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METAL WORKS HOW SLM SOLUTIONS MACHINERY IS FUELLING THE FUTURE FOR CA MODELS

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

VOLUME 24 ISSUE 4

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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

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

FROM THE EDITOR BIG. BAD. NEWS.

t was said in the opening remarks at the International Conference for Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing in Nottingham that the hype of 3D printing from 2013 and 2014 had been “consigned to the past”, and while it is hard to argue that we haven’t moved on from 3D printed Eiffel Towers, shards of that hype are difficult to clear, like a broken glass, you never get every single bit and when you least expect it, in your bare feet, you end up treading on that one shard you missed. The dreams of a 3D printer in every home were fuelled in part by the parallel trend of crowdfunding, at the peak of the hype there was barely a day that went by without a “revolutionary” new 3D printer launching via crowdfunding. If it wasn’t the first, it was the best, if it wasn’t the best, it was the fastest, if it wasn’t the fastest it was the cheapest. Over 100 3D printers have been fully funded on Kickstarter alone countless more on platforms like Indiegogo, GoFundMe RocketHub and the likes. Kickstarter is the biggest crowdfunding site and has been a platform from which fantastic companies like Formlabs, Zortrax and Printrbot have launched. Millions of pounds has flown from backers into launching 3D printers to the globe but crowdfunding has undeniably opened-up a less utopian world than the one the marketing depicts. The prompt for this theme of the editor’s letter was a video I watched with my mouth agape, it was an update posted on the Peachy Printer Kickstarter page. For those of you unaware, Peachy Printer raised $651,091 of a $50,000 goal for the “First $100 printer”, it is the fourth most backed 3D printer in history with 4,420 people pledging their hardearned to a Canadian inventor’s dream to create a resinbased 3D printer for less than a slap-up meal for two. The video in question was posted on May 11th ominously entitled, “Big Bad News”. It starts with a phone call and some frequency waves like a 911 call on a grizzly Netflix documentary about murder and before we get the ‘truth’ the haunting baroque piano kicks in and the face of the Rylan Grayston – the inventor – fades in from black… dun dun duuuun.

The video goes onto detail how Rylan’s co-founder, David Boe, had, instead of putting the money in a secure company account, put it all in a personal account. Long story short; backers aren’t getting their machine but David does have a brand-new house. Further down the update page there’s an even more ridiculous video in which Rylan takes on the role of Bizarro feel-good TV show host as he brings backers to the HQ to surprise them with the news that they essentially backed some construction work for Dave’s swanky new pad rather than a 3D printer. Why Rylan and co. felt the need to add high-school production value to these videos I will never know; it felt like something from the HBO tech satire Silicon Valley rather than a serious admittance of embezzlement of over $250,000 by a company director. Peachy Printer aren’t alone in a failure to ship the product to backers the list of companies who haven’t shipped yet or have disappeared off radar is much too long (Bucaneer from Pirate3D anyone?), and they have left a bitter taste in the mouths of thousands of potential makers. We hope that we did our best to cut through most of that nonsense and focus on what is good, what real world applications there are and this issue is packed full of them. What’s important to know with crowdfunding is that you’re backing a vision not buying a product. Sometimes that vision is blurry and you might end up building a fraudster’s home but sometimes if it is as clear as Formlabs CEO, Max Lobovsky’s you’ll be rewarded with a handsome product as well as the knowledge you’ve contributed to the start of something special. Druck on

Daniel O’Connor Group Editor

For a new era of manufacturing Applying over 40 years of cross-sector engineering Renishaw’s new metal powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system for industrial production features increased emphasis on automation and reduced operator interaction. Find out more at www.renishaw.com/additive

www.renishaw.com Renishaw's RenAM 500M project Strip ad TCT 0716.indd 1

15/07/2016 11:17:02 24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com 05

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

CONTENTS

TCT | VOLUME 24 ISSUE 4 EDITION

LEAD NEWS

METAL WORKS

Editor Daniel O’Connor travels to Sterling to visit CA Models, the home of the UK’s first commercially available machine from this issue’s cover star SLM Solutions.

WELCOME TO YOUR FUTURE HOME

Laura speaks to the Chicago design team, WATG about winning a global competition to reimagine the way we build our world and design and build the world’s first freeform 3D printed house.

NEWS

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

AUTOMOTIVE Focus

THE CAR IN FRONT IS 3D PRINTED

Dan investigates the various ways 3D printing is already being used in the automotive industry today.

DARING TO BE DIFFERENT

Dan finds out how Renishaw’s 3D printing technology helped to create a truly unique suspension system for the TransFIORmers bike.

INTERNATIONAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND 3D PRINTING CONFERENCE REVIEW

Dan reviews his first trip to the International AM and 3D Printing Conference in Nottingham, now in its 11th year.

THE RISE OF DIY CASTING

Dan provides a brief history of casting and how one maker is bringing this process of metalworking out of the foundry and back to the home.

57 43

TCT SHOW + PERSONALIZE 2016 PREVIEW SponSOred by

STEP INTO THE THIRD DIMENSION

The 21st TCT Show takes place this September at the NEC, Birmingham. Our show preview provides a sneak peek at the new technologies that will be on the show floor and an in-depth look at our stellar conference line-up.

Dan takes a look at the growing number of high-profile 2D companies from HP to Canon that are taking a leap into the 3D technologies market.

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

Assistant Editor Laura Griffiths speaks to women in engineering to find out what they’re doing to change stereotypes and encourage more young women to take up careers in the field.

BLURRING THE LINES

Laura takes a look at how 3D printing and virtual reality are being used to reduce risk, time and costs in factories of the future and in healthcare.

REGULARS

05 21 58

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GUEST COLUMN TODD GRIMM COLUMN

24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

LEAD NEWS: CA MODELS

Metal

BELOW: Clark in 1992 with

some prints from his first SLA machine

Works WOR DS : DA N I E L O ’C O N N O R

N ENGLISHMAN, A Scotsman and a German in a room… in this current climate the only jokes here are going to veer towards Brexit but there’s no joking when you’re talking about the amount of money Stirling-based, CA Models, invested on becoming the first commercially operated SLM 500 HL machine in the UK. The postreferendum fall in the pound would have meant if Managing Director and founder Clark Campbell was to purchase the IN THE MIDST OF machine today it would have set the company back an extra £50,000, A TRULY BIZARRE fortunately for CA Models that deal SPATE OF BRITISH was struck at formnext powered by WEATHER THE TCT back in November 2015. We first learnt about the deal WORLD’S WORST brokered in Frankfurt two issues ago TRAVELLER, when Assistant Editor, Laura Griffiths GROUP EDITOR, spoke to Clark about the acquisition DANIEL of the machine, which was, at that just being installed. CA Models O’CONNOR time, have since been creating a state-ofMADE HIS WAY the-art room specifically for the new UP TO SCOTLAND machine to sit alongside other metal TO SEE 3D printing technology which is a far cry away from CA Models humble CA MODELS’ beginnings. BRAND“In 1983 I converted the second SPANKING-NEW bedroom of my flat into my SLM SOLUTIONS workshop,” reminisces MD, Clark as he describes how the company SLM 500 HL started on the back of an advance MACHINE by a man who would go onto IN SITU. receive an OBE for services to life sciences. “I was a model maker and a toolmaker at quite a successful computer company in the Fife area. I was in the workshop canteen one day and got a pat on the back, turned round and this bearded guy says to me ‘are you the model maker?’ I says ‘aye’, he says, ‘I’m Douglas Anderson I own a company called Crombie Anderson we’re product designers, I have a model maker but I need a lot of models making and we’re at capacity. Do you have any spare time?” As a passionate footballer, playing semi seriously at the age of 25, with a stable full-time role spare time

24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

wasn’t exactly something Clark had in spades. Nevertheless he took on that work and after the first few pay cheques paid more than his full-time job, it dawned on him that there was an opportunity to go at it alone here and if there’s one thing that is apparent from the visit to CA Models, Clark and his son Gregory know how to seize on an opportunity.

STIRLING WORK In those three and a half decades since the approach by Scottish Engineering Hall of Famer, Anderson, CA Models has grown into one of the biggest service bureaux in Europe. Housed in a 60 m2 facility with 34 employees, CNC Machining, the complete range of polymer additive manufacturing technology (SLA, SLS, FDM and PolyJet), bespoke hand-finishing techniques and laser scanning inspection technologies, the leap into metal 3D printing came at a time when the technology was, well, let’s just say having a few teething problems. “Clark and I went to Euromold about four years ago looking to invest and we were absolutely flying in SLA,” explained Operations Director, Greg Campbell. “I thought we should buy two more 3D Systems iPro SLA machines and Clark wanted to invest in metals so we had this debate, which I lost. On the way home I was saying, ‘what have we done?’ The first part we built with the machine was crumbling in our hands and I turned round and said, ‘I told you so!’” Clark picks the story up with a twinkle in his eye, “He says to me, ‘I’ve got parts lined up to be built but I haven’t got the ability to print them because you’ve bought this metal printer!’ Three months later, we’ve got orders coming out our ears, I kicked in his office door and said, “morning, how’s my investment doing?” The now converted metal fan Greg laughs and says, “The future of our investments is in metals, we’ve maximised our plastic investments.” One of the reasons that metals have become such a popular choice for CA Models’ customers is down to the fact that, like with all of their manufacturing technologies, the team have developed and perfected a process for manufacturing metal parts.

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



LEFT: SLM Solutions Booth at Formnext

5ABOVE:

SLM 500HL

BELOW

LEFT: CA Models Team.

BELOW

RIGHT: SLM Training

“We first check to see if there are any tight tolerances or dimensioned holes and modify the CAD model to suit,” explains Gregory. “We prepare the support structure for the part, transfer it to the machine, prepare the machine and build. One of the beauties of the SLM 500 is that it has a heated build platform that means we do not need to heat treat parts post build any more. Depending on geometry/ build orientation we would either EDM (a postprocessing technique that uses spark erosion) parts off the platform or manually break the supports off with the part. Parts are then hand finished/dressed. If the part requires holes drilled or post 5 axis machining it is then passed on to our CNC department. The part is then subjected to a second hand finishing/dressing process and passed onto our inspection dept. Once a part has been inspected (Scanned or CMM) it goes through a final check then is passed to our model shop where it is packed for shipping. Some parts require special finishes like highly polished or Xylan Coated, which we can also do in-house in our specialist finishing facility.”

THE SLM SOLUTION At last year’s formnext CA Models went, armed with serious capital, to invest in a second metals machine. The team including Clark, Greg and Martin Sanchez, Head of Metal Laser Sintering already knew, or at least they thought they did, which machine they wanted. The sheer array of metal additive manufacturing equipment at the inaugural Frankfurt event allowed the team to make a more informed decision. “The technical specifications of the SLM 500 machine blew us away,” Greg explains. “The SLM 500 was the only machine we saw at the show that was working and when you’re spending this amount of money you want intricacy and high-quality throughout a part no matter how big it is. SLM’s quad laser system allows us to do that.”

I’m a Scotsman at heart, I’ll always be counting the pennies and once this SLM 500 has paid for itself then we can look at bringing in a third machine

CA Models required both a bigger build envelope than their current metal machinery as well as the ability to make intricate internal channels with wall thicknesses of 0.5 mm. The SLM 500 HL provides a build envelope of 500 x 280 x 365 mm³ and CA Models opted for the 4 x 400 W solution with four quad fibre lasers in action simultaneously, this gives that desired accuracy as well as increasing the build-up rate by up to 90% compared with the twin configuration (2x 400 W). Everywhere you turn inside the Stirling HQ you’re reminded that CA Models’ ability to 3D print in metal and finish in-house makes them a top tier parts manufacturer to the F1 industry. With significant changes to the rulebook for the 2017 F1 season there will be added demand placed on CA Models for totally new parts printed in aluminium. The SLM 500 machine, with its bigger build volume and increased speed, was purchased in order to fulfil that demand leaving the company free to experiment with different metal materials on the smaller machine that may entice other sectors to use the CA Models metal service. Should those experiments prove successful the MD says there is scope for a third metals machine. “I’m a Scotsman at heart,” Says the thoroughly engaging Clark Campbell. “I’ll always be counting the pennies and once this SLM 500 has paid for itself then we can look at bringing in a third machine.” What manufacturer wins that business remains to be seen but Stefan Ritt of SLM Solutions believes his company’s philosophy of being open towards materials and the ability to retrofit new technology into legacy machinery will see repeat custom. “In Germany we have a saying,” Ritt rounds off with. “The first car is sold by the salesperson, the second by the service station.”  For more information visit www.CAMODELS.CO.UK

You can visit SLM Solutions at TCT Show in September on stand number E32, register for the event for free right here > www.tctshow.com

24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

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NEWS ROUNDUP ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

GE VENTURES AND SAUDI ARAMCO INVEST IN 3D PRINTING STARTUP DESKTOP METAL 

WACKER TO LAUNCH WORLD’S FIRST INDUSTRIAL 3D PRINTER FOR SILICONE 

Chemical giant, WACKER has unveiled plans for the launch of the world’s first industrial 3D printer, the ACEO Imagine Series K. Penned as a “milestone in additive manufacturing” the machine uses a drop-on-demand process whereby tiny silicone droplets are deposited on a substrate and built layer by layer. The droplets flow together before being cured by UV light to form a homogenous part with injection moulded-like qualities. WACKER will shortly commence offering silicone 3D printing services under the ACEO brand via an online portal where customers will be able to upload their design and order 3D printed parts.

Billed as one-to-watch for 2016, Massachusetts-based 3D printing startup, Desktop Metal has announced a further two major strategic investments from GE Ventures and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures. Without so much as a prototype in sight, the company, which aims to make metal 3D printing accessible with a compact, desktop machine, has raised a total $52M in investment from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, Lux Capital and additive manufacturing giant, Stratasys who’s founder Scott Crump also serves as a board observer for the company.

NEWS

From 3D printed silicone to metal powders, this news roundup shows that the summer is by no means a shut down for the additive manufacturing industry.

FOR THESE STORIES IN FULL CLICK TO WWW.TCTMAGAZINE.COM

HP ACQUIRES DAVID VISION SYSTEMS TO EXPAND ECOSYSTEM WITH 3D SCANNING 

THALES ALENIA SPACE AND POLY-SHAPE BUILD EUROPE’S LARGEST 3D PRINTED SATELLITE PART

HP has announced the acquisition of 3D scanning company, David Vision Systems GmbH to advance its Sprout 3D technology and wider 3D ecosystem.

COVESTRO FURTHERS DEVELOPMENT OF 3D PRINTING MATERIALS 

HP describes the German scanning leaders’ 3D hardware and software as “an essential enabler for Sprout” and builds on its mission to create a complete end-to-end 3D network paired with its recently launched HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution. HP will acquire David’s scanning, stitching and fusing solution that results in radical improvements in scan quality.

Covestro, one of the world’s largest polymer companies, is working with partners to develop a comprehensive range of filaments, powders and liquid resins for all common 3D printing methods. Following the recent opening of a new laboratory for 3D printing at its headquarters in Leverkusen, the company will soon be installing new equipment designed to develop and test material solutions developed by Covestro’s competence team for additive manufacturing and its partners. Covestro offers a broad choice of filaments for the fused filament fabrication process, from flexible thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) to high strength polycarbonate.

ALCOA OPENS 3D PRINTING METAL POWDER PRODUCTION FACILITY 

Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has opened its state-of-the-art, 3D printing metal powder production plant to boost the manufacture of optimised powders for 3D printing for aerospace. Located at the Alcoa Technology Center in Pittsburgh, the world’s largest light metals research centre, the facility will produce proprietary titanium, nickel and aluminium powders. The plant is part of a $60 million investment in advanced 3D printing materials and processes that builds on the company’s 3D printing capabilities in California, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas.

European space telecommunications company, Thales Alenia Space has successfully 3D printed parts for the new South Korean communications satellites Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 in collaboration with Poly-Shape. The Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 antenna supports are Europe’s largest qualified metal 3D printed parts for satellites and were manufactured in AISi7Mg alloy using Concept Laser’s X line 1000R system at Poly-Shape. Identical lightweight components were installed in both satellites measuring 447 x 204.5 x 391 mm3 and weighing just 1.13 kg.

24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

011

The car in front is

3D PRINTED

WOR DS : DA NIE L O’ C ON N O R

National

Harbor

Washington D.C., there’s a new mode of transport coming; passengers summon the vehicle using an app to take you from your location to desired destination, fares can talk to the driver; ask questions about where is good to eat or have a drink in the locale and even ask what the weather’s going to be like after they’ve finishing socialising. No, this isn’t another lift-sharing company like Uber and Lyft, this is Olli – Local Motors’ self-driving, electric bus, powered by IBM’s Watson super-computer and made possible thanks to 3D printing. “Olli offers a smart, safe and sustainable transportation solution that is long overdue,” Local Motor’s CEO and Co-founder John B. Rogers said at the vehicle’s unveiling. “Olli with Watson acts as our entry into the world of selfdriving vehicles, something we’ve been quietly working on with our co-creative

012

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community for the past year. We are now ready to accelerate the adoption of this technology and apply it to nearly every vehicle in our current portfolio and those in the very near future. I’m thrilled to see what our open community will do with the latest in advanced vehicle technology.” Local Motors has been making waves in the automotive industry since 2007 and it was two years ago at IMTS that, in collaboration with Cincinnati Inc. and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the team 3D printed the Strati electric car in just 44 hours. Using Cincinnati Inc.’s Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) technology to directly print the car’s body in one go, adding the mechanical components by hand, it was a proof of concept, additive manufacturing can produce an entire car body but for Olli, 3D printing played a different role entirely. “The Strati project was a study in manufacturing methods,” James Earle, Advanced Manufacturing Engineer at

Local Motors, tells TCT. “Specifically to figure out if large-scale additive manufacturing could be used to produce complex structures like a car. We showed that it was indeed possible. From that point we were able to step back and figure out where else in the process of car production additive manufacturing would be beneficial.” Unless you knew the story behind Strati, you’re unlikely to walk into a car showroom and comment on what a thing of beauty it is, strati is Italian for layers and layers are the first thing you notice, the Strati looks like an 8-bit version of a car. Olli, on the other hand, is sleek and despite not being on the road until late 2016 looks very much like something that would take pride of place in a showroom. “The plastic panels on Olli were thermo-formed on 3D printed moulds,” explains Earle. “We printed the moulds using BAAM, machined them on our 5-axis router, and then hand finished.” This use of additive manufacturing is

AUTOMOTIVE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Daniel O’Connor looks at the applications of 3D printing in the automotive industry that are being used BY AUTOMAKERS today.

not uncommon, TCT has reported on numerous occasions on the use of 3D printing to make jigs and fixtures, Todd Grimm celebrated this with his talk on embracing the mundane at last year’s TCT Show and the Diamond Sponsor panel at AMUG 2016 unanimously agreed that tooling for 3D printing was ‘low-hanging fruit’. In few industries is this more applicable or beneficial than that of automotive, a report by Mold Making Technology suggests that spending by automotive OEMs on tooling is expected to grow to $15.2 billion by 2018. One man who is uniquely placed to see the benefits 3D printing can offer to the automotive world is Jim Vurpillat, Jim spent the best part of two decades working at various divisions at General Motors, most recently as Director of Global Marketing at Cadillac, before moving to Stratasys in October last year. “The automotive sector was one of the earliest adopters of 3D printing,” Jim tells TCT. “ What we’ve seen over the last few

years is a wider adoption of 3D printing and additive manufacturing into the manufacturing operations, primarily in jigs and fixtures and tooling applications but clearly the automotive space is looking for new technologies and new ways to reduce cycle-times, reduce tooling expense and investment and be able to bring to market lightweight alternatives.” PIMPING ONE’S RIDE Henry Ford once famously said, “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.” Although this quote from his 1922 autobiography is thought to be tongue-in-cheek it was a reference to the production-line quick drying paint that was only available at the time in black. A vision for Local Motors Olli is that it will be used in theme parks and university campuses to ferry people to and from, the Ollis will be fully customisable to suit the brand and not just with a lick

of paint, the whole system right down to the on-board computer will be fully customisable, want Olli to tell you the time of the next economics lecture? Just ask. Local Motors’ short run production methods using 3D printing means that tooling up for customisation is less expensive and easier than it would be to a company like Ford. Customisation for mass-manufactured cars has moved on incrementally since that Model-T, yes we have a range of colours and trims now but take my car for instance; a ‘Limited Edition’ Vauxhall 24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

013

.industrial serial production

COMMERCIAL PROCUCT LAUNCH END OF 2016 www.concept-laser.de Concept Laser GmbH An der Zeil 8 | D 96215 Lichtenfels T: +49 (0) 95 71. 1679 200 | F: +49 (0) 95 71. 1679 299 | info@concept-laser.de

Machine layout, rendering: newkon.info Artwork: brandnew-design.de

AM Factory of Tomorrow

AUTOMOTIVE FOCUS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

5ABOVE: Olli interior RIGHT: (from top) Mercedes-Benz Trucks Spare Parts.

Effect Skins 3D Printed on the Stratasys Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer.

Corsa, in Phantom Grey with black trim alloys, the only thing individual about it is the scratch down the passenger door done by a creative vandal with a key, there are at least six more of the exact same car in the business park in which TCT towers stands. “The difficulty in offering the customer the personalisation of the car is that typically means lower volume numbers,” explains the Worldwide Marketing Director for Automotive at Stratasys, Jim Vurpillat. “Put that against a financial business case of the tooling expense that is used to create that individual look you run into a lot of barriers.” Jim and the team at Stratasys have been exploring ways to lower those barriers with Japenese automotive manufacturer, Daihatsu. Using Stratasys’ FDM technology the oldest automaker in Japan will offer customers customised design elements for the front and rear bumpers of the Copen 2-door convertible model called Effect Skins. Customers will be able to choose and tweak more than a dozen base patterns in ten different colours created by renowned designer Kota Nezu and 3D modelling artist Sun Junjie. The Effect Skins are printed using a Stratasys Fortus 450mc machine in Stratasys’s ASA material, the material properties of which are extremely UV resistant – essential when it comes to end-use parts. “The project we did with Daihatsu is a great example of 3D printing providing the solution to customisation,” said Vurpillat. “Doing it cost effectively, quickly and be able to offer the customer something unique to them. AM is solving a lot of the solutions to allow automakers to meet the trend of customers wanting something a bit more unique than the guy down the street.”

TIME TO SPARE 3D printing has now proved its worth at various stages of the automotive manufacturing process, from the early days of rapid prototyping, to tooling and customisation, the technology is now being applied to after-sales life of a vehicle. We’ve all seen the Jay Leno videos in which a broken classic car part is scanned, remodelled, 3D printed and moulded in order to make a new part (you can read more about 3D printing applications for historic vehicles on page 21). The manufacturing of spare parts has just gone from Jay’s garage to worldwide adoption as Mercedez-Benz Trucks announced that it would be supplying more than 30 spare parts directly from a 3D printer. The available spare parts consist of high-quality plastic components printed using EOS SLS technology. Covers, spacers, spring caps, air and cable ducts, clamps, mountings and control elements are just a few examples of economical spare part production in top quality made possible by using the 3D printing process. “Additive manufacturing gives you the ability to minimize inventory and be able to print the parts off where and when you need the,” explains Stratasys’ Jim Vurpillat. “Anytime you can fulfil a request quickly but limit inventory is beneficial, especially when you have to keep spare parts for model year upon model year, that can get pretty cumbersome from both an inventory and warehousing stand point.” As one of 3D printing’s early adopters the automotive sector is showcasing just how many aspects of a business the technology can touch from design to repair. 

The automotive sector was one of the earliest adopters of 3D printing

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015

AUTOMOTIVE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



RIGHT: Additively manufacturing wishbone printed in one part is 40% lighter than original and more rigid.

DARING TO BE DIFFERENT

WORD S : DA N I E L O ’C O N N O R

f you were to strip away the branding and sponsorship, line-up all of the bikes in the Moto2 paddock, the likelihood is you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart, but there is one, thanks to the completely different front suspension system that would stick out like a sore thumb, that bike is called TransFIORmers and takes its name from the maverick French Bike designer, Claude Fior. Fior believed that his suspension design dramatically improved the handling of the motorcycle, allowing for improved stability and later braking into corners, rider of a Fior designed 250cc competition bike in the 80s, Christian Boudinot, concurred. Three decades down the line Boudinot formed his own Moto2 team, Team Promoto Sport and is dedicated to bringing his mentor’s suspension design back with an additively manufactured twist. “Jean-Baptiste Péjoine, of I3D Concept introduced us to additive manufacturing,” Jérôme Aldeguer, Mechanical Engineer, TransFIORmers, tells TCT. “We wanted to identify what would be the most suitable component to 3D print. As the idea of using metal additive manufacturing for structural parts is still not widely spread, we thought making the wishbone

ABOVE:

The original wishbone was made with 12 parts

Using topological optimisation, we’ve been able to take advantage of the additive manufacturing possibilities to design a component not only lighter but also more rigid.



LEFT: 3D printed wishbone in place.

would be a good demonstration of the capability of the process and to prove we can make real parts, not only prototyping.” That wishbone component is key to the FIOR suspension system and the original wishbone consisted of 12 individually machined or welded parts in steel. Working with I3D Concept the TransFIORmers team set about making those parts in one shot using I3D’s metal 3D printing system, Renishaw AM250. “Using topological optimisation, we’ve been able to take advantage of the additive manufacturing possibilities to design a component not only lighter but also more rigid,” says Aldeguer. “We’ve reduced the weight by almost 40%. Achieving that gain is really important in that kind of part to improve the “bump following” ability of the suspension.” The finished part is printed in titanium Ti6AI4V alloy and weighs 600 g less than its traditional counterpart at the same time as being more rigid with a tensile strength in excess of 1100 MPa. Thanks to that rigidity, weight-loss and the totally new riding experience the team won its first ever Moto2 GP race in June 2016. So successful has Renishaw’s metal 3D printing proved the team are looking to see what other parts of the bike could be additively manufactured. “We are totally convinced additive manufacturing has a great future in motorsports,” says Aldeguer. “We are already working on the upper plate to do an even more light part, using topological optimisation. But we are also looking further; building a titanium chassis is something we are thinking about.”  For more on Renishaw’s additive manufacturing systems visit stand F18 at TCT Show 2016. Register here > www.tctshow.com

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INTERNATIONAL AM & 3D PRINTING CONFERENCE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



RIGHT: Richard Hague of Nottingham University hosted the first day’s proceedings



BELOW: Part manufactured on ISS

International Conference on AM & 3D Printing review The International Conference on Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing is one of the most respected conferences in the industry, this much was clear with not only the quality of the speaking line up but the delegation too. Dotted around the strong crowd were some familiar faces all ready to take on board talks from establishments like NASA, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Fraunhofer, Cytosurge, Toshiba and more.

W O R D S : DA N I E L O ’C O N N O R

he conference, which is ran by The University of Nottingham and powered by Added Scientific saw 265 people from 18 countries attend over the three days of talks, tours, exhibitions and workshops. 24 exhibitors packed in to the Belfry Hotel, Nottingham to showcase their wares to a knowledgeable crowd and this year’s event offered the first opportunity in the UK for delegates to talk to HP since its Multi Jet Fusion technology was launched at RAPID in 2016. The first day of conferencing began with a talk from NASA’s Raymond Clinton Jnr., who was able to update the crowd on the latest In Space Manufacturing initiative, including Made In Space’s successful pilot scheme on-board the International Space Station. Clinton passed amongst the audience a first chance to see the actual parts that were manufactured on-board the ISS and closed with a remark on how critical additive manufacturing technology is considered by NASA for prolonged space flight. “We will be making parts with additive manufacturing on the way to Mars” – explained Raymond Clinton Jnr. A demonstration of new technology followed NASA’s talk as Michael Gabi of Cytosurge demonstrated the Swiss companies incredible nano-technology, FluidFM and its ability to create microscopic metal 3D prints. Although Cytosurge are yet to discover a real application for this technology as of yet, its ability to create nanostructures with overhangs that do not need support in a variety of materials is being opened up as a service initially. More exceptional talks followed from establishments like GSK, who are looking at using 3D printing to digitise its medicine recipes and sees a huge value proposition in the tech; the University of Bath, where a team led by Richard trask are looking into 4D printing

using advanced fibre composites and ultrasonic waves; Toshiba corporation, which has been able to achieve ground-breaking speeds for metal additive manufacturing using laser metal deposition techniques. There was plenty of exceptional and thoughtprovoking presentations to get delegates’ minds ticking but one was certainly the talk of the town over the course of the two day conference. Manyalibo “Ibo” Matthews of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s talk on his research into ‘Probing melt pool dynamics and particle ejection using high-speed optical diagnostics”, was seen as revolutionary by the audience. Ibo’s talk discussed the problem’s selective laser melting technology has qualifying parts, ‘spatter’ occurs when particles of powder interact with other particles while melting, spatter has a negative effect on part quality and powder recyclability. At the lab in California Ibo and his team have set about modifying a machine in order to monitor melt pool dynamics using a custom-built microscope setup, a vacuum chamber and an ultra high-speed camera. Matthews’ team observed the ejection of metal powder away from the laser during the melting process, and, through computer simulation and fluid dynamics principles, built models to help explain the particles’ movement. “Now having the physics better understood, we can simulate the process more accurately and make enhancements to our manufacturing efforts,” Matthews said. “In the end, we want to be able to use simulation to build the confidence that we’re making parts with little or no defects.” Visit Added Scientific on booth G25 at TCT Show on 28-29 September 2016. Register here > www.tctshow.com

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Kieron Salter, managing director of high performance engineering consultancy KWSP, discusses the impact additive manufacturing is having on the classic car market.

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO

HISTORIC CARS W O R D S : K I E R O N S A LT E R

The ability to manufacture one-off parts without the cost of expensive model making and tooling is an important benefit that AM brings to the historic car market.

LASSIC CARS ARE big business. According to the experts*, the UK market for vintage and historic vehicles is worth more than £4.3bn. These are highly valuable, appreciating assets that have out-performed fine wines, artworks and even the London property market over the past decade. However, from an owner/ driver’s perspective, the issue of parts obsolescence is a real headache. Given the high value and low volume of these vehicles, once a part breaks it is often difficult or even impossible to replace it. However, this low volume/high value marketplace has created ideal conditions to exploit the benefits of additive manufacturing (AM). At the moment, AM cannot match the cost and quality performance delivered by the well-established toolmaking route to make parts in high volumes. Arguably, 3D printing should never aim to match these processes as it brings a completely different set of values to the process. Instead, the real value that AM brings is in the areas of low volume manufacturing, zero tooling manufacturing capability and minimum order quantities of one, mass customisation, manufacturing of difficult structures and the use of high performance materials. What’s more, it also brings further benefits from a cost reduction perspective. For example, we recently completed a project to remanufacture the complex engine front cover for a very rare Alfa Romeo Tipo

racecar from 1971 - a good example of this theory in practice. Originally cast in magnesium, this integral part of the car’s engine was so badly worn and damaged that it no longer functioned correctly. Before approaching KWSP, the owner had considered using traditional manufacturing techniques to manufacture the part, but this proved prohibitively expensive. Instead, our design engineers were able to produce not just an exact replica of the damaged part, but an improved, ‘as new’ engine cover spare part. Having scanned the original part and created a new detailed CAD model of the replacement cover, we then printed a proof of concept part in ABS, using one of our Stratasys FDM machines. Once the printed part was fitted to the engine (to test its geometric functionality), we moved ahead to the final stage of casting. In this instance, it was the intelligent use of tools that delivered significant value. We didn’t just offer a scanning service, or a CAD service or even a 3D printing service. We offered an end-to-end solution, solving the customer’s problem in one hit. To do this, our engineers consulted closely with the customer and then exploited the scan, CAD and AM tools to deliver the solution that was needed – a reproduction front cover casting. The ability to manufacture one-off parts without the cost of expensive model making and tooling is an important benefit that AM brings to the historic car market. ››

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5ABOVE

(INSET): Original complex engine front cover. (MAIN IMAGE) New complex engine front cover.

And on this occasion, the use of 3D printing allowed us to cut out the majority of tooling costs, making the project financially viable for the low volumes being manufactured. However, AM can also be used to manufacture end use parts directly. As long as you have the right CAD data available, relatively complex items - such as water pump housings and impeller blades - can be printed as one-offs, at a far lower cost than was previously considered possible. Another important aspect of AM application in the classic car market, which is underappreciated at the moment, is the use of jigs, fixtures and tooling. This use of 3D printing to manufacture bespoke tooling to make parts or to help with assemblies is becoming more widespread as the application of AM is better understood. In practice, this less obvious use of AM within the classic automotive market has great potential to cut time and cost while improving quality. It might be body fixture jigs or drill templates that

allow engineers to accurately make the same guide holes around light cowlings, for instance, or dashboard layouts, or welding fixtures. Certainly, this innovative use of 3D printed templates is low cost and easy to do, but makes elements of bodywork repair or improvement very accurate, repeatable and less labour intensive. While most engineers might consider the printing of obsolescent parts to be the ‘hot spot’ for 3D printing in the historic car sector right now, the wider application of AM in more obscure areas such as jigs and tooling possibly holds just as much potential. Certainly, the creative use of AM in this way enables skilled craftsmen to focus their efforts on other areas. Given the size of the classic car market in the UK, the opportunities for additive manufacturing to demonstrate its value – in both spare parts and more widely in the remanufacturing process - are considerable.  * Federation of Historic Motor Vehicles

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023

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Company

2D to 3D ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

LEFT: Invent Medical put

the company on hold in order to wait for HP’s 3D Printing solution.



BELOW: HP’s Barcelona HQ

Step into the

THIRD DIMENSION WOR DS : Da nie l o’ C on no r

Editor, Daniel O’Connor investigates the growing number of major 2D printing players entering the 3D printing market.

he worlds of 2D and 3D

printing have, in the main, only shared nine letters. Not only are the technologies hugely different but the target markets have been vastly unalike; desktop additive manufacturing devices have been nothing like ink or laser jet printers in terms of adoption or ease-of-use and large format industrial machines from both the 2D and the 3D world are almost polar opposites when it comes to speed. However, a raft of recent news and launches from the biggest companies in the 2D world suggests that the dimensions are becoming increasingly blurred. During a tour around the Barcelona HQ of HP last month it was evident that the company, which launched its Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology at RAPID in May, sees similarities in the routes to market for enterprise 3D printing from its dominance in the ink printing sectors. HP is using its extensive knowledge of successfully bringing digital printing technologies to market in order to leverage deals in the 3D world. The MJF

HP is using its extensive knowledge of successfully bringing digital printing technologies to market in order to leverage deals in the 3D world.

technology is being manufactured, tested and optimised alongside the likes of the Indigo large-format 2D printing press. The gathered media was even shown how parts in HP’s latest large-format 2D printer have been made more efficient using in-house 3D printing.

And it is not just HP that has stepped from the second dimension into the third; Ricoh, Canon and Xaar are three companies famed for their 2D printing technologies that have respectively launched technology, announced an intention to or hired people with the nous to do so. Drupa – the trade show mecca for 2D printing – saw the launch of both Highcon’s Rapid Layer Manufacturing, which essentially turns cardboard sheets into huge three dimensional objects, and that of Massivit’s machine, which is targeted towards the same sectors as HP’s large format printing; advertising and marketing. “I think a lot of people saw the reticence of major 2D printing companies such as HP and Ricoh to enter the market as a failure on their parts,” says Canalys 3D Printing Analyst Joe Kempton. “I think these companies were extremely cautious with their strategies. While the market was sizeable four or five years ago, it was still lacking some major industrial customers. I think most of these large 2D companies realised that the enterprise space held the most promise.” ›› 24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

025

2D to 3D ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



RIGHT: HP’s 3D printing material cartridge system. The MJF and postprocessing station side-by-side.



BELOW: Massivit Prints are targetting marketing departments unlike most 3D printers

These thoughts were echoed in the opening statements of the HP Multi Jet Fusion press day as the company showcased some of the early adopters of the technology, names like Nike, BMW, Siemens, Jabil and Johnson & Johnson flashed across the screen and took to the stage. One name that we hadn’t seen before was that of Invent Medical, CEO Jiri Rosicky was returning from advanced negotiations to invest in another polymer-based 3D printing solution, he was ready to sign on the dotted line when HP announced its intention to launch a 3D printer at the back end of 2014. Jiri put that investment, and essentially his whole company, on hold. A theme, according to Kempton, that is not uncommon. THE TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION It’s been written a thousand times, but is worth noting that six years ago HP entered a short-lived pilot with Stratasys that saw the U-Print FDM printers from Stratasys rebranded as ‘HP DesignJet’ series. That scheme seemed to end pretty quickly without much of a fanfare, what wasn’t clear at the time was just how beneficial the experience has proved for a re-entry to market. “As you know we did an OEM with Stratasys,” Alex Monino HP’s Worldwide Marketing and Sales Strategy Director for 3D printing, tells TCT. “We learned the market and wanted to validate some go-to-market hypothesis with that pilot. We are applying those lessons as we move forward. That gap between the pilot and now is because we feel like we did not have something disruptive to really add to the industry, until now.”

That technology, MJF, involves heating a bed of powdered plastic (initially PA12) to a temperature below the melting point, applying a fusing agent using HP’s inkjet technologies perfected in 2D printing. The fusing agent lowers the temperature of a selected area and a detailing agent is applied in order to inhibit fusing of further material and then passing infrared lamps over the bed in order to fuse the specified layer. The process is executed in the style one would expect from a Fortune 100 company, with sleek presentation and a thoroughly thought out post-processing station that not only speeds up cooling, allows cleaning of the part but also acts as a material recycling station. Throughout the two days in Barcelona we heard a great deal about HP’s plans to grow the industry, sound bites like, “We don’t want to capture the biggest chunk of the market and not let it grow”, may sound like platitudes of a company with the might HP have behind them but it is all about the numbers. Estimates suggest

that the current 3D printing industry stands at about $4 billion, capturing even a significant chunk of that does not represent return on investment for a company who turned over $57 billion in 2014, this is about the longer game. “We are not entering the market to be a player in a $4 billion market,” Helena Herrero Managing Director of HP Iberia said. “We want to lead the way in taking on the $12 trillion market of manufacturing with 3D printing.” Canalys’ Joe Kempton agrees that the lure of the brand names like HP, Ricoh and Canon, names most companies will already be comfortable with, will help them unlock doors where others may have struggled but once HP have wedged those doors open, HP’s Alex Monino believes this is where the whole industry will truly benefit and grow. “You will spark thinking and big changes like in companies like Nike or BMW,” says Monino. “No 3D printing technology will be able to do everything. This is why we’re taking a very open approach because we believe that we cannot do this alone.” That open approach has seen them create partnerships with renowned chemists like Arkema for the development of better 3D printing materials and take a driving seat in the 3MF consortium for the creation of a file format that allows voxel level manipulation, which HP sees as vital to the future of MJF technology. One thing is clear, HP is in this for the long game and the noises coming out of Canon, Ricoh, Xaar, Highcon and Massivit suggest that 2D has finally stepped into the third dimension.  24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

“We need more female role models” WOR DS : L A U R A G R IF F I T HS

Last month marked the annual National Women in Engineering Day so ASSISTANT EDITOR, LAURA GRIFFITHS spoke to women in the industry to find out what they’re doing to challenge stereotypes and encourage more young women to consider careers in the field.

irst, some

according to the Women’s Engineering Society, only 9% of the engineering workforce is female and here in the UK, we have the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe. Sounds bleak, right? But last year, a study from the Institute of Engineering and Technology showed that half of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) enrolments at university are female and just over 30% of those are made up of engineering, technology and computer science undergraduates. However only half of those graduates actually go on to work in STEM roles so what’s stopping young girls from considering STEM as a career choice? facts

Until recently, I was never a fan of the idea of intentionally equalling out the workforce gender balance to ensure inclusivity. It’s not that I don’t want equality as much as the next person, it’s just that I’ve always believed, naively perhaps, that a job should go to whoever is the best candidate. However, upon recent conversations with friends in typically male dominated industries like computing, I have been swayed towards the idea that if the workforce is visibly 50/50 it could break dated stereotypes and encourage more young women to apply for roles they otherwise would have never considered. In fact, studies show that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform so there’s very good reason for firms to welcome more women and the unique skills and qualities they bring.

According to the Women’s Engineering Society, only 9% of the engineering workforce is female and here in the UK, we have the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe

ABOVE: Tessa visits schools as a STEM Ambassador to educate young women about the careers available in STEM subjects.

I have heard unimaginable stories from women in certain industries who have experienced second-rate treatment in the workplace either because a uniform was not designed to their anatomy or worse, side-lined by a male colleague who refused to work alongside them. Whilst we can be glad in the knowledge that these extreme examples are very much in the minority, they are by no means isolated. Thankfully it seems as though things are changing for the better. I spoke to Tessa Colledge, Engineering Software Programmer at Delcam (part of Autodesk) about her experience in the industry and what she’s doing in secondary schools as a STEM Ambassador to educate young women about the various opportunities in the sector. “I think the girls I’ve spoken to at secondary schools would never have thought of computing as a way of applying ››

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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

RIGHT: Rachel Nagy

(Project Manager at OM) at home with her 3D printer

maths skills. A few of them have been quite keen and they’ve really enjoyed me describing various aspects of my job to them,” Tessa explained. “Often the girls I speak to really love maths which is exactly where I was when I was at their age so I just encourage them that even though it’s an unfamiliar field for them actually it might be the opportunity to apply the skills they really love and it is open and accessible to women.” Tessa discovered computing after she struggled to find career opportunities that required the level of math skills she wanted to apply in a job. Now based in Birmingham at Delcam’s headquarters, Tessa says though the workplace is male-dominated, the experience has been one of acceptance and any bias has felt has been largely subconscious. Tessa commented: “I’ve never found myself hitting against a brick wall.” Much of Tessa’s work as a STEM ambassador involves chatting with groups of students, often both boys and girls, about how they can apply the skills they enjoy and are good at in exciting careers that otherwise might not be on their radar. The key advice Tessa gives is about knowing the skills you want to apply to a career and not giving up looking for a career to apply them in, having the confidence to take risks and try opportunities that might seem unfamiliar and finally, gaining valuable personal contacts. Still, the proportion of young women studying engineering has remained the same since 2012 and the percentage of girls studying physics at A Level has remained static for the last 25 years - that’s something that STEM initiatives like this one are hoping to change. “I feel like there’s still a big obstacle in women viewing themselves as computer programmers but that’s also true in engineering and there are many candidates coming to the end of degrees wanting to apply those problem solving skills and not really considering STEM careers as an option,” Tessa commented. “This is why I believe in what I do in schools, giving female students that personal contact. To see a woman working in this industry it suddenly changes their perspective on them potentially going and working in that industry.” DIFFERENCE IS POWER Rachel Nagy, is a project manager at medical device manufacturing company, Owen Mumford. Rachel maps her journey into engineering back to when she was a child, obsessed with clever products that were making people’s lives better. After studying Product Design Engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and a Masters in Computer Aided Engineering with Manufacturing at the University of West Scotland, Rachel joined Owen Mumford as a New Product Introduction Engineer. As a woman in the sector, Rachel says she is taking charge of her role in the bid for gender equality.

“We need more female role models in engineering to inspire and show young girls that they can chose careers outside traditional female roles and create and lead diverse teams of engineers that can create value together,” Rachel commented. Owen Mumford manufactures small medical components such as Autopens for self-injecting and eye care solutions for administering drops. Rachel says her proudest project saw her design, build and validate an assembly line for a new autoinjector, which helps people self-manage medication. Much of Rachel’s job involves using software like SOLIDWORKS to create 3D models and often testing prototypes with 3D printing. Though Rachel always knew she wanted a career in making products that help people, she believes we need to work towards a future where we all have the chance to achieve our full potential. “Difference is power,” Rachel commented. “Having diversity in a team is a great opportunity. We need to harvest the power of our differences and create functioning and fulfilling, diverse teams. My advice to any women who are thinking of going into design and engineering is—if you are going to be one, be a good one, and be proud of it, knowing that you are part of something larger than your life.” The skills gap in the UK is a major issue as companies seek the next generation of workers equipped with the skills needed to tackle the jobs of the future. There’s a lot of potential for young women with the right skills set to come in and close this gap, which according to a report on the State of Engineering in 2015, could contribute a staggering £2 billion to the UK economy. “I think it is important for women to enter into this industry,” Tessa added. “I wouldn’t say they should come just for the sake of coming. I believe there are a lot of women with these skills, logical problem solving skills and those are the things they want to carry into a career.” Examples of women in the STEM may only make up a small percentage of the overall story but there are plenty of them to shout about, particularly in the additive manufacturing industry where people like Harvard Professor and Voxel8 founder Jennifer A. Lewis, fashiontech designer Anouk Wipprecht and MIT Professor Mediated Matter founder, Neri Oxman, to name just a fraction, are inventing, creating and innovating to global acclaim. I hope that soon we won’t need a day to highlight the work of women in STEM. Instead, these achievements will be just as intrinsic as reading about any other feat in the sector - whether it’s by a man or a woman will be irrelevant. But until the statistics change, and they are slowly changing, let’s celebrate the role models we have and use them to show young girls who may have never thought a love of maths or problem solving could one day see them design a life-changing product or indeed being a role model to the next generation of STEM students, that engineering is as much for them as it is for anyone else.  24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

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VIRTUAL REALITY ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Blurring the lines

W OR D S : Laur a G r iffith s

S A BIT of a geek who’s been to her fair share of video game expos, I’m no stranger to playing around with virtual reality (VR) but if you’ve witnessed the buzz and disregard for trespassing laws brought about by the recent Pokémon Go hype, you’ll know I’m not the only one. However I must confess, I’ve often questioned the value of these futuristic headsets and apps outside of anything other than making you feel like you’re sat in a cockpit or shooting repetitive Zombies. Much like 3D printing, VR has suffered the same level of novelty and leaving to gather dust thanks to a groundswell of premature hype and a dizzying number of headsets on the market from Google Cardboard to the much-praised HTC Vive ranging anywhere between £15 to £800. It’s because of this that you would be forgiven for overlooking the opportunities where it could add real value but now these prospects are becoming much clearer as industrial players get their hands on it. Over the past two decades, numerous companies have been applying VR in industrial applications for real-time product evaluations in advance of physical builds. Increasingly companies are finding innovative use cases for the technology in major industries, in a similar way 3D printing has and in many cases with 3D printing working alongside it, to do things like create the factories of the future or transform healthcare. Europe’s largest engineering company, Siemens recently announced that it is deploying VR at its Congleton site in the UK as part of its drive towards the ‘Digital Factory’. The site manufactures variable drives for motors for customers primarily in the automotive, aerospace and machine building sectors. The drives are used to control the speed of the motor, increasing efficiency and reducing power use. However, production can be costly and though there are only a small number of product ranges and systems, their

LEFT:

MSF are using 3D printing and VR to design emergency hospitals

Typically, we’re finding that we are reducing the snagging list of a new cell design by 90%

modular style means that Siemens can go through thousands of potential product configurations – which isn’t cheap. As an alternative, the company turned to VR to conduct its design reviews for new cells on the factory floor. The site has installed a Virtalis ActiveWall with a projected wall and floor combined with optical tracking for group and collaborative activities. It is being employed to visualise new working environments to pick up clashes or problems that might

otherwise be unclear on a CAD workstation and even in everyday uses such as office moves. “Typically, we’re finding that we are reducing the snagging list of a new cell design by 90%,” Anil Thomas, a transformation manager at Siemens, commented. “We are even finding more and different snags virtually and solving them in VR. This will certainly have a positive impact on our product lifecycle. We are not resting on our laurels, as it is apparent there is much more we can do with this technology.” Siemens aren’t the only company taking a dip into the virtual world. The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) installed a similar system at its Boeing Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future and is also the owner of the first mobile Virtalis ActiveWall System, the ActiveMove. Researchers at the centre create different concept methodologies for various businesses to help reduce waste and cost and speed up processes, starting in CAD and moving on to VR. ›› 24 : 4 www.tctmagazine.com

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VIRTUAL REALITY ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

CHANGING HEALTHCARE Away from industry, VR is proving a cost effective solution in areas of healthcare and humanitarian work. Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been reinventing the idea of emergency aid with a technology concept that combines both VR and 3D printing to design better hospitals. The organisation used this new approach to create a proof of concept model for a hospital in Cantahay, the Philippines following the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The original plans were transformed into a digital model and then 3D printed for use in a VR experience that simulated a virtual environment where users could navigate through the centre and see themselves inside the hospital. Compared to a traditional approach, this method will allow doctors to test new hospital models for their specific environments and demonstrate capabilities before a single brick has been laid. This particular project took four months to complete but with the foundations now in place, MSF believe they’ll be able to create future models much faster, anywhere in the world. MSF have commented that there is “no doubt” this is the way they will work in the future. Inside these hospitals, healthcare professionals are also are using a combination of 3D printed models and VR as training tools, like 3D Systems’ Simbionix line for VR medical simulation, to prep for complex surgery or test patientspecific implants. “One of the biggest opportunities for VR is rapid 3D prototyping where, due to limited resources, teams cannot afford to run multiple trials and test runs of physical models,” Clifton Dawson, Analyst at VR and augmented reality research company, Greenlight VR, told TCT. “An example of this is maxillofacial surgery in the healthcare industry. Given the nature of surgery and the intricacies of those regions of the body, surgeons cannot afford to make any mistakes when it’s time to actually operate on a patient. Thus, there is a large amount of planning beforehand; traditionally, this planning process has consisted of creating plaster models as well as resin models of patients created from stereolithographic data, which is significantly expensive to collect. In this case, VR can provide a lower-cost testing environment to run trials and see various ideas in action.”

ABOVE: Siemens using VR in Digital Factory. RIGHT: Siemens Congleton site with Virtalis ActiveWall

HP has also ventured into the area, populating the chasm between the real and virtual worlds with its ‘blended reality’ concept, presented compactly in its Sprout desktop device which features both 3D scanning and modelling, allowing users to scan an object and manipulate it within seconds on screen. This was recently given a boost with the acquisition of David Vision Systems to further its push into the 3D technologies market with the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution. The company also recently launched its Tech Ventures venture capital arm formed to invest in early stage VR, 3D printing and Internet of Things start-ups. THE REALITY? VR may still be in its infancy but it has clearly caught the attention of the Fortune 500 elite including Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, who recently commented that he believes VR will play a major role in making society better informed through augmentation. Likewise, Facebook was fast to purchase one of VR’s most prominent brands, Oculus designed by a then 17-year old sci-fi geek Palmer Luckey who first launched the tech on Kickstarter, and sold it to the social media giant for the not too shabby sum of $2 Billion.

As with any technology that’s still finding it’s feet, often the problem is lack of applications and for VR, the few applications we’ve seen in the mainstream are primarily targeted at gamers, but that’s probably doing it a disservice. Its true value is in applications like these where we’re able to put people in situations they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience and trial actions before any have to be taken to improve safety, reduce risk and save time and costs. Like 3D printers, as costs have decreased, more people have been given the opportunity to experience the technology and do some amazing things but there remains a question about its place in the wider world and VR faces similar obstacles. In some areas, there’s even an argument about whether VR could replace 3D printing altogether as a prototyping tool for certain applications in industries like architecture and healthcare. Of course there are instances where simulation just won’t be able to rival the benefit of holding a tangible object in your hands – like explaining a surgical procedure to a patient using a 3D printed model. Instead VR should just be another part of a technology ecosystem that helps reduce time to market and improve workflows. Its fate will ultimately be determined by market reaction as VR becomes more accessible. Dawson added: “The timeline for VR to substitute or complement 3D printing as a prototyping tool will depend on numerous factors, including the proliferation of developer kits, more university and corporate training programs, and the initial reception of consumer headsets.” 

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ARCHITeCTURE

T h e way w e l ive is ch an ging. P e o p l e ar e n ’ t bu yi ng h o u se s l ik e th e ir par e n ts d id and th o se th at do a r e i n viting str an ge r s to co m e an d stay, l ik e a nd a b ed an d br e ak fast via a m o bil e ap p. Co m m u na l , stu d e n t- st yl e l iving am o ng yo u ng ad u lts i s b ec o m i n g a so u gh t afte r way o f l iving; sin gl e beds, s h a re d space s, gam e s r o o m s and al l , l e ad ing to t h e b elie f th at “m il l e n n ial s wan t e x p e r ie n ce s not p o s s e ssio ns”. So n atu r al ly, if th e way w e l ive i s c h a n g ing, th e way w e d e sign an d bu il d th e p l aces w e in h abit, w il l too.

Welcome to your

future home W O R D S : L a u r a G r i f f i t hs

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

invited designers to explore how we build our world in a bid to deliver an architectural world first. Typically as a person who spends their days trawling through so-called ‘3D printed world first’s, it’s only natural to be both excited and sceptical about such a claim. That said this particular first by the WATG Urban Architecture Studio, has been validated in the global competition commissioned by Branch Technology, which asked designers to investigate how 3D printing can improve our built environment with the world’s first freeform 3D printed house. The winning project ‘Curve Appeal’ was designed by the Chicago-based team, which includes Daniel Caven, Chris Hurst, Miguel Alvarez and Brent Watanabe, who proposed a design that embraced both the unique capabilities of 3D printing and the home’s proposed natural environment. The brief was for a single-family home with a standard kitchen, bath, living area and one bedroom. The structure features two main components, an interior core and exterior skin and reimagines traditional aesthetics, construction and ergonomics of the average home. Though 3D printing has never been used in this way before, the team already had experience using the technology as a design tool, which proved beneficial when they began thinking about how to apply it on a large scale. “We see 3D printing as a tool to recent initiative

We see 3D printing as a tool to bridge the gap between digital technology and design

››

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ARCHITECTURE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

bridge the gap between digital technology and design,” the team told TCT. “Depending on the accuracy of the 3D modelling the designer is able to execute forms to exact specifications without the normal high costs associated with construction.” Curve Appeal looks like the kind of place Tony Stark might downsize to. It’s got the contemporary curved style of a billionaire superhero’s modern hideaway, but with an organic relationship to its environment that manages to look both futuristic and like a pop-up house from a post-apocalyptic utopia surrounded by greenery – for any Twilight fans out there, it’s very much a Cullen house. Popular culture has given us a good idea of how our future dwellings might look; white, minimalistic, sterile, modern, cold, are usually the most common descriptors depending on your take on these typically bubble-like pods. There’s definitely a hint of that in these images but it’s less about predicting a Tron-like aesthetic for future living and more about laying a foundation for what 3D printed architecture can achieve. CELLULAR FABRICATION Unlike other examples of 3D printed homes that are primarily of the crude concrete extrusion form, this home is to be manufactured using a patented method from Branch Technology called “Cellular Fabrication” or C-Fab. The technology, developed by a group of architects and engineers, combines 3D printing, industrial robotics and conventional building materials with the world’s largest

freeform printer. C-Fab builds structures in a similar way to nature, using optimised geometries filled with economical construction materials to provide the function and strength of a wall assembly. This doesn’t look like your usual 3D printing either. Similar to the methods we’ve seen in the likes of MX3D in their Amsterdambased bridge project, where a six-axis robotic arm is used to build the structure rather than constraining the part to a build plate, this method employs a robot and rail system. Building in this way means designers are not limited by space or slow layer-based processes and can create large, complex structures without the need for supports. “The design was inspired by the new possibilities and freedoms afforded by 3D printing,” Architect Daniel Caven commented. “The curved shapes of the free form walls are impossible to create using conventional construction methods. So when designing this house we use these new technological possibilities as a starting point for design, using the new forms and shapes available to us. Curve appeal also considers the human experience of dwelling in a unique way compared to other recent 3D printed houses. Not only are the interior spaces well planned for the practicalities and nuances of life; the use of warm materials, brightly day lit interiors and the strong connection to the outdoors make for a comfortable and enjoyable place to dwell.” ››

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ARCHITECTURE

We see architecture shifting towards very radical designs in the future and 3D printing makes it possible

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

JUST LIKE NATURE Branch’s unique technology takes inspiration from how cellular structures in nature are made. The intricate cell formations are fabricated by 3D printing to create the foundation whilst the standard construction materials are used to fill the cell. Of course we’re not at a point where an entire house, windows and all, can be 3D printed in one go, so certain features like the glass enclosures and interior finishes will be constructed using traditional methods. WATG believes this will set the standard for using 3D printing commercially through a combination of 3D structures and traditional on-site construction. “As it becomes more widespread it will only get better and in the hands of more people around the world,” Daniel commented. “We see Curve Appeal as a prototype towards new progressions of architecture through its process of construction. We see architecture shifting towards very radical designs in the future and 3D printing makes it possible. Within our studio, we are always pushing the limits of parametric and generative design leading architecture down a new path of experimentation; this in turn opens opportunities to surpass past inclinations of construction.” Layer-based printed ‘homes’ are nothing new but this will be the first home produced through a unique combination of freeform 3D printing and conventional construction materials.

The house is set to commence construction in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The entire project is expected to take just over a year to complete but this will include all construction and extensive testing. The actual fabrication, assembly and finishing will take a matter of months. The team is currently in the testing stages where each element is being modelled and produced on a small scale before they begin printing the first sections of the house in early 2017. “The challenges we face are that this has never been done before, so each step forward is a step into the unknown,” Daniel added. We probably won’t see 3D printing used to produce your typical housing en masse any time soon but that’s not the aim here, the speed, materials and costs just can’t compete yet. For now the 3D printing we do see in architecture will likely continue to be in the scale white SLS form that has been used by architects for many years now to conceptualise designs and communicate ideas. The good news is, projects like this are showing where it could be used on a more adventurous scale as speeds, materials and costs become more favourable, for designs that while futuristic are not so alien anymore, and open up possibilities for how we might build our world in the future. Daniel added: “3D printing technology isn’t to the point where it can fully print a complete house but with the rapid advancements of technologies we see this new form of construction coming in the near future.”

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CASTING

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Daniel O’Connor takes a look at the role 3D printing is playing in firing up foundries by remixing old casting techniques.

The Rise of

DIY Casting

uman beings have been melting metals and fashioning objects out of them for thousands of years, the earliest known example of casting discovered predates 3D printing by over 5,000 years. It is a copper frog from around 3200 BC created in Mesopotamia around 600 years before the first known pyramid in Egypt was constructed. Mesopotamians in what is now thought of as the ‘cradle of civilization’ began to melt down metals, pour them into moulds, wait for it to set before presenting the complex metal shape as a gift or using it to barter with, human beings had only ever forged metals. In fact, there’s roughly the same amount of time between the first forged metal tools (9000 BC), the first casting (3200 BC) and Chuck Hull’s first 3D print (1983), give or take a millennia… The effect that the Mesopotamian amphibian and the techniques developed in the region that is now (roughly) modern day Iraq has had on civilization is unparalleled

in manufacturing terms. Casting is used to make everything from precious jewellery to functional parts on aircraft. But from that first fire of Chuck’s laser to cure a resin 3D printing has been heralded as a replacement for traditional methods like casting and milling. During those hype-fuelled years of 2013 and 2014 it was even said that additive manufacturing was the first truly new way of making things since that frog was cast, Henry Ford and his mass-manufacturing production line may beg to differ. As it has come to pass additive manufacturing is nothing like a replacement for traditional manufacturing in fact, if anything, it has reignited some traditional techniques and democratised access to the ability to cast. Desktop stereolithography machinery with wax-based resins, in particular, has given lone-jewellers a leaping off platform in order to create beautiful pieces of work that once may have been out of reach. According to Frank Cooper, Senior Lecturer &

Technical Manager at Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre, that additive step is far from the most important factor when it comes to jewellery manufacture. “There isn’t a machine, 3D printer or robot that can produce a beautiful piece of finished jewellery,” says Frank “The technology simply makes life a little easier for the jeweller but it still requires those hard won and learned artisan craft skills to transform the technological output into a finished piece of contemporary jewellery”. ››

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CASTING an engineer, designer inventor, and maker, his videos on homemade casting using 3D printed parts printed on a desktop FDM machine in PLA have gone viral. He uses the 3D prints to explore techniques like that of lost wax casting and most recently sand casting using nothing but a PLA plastic part to act as a void which the molten metal fills. The results are quite

before the rise of the Internet, so the information we had was rather limited. The problem we always struggled with was that we could only make a cast of something that we had a pattern for. We didn’t have a 3D printer, CNC machine or even a lathe, so we were mostly limited to casting copies of other parts. For instance, the cast in the image (from 1989) was made using a water gun as the pattern. That said, I don’t think casting metal is for everyone. It takes a special kind of interest, willingness and patience to learn how to set-up a foundry and to safely use it. It’s far

Casting has been around for millennia but in the past 100 or so years it seems like it has increasingly become the reserve of foundries and industrial enterprises, do you think the ability to make patterns using a cheap desktop 3D printer could bring casting back to the makers?

Not in masses, but to some extent I do think so. I started casting metal with my late father when I was around 12-years-old. We built a charcoal fired furnace from scratch based on a Lindsay Publications reprint of an 1880’s foundry manual. This was long

How long have you had the idea of being able to cast in metals using 3D printing? Did it stem from a frustration with getting parts made yourself, like the part you made for the CNC machine?

A 1 2

It was before I ordered my first 3D printer, which was an Ultimaker kit almost exactly four years ago, it was the primary reason I ordered the kit. I had experience

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

GOING IT ALONE Despite the fact that we can now 3D print a pattern for casting the majority of casting is still produced in specialised foundries and factories that use industrial scale processes to professionally and repeatedly make parts. There is however, one man who is bringing the process of metalworking back to the home, or the garage at least. Jeshua Lacock is

extraordinary. We spoke to Joshua about his love of mixing new and ancient ways of making. *** PLEASE NOTE JESHUA’S TECHNIQUES ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, TCT DOES NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU TRY THIS AT HOME ***

more hands on, requires a great deal more work and is much more potentially dangerous than just printing something. It always requires far more available space to dedicate than a desktop machine. In other words - it’s something you really have to want to do.

with the lost wax method and I thought that PLA should burn practically as clean as wax does. My first attempt nearly came out perfect with the exception of one defect that was due to ash left in the mould. On the following attempts I used compressed air and/or a vacuum to clean out the mould first. The parts had extremely tight tolerances and fit perfectly without any machining. ››

6 

ABOVE + RIGHT: 1 Part printed in PLA. 2: Printed part in a mix of 50% playground sand, 50% plaster of Paris and water. 3: The set moulds in a furnace 4: The moulds still quite hot set in dry sand with aluminium cans used as sprue extensions that provide more head pressure. 5: After melting a crucible full of aluminium (with some added copper), skimming the dross, it is time to pour. 6: Perfect fitting part. “I made the plastic part perfectly fit the extrusion, then printed it again at 102%. The extra 2% is precisely how much the aluminium shrunk as it cooled.” Explained Lacock.

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



LEFT: The Bearded Yell printed in PLA with 10% infill and placed directly into green sand, with molten metal poured directly into the 3D print. This was the result without any finishing applied.

Q Q

You have had several processes with the latest being your 3D Printed Lost Shell Sand Casting Technique, can you talk us through the discovery and trial and error process you went through? The number one complaint I have received with all the interest in the lost PLA process was that it looked like it was too much work and too time consuming. I have had a lot of success with the Lost Foam method, where molten metal replaces Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam without having to burn out the foam before hand. The method works with both sand and investment casting methods. I knew a solid plastic print would not burn out as readily as a foam pattern, so I thought that if a mould cavity was mostly a void (creating a fill density roughly similar to foam - or ideally even less dense), and giving the metal a large enough volume to fill, it should vaporise the relatively thin shell of plastic and work about the same as the Lost Foam process. That indeed turned out to be the case. Well mostly the case. It seems whatever plastic doesn’t immediately vaporise is more buoyant so it just floats to the top. That’s good news for the process too since a slight infill can still be used with it. Most geometries will happily print with say 10-15% infill not nearly as many will happily print with 0% infil.

breaking open the mould is always one of the most exciting aspects of metal casting, and when your hard work pays off I think it can be extremely rewarding.

You can tell from the sand-casting video you shared online that there was a genuine excitement when you first took the bearded yell part out, do you think that thrill of making is something we’re beginning to see more of and do you think 3D printing has played a big role in that? We were unusually excited about the success because, while our first attempt showed promise, it didn’t turn out well enough to share. That said, breaking open the mould is always one of the most exciting aspects of metal casting, and when your hard work pays off I think it can be extremely rewarding. I do think 3D printers are encouraging more people to make things, and while it can be a great deal less involved than casting something, I still think the results can be quite rewarding. Even if you print someone else’s design - I think people feel entitlement.

Q A

Do you think we will start to see thermoplastic filaments, like we do with resin materials that can help make this process more accurate? Not really - at least short of metal printers becoming affordable to consumers, which I think is definitely coming in the future. As it is now, with the Lost PLA method, I don’t think it’s really possible to cast more accurate parts. With the Lost Shell method, I think the accuracy is more of a function of the sand’s limitation versus the thermoplastic.

Q A

What has the response been to your video, have people been in touch asking you to make specific parts? People have been very receptive to the videos for the most part. I have had enough interest in the process to start a new venture that will be offering the service at Metalprinted.com 

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