power Last year we went and asked the founders of several leading 3D printing businesses about the key elements needed to set up a successful bureau. Much of that expertise came from Gary Miller who had just set out on a new venture with, does what it says on the tin, 3D Print Bureau. 12 months on we went back to the bureau to find out how the business has evolved since opening its doors. WOR D S : LA U R A G R IFFIT H S

ust to give you

snapshot of how well things are going, we travelled down to Stoke-on-Trent to visit 3D Print Bureau’s second location situated among Longton’s historical pottery works. Having just got the keys in February, the rapid expansion and huge volume of projects coming through are a palpable sign of how the business has grown over the last year. On top of being one of the UK’s leading 3D print service providers with an enviable resource of technology, that demand is largely down to the people at the helm including Gary who heads up the Royston site and Dave Bennett, former Director at 3D Creation Lab, who is now busy managing a team of five at the new Longton location. These guys have been on the scene for years and as we’ve come to learn, for a growing but still relatively small industry like ours a good reputation can take you a long way.

“You build that personal relationship, customers are not buying so much from the company, they’re buying from the person,” Dave commented. The Longton site was opened by Paul Webber, owner of local Stratasys solutions provider Tri-Tech which has also been the main supplier of machines to the new site. These businesses and the guys in charge are conveniently situated within a 20-minute drive from one another. This was not just a conscious choice so that they could roll out of bed and into work but so that they’re in the unique position of being able to offer their services on unrivalled short notice. There’s no faceless, automated quote system in sight, instead the team assess each project individually, fixing files to ensure printability and guiding the customer towards the best solution for the job. It’s a similar setup at the original Royston venture, having a dedicated team that’s virtually on the doorstep of the workshop means that it’s not out ››

24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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BUREAUX UPDATE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

of the question for a customer to call up with an order on a Saturday afternoon and have it ready for them to take to their boss come Monday morning. “The thing that frustrates people the most is when they want something and can’t get it done,” Dave explained. “With us being close it does mean that we can do that sort of thing without it being a massive interruption to our lives and that really feeds into our USP.” So far much of the bureau’s business has come from existing customers who have worked with the guys on projects in the past. Thanks to that strong following they’re already printing thousands of components each month and that’s before they’ve even tried picking up the phone or knocking on doors to drive new business. By next year the team is determined that 3D Print Bureau will have taken over a million pounds worth of orders. Speaking with the team at their new vibrant and eco-friendly office space, speckled with 3D Print Bureau’s trademark colours, they

make it sound easy and apart from a doomed ferry ride across from Holland in gale force winds to pick up a new machine – true story - it’s all been plain sailing. Excuse the pun. “The challenges are 9 or 10 years in the industry to get to this point where you know what you’re doing,” Dave commented. “Things can still go wrong and you can still make mistakes but because you’ve got the experience, it gives you a good chance.” 3D Print Bureau has 18 machines across its sites including PolyJet, FDM, DLP and LS but Paul says they’re “ramping things up and looking to adopt further technologies” like Stratasys’ recently launched J750 machine, to cater to the needs of all present and future clients. “Dave and Gary have got good long term reputations with clients and nothing is going to break that down over night,” Paul added. “Providing we can still do the same, if not better, in the new surroundings then they’re going to keep coming.” It seems Staffordshire is a bit of a hotspot for UK additive manufacturing, along with 3D Print Bureau and Tri-Tech, it’s home to industrial companies

like Renishaw and now a new 3D printing bureau dedicated to metals, Scott AM. Founded by yet another familiar name on the AM scene, Simon Scott, this new business will focus entirely on providing metal 3D printing solutions. The service currently utilises two Renishaw AM250 machines that are capable of manufacturing in a range of metal powders for a number of industries but that machine offering is set to increase to offer a wider range of metal additive technologies in the coming months. Once again proving the power of a good reputation in the industry, Scott AM has already secured several projects from customers in the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors and that’s all before any official launch. Right now you’ll see Scott AM’s website simply informs visitors and customers to “stay tuned” – we certainly will. 

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MACHINING ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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T RAPID, 3D SYSTEMS’ principal message was that despite the noise, this industry is not all about the 3D printer, it’s about an entire ecosystem. Whether it’s design, manufacturing, scanning or processing, all of the links in the chain need to fit together in order for the technology to achieve its full potential. Toward the end of last year, the additive manufacturing giant that’s currently celebrating 30 years in the industry, expanded that ecosystem even further in partnership with Methods Machine Tools, Inc.. Based in the U.S., Methods has over 55 years of experience in the supply of precision machine tools and automation for manufacturing but in recent years, has kept a close watch on the surge of 3D technologies. Following a year of evaluating the leading companies in the industry, Methods took the plunge to forge a national partnership and long-term agreement with 3D Systems to offer production-level 3D technologies under its newly formed subsidiary, Methods 3D. “We saw several industries begin to embrace 3D technologies and employ design for the process,” Mr. Benjamin Fisk, General Manager Methods3D, explained. “At the same time machine builders were releasing the next generation of 3D technologies focused not only on technology but true manufacturing production. As we evaluated the markets and talked with leading industry experts, we realised the tremendous potential that 3D

technologies had for our customers and how Methods could help those customers integrate these technologies into their business and products.” With seven technology centers across the U.S, Methods has installed 3D printing labs at each of these locations, staffed with dedicated professionals to demonstrate to customers where these advanced technologies fit into their manufacturing processes. Equipped with an established history in metal machining applications which spans industries such as aerospace, medical, automotive and electronics – which notably happen to be some of the key areas where additive is offering the most value – Methods3D is putting a strong focus on 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing (DMP) to help customers meet the most demanding applications with a range of machines from the smallest ProX DMP 100 printer to the ProX DMP 320 designed for intense 24/7 production environments. But Methods3D is not resting on metals and has expanded the toolbox even further with SLS, SLA and MultiJet Printing with its most recent installation the ProJet MJP 3600. “By combining the capabilities of 3D technologies, which allows for the creation of a part from scratch, with the finishing capabilities of traditional technologies, there are great opportunities to integrate and ››

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MACHINING traditional manufacturing. The result is a mould incapable of being produced by either technology alone, but together creates solutions with unmatched capability and performance.” From small job shops to large corporations, Methods 3D is looking to address what it sees as a shortfall in the integration of 3D technologies into production manufacturing by providing complete turnkey solutions from design all the way to quality assurance. Additionally, as we experience a growing demand for automation and the industry shifts toward production, Methods 3D hopes to continue its legacy in robotics and automation with fully integrated solutions. “Methods 3D sees a tremendous opportunity for automation within the additive manufacturing sector,” Fisk added. “Builders are beginning to understand the need for further product and process integration and we believe Methods 3D will be a leader in developing these capabilities and bringing them to market.” We’re already seeing copious evidence of the benefits afforded by combining traditional manufacturing with additive through the growing number of hybrid machines and established machine tool manufacturers entering the market with their own additive enabled technologies. While subtractive has long dominated the manufacturing industry, the message is clear that what were once deemed competing technologies are more effective as complementary and as manufacturing needs continue to evolve, this amalgamation is giving companies the ability to evolve with them. 

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

automate the entire production process to combine traditional manufacturing and 3D printing into production cells,” Fisk continued. “3D technologies allow for concepts such as modular manufacturing, and with the continued development of standardised fixtures, work holding, and interface controls, traditional and 3D technologies will continue to complement each other and achieve seamless integration.” Often the first assumption about 3D technologies is that they’re here to replace traditional manufacturing tools. While that might be the case for some specific applications, and indeed those emerging “killer applications” where 3D printing is making the impossible a reality, there’s no need to hang up your traditional tool kit just yet. Prototyping and customisation are obvious, tried and tested use cases for 3D printing but where Methods3D believes the combination of traditional and additive is really changing the game is in the manufacture of injection moulds. “When 3D printing started to enter production manufacturing, many people thought it would be the end to traditional manufacturing,” Fisk explained. “However, there are applications where each technology is a clear stand-alone solution, and more often where both need to be applied together to reach the best solution. A clear example is the manufacturing of high-performance injection moulds. 3D technologies are employed to create highly complex conformal cooling channels which traditional manufacturing is incapable of producing. However, tight-tolerance and mirror-like surface finish requirements require the die to be post-processed with

Interview:

Mazak on Machining and Metal AM The value of combining both additive and subtractive technologies is being recognised by new machine manufacturers and industry stalwarts alike. We spoke to Joe Wilker, Product Manager at Mazak, world leader in CNC machine tools about the company’s first ever hybrid technology to feature both multi-task and industrial additive capabilities all in one. Tell us about Mazak … “Mazak is really known as a worldwide leader in CNC machine tools. We build about 400 different models worldwide both in turning centres, vertical and horizontal machine centres and also a multi-tasking machine.” Tell us about your entry into the additive manufacturing market … We’re demonstrating our i-400AM machine, which is a multi tasking machine with additive capabilities. We’re using a laser deposition process to build layers and layers of material to grow certain features. Who is the i-400AM aimed at? It’s designed for mostly our multi-tasking users however the users are not really educated as much on this so I think where we see most of these products being sold is at OEM level where OEMs are using this design to develop new processes and designs as well as R&D facilities. Why have you decided to enter the AM market now? What value will additive bring to your customers? “We see this as another tool in the toolbox. We’re going to be able to develop products that have never been developed before, like mixing different alloys in one part and doing repair work that’s never been done before in one machine.” We’re seeing an increasing number of hybrid technologies on the scene – do you think this will continue to grow? “As this technology is embraced in the industry more and more, we’re going to see this expand even more because it’s going to really start with the next generation of designers, designing parts with additive in mind. There’s going to be a market for this in the future, both in the repair area as well as development of new products.

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HP LAUNCH ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for, nearly 18 months after a packed out press conference in New York where HP first uttered the words Multi Jet Fusion and signalled a ‘reinvention’ of 3D printing, the computer technology giant’s big 3D debut has finally been unveiled as the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution.

May, HP invited a group of select media to its huge Barcelona campus to share its big news and fill us with enough tapas to last us a lifetime (that’s not true, you can never have enough 600 Euro ham). In a super slick grand unveiling - strobe lights, curtain lifting and all - we were able to catch a glimpse of the company’s first 3D printing systems, a full productionready, end-to-end solution that went on display publically for the very first time at RAPID in Orlando. But if you are as eagle-eyed about floor plans as us, you wouldn’t have expected anything less from the two mammoth booths at North America’s biggest 3D technologies event. Far from the mock ups we saw back in 2014, HP has delivered two 3D printing systems – the HP Jet Fusion 3D 3200 Printer and the HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 Printer – the former designed for prototyping and the latter for short-run manufacturing. Though the final package may look different, the company is right on track for the goals it set itself in the beginning: superior part quality, breakthrough productivity and to lower cost-per-part by 50%. “Our unique position today is, we very much have a focus on production manufacturing,” Stephen Nigro, ack in

President of HP’s 3D Printing Business, explained. “We’re going to serve the prototype market and we definitely have a focus on production because that’s really the market opportunity. The open market approach we’re taking will be essential to the industry.” As promised, HP is offering competitive print times and equally impressive costper-part numbers. Using SLS as its benchmark, it’s ten times faster and parts can be printed at half the cost of current systems – for a small part like a cog (pictured p. 59), it’s claiming users could 3D print around 5,000 in a day compared to the 500 produced by SLS. The platform uses a unique dual-carriage, multi-agent printing process whereby a layer of powder is deposited onto the build platform (406 x 305 x 406 mm) followed by a fusing and detailing 3D Agent, which are passed in a second movement by HP Thermal Inkjet arrays. Energy is then applied to catalyse the fusing agent and a new layer of material is deposited. ››

The open market approach we’re taking will be essential to the industry.

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28 SEPT - 29 SEPT 2016

HP LAUNCH

The machine can produce functional parts at the individual voxel level (the 3D equivalent of 2D printing pixels) and has the ability to address over 340 million of these per second for a single layer. The benefit of this is not only rapid build speeds but also the ability to manipulate part properties at the tiniest level. MORE THAN JUST A 3D PRINTER Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the reveal of an accompanying Processing Station. In what HP describes as a “pain point” for the industry, through months of collaboration and conversations with users already active in the industry, the idea for a postprocessing machine was born. A tour around HP’s 3D Printing Lab revealed around 10 iterations of the printer, a working display of the machine’s evolution, but most importantly, the workshop showed barely any signs of powder spillage on the floor, no need for safety glasses or overalls but instead a tidy and smooth working environment. This is due to the clean and connected workflow. Parts travel from the printer housed in a separate build unit across to the Processing Station, which is synced up with the printer and eliminates the need for manual handling and any unnecessary mess. Prints come out of the machine looking near on finished, requiring only one additional process such as sandblasting. On top of that, the machine is also used to recycle material. Any excess powder is filtered back into the system mixed with a portion of clean powder from a fresh cartridge and deposited back into a container ready for transporting to the next build. The cartridge system resembles that of which we’re used to experiencing in the 2D world where slot-in cartridges, in this case filled with powder, are used to make it as clean and pain free as possible.

“We knew some sort of post processing was needed and since we had this very early customer engagement process where customers were in the lab with us it became very apparent that there was a real need to improve the workflow,” Stephen added. “That was not in our initial plan, we were just going to do the core machines, have some accessories but then when we started to get into the open market we started studying the workflow and realised, wow this really is a customer pain point.” Scott Schiller, VP Market Development at HP 3D Printing, commented: “We have model shops all over the world and we have 3D printing technologies that we have been using for many years. The observation was that for a powder-based technology we really want it to be an experience where it’s not difficult - it’s taking friction out of adoption. We want that workflow to be so smooth and clean that people forget that there’s a powder approach.” On the software side, HP has introduced HP SmartStream 3D Software, a cloudenabled, in-box solution that’s designed to streamline the design to print workflow and provides useful features like time and cost estimators. SmartStream currently supports both STL and 3MF but as one of the 3MF Consortium’s founding members, HP were clear about their intentions to eventually do away with STL in favour of its successor which is better equipped to support its voxel level control. ››

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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LEFT: HP 3D Printer

It needs to be so powerful that it’s not just economically justified - it changes a corporate or institutional behaviour

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BELOW: HP Build Unit

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HP LAUNCH ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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RIGHT: HP Processing Station

INTEGRATING INTELLIGENCE Since its initial announcement, HP has focused heavily on promoting an open approach and they’re keeping to that focus in two ways. The first is through partnerships with companies who are already leaders in the 3D printing industry like Materialise, Shapeways, Proto Labs, Jabil and Siemens who have each been working with HP to trial the technology and develop software solutions.

“We’re unabashedly very open in terms of how we engage the market because there are a lot of people who have been in this space for quite some time and we have found the market to be amazingly receptive and I think everybody has been looking for the catalyst,” Scott added. “Historically it’s always been about barriers to entry and control and what we see is that power moving from a very vertical focus to one that’s a bit more horizontal, it’s about the relationships and the partnerships and what comes as a function of that – we believe we can only be successful by partnering very successfully.” The second way it’s opening the platform up is through material development by working with certified partners like BASF, Evonik, Arkema and Lehmann&Voss&Co. Initially, the machines will be available with HP’s own 3D High Reusability PA12 material (solely in black because it’s age resistant and according to Stephen “a good starting point for functional production”) but in the future this will expand to include more HP developed and certified partner materials featuring colour, ceramics and eventually embedded intelligence. Intelligent material properties is perhaps one of the most exciting prospects and HP suggest that in the future, voxel level control will allow

us to embed sensors into a print which can be used to alert the user if a part is under stress. For example, in something like the famous chain link we saw back in 2014, an LED or colour indicator could show when layers have been removed through wear and tear. HP envisions driving this further by offering a Material Development Kit, which will initially allow companies and eventually universities to create their own branded materials with the HP stamp. LIVING UP TO THE HYPE It’s clear that HP is confident it can achieve the same in the 3D market as it has done in the graphics industry – so confident in fact that we could see future short run HP products manufactured with Jet Fusion printed parts. In fact, 66 parts in the Jet Fusion Solution itself have been printed using the tech - a novel way of proving the potential of these functional parts and we’re told this number could increase to around 50% of its total parts in the future. By doing this, HP is demonstrating how Jet Fusion could be bordering closely on rivalling injection moulding in cases where the benefits of printing for a small batch production run outweigh that of injection moulding. ››

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International exhibition and conference on the next generation of manufacturing technologies

Frankfurt, Germany, 15 – 18 November 2016 formnext.com

Touch tomorrow! Over four days in November, professionals of the industrial manufacturing industry will meet in Frankfurt am Main, Germany to be inspired by solutions designed to bring product ideas to life more quickly and efficiently. With its unique combination of additive manufacturing and conventional technologies, formnext powered by tct presents the next generation of intelligent manufacturing solutions – from design all the way to mass production. It will definitely be worth the trip, so don’t miss out!

Where ideas take shape.

Exhibition Movie 2015

Information: +49 711 61946-825 formnext@mesago.com

@ formnext_expo # formnext16

HP LAUNCH ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

ABOVE (L-R): Functional print sample. MIDDLE: Comparison between Jet Fusion, SLS and FDM. RIGHT: Flexible part sample

HP showed us some confidential data where Jet Fusion offered substantial savings in terms of reduced inventory, logistics costs and overall cost-per-part. They’re already working with high-profile brands like Nike where Jet Fusion has been used to accelerate the sportswear giant’s prototyping and manufacture of high-performance footwear. BMW is also an early adopter using HP’s technology to further investigate the potential of 3D technologies in its prototyping and concept modelling capabilities. “The way we describe our value proposition objective is that it needs to be so powerful that it’s not just economically justified. It’s so powerful that it changes a corporate or institutional behaviour,” Scott added. “That is something that I think we’ve become quite good at over the last 15 years.” Delivery of the HP Jet Fusion 4200 is set to commence later this year and the 3200 will follow in 2017. Standalone machine prices start at $130,000 and the full solution including Processing Station will be available from $155,000. Before writing this article I went back and read our Head of Content, Jim’s report on HP’s New York launch just to see if the promises made have in fact remained true. It’s hard to say just yet if they will ‘lead the business’ as Meg Whitman, now President and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, proposed but the key drivers – cost, speed and quality, remain high on the list of targets. HP isn’t shying away from its mission to ‘win in 3D’ and with so much opportunity

in the open market, if they stick with their key goals, there’s a very good chance their impact will be significant. As Stephen Nigro said during the launch, “the amazing thing is we’re just starting” and though we might not see these pivotal shifts right away, it will be interesting to see how the industry takes to the technology and where HP’s roadmap will lead. 

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PERSONALIZE

Having been in the game for a long time, TCT spotted the likes of i.materialise and Shapeways beginning to have a huge influence on consumer markets and launched the personalize brand back in 2012. Four years on and we’ve seen some incredible things printed from full sized houses to miniature versions of the moon, 3D printing inspires us in weird and wonderful ways. Here’s a selection of prints we’ve enjoyed this month.

PRINTING PRESS Light Rider Airbus are rightfully associated more with the Aerospace sector than the motorbike one, but as a proof of concept for series production using additive technologies and its in-house developed material Scalmalloy (more in the aerospace section on page 13) its subsidiary Airbus APWorks have developed the Light Rider, a generatively designed 3D printed motorbike. More than just being a proof of concept APWorks will be manufacturing 50 of the electric motorbikes which you can pre-order for €50,000. 

Gigi’s New Beak There’s been something of a glut of animal prosthetics in the news of late, there’s no denying they make fantastically newsworthy pieces and show the mainstream media the potential of 3D printing. One that particularly caught the eye was a new beak made for Gigi, a blue macaw, whose terrible treatment at the hands of illegal bird traders saw her left without a beak. A team of veterinarians, together with 3D printing experts from the Renato Archer Technology and Information Center (CTI) in Campinas, Brazil, developed an implant using Mlab cusing R from Concept Laser. The operation has proved a success and Gigi’s life has been significantly improved.  www.concept-laser.de

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www.lightrider.apworks.de/

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

De Zeven Provinciën This incredible 1.5 m long replica of the grand Dutch ship, De Zeven Provinciën was made using Materialise’s Mammoth SLA technology. The original ship, which gets its name fom the seven autonomous provinces that made up the Dutch Republic in the 17th century, was 45 m long with 80 guns and was home to 420 crew. & designshop, a design studio and shop from the Netherlands, were tasked by a customer to produce the replica and given just 18 months to finish the project. A galleon replica of this size usually takes a year more than that to handcraft, the harsh deadline saw the studio enlist Materialise’s 3D printing expertise. The finished 17th Century Replica is a sight to behold.  www.en-designshop.com/collections/projects/ products/17th-century-ship-3d-scale-model

Darth Vader Helmet (melted) If you check the back issues you’ll see that Star Wars has been a recurring theme for these pages, it’s not that we’re superfans of the movie behemoth it’s just that they make for pretty cool prints. This month voxeljet owned Propshop, who made many of the actual props for the Force Awakens have helped Disney and Lucasfilm launch Star Wars Collectibles: Ultimate Studio Edition. For $3,500 you can own one of 500 melted Darth Vader helmets –facsimile replicas of the one used in the hit movie. Other items in the Ultimate Studio Edition include Chewie’s Bowcaster a Kylo Ren Helmet and Rey’s Lightsaber Hilt, all 3D printed and finished immaculately.  www.collectibles.starwars.com

Contiguous United States Prism Map Inspired by my editor’s letter at the front of this magazine I stumbled upon a fantastic customisable 3D print on Thingiverse, by designer Anoved. The Contiguous United States Prism Map is completely customisable, allowing you to input any data (eg population) into each state and create a physical representation of that model. I have customised it putting in the number of days I have spent in each state, as you can see I spend a lot of time in Nevada!  www.thingiverse.com/thing:209005 24 : 3 www.tctmagazine.com

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UK SERVICE MAP

3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

SERVICE PROVIDER MAP SponSOred by

The annual TCT + Personalize 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing European Service Provider Map is back for 2016 to bring you all of the information you need to choose a service bureau near you that will help turn your ideas into reality.

resented as a

huge pull-out this map provides a comprehensive guide to the bureaux around the UK and Ireland who are providing services in 3D technologies from prototyping to production. There’s no ‘one-size fits all’ solution and with so many technologies required for efficient product development, our guide will point you in the direction of service providers that cover every material or skill at a level of complexity or cost that suits your needs. So whether you’re a designer looking for the perfect technology to produce that initial prototype or a business in search of a local manufacturing partner, keep this handy map on your desk or pin it to the office wall and use it to complete your next big project. For our digital subscribers, the map is available to download for free via the TCT app on Android and iOS and at tctmagazine.com.

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keep this handy map on your desk or pin it to the office wall and use it to complete your next big project

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

MORE THAN A MAGAZINE – TCT for the latest news, reviews and industry technologies

The Complete Additive Manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping Bureau Call: 028 9070 6940 Email: sales@laserproto.com Web: www.laserproto.com

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GRIMM COLUMN

THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION One audience member asked what AM technology I would buy if given $1 million.

Todd Grimm

is a stalwart of the additive manufacturing industry, having held positions across sales and marketing in some of the industry’s biggest names. Todd is currently the AM Industry advisor with AMUG

tgrimm@tagrimm.com

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WORDS : TODD GRIMM

S THE TCT TEAM has reported, RAPID 2016 was home to many interesting and exciting product announcements. HP provided the long-awaited launch of its Jet Fusion systems, Carbon demonstrated its M1 and announced three new materials, EnvisionTEC surprised attendees with its SLCOM 1 composites printer and XJet debuted NanoParticle Jetting for metal additive manufacturing. Many others joined these companies with introductions of hardware, software, material and service solutions. Prior to these announcements being made and before the opening of the show floor, I offered a fast-paced presentation of what’s new in additive manufacturing (AM). In 45 minutes, over 80 items covering R&D efforts through product launches were summarised, and the list could have been much longer if time allowed. All of these activities show that additive manufacturing (AM) is in a truly dynamic and fast-paced era of new solutions, some of them true innovations. The array of options is simply mind boggling and a bit overwhelming — at least according to those that drank from the firehose during my presentation. This was evident when one audience member, seeking to cut to the chase and distill the options into some semblance of clarity, asked what AM technology I would buy if given $1 million. That question, at least as it was posed, has no answer. There is no simple, easy path to AM technology selection and no universal answer for all. Another audience member reinforced this position by noting that he had made a purchase based solely on price and envelope size. When his shiny, new system arrived, he discovered that much of what he intended to do was not possible. His is a story shared by countless others that did not do their homework. The reason for the challenge in making a sound buying decision is that there isn’t a single solution that does all things well for all applications. That is compounded by the reality that there are very few technologies that are equal, or even somewhat comparable, in all operational and output characteristics. While tempting to make quick work of the selection process by ignoring these facts, that approach may lead to disappointing results. The million-dollar question could only be answered after defining what success looks like

for specific situations. Before sifting through all of the technology options — or naively writing a check for the latest and greatest — start by defining the desired applications and the products that will be additively manufactured, down to the component level. Next, determine what the requirements are for each combination of application and product. Finally, fold in the operational considerations like staffing, ease of use and running cost. Odds are that the resulting requirements are beyond what any one technology can do. So now it is time to ask the tough questions to ferret out what is truly important for success in the applications that are most beneficial. It is after this work that it becomes appropriate to investigate all the options that this dynamic industry offers and match them to your needs. That process covers performance specs, but it doesn’t fully answer the question of what to buy. Equally important is an evaluation of the reputations of the systems as well as the companies that offer them. A machine that looks good on paper but suffers from downtime issues or problems with some geometries won’t be ideal. For this reason, and the inevitable surprises with new systems, I recommend a wait-and-see approach for new products unless resources are available to work through any issues that arise. The offerings from HP, Carbon, EnvisionTEC and XJet are attractive and look quite promising, but I’d suggest waiting to hear the experiences of early users before adopting these new AM solutions. The converse of the million-dollar question is what technologies are in danger of becoming obsolete? That question also has no answer. The answer will only become clear with time, use and experience. More than likely, this dynamic age will create more difficulty in selecting the best technology. Rather than displacing established solutions across the board, odds are that new AM offerings will expand your options, increase potential applications and create more technology overlap. AM selection will not become easier in the near term. Without further insight, the only answer that I can offer to the million-dollar question is to buy two, three or four technologies. One technology won’t do everything so why not spread the investment across different AM solutions to increase the breadth of your applications. 

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