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BEATING THE BENCHMARK BASTECH TAKES CONFORMAL COOLING TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH 3D SYSTEMSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; END-TO-END DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS

Stratasys is shaping the soul. S T R ATA S Y S 3 D P R I N T I N G — M O R E C O L O U R S A N D

M O R E M AT E R I A L S F O R Y O U T O R U N W I T H .

THE 3D PRINTING SOLUTIONS COMPANY

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

VOLUME 24 ISSUE 5

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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

+44 (0) 1244 680222 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Todd Grimm tgrimm@tagrimm.com

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Carol Hardy carol@rapidnews.com MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE

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PRODUCTION Sam Hamlyn Tracey Roberts

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Mark Blezard

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

FROM THE EDITOR

The Gold Rush

espite the title I’m not using my editor’s letter to boast about team GB’s medal haul at Rio, the particular gold rush I’m referring to is the upcoming months of trade show mania. No sooner does this magazine go to print than I’m setting off for the International Manufacturing Trade Show (IMTS) in Chicago, which is shaping up to be the most additive manufacturing focussed IMTS yet. On my return from the Windy City TCT Show 2016 is just two short weeks away. After TCT, Assistant Editor, Laura Griffiths, and I will be pulling together content for the final issue of the year and then it is on to formnext powered by TCT in November. For a magazine an expo is almost a guaranteed shot at striking content gold. You start beforehand by trawling through press releases looking for the perfect place to mine, you do your initial ground-breaking on booths of companies that have launched something new, you continue the mucking as you get the sales pitch and finally you do your panning, sieving out the mud leaving pure glistening nuggets in the hotel bar later on with industry experts. There’s plenty of gold in them thar hills at the 2016 edition of TCT Show with UK debuts of machinery like Stratasys’ J750 full colour printer, HP’s much talked about Jet Fusion and Trumpf’s TruPrint 1000. The Birmingham NEC show also sees the global launch of a new IonCore machine, Admatec’s Admaflex 130 ceramic 3D printer and RPS’s industrial-scale stereolithography machine, of which you can find out more on page 26.

There’s also plenty of precious metal to be found in and amongst the many talks at TCT Show this year on both the Main Stage and the Tech Stage. Towards the back of this magazine (starting on page 73) you will find a host of interviews with some of the speakers, in which they give some fascinating insight into the shape of the industry today. Elsewhere in this issue of the magazine, Laura writes on her trip to Stratasys HQ for a big announcement (page 19), I get to grips with the raft of new laserless metal additive manufacturing technologies (page 66), The University of Cambridge’s Tim Minshall discusses the state of AM in education (page 31) and as always Todd Grimm rounds things off with a steer in the right direction (page 82).

Druck on

Daniel O’Connor Group Editor

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Cover Story

Bastech takes conformal cooling to new heights in manufacturing benchmark tests with 3D Systems’ end-to-end digital manufacturing solutions.

Dan was involved in a UK AM Strategy meeting themed around Skills, Education and Training, here’s the takeaway.

NEWS

Laura speaks to the team behind the new batch of robots battling it out in the revamped Robot Wars series about how they used 3D technologies to reimagine these iconic characters.

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING

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

DESIGN IN FOCUS

When UK-based contact lens inspection and measurement device manufacturer Optimec needed a model for its next generation lensmeasuring instrument, they turned to Bristol-based model-maker Amalgam to produce a functional, pre-production prototype.

ALLOW THEM TO DEMONSTRATE

Assistant Editor, Laura Griffiths reports on a trip to Stratasys’ headquarters in Minneapolis where the additive manufacturing pioneer demonstrated how it’s shaping the future of FDM.

QUALITY ASSURED

Group Editor, Daniel O’Connor visits RPS in Aylesbury to get a first look at the company’s UK developed and manufactured open stereolithography system ahead of its debut at TCT Show.

GE ACQUIRES SLM AND ARCAM

Global leader in digital industrial solutions, GE has invested $1.4 million in leading metal additive firms, SLM Solutions and Arcam AB.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CROSSES THE FINISH LINE

How Swansea University worked with Renishaw to redesign and manufacture the intercooler in a racecar for Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition.

QUALITY CONTROL IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

AM TO PM

RETURN OF THE ROBOTS

Christian Lohmüller at Volume Graphics discusses the challenges the additive manufacturing industry faces in quality control and how CT scanning combined with software provides the ideal solution.

Computing Hardware

SPROUTING OUT

Laura reports on how HP is delving further into the Immersive Computing market with an acquisition that’s set to expand its Sprout workstation capabilities.

GROWING PAINS SponSOred by

Laura takes a look at the current desktop 3D printing landscape and highlights the companies motioning a heightened sense of maturity.

45 65 57 51

PERSONALISING THE PERSONAL COMPUTER

Dan takes a look at how the trend of customising PC motherboards is now taking a step towards 3D printing.

MATERIALS

SponSOred by

LOSING THE LASER

Dan reports on the number of recent and up and coming metal 3D printing companies that are doing away with the laser in favour of alternative laserless processes.

TOYOTA MOTORSPORT 3D SPRINTS TO THE FINISH LINE

How Toyota Motorsport GmbH is committing to the consumer racing industry with DSM Somos and stereolithography.

60 SECOND INTERVIEWS

We ask some of our TCT Show + Personalize speakers what excites them most about the additive manufacturing industry right now.

MAXIMISING METALS

A roundup of how some of the industry’s leading metal powder specialists are ramping up production with new facilities and AM-specific materials.

IN CONTROL

Dan reports on how storage solutions leader Verbatim is keeping tight control of its 3D printing filaments.

REGULARS

05 31 62

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GUEST COLUMN TODD GRIMM COLUMN

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

CONTENTS

TCT | VOLUME 24 ISSUE 5

COVER STORY: 3D SYSTEMS

3D SYSTEMS’ END-TO-END DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS IMPROVE COST, TIME AND QUALITY IN MANUFACTURING BENCHMARK TESTS

Beating the Benchmark WOR D S : DA N I E L O ’C O N N O R

hat

business

wouldn’t

want to increase quality while streamlining processes and reducing final costs? This is what Bastech achieved in a remarkable benchmark test it conducted to compare conventional baffle cooling to conformal cooling mould making methods using 3D Systems’ end-to-end digital manufacturing workflow. As a 3D Systems partner, the Ohiobased additive manufacturing services and equipment provider has over two decades of experience using additive manufacturing to solve a wide range of applications, from functional prototypes for the automotive industry to complex investment casting patterns for end-use aerospace components. Already aware of the potential benefits 3D Systems’ workflow stood to offer, Bastech was nevertheless blown away by the actual results they achieved. Bastech found that using 3D Systems Cimatron mould-making software, the ProX DMP 200 3D printer, and Geomagic Control inspection software led to a quantifiably more productive, affordable and streamlined manufacturing process over conventional methods. The company reduced design time by a staggering 70%, shrank cycle time by 14% and cut overall costs by 16%. In the manufacturing industry where success is a delicate balance of efficiency, cost and quality, Bastech had landed on a clear competitive advantage. Since the inception of industrial injection moulding, maintaining an even temperature on the surface of the mould has been a constant challenge. Over the last decade or so, conformal cooling, or cooling channels designed to

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

LEFT: A Bastech mould core insert with conformal cooling channels prototyped using SLA technologyprinted in steel using DMP

naturally follow the contours of the final production part, has been identified as a viable solution for controlling injectionmoulding temperatures. Apart from design complexity, the greatest hurdle to implementing conformal cooling has been the challenge of transforming the moulds from a concept into a viable part. These difficulties have put the conformal cooling beyond the means of most shops, but Bastech’s success may introduce a shift in manufacturing approach and capability. Bastech conducted two benchmark tests to compare conventional manufacturing techniques with 3D Systems’ end-to-end workflow. The first benchmark was of a tapered helix on the inside of a spacing cone for industrial assemblies; the second was a complete core, cavity and slide-mould set. For each test, Bastech created its conformal cooling design with Cimatron, an expert CAD/CAM software by 3D Systems that covers the entire mould-making cycle, from quoting and design to applying engineering changes and NC and EDM programing. Cimatron also includes design and analysis tools for both traditionally manufactured and 3D printed cooling channels. Cimatron even offers automated mould-filling analysis to optimise cooling channel layout. “Designing for 3D printing requires an understanding of structural support design to accomplish true requirementbased design as well as reducing material cost and build time,” says Scott Young, Bastech’s Engineering Manager. “This type of expertise is built within Cimatron software to

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

LEFT: Complex

conformal cooling channels created with the comprehensive mould design toolsets of Cimatron led to a 14% reduction in cycle time and 16% reduction in overall costs.

allow our designers to think about design without having to worry about navigating through the CAD package to define complex internal channels.” This integrated expertise was crucial in accelerating design time and moving from file to print without exhaustive delays and tedious reworking. For the first benchmark test, Bastech used Cimatron to create conformal cooling channels in a rotating teardrop configuration that ran at a consistent parallel to the outer surface of the core. The final file was 3D printed in a single run in maraging steel on the ProX DMP 200 and compared to a traditionally manufactured baffled core. “The ProX DMP 200 enhances our moulding capabilities and gives us higher turnaround tooling and solves bottleneck problems in the shop,” says Ben Staub, President and Owner, Bastech. “We can save 30-40 hours per mould by eliminating EDM and drilling, and drastically reducing CNC and polishing work.” In this first benchmark test, Cimatron and the ProX DMP 200 saved more than 40 hours of programming and shop time, and yielded a net savings of 18% over conventional methods according to Bastech’s engineering manager. Bastech then used Geomagic Control for digital part inspection to ensure that the final part quality met its expectations. The benefits of the 3D Systems workflow were proven to be even greater once the mould was put to work, where it reduced cycle time by 22%. “Cycle time is nearly everything in injection moulding,” says Staub, “with the ability to consistently control temperature a close second.” It follows that for Bastech’s second benchmark test, the goal was to maintain the same temperature between the conventional and conformal designs to see how the two techniques would affect cooling and cycle time results.

The company reduced design time by a staggering 70%, shrank cycle time by 14% and cut overall costs by 16%.

Once again, automation within Cimatron software reduced design time from 30 hours to just seven, with a total cost savings of 16% for the 3D printed conformal cooling mould. More importantly, cycle time shrank again, down 14% as compared to traditional methods. Again, use of Geomagic Control inspection software guaranteed final part quality. “Even though the temperature remained the same for both the conventional and the conformal cooling designs, the conformal design forced more liquid through a greater surface area, making it more efficient in cooling the mould,” says Young. “With traditional cooling for injection moulding there is no perfect situation,” says Staub. “You can only drill holes in certain places and you can’t curve holes around channels like you can with conformal cooling designed for 3D printing. Now we no longer have to accept compromises in conformal cooling designs.” After rigorous testing, Bastech proved the value of 3D Systems’ robust digital manufacturing solutions to help its mould-makers make better decisions faster and bring them into reality with direct metal 3D printing. “3D Systems’ end-to-end solutions take our business to the next level by saving our designers and engineers time and energy in developing and executing complex designs,” said Staub. “The bottom line is that by working with Cimatron, Direct Metal Printing and Geomagic Control, we are designing faster and making more efficient moulds more economically.” For more information visit www.3dsystems.COm

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NEWS ROUNDUP ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

EOS LAUNCHES ITS BIGGEST AND FASTEST MACHINE TO DATE 

EOS introduced its biggest and fastest metal additive manufacturing system at IMTS 2016 in Chicago. Designed for industrial applications, the ultra-fast, quad-laser system builds on EOS Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and promises increased productivity, part quality and scalability. The EOS M 400-4 is based on the EOS M 290 technology and offers a large build volume of 400 x 400 x 400 mm with four 400 Watt lasers operating independently in 250 x 250 mm squares each including an overlap of 50 mm. The exceptional beam and power stability ensures highest DMLS part quality and quadruples productivity with EOS NickelAlloy HX and MaragingSteel MS1. 

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

FORMLABS SECURES $35M INVESTMENT LED BY AUTODESK 

Formlabs has raised $35 million in Series B funding from Foundry Group and Autodesk to scale up its worldwide operations and increase R&D efforts. The company, which manufactures one of the world’s top selling stereolithography 3D printers, has also announced plans to collaborate strategically with Autodesk on software integration and joint marketing initiatives. The investment round led by Foundry Group brings Formlabs’ total investment to date to $55 million and includes participation from existing investors DFJ Growth, Pitango Venture Capital and Pascal Cagni. 

SIEMENS ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN UK ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FIRM MATERIALS SOLUTIONS’ 

Siemens has expanded its additive manufacturing footprint by acquiring a majority 85% stake in UK AM company, Materials Solutions. Founded in 2016 and based in Worcester, Materials Solutions specialises in producing turbo-machinery parts, particularly gas turbines, with Selective Laser Sintering. In late 2015, Siemens Venture Capital acquired a 14% minority stake in the company, which currently employs more than 20 qualified engineers. Now Siemens will take an 85% stake with the remaining 15% held by founder Carl Brancher. 

FORMNEXT POWERED BY TCT ALREADY FULLY BOOKED 

With an impressive increase of 30 percent in the number of exhibitors and 40 percent in exhibition space, formnext powered by tct is already fully booked two months before the show opens. With 261 exhibitors, formnext has grown by 29 percent since its highly successful debut in 2015 and the exhibition space has expanded from around 11,000 to 15,000 square meters. formnext, which takes place from 15 – 18 November 2016 in Frankfurt am Main, boasts an strong international presence with a very high concentration of world market leaders and internationally renowned companies in the field of modern product development and manufacturing. 

HAYDALE COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS LAUNCH GRAPHENE ENHANCED 3D PRINTING PLA

Haydale Composite Solutions has announced a collaboration with thermoplastic filament manufacturer, Filamentprint (UK) Ltd and Fullerex Ltd to promote and sell Graphene enhanced PLA filaments. The filaments, available in 1.75mm and 2.85 mm diameters, offer excellent first layer adhesion and z-axis strength retention, faster processing, improved performance, excellent surface finish and better dimensional accuracy. The material will make its debut on the show floor at TCT Show 2016. 

3MF INTRODUCES TWO EXTENSIONS TO UNIVERSAL 3D PRINTING FILE FORMAT  The 3MF Consortium has released two specification extensions to its 3MF Core 3D printing file format. These new extensions, available to download for free, are designed to enhance productivity and allow high-volume additive manufacturing facilities to better integrate and manage their operations. The Production Extension is designed to enable high-volume users such as service bureaus to organise and manage print jobs with multiple parts by keeping them in separate .xml files within the 3MF package. The Slice Extension simplifies the 3D design whilst retaining all vital information such as part colour to ensure the model is correctly described and prints successfully.

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011

PRODUCT DESIGN ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

BELOW: Optimec is830 Amalgam prototype

Design in Focus WOR DS : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs

Preparing for this year’s EFCLIN Congress and Exhibition in Valencia presented British CONTACT LENS inspection and measurement instrument manufacturer, OPTIMEC with a challenge. The company has been manufacturing and supplying metrology instruments since 1979 and this year planned to launch its latest contact lens measuring instrument, the is830 designed for a new generation of lens technology with the help of a functional pre-production model. ››

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PRODUCT DESIGN ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

BELOW: Optimec is830 in operation

PTIMEC NEEDED A fully Last year, innovation design access to comprehensive, non-contact functional display model consultant, Clive Goodwin at geometric lens data. By utilising Optical of the is830 ready to JamSandwich, was asked by Optimec Coherence Tomography (OCT), the demonstrate the instrument’s is830 is the fastest, most accurate and to develop a pre-production design capabilities and operational simplicity for the instrument to go on display to most informative geometric inspection to the industry, publically for the first guests privately during the 2015 EFCLIN system from Optimec to date. time. So they turned to UK-based The contact lens market is a relatively Congress in Venice. Feedback from model-making company Amalgam to this first iteration of the instrument led small niche but operates as a truly create an exhibition model that would to further development and revised global market, with manufacturers capture the attention of visitors on the specifications being required for and suppliers spread in Japan and show floor. EFCLIN 2016. Amalgam was tasked with Asia. Optimec supplies instruments The is830 is a device developed the job of revising this initial prototype worldwide, addressing technical needs by Optimec to measure contact lens in a functional, exhibition model that of users through regular research and geometry. As contact lens design would go on display publically. development. becomes more complex, When seeking a supplier to advanced instrumentation build the prototypes, Optimec is required to ensure that selected the Bristol-based manufactured lenses meet team which has amassed three with the exact tolerances decades of experience in and specification. The is830 producing prototypes models, addresses a growing need turning CAD into working For aluminium we would normally 3D for the complete geometric prototypes and the short run print in SLS and simply give the illusion measurement of lenses, in manufacturing of functional of an aluminium part but due to the lens design and production, as products. high tolerances of the laser and optical well as for R&D and academic Mike Harvey, Director at studies. The tool enables components, we had to produce this as it Amalgam explained: “Initially we contact lens and materials would be in future production, 5 axis CNC took the hands on approach, manufacturers, to measure modifying the Objet printed machined from a solid billet. and check their products, components to work with ensuring they meet industry the metal work, then working standards and using the latest alongside Clive, we ironed out technology gives users simple the small discrepancies and ›› 24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

015

product design ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

BELOW: Optimec is830

brand Amalgam prototype.

clashes in the CAD, modifying bolt holes to pre-tapped sizes, adding additional fixtures to 3D printed parts before silicone tooling.” The Amalgam team, led by Project Manager Glen McDouall, ensured that the manufacturing methods used for the demonstration instrument were to be the same as that for planned future production instruments. Metal parts were manufactured using CNC machinery and anodised, whilst self-coloured plastic components were cast from moulds, originating from 3D printed masters. The main challenge was getting the different manufacturing methods to work together, for example ensuring casting shrinkage tolerances worked with the 5-axis machined aluminium components. Applying the new Optimec logo and branding was the final touch. “For starters, the main silver body of the machine had to be aluminium. For a prototype we would normally 3D print this in SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) and simply give the illusion of an aluminium part but due to the high tolerances of the laser and optical components, we had to produce this as it would be in future production, 5 axis CNC machined from a solid billet,” Mike explained. “The piece was then anodised to ensure a corrosion resistant finish, bearing in mind the [Saline] solution the contact lenses sit in. All other aluminium components were produced in the same method and finish for these reasons. We opted for a vacuum cast production method for all the white plastic components to closely mimic the properties of injection moulded ABS. The self coloured material ensures a robust durable finish over a painted 3D printed prototype.” Careful checks were undertaken to ensure perfect assembly of the new components culminating in the two teams coming together where Amalgam assisted Optimec in the critical stages of incorporating and aligning the technology at the core of the instrument prototype. Colin Richards, Director at Optimec commented on the project: “Amalgam was great to work with; their professional and dedicated team intent on completing the project to the highest standards. Glen’s project management gave us the confidence that the deadline and our expectations would be met, and the rest of the

Proving the power of a successful functional prototype, the amount of global interest generated in the Optimec is830 at EFCLIN resulted in great feedback for the company and initial sales already being made.

Amalgam team provided positive support throughout.” The project took a total of approximately four weeks to complete in time for its exhibition debut. Proving the power of a successful functional prototype, the amount of global interest generated in the Optimec is830 at EFCLIN resulted in great feedback for the company with initial sales already being made and further orders anticipated from Europe and the USA where it is currently undergoing evaluation. They are now increasing their in-house manufacture of high precision instrument components, ready to meet the expected demand for full production.

PROTOTYPE, PRE-PRODUCTION OR EXHIBITION-GRADE? Amalgam has been making models out of its Bristol workshop for the last 30 years producing everything from exhibition pieces for aircraft manufacturers to scale models for architecture master planning. Here, Mike Harvey, Director at Amalgam provides a rundown on the key differences between the various types of prototypes and exhibition-grade models that the workshop produces daily. “Prototype models, broadly speaking fall into several subgroupings. Early in the design process, very quick blue-foam and cardboard mock-ups are used to establish the basics of a concept. Functional, but non-aesthetic mechanical test rigs are used for evaluating specific features of a design or mechanism. Volume and appearance models that give an accurate feel for the size and look of a design without (usually) including working features tend to follow on, and are used to “sell” the design to a non-technical audience. They are often also used for marketing mock-ups and pre-launch photographic work. Pre-production prototypes for consumer and operator testing tend to be both functional and aesthetic, however, are typically produced in low volumes, using techniques such as vacuum casting and specialised hand finishing - which would be impractical when delivering tightly priced goods for a consumer market. Prototype models often have a short life span and quite frequently are either aesthetic models, used for one meeting or photo-shoot, or function testing models - where designers will meet to discuss and perhaps iterate the design. Finally exhibition grade prototyping work needs to be durable, as a fully realised production item would need to be. Exhibition models are out in the public domain, so they need to be able to withstand abuse from the notso-delicate hands of the public.”  For more information visit www.amalgam-models.co.uk

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STRATASYS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Assistant Editor, Laura Griffiths visits Stratasys’ headquarters in Minneapolis to learn how key collaborations with leaders in the aerospace and automotive industries are shaping the future of FDM.



RIGHT: Interior aircraft panel printed on the Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator

WOR D S : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs

ALLOW THEM TO

DEMONSTRATE

INNESOTA; LAND OF 1000 Lakes, birthplace of the Sears department store company back in 1886 (according to an enthusiastic bus driver/selfappointed tour guide), and home to one of the additive manufacturing (AM) industry’s leading companies. TCT was invited to Stratasys HQ to get a first look at what’s being called a “step change” for additive manufacturing. Stratasys, a company of whose origins can be traced back to an invention in the garage of founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Scott Crump during an experiment with a hot glue gun from which Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) was born, has become a pillar of the AM industry. 30 years after this groundbreaking invention, there are now around 150,000 Stratasys machines, both FDM and PolyJet, installed across the globe and the company is now embarking on the “future of FDM” in the form of two “3D Demonstrators”. ››



LEFT: Large-format rocket fairing tool

INSET: Robotic Composite printed aerospace dome.

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019

STRATASYS

ABOVE: Infinite Build 3D Demonstrator on the

factory floor

NO LIMITS The first of these is the Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator, essentially a huge MC 900 3D printer turned on its side, which provides a limit-free z-axis to work with. The X and Y-axes platforms are 2.5 ft. by 4 ft. long and the infinite length means this technology could fit many applications that are otherwise not possible with Stratasys’ current line-up, though those on show for the debut are fairly niche. We’re shown a huge rocket-faring tool and an interior panel for a plane measuring several feet long to demonstrate how this technology could be used to customise aircraft for different passenger experiences. The transport industry is where the Infinite-Build appears to fit most comfortably. The machine benefits from a new extrusion system, which uses Stratasys’ common materials such as Ultem 9085 thermoplastic but in a micro-pellet formation. These micro-pellets are extruded through toolheads, which can be easily switched out to allow for multi-material printing or easy changeovers should one fail. The new extrusion system uses a screw approach where canisters of material are attached onto the end of the extruder making it easier to control. This also means that the machine benefits from the ability to use different toolheads such as a touch probe or subtractive tools, which makes the Infinite-Build, and its sister Composite machine, extremely flexible. “We’re very excited for what we can do and the scalability it’s going to provide,” Anderson commented. “As of today we’ve got extruders for very particular thermoplastics but we are imagining other devices that could be used to measure the part or to perform subtractive techniques such as drilling or polishing so there’s no question we can put other things on the end of both systems.”

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

To give you an idea of how prolific this technology has become, FDM is currently used in 90% of machines in the industry for everything from plastics to concrete and this latest news provides a snapshot of what the future of this pioneering technology could deliver in terms of size, material and automation. As Stratasys’ recently appointed Chief Executive Officer Ilan Levin, expressed during the launch: “This is the first time we’re showing something that is a significant leap forward while resting on the basic technologies that you’re all very familiar with.” These aptly titled demonstrators, named the Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator and the Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator, have been in development for the last 5-7 years and they’re now working away at Stratasys’ unassuming headquarters in Minneapolis with input from high profile partners in the aerospace and automotive sectors, which currently include The Boeing Company, Ford Motor Company and Siemens PLM Software. “With our new emphasis on use cases, customers and collaboration we recognise the need to give out early and learn from our customers,” Dick Anderson, Sr. Vice President of R&D and Site Manager at Stratasys told TCT. “Those who are really serious are going to come back to us and ask us more deep questions, tell us more about their real requirements, so that when we do create the final product it will be even better matched to what customers really want.” They’re both huge contraptions of exposed machinery built in shells that utilise robotic arms to construct some of the biggest and most complex parts we’ve seen from Stratasys to date. Straight off the bat commercial availability is not in its immediate plans and to reflect that, these are not polished machines, boxed off and ready to ship. Think more along the lines of fully functional, concept models that have been built with the specific needs of customers and partners in mind to test and show what is possible.

Think along the lines of fully functional, concept models that have been built with the specific needs of customers and partners in mind to test and show what is possible with FDM.



ABOVE: New extrusion system on the Infinite-Build uses pellets as feedstock

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New 3D Printers

Booth C-14

MADE TO MATTER

We’ve come a long way since we pioneered the first commercial DLP 3D printer in 2002. With more than six new and upgraded printers launched already this year, EnvisionTEC is redefining its position in the 3D printing world. And we have even more to come. But we don’t innovate for ourselves - we do it for our customers, to solve real-world manufacturing challenges and deliver incredible value. That’s why our printers are MADE TO MATTER. Learn more at envisiontec.com/madetomatter

Professional Grade 3D Printing Solutions Visit Booth C-14 at the TCT 2016 show Birmingham, UK | September 28 & 29

EnvisionTEC’s new printers through September 2016: From left, the 3D-Bioplotter Starter Series; the Vector 3SP; the SLCOM 1; the Aureus Plus, part of the Perfactory Desktop Plus line; Vida Hi-Res DSP and the Micro Plus cDLM.

STRATASYS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Boeing is currently using the demonstrator to explore production of low volume lightweight parts whereas Ford is evaluating the technology and working with Stratasys to develop new applications for automotive-grade printing materials. Stratasys wouldn’t say whether or not these companies have their own demonstrators set up on their factory floors just yet but during a tour of the facility they did reveal that these industry heavyweights are not the only customers interested in having parts printed using the demonstrators, sharing that one commercial train company is looking at having interior parts manufactured using the InfiniteBuild.

Those who are really serious are going to come back to us and ask us more deep questions, tell us more about their real requirements, so that when we do create the final product it will be even better matched to what customers really want.

RIGHT: Stratasys

Infinite Build 3D Demonstrator



LEFT: Stratasys Robotic-Composite 3D Demonstrator

CONDENSING COMPOSITES The second solution, the Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator has been developed with Siemens PLM Software and integrates additive manufacturing with industrial motion control hardware. The traditional method of making composite parts is extremely labour intensive but this approach is set to transform the process with the ability to build complex parts within hours rather than days. The system uses an 8-axis robotic arm to facilitate precise, directional material placement without the need for support structures to create lightweight, high value, composite parts quickly. Unlike the Infinite-Build, the machine uses the same traditional materials as previous Stratasys FDM machines in their common filament format, extruding highly controlled fibre in Carbon Fibre Filled Thermoplastic filament. Even without putting the technology side-by-side with the traditional long composite building method, it’s an extremely fast process and in the space of less than two hours we saw a complex, aerospace dome part printed to completion on Stratasys’ factory floor. This is due to the flexibility afforded by the 8-axis arm, which eliminates the layer-by-layer transitions and instead uses a single spiral tool path to build a part. The part is continuously orientated meaning the robotic arm can print from the inside out in any axis required.

Composites are big news and if you read our Editor, Daniel O’Connor’s piece on EnvisionTEC’s new SLCOM composite 3D printer in the second to last issue of TCT, you’ll know how additive thought leaders are trying to condense this traditionally manual and arduous process of making composite parts. That’s exactly what Stratasys are doing here with the Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator and as a result are going after the automated production of high value, light composite parts, in particular the aerospace composite structures market, which this year is estimated at $13 billion. “The Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator was driven by our customers and the ability to replace today’s processes that are costing too much and are too labour intensive,” Anderson commented. “It’s requires an incredible amount of manual labour so we looked at how that could be automated and to automate that you need a robot because you’re going to have to follow some strange patterns and that’s how we landed here.” Siemens PLM Software is powering the machines with its SINUMERIK CNC control and NX PLM software. Arun Jain, VP, Motion Control, Digital Factory US, at Siemens explained how in order to remain competitive in the factory of the future, digitisation is needed to gain a competitive edge which means the marriage of additive manufacturing, 24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

023

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STRATASYS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES



BELOW: Robotic-Composite 3D Demonstrator in action at Stratasys HQ

intelligent automation and advanced robotics to completely change how we make parts. “Siemens have a long history in motion control, robotics, tool path generation and so forth and they’ve been wanting to get involved in additive manufacturing because they see the industry drastically changing over the next 20 to 30 years,” Anderson continued. “I would say we approached each other with mutual intent, we both see a perfect fit here between our 3D printing capabilities and their motion planning capabilities and robotics.”

DEMONSTRATING WHAT’S POSSIBLE Stratasys’ decision to unveil 3D Demonstrators rather than a complete commercial product is an interesting but fitting choice that’s inline with the company’s shift into focusing on the wider 3D ecosystem and customer centric solutions - understanding first and foremost what customers want to get out of these technologies. They’re standing firm that there are no plans for commercialisation yet so no details on pricing have been revealed or whether or not their plan is to use these demonstrators to develop more tailored solutions designed specifically for individual customers depending on size and material requirements. It forms part of a bigger company ethos that’s less interested in selling thousands of solus machines in favour of providing complete solutions that are designed for exact applications and take the user all the way from design to manufacture and beyond. “I’ve been here [at Stratasys] for 11 years. Originally we did printers and a little on materials but now we need to do everything because we know manufacturers and our customers are going to require it,” Anderson commented. “We have had a very small list of select customers come in and see the system so far and each of them has said, “You’re kidding me, is this really Stratasys? I can’t believe you’re doing what you’re doing” so it’s been a huge surprise and exciting. This is the future so it’s been wildly accepted.”

We see a perfect fit here between our 3D printing capabilities and Siemens’ motion planning capabilities and robotics.

Earlier this year Stratasys unveiled its multi-material, full colour J750 3D printer at a similarly big launch event so when just a few short months later the company announced it had yet more big news to share it was anyone’s guess what this would be. Unlike the J750, these technologies are not simply an update to existing capabilities and they do in fact deserve to be hailed as a step-change. When we talk about the 3D printing industry maturing, the mind usually wanders towards metals and heavy-duty industrial applications but it was good to see a company embracing what it knows best and using all of its years of industry know-how to produce its own version of what maturity in the industry means by taking the most popular method of 3D printing in the world and showing how it can quite literally be turned on its head. Both demonstrators are going on display to the public for the first time at IMTS 2016 in Chicago in September where Stratasys hopes to attain feedback from the wider manufacturing industry about possible applications and where they can develop it further. With intentions clear and a wellpositioned decision to deliver what the industry needs, it’s evident that the partnerships we’ve seen so far are just the beginning. 

i Vynce Paradise, Head of Advanced Part Manufacturing at Siemens PLM Software will present at the TCT Show Conference on 29th September at 3.20pm about how partnerships like this are driving the industrialisation of additive manufacturing.

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RPS

LEFT: The NEOS

800 is being built inhouse at RPS UK HQ

Y T I L A U Q D E R U S AS W

E : DANI ORDS

NNO L O CO

5ABOVE: The machines each have their own

name, Thomas will be at TCT Show

026

24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

he drive from TCT Towers in Chester south to the headquarters of RP Support (now known as RPS) in Aylesbury should be a straight motorway run but this being Britain and me being impatient, highway traffic forced me onto the country’s A roads. It is perhaps the most quintessentially English drive I have ever experienced, through five of the shires, spotting the odd Stately Home here, a castle there. All very apt seeing as I was going to see the first industrial 3D printing machine designed, developed and manufactured in the UK. Not that I knew it at the time... TCT was invited down to RPS after signing a non-disclosure agreement, something we’re used to in this industry but normally from machine manufacturers with a new machine or service bureaux with an exclusive customer case study. Not normally by companies, like RPS, who have built up a reputation as reliable sellers and support for industrial machinery and materials. “We’re four years into development and very few people knew what was going on,” RPS Director, David Storey tells me. “In December 2011, we sat round a table and decided to build a machine. Steve (Steve Moran an RPS Director) had always wanted to build a machine and I decided I didn’t want RPS to only be known as a support provider, we know there’s a market and we had the right people to do something special.” That something special is the NEOS 800 professional stereolithography machine and its whopping 800 x 800 x 600 mm manufacturing platform with an open resin system that has been proven over a 12 month pilot scheme in a qualified manufacturing environment. There’s no gimmicks in sight, this is a solid machine built by people with decades of experience and the devil very much is in the detail. “The paint selection alone took about three months,” explains David. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of discussions that come over a paint finish but that comes from the heart, that comes from people who really care about what they are making.

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

5ABOVE: The NEOS 800 machin

e scanning parts at Paragon RT

The paint was finally picked in McDonalds in Milton Keynes, not for the colour but for resistance to resin and that is proprietary to us. It’s taken us a lot of effort to get to that point and get the finish we want.” The paint finish is perhaps not the first feature one thinks of when picking a machine to manufacture aerospace, automotive or other industrial parts with but RPS are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the user experience is a good one. Take the software for instance, built from scratch by RPS engineers, ‘Titanium’ is designed to work with Windows 10 and takes many of its themes from the easy-to-use tiled display of the Microsoft operating system. The team dedicated a huge amount of time and research into avoiding the downfalls of other 3D printing software, the workflow is logical and the user is able to change the build parameters while the machine is building, it will send you an email once the job is finished complete with a photo of the print.

5ABOVE: Titanium Software built from scratch by RPS Engineers

Being a company that has serviced, supported and repaired all kinds of 3D printing technology over the years gave RPS the advantage of building from scratch with foresight learned from the hindsight of others. “We know what works and what fails,” says David. “For instance our machine is modular so that it fits through a standard door frame and the modules can be moved using a standard pallet truck. There’s nothing worse than having to take

apart a doorframe because somebody hasn’t measured properly, and believe me that is not an irregular occurrence!”

MACHINE MADE IN BRITAIN

There’s no gimmicks in sight, this is a solid machine built by people with decades of experience and the devil very much is in the detail.

NEOS 800 will make its debut at TCT Show in September (Stand C18) in Birmingham just 70 miles north of where the hardware and software has been designed from the ground up by a small but dedicated team of experts with a combined 85 years of experience in 3D printing. “We’ve tried to source all the parts locally,” says David “80 per cent of its components are made in the UK but British lasers and scanners are simply not up to our standards.” Everything on the system has been thought through with meticulous detail, from that impenetrable paint to the accessible electronics board at the back, each of those details combined adds up to exceptional part quality. And that’s the end game, part quality, RPS has created a system so accurate that post-processing times are minimal no matter how big or small the part is. “We’ve got a lot invested in this and not just money,” explains David. “Time, effort and a reputation for quality but there’s a huge reward in actually making something, actually being able to say this design is ours. And as a machine manufacturer if somebody comes to me with a material they specifically want to use, we can adapt the machine to suit. If somebody says ‘can you change the laser wavelength?’ we can integrate a different laser.” Whilst sitting on snaking A roads packed with tractors holding up traffic, I had wondered whether this trip to RPS was going to be a worthwhile, I had guessed that I was going to see a machine that I’d already seen abroad at a trade show. But what I got to see was something quite unique; a quality additive manufacturing device made right here in Britain. 

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027

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SOLUTIONS

GE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

THE BIG NEWS GE invests $1.4 billion in SLM Solutions and Arcam Very much a stop the presses moment as the magazine was going to print, GE made a big announcement.

INCE 2010, WORLD leading digital industrial solutions company, GE has invested approximately $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies. Now the company is to embark on another major investment as it plans to acquire two major metal additive manufacturing firms, Arcam AB and SLM Solutions Group AG for $1.4 billion. Both companies will report to David Joyce, President & CEO of GE Aviation who will lead the growth of these businesses in the additive manufacturing equipment and services industry. GE expects to grow the new additive business to $1 billion by 2020 at attractive returns and also expects $3-5 billion of product cost-out across the company over the next ten years. “Additive manufacturing is a key part of GE’s evolution into a digital industrial company,” Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE, commented. “We are creating a more productive world with our innovative world-class machines, materials and software. We are poised to not only benefit from this movement as a customer but spearhead it as a leading supplier. Additive manufacturing will drive new levels of productivity for GE, our customers, including a wide array of additive manufacturing customers, and for the industrial world.”

Based in Mölndal, Sweden, Arcam AB manufactures electron beam melting (EBM) systems and advanced metal powders for customers in the aerospace and healthcare industries. In 2015 Arcam generated $68 million in revenues with approximately 285 employees. In addition to its Sweden site, Arcam operates AP&C, a metal powders operation in Canada, and DiSanto Technology, a medical additive manufacturing firm in Connecticut, as well as sales and application sites worldwide. SLM Solutions Group, based in Lübeck, Germany, produces laser machines for metal-based additive manufacturing with customers in the aerospace, energy, healthcare, and automotive industries through a global network of sales and application sites. SLM generated $74 million in revenues in 2015 with 260 employees. GE will maintain the headquarters, key operating locations, management teams and employees of both companies. These locations will collaborate with the broader GE additive ecosystem including the manufacturing and materials research centre in Niskayuna, New York, and the additive design and production lab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “We chose these two companies for a reason,” Joyce explained. “We love the technologies and leadership of Arcam AB and SLM Solutions. They each bring two different, complementary additive technology modalities as individual anchors for a new GE additive equipment business to be plugged into GE’s resources and experience as leading practitioners of additive manufacturing. Over time, we plan to extend the line of additive manufacturing equipment and products.” 

24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

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Dr Tim Minshall is a Reader in Technology and Innovation Management at Cambridge University Engineering Department and a Fellow of Churchill College. His research, teaching and outreach is focused on open innovation, the adoption of new technologies, the development of engineering skills, and the growth of the Cambridge high tech cluster. He is a Non-Executive Director of St John’s Innovation Centre, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Technology, Enterprise and Competitiveness (ITEC) at Doshisha University, and a member of the IET’s Innovation and Emerging Technologies Policy Panel. He is a member of advisory / steering committees for groups including ideaSpace, Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, Cambridge i-Teams, and 100% Open. He is a recipient of a University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize for Teaching Excellence and a Royal Academy of Engineering/ ExxonMobil Excellence in Teaching Award.

EDUCATION FOR THE NATION

W O R D S : T I M M I N S HA L L

HAT IS GOING to prevent the UK from capturing value from the growth of additive manufacturing (AM)? This is a question that a group of industrialists, policymakers and academics have been pondering for the past 18 months. The group has captured the views of a wide range of UK-based organisations, and identified the key barriers to the wider adoption of AM (summarised at www.amnationalstrategy.uk/, with a full report coming out very soon). One of the most commonly highlighted barriers has been ‘skills’, but what does this actually mean in the context of AM adoption? This can be distilled down to two broad areas: Firstly, what is the ‘core curriculum’ for AM? The basic knowledge relating AM needs to be identified, documented and standardised. This is no trivial task, given the range of technologies that fall under the banner of AM, the subdomains of knowledge that need to be considered (e.g. process technologies, materials, design, software, etc.) and the different levels of maturity and accessibility of the knowledge. We have centuries of understanding of manufacturing through casting, forming and subtractive processes for a wide range of materials, and the bulk of this knowledge is in the public domain. But AM is still rapidly developing, and significant amounts of knowledge rest within companies who, for understandable commercial reasons, may not want to make this freely accessible. There is also the issue of who will define and own the standards, and who will make sure that they are updated as the technologies evolve. Secondly, when and how should AM skills be learned? There needs to be consideration of the positioning of AM skills development

for those in full-time education, as well as those already in the workforce. AM skills development needs to be structured for learning at school, college, university and through continuing professional development. It is also interesting to consider the flipside of the issue, i.e. how education might be changed as a result of AM adoption? Examples can already been seen in the use of AM in medical schools through the use of 3D models of patient scans to improve surgical outcomes, and the adoption of AM in engineering, science and design departments in universities for rapid experimentation, and producing low-cost lab equipment. There is also the broader potential of AM adoption in addressing the widely publicised problem of the impending shortfall of engineers entering the UK workforce. Could AM provide a route by which ‘digital natives’ can readily connect their virtual skills with the production of real artefacts, and hence help re-establish an interest in the development of physical technologies? So, there are two key messages to take away. Firstly, we need to define the what, when and how of skills development for AM – and that is going to be a complex and evolving task. Work is now underway to review the current provision of AM skills development, and if you would like to provide input, please email tim.minshall@eng.cam. ac.uk. Secondly, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that AM adoption has the potential to kickstart transformation of many other aspects of our economy. Thankfully much of the hypedriven nonsense of the past few years is lessening, and we now have the opportunity to focus on the capturing the real potential of these transformative technologies. 

24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

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EDUCATION ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Additive manufacturing forumla for the

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SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DESIGNS AND TESTS ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED INTERCOOLER Formula Student is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition, bringing together industry leaders, high profile engineers, universities and students from around the continent. The aim is to design and build a single-seater car which races on a course normally reserved for Formula 1. Formula Student is also a place where innovation is very much at home, particularly when it comes to new manufacturing methods and design engineering.

OR THE 2015 Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) race, Swansea University worked closely with global engineering company and additive manufacturing expert Renishaw to redesign the intercooler of its racecar and manufacture it on a Renishaw AM250 additive manufacturing system. The history of the FSAE goes back to 1981, when it was first set up in the United States. Over the years, the competition has become more and more popular with the academic and engineering communities around the world. Each year, innovative designs are submitted, often pushing the boundaries of traditional automotive sports.

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The aim was to redesign the component to make it lighter and more compact than its old counterpart.

Swansea University Race Engineering is one of the Formula Student teams that has been at the forefront of the competition since 2001, experimenting with new designs and technologies. The team is made up of engineering students from across different disciplines and levels of study, who work alongside experts from the Materials Advanced Characterisation Centre (MACH1) and the ASTUTE project based at Swansea University, and funded by the Welsh Government and Welsh European Funding Office, respectively. The Swansea University team focuses on developing different aspects of the car, including suspension, engine, chassis and heat transfer. The students’ approach to innovation ››

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EDUCATION ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

ABOVE: The additively manufactured intercooler

is pragmatic: if you take a car apart, improve each component and then put all the parts back together, the whole will be greater than the sum of the parts. One of the components that was given a radical make-over this year was the car’s intercooler. The aim was to redesign the component to make it lighter and more compact than its old counterpart. A combination of these factors was expected to improve the car’s speed. To achieve the objective, the team looked towards additive manufacturing, more specifically, metal powder bed fusion. Metal powder bed fusion uses a powerful high precision laser to fuse fine metallic powders in order to form highly complex functional components. The design of the parts is optimised using 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and the components themselves can be built from a wide range of metal powders melted in a tightly controlled inert atmosphere, in layers with a thickness ranging from 20 μm to 100 μm.

WHY AN INTERCOOLER? Turbochargers and intercoolers are used in the automotive industry to increase the density of the air flowing into an internal combustion engine. This allows for a larger quantity of fuel to be combusted per stroke, while still maintaining the same air-tofuel ratio. In turn, this increase in the quantity of combusted fuel produces a higher pressure in the cylinder head, allowing the engine to provide more power. Essentially, turbochargers and intercoolers allow cars to accelerate faster and achieve higher speeds than they would otherwise.

Turbochargers and intercoolers are used in the automotive industry to increase the density of the air flowing into an internal combustion engine.

A turbocharger is made up of a turbine linked to a compressor, with the turbine connected to the exhaust pipe of the engine. The hot exhaust gas flows over the turbine making it spin. This increases the pressure of air into the engine - also known as boost pressure. An undesirable result of compressing the air is an increase in temperature of the air entering the engine. The hot air occupies a greater volume. This is where the intercooler comes in; placed between the outlet from the turbocharger’s compressor and the engine intake plenum, it removes heat from the air flowing into the engine and transfers it to the surrounding atmosphere. This further increases the density of air flowing into the engine, developing more power.

PART REQUIREMENTS Clearly, the location of the intercooler is essential because the part requires flowing ambient air to cool the boost air into the engine. Commonly, intercoolers are located behind the front grill of a vehicle, but due to their weight, it’s not always the best option for race cars. In fact, in the Swansea University formula student car, location was one of the challenges. The intercooler is situated behind the driver, above the engine – not an optimum position in terms of heat transfer. The new high performing heat exchanger needed to have excellent heat transfer and low pressure drop through the system. The wider range of geometries made available by additive manufacturing meant the team could experiment ››

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035

CAD/CAE SOFTWARE 3D PRINTING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MOULDING & TOOLING MACHINE TOOLS METROLOGY INSPECTION

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To collaborate with Renishaw is a fantastic opportunity for the students

OVERCOMING DESIGN CHALLENGES The main hurdles of the project came from design, material and software challenges. The team’s objectives were to ensure a high density of boost air for the engine, while still maintaining a good mass flow rate of air. This intercooler also needed to be as light as possible, to improve acceleration. “Design had a massive impact on the end product, even more so than the material, which is something we didn’t originally expect,” explained Dr. Nicholas Lavery, director of the Materials Advanced Characterisation Centre (MACH1) at Swansea University. “Although our students had to go back to the drawing board many times, they were very pleased with the end product. It’s also interesting when results are unexpected; it either means you’ve muddled up your calculations or you’re on to something good. Luckily, in this case, it was the latter.” To identify the best alternative, students tested four intercooler core designs. The different iterations reflected the design principles and capabilities of different manufacturing methods. The first core design, used as a benchmark, was a conventionally manufactured aluminium alloy, AlSi10Mg core with a simple vertical design on the ambient side and a sine wave shape on the boost side. The second core was designed from 316L stainless steel using metal powder bed fusion. The design was identical to the first one, but was used to test how the added surface roughness available with additive manufacturing impacted heat transfer and pressure drop. The real benefit of additive manufacturing came when the students started experimenting with the design freedom of the technology. The third intercooler core had a lattice of three dimensional star shapes to form the mesh – a design only made possible by additive manufacturing machines. The mesh was generated using additive manufacturing software and although it took several

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

with more innovative designs that allowed better airflow. Interestingly, although additive manufacturing has previously been used in Formula 1, the current project is unique due to the large scale and cross flow nature of a car intercooler.

iterations, the team knew that they were on to a winner. The fourth and final core used the same three dimensional star lattice structure used in the mesh core, but also made the strut cross-section finer, which meant a higher surface area and density. Although superior to casting, the surface finish was not as smooth as a manufactured surface. The tests found that the higher surface roughness of additively manufactured intercoolers outperformed conventional counterparts. This counter intuitive result could be due to better air mixing, altered flow conditions or a combination of both. A good example is shark skin which is rough but very efficient. Recently, biomimicry, the study and emulation of nature in engineering has become topical. Additive manufacturing could play a role in creating and researching novel shapes.

MASTERING MATERIAL AND SOFTWARE CHALLENGES After the students identified the most efficient design, the question of what material they should use came into the spotlight. They originally tried titanium Ti6Al4V, a lighter alternative to stainless steel, but with lower thermal conductivity. At this stage, Renishaw stepped in and offered to manufacture the part using aluminium alloy AISi10Mg, a material considered ideal due to its high thermal conductivity and lightweight. Renishaw used the students’ designs to manufacture the intercooler. Handling the designs was actually one of the most complex aspects of the

project, mostly due to their large size. However, it was the computer-aided design (CAD) functions that allowed the most efficient positioning of the lattices to allow maximum heat efficiency, thus increasing the capabilities of the intercooler. “The project wouldn’t have been as successful without Renishaw’s constant support,” added Lavery. “Additive manufacturing is a complex process, so it always helps to be able to consult an expert whenever you run into any hurdles. Luckily, Renishaw was never more than a phone call away, so their team helped us in the design, testing and manufacturing stage.” “To collaborate with Renishaw is a fantastic opportunity for the students,” added Davide Deganello, faculty advisor for the Swansea FS team. “It allows us to foster the links between Swansea University, its students and the industry.” The project clearly shows the benefits and opportunities of using additive manufacturing for intercoolers used in the automotive sector and the motorsports subsector. Both industries are moving towards the use of smaller, turbocharged engines that mean reduced carbon emissions, while increasing power outputs. In fact, Formula 1 recently undertook one of the biggest transformations in its history, when in 2014, the engines were changed from a 2.4 litre naturally aspired engine to a 1.6 litre turbocharged unit with a small electric motor for added power. The relentless requirements of race cars have been known to spark revolutionary driving innovations, like smarter tyres, carbon fibre chassis and traction control. Who’s to say that additively manufactured parts won’t be the next big thing for the automotive industry?  For more information visit www.renishaw.com

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EDUCATION

ake the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station; no sooner had French energy company EDF controversially voted in favour of the project, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark announced that the government would delay its decision until the autumn of 2016 to “consider carefully all the component parts of this project”, including Britain’s national security. In these uncertain times creating a strategy for business and presenting a coherent case is all the more important. For additive manufacturing (AM) in the UK, a dedicated steering group, including senior members of private and public organisations, has been gathering evidence in order to draft a strategy to pitch to the Government. The group has identified several key themes that need to be addressed by the strategy, one of which is Skills, Education and Training (SET) and July 29th saw the first meeting dedicated to this theme.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL? One of the most hotly debated topics during the meeting was whether the many desktop technologies that many schools have invested in this decade have been beneficial or whether frustrating experiences have been off putting. University of Warwick’s Margaret Low said that she had found that though a few schools have pushed to invest in a 3D printer, a lot of these cases fail and the 3D printer ends up not being used and is seen as a waste of money. Paul Croft of Ultimaker GB and CREATE Education Project is the son of two teachers and has a real passion for 3D printing in schools, he believes that when it is done right it can be rewarding in the extreme, “It’s all about training, teachers might be ashamed of not knowing how to use it.” Paul is at the heart of CREATE’s initiative to offer schools across the country free no obligation loans of Ultimaker technology and despite some concerns over the hype that comes with desktop 3D printing’s educational benefits, Digits2Widgets’ Design Director, Jonathan Rowley, thinks that if managed correctly these projects could be advantageous.

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

The British Government has been in something of a state of flux since the momentous decision to leave the EU on June 23rd. as much as most people are keen to point out that any change FROM that particular referendum will be slow and drawn out the change in Prime Minister and a cabinet reshuffle has left many major business decisions hanging in the balance.

“All kids are born creative,” said an everpassionate Rowley “Give them a pen and something happens, but most kids have their creativity turned off. If 3D printing can salvage a few talents to become artists or designers, then it’s worth it!” On the following page you will see an example of this in full force and what with projects like CREATE, news that MakerBot and Samsung teaming up to offer 3D printing to schools across Europe and reports of high schools like Merchant Taylors in Middlesex purchasing a whole suite of Stratasys technology from Laser Lines, one would presume 3D printing is driving a rise Design & Technology (D&T) studies…

MIND THE GAP As an industry there is unquestionably a skills gap (just take a look at our 60 Second Interviews starting on page 71 for evidence of this) and education should be at the forefront of plugging that gap. But the prevalence of new technology in schools does not appear to be translating to studies. The 2016 GCSE results showed a drop of almost 10% in studies of Design & Technology (D&T) on the previous year. Richard Green, Chief Executive of the Design and Technology Association, said, “The drop in GCSE entries continues the UK wide decline which has seen numbers decrease nationally from 440,000 in 2004 to 185,279 this year. This decline started with the removal of the requirement for all pupils to study D&T GCSE in 2004 and has continued, particularly over the last 4 years, as the Government has prioritised traditional, English Baccalaureate (Ebacc), subjects over creative, artistic and technical subjects” This trend is not new D&T has been on the slide for a number of years, it has worried some MPs and a campaign backed by James Dyson has seen over 100,000 people sign a petition calling for the expressive arts subjects such as D&T, to be included in the Ebacc. It is essential for steering committees to present a coherent strategy to government in order to help reverse this worrying development. ››

W O R D S : DA N I E L O C O N N O R

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EDUCATION ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

How 3D Printing can be used for homework

aydon is a Year 6 student in Surrey, he is 10, his dad owns an Ultimaker 2 and has a prominent 3D Hub, ZAxis3D. He was given a project to do at home on the theme of Earth and Space and his options were to make a model, a poster, trump cards, a report, a painting, write a poem, draw a poster, bake some cookies or produce a model. Enter 3D printing. Jaydon wanted to create a scale model of the solar system and to achieve this he began by setting up a spreadsheet with each of the planets’ diameters in

5ABOVE: Jaydon’s 3D print before painting.

order to determine what scale he could realistically make the model. Jaydon arrived at a scale of 500 mm diameter for the sun making the smallest planet, Mercury, 1.75 mm. Using Tinkercad’s tutorial platforms and some adult help, Jaydon was able to create the 5ABOVE: The painted 3D print. models and with his dad’s advice placed them on a flat base. Within hours he had something to set off on the Ultimaker and was able to start the print running overnight, the next day he was able to paint the models with the relevant colours and write a small report on the steps he went through. Needless to say this went down well at school, “It went well beyond what is normally expected by the teacher,” says Jaydon’s proud Dad. “I think he was just enjoying making so much and wanted to do the best job possible.”

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Laura Griffiths finds out how cloud-based CAD software and 3D printing helped to revive a 90’s television favourite.

RETURN OF THE

ROBOTS

ELEVISION BOSSES a HAVE

habit of reviving old favourites, sometimes it’s a success (The X: Files, in my opinion) and then other times you wish you could forget that someone has hacked away at your childhood memories and remember the good old days (I’m looking at you, Powerpuff Girls). The latest re-incarnation to appear on our screens is Robot Wars, a show that had many families spend their Friday evening watching robots; Matilda, Shunt, Dead Metal and who can forget, Sir Killalot, bashing their way into scraps of metal that teams of robot enthusiasts had whipped up in their garages and sheds. Cashing in on a perfect mix of nostalgia and an ignited interest in making things, there couldn’t be a better time for the series to return. Since the original house robots retired in 2004, the technology landscape has changed dramatically thanks to the influence of the maker movement and advancements and availability in technologies such as CAD design and 3D printing. In fact, the technologies used to build robots have improved so much that the old robots wouldn’t stand a fighting chance against their bigger and better successors that were created by a UK company, Robot Challenge, a company acknowledged with possibly the coolest television credit ever, ‘Robot Consultants’. For this series the team were given a tight time frame to build the new robots and with the originals to hand, started 042

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

“We wanted it to look like these were the same house robots as though they’d gone away, continued battling and now they’re stronger, battle hardened,” James explained. “It was really important that they weren’t pristine, they had to feel like they were the originals.” Robo Challenge have been in the robotics industry for just under 10 years working on various TV shows and events, 5ABOVE: Designing Dead Metal using Autodesk Fusion and James worked as an apprentice to Team Razer on the original series, so by filling mood boards with imagery the Birmingham-based outfit was wellof tanks, medieval armour, sci-fi and equipped with the BBC came calling. generally “things that instil fear”. James To get the robots ready in time, Paul Cooper, Creative Technologist at Robo Sohi, Product Designer at Autodesk was Challenge, explained how the team set given the task of training the team up on out to capture the personalities of the Autodesk’s Fusion 360 software. Fusion original robots but still make them look was used for everything from design fresh. to testing and its cloud-based features meant that the team could share ideas remotely with each other and also with the BBC for approval. “For the longest time there was always this bridge gap between what you’re doing on the screen and what you’re building in the real world,” Paul explained. “With Fusion it’s just so easy to test and simulate moving parts and make sure everything is going to work and there isn’t any collision.” Spending just two days with the team in Birmingham, the downside to this cloud-based approach? Paul didn’t get a chance to play around with the robots himself and the first time he saw the finished product was on TV.

The affordability of materials, maker movement in general and accessibility to resources and tools has made it so much easier to build robots.

ROBOT WARS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

If you put the new robots next to the originals it would make them look like toys

Digital design was also helpful in making the show come together much quicker when selecting the 40 competing robot teams. Prospective battlers were able to submit 3D CAD drawings of their robots for consideration without needing to physically make them. But it’s not just CAD where these robots have had a significant power boost, one of the major advancements in technology over the last ten years has been in batteries. Originally teams used any power source they could get their hands on like car batteries or petrol engines whereas now thanks to advancements in mobile technology, makers can use lithium polymer batteries which are lighter, cheaper and much more powerful. James says “If you put the new robots next to the originals it would make them look like toys.” The new bots are double the weight of the originals but they’re also much faster and powerful thanks to increased power in the driver motors and an added boost from 3D printing. “10 years ago, 3D printing was very expensive, it wasn’t very stable so you couldn’t really use the part for anything, they were just visual copies,” James commented. “Nowadays ABS parts are perfect for making moulds for fibreglass if we really need strong parts but we use them a lot for just making brackets or funny shaped things. Before you would just have to try and fabricate something out of steel whereas now we can spend time designing the perfect part rather than spending time making it. We can leave it to print overnight and the job is done, which is really nice.”

The Robo Challenge workshop houses a range of printers including resinbased machines, a Stratasys Objet30 used for high-detail and four desktop Cubicon FDM printers. James says the team used 3D printing a lot throughout the process to get the green light on designs and even fabricate Matilda’s 36 iconic spikes which were created using 3D printed moulds. Whilst the team is keeping a close eye on the development of advanced technologies, in particular hybrid machines that combine metal 3D printing and CNC machining, for budding

5ABOVE: ©Sir Killalot roboteers, the availability of materials, machines and resources means it’s now easier than ever to get stuck in. “The affordability of materials, the maker movement in general and the accessibility to resources and tools has made it so much easier to build robots,” Paul commented. “Open source for example, is becoming a bigger and bigger part of hardware so accessibility to learning tools to build those robots is also becoming way easier.”

The Robo Challenge team was split into groups of three to produce Dead Metal, Matilda and Shunt but all three came together to work on Sir Killalot, the biggest of the lot. Re-imagined with a more organic shell of armour and exposed face, the CAD design took just a matter of days to complete before the team began 3D printing the chassis. These robots are designed to battle so it’s probably not wise to get particularly precious about them, another reason why 3D printing is a suitable choice for quickly repairing any broken parts. For James and team, that’s what it’s all about and they’re hoping this series inspires wannabe engineers and makers to get back into their garages and come up with some worthy competitors (We’ve got one such competitor here at TCT Towers as Dave Young, newcomer to our TCT Show team, battled it out with Team Apollo in the latest series and won. No big deal). “These new robots are a force to be reckoned with,” Paul added. “To me this is what they were made for and I hope that there are some great competing robots out there because the power, in particular in Sir Killalot, that’s going to be a tough one to damage.” “We really hope that people at home enjoy it and it gives us the opportunity to make new things,” James concluded. “Above everything, I hope it is celebrating and getting people back into their sheds and garages at home. That’s what we really hope comes across.”

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RIGHT:

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Growing T Pains Laura Griffiths pushes through the pessimism to report on the successes of a maturing desktop 3D printing industry. Turns out, there is a lot to be positive about.

alk about the ‘desktop’ in an educated conversation about 3D printing and you might find your audience unenthused. It’s a jaded reaction but one that can be forgiven thanks to a number of high profile misses from our table top friends over the last 18 months which included MakerBot scaling back and 3D Systems completely shutting down the Cubify platform. But when you take a look at the big picture, you see that those headline-making lows make for an unjust representation of the whole story. There are lots of desktop companies out there counteracting the negatives with impressive quarterly figures like LulzBot manufacturer Aleph Objects which continues to go from strength to strength or Formlabs which manufactures the world’s top selling stereolithography machines, recently banking a $35 million Series B funding led by Autodesk. In addition, global 3D printer network 3D Hubs, whose monthly 3D printing reports focus primarily on desktop technology, is using recent investment to expand further into the professional space signalling a wider market focus on industrial technology which is being reinforced with a number of radical desktop machines targeting industrial users.

W O R D S : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs

POST-PROCESSING One such machine is Rize One, a large but desktop-sized professional printer that promises to solve a problem that’s plagued 3D printer users since the dawn of the technology – post processing. The machine is a product of Woburn, Massachusetts company Rize Inc., founded in 2012 by an experienced team of 3D printing materials, hardware and software professionals from Z Corporation, Objet and Revit, including former President of Objet North America, Frank Marangell. Rize One claims to cut turnaround time by 50% by eliminating the need for post-processing. This is achieved with its own patented Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology and engineering grade thermoplastic filament, Rizium One. The APD process is completely different to FDM and starts by extruding Rizium One to form a support structure followed by Release One repelling ink, which is jetted between the support structure and part to weaken the bond and make it easier to break away. The thermoplastic continues to build to form the part until complete. Rize has also developed an additional Marking Ink, which allows users to add text and images to their parts. ›› 24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

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DESKTOP 3D PRINTING ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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LEFT: Rize One

3D Printer

“Despite the continued evolution of 3D printing, the technology’s promise has been greater than the real-world use,” Frank Marangell, Rize President and CEO, told TCT. “Especially for engineers and product designers, those who depend on prototyping to help fuel innovation and for those who see the potential for on-the-go production parts. Until this point, users had to make sacrifices throughout the process, from file to part. Whether for speed or ease of use, safety or strength, cleanliness or software complexity, they simply couldn’t have it all - regardless of whether they used a desktop or large, expensive machine operating in a lab.” The machine has been designed primarily for engineers and product designers for anything from prototyping to end-use production and is already in beta with Reebok. Voxel-level control is a term that has been talked about a lot recently with regards to HP’s Jet Fusion technology but Rize is also promising voxel technology, which allows users to jet an additive of their choice to change material characteristics or functionality. It’s also working on a specific application to change the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic by coating it with a flexible additive to produce comfortable hearing aids that are more effective than those most commonly produced with SLA technology. “We will also come out with other functional materials, such as conductive, thermo-insulating and thermo-conducting inks,” Frank explained. “You can

METAL AND FUNCTIONALITY

ABOVE: Rize 3D printed part with

Marking Ink.

immediately imagine what else we can do with voxel-level 3D printing. You can create active smart sensors so that you can actually have a 3D-printed part that has active materials in it. You can create a battery within a 3D-printed structure. The sky’s the limit.”

Arguably the holy grail of the industrial desktop industry is metal. Whilst metal-based desktop technologies do exist, such as Newton 3D’s compact machine or The Virtual Foundry’s Filamet material, they typically require heat-treating in a kiln which doesn’t exactly fit the desktop category. 12 months ago Desktop Metal was a little-known company that promised to bring affordable and accessible metal 3D printing to the desktop. Led by Ric Fulop, co-founder of A123Systems and early investor in companies like Onshape, Proto Labs and Markforged, Desktop Metal boasts an enviable team of materials, software and robotics experts from MIT and various 3D companies which have helped establish this stealthy technology as one of the most anticipated reveals of the year. The hype has been validated by a $14 million investment led by Stratasys in its first funding round at the end of 2015 followed by two major strategic investments from GE Ventures and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures resulting in a total of $52 million without going public with a prototype. The Boston-start up is being extremely tight-lipped about the technology giving very little away but so far we know that they’re planning on releasing non-laser based machines that will fit seamlessly into an office environment and their goal is to hit the market in 2017. Who knows what this machine will look like, what parts it will ›› 24 : 5 www.tctmagazine.com

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It isn’t just newcomers alone making a play for the industrial market. Established 3D industry names are upping their game with second-generation hardware, advanced materials and applications. produce or even if it will arrive next year, but with its experienced team of people and business plan in place, investors have clearly seen something that’s worth the hype to ensure this technology becomes a reality (for more on Desktop Metal see page 67).

On to functionality, the DragonFly 2020 3D printer from Nano Dimension (above) has also invaded the industrial desktop arena with a unique take on 3D printed electronics. The machine aims to condense the laborious process of making PCBs with an inkjet deposition and curing process that allows users to print functional multi-layer circuit boards in a matter of hours. The company has just shipped its first DragonFly 3D printer to a defence company in Israel, where the machine was developed, and is currently looking for partners in industrial sectors such as aerospace, telecommunications, electronics, automotive and Internet of Things.

BIG PLAYERS, SMALL MACHINES It isn’t just newcomers alone making a play for the industrial market. Established 3D industry names are upping their game with second-generation hardware, advanced materials and applications. Aleph Objects is a company that consistently garners positive headlines, the most recent of which was its inclusion in the prestigious Inc. 500 list as the fastest-growing privately held computer hardware company in the U.S. The open-source pioneer is the only 3D printing company to be included coming in at 122. Add that to a plethora of impressive statistics including a reported second quarter revenue for 2016 of $5.8 million representing an 83% improvement in year-over-year revenue versus Q2 2015, LulzBot leads a prime example of how the desktop industry can flourish with

reliable, community-driven hardware. Armed with a loyal customer base. The company has remained true to its foundations by continuing to support its original machines but also by producing new hardware to stay ahead of the game such as the recent TAZ 6 featuring one of the largest print volumes in its class and is billed as the “most reliable, easiest-to-use desktop 3D printer ever”. This year MarkForged launched its second carbon fibre 3D printer, the Mark Two. With 40% faster printing, fibre reinforcement and improvements across hardware, software and materials, the new machine uses two print heads to build parts in nylon, carbon fibre, fibreglass or Kevlar and at $5,499 the machine is affordable and compact enough to fit into small and medium sized businesses. The company has also released an additional material suited to industrial applications, a black nylon material called Onyx. The material claims to deliver high-performance, finished parts with matte black aesthetics thanks to performance enhancing embedded carbon micro fibres, which results in parts that look and work well in end-use applications. Formlabs has also increased its industrial capabilities with an update to its Castable Resin for jewellery that’s capable of capturing fine details and delivering superior finish along with the launch of Dental SG Resin, the first certified biocompatible resin on the desktop for dental applications. Formlabs’ Form 2 3D printer is already widely used in the healthcare and dental industries to create surgical guides, educational models, bleaching trays, retainers and aligners but Formlabs hopes this new resin will help improve patient outcomes and speed up implant surgery. The company also recently revealed how its desktop technology had been used to create facial prosthesis for cancer survivor Shirley Anderson with the

BELOW: Rize’s unique

post-processing system

Indiana University School of Dentistry. The method, named “The Shirley Technique” has been applied to a further six patients and the team at the university are continuing to seek more candidates. To top it off, this year, Formlabs made its first acquisition in the form of 3D printing marketplace Pinshape. Shortly after the online community announced it would be closing its doors, Formlabs came in and acquired the company in order to broaden its ecosystem by offering its user a place to share and market 3D models. The desktop 3D printing story has been one that’s less rags to riches but more riches to rags and then sensible clothing with more realistic, valuable applications replacing landfills of trinkets, Yoda busts and polygon Pokémon. Thankfully, the tired dream of a 3D printer in every home has been put to bed in favour of more valuable applications in businesses big and small to prototype and test ideas. With this latest batch of technology, we’re seeing that progess further to finished and functional products and areas of healthy growth. 

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INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

SPONSORED BY

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Toyota Motorsport 3D Sprints to the chequered flag

igging through the archives of TCT Magazine it’s clear that one of the most common themes is motorsport, in fact the history of the brand as a whole revolves heavily around the revs of an engine. The first ever version of TCT Show, was at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon some 21 years ago and its guest speaker was the then presenter of Top Gear Quentin Wilson. One of the longest standing relationships in motorsport and additive manufacturing has been between materials science company, DSM Somos and Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) whose use of stereolithography is pioneering in the motorsport industry. After conquering Le Mans the partnership has turned its attention to the consumer racing community with their GT86 CS-V3 race car series. The GT86 car is TMG’s first entry into the consumer racing space, where they aim to provide a cost-effective and quality based entry into the high-adrenaline world of circuit racing. What is unique about this car compared to others in the V3 series is that it truly looks like a racing car with its aerodynamic shape and curves. It provides the speed and high performance of a race car, while feeling and looking like the real thing! TMG is committed to the consumer racing community and runs their own TMG GT86 Cup series within the VLN competition at the Nürburgring in Germany, providing that authentic racing edge for participants. The VLN competition is a long distance race that can have up to 200 cars on the track at a time on this 20 kilometer (12.4 miles) circuit. The GT86 CS-V3 car is a proven class winner having won the V3 class of the Nürburgring

The GT86 car is TMG’s first entry into the consumer racing space, where they aim to provide a cost-effective and quality based entry into the highadrenaline world of circuit racing

24 Hours four times in four attempts and has demonstrated impressive speed in the hands of private drivers in the VLN races. Also, it regularly breaks the 10-minute barrier and surprises more expensive rivals with its lap times. Over several seasons, the TMG GT86 Cup has grown into an enthusiastic community who can testify to the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the CS-V3. “We are excited to provide the racing community with the cost-effective racing solution of the GT86 car and to sponsor a Cup competition,” said Alastair Moffitt, Marketing and Communications Manager, Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG). “It is so much fun to watch! Enthusiasts love racing and they are proud to compete and achieve status in the Cup competition.” The competition has expanded outside of Germany and the GT86 cars can be seen on racing circuits around the world. Abu Dhabi has even created their own event for the CS-V3 series called the TRD 86 Cup. There are multiple parts on the GT86 car made from additive manufacturing (AM). The layout of the car is very sleek and there is not an abundance of space, just like a true racing series car, which creates a packaging challenge. There are also very high demands on the car to achieve its performance, especially with cooling the brakes. AM was the best solution to obtain the unique shapes of the required parts. In addition, TMG has

››

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22.08.16 09:06

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

SPONSORED BY

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

ABOVE: AM parts of the GT 86 racecar produced around 30 of these cars so far, so AM is a cost effective solution, as they can directly print the parts for use in place of machining a tool for this limited series production. TMG chose to make these parts using stereolithography (SL) for its speed, high accuracy and choice of materials. TMG uses the stereolithography process extensively to quickly test design concepts including wind-tunnel testing for their TS040 Hybrid car for the WEC racing circuit. For this project, Somos NeXt was the best solution for its ability to create tough, durable and complex parts that have the ability to withstand high temperatures with excellent water resistance. In addition, the parts needed to look and feel like traditional plastic materials. The stereolithography process allows multiple design variations to be built at the same time, reducing product development cycles. TMG first prototyped multiple parts for the car design and were able to perform functional testing on the parts prior to approving the final designs. After the parts passed extensive testing, end use parts were created to be used on the car. The parts that are made by this process with Somos NeXt include a water reservoir (which fits in the engine), an air intake, an air intake cap and brake cooling ducts.

These parts produced with Somos NeXt have been on the GT86 race cars for over 3 years and have not needed to be replaced. They are not load bearing parts, however they are exposed to quite a bit of heat and vibration. Somos NeXt is able to stand up to this aggressive environment with no issues. “We are able to deliver consumers of the GT86 race car high quality and cost-effective parts produced by AM,” said Alastair Moffitt, Marketing and Communications Manager, TMG. “The first models of the GT86 cars have been on the racing circuit for three years with parts built in Somos NeXt. We are seeing AM move from prototyping and functional testing to being used to create end use parts, which is very exciting and opening more doors for design in motorsports!” The GT86 combines that love of racing with the best in quality, while being cost effective in the V3 production-based racing class. TMG is using AM to produce parts with high durability and accuracy to create unique shapes to fit their aerodynamic shaped car. By combining stereolithography and the durable Somos NeXt, TMG was able to provide a winning solution to the consumer motorsports community.  For more information visit

The GT86 combines that love of racing with the best in quality, while being cost effective in the V3 productionbased racing class.

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METAL MATERIALS

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Choosing the right machine is important but selecting the correct material is just as crucial for achieving successful results with additive manufacturing (AM). This is particularly vital in the metals arena where powder formulations must be designed to perform correctly under various additive processes.

Maximising Metals Below is a roundup of some of the additive industry’s biggest materials suppliers, that over the last few months have upped production of their AM certified output with new manufacturing facilities and proprietary materials. GKN HOEGANAES TEAMS WITH TLS TECHNIK Atomised metal powder manufacturer, GKN Hoeganaes has entered into a joint venture with TLS Technik for the manufacture of titanium powders for AM in North America. Located in Bitterfeld, Germany, TLS has 20 years of experience manufacturing titanium powder for the AM market and as of July this year has teamed with GKN to ramp up production of titanium powders for the North American market. GKN Hoeganaes, a subsidiary of GKN Powder Metallurgy, is a global leader in the production of metal powders for structural components. With metal powder manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia, the new joint venture expands on GKN’s previously announced powder R&D efforts in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, designed to specifically serve the needs of the growing aerospace and medical markets The new facility will open in 2017 and strengthens GKN’s market leadership with a proven leading-edge technology suitable for

serial production of Titanium powders at the high quality standards required for AM.

PURIS’ PROPRIETARY TITANIUM POWDER

ABOVE: Puris’ large titanium AM part

Readers may be familiar with the name Puris LLC after it successfully produced the world’s largest 3D printed commercial titanium part back in January. The confidential part named ‘Big Ben’ was produced for an undisclosed aerospace client, measuring 19 x 19 x 11 inches and took approximately 12 hours to print with ExOne’s 3D BinderJetting technology. Since then, the titanium powder manufacturer has continued its mission to become a centre of excellence for the production of large-scale titanium parts and gone on to file a patent for Puris 5+TM, a proprietary, new titanium powder formulation specifically designed to meet the demands of AM. Recognising the market need for a high-strength, low-oxygen formulation Puris’ powder metallurgists developed Puris 5+, a custom composition of Ti-6Al-4V that meets all the specifications of Grade 5. AM requires balanced oxygen levels to obtain the

desired strength properties. This creates a challenge in laser melt or e-beam direct melt 3D printing, as both processes experience increases in oxygen content with each recycle of excess powder from the build box. With Puris 5+, Puris claims customers will now be able to manage this balance of oxygen and strength better throughout the life cycle of the titanium powder. “The introduction of low-oxygen, high-strength Grade 5 titanium powder represents a major breakthrough that equips our customers to better control the oxygen pickup inherent in their processes. The result is more efficient utilization without compromising powder strength,” Puris CEO Craig Kirsch commented.

ALCOA ACCELERATES POWDER PRODUCTION Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has opened the doors to a new 3D printing metal powder production plant designed to boost the manufacture of optimised powders 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. “Alcoa is forging a leadership path in AM with a sharp focus on the critical input material - metal powders,” Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld, explained. “We are combining our expertise in metallurgy, manufacturing, design and product qualification to push beyond the possibilities of today’s 3D printing technologies for aerospace and other growth markets.” In addition to producing powders, Alcoa recently unveiled it is piloting its new Ampliforge process, a hybrid technique that combines additive and traditional manufacturing to enhance the properties of 3D printed parts. First, Alcoa designs and 3D prints a near complete part, then treats it using a traditional manufacturing process, such as forging to increase toughness and strength. 

BELOW: Alcoa Technology Centre, Pittsburgh

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DESKTOP MATERIALS

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IN CONTROL Editor, Daniel O’Connor takes a look at how Verbatim keep tight control of its filament thanks to a gargantuan parent company.

ATERIALS CHOICE FOR the desktop these days goes way beyond the ABS and PLA offerings that spawned the millions of now discarded Eiffel Tower prints; we have materials that are magnetic, that glow in the dark, that are heat resistant, we have flexible elastomers, we have materials that smell, materials that look and feel like wood; the list goes on. So in a veritable bottomless pit of choice how do you pick which filament you need? In a survey conducted to the Google Plus 3D Printing Community’s some 300,000 users (fig.1), it appears that brand loyalty totally trumps affordability. With experimentation beating the cheapest option by a solitary vote (at the time of writing).

one and find your next batch of prints are inconsistent, which is why when users find a good 3D printing filament that works you stick to it. Reliability is key…

BELOW: Figure 1

Just last week I experimented with a polycarbonate sample I was handed at a trade show to make some sturdy legs for an old cabinet that I was upcycling. Using an old UP! Plus, printed using the ABS settings, it worked. Sure, there were imperfections on the surface but the fact that it was pretty monolithic and designed to be hidden from vision meant aesthetics weren’t of utmost importance. The problem is I don’t recall the brand name and it was on a generic spool, so I can’t really go about recommending it. But even if I were to write a rave review of this particular material the problem many encounter is variability. You might get a great spool of filament, go back to order the same

In a survey conducted to the Google Plus 3D Printing Community’s some 300,000 users (fig.1), it appears that brand loyalty totally trumps affordability.

BELOW: We asked what the main factors in

buying filament were.

Reliability and accuracy is, according to Verbatim, largely down to diameter control and the Mitshubishi Chemical owned company says that its diameter control is unmatchable in the current 3D printing market. (fig 2) “Our filament process is much tighter,” says Business Development Manager, Shigeyuki Furomoto “It is made in Japan, which guarantees a certain quality and when we have ran a comparison with competitors’ filament our diameter control is much better, tests show that we can control within 20 micron.” One of the reasons Verbatim is able to offer such impressive results is the sheer scope of the partners it is able to call on from under the umbrella of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group - one of the world’s largest chemical companies. One such partnership is with Mitsubishi’s fibre division, Mitsubishi Rayon, who help with a filtration system for the mass-production of filament. ››

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BELOW: Figure 2

“Rayon use water filters made with ultrafine polyethylene, these very fine tubes allow water to go through the walls and filter out the very fine microbes,” explains Furomoto. “This process has been developed by Rayon for over 40 years and the cross-pollination within Mitsubishi allows us to maintain high quality.” That Rayon development is actually used in another of Verbatim’s consumer products, Cleansui Water Filters, you know ones you fill up with tap water and store it in the fridge to purify it and keep it chilled. Verbatim’s cash cow is consumer goods, in particular optical storage, and it has identified 3D printing materials as a market it has the tools to exploit. Over the last three years the company has developed and released a range of materials, starting with high-quality PLA and ABS offerings as well as a flexible material called Primalloy. “Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings develops millions of polymer products from consumer to engineering plastics,” says Furomoto. “Our basic strategy is cherry picking these plastics and adapt them for 3D printing because they have all been through regulatory tests and are already certified by government. If a customer wants to modify something, of course, we can design a tailor-made polymer, we have the ability to do formulas and compounding very quickly.” Take the Verbatim PLA for instance, the company identified that some of the problems with regularly PLA filament include brittleness and a lack of transparency, “we were able to put in some special additives into the filament so that we can reinforce it for functional applications, our PLA is not brittle.”

ABOVE: BVOH and PLA object THE NEXT STEP Furomoto and his team will be at TCT Show in Birmingham (Septemeber 28-29, Stand H12) showcasing those tightly controlled filaments as well as a host of new samples of materials. Before launching any material Verbatim, study the market and its competitors before calling on the material science might that is behind them. “This month, Verbatim will launch a PET material,” says Furomoto. “PET is very wellknown in the food packaging industry and Mitshubishi Chemical are one the leading suppliers. We cherry picked from the best pellets, so our PET is already certified and very safe. Compared to other PET materials on the filament market, which are mostly PETG, our PET filament is much more transparent because it is is made from the same raw material as PET bottles where transparency is very important.”

After PET the next material the company are tackling is a soluble material that Verbatim say is far superior to other materials on the market like PVA. Verbatim’s recipe, BVOH, dissolves three times faster than other soluble support materials and it has been able to make the filament much more resistant to moisture when not stored correctly - a problem anyone who has printed using PVA knows all too well. After some time in the market it is clear that Verbatim understand what its customer-base needs, but with Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group’s far-reaching tentacles does Verbatim just see it sticking to the usual consumer customer or does it see an opportunity to collaborate on more industrial scale projects? Perhaps a tailor-made material to specific a specific application? “We have developed five materials so far,” says the Furomoto. “But Mitsubishi Chemical has lots of opportunities to develop more engineering plastics. In the near future we will be going towards engineering plastics like polycarbonate and nylon. We sell a lot of pellets to injection moulding companies. If a customer has already used our materials and wants to use it for 3D printing, they will only need to make some small modifications. I think we will see our (3D printing) materials used for mass production.”  For more information visit www.verbatim.com

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SOFTWARE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Quality Control in Additive Manufacturing wor d s : C h r is t ia n L oh m ü l l er

Despite all its advantages, Additive Manufacturing (AM) needs to win the trust of manufacturers and consumers if it is to become a serious alternative to established manufacturing methods. Delivering quality is the only way to achieve this. However, AM poses special challenges to quality control - challenges traditional tactile and optical nondestructive testing methods cannot overcome. Only CT (in combination with the right software) is capable of capturing all features of an object, both inside and outside – and all while preserving the product. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: SIMPLER YET MORE COMPLEX On the one hand, AM makes designing and manufacturing much simpler as it no longer requires a factory in the conventional sense. On the other hand, the ability to manufacture virtually any form makes products much more complex. For example, a part could mimic the structure of a bone to be lightweight, strong, and save on material. Just as with a real bone, that part would greatly depend on its inner structure. If this inner structure is flawed, the whole part is.

ONLY ONE VIABLE INSPECTION METHOD Using traditional, destructive inspection methods in AM simply is not sensible. The most obvious reason is that destructive inspection would destroy what are often one-ofa-kind pieces. However, traditional nondestructive inspection methods also do not fit the bill because they are superficial. In contrast to tactile and optical methods, industrial CT holistically scans all surfaces of an object, even if they are inside a

part or difficult to capture. While tactile coordinate measurement methods are also non-destructive, CT has the added benefit of being non-intrusive. This means measuring using CT does not deform the part. And unlike optical methods, CT still works accurately even if the part is translucent or reflects. To confirm shape and size, a CT scan can easily be compared against a CAD file or GD&T blueprint. But CT goes way beyond measuring: It can also be used to analyse porosity, wall thickness, fibre orientation, and even serve as basis for simulations.

REVERSE ENGINEERING A CT scan can also be used to generate the blueprint of a part from scratch. This may come in handy when a spare part is no longer available. With the right software, the reconstructed volume dataset can be translated into a .stl file. This file can then be used to print the scanned part or be edited further in a CAD application. Specialized software for reverse engineering is able to convert the .stl file into a CAD representation.

FULLY DIGITISED PRODUCTION The building blocks needed to fully digitise the entire process from development to inspection are already in

place. They just need to be put together by using the right inspection method and the right software. In the end, the same file can be used as a blueprint for manufacturing and for inspection. To make this possible, Volume Graphics software is fully compatible with .stl files, which are most commonly used in Additive Manufacturing, and CAD files. Furthermore, VGStudio MAX 3.0 and VGMetrology 3.0 automatically translate and intelligently evaluate Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI) in CAD files and use this information for quality control. PMI data provides additional part information, e.g., dimensioning, GD & T, layers, annotations or captions. The result is a fully digitized production process: The product is first designed in CAD, then translated into a .stl file that is then handed over to the Additive Manufacturing system. After the product has been printed, the same CAD file that served as the basis for the .stl used for printing is used as reference for inspection. It is obvious how seamless manufacturing becomes when using the right technologies.

DIGITAL EQUALS QUALITY EQUALS TRUST The more seamless the whole manufacturing process becomes, the less room there is for error. This seamlessness can easily be achieved because Additive Manufacturing is an inherently digital production method. But trust can only be created if complex, additively manufactured parts are being inspected with a method that holistically scans all surfaces, even if they are inside the part or difficult to capture. This method is industrial CT – and the software to analyse the results is Volume Graphics. 

FAR LEFT:

Latticed Cube in GUI LEFT: VGSM guI

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COMPUTING HARDWARE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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

t’s fair to surmise that for the additive manufacturing industry, these last few months have been all about HP. Cast your mind back to 2014 when, after years of speculation and a short-lived partnership with Stratasys, the company finally announced solid plans for its entry in the 3D printing market with what we now know as Jet Fusion technology, you’ll remember 3D printing wasn’t the only advanced technology to be introduced to the table. The peculiarly named, Sprout was the second piece of hardware unveiled that day, targeting the creative crowd and opening the tech giant up to an entirely new market in Immersive Computing. This desktop all-in-one workstation, which incorporates a pc, projector, touch screen monitor and intuitive touch mat, is designed for everyone from young makers to design professionals and integrates multiple cutting-edge tools into the one sleek device. Given HP’s recent action, the most significant of these integrated features is a scanner and 3D camera. To further this technology and advance its stake in the predicted $7 billion Immersive Computing market, in July HP announced the acquisition Germany-based 3D hardware and software company David Vision Systems GmbH and David 3D Solutions in what it describes as an “essential enabler for Sprout”. The David companies have been developing hardware and software solutions for optical 3D surface acquisition since it was founded as a spinoff company from the Institute for Robotics and Process Control at TU-Braunschweig in 2009. Its product portfolio includes 3D scanners, cameras, projectors and software. The acquisition will enable HP to advance its Sprout 3D technology and forms part of a wider 3D ecosystem, which includes the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution that was unveiled to ample fanfare back in May. Sprout is another piece of HP’s ‘blended reality’ focus, which brings both the physical and digital words together to deliver a hands-on experience for creators at the desktop. For example, designers can scan a physical object

using the internal camera and within seconds, have it appear on screen or on the touch mat where they can move and manipulate it with their hands. Those parts can then be brought back into the physical world with 3D printing. “Adding the David companies’ technology and capability strengthens our ability to create the world’s only end-to-end 3D ecosystem, from creation, to 3D on-ramp, to 3D print off-ramp via HP’s Jet Fusion Solution,” Louis Kim, Global Head & General Manager, Immersive Computing, HP, explained in a blog announcing the acquisition. “The acquisition adds a robust, stable and production-ready solution, along with a rich software development platform to HP’s portfolio of technologies.” As part of the DAVID company’s integration into the HP Inc. family, the household tech giant has acquired David’s 3D scanning, stitching and fusing solution that result in radical improvements in scan quality. The plan is to use the technology to boost the Sprout 3D Capture and Immersive Computing portfolio and incorporate David’s preeminent 3D scanning solutions as an enabling component for 3D printing. HP’s interest in the Immersive Computing market was solidified in the formation of a new corporate venture arm, HP Tech Venture Group earlier this year, which is targeted at early stage companies in the sector along with other disruptive technology areas including 3D transformation, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and smart machines, with strategic investment and partnerships. This year the creation of HP Labs celebrated “50 years of innovation” and the company is putting a lot of investment into the belief that 3D transformation is going to channel the next industrial revolution. Sprout and Jet Fusion are key enablers of that focus and by making bold acquisitions like this it’s clear that HP are thinking very seriously about the pivotal role these 3D technologies will have in the near future. 

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COMPUTING DESKTOP 3DHARDWARE PRINTING ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Personalising

THE PERSONAL COMPUTER WOR D S : DA N I E L O ’C O N N O R

T A TOUR OF HP’s headquarters a couple of months back one interesting titbit was revealed during a demonstration of the digital printing press; HP had found that customers were willing to pay up to 10 x the price of a regular bar of chocolate simply by adding some customisation to the packaging. The customisable digital printing business stretched to mega-brands like Coca-Cola with their “Share a Coke with (insert name here)” campaign. ASUS, the computing hardware company are trying to tap into the lucrative personalisation market by allowing PC DIYers to 3D print their own embellishments for the Z170 Pro Gaming/ Aura motherboard. Certain positions on the newly launched board will have dedicated mounts to allow users to 3D print their own logos and nameplates to enhance the aesthetic on the board. The project, which ASUS have called “Make It Your Own” launched at the PC mecca, Computex 2016. ASUS have made selection of customisable files available but it is its community that will truly make this project their own. If you were to draw a Venn diagram of those who like to build their own PCs and those who like to 3D print at home there is inevitably going to be some overlap so an add on as such, albeit purely for novelty over functional value, is a sensible move by ASUS. ASUS aren’t just using 3D printing for aesthetic purposes, the company has

Daniel O’Connor takes a look at the trend of customising PC motherboards, which is now taking a step towards 3D printing.

ABOVE: A personalised motherboard

ABOVE: Nametag images printed for the motherboard

The project, which ASUS have called “Make It Your Own” launched at the PC mecca, Computex 2016. BELOW: “Make it Your Own” at Computex

been experimenting for some time in 3D printing functional parts for the motherboards; cable covers and mounts being the most popular use cases. The company’s Edge Up blog showcases a number of functional upgrades that they themselves and fellow ASUS users have implemented using 3D printing. Although the company says it is not getting carried away with the current 3D printing technology and that it “has its limitations”, the use of the technology may act as a sort of gate way to the much popularised spare parts application. It is foreseeable that ASUS could offer a sort of digital spare part library, much like the one already created for the motherboard accoutrements, for users to 3D print their own components. ASUS gaming keyboards and mouses take some serious beating in the extensive hours gamers dedicate to their favourite titles. On Thingiverse alone there are hundreds of files dedicated to small parts to fix or enhance gaming peripherals from the 3D printing of more accessible gaming pads to finger rests on a gaming mouse. This decade’s proliferation of desktop 3D printers has consistently sort a killer application, perhaps the more big name brands like ASUS that jump on-board allowing easier integration with their products the more those machines will stop collecting dust in the corner and begin whirring away. 

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Losing the

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

n the land of the metal bind the oneeyed laser is king. For the last decade or so if you wanted to additively manufacture using metal you would require either a powdered metal or metal wire and a laser or electron beam in order to sufficiently heat the material to a melting point that could be successfully layered. The cost of those two prevalent stateof-the-art heat sources as well as the high power usage, an inert gas to control the atmosphere of the powder bed and material handling has meant that metal additive manufacturing (AM) has remained in the hands of the relative few. Although the growth of companies like SLM Solutions, Concept Laser, Renishaw, Arcam et al has been exponential, only high-end establishments in sectors like aerospace and automotive can afford the money, time and space required to truly implement the technology. For polymers, laser-based operations such as selective laser sintering and stereolithography have offered the gold standard for accuracy and detailing, but it is telling that the most commonly used technology is based on the laserless technology of fused deposition modelling. Will we require a laserless technology in order for metal AM to expand its adoption? A raft of launches and announcements over the past year would certainly hint that we’re beginning to see a dawn of laserless metal technology. Here is a rundown of some of technologies that enable the 3D printing of metals without a laser, which have either recently launched or are on their way:

LEFT: XJet’s

machine

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ABOVE: XJet nanoparticle jetting XJET – NANOPARTICLE JETTING At its official launch during RAPID in May, XJet’s Chief Business Officer, Dror Danai told TCT, “We are dealing with a liquid dispersion, so it takes away a lot of issues that the industry was addressing with powder bed fusion metal AM. Everything becomes extremely safe, extremely simple, like a printer.” XJet have done away with the laser by supplying the metal powders suspended in liquid particles inside a cartridge and then jetting them out using inkjet technology. The surrounding liquid evaporates in the build platform’s heated chamber leaving only the metal, after the jetting parts are then sintered in a furnace. This jetting plus sintering process also allows users to print using a separate, easier to remove, support material, something that is not possible with the current crop of Metal AM systems. The team includes several members of the original Objet team, who are venerable experts in jetting technologies and as such the first machine is a well-thought out tool. However its price point means the tech is likely to remain within the reach of those high-end companies.

THE VIRTUAL FOUNDRY – FILAMET On the other end of the affordability scale is this material from the Wisconsinbased start up. The Virtual Foundry say that their materials can be printed with most standard desktop FDM machines and while we have seen many composite filament on the market, such as ColorFabb’s Bronzefill and FFFworld’s FilaMETALs, Filamet has one very unique selling point – the ability to sinter parts making them 99+% pure. The two materials available are copper and bronze, they can be printed using the setting used for PLA and post-process with hand polishing to give a nice metal effect but it is the ability to vaporise all of the binders in a kiln at the same time as sintering the metal particles that makes it more appealing to more industrial users. The Virtual Foundry already boasts Calvin Klein and The Department of Energy as exponents of the technique and a case study showcases how a hospital is printing an aperture in the precise shape of a tumour being treated by radiation therapy, the material has proven dense enough to block the radiation where it is not needed.

LASERLESS METALS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

DESKTOP METAL Desktop Metal’s whole goal is to make metal additive manufacturing “more accessible for design and engineering teams everywhere,” according to Marc Minor, VP of Marketing. The Lexington, Massachusetts company has raised $52m in less than a year from companies like GE Ventures, Lux Capital and interestingly Stratasys. Not as much as a part or prototype has been seen publically but CEO Ric Fulop confirmed to TCT that Desktop Metal’s technology when it does eventually launch will not use a laser. The whopping investments are without doubt down to the talent involved in the start up, whether that is the co-founders which include a man who coined the term “3D Printing, Ely Sachs and Chairman of the Department of

Material Science and Engineering at MIT, Chris Schuh, or even Marc Minor himself, who was in at the very beginning of Carbon’s rise to prominence. Stratasys have been linked with the acquisition of several metal based AM companies in the past but the investment in Desktop Metal and the fact that founder of Stratasys and inventor of FDM, Scott Crump is now serving as a board member perhaps shows how seriously we ought to take Desktop Metal. “We (Desktop Metal) are coming at this from a different angle,” says Minor. “Rather than simply commercialise a technology solution, we built a business—and the team— to address fundamental barriers to wider adoption of metal 3D printing.” ››

Will we require a laserless technology in order for metal AM to expand its adoption?

ABOVE: Virtual

Foundry filament

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DESKTOP LASERLESS 3D PRINTING METALS

Norsk Titanium’s RPD System

ABOVE: A Norsk

Titanium part after being finished

NORSK TITANIUM – RAPID PLASMA DEPOSITION Norsk Titanium is one of the most interesting outfits on this list. CEO Warren M. Boley Jr told TCT that by the end of 2017 there will have been three quarters of a billion dollars invested in the company in the decade of its existence and said that one aerospace OEM president stated ‘Norsk Titanium is a leader in the attack on costs in the aerospace industry.’ Norsk’s research led the founders to a way of processing and manufacturing raw titanium that would make the planet’s fourth most abundant element much cheaper and more readily available. The former president of Aerojet Rocketdyne and now Norsk President and CEO, Boley explains the reasons for going without a laser. “There is a recognised need to make better use of titanium. Thousands of aerospace parts are machined from big blocks of titanium with 10:1; 20:1; 30:1 buy-to-fly ratios. A block of titanium takes a year (55-75 weeks) to procure and then incredible amounts of time are spent machining most of the block into waste and chips on the factory floor. The engineers and scientists at Norsk looked at a 3D printing platform technology to change that. They converged to three technologies; wire for high deposition rate, plasma arc for industrialisation and an argon environment for cooling quenching and heat-treating. The selection of the plasma arc and the argon environment were very significant. The Norsk team is not trying to adapt a 20th Century electron-beam welder or a 20th

Century laser welder, they’re starting with a clean sheet. They don’t go with powder because they want high-deposition, they don’t go with laser or electron-beam because that dictates a vacuum and they want to have an inert atmosphere that allows them to rapidly cool, rapidly quench the metal. The same metallurgic principles that have a blacksmith pound on a shoe and dunk in a bucket of water for the cooling, the quenching of metal are still applicable 500 years later to all metal, especially titanium. Titanium wants to be quenched, it wants to be heat-treated it wants to have superior metallurgic properties. Norsk is not focussed on trying to hold a very tight tolerance, that can easily be done afterwards by 19th and 20th century technology and that final finished machining cut is both quick and cheap. Norsk’s technology allows you produce the ultimate near net shape forging in an hour or two, inspect it, and machine it in another 20 or 30 minutes and literally have a part in half a day. A customer can order on aa Monday morning and you can have the fully-qualified part shipped by lunch, this is versus an industry with a year long procurement cycle.” Norsk is launching a state-of-the-art facility in New York in the coming year, which will be the largest facility of its kind in the world supplying top echelon OEMs with components. One such OEM is Airbus, which says it could save approximately $2.3 million per plane by adopting Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition technology. ››

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BELOW

DESKTOP LASERLESS 3D PRINTING METALS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

ABOVE: Vader Systems machine before IMTS VADER SYSTEMS – MAGNETOJET TECHNOLOGY

through a couple of iterations of resistive heaters before we landed on what works. This is the use of two heaters, one upper heater above the melt chamber and one lower heater below the melt chamber. Another challenge we had to overcome was the material used in the heating process. We use boron nitride ceramics to withstand the heat and the corrosive nature of molten aluminium.

TCT will get chance to see this interesting development from father and son team for the first time at IMTS in Chicago and in preparation we caught up with Zack Vader, the Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of the Vader Systems. TCT: Can you explain the benefits of Vader’s magnetojet technology over other metal 3D printing systems? Zack Vader (ZV): Our technology offers a number of benefits over current 3D printing systems. First, our technology uses safe and inexpensive commodity grade wire to produce fully dense printed parts interesting especially to the aerospace, defense, and manufacturing industries. This is a departure from the traditional 3D metal printing systems that use expensive, dangerous, and difficult to source input material. We will make printing in 3D with metal affordable for production manufacturers. This machine is built to be robust and designed to get right to work. This process is nearly twice as fast. We are printing at deposition rates above 1 pound per hour. Because of this alone, it has the potential to be disruptive to the manufacturing industry. But we are able to take it to the next level with scalability---we can conceivably add many print heads in series without making the price prohibitive---and versatility for an expansive breadth of custom applications. We are currently working with aluminium of the alloys 4043, 6061, and 7075, which are highly sought after. Until now, 6061 and 7075 have been extremely difficult to weld and impossible to print with contemporary technology. TCT: What obstacles have you had to overcome in order to sufficiently heat the metal? ZV: We initially tested inductive heating as our primary heat method, but because it caused interference with the magnetohydrodynamic, we switched to resistive heating. We went

TCT: Do you think powder bed laser technology still has a place in years to come, if so how do you see the market splitting? ZV: At this point, the powder bed fusion technology can produce higher resolutions than Magnetojet technology does. So, in applications that require higher resolution or a smoother surface finish, powder bed fusion (PBF) will have an edge in the short term. Also, in higher temperature applications like with nickel super alloys and titanium, PBF is more developed and will continue to have a place in the market. Because powder bed fusion is a more mature technology, there is more support and more expertise about how to use it. With only very early familiarity about our technology in the industry, it will take some time to educate the market about Magnetojet and the possibilities it brings to life.

Powder bed fusion is already being used for applications in medical and aerospace, and we believe it will remain prominent in those industries in years to come. Until we have developed our technology around higher temperature metals and have refined the precision (late 2017), we expect the split to come along that line. Our technology has applications for a wide range of industries from consumer products to energy to defense. Finally, we are domestically focused, so PBF will have a home internationally until we expand distribution outside the US. 

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60 SECOND INTERVIEWS

David Burns Main Stage 28th September 2016 11:00-11:30 Since TCT Show 2015 we’ve seen technology launches from newcomers like Carbon, HP, XJet as well as seeing launches from established players like 3D Systems, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, is this the most exciting time you can remember for hardware innovation? Recalling that I have been in manufacturing technology for my whole career, and in AM for 12 of those years, I perhaps have a longer view of hardware innovation than most. I would say that the early periods, when basic additive manufaturig (AM) processes were being invented, were very fertile times for innovation. In some ways, more radical approaches were being attempted – some succeeded while many failed. I do not see the current period fundamentally as innovative as the “first days of AM”. I do see this period as remarkably rich in what I would call “adaptive innovation” – taking the basic processes that are now proven and adapting them to specific markets and applications. After some years of divergence do you think hardware, software and materials are all on a similar path now? Or do you think the companies involved in those factors still need to collaborate more? If we are to achieve the full potential of AM, we cannot have a manufacturing system full of local optimisation but with global sub-optimisation. We need to focus on the entire system to insure that the entire system is optimised. It took a long time for the world of machine tools to become synchronised enough so the part design, machines, tools, software, automation and inspection technologies worked seamlessly together. We have begun that journey in AM. The entry of experienced manufacturing technology companies into the AM market place can only accelerate that integration.

TCT Show 2016 is heading towards us like a runaway train, the packed out programme is something Jim Woodcock and team are incredibly proud of. We’ve selected a few of the speakers and fired some questions at them to find out what the experts think of the industry. Welcome to 60 Second Interviews.

Is there an application of additive manufacturing technology that particularly excites you? There are so many places where I can see AM as part of a transformational force for the industrial economy. On one hand, the optimisation that we seek in industrial production is partially dependent on the ability to increase business velocity, while decreasing total resource consumption. Nearly all sectors can benefit from that combination – especially those with long lead times and complicated parts. On another hand, we are only at the beginning stages of “design for AM”. When we are able to truly grasp the transformational power that exists in freeform design, we will see adaptation really leap ahead. Do you think the mainstream hype of years gone by has helped open doors at boardroom level? I think that the answer is likely a yes. People who sit in the “C-suites” and those on Boards have an immense breadth of responsibility. It is hard, in those roles, to be able to do the deep dive necessary to discern what are true game-changers and what are just fads. The hype of a few years ago probably raised the visibility of AM to a point that it pushed through and onto the radar screens of those that lead companies. So, on balance, the early hype probably helped to accelerate the adoption curve.

What do you think is the rate-limiting step towards stopping companies using additive technologies for series production? Well, I have often said that manufacturing companies have many key metrics – productivity, quality, on-time delivery, cost, safety, etc. It would surprise me to see any of those companies having an equally weighted measure called – “how much 3D printing are we doing?”. The point is that AM needs to directly impact the other key measures in a company. The limiters, then, remain materials, cost and reliability. The progress on all three fronts is steady and significant. Referring back to the design question – when we have innovative designs that can ONLY be made with 3D printing, then comparisons to the metrics of traditional processes will become moot. Then, we will have a one-way door through which we cannot return. Do you think there’s a skills gap and do you think there’s enough being done to plug it? The question of a skills gap is a preponderant question for all of manufacturing. Many industries are seeing their talent pool diminish, with many jobs now unfilled. In some ways, I think that the transition to digitally based manufacturing aids in this skills shortage. Digitally based manufacturing, because the call for innovation and creativity, may again attract the best and brightest minds.

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60 SECOND INTERVIEWS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

60 Second Interview:

Todd Grimm Main Stage 29th September 2016 11:00 – 11:30

Since you last did this we’ve seen technology launches from newcomers like Carbon, HP and XJet as well as seeing launches from established players like 3D Systems, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, is this the most exciting time you can remember for hardware innovation? Yes, this is the most exciting time that I can remember in terms of new 3D printing solutions. The sheer number of new announcements is amazing, but what excites me most is that we are seeing innovation – not incremental gains or me-too products – that opens the doors for new applications. On the list that you supplied, we have significant speed improvements, which increases the viable quantity or size of parts; we have new materials that expand the bread of functional prototyping and manufacturing; and we have new levels of part quality that chip away at some of the technology’s deficits. I am excited because we are seeing “better,” not just more. Do you think we need to see more collaboration from hardware, software and materials manufacturers? More collaboration is always welcome, but for the most part I do believe that these three elements are now working towards a common goal/vision. For most of 3D printing’s history, we have borrowed from the tools and materials that were developed for other processes. Now, with high hopes and great promise, we are seeing software and materials being developed and modified to support 3D printing applications. I think this will continue and grow, as long as the interest in the technology remains and the growth potential remains high. You’ve been banging the drum for 3D printing of jigs/fixtures for a number of years and at AMUG’s Diamond Sponsor Panel most of the big players agreed that this was a low-hanging fruit, can you explain why I think the crux is that this is a low-risk, high-reward application. Some will recognise the opportunity through the experience of others and the balance will stumble on the application. Either way, companies can give it a try with little downside. Also, as I have said in the past, nearly every manufacturer has identified operations that need jigs/fixtures but they are not addressed due to cost, time and effort. 3D printing gives these companies a path of little resistance to deploy these tools where needed.

Do you think the mainstream hype of years gone by has helped open doors at boardroom level? The hype opened doors, but now I am sensing and fearing a backlash. For a couple of years, the C-suite was likely to adopt an attitude that “everyone is doing it” so we must also. Now that perception has run into reality, the upper echelon is likely to be a bit reticent and demand a financial case for the investment. At worst, they may view 3D printing as an optional expense. Yet, the hype did give 3D printing one thing that was desperately needed at the C-level, awareness. Prior to all of the attention, the technology was not well understood and its potential not taken to heart. Now we have the awareness needed and just need to make the business case for the investment. What do you think is the rate-limiting step towards stopping companies using additive technologies for series production? There isn’t a simple answer regarding limiting factors to adoption for series production. It is a web of factors that hold companies back. Therefore, addressing one or two factors will improve adoption but not resolve the challenges. However, increasing the breakeven quantities, both for time and cost, will have the most notable impact. With higher breakevens, 3D printing becomes a viable option for more products, which opens the door to a larger slice of existing manufacturing. Is there a skills gap and do you think there’s enough being done to plug it? There is definitely a skills gap at all levels. From design to operations and from technician to manager. 3D printing is different in nearly every way, which makes it a challenge when shifting from known processes to this new technology. And that difference means that new skills (and mindsets) are required. I am pleased with growth in 3D printing education and training, but much more needs to be done. We need ready access to this information for all that want to make use of the technology; this is something we do not have.

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60 Second Interview:

Phill Dickens Main Stage 28th September 2016 14:00-14:20 Since the last TCT Show we’ve seen technology launches from newcomers like Carbon, HP, XJet as well as seeing launches from established players like 3D Systems, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, is this the most exciting time you can remember for hardware innovation? This is probably as exciting as the early nineties when the Rapid Prototyping processes were being introduced. What makes it exciting for me is that we are clearly moving to processes designed for manufacturing rather than trying to use RP machines for manufacturing. The best example of this is the HP system but Carbon’s CLIP could also be a production process for thin walled parts. I do believe we will move to designing AM processes for specific products and we are starting to see that activity in Added Scientific Ltd.

Do you think hardware, software and materials are all at similar stages now or do we need more collaboration between the manufacturers in order to enhance the industry? For me software is miles behind. Especially CAD. I see little progress in CAD over the last 30 years. Admittedly there is more functionality, the systems crash rarely and they are much faster but they are still based on designing for traditional manufacturing processes and not really suitable for exploiting AM with greater complexity, multimaterials, multi-scale, surface textures etc. AMUG’s Diamond Sponsor Panel most of the big players agreed that the ability to 3D print jigs & fixtures was a low-hanging fruit, do you see 3D printing of tooling as a major application for additive now Unfortunately, tooling has been a big distraction, which we have not yet got over. Most of the examples of tooling would be better made by high speed machining of aluminium. AM has some place in tooling, jigs and fixtures but it is minor.

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How has the mainstream hype of recent years affected the industry? Although we have had to spend a lot of time down playing expectations at least the hype has got AM on the radar much more and so in general there is more awareness. What is needed now is a coordinated national effort of education and training. Most of this will be in work training. What do you think is the rate-limiting step towards stopping companies using additive technologies for series production? A big problem is quality control stemming from poor repeatability. This will be largely eliminated once we have widespread use of accurate build simulation and online process control. We have access to each layer being built unlike most conventional processes. We need to fully exploit that. Do you think we’re beginning to see a skills gap and do you think there’s enough being done to plug it? The skills gap is massive and getting worse. There is little if anything being done to address it at the moment. I am hopeful that the UK AM Strategy will address this.

60 SECOND INTERVIEWS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

60 Second Interview:

Ulf Lindhe, AUTODESK Tech Stage 29th September 2016 14:00-14:20 Since the last TCT Show we’ve seen technology launches from newcomers like Carbon, HP, XJet as well as seeing launches from established players like 3D Systems, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, is this the most exciting time you can remember for hardware innovation? The 3D printing hype has drawn a lot of money into the 3d printing industry, both to established players, newcomers and start ups. Their funding and the scale on which they innovate are quite different compared to when I joined the industry 15 years ago. What is done today also draws a lot more media coverage. The excitement is quite different compared with the more basic development done 15 years ago. The hardware innovation today is also more driven by targeted applications, many of which are cool and exciting themselves. Do you think hardware, software and materials are all at similar stages now or do we need more collaboration between the manufacturers in order to enhance the industry? Hardware, software and materials are not on the same level and they will never be. Development and innovation goes in cycles and one will always be behind. Rapid Prototyping started as a great idea, consumer 3D printing was greatly facilitated by access to cheap electronics and controls. Design for additive and optimisation of products for Additive will be fuelled by software and the computational power in the cloud. Materials is starting to follow.

How has the mainstream hype of recent years affected the industry? The hype has freed up large amounts of funding to gravitate towards anything 3D printing.

We need more collaboration to beat traditional manufacturing but the competition within the industry drives innovation. It’s a balance. At AMUG’s Diamond Sponsor Panel most of the big players agreed that the ability to 3D print jigs & fixtures was a low-hanging fruit, do you see 3D printing of tooling as a major application for additive now? I agree 100% on jigs and fixtures. 3D Printing of tooling for injection molding has been around for years, for prototype tools. Production tooling are high quality products with very stringent requirements on tolerance, strength and endurance. For production tooling to become a major application you need very high material quality and tolerance.

What do you think is the rate-limiting step towards stopping companies using additive technologies for series production and can you see those rate limiters being lifted any time soon? It is all about money. The costs of AM are still too high for many products, and the financial impact of the risks of failure are too high. Most new hardware initiatives address cost and reliability and aim to make quantum leaps in productivity to reduce manufacturing costs. Do you think we’re beginning to see a skills gap and do you think there’s enough being done to plug it? There is a shortage of people qualified to run AM machines and implement them into a production facility, and there is a shortage of people who understands how to build new business based on the benefits of additive. Metal AM is growing 40% per year and recruiting is mostly done by hiring people from other industries. Shortage of qualified people is one side of growth pains. The industry is probably doing what it can to plug it. Is it enough? – Time will tell…

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60 SECOND INTERVIEWS

60 Second Interview:

Vynce Paradise Head of Advanced Part Manufacturing, Siemens PLM Software

Main Stage 29th September 2016 15:20-15:50 Since the last TCT Show we’ve seen technology launches from newcomers like Carbon, HP, XJet as well as seeing launches from established players like 3D Systems, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, is this the most exciting time you can remember for hardware innovation? If so, why?/If not, why? There is no doubt that the pace of technology introductions has increased dramatically. The entrants are from all sizes of company from small specialist software providers to the largest multi-national printer manufacturers. Robots are entering the field and traditional machine tool builders are now making or adapting machines as printers. Siemens’ collaboration with Stratasys shows that some hardware, software and materials companies are on the same track, how important is it for the industry that these manufacturers all get on the same page? The industrial application of 3D printing is now developing rapidly. During this phase of the evolution its important for suppliers of the key elements to collaborate to offer jointly developed and supported solutions so that the software, hardware and materials interact in a cohesive manner. It may be that these “turnkey” solutions from established partners become the norm for the foreseeable future.

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AMUG’s Diamond Sponsor Panel most of the big players agreed that the ability to 3D print jigs & fixtures was a low-hanging fruit, as Head of Advanced Part Manufacturing do you see 3D printing of tooling as a major application for additive now? This is clearly a good match for current capabilities in 3D printing. A key factor is that the volumes of parts in tooling are relatively low. How has the mainstream hype of recent years affected the industry? Certainly there has been a lot more attention paid to the emergence of industrial solutions and the hype around all levels of 3D printing is still helping to drive interest. What do you think is the rate-limiting step towards stopping companies using additive technologies for series production and can you see those rate limiters being lifted any time soon? A key limiter is the speed of printing compared to traditional methods of moulding or stamping or machining. The fastest take-up is in low volume, high cost, long leadtime parts such as tooling, fixtures and complex castings.

As techniques that offer faster deposition become available then the take-up will accelerate. The advantages of combining additive and subtractive in the same equipment may also drive faster adoption. The developing ability to deposit composite materials could also open up a wide range of opportunities since the traditional means of producing products made of composite materials is generally a low volume process. Do you think we’re beginning to see a skills gap and do you think there’s enough being done to plug it? There could be a developing skills gap in materials science since parts made via deposition or fusion can have differing properties compared to conventionally produced materials. There will be new skills required in the areas of how to plan the manufacturing process. This is because the 3D printing methods are obviously very different to conventional methods and it may not be possible to fully automate some of the decision steps that are needed to plan the manufacture of complex parts.

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GIVING DIRECTION:

W O R D S : T O D D G R I MM

FOCUS ON THE USE CASE

W 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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ith 3D printing “anything is possible.” That oft-heard message is exciting and provocative; and for the most part, that message is true. However, it is vague, nebulous and too expansive. When everything is possible, there is no direction or guidance. For some, the limitless, boundless message is an invitation to innovate and experiment. Endless possibility tickles at the curiosity and presents a puzzle to be solved. It invites sweeping change and invokes grand plans. For the majority, however, the message is simply overwhelming. If anything is possible, users are tasked with determining where to start and left to their own devices to chart a path to achieve the most advantageous results with the least amount of effort and investment. Being too busy or too risk adverse, having numerous options and opportunities may lead to paralysis in the masses while motivating the few. Author Geoffrey Moore, in his book Crossing the Chasm, proposed that early success with new solutions is mostly achieved with a conscious, focused pairing of solution with opportunity. This is the opposite of what has been done in the 3D printing industry for the past decade. Moore proposes the approach of problem looking for a solution; 3D printing has taken the approach of solution looking for a problem and compounded that with the “anything is possible” message. Moore also proposes that the need that is to be addressed is narrowed to a small segment of the market, for example, by industry, demographic or another characteristic. For 3D printing, the value proposition is generally directed to all prototypes, patterns, tools or production parts for all industries. Granted, there are exceptions, with jewelry, medical and dental solutions being the most obvious, but they are few and far between. I agree with Moore, and that is why I cheered (inwardly) at the recent media day that Stratasys held. As reported by TCT, and many others, Stratasys announced two product demonstrators that were later on display at IMTS. One demonstrator, the Infinite Build, expands the range of part sizes that are possible. The other demonstrator, Robotic Composites, yields parts in thermoplastic composites that eliminate the need for support structures. Together, these demonstrators show the promise of significant advances for the Fused Deposition Modeling process. While I liked what I saw and was excited about the possibilities, the demonstrators are not what I

inwardly cheered. What raised my hopes, spirits and expectations was the message delivered by Stratasys management in its preamble to the technology reveal. What the team said mirrored what Moore suggests, focus. Before any hints as to what was to come, Stratasys launched into a discussion of industry focus, partners and use cases. It noted the challenges of a technology-first approach and the merits of identifying need and then developing 3D printing solutions to address it. For Boeing, a partner on Infinite-Build and Robotic-Composites, the use case focused squarely on the production of interior panels that line the fuselage of an aircraft. For Ford, also an InfiniteBuild and Robotic-Composites partner, the use case was built upon productionfloor tooling, such as fixtures. Both companies had identified challenges to which an advanced 3D printing solution could be applied. The intent behind the Stratasys demonstrators is what excited me most. That intent translates to clarity of purpose, application and value. I’m not saying that Stratasys is the only company to employ a focused, solutions-first approach. Others have followed the use-case method; yet most still employ the “build it and they will come” approach. While waiting for other 3D printing suppliers to develop focused solutions for identified challenges, how does the user community combat the directionless, “anything possible” mantra? How does it move from the paralysis of limitless options to gain momentum by taking action? The answer is to continue to dream and imagine while focusing on the issues of the day. Marry the possibility with existing challenges to create your own use cases and your own value propositions. Instead of starting with 3D printing technologies’ possibilities, observe the daily challenges, problems and opportunities. As these come to mind, pause for a moment and ask if 3D printing could provide a viable solution. If determined to be potentially viable, then begin to identify the approach as well as the benefit to the company. This practical approach allows individuals to build their own use cases from current, real needs rather than creating a technology-based case built on possibilities. This approach does not discourage innovation; rather it creates a firm foundation upon which to innovate. This is what Boeing and Ford are doing. And, somewhat surprisingly, many of 3D printing’s high-profile innovators started not with a grand vision but with a desperate need — a need or challenge that only 3D printing could address. 

Marry the possibility with existing challenges to create your own use cases and your own value propositions.

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