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VOLUME 25 ISSUE 6

Front cover image: Aurora Flight Sciences 3D printed jet-powered UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) aircraft

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FROM THE EDITOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING’S COUCH TO 5K

If you’ve been on the TCT Show website contact us page, you’ll notice a picture of a fellow that looks like he’s swallowed me. That is me, me at my heaviest, thanks to a little dieting, exercise and love for dating apps I shed approximately four stone.

Recently, such is the way when one settles down, and a Greggs (a cheap bakery selling delicacies like a sausage and beans pasty) opens just a one-minute drive away, the weight has been creeping back. So I decided to take up running, previous attempts have failed miserably because I didn’t know how to pace myself, but this time feels different thanks to a pair of Bluetooth headphones, a proper pair of running shoes and a Couch to 5k app. I’m four weeks into the eight-week programme and can feel the benefits of building up gradually. The Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry has also suffered from a lack of being able to pace itself. AM has always tried to run before it can walk, always talking about series production, Industry 4.0 or “Smart Manufacturing” when users were still depowdering in the middle of open-plan offices or whizzing metal powders about in wheelbarrows. At TCT Show 2017 AM got itself some proper footwear, some Bluetooth headphones, an app and even had a medical examination. The exam came from one of the only talks I managed to sit in on from the conference team’s excellent programme. The presentation was a joint one from the Manufacturing Technology Centre, UK and the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, HSE. Chris Ryall and Samantha Hall examined the health and safety issues for workers exposed to metal AM powders including a study on the amount of metal found in urine samples!

Immediately after that talk, I was on the stand of Guyson; the team were demonstrating their latest powder recovery system that removes a huge chunk of the manual elements of metal AM. Across the way from Guyson was Russell Finex whose 80-years of sieving experience the industry is finally applying, round the corner was PDJ Vibro who have been deburring and polishing parts for over 50 years. I talked to Nick Allen of 3DPRINTUK on the frustration of wasted SLS material, and I also caught up with NatureWorks LLC - one of the largest suppliers of PLA in the world. Their story on the creation of PLA is a fascinating one we’ll get into at a later date, but there was an air of frustration about this industry’s lack of knowledge of the complicated composting techniques involved in degrading PLA.

However, the very fact we’re touching on the environmental issues, the fact that we’re delving into occupational health, that we are taking ancillary technologies seriously and vice-versa, tells me AM is finally getting into its stride. I’m hoping to complete a 5K around the time of formnext powered by tct, let’s see if additive manufacturing can keep up the pace too. Druck on.

DANIEL O’CONNOR, GROUP EDITOR

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THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

AUTOMATION

TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE

DIGITAL FACTORY

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

More about DMG MORI www.dmgmori.com

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

COVER STORY

8. COVER STORY

Stratasys on disrupting the composite tooling supply chain.

DENTAL 13. THE DIGITAL DENTISTRY MOVEMENT Deputy Group Editor, Laura Griffiths provides an update on 3D technologies in the dental industry.

TCT SHOW

21. REVIEW Editorial Assistant, Sam Davies reflects on his first TCT Show visit.

29. SHOW NEWS Laura reports on some of the biggest launches from the show floor.

35. TCT AWARDS A look at each of the winners from the inaugural TCT Awards and Hall of Fame ceremony.

formnext powered by tct

Moulding and Tooling

73. ADDITIVE AMBITION

53. PREVIEW Group Editor, Daniel O’Connor rounds up some of the must-see technologies in Frankfurt.

Sam investigates the use of AM at Renault Sport Formula 1.

77. INTEGRATING THE AM POWDER BED PROCESS INTO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS CHAIN Ralf Loettgen, Expert Additive Manufacturing at GF Machining Solutions discusses AM in mould and die manufacturing.

83. NEWS ROUNDUP

67 IP & Finance 67. THE INDUSTRIALISATION OF 3D PRINTING Dr Andreas Leupold on the importance of protecting data in AM.

Sam with the recent headlines hitting tctmagazine.com

85. AM UK TALKS STRATEGY Laura speaks to the team spearheading the UK’s AM Strategy.

90. TODD GRIMM COLUMN Guidance for the new sherpa.

71. FINANCING LARGE SCALE AM EQUIPMENT AND THEIR ROI Ryan Martin, Managing Director from GE Capital’s Industrial Finance team, talks financing models in AM.

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COVER STORY shown: AURORA FLIGHT SERVICES JETPOWERED UAV INTERNAL WING DESIGN, OPTIMISING INTERNAL STRUCTURES FOR LIGHTWEIGHTING AIRCRAFT

DISRUPTING THE COMPOSITE TOOLING SUPPLY CHAIN

WITH TRADITIONAL COMPOSITE TOOLING MANUFACTURE ACKNOWLEDGED AS BEING AN EXTREMELY LENGTHY AND COSTLY PROCESS, TIM SCHNIEPP, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS AT STRATASYS, A GLOBAL LEADER IN APPLIED ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, LOOKS AT WHY THE USE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OFFERS A MORE FAVOURABLE ALTERNATIVE.

elieve it or not, there was a time not that long ago, when the production of composite tooling was a very costly, laborious and fairly wasteful process. I’m talking about the time when manufacturers of composite structures, OEM’s, and tooling suppliers had little alternative than to contend with traditional approaches and their many associated constraints. A time when manufacturers had to use traditional materials such as aluminum, steel, invar or expensive FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) tooling that meant long lead times of several weeks or – in the case of larger, more complex tools – many months. In those days, this led to costs often skyrocketing well into the tens of thousands of dollars, even for relatively simple tool geometries. This hardship ultimately impacted the timeline of entire development programs and prevented both design optimisation and product innovation, and the resulting tools were heavy and difficult to handle and store. I know what you’re thinking – the stuff of nightmares. Of course, as you’ll no doubt be aware, for many companies, this is still reality and partly explains why aircraft costs remain high and why composite parts can be so expensive. In the case of an aircraft manufacturer and depending on the program, a handful of composite parts might be all that are required, as there aren’t necessarily that many parts needed. For example, there are only a couple of hundred F-22 fighter aircraft in the world,

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shown: ULTEM 1010 COMPOSITE LAYUP TOOL PRODUCED FOR DASSAULT FALCON JET

COVER STORY ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

yet the investment in tooling - both in terms of time and finances - for the manufacturer or OEM, is incredibly significant to produce what amounts to a relatively modest number of parts. Not only that, these tools then must be stored for years should replacement parts be eventually needed. We’ve come across one company that keeps its tools in an unused car park behind its manufacturing facility, because they have nowhere else to store such big, bulky items. In a worst-case scenario, companies could spend over a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars for a very large, complex mould or mandrel that they might only use a handful of times. And let’s not forget what happens if the design specifications for such tooling is found to be inaccurate or requires changes. Having worked on the design and production of cowlings (nacelles) for aircraft jet engines for one of the world’s leading manufacturers, I’ve experienced programs where the tool design was locked in as long as 12-14 months in advance. In the event of a significant design change, the impact can be quite dramatic, requiring costly, time-consuming modifications to the tool, and potentially causing major delays to the delivery of structures and thus the manufacture of aircraft.

3D PRINTING FOR COMPOSITE TOOLING The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Indeed, for an increasing number of forwardthinking savvy manufacturers, it isn’t.

The advanced composites industry has shown continual need for innovative tooling solutions and one fast emerging technology is unquestionably 3D printing (additive manufacturing). Some OEMs and leading tier suppliers in the aerospace industry have been utilising 3D printing for the rapid production of cost-effective composite tooling for many years, However, while there are a variety of additive manufacturing technologies, the important and most relevant focus is on extrusion-based technologies. One such solution is Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printing technology, which builds parts layer-by-later by heating and extruding thermoplastic materials in a highly controlled and automated manner. FDM allows the rapid production of highly effective composite mould tooling across a broad range of tool sizes and complexities, which are capable of performing at cure temperatures in excess of 180 °C in typical autoclave cycles (consolidation pressures exceeding 0.7 MPa). Boeing actually revealed its use of FDM technology for composite tooling in 2012 as part of a SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering) technical paper describing its development effort for large, complex, out-ofautoclave co-cured structure. In order to meet the demands of composite tooling applications, we’ve worked to enhance Stratasys’ 3D printing capabilities and material properties, namely temperature resistance, enhancing the offering of 3D printed composite tooling. 

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Learn more and visit us at

formnext Hall 3.1 | Booth F 70 November 14 - 17, 2017 Frankfurt, Germany

Picture: csi entwicklungstechnik

Individualize. Integrate. Innovate. The innovative 3i-PRINT project by csi entwicklungstechnik, APWORKS, Altair, EOS, Heraeus and Gerg shows how to leverage the potential of additive manufacturing by applying modern design tools and methods to produce function-integrated, load-bearing structures for the automotive industry. The design of the well integrated, organic-inspired front end structure was created with HyperWorks. It features elements of aggregates, active and passive thermal management of electric vehicles and fulfills all structural requirements regarding vehicle safety, structural mechanics, performance and comfort.

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COVER STORY

shown: MCLAREN-HONDA FORMULA 1 CAR

MATERIAL ADVANCES TAKEN TO NEW HEIGHTS Stratasys invested substantially in providing 3D printing solutions tailored to the unique needs of the composite tooling requirements. The Stratasys introduction of the hightemperature thermoplastic ULTEM 1010 resin, combined with a 2X+ improvement in throughput provided by the Stratasys F900 Acceleration Kit is allowing customers of FDM 3D printing technology to significantly disrupt the composite tooling supply chain. And it is an area of continued investment as well as new capabilities and high performance, productiontooling oriented materials that are intended for near-term market impact are currently in development. Stratasys’ development of hightemperature materials, as well as the increased throughput of its production 3D printers, enable the manufacture of high-temperature lay-up tooling in hours or days, rather than the weeks or months it would take to produce and procure tooling made from traditional approaches. Moreover, 3D printed tooling can offer disruptive cost-savings compared to traditional tooling materials and numerous other

less quantified benefits, such as dramatic weight savings. Case studies with OEMs like Dassault Falcon Jet, Aurora Flight Sciences, and SSL (formerly Space Systems Loral) illustrate the potential for over 80% reductions in cost and lead time. Another recent example that demonstrates the significant timesaving by this process is with Formula 1 racing team and Stratasys customer, McLaren-Honda, which used FDM 3D printing to produce a new racecar wing in under two weeks during the 2017 Grand Prix season. In this instance, the team 3D printed an ULTEM 1010 mold tool to create the shape of the wing. Since this material can with-stand the high temperatures involved with curing composite structures, it was used throughout the cure cycle to produce the final structure. The carbon fiber composite wing was then removed from the tool leaving the team with a reusable composite layup tool. The additive nature of 3D printing that results in material only being placed where it is needed, also means that great efficiency and minimal waste are a natural result of the process. This not only significantly

reduces material usage, but also cuts the weight of tooling dramatically. This optimisation allows for tooling to be handled by human operators rather than cranes or lifting devices and also reduces the thermal mass of the tool during the curing process. This further decreases recurring costs and operational inefficiencies. So, in summary, it’s all about enabling manufacturers to get products to market faster and via reduced investment costs. The opportunity to enjoy such benefits and improve business performance offers great value to which manufacturers should definitely give strong consideration. As the demand for new applications, product improvements and faster, lower-cost tool creation continues to build, composite part manufacturers are forced to innovate to remain competitive, especially as the early adopters of this technology are already reaping the benefits that 3D printed tooling offers. See Stratasys at formnext powered by tct on Stand F40, Hall 3.1 at the Messe Frankfurt, November 14th – 17th.

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

shown: MCLAREN F1 TEAM

Visit us at formnext Hall 3.1 Stand F10

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DENTAL ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

DIGITAL DENTISTRY IS A MOVEMENT

S P O NS OR ED BY

WOR D S : LAU R A G R IF ITH S

t last year’s Additive Manufacturing User Group Conference, Virginiabased dentist, Dr. Perry E. Jones, talked about the ability for 3D technologies to take the “goo” out of dentistry. That “goo” refers to the traditional process of creating a dental impression which has been used commonly, and continues to be, throughout dental practices and labs for centuries. Gradually, that process is being displaced as desktop manufacturing systems, 3D scanners and materials become increasingly advanced and, more importantly, accessible. The 2017 Wohlers Report estimates that the medical and dental sector currently represents 11% of the overall additive manufacturing industry. It’s a respectable chunk of the application-heavy divide but if you look at the bigger picture - the dental equipment market was valued at $6,342.3 million in 2015 and is expected to surpass $10 billion by 2024, according to a recent report - adoption is far from widespread. To tap into this potential market, equipment manufacturers are delivering more cost-effective solutions and materials that make 3D technologies an attractive proposition for small and medium sized businesses. Here we take a look at the latest developments and speak to the every-day dental professionals that have already made the shift.

WHAT’S NEW? Formlabs recently expanded its dental offering with an additional material, Dental LT Clear engineered for printing splints and retainers. This is its first long-term biocompatible resin for manufacturing orthodontic applications on a desktop machine and is said to be Formlabs’ fastest material to date with the ability to print a full build platform of up to seven splints in under two hours. The Boston-based company has also improved its Dental SG resin, released last year, to reduce print speeds for surgical guides by up to 50% on the Form 2 printer, with its latest PreForm software update. According to Dávid Lakatos, Chief Product Officer at Formlabs, the company now claims it has “the largest dental 3D printer user base” in the industry and is growing at a pace of “over 600%” year on year. Formlabs also estimates that “over 50,000” surgeries have been performed with a surgical guide printed on one of its machines.

certified biocompatible LuxaPrint materials. Similar to Formlabs’ technology, the DLP-based system uses Sharebot’s proprietary WARP system to reduce the light-curing time for individual layers to just a few hundredths of a second, speeding up printing to around 100 mm per hour. The 3Delux is the first dental focussed machine offered by Sharebot in partnership with its distributor DMG, a company with over 50 years of expertise in dental products. DMG is also behind the 3Delux’s compatible materials, with its first “additive digital prosthetics” range including five resins for models, functional trays, casts, drilling templates and splints. 

below: METAL CROWN PRINTED BY SINTEREX

Over on the hardware side, at TCT Show 2017, Italian 3D printer manufacturer, Sharebot, launched a new dental-specific machine, the Sharebot 3Delux, which enables printing in a range of

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AN APPLICATION-BASED APPROACH

Dubai - based Sinterex, a company specialising in the manufacture of customised 3D printed products, has been working within the dental sector since opening its business in February this year. At its facility in Jebel Ali, Sinterex has installed an EOS metal system and 3D Systems MultiJet printer and is currently making metal 3D printed crowns, bridges, removable partial dentures, surgical guides, and resin dental models.

Singapore-based company Structo first launched in 2014 as a dental 3D printing solutions provider. The company has launched two machines onto the market, the OrthoForm and most recently the DentaForm, based on its proprietary MSLA (Mask Stereolithography) technology promising greater speeds than other SLA-style printers. The process consists of numerous individual light sources under what Structo calls a “digital mask” that controls which area of the build platform is illuminated at any given time. When light is allowed to pass through to the resin it can form an entire layer in a single exposure.

Managing Director, Julian Callanan explained: “We have seen good growth of our customer base and noticed that once companies convert from manual production techniques to our digitally enabled 3D printing processes, they don’t go back.” The company primarily serves the UAE market but has also exported products to Bahrain, Pakistan, Jordan, and other neighbouring markets. Yet Julian believes its location is playing a key role in the company’s success as Dubai states its intentions to become a hub for 3D printing. Along with impressive initiatives like the 3D printed “office of the future” and the signing of an MoU between The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and GE to collaborate on additive manufacturing, dental will steal some of the focus as the Dubai Health Authority carries out its plans for the Dental Services department to make greater use of the technology. Speaking about the future for Sinterex and 3D printing in Dubai, Callanan commented: “We are excited by recent advances in digital dentistry and also in the medical sector. We want to add new product lines and use the strategic and logistical advantages of Dubai to grow into a regional business.”

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

DENTISTRY IN DUBAI

Adopting an “application-based approach” to hardware, the DentaForm was developed for restorative dentistry offering a 50 micron print accuracy and large 200 x 150 x 100 mm build volume, to deliver speed and throughput for prosthodontics (crowns and bridges). The OrthoForm delivers a 100 micron accuracy for orthodontic applications such as clear aligners. Focussing on speed, Structo says it can print up to 30 orthodontic models in just 92 minutes. 

“ONCE COMPANIES CONVERT FROM MANUAL PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES TO OUR DIGITALLY ENABLED 3D PRINTING PROCESSES, THEY DON’T GO BACK” 

shown: WAY2PRODUCTION SOLFLEX PLUS 3D PRINTER

- SINTEREX

SPONSOR ED BY

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dental ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

S P O N S O RE D BY

BELOW: 3D PRINTED ARCHES IN ORTHOPRO PEACH FROM STRUCTO

practices just beginning to adopt digital processes, Jonathan added: “With the help of MSLA, we are trying to solve that problem by designing printers with high throughput that helps dental professionals see their ROI in a much shorter timeframe and hopefully contribute towards the widespread adoption of digital dentistry and eventually making dental appliances more accessible to a wider demographic.” MILLING HALVES PRODUCTION TIME

“The OrthoForm was designed from the ground up with a local customer here in Singapore,” Jonathan Lim, Marketing Manager at Structo explained. “After which, one of our very early customers, Glidewell Dental purchased several units and runs them 24/7 in their production line. We have a very healthy working relationship with Glidewell. Their engineering team have provided a lot of feedback over the past few years which led to lots of improvements that were incorporated during the design phase of our second printer, the DentaForm. In fact, Glidewell was our launch customer and beta user for DentaForm before it was made available to the mass market.” Glidewell, one of the world’s largest dental labs, has invested in five Structo machines so far, even choosing to replace other existing 3D printing hardware at its facility in Newport Beach, California. David Leeson, director of engineering at Glidewell, described the technology as “just the type of innovation the industry needs” thanks to its high throughput and relatively low upfront costs. “Digital dentistry is a very big movement in the industry,” Jonathan commented. “Not only does it help dental professionals save valuable time on traditional processes - time they can instead spend on more clinical cases or interacting with patients but it also helps deliver better patient outcomes.” Structo positions itself somewhere in the middle of the 3D printing hardware spectrum, claiming to be faster than other desktop models but cheaper than some of the larger industrial machines. It believes cost and the “perceived” learning curve are two major factors hindering the widespread adoption of digital dentistry. To combat one of these key problem areas, the company recently partnered with Materialise on its Structo PrintWorks Pro software in a bid to simplify the file preparation process with less data preparation work, lower chance of build failure and better slicing speed and accuracy. Commenting on the steps Structo is taking to lower these barriers, particularly for labs and

Over in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Studio 32 Dental Laboratory has been vigorously pursuing full zirconia (metal used to create durable dental structures such as crowns) work, creating its restorations in-house with the help of several dental milling machines. Shane Williams, co-owner and CAD/CAM specialist, works at the lab with a team of more than 20 staff, maintained heavily by the demand from the zirconia market which sees the lab looking to expand for a second time to a larger facility. “We’ve been aggressive in the full zirconia market. It’s one of the reasons we can maintain our staffing levels and grow our business,” said Williams. “We had been outsourcing our zirconia work, and when I ran the numbers, the cost-effectiveness of owning our own equipment was clear.” The lab bought its first Roland milling system in 2011, which is still running today and allows the team to work with their preferred milling tools and materials. Their output increased dramatically; the lab now houses four Roland DWX-50 5-axis dental milling machines along with a 3Shape D700 dental scanner and other milling technologies. “After we got our first DWX, our workload went up from 20 units a month to 300-400 a month, and then up to 750 units a month – and that’s just the zirconia work,” said Williams. In addition to its zirconia work, Studio 32 mills all of its wax for golds, ceramics and porcelain fused to metal (PFM), as well as for castings and pressings which Shane believes gives the lab more control and a better fit. All four DWX mills are controlled by a single computer and put to work from morning until whenever the last job goes in, sometimes running overnight to keep up with demand. Since adding the DWX mills, Studio 32’s production times have been reduced from two weeks to one, and rush jobs can be done in a single day if needed. 

SHOWN: FINISHING MILLED DENTAL MODELS AT THE STUDIO 32 LAB

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DENTAL

“I’m really doing the same job I started with,” says Shane who was employed as a waxer for eight years. “Now I just wax with a computer and a Roland mill. Same process, different tools.”

“3D printing changes the way we work, continuing what started with milling machines years ago, making the shift to a digital laboratory,” Kevin Reger, Product Manager at Cambicon explained. “The dental technicians of today, need to have basic computer skills in order to be able to model by computer instead of by hand. This enables us to make use of new materials and better technologies improving the end result in thus creating a better product for the patient.”

Keeping a close eye on the work being carried out by dentists in the local area, the lab has observed that only a small number of dentists have adopted intra-oral scanning systems into their practices. To encourage growth, Studio 32 offers its scanner out to local practices so that dentists can get started with the technology and in turn, generates more businesses on production of restorations for Studio 32 Looking to the future, the lab is looking at the possibility of accepting digital files, printing models, and creating removable restorations for its orthodontic department. Before it takes the plunge to install any new technology, Shane says demand will need to increase in order to make it a worthwhile investment but confirms, “that’s a trend we’re seeing”. A MATTER OF TIME Milling machines can often be a stepping stone to 3D printing in the dental lab. Spanish dental firm, Cambicon, has been investing in the newest dental technologies for the last 15 years to produce custom, functional dental prosthetics. Starting out with milling systems, the company has since installed a 3D printer into the lab.

The most common applications at Cambicon are dental models and splints, swapping out products which have traditionally been made by hand, to using intra-oral scanning and milling to improve quality. After beginning to experiment with 3D printing possibilities around three years ago, the company now uses a Way2Production SolFlex Plus 3D printer to produce splints in a more time and cost effective way. “Splints that have been designed once virtually and printed are reproducible,” Kevin continued. “That means that the same splint can be printed over and over

again in the case that the patient loses or breaks it. That possibility reduces time and effort for the dentist, technician and the patients.” The desktop stereolithography system developed by the Austria-based company, features a patented VDFS (Vat Deflection Feedback System) which monitors and controls the separation process to reduce manufacturing by up to 40%. As “time is a big factor” in the dental sector, according to Kevin, that reduction can be game-changing for an independent business wanting to deliver high-quality, custom products to patients. The SolFlex range is also engineered to be open so users can apply their own preferred materials including clear, transparent, biocompatible, and filled resins to produce night guards, drilling templates and patient-specific models. Kevin explains that whilst digital is starting to infiltrate the dental sector, the initial investment and upkeep with material expense and time does prevent some dental labs and practices from being able to get started, suggesting that an improved digital workflow and lower consumable costs will ultimately make going digital, “the only right decision”. For smaller and medium sized businesses this accessibility will ultimately allow them to stay competitive and turn a profit. Similar to the adoption of milling machines, Kevin believes for laboratories, the 3D printer will eventually become a “normal and necessary” tool.

“3D PRINTING CHANGES THE WAY WE WORK” - CAMBICON

S P O NS OR ED BY

SHOWN: FORMLABS DENTAL LT CLEAR SPLINTS

www.structo3d.com

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT SHOW REVIEW

SHOW

WOR D S : SAM DAVIES

SHOWN: THE CROWDS ENTER HALL 3 FOR THE BIGGEST TCT SHOW TO DATE

at at Stratasys’ stand ready to find out more about the company’s latest material releases for the J750 platform, the company’s EMEA President, Andy Middleton side-steps the opening question. Not out of insincerity, instead to give his thoughts on TCT Show 2017. It had just gone 2pm on the first day, and Middleton had made up his mind. “It’s clear TCT Show has moved up a level,” he offered. “I just spoke to a colleague and said ‘if I was a customer I would be really confused. There are so many solutions which look and feel relevant for many, many customers.’ I think it’s one of the challenges for companies like ourselves – clarity in our messaging and explanation of what can be done, and what can’t be done, to help customers make an informed decision if they’re looking to invest in a solution.”

The conversation moved on, to what it was scheduled to be about. Only now, looking back on my first ever TCT Show, have Middleton’s thoughts resonated. Through the week, as TCT Show turned 22, and the inaugural TCT Awards took place, two things were stressed by colleagues: 1) That TCT Group exists at the intersection of technology and applications, and 2) That the mission of TCT is to accelerate those technologies as a magazine and event organiser. Between September 26th – September 28th 2017, it was demonstrated with aplomb. When TCT Show first commenced in 1995, I was barely 12 months old. Since, the event, like the industry, and perhaps unlike me, has matured. TCT Show has kept pace with a vibrant industry built on a set of technologies which continue to grow in their potential and popularity alike. It once again drew in exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, the former treating the latter to presentations of the latest additive manufacturing

machines. There was also a host of 3D scanning technology on show, and the likes of Guyson and Inert who were on hand to tell visitors and fellow exhibitors how they can better protect their material powders with their solutions. technologies, while also making some new connections. Stratasys and 3D Systems, pioneers of 3D printing, and still two of the biggest players in the game, were among exhibitors sharing front and centre exposure, while one of the most exciting newcomers, Desktop Metal, loomed just behind. HP, EOS and Concept Laser were also present, showcasing some of their industrial 3D printing equipment, while Ultimaker, Formlabs and Rize showed off their desktop platforms, being harnessed for industrial use despite their smaller statures. Software developers, Link3D, TechSoft 3D, and TCT Technology Innovation Software Award-winner, MachineWorks got their fair share of column inches with new product releases, as did Ultimaker, who celebrated 1 million users of Cura and released two new versions of the software which accompanies its desktop

But as an EOS employee highlighted, this year’s TCT Show was just as much about what users can do with the 3D printing technology, as the machines themselves. The aforementioned pair of Stratasys and 3D Systems have long been competitors in the additive manufacturing space – both saw their founders inducted into the TCT Hall of Fame at the inaugural TCT Awards demonstrating their longevity in the industry – and with respective partnerships with McLaren and Renault, are now competitors on the Formula 1 track too. They both brought with them an F1 race car each, attracting swarms of visitors at a time to see the results of expertise engineering with the assistance of 3D printed parts. Ultimaker was also proving the capability of 3D printing in automotive with the jigs and fixtures manufactured by Volkswagen using the Ultimaker 3 machine on display. 

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

SHOWN: CARBON

EXPANDS UK FOOTPRINT WITH NEW PRODUCTION PARTNERSHIPS

SHOWN: CONCEPT LASER

SHOWS NEW GE COLOURS ON THE SHOW FLOOR

BELOW: DESKTOP METAL MAKES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED UK DEBUT

ABOVE: CROWDS GATHER

FOR STRATASYS’ MCLAREN F1 SIMULATION

BELOW: MATERIALISE

SHOWCASES YUNIKU EYEWEAR RETAIL CONCEPT

SHOWN: ENVISIONTEC

‘TCT DOG’ GUARDING THE SHOW FEATURE AISLE

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Meanwhile, other applications generating a healthy amount of interest included EOS’ jewellery manufactured in partnership with Cooksongold; customised eyewear the result of a collaboration between Materialise and Yuniku; a host of small metal parts on Digital Metal’s stand, from tiny whistles to wristwatch components; and on Autodesk’s stand was the seat frame design featured in Issue 25.3 earlier this year. The range of exhibitions was complemented by an extensive conference program, spread across the Main Stage, Tech Stage and Product Stage. On the Main Stage, many of the most innovative and impactful applications of 3D tech were delved into in more detail in front of hundreds of spectators at a time. Day One focusing on automotive and transport; Day Two on healthcare; and Day Three on consumer and industrial product design. Additive manufacturing’s transition from a rapid prototyping technology to a series production tool is something to be celebrated. TCT Group has followed this evolution every step of the way, reporting on, and providing a platform for, the most inventive companies in the field. This year we welcomed around 250 exhibitors to present their products, and gave coverage to as many as the TCT Editorial team possibly could in the 72 hours we had. The 10,000+ visitors were spoilt for choice: able to take in some of the best examples of what additive manufacturing can do, and the technologies and people that enable them.

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Another popular application was the TCT Consumer Product Award-winning Futurecraft 4D Adidas trainer with 3D printed midsoles, manufactured by Carbon. Modelled by the entire team, the footwear is a fine example of how 3D printing can be harnessed to produce a better-performing product, while remaining fashionable.

These visitors range from professionals to hobbyists to novices, and the 22nd TCT Show once again catered for them all. Complementing the big players driving the AM industry were smaller firms with rudimentary desktop platforms. One such company was 3D Print World, located next-door to the Inspired Minds classroom, with dancing robots in-tow. These types of companies, while not boasting the lofty ambitions of Stratasys, 3D Systems et al, can comparably catch the imagination of visitors and act as much of a gateway into the 3D printing space as an Adidas trainer or Formula 1 car. Nobody, after all, is walking past a robot doing a moonwalk without giving it at least a few minutes of their time. It brings us back to Andy Middleton’s assessment. With feet aching, and energy on the wane, even on Day 1, it was good to take 15 minutes to sit and find out about Stratasys’ new product releases – which would target rapid prototyping rather than series production – and take in a TCT Show regular’s thoughts. TCT Show is set to expand further next year again, and the TCT Awards, which contributes to an even greater celebration of the industry, will return. With such an interest displayed in what additive manufacturing can do this year, there should be even more attractions on show, and even more competition for exhibitors to consider. It’s encouraging, then, that the likes of Stratasys are thinking about how to improve their communication to potential customers. That customer could be the next global sportswear manufacturer or Formula 1 Racing group. It all helps in the effort to accelerate additive manufacturing. Pat Warner, of Renault Sport Racing, who was stationed on the 3D Systems booth, said he ‘met some fantastic people, made contacts to help solve some problems, and left with a huge shopping list.’ In fewer than 20 words, he’s defined what TCT Show is all about.

TCT SHOW 2018, 25 - 27 SEPTEMBER NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK

SHOWN: PACKED TCT MAIN STAGE FOR JOHNSON & JOHNSON KEYNOTE

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

SHOWN: TCT INSPIRED

MINDS INTRODUCES STUDENTS TO 3D PRINTING

SHOWN: RIZE SHOWS

FUNCTIONAL 3D PRINTS WITH ELECTRONICS

BELOW: TRANSFIORMERS BIKE ON THE RENISHAW STAND

ABOVE: TCT HEAD OF CONTENT, JIM WOODCOCK AWARDS FABRX WITH TCT START UP AWARD PRIZE

BELOW: UK’S FIRST

#3DTALK PANEL SESSION WITH WOMEN IN 3D PRINTING AND CYANT

SHOWN: LIVE DEMO OF THE HP JET FUSION 3D PRINTING SYSTEM

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT SHOW NEWS

WITH MORE LAUNCHES THAN EVER BEFORE DEPUTY GROUP EDITOR, LAURA GRIFFITHS TAKES A LOOK AT A SELECTION OF THE UNVEILINGS FROM THE SHOW FLOOR OF THIS YEAR’S EDITION.

HARRIS HAWK PRINTED ON

PLA Extrafill Vertigo

UnionTech PILOT

EUROPAC3D CELEBRATES HP JET FUSION SUCCESS

FILLAMENTUM GIVES 3D PRINTING A GALACTIC FINISH

This year’s show was a huge success for Europac 3D, which secured two sales of the HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200 3D printer. The UK-based 3D printing, scanning and inspection company is one of the first businesses in the country offer the technology and delivered the first live demonstration of the printer and accompanying Processing Station at a UK trade event.

Fillamentum, a manufacturer of 3D printing filaments, brought its new PLA Extrafill Vertigo Galaxy material to TCT Show, a high-shine, holographic effect filament.

UNIONTECH PILOT SERIES DELIVERS HIGH QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE SLA

THE HP JET FUSION 4200

Europac 3D also launched its reseller partnership with Chinese machine manufacturer, UnionTech and demoed its latest 3D scanners including an exclusive view of the new Skyline integrated measuring arm and 3D scanners from Kreon, capable of capturing 600,000 pts/per/sec with an accuracy of 15 microns. “We had a busy stand at this year’s TCT show where attendees were eagerly awaiting the chance to see one of the UK’s first HP Multi Jet Fusion printers in action,” John Beckett, Managing Director of Europac, commented. “We were amazed by the reaction with regards to the 3D printed Harris Hawk that was featured as a centrepiece in the main central aisle of the TCT hall. People were spending lots of time taking photos of the print and asking how we had managed to print the wings in ‘full-flight’ at 1mm thick.”

Galaxy printed by Staal3

The second product in the Vertigo family, the Czech Republic-based company says the new material will deliver high quality 3D printing with a diameter tolerance of +/- 0.05mm, optimised for temperatures between 190 and 210 degrees Celsius. “Vertigo Galaxy is engineered for quality and superior galactic finish,” the company stated. “Its elegant colour in a shadow and fantastic shine in light makes your project look fabulous.” Fillamentum develops its products in a wide variety of colours, in accordance with the RAL and Pantone colour charts, as well as in their own ‘unique’ colour shade, and has looked to cater for a range of 3D printing techniques. In addition to the 39 PLA Extrafill filaments available for its customers, Fillamentum also offers two PLA Crystal Clear filaments; 18 ABS products; and 8 ASA filaments. The company also boasts materials in Nylon, Co-Polyester, a wood composite filament range, and four support materials.

250 system

Shanghai Union Technology Corporation (UnionTech), introduced its PILOT commercial series designed to deliver high-quality additive manufacturing at an affordable price. The company launched two machines, the PILOT 250 and PILOT 450. The PILOT 250 features a 250 x 250 x 250 mm platform, while the PILOT 450 series offers a 450 x 450 x 400 mm build platform. The PILOT series boasts open design for materials and build preparation software and has all the “industrial strength” capabilities of UnionTech’s RSPro production series. Specifications include scan speeds up to 12 m/s, layer thicknesses as low as .05 mm, and accuracy of +/- .1% over part length. UnionTech proposes a range of industrial applications for the PILOT series including prototype tooling for injection moulding, patterns for investment casting to create near net shape metal parts, and metal plated composites capable of die cast metal properties that can be developed with a single piece of equipment.

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Witbox Go! from BQ

Coobx EXIGO system

BQ 3D PRINTING - YOU CAN DO IT IN YOUR SLEEP

COOBX PREMIERES FULLY-AUTOMATED LIFT PRODUCTION

One launch that you won’t have heard much of is the UK debut of Red Dot Award winner, Witbox Go! from Spanish hardware firm BQ - the reason being, it is silent. The sleek Witbox Go! made its UK debut at TCT Show and Martin Dyckhoff, Managing Director of 3D Print World Aylesbury, the official UK retailer of BQ’s Witbox range, explained how the machine fits perfectly into a domestic space as not just a printer, but a “content delivery mechanism”. “It’s so quiet you could use it as a sleep incentive for your children,” Martin explained. “Kids can set their design printing in the evening, go to bed and know that when they wake up a new toy will be waiting for them.” BQ’s other line in hardware comes in the shape of Android smartphones, and BQ has applied that same science into the Witbox Go! software with an Android OS and Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, similar to that of many smartphones. What this does mean is better functionality with smartphone devices, resulting in an easier setup than many machines on the market today.

The Sigmax from BCN3D BCN3D SIGMAX DOUBLES 3D PRINTING CAPACITY Amongst the countless giant machinery you expect to see at TCT Show, there’s a small revolution happening. In case you hadn’t noticed desktop 3D printing has matured, it has matured to a state whereby it is no longer a gimmicky hype-driven beast but a tool for engineers to actually use on their desktops not just sit there requiring some further fine tuning. Barcelona-based 3D printer manufacturer BCN3D launched its biggest, most-professional machine to date, the Sigmax, at TCT Show. BCN3D’s Independent Dual Extruder system, IDEX is deployed to get the most out of the huge 420 x 289 x 210 mm, allowing users to print the same model using both tool head simultaneously. To complement the Sigmax launch has developed a new version of its software, BCN3D-Cura, which builds upon the popular open source slicing technology making features like duplicate and mirror 3D printing a synch.

Liechtenstein-based Coobx, showcased its LIFT (Light Inserted Fabrication Technology) EXIGO machines for the first time at TCT Show. The technology forms part of the its LIFTcell production lines, a fully automatic pick and place system which organises the continuous production of up to 60 build platforms. Designed for fully automated production across industries such as automotive and medical, the light-based system uses a fully-enclosed “top-down” process which can build parts in multiple materials and is complimented by the EXIGO Clean&Cure unit for post-processing and Staubli robotics. “Our intention is to have systems and products which produce parts which can be used and that you can really sell,” Marco Schmid, CEO of Coobx told TCT. “We can print nearly every material available which is UV curable but we ask first the customer “what is your problem, what do you want to produce?” and we develop together.” The machines are available to order now with a 12-16 week lead-time.

Siert Wijnia, founder of Ultimaker

cuts celebratory cake at TCT Show

ULTIMAKER CELEBRATES ONE MILLION CURA USERS Desktop 3D printer manufacturer, Ultimaker announced its new software strategy at TCT Show which will see regular upgrades introduced to continuously enhance existing hardware. The first two key software updates will be Ultimaker Cura 3.0 and Cura Connect. The first is offers a powerful, no-hassle solution to prepare files for digital fabrication whilst Cura Connect will enable users to manage an array of Ultimaker 3D printers. Speaking at the launch, where the company celebrated a major milestone of one million users of its Cura software, Siert Wijnia, founder of Ultimaker explained that this strategy highlights the importance of software in the 3D printing ecosystem and how this is just the start of “wave after wave of updates making 3D printing easier”.

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In Additive Manufacturing, It’s What’s Inside That Counts

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TCT SHOW REVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

lose up of nGen_LUX

Link3D Digital Factory enhances AM workflows

COLORFABB TURNS SPOTLIGHT ON NGEN_LUX

LINK3D LAUNCHES DIGITAL FACTORY SOFTWARE PLATFORM

3D printing material developer, colorFabb brought its latest co-polyester-based filament, nGen_LUX, to TCT Show. Made with Eastman Amphora AM3300, nGen_LUX features diffuse reflection, which sees light shining on the printed part scatter to many directions to create an impressive metallic aesthetic. In addition, parts manufactured with nGen_LUX don’t require post-processing, a step forward from colorFabb’s metal filled filaments. “We got a lot of requests from our customers who wanted to have a really great material that looks awesome right from the printer,” Sander Strijbo, Sales Manager at colorFabb explained. “We already had our special filaments like Bronzefill and Copperfill, they look great but need post-processing. This material looks great straight from the printer, it looks almost injection moulded, like a production part right away.”

After 18 months of research and development, additive manufacturing software developer, Link3D introduced its latest product, Digital Factory, designed to enhance collaborative workflows and deliver better quality products and services. “It’s based on the loose definition of what a digital factory is. Our definition of a digital factory reflects the industry standard - it’s making software and hardware connect with each other, automate and streamline processes,” Link3D CEO, Shane Fox told TCT. “We’re like a new age. It allows companies to intelligently automate, streamline, and officially manage all additive processes and supply chain from the R&D stage, the metrology stage, to the materials side, all the way through to series production.”

SHOWN: LIGHTSPEE3D The Digital Platform has been brought to market to support ROBOTIC ARM UP-CLOSE

global collaboration projects, doing away with the back and forth that partners have had to endure when working together. Users can submit rapid prototype report orders, and based on their requirements, the order form will morph and the Digital Factory will intelligently route it, to the right facility and the right machine through its scheduling tool.

Guyson Euroblast 6 ‘AM’ Finishing Station

Matsuura LUMEX Avance 25

GUYSON TALKS ROBOTIC POST-PROCESSING

MATSUURA SHOWS UPDATED LUMEX

Leading surface finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International released details of its latest powder recovery system, the Guyson PRS, designed for use with with powder based AM systems.

Matsuura Machinery Ltd exhibited the latest updates in its LUMEX Series of hybrid laser sintering, CNC milling machines.

At the show, the team invited visitors to come and learn about the benefits its latest robotically controlled finishing station and powder recovery system including time and financial savings and operational safety benefits over current manual operations.

The LUMEX Avance-25 now produces at a maximum build speed of 14 cc/h with a 500 W laser; 35 cc/h with 1 KW laser and a worksize of 256 x 256 x 185 mm, with an option to increase to 256 x 256 x 300 mm. The machine has already been installed at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry.

Mark Viner, Managing Director of Guyson’s Blast & Wash Division, commented: “This exciting new development for the AM sector incorporates the best of Guyson’s long standing automated robotic blasting technology coupled with Guyson’s technology partner Russell Finex’s sieving and screen-ing expertise”.

Matsuura also demoed the LUMEX Avance-60 which features a maximum work size of 600 × 600 × 500 mm and a 1000 W Yb Fiber Laser with the 45,000 RPM Matsuura Maxia CNC milling Spindle included to meet the demands for large-size parts and high-speed operation.

Guyson also showcased its range of ‘surface finishing stations’ for AM including the new Guyson Euroblast 6 ‘AM’ Finishing Station devised especially for Stainless, Aluminium, Titanium or Inconel additive manufactured components. 25 : 6

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT AWARDS B

elieve me, when I say this, the TCT Awards was not easy to put on. Logistically, of course, an event like that is challenging, but I’m talking more from an existential point of view; does the industry need an awards ceremony? Are we the right people to put it on? What should the awards categories be? How do we keep it as unbiased as possible? How do we make sure that the submissions are of high quality? It was clear to us that the answers to the first two questions were resounding yeses. 3D technologies have been around for over three decades now, and a version of TCT Magazine has been in syndication for 75% of that time. With some (very) rough calculations that is about the same amount of time the Academy Awards have been around in comparison to the movie industry. Now there’s justification. The difficulties came when we first sat down to discuss the categories for the awards, what we realised is that we couldn’t merely award “Best 3D Printer” or “Best Software” that’s too reductive and restrictive. Sticking with the (overblown) Oscars analogy, you don’t see them awarding for the best camera, it doesn’t matter

W O R D S : DA N O ’ C O N N O R

what technology you have it matters what you do with it.

professors, people in plastics, some in metals... the list goes on.

We eventually landed on our six application awards dedicated to recognising and celebrating the innovators, technology and collaborators behind the best examples of 3D technology use across the globe. There were also three awards for innovation and a one for an upcoming company.

Those people are tasked with helping steer TCT’s output and their first major job was to pick the shortlist for the HoF. Each got ten votes, and the most popular ten became our shortlist to go out to the public, five made it into the TCT Hall of Fame.

The awards also sought to recognise those who have made this industry the maturing, fast-paced roller-coaster that it is. So, the Hall of Fame (HoF) idea (more of which overleaf) was locked in reasonably quickly but how could we ensure an independent vote to ensure that this was the pinnacle of 3D technologies prizes? ENTER THE TCT EXPERT ADVISORY BOARD TCT has done most influential lists before, and we’ve been aware of the perils that come with the territory of a public vote. Boaty McBoatface anyone? With this in mind, we set about first forming the TCT Expert Advisory Board (EAB). We chose people from the spectrum of sectors that help shape the industry; consultants, OEM inventors, journalists, material scientists, users,

Their next job was judging the awards. After the shortlist had been drawn up we matched applications to expertise and asked them to consider the following factors when choosing a winner: • The financial impact on businesses adopting the technology • The environmental impact • The individual impact • Market impact • The social impact and profile The inaugural gala was held at the glorious Birmingham Town Hall on the 27th September, over the coming pages we’ll list the winners and give you the judges’ comments. TCT Awards 2018 will take place in Birmingham, UK on Wednesday 26th September 2018. Please keep an eye on the official website www.tctawards.com for updates.

TCT EXPERT ADVISORY BOARD AS OF 19TH OCTOBER, 2017: Todd Grimm, Graham Tromans, Terry Wohlers, Phill Dickens, Kristian Arntz, Xu Xioashu, Michael Raphael, Frank Cooper, Gary Miller, Ian Halliday, Neil Hopkinson, David Brackett, Pat Warner, Robin Wilson, Vesna Cota, Dave Burns, Debbie Holton, Chris Sutcliffe, Jeremy Pullin, Tuan Tranpham, Filip Geerts, Richard Hague, Phil Reeves

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THE TCT HALL OF FAME THE TCT AWARDS WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO INDUCT MEMBERS INTO THE TCT HALL OF FAME. A SHORTLIST OF TEN WAS DRAWN UP FROM VOTES BY THE TCT EXPERT ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH WAS THEN PUT OUT TO A PUBLIC VOTE. THE FIRST FIVE INDUCTEES ALONG WITH SOME SNIPPETS FROM THE EVENING’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Scott Crump

Inventor of Fused Deposition Modelling “I’m honoured to be among these prestigious pioneers of this award as well as this group here. I did help to create and expand the 3D printing/ additive manufacturing industry in terms of inventing a new technology (...) however; I believe we’re at something of a golden age of additive manufacturing (AM). I think the world has now finally accepted AM, even if it did take 30 years since one of my machines first came out of my home garage.”

Adrian Bowyer

Founder of the RepRep Project “Thank you very much indeed to all the judges and those who voted, I’m most honoured to receive this. Sometimes the road from point A to point B is paved with the intention of going to point C. I wasn’t that interested in 3D printing or rapid prototyping; I wanted to make a machine that copied itself (...) If you’re going to make a machine that copies itself, you don’t want to patent it because if you do, what you’re saying is ‘I want to spend the rest of my life in court trying to stop people doing with my machine the one thing it was intended to do’. So I open-sourced it, this had a marvellous effect, it brought on board thousands of volunteers from across the world who all worked on the engineering. Given that I’m a sort of lazy chap, this was great! I got all the work done by other people and got some of the credit.”

Wilfried Vancraen Founder of Materialise

“I want to thank TCT and its readers and the Jury for giving me this award, but I can only accept it on behalf of the thousands of collaborators that have been building the foundations for this by working on meaningful applications. Some of those collaborators have been there from 1990 onwards including my wife Hilda who helped me finish the first parts around the kitchen table. We have been able to contribute to many meaningful applications that touch, and sometimes even save, people’s lives. We believe in the revolutionary power of AM and we believe in collaboration and co-creation. It is only when materials, machines, software and a lot of application know-how come together that we can make these important changes.”

Hans Langer

Founder of EOS and serial entrepreneur “It is an honour to be here to receive this award. I was sitting with my great colleague, Greg Morris, ten years ago in our office and we developed a vision that AM could change the world. Ten years later our vision came true. There is one product made with our machines and the business for this one product is in sales per year more than our EOS business, and it is not the only one. (...) Additive is not just a machine business; additive is a solution business. We are very pleased and honoured, and I can tell you that there is much more to come.”

Chuck Hull

Inventor of the Sterolithography Process and Founder of 3D Systems “Many of you know the story of the first 3D printed part made 34 years ago (...) I was sure I was on to something, but I had no way of predicting where things would go from there. (...) What I envisioned as an improved prototyping technology is now making 3D production real. Our capabilities for 3D manufacturing has progressed in leaps and bounds, many in this room have contributed to the advancements we’ve witnessed. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife Antoinette for supporting me on this journey, let’s keep the innovations coming. We are very pleased and honoured, and I can tell you that there is much more to come.”

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT Aerospace Product Application Award Winner Project: EBAM Space Tanks, Presented to: Lockheed Martin and Sciaky

Sciaky was approached by Lockheed Martin Space Systems back in September of 2012 hoping to get their help in developing an improved satellite propellant tank made from a light and highly durable Ti-6Al-4V (titanium) material. Lockheed Martin wanted to research the performance of 3D printed titanium and verify that any printed parts would be of the same or better quality than traditionally manufactured parts. The metallurgical experts at Lockheed Martin and Sciaky worked together for months testing and researching the technology. They ended up discovering a solution that would not only improve the quality of the propellant tank but dramatically reduce the cost, material waste and time spent using traditional forging methods. Marillyn A. Hewson, Chairman, President & CEO at Lockheed Martin said of the application during an AIA Supplier Council Meeting on June 14, 2016 in Ft. Worth, TX: “When our Space Systems business area was looking for ways to reduce costs on our satellite parts, while also maintaining product quality, a company called Sciaky came to us with a solution.

We worked together to develop titanium propellant tanks that can be 3D printed through the use of their electron beam additive manufacturing process.” Judge Comment: This application ticks all the boxes. 80% reduction in production time, 75% reduction in waste and a 55% reduction in cost. Very few examples of AM ever achieve all these metrics. Even fewer achieve them to this scale. However, to achieve this, we should not underestimate the effort, commitment and investment made by both Lockheed Martin & Sciaky to achieve these deliverables.

Highly Commended Project: 3DOptic Ceramic Aerospace Optics Presented to: OSE and 3DCeram

TCT Automotive Product Application Award Winner Project: VW Custom Tools Presented to: Volkswagen Autoeuropa and Ultimaker Volkswagen Autoeuropa is using seven Ultimaker machines to manufacture more than 1,000 tooling, jigs and fixtures parts, and make savings of around $250,000 per year going forward. The components being printed include liftgate badge gauges, which help to the model badge at the rear of a vehicle is implemented properly. These would previously take up to 35 days to develop and cost €400. With Ultimaker’s 3D printing systems, the part can be produced in four days and for just €10. Expected cost savings equate to 98% compared to traditional methods, and time savings of nearly 90% are estimated too. Meanwhile, Ultimaker’s open source nature means its automotive partner can experiment with materials, adding strength and flexibility where required. Siert Wijnia, co-founder and CTO of Ultimaker, reflected: “The automotive industry is a great example of an innovative industry that sees the benefits of desktop 3D printing for rapid prototyping and tooling in the manufacturing process. The fact that our use case with Volkswagen Autoeuropa on 3D printed tools, jigs, and fixtures received such recognition by winning the 2017 TCT Automotive

Application Award demonstrates the potential of desktop 3D printing in manufacturing.” Judge Comment: VW are clearly using the technology in their day to day operations and finding ways to save time and money as they do so, whilst keeping part function the main target. This is a great example of how these technologies can be used as an extra tool in the toolbox, rather than just focusing on the end product.

Highly Commended Project: Replacement Bus Parts Presented to: Daimler, FKM Sintertechnik, EOS and Dyemansion

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT Consumer Product Application Award Winner Project: Adidas Futurecraft 4D Midsole Presented to: Adidas and Carbon

Leveraging Carbon’s CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) technology, adidas has created Futurecraft 4D, a first-of-its-kind high performance running shoe featuring a midsole which addresses the specific requirements of movement, cushioning, stability, and comfort, all in one single component.

[TCT Show] conference and gave an excellent presentation about their vision for the future and how they incorporate technology in order to reach and address their customers in new ways”

Carbon’s rapid product development process enabled adidas to iterate over 50 different lattices for the midsole before landing on the current design. Forgoing the traditional development cycle, the Carbon-adidas collaboration made ten times as many iterations possible using the same process and material as the final product, which allowed the team to test the midsole performance in the design stage and essentially get rid of the prototyping stage.

Judge Comment: adidas stated that it would manufacture 100,000 pairs of these shoes in 2018. The announcement speaks volumes about the company’s confidence in the process. I love this because it flies in the face of everyone that states that 3D printing is not suited to serial production. These, after all, are not mass customised parts, there’s just a lot of them.

“We were really proud to win the TCT Award for our partnership with adidas and the programme we’ve announced the Futurecraft 4D shoe programme where we’re making midsoles for their Fu-turecraft 4D shoe,” Paul DiLaura, Vice President Sales for Carbon told TCT. “It’s a great partnership that we have with adidas. They spoke here at the

Highly Commended Project: Yuniku Customisable Eyewear Presented to: HOYA Vision Care, Materialise, Hoet Design Studio

TCT Creative Product Application Award Winner Project: Anomalisa Film Presented to: Starburns Industries and 3D Systems Anomalisa is an Oscar-nominated stop-motion animation film that incorporates full-colour 3D printing to bring greater expressiveness to its characters for a more compelling drama. “We used [3D printing] for a very specific purpose with the realism that they wanted in the faces, and the textures and the differences in colour would not have been possible by hand-painting,” said Caroline Kastelic, Starburns Puppet Supervisor, in an IndieWire interview. According to Bryan LaFata, Operations Supervisor at Starburns Industries, the production company used the ProJet CJP 660 full-colour printer to produce racks full of highly detailed, inter-changeable character faces, each complete with wrinkles, ages spots and puffy under eyes. Judge Comment: Extremely creative application of 3D printing in the entertainment field – because of the nature of the medium (stop action animation) it gave properties to the technology that are actually beyond the bounds – flexibility, motion, etc.

Highly Commended Project: Sainsbury’s Christmas Commercial Presented to: Passion Pictures Ltd, 3D Print Bureau, Mackinnon & Saunders Ltd and Tri-Tech 3D

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT Healthcare Product Application Award Winner Project: TriFusion Devices Presented to: TriFusion Devices, Essentium Materials and BASF Essentium Materials has leveraged its proprietary 3D printing technology to reduce costs and speed up delivery time of prosthetics. 3D printing lower limb prosthetics has historically been a formidable challenge, resultant of the delamination issues characteristic of thermoplastic 3D printing. Traditionally, 3D printed devices were incapable of load-bearing utility, until Dr. Blake Teipel and Brandon Sweeney founded TriFusion Devices, a subsidiary of Essentium Materials. As opposed to traditional prosthetic development, TriFusion Devices can scan a patient’s leg in a matter of minutes, upload the design to CAD software and print a fully functioning definitive socket within a few hours. This is all accomplished at 10x less cost than traditionally manufactured lower limb prosthetics. Using Essentium Materials’ proprietary FlashFuse technology, TriFusion Devices can electrically weld carbon nanotube multi-wall filament during the 3D printing process, resulting in printed parts with both isotropic strength and the necessary durability required of a long-lasting prosthetic. TriFusion Devices is working closely with orthotic and prosthetic clinics to integrate

this technology into current device workflows, making affordable prosthetics accessible to amputees across the globe. Judge Comment: This is not the only application for 3D printed prosthetics but stands out due to the development of the FlashFuse process. This elevates the project above that of an application and into the realms of process and material development. It is also an excellent example of collaboration between different companies culminating in a new startup bringing a step forward regarding product performance.

Highly Commended Project: Robotic Suturing Presented to: Sutrue, Concept Laser and Royal Brompton Hospital

TCT Industrial Product Application Award Winner Project: Philips Lighting Production Tools Presented to: Philips Lighting and Materialise

Materialise’s collaboration with Philips Lighting on the adoption of 3D printing on the production line resulted in the ‘reinvention’ of a lamp holder previously prone to part failure, and the automation of a labour intensive line using lightweight design and metal 3D printing. They co-engineered a new single structure bracket prone to breakage with one or two failing every week. Each unit was difficult to remove and disassemble, and only a limited number of repairs could take place before an entirely new unit was needed, requiring a lead time of approximately 8 weeks In addition, 3D printing was used to help with the automation of an existing, highly labor-intensive process which required a machine operator to physically place parts in a 12-bore gripper, apply materials and remove finished units. Philips and Materialise designed a part which consolidated construction, reducing the need for as many individual parts and creating curved internal channels to improve the strength and suction while reducing overall unit-weight.

“3D technologies encourage unprecedented freedom of design, which allowed us to make parts exceptionally lightweight and drastically easier to maintain,” Natalie Simpson, Marketing Manager at Materialise explained. “Through these two aspects alone, these two parts are realising cost savings of around €89,000 a year through operational benefits.” Judge Comment: The application pushed the technologies to a very high requirement. The Materialise application saved cost, time and repair delays by enabling the component to be built as a single part. Improving and simplifying the way it was traditionally made. Highly Commended Project: Project Perun - Nuclear Power Plant Replacement Part Presented to: Krsko Nuclear Power Plant and Siemens

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT Technology Innovation Hardware Award Winner Project: CBAM Model One Presented to: Impossible Objects

CBAM Model One is an industrial AM machine that makes strong, functional composite parts. The pilot version of the CBAM machine at RAPID+TCT 2017 and won the show’s Exhibitor Innovation Award. CBAM, or “composite-based additive manufacturing,” takes the power of AM to high volume production. It overcomes constraints in current AM technologies regarding build speed, part strength, and range of usable materials. • CBAM scales to produce parts in minutes or seconds. • CBAM can make parts up to 10 x stronger than other AM printed materials. • CBAM works with a wide range of fibre fabrics – including carbon, glass and aramid fibres – combined with a wide range of thermoplastics, including polyamides and PEEK. While the CBAM technology is new, it achieves feature details and crispness, surface finishes and dimensionality and tolerances often better than existing AM technologies. While many existing AM technologies are nearing the limits of what they can do, CBAM is just getting started.

Judge Comment: Impossible Objects CBAM is a new process using standard materials in a form no other does at a much lower cost. It also opens up an entirely new area of applications which the industry cannot support at the moment, and there is also a lot of future potential applications they have not yet addressed. The materials are also readily available with no need to develop them, so lower cost. They can also be purchased from existing third-party suppliers so not tying companies down to specific machine manufacturers materials.

Highly Commended Project: Rize One Presented to: Rize 3D

TCT Technology Innovation Software Award Winner Project: Polygonica Presented to: Machineworks

MachineWorks Polygonica platform is renowned for its mesh healing and analysis capabilities. The latest version, Polygonica version 2.1, was demonstrated at the 22nd TCT Show and was also the focus of a Tech Stage presentation given by David Turner of Renishaw. Polygonica boasts fast lattice generation, solid convexification, and the ability to smooth algorithms. Variations of the software development toolkit have been harnessed by the likes of 3D Systems, Stratasys, Desktop Metal, ANSYS and Renishaw. The Polygonica platform is sold all over the world with the help of exclusive reseller partner TechSoft 3D. Jonathan Girroir, TechSoft 3D’s Technical Marketing Manager, spoke recently to TCT, and described Polygonica as the ‘best in the industry when it comes to healing meshes and doing so quickly.’

“MachineWorks is thrilled to have been chosen as the winner of the TCT Technology Innovation Software Award,” said Cristina Sesma, Marketing Manager at MachineWorks Ltd. “Bringing Polygonica to life has only been possible thanks to our team in Sheffield, UK, and thanks to our incredible customer base who believed in the technology and chose to integrate it.” Judge Comment: This software has been rolled out into a number of user interface packages industrywide. It performs well, even against benchmark software designed to be standalone pack-ages to fulfil this purpose.

Highly Commended Project: Insight Presented to: Axial 3D

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TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

TCT Technology Innovation Materials Award Winner Project: Polycast Presented to: Polymaker

PolyCast was designed for the low-wax casting of metal and can be used with 3D printing to replace wax patterns used in industrial investment casting processes. It can deal with the complex geometries that tooling can’t, and thus can eliminate the need for tooling completely.

Judge Comment: Low cost (i.e. “FDM” type) solutions for the creation of investment casting patterns have been few and far between – this material looks like it opens up new possibilities in this respect.

In addition to helping manufacturers tackle complex geometries, users are also harnessing it for the rapid production of small-volume metal parts. PolyCast is said to boast excellent surface quality, and clean burnout, which sees clean moulds ready for casting produced materials “It is with great pleasure we accept the TCT Technology Innovations Materials Award. Since entering PolyCast (SP801C) into the category, we have further refined the burnout capability, and PolyCast now has an ash residue content of 0.005%,” said Luke Taylor, Polymaker Marketing Manager. “This kind of innovation is at the heart of Polymaker, and we will continue to refine our materials to provide the best quality solutions across all industries. We believe that material innovation is driving additive manufacturing forward, and we are proud to be recognised by TCT.”

Highly Commended Project: Onyx Presented to: Markforged

TCT Rising Star Award Winner Presented to: Desktop Metal

Desktop Metal came out of stealth mode at RAPID + TCT 2017, unveiling its Studio System to a huge fanfare. The Boston-based company is headed up by Ric Fulop, whose CV boasts one of the largest IPOs in Boston’s history when he floated his battery company A123Systems. Ric has put together a team of experts including; metallurgist, Chris Schuh; binder-jetting inventor, Eli Sachs; software specialist Rick Chin; and CTO Jonah Myerberg who was on hand to collect the Rising Star Award: “It is truly humbling to be recognised amongst all these amazing companies, people and technologies,” said Myerberg. “We’re just a rookie compared to the Hall of Famers, but we’re very excited about the future. Just two years ago Desktop Metal was founded, but we’ve been able to raise $200m, hire 150 of the best and brightest to

launch two products that are poised to revolutionise the way metal parts are manufactured. This award underlines the value proposition that we are offering and is a testament to the hard work of the team. But it is you as a community who are setting the stage and proving that additive is a viable solution to series manufacturing.” Judge Comment: The innovations and the scope of the team’s experience at Desktop Metal makes them one of the most exciting companies in the industry. The microwave-enhanced furnace is the real kicker for the technology, get that right, and the sky is the limit.

Highly Commended Presented to: Essentium Materials

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TCT AWARDS

GALLERY

The Machineworks Polygonica team takes home the TCT Technology Innovation Software Award.

Jay Hollingswort Aerospace Applica Stefan Ritt, SLM So

Philip Hudson, Managing Director, Materialise steps on to the stage, this time to accept the TCT Industrial Product Application Award.

Siert Wijnia, Co-founder and CTO, Ultimaker thanks the judges for ITS TCT Automotive Application Award win.

Philip Hudson Healthcare Applica President and CTO, E

TCT AWARDS ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Luke Taylor, Marketing Manager, Polymaker receives the TCT Technology Innovation Materials Award Carbon team accepts the TCT Consumer Application Award for Futurecraft 4D shoe.

wayne davey, 3D systems with the tct creative application award for anomalisa alongside jan de walle

Michael Sheren, Impossible Objects picks up the TCT Technology Innovation Hardware Award for CBAM Model One

Hollingsworth, Sciaky picks up the TCT space Application Award, presented by an Ritt, SLM Solutions

Jonah Myerberg, Co-founder and CTO of start-up Desktop Metal accepts the TCT Rising Star Award

p Hudson, Materialise presents the TCT hcare Application Award to Blake TEipel, dent and CTO, Essentium Materials

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FORMNEXT PREVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

FORMNEXT POWERED BY TCT 2017 PREVIEW 14-17 NOVEMBER, FRANKFURT AM MAIN

S P ONS OR ED BY

The speed at which formnext powered by TCT has established itself as the premier manufacturing event in mainland Europe is testament to many including TCT’s partners Messago. But without the desire of the industry to ensure that Frankfurt remained a showcase for the technologies that best represented Industry 4.0, it might never have happened. That desire continues to burn into the event’s third instalment as a host of manufacturing companies debut their wares across an expanded show floor space. The next pages are just a taster of what you can expect to see on the floors of Hall 3.0 and 3.1 across the four days:

ADDITIVE INDUSTRIES: Hall 3.0, Booth F40

ANISOPRINT: Hall 3.1, Booth A49

Additive Industries (AI) promises a record number of announcements and innovations among them the World Premiere of the brand new Product Removal Module. This next step in fully integrated additive manufacturing for functional parts will allow you to automatically remove products from the build plate and resurface the build plate for re-use in the MetalFAB1. Besides this AI will demonstrate the MetalFAB1 Process & Application Development Tool and 4-full-field laser MetalFAB1.

Anisoprint will release the Composer Series - its first commercially available Continuous Carbon Fiber 3D printer line.

AI expects to receive a lot of attention and has asked to contact them in advance to arrange full demonstrations the team is eager to show you the fully automated MetalFAB1, including the new module and share all the latest developments and the experiences of leading customers like BMW, Airbus, GKN and the Sauber F1.

The Anisoprint Composer is capable of printing with a wide range of engineering thermoplastics reinforced with continuous carbon fibre. The product will be offered in three different sizes: The Composer A4 with 297 x 210 mm build area for a compact desktop solution; The Composer A3 with 420 x 297 mm table for more opportunities; The Composer A2 with a considerable 594 x 420 mm table for some vast prints. Fedor Antonov, Anisoprint CEO, comments: “Our patented dual-nozzle print head can print with either neat or continuous fibre reinforced plastic wherever it is needed. Depending on your tasks, you can choose any commercially available 3D printing plastic – PLA, ABS, Nylon, PETG, PC, PP or others and reinforce it with our proprietary CCFRP carbon fibre filaments to make it up to 25 times stronger – as strong as stainless steel”.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES: Hall 3.1, Booth A39 Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) has won the prestigious 2017 formnext Start-up Challenge prize. The prize will be awarded at the Frankfurtbased industry show on 14th November 2017. The prize is awarded to young companies that have created innovative technology in the additive manufacturing sector. AMT was awarded the prize for their PostPro3D machine that automates the post-processing smoothing of 3D printed polymer parts. PostPro3D can achieve a level of surface finish comparable to injection moulding. AMT will be exhibiting their PostPro3D machine and automation technologies in the Start-up area at formnext. AMT CEO, Joseph Crabtree, said: “Winning the formnext start-up challenge prize is a major boost to the validation of our groundbreaking post-processing smoothing technology. Having a chance to exhibit a PostPro3D smoothing machine at formnext will provide an important showcase for the company. The prize allows us to bring our postprocessing solutions to a wider European audience.” 25 : 6

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FORMNEXT PREVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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advancements in additive products and processes to the show.

APIUM: Hall 3.1, Booth A85 Apium will use formnext 2017 as a platform to launch the final, serial version of the Apium P220, made in Germany, manufactured by global player Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. The P220, made for industrial applications and research and development is an improved and bigger version of the current Apium P155. Furthermore, a completely new printer series will be shown to the 3D printing world. The Apium M-Series: Fit for Medical Devices. A first step into the medical field. The M-Series will be available in 2018. Next to the printer evolution, Apium will also launch its brand-new material development, Apium CFR PEEK. Carbon Fiber Reinforced PEEK, that can be processed using the Apium P220, the only FFF 3D printer worldwide that can process this material. CFR PEEK is designed for industrial applications as well as the other high-performance materials Apium offers.

Attendees will see Arconic’s AM capabilities on display, including direct, indirect (prototyping) and hybrid technologies, along with metal powder development. Among the highlights: large-scale 3D printed “pre-form” components made with high deposition rate additive technologies. These include a wing spar manufactured using Arconic’s proprietary Ampliforge process, a hybrid technique that combines additive and traditional manufacturing. Using the Ampliforge process, Arconic designs and 3D prints a near complete part then treats it using a traditional manufacturing process, such as forging. The process enhances the properties of 3D printed parts, increasing toughness and strength versus parts made solely by additive manufacturing, and significantly reduces material input.

BIGREP: Hall 3.1, Booth E80 The large-scale FDM machine manufacturer BigRep will demonstrate the entire BigRep eco-system including the BigRep ONE, new STUDIO printer, SPOT (print service), NowLab (solution department) and a range of bespoke filaments. SPOT has recently been used in cooperation with TU Braunschweig alongside Audi to manufacture a breathing car seat, and the NowLab solution centre is working with Deutsche Bahn to produce 3D printed spare parts.

Arconic will also showcase metal vent housings for the NASA Orion spacecraft—Arconic’s first additively manufactured flying space parts. Other highlights include design optimised parts demonstrating dramatic reductions in material input, as well as components printed with our proprietary metal powders optimised for 3D printing.

ARCONIC: Hall 3.0, Booth F41 Arconic, the engineering and advanced manufacturing company, is taking 3D printing out of the lab and into the skies with precision parts for space and commercial aircraft. The company, which recently announced the first installation of a 3D printed titanium part on a series production Airbus commercial aircraft, will bring its latest

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Take your innovation to new levels.

Want to know what Ricohâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground-breaking new capabilities in additive manufacturing mean for your business? Make the stretch Expand your world of opportunities in AM with new advanced materials that can stretch to over 500 percent. Take the heat Heighten your manufacturing performance with new heat resistant materials such as PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate).

Make the stretch Take the heat Feel the strength Visit us at Hall 3.0, stand D20 and discover how our new capabilities in AM can transform your business

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Feel the strength With the power to produce components that outperform moulded equivalents, our 3D printers and materials help you take innovation to new levels.

Ricoh is the only AM manufacturer that offers Advanced PP-Material and specific SLS-Hardware with full service to the manufacturing industry. They are the only provider to be offering a complete end-to-end solution for this material. Dr. Manfred Schmid

FORMNEXT PREVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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DYEMANSION: Hall 3.1, Booth G69

FARSOON: Hall 3.1, Booth E31

OR LASER: Hall 3.0, Booth C20

DyeMansion will present their complete ‘Print-to Product workflow’ to the 3D printing expert audience for the first time onsite. This three-stage process covers every step after the production and transforms 3D printed raw parts into high-value products.

Farsoon will use back-to-back TCT events to unveil its new Continuous Additive Manufacturing Solution (CAMS), by announcing details at formnext and showcasing the first commercially available machine at TCT Asia 2018.

After introducing the ORLAS CREATOR direct metal additive manufacturing platform to great acclaim at formnext last year, OR LASER will announce developments that aim to provide holistic solutions for engineering and manufacturing companies working with metal materials.

Step 1: Cleaning/Depowdering System: DyeMansion Powershot C • Automated damage preventive depowdering parts in 10 minutes • Reducing human resources, costs and lead times • 100% reproducible powder-free parts across batches Step 2: Surface Finishing System: DyeMansion Powershot S • Creating dirt, scratch, and UV resistant surfaces • Improved look, feel and colour quality • 100% reproducible surfaces across batches Step 3: Colouring System: DyeMansion DM60 • Unlimited colour options based on colour samples or RAL/ Pantone • Long lasting, UV resistant colours penetrate the raw parts approx. 0.2mm • Dyed parts are skin-safe • 100% reproducible colouring across batches

The solution has been developed to address the growing movement of the additive industry into true manufacturing as well as future models of production such as Industry 4.0 the CAMS vision is to offer continuous AM production through vertical scalability and modularisation capable of integrating into any industrial manufacturing facility. As the first entry of the CAMS concept Farsoon is set to announce the development of their new FS1000P large platform hightemperature capable CAMS system. Farsoon claims the FS1000P will be the largest plastic powder bed system on the market with a 1000 x 500 x 500 mm build volume. It will be able to reach build chamber temperatures of up to 220°C allowing for the production of high-performance parts with materials such as PA6, PA12, and TPU.

Is additive manufacturing better than subtractive manufacturing? In the real world, they both have a significant role, and ultimately they complement each other, and this is where OR LASER has made a substantial breakthrough with an accessible hybrid manufacturing system based on the company’s high-quality machine production capabilities. This together with a significant cloud manufacturing solution is all set to create a real buzz at formnext. OR LASER will host an inclusive press conference at the show to provide more extensive details on these new developments.

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FORMNEXT PREVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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QUILL VOGUE: Hall 3.0, Booth G20 If you are 3D printing with SLM, you will be aware that the complex geometries and structures you are able to design and then print, with thin walls, hidden voids and channels can create problems for cleaning the metal parts post build. According to Quill Vogue, the need for a simple solution to clean this form of 3D printing has been solved. The Quill Vogue SLM Wash has been designed to remove and filter micron particles from SLM manufactured parts. “The Quill Vogue SLM Wash Station is a new system, which has been developed in partnership with a defence customer,” said Sally Dore from Quill Vogue. “So, we are delighted to be launching the finished machine at this year’s Formnext show. The engineering flexibility and expertise of the Quill Vogue team ensures we are able to support this developing industry with the post-processing solutions demanded.” The water used in the system is filtered down to 0.5 microns and is fully recycled. The machine is fully ventilated so is capable of handling titanium, stainless steel, nickel or aluminium powders.

RENISHAW: Hall 3.1, Booths E68 and D68 Renishaw will introduce its new RenAM 500Q four-laser additive manufacturing (AM) system, which significantly improves productivity. Key benefits include a substantial reduction in cost per part while maintaining the quality and precision offered by standard single laser systems. By speeding up the process, Renishaw expects the RenAM 500Q to broaden the market appeal of metal additive manufacturing. Visitors to the stand will also be introduced to Renishaw’s AM process monitoring technologies that allow manufacturers to capture and analyse sensor data from additive manufacturing systems to develop consistent processing. Fully developed and manufactured in-house, the new process monitoring system combines a chamber camera with synchronous sensing of laser power, galvo position and multi-spectral melt pool sensing, all delivered through the analytical capabilities of its InfiniAM process monitoring software. Renishaw will also present High-Temperature Build Volume, enabling production of materials that are not currently feasible and bulkier parts with less risk of thermal stress effects.

RICOH: Hall 3.0, Booth D20 After debuting its SLS technology at the inaugural edition of formnext powered by tct in 2015, the technology giant is keen to show further advances to its machinery. The AM S5500P is a high-end plastic sintering device, and it is capable of working at elevated temperatures, which opens the door to new materials such as PA6GB – PA6. Plus, Ricoh offers the open parameter platform - enabling users to tweak the process parameters for our standard materials, allowing them to maximise the part quality and processing conditions.

ROBOZE: Hall 3.1, Booth G38 The Italian producer will display a new game changing AM solution that will enable the production of large parts in the strongest material ever introduced in the 3D printing sector for aerospace, defense and motorsport end-use parts. Roboze ARGO500 is the name of the new platform. Argo takes inspiration from the ship used in classic mythology, by members of the band of men who sailed to Colchis with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece. Roboze says ARGO500 will bring users from all over the world from prototyping to production.

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SIMUFACT: Hall 3.0, Booth F27 Simufact will unveil the new product version of its AM specific product: Simufact Additive 3. The thermo-mechanical simulation of construction processes is the big highlight of the next generation of Simufact Additive. With this simulation method, heat energy is applied to the part to be manufactured and provides the user with insights into the global temperature behaviour in the workpiece.

SOLUKON: Hall 3.0, Booth C78 Augsburg-based Solukon has developed the latest in robust and automated industrial systems for the removal of unprocessed metal powder from completed AM build processes. The SFM-AT800

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Thanks to their sealed cleaning process with the safety-monitored infusion of inert protective gas, the systems are certified for the safe processing of critical materials such as titanium and aluminium alloy powders. Users report that the fully automated cleaning process reduces the time required for post-processing by up to 70%. Recovered powder can be fully recycled, all while ensuring that occupational safety standards are fully met.

Simufact will be demoing the software as well as showcasing the case study of an additively manufactured Lightweight hood hinge. In co-operation with EDAG Engineering and the voestalpine Additive Manufacturing Center, we have shown in the LightHinge + innovation project, on the example of a bonnet hinge on the occasion of the IAA, what potential additive production can have for the automotive industry. A weight reduction of 50% compared to a classic-made hinge with the simultaneous integration of a pedestrian protection function make you listen up.

launch of LIGHTSPEED is set for formnext powered by tct. Pricing and availability details are expected to be announced on the show.

SPEE3D: Hall 3.0, Booth C90 Australian start-up, SPEE3D is heading to Frankfurt for the official launch of its LIGHTSPEE3D technology, and as its name may suggest, it’s fast.

Trumpf: Hall 3.0, Booth E50 TRUMPF, the laser systems manufacturer and Industry 4.0 pioneer, will present comprehensive solutions for the cost-effectively additive production of metal parts. Therefore TRUMPF is offering machine solutions of two relevant additive technologies: Laser Metal Fusion (LMF) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). At formnext 2017 the company presents the new TruPrint 5000. The TruPrint 5000 is a highly productive 3D printing machine for industrial series production which is based on the multilaser principle. It features three 500 Watt TRUMPF lasers whereby smart exposure strategies automatically determine the ideal laser paths so that all three lasers can always expose multiple parts. Furthermore, the new multilaser option for the TruPrint 1000 will be exhibited, which features two 200 Watt laser beam sources. The main advantage the multilaser version of the TruPrint 1000 has over the standard model is increased productivity. With no change in capacity utilisation, the machine generates up to 80 percent more parts; pure processing time for producing parts in the powder bed is cut almost in half.

Built on the established coldspray technique traditionally used for repairs, LIGHTSPEE3D uses a six-axis robotic arm to enable the manufacture of metal parts at ‘supersonic’ speeds (a thousand times faster than conventional laserbased systems) from low-cost metal powders. Speaking to TCT, CEO, Byron Kennedy said: “Our vision is, we’re never going to be the poster child of 3D printing making stunning medical parts, we’re going to be in the backroom doing the heavy lifting, really making what industry wants. We don’t need PhDs to design the parts, you can build what you want, and the reason for that is because it is a fast and low-cost process.” The technology has already been successfully installed at Charles Darwin University, but the official

WACKER: Hall 3.1, Booth C18 WACKER is showing its multi-material 3D printing of silicone live for the first time and invites visitors to talk to experts at its booth to learn more about the opportunities 3D printing with silicones is offering According to WACKER, its technology, ACEO, is the world’s first real elastomer which can be 3D printed. Therefore proven silicone experts developed not only the material but also software and hardware opening up new opportunities for various industries such as healthcare, automotive, electronics or even lifestyle goods only to name a few.

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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FORMNEXT PREVIEW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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1030-1100 The Separation of Craniopagus Conjoined Twins: How VSP® (Virtual Surgical Planning) and 3D Printing Played a Role in this Complex Surgery Dr. Carrie Stern - MD and Plastic Surgery Resident at Montefiore Medical Center Montefiore Medical Center 1315-1345 3D Printing in Maxillofacial Surgery Jan Wolff - Asssitant Professor - VU University Medical Center 1500-1530 Successful 3D Printing (FFF) with SemiCrystalline Engineering Polymers Gains from a Scientific Approach Ernst Poppe - New Business Development Manager - Dupont

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

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ADVERTORIAL

Microstructures macro benefits Desktop Metal wants to take the guesswork out of metal additive manufacturing, the complete eco-system from software to microwave enhanced sintering is designed to harness the power of world-renowned metallurgists like Chris Schuh, co-founder and Department Head in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. “Rapid cooling was a feature that Senior Program Manager for Furnaces, Mark Sowerbutts, pushed for from the start,” explains Head of Product Marketing, Larry Lyons. “Mark has over 30 years experience in making industrial furnaces especially for the powder metallurgy industry, and he stressed to us its importance.” “Rapid cooling has many advantages, the most obvious being that it reduces the time for sintering,” says Lyons. “But the more significant advantage is the ability to have control of the microstructures of hardenable steels. Normal cooling of steels typically results in a softer steel, the faster you cool a hardenable steel, the harder it is at the end of the process.” This is where Desktop Metal’s metallurgist led team come into their own; they have been able to plug years of research on the isothermal transformation of metals into the Desktop Metal Studio System. Take for instance one of Desktop Metal’s launch materials, the alloy steel 4140 (Chrome Moly), say you require a medium-strength part, that would need a crystal microstructure known as bainite. The software will recognise the material, the printer will form it, and the software will communicate with the sintering furnace to determine the cooling speed that would produce a bainite crystal structure in the steel. Desktop Metal will be talking publicly about the rapid cooling feature during formnext powered by tct where they will also be demonstrating something of a virtuous circle case study.

Revolutionising the supply chain Built-Rite Tool & Die Inc. is an engineering firm located 25 miles west of Desktop Metal’s Burlington, Massachusetts HQ. DM use Built-Rite for many of its plastic injection moulded parts on its Studio system. Like all good suppliers Built-Rite took an interest in its customer, and once it became clear what Desktop Metal was doing, immediately wanted a slice of the action.

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“They [Built-Rite] could see the potential impact additive could have on their business particularly when making the plastic injection moulds and inserts,” says Lyons. “They’re familiar with DMLS, but Built-Rite is not a Fortune 500 company; they do not have the budget nor facilities to take on that type of investment.” Such is the geography, and business potential offered by BuiltRite’s needs, the company has become one of the first users of Desktop Metal technology. The first investigation is to recreate a mould that Built-Rite used for an injection moulded Studio system component for a side-by-side comparison of the 3D printed mould versus the traditionally manufactured version. Desktop Metal has full confidence that their 3D printed moulds will stand up to the traditionally manufactured moulds in the long-term, but there’s already a short-term benefit being realised right now. “Built-Rite has told us that they lose many bids to competitors based on their timeline to get the parts out to the customer, which is primarily set by the time it takes to obtain the mould.” says Lyons. “Being able to print a mould will drastically reduce the overall project timeline, making them more competitive on time sensitive jobs.” On top of this if Desktop Metal can further demonstrate that 3D printed moulds stand up to the sheer amount of shots a traditionally manufactured mould takes then as Larry says, “it could significantly transform the injection moulding industry forever.” Desktop Metal will be showing examples of this case study on Booth C10, Hall 3.0 at formnext powered by tct.

Intellectual Property ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

THE INDUSTRIALISATION OF 3D PRINTING: WHY COMPANIES MUST NOW ESPECIALLY PROTECT THEIR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND THEIR DATA W o r d s : D r A n d re as L eup ol d

018 will be an exciting year for 3D printing. Additive manufacturing (AM) has, for a long time, been mainly used in tool and prototype construction, and it is now moving into series production. Adidas recently announced that in the coming year it will be producing 100,000 Futurecraft sneakers using Carbon’s digital light synthesis technology and Airbus is cooperating with Daimler and the systems producer EOS in the additive mass production of aluminium parts. These and other developments in AM have not escaped the eyes of lawyers for emerging technologies following market changes and their effects on the legal prerequisites for reducing business risks. With the rapidly advancing industrialisation of 3D printing, the legal questions that these pose are gaining importance, in particular, intellectual ownership of construction data and 3D printable designs and 3D models. Manufacturers of consumer goods are in danger, not from the private user who prints a spare part for his dishwasher but mainly from product pirates, who, using a 3D scanner and a printer, can carry out reverse engineering on new products or commercially successful products. The problem of counterfeiting is not new, but with this technology, it continually reaches new dimensions. The Gartner study expects that by the end of 2018 3D printing will have led to a loss of intellectual property worldwide amounting to 90 billion Euros.

AUTHOR BIO: Dr Andreas Leupold has been advising and representing clients from Germany, England, USA and many other countries mainly in IT Law, Technology, 3D Printing, Media and Trademark Law, Copyright and Unfair Competition Law. Since 2013 he has been continually listed by Best Lawyers’® and Handelsblatt for both Information Technology Law and Media Law and has received numerous awards for his 3D Printing law practice, most recently the Corporate Intl. Award 2017 for the “3D Printing Sector Law Firm of the Year in Germany”. Andreas Leupold is the editor and co-author of the handbook “3D Printing” which he wrote with a team of over 30 contributors that features industry leaders such as Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates and Peter Sander of Airbus Industries. He is a founding member of the supervisory council of the network “Mobility goes additive” initiated by the German Railway Deutsche Bahn (http://mobilitygoesadditive.com/).

Also, companies using AM, or companies outsourcing AM, to service providers must ensure that they do not lose the rights to their products. It is not rare that during this work a service provider makes improvements to the construction of the components. In doing so, he can thus obtain the copyright to the work results or can even obtain a patent to these improvements. Many companies are not sufficiently aware of this possibility and therefore do not think to adequately secure themselves against this using suitable intelligent customised contracts that are concluded in due time before the problem occurs. With such contracts, the allocation of the work results from mutual research and development projects in 3D printing the existing intellectual property (background IP) and the new intellectual property (foreground IP) must be distinguished from one another. 

left: DR ANDREAS LEUPOLD

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Intellectual Property

Equally as important is the contractual safeguarding using industrial security agreements and suitable non-disclosure agreements (NDA). These must achieve more than the usual confidentiality agreements and NDAs have done up until now. Only a few companies today have an adequate intellectual property policy (IP policy) that does completely meet the changed requirements for protecting business secrets and intellectual property in the context of the digitalisation of the production. As the construction file and the 3D model are composed of nothing other than data, this data can without exaggeration be termed to be the new crown jewels of the companies. Not infrequently does the 3D model or the construction file contain the blueprint for new products that should be subject to the strictest possible confidentiality measures. Also, during the printing process, large amounts of data are created that are valuable to the business, because they allow statements about the manufacturing parameters and because they are required for quality control. The EU Commission has recognised that there is a necessity for regulations and is examining whether a new data producer right can be created. At the moment however, whoever has control over the data is de facto its owner and the controller of the data is not always the person to whom or the place where the rights should be rightfully allocated. Companies that want to remain the master of their construction and machine data must therefore carefully contractually regulate, who obtains which rights to data in the digital supply chain.

ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

New risks also result from the fact that 3D printing products are created from data and that principally everyone, who has access to the 3D model or to the printing data and is acquainted with the AM methods, can manufacture the product. In distributed manufacturing, there is no way of avoiding the exchange of data or making it accessible at different production locations. Companies must therefore carefully ensure that their total supply chain does guarantee the necessary and critical data security and that unauthorised persons do not have access to the construction and production data. The new EU knowhow protection directive requires appropriate technical protection measures for the protection of business and trade secrets.

In the ever-advancing world of industrial 3D printing, this task should be left to legal specialists and lawyers who are versed with the legal pitfalls in formulating corresponding contractual clauses and have knowledge of the 3D printing processes themselves. In any case an attempt should not be made to transfer the ownership of data, which our legal system simply does not (yet) allow for. Companies that produce replacements or spare parts for their production systems, machines or tools should firstly carry out freedom to operate (FTO) analysis to ensure that they thereby do not infringe the industrial property rights of third parties. Such checks can indeed be complicated; they must include the most different protected rights such as patents, utility models, copyrights, trademarks and design rights. For this reason, this task should be left to experienced in-house counsels or skilled lawyers who have sufficient experience in the practical application of industrial property law in the field of 3D printing. Service providers who operate internet platforms that offer to users the creation of 3D models themselves must be aware of the risks or the infringement of the protective rights of third parties and their liability for this. The more mainstream the exchange of printing files becomes, the more they must expect to receive cease-and-desist declarations and be made liable for compensation of damages. In my experience as a litigator for one of the worldÂ´s largest marketplace operators, this is something I have seen; the organisation has been subject to such claims and from whom nearly unfeasible obligations to check users were asked. Due to the disruptive and cutting-edge technology of 3D printing and its effect on many areas of business operations and its consequent changing of processes and logistics, it is advisable for businesses to carry out a legal check with respect to 3D printing, not only for intellectual property but for all areas of the law. You will save a lot of money in the long run, by avoiding potential risks. It makes sense to include an external lawyer experienced in 3D printing in the legal check team as many changes in this rapidly advancing area are not always readily apparent and a question not asked can lead to long-term risks, even in the worst case, to a personal liability of the company management itself.

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FINANCE ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

FINANCING LARGE SCALE AM EQUIPMENT AND THEIR ROI

s the doors of boardrooms become increasingly open to the idea of additive manufacturing (AM), the machinery’s financing models of the machinery begin to play an important factor in the decision making process. Metal AM companies have to think of more than just the printer, but the material post-processing, powder handling, sieving, software, etc. Can you afford it? What options are out there? We spoke to Ryan Martin Managing Director from GE Capital’s Industrial Finance team based in Chicago about the topic and since this interview, Ryan has since moved on to become GE Additive North American Sales Leader. 1. You’re a service bureau who has a few industrial plastic machines but you want to look at metal 3D printing, where do you start when it comes to finances? Much like other business decisions, it’s important to start with understanding the need…in this case for the equipment. We like to start by asking a few preliminary questions: 1. What’s driving the expansion into metal 3D printing (new contracts, customer preferences, etc.)? What can metal printing offer you that plastic can’t? 2. How important is asset ownership to your company? 3. Is technological innovation in 3D printing of interest or a concern for your business over the next three to five years? 4.How important is matching financing payments with cash flow?

Once these questions are answered, we can discuss how financing can help address the need. GE Capital Industrial Finance (IF) offers companies looking to adopt new 3D technologies a breadth of flexible financial solutions to help support their business goals.

2. What options are there with financing machinery? Do most people lease or purchase outright, what are the pros and cons of each?

From my viewpoint, more customers are interested in leasing because of the pace of industry innovations and a business’ cash flow. This is especially true for companies interested in going deeper into the additive industry because it gives them the chance to adopt newer models in the future. With leasing, customers can benefit from multiple end-of-term options, including ownership, and the possibility for low monthly payments. It also helps free up cash for other business expenses that may not be easily financeable. A company tends to purchase outright when they know they want to own the equipment over an extended period and they aren’t concerned with the latest technology or future equipment trade-in values. Although there are multiple ways to acquire the latest additive machines, our goal is to competitively price and structure financial solutions for our customers. 3. When you lease a car you’re often limited by mileage and use, is there a similar system in place for metal machines?

We’ve seen the adoption of usage based financing products in some industries such as healthcare but haven’t seen demand for that in the additive industry yet. As the industry matures, we’ll continue to analyse our financial products, adjust to remain competitive and address market trends. 4. With companies like Desktop Metal entering the market offering a sub $200,000 system do you think this kind of lower cost metal system might serve as a gateway to the bigger machinery? The 3D printing market is dynamic and evolving. We believe that as the industry grows, there will be multiple solutions to address customers’ needs. 5. Has the technology reached a point of maturity whereby people are investing in the same way they would in machine tools like CNC machines? Or do you think there’s still some trepidation with regards to people waiting for the next innovation? Technological advancements are occurring faster than ever before in nearly every industry including 3D printing, and I think that makes people both excited and cautious. As technology innovates, so will our financial products. With GE Capital working alongside GE Additive, we have the unique expertise in both equipment and finance that can help companies adapt to innovation…at their pace.

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Moulding & Tooling ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

ADDITIVE AMBITION W o r d s : S A M DAV I E S

dditive manufacturing (AM) has long enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with motorsport, as demonstrated in the volume of use case studies that drop into the TCT Mag editorial team inbox. It continues to flourish. One helps the other to save time, money, and stress, the other helps to push boundaries and drive innovation in an emerging technology. Pat Warner, Renault Sport Formula 1’s Digital Manufacturing Manager, has been involved in F1 for 30 years, and AM nearly 20 thanks to a partnership with 3D Systems. While he claims every day of his career has been different to the last, for two-thirds of it, AM technology has been a permanent fixture. When Renault first got hold of a 3D printing system, Warner says they didn’t know what to do with it, and when they did find an application, the materials would

let it down: ‘Parts moved, were broken easily, and massively hygroscopic,’ he remembers. Fast forward 20 years and Warner’s team is applying AM in several areas in the manufacture of their race cars. Rival-on-the-track, McLaren has allegiances with Stratasys. As Tim Schniepp, Stratasys’ Senior Director of Composite Solutions, refers to in this issue’s cover story, there are many benefits to be taken advantage of for F1 teams, not least in the 3D printing of tooling applications. For Warner and 3D Systems, it’s old news.

ABOVE: THE EXHAUST ON THE SLA 3D PRINTED JIG

“[Jigs and fixtures] were one of our first applications, albeit then the materials didn’t last quite as well,” he tells TCT. “It didn’t take much of a knock to send it flying off the bench, and they also cracked and moved with moisture and light. Things are a lot more stable now, SLA has developed a lot. We also have a large suite of SLS so we can mix and match where we need to and pick the right material for the right job, even use ceramic-filled material for extra stability at temperature.” 

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Visit Arcam at formnext Hall 3.0 Stand #E30 November 14th - 17th Frankfurt, Germany

Welcome to

Manufacturing

UNBOUND

Arcam brings together best-in-class additive manufacturing systems, the highest quality materials, and real-world production expertise, changing the way manufacturers conceive and produce metal components. As the leading provider for titanium additive manufacturing solutions, we use our collective knowledge to inspire and disrupt conventional thinking for production. Welcome to manufacturing unbound. Welcome to Arcam.

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Part of the Arcam Group

A GE Additive Company

Moulding & Tooling ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

Exhibiting at the 3D Systems booth at TCT Show this year, the partners showcased a number of saddle jigs propping up the race car’s exhaust system. The jigs were printed in SLA – the metal ends of the exhaust printed using 3D Systems DMLS technology – and while typically not the simplest of parts to manufacture, harnessing 3D Systems’ technology has been a big help in the building of the jigs, and thus the making of the exhaust.

ABOVE: THE PRINTED

SACRIFICIAL MODEL PRINTED IN TWO HALVES

“Each segment [of the exhaust] is bent, placed in a jig, welded and the next segment is added with another jig, another jig, another jig,” Warner explains. “There’s quite an array of jigs to make one exhaust system. They’re quite complicated piece of welding, and every branch has to be exactly the same in its volume for engine tuning. Being able to make all the jigs in one piece at one time in one machine without having to take a pieces of metal out and put another in is an obvious advantage to us and the materials are plenty good enough for that.”

take a couple of days, or someone assembling the parts that were premachined or pre-cut, which would take the best part of a week. With 3D printing, 15 can be manufactured overnight. In an industry where decisions that will impact the race on Sunday are made as late as Thursday, the time saving is most welcome.

Before the 3D printing of the jigs, Renault F1 would rely on CNC machining, which would

Similar time-reduction advantages are gained in the titanium casting

of the car’s transmission housing. The pre-machined casting pattern weighs 20 kilograms and has walls of between 1mm and 1.5mm in thickness. It is made in Accura 60 QuickCast, printed in two parts – each print taking around 35 hours – and then assembled. “It has a significant job to do,” Warner emphasises. “It’s literally the rear of the car – the suspension comes off it, the rear wings hang off it, all the loads pass through that casting to the engine to the chassis. It’s an integral member of the chassis. It’s very thin in its wall, it’s very high strength, it’s very high detail, and we really couldn’t produce a casting of that detail without additive. At this point, there is nothing capable of making that directly in additive, and keep the strength, the detail, and the surface requirements that we have. It’s been a perfect fit for us.” That also applies to Renault’s overall use of 3D printing. Looking back, Warner believes motorsport has contributed to the growth of additive manufacturing, and looking forward is sure the benefits will continue to be shared between the two industries. He concedes there’s still some way to go, but assesses improvements in all facets of the technology, and notes that the Renault automotive group keeps a keen eye on the Formula 1 team’s use of additive manufacturing.

ABOVE: THE RESULTING

PART FROM THE FOUNDRY

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A frontrunner in medical implant technology We produce metal powders for your individual requirements

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GUEST COLUMN ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

INTEGRATING THE ADDITIVE POWDER BED PROCESS INTO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS CHAIN Wor d s: R alf Loet tg en, E x p er t A d d i t i v e M a n u fac t u ri n g at GF Mach ining Solu tions in Ip s ac h , S w i t ze rl a n d

central goal of the strategic cooperation between GF Machining Solutions and EOS GmbH is to integrate the powder bed process into the processes involved in mould and die manufacturing as well as into the production of individual and serial components for industrial applications. Apart from a few particular exceptions, the integration into conventional process steps for the preparation and/or further processing of additively manufactured components is an aspect which should not be overlooked.

THE CHALLENGES The nature of primary shaping processes—the powder bed process must be considered as such— is that they usually directly precede the actual manufacturing process chain, rather than being an integral part of it. In particular, the identity, as well as the geometric and physical reference of an individual component, is often missing. However, this exact information as well as the physical properties are prerequisites for the typical process chain in mould and die manufacturing (figure 1). The cooperation between GF Machining Solutions and EOS GmbH was significantly motivated by the desire to close this gap across all application segments. The necessary approach seems simple at first glance; in industrial practice, however, it represents a massive potential increase in productivity for the entire process chain. 

ABOVE: FIG. 1: PROCESS

CHAIN IN MOULD AND DIE PRODUCTION

RIGHT: AM S 290

TOOLING MACHINE - A COLLABORATION BETWEEN GF MACHINING SOLUTIONS AND EOS

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

1 - 3 MARCH 2018

SNIEC, SHANGHAI, CHINA

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GUEST COLUMN

ADDED AND GENERATED IN THE 3D MODEL

THE SOLUTION While established conventional production processes—particularly in mould and die production—are based on a reference system to link successive production steps without complicated setup or loss in accuracy, this is not yet an established standard in additive manufacturing. Compatible reference systems in machinery for the powder bed process are the exception. Currently, only the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling is equipped with a fully integrated System 3R MacroMagnum reference system as a standard. A reference system offers significant advantages for typical problems in generative production, such as: • The obligatory orientation of the build plate parallel to the working level (recoater level) without manual readjustment • The clamping and alignment of “preforms” for hybrid1) mould inserts without manual readjustment • The positioning of components to be generated on the build plate in a geometrically defined position relative to the reference system • The simple clamping and alignment of build plates on spark-erosion wire-cutting systems for separating the workpieces produced by the powder bed process • The refurbishment of the build plates for example through milling or grinding Integrating the reference system is merely the first

step towards seamlessly integrating additive manufacturing into the industrial production process. GF Machining Solutions is, therefore, addressing the current gaps on multiple levels. The most straightforward issue to deal with is ensuring that components are not just placed anywhere in the workspace by a simple “dragand-drop” process, but placed in a geometric position defined in the digital process chain. To do this, the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling is equipped as standard with the required software functionality. A more difficult issue to address is the digital integration of the powder bed process in workshop management systems which are designed by conventional, sequentially operating

production processes. In the powder bed process, however, multiple components can be generated simultaneously, which is desired to benefit from a subsequent reduction in proportional auxiliary process time. However, this parallel process poses a challenge for established workshop management systems when it comes to tracking the status and identity of components—a challenge GF Machining Solutions has committed to solving with its in-house System 3R WorkShopManager software. No less challenging is the fact that the powder bed process requires a solid metallic base to which the component is fixed by a melted layer of metal. Consequently, a separation process (e.g. spark-erosion wire cutting) is required for the components generated on the build plate. This process of separation from the build plate, which—depending on the component and process design—is carried out before or after any required heat treatment, causes the components to lose their physical and geometric position and to arrive in an undefined position somewhere in the work tank of the spark-erosion wire cutting system. Collected there, they must be individually re-clamped for further processing by conventional production processes and their exact geometric position must be re-established. 

1) “Preforms” refers to conventionally manufactured, generally geometrically simple parts of a mould insert, to which an often complex geometric part is directly attached using the powder bed process. The resulting mould insert is frequently referred to as a “hybrid mould insert.”

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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

below: REFERENCE AREAS

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below: FIG. 3: 3R MASTERPAL/MINIPAL CONCEPT

3.1: 3R MASTERPAL, 3.2: 3R MASTERPAL WITH ONE 3R MINIPAL , 3.3: 3R MASTERPAL WITH 16 3R MINIPAL

Adding reference surfaces to the CAD model in the design phase and building them when generating the component (figure 2) can, in many cases, solve this issue. However, this solution is not practical or feasible in all situations. Here, GF Machining Solutions suggests a concept which consists of a reference platform (3R MasterPal) and multiple recyclable component-specific mini pallets (3R MiniPal; figure 4). In this concept, the components are still generated directly on the 3R MiniPal; however, these are fixed to the 3R MasterPal by a detachable connection and referenced relative to the integrated chuck of the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling using locating pins. The component generated by Additive Manufacturing on top of the 3R MiniPal can now be separated easily from the 3R MasterPal and, if necessary, proceed to heat treatment including the 3R MiniPal. Subsequently, thanks to the attached 3R MiniPal, the component can be re-fixed onto standard reference elements (e.g. System 3R MacroHP). It is thereby oriented and physically fixed in a geometric position which is sufficiently accurate for the remaining conventional production process chain. The component is separated from the 3R MiniPal either as a final step of the milling or turning operation or using spark-erosion wire cutting. This entire process is shown schematically in figure 4. Identical logic can be used specially in mould and die production for referencing preforms or standard mould plates. Taking the reference hole pattern on the 3R MasterPal into consideration when manufacturing the preforms enables simple fixation and simultaneously includes the exact position relative to the reference system of the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling. The routing via a coordinate measuring machine also becomes a standard process, as the coordinate measuring machine and the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling use the same physical reference concept—that is, the measured coordinates can be transferred for Additive Manufacturing.

Additionally, the 3R MasterPal is compatible with standard mould plates from HASCO or Meusburger. This is a significant advantage for directly producing mould inserts on standard mould components; it can, for example, considerably accelerate the production of mould inserts for prototypes.

CONCLUSION Integrating the powder bed process in the manufacturing process chain poses physical and digital interface problems at various points. GF Machining Solutions has developed suitable solution approaches which take into consideration the particular constraints of the powder bed process and enable practical, practice-oriented integration.

FIG 3.1

FIG 3.2

FIG 3.3

Above: FIG. 4: POSSIBLE PROCESS CHAIN WHEN USING 3R MASTERPAL/MINIPAL

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GE HEALTHCARE OPENS FIRST 3D PRINTING LAB IN EUROPE

CREAFORM ANNOUNCES NEW EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE Portable measurement solution developer, Creaform is offering 50 free bundle licenses for two software solutions when educational institutes purchase a portable 3D scanner or portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). The software included in this offer are the VXmodel scan-to-CAD platform and VXinspect dimensional software application. Educators will also receive one-year warranty on parts and labour; five years of software updates and technical support; and a comprehensive teaching manual on reverse engineering and quality control and inspection.

GE Healthcare has opened the doors to its first 3D printing lab in Europe. Based in Uppsalam Sweden, the Innovative Design and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre for Europe is designed to speed up the launch of new products for the healthcare industry. Bringing together polymer and metal additive manufacturing technology with traditional machining equipment and collaborative robots, researchers, designers, and engineers will design, test and produce medical parts.

FIT AG ACQUIRES FIVE EOS SYSTEMS AS NEW FACTORY ANNOUNCED FIT AG has invested in five EOS M 400-4 systems, set to form part of a new industrial 3D printing factory for serial production. The AM solutions provider will use the laser-based metal additive platforms to manufacture parts for the automotive, medical technology and aerospace technologies. Already offering a range of AM solutions, these new machines will help FIT AG meet the continually growing demand for high quality 3D printed parts.

AIRBUS INSTALLS 3D PRINTED TITANIUM BRACKET ON A350 XWB Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus has installed a 3D printed titanium bracket on its series production commercial aircraft, the A350 XWB. It represents the first 3D printed component to be implemented on an Airbus commercial aircraft. The part was produced by Arconic, an advanced manufacturing and engineering company, who has struck a partnership with Airbus to additively manufacture components for its latest widebody aircraft.

MATERIALISE ACQUIRES ACTECH Materialise has announced its acquisition of ACTech, a German company producing limited runs of highly complex metal parts. The agreement of this deal, Materialise hopes, will enhance its ability to offer complete manufacturing solutions for unique components additively manufactured in metal. It brings together the knowledge and experience Materialise has in metals, additive manufacturing and software, with the comprehensive metal manufacturing offering of ACTech.

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UK AM STRATEGY ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

AM UK TALKS STRATEGY WOR D S : LAU R A G R IF F ITH S

he more industry events you attend and application examples you see, one thing can be said for sure, additive manufacturing is maturing. That was cemented in the UK at TCT Show 2017 where the Additive Manufacturing UK National Strategy was launched to help drive the UK to the forefront of commercialised AM. The Strategy is detailed in a 46-page document authored by AM UK, an independent, government-backed collaboration bolstered by the UK Additive Manufacturing Steering Group made up of business, research and leadership personnel to help tap into the UK’s AM potential. Since 2014, AM UK has taken part in a series of consultations and pulled together the work-group outputs to recognise what needs to happen in order for industry to adopt the technology and understand its future potential. “Additive manufacturing is a ‘must have’ technology for UK manufacturing to remain competitive globally,” Paul Unwin, Industrial Chair, Additive Manufacturing Strategy Steering Group, AM UK, told TCT. “Alarmingly, UK manufacturing is not keeping up with its global competitors. It is imperative that we reverse this trend and additive manufacturing is an essential ingredient in enabling a stepchange in manufacturing productivity and competitiveness.” It is estimated that the UK’s high value manufacturing sector could generate over £3.5 billion per year GVA (gross value added) by 2025 supported by a potential 60,000 jobs - a phenomenal rise from the £235 million and less than 5,000 jobs back in 2015. Today’s wider UK manufacturing sector employs 2.6m people, generating £168 billion GVA for the national economy. High value manufacturing currently represents approximately 60% of this figure. Over the last five years, the UK government has invested over £200,000 into AM to encourage innovation and growth but potential in the UK is yet to be tapped. Similar initiatives are already in place across the globe - China launched its “Made-in-China 2025” plan in 2015, and Industry 4.0 is increasing advanced manufacturing in Germany. In order to remain an

aggressive player on an increasingly competitive global playing field, AM UK says AM will need to be a key component of the UK’s manufacturing output and claims it will benefit from around £600m of planned investment by UK industry over the next five years to help catapult that into action. “Unless they adopt additive manufacturing by 2025, British companies will not be winners in the global high-value manufacturing race. But they will struggle to do this on their own,” Robin Wilson, Innovation Lead, Manufacturing, Innovate UK explained. “The Strategy will inform and accelerate the adoption process whilst focusing national resources on removing any remaining barriers to success. It will help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world for businesses to invest in this game-changing production technology.” Research states that the UK could take around 8% or £5 billion of this global market which is set to reach £69 billion by 2025. The Strategy aims to help guide UK businesses to adopt AM with a real business case proposition and highlight the challenges that need to be overcome in order to exploit it effectively.

“ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING IS NO LONGER JUST A NICHE TECHNOLOGY FOR RAPID PROTOTYPING AND TOOLING, IT HAS ENTERED THE MAINSTREAM AND IS SET TO BECOME THE “ACE” CARD”.

above: ROBIN WILSON LEADS

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UK AM STRATEGY ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES

• Develop links to all aspects of the digital space, connecting with relevant supply chain review activity and follow through any recommendations in both the digital and real world. • Clarify digital manufacturing related licensing, payment methods, design, and collaboration. Set out a collaborative work programme to action issues.

“We are convinced that additive manufacturing and 3D printing will transform the way UK companies, particularly those in high value manufacturing, are able to gain competitive advantage in the coming 3-5 years,” Robin continued. “But we also realise that very few companies can make this disruptive journey on their own. The Additive Manufacturing Strategy aims to provide a more knowledgeable and co-ordinated support environment, underpinned by leading edge research and innovation, to enable businesses across all industry sectors to understand and adopt this technology in whatever form suits them best. We are now working closely with AM UK to develop the implementation plan and secure significant levels of private and public investment to accelerate this transformation and enable businesses of all sizes to reap the huge benefits that it offers.” Highlighting the applicability of the subject on the UK manufacturing landscape, a panel of leading UK authorities in AM joined together at TCT Show to discuss the need for companies to adopt additive by 2025 in order to remain competitive. In a panel session led by Innovate UK, Phil Reeves from Stratasys, Graeme Bond at FDM Digital, Jenny Westworth from BAE Systems, and Jonathan Rowley from Digits2Widgets, used their experience to debate this vision and the urgency for a UK Strategy.

“In principle it is a very comprehensive and sensible document. However, I feel that the emphasis on “adoption” implies too heavily on the perception that UK industry needs to invest as soon as possible in AM hardware, in order exploit the benefits,” Jonathan, Design Director at Digits2Widgets, commented on the launch of the AM Strategy. “Adoption doesn’t have to mean owning the technology. UK manufacturers of all sizes initially need to be encouraged to outsource AM requirements. Starting on a modest level, they need to test the waters and gradually incorporate AM parts in to their existing processes. This doesn’t limit them to a specific AM technology nor tie them to today’s version of it. It also puts them in pole position whenever their dream AM technology appears, as they will already be immersed in the principles of using AM.” It is expertise such as this that AM UK has consulted in order to put together the document, leveraging knowledge from its Steering Group including Phill Dickens from the University of Nottingham, Clive Martell from Renishaw, and David Wimpenny from the Manufacturing Technology Centre, amongst other leading figures from UK universities and organisations. The outcome has resulted in the following recommendations made to implement the AM strategy:

• Implement Phase 2 investment in the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing, developing it through a hub and spoke model. • Support the development of an expert UK additive manufacturing User Group • Establish and run a national help and contact point organisation. AM UK believes the time for implementation is now and a properly funded and governed strategy will be a critical factor for realising the benefits of AM for UK businesses. Robin concluded: “Additive manufacturing is no longer just a niche technology for rapid prototyping and tooling, it has entered the mainstream and is set to become the “ace” card, the most powerful piece of kit in the toolbox. Not that it will replace conventional manufacturing technologies overnight. But it will certainly displace them and we may face the prospect of many smaller or specialist companies becoming fatally uncompetitive, almost overnight, if they sit in blissful ignorance or fail to act in the shadow of this displacement.” The Additive Manufacturing Strategy is available for download as a PDF from www.am-uk.org.

TOP: PROFESSOR KEN YOUNG,

TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR OF THE MTC PRESENTS THE AM UK VISION

TOP LEFT: AM UK STRATEGY DOCUMENT

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grimm column

GUIDANCE FOR THE NEW SHERPA WOR D S : TODD G R IM M

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

rom the TCT Show stage and in the pages of the TCT Magazine, I have been promoting the idea of finding a Sherpa to assist in navigating the diverse and ever-changing additive manufacturing (AM) landscape. Based on feedback, it seems that this concept has resonated with those tasked with finding the right solution. However, the overwhelming pace of change that dictates the need for a Sherpa may, in turn, lead to an overwhelming and daunting task for those newly appointed to this role. This feeling is most often expressed through the simple question of “How do I get started?” The easy answer is to find someone that already knows the lay of the land. But that is too obvious to warrant the questions that I have been getting. So I have to conclude that this is not an option and that individuals are seeking guidance on how to chart the AM waters on their own. This path is simple, but far from easy — there are no shortcuts to uncovering an ideal, or good-enough, solution for your AM needs. With no shortcuts and only a single page to discuss this topic, all that I can offer is some high-level advice. Let’s start with desirable qualities and reasonable goals of a Sherpa. As the navigator of AM options, the Sherpa must be observant, inquisitive, vigilant and diligent. Start with what is known and expand the knowledge base by asking questions and being on the lookout for any alternatives that may arise. I also recommend that the Sherpa be both pragmatic and optimistic. In the context of this article, this means that the Sherpa is responsible for the investigation but does not need to be the sole source of fact finding. Instead, enlist the resources

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of others in the organization and befriend credible, like-minded outsiders that are also investigating AM. Another aspect of pragmatism is to have a goal of finding the perfect solution but being realistic in accepting a solution that is good enough. Without this balance, it is easy to fall into the trap of paralysis by analysis. When trying to chart a course, you must know where you want to go. For the AM Sherpa, this means that you must start with an understanding of the target applications and associated requirements. This information is then used as a filter through which all technologies that you discover pass. Whether an alternative passes through or is filtered out, use it as a springboard for discovering other solutions by being inquisitive. Now the Sherpa is ready to discover all of the potential AM candidates. My recommendation is to begin by becoming familiar with ASTM’s classifications of AM technologies. A high-level understanding of the general characteristics within each class can narrow the scope in which to invest time for investigation. For example, if you are not interested in metals or photopolymers, you can immediately disregard anything in the directed energy deposition and vat photopolymerization classes. However, note that within each class there can be many permutations, which creates subsets of capabilities. Also note that while many AM companies use the ASTM class names to categorise their technology, just as many do not. For the research phase, you will want to both go to the information and let it come to you. For the latter, subscribe to AM publications and AM news feeds. As a reader of TCT Magazine, you have

the publication aspect covered, but you may want to consider other magazines as well. For the news feeds, you should start by subscribing to TCT’s AdditiveInsight. In addition to AdditiveInsight, I also use Google Alerts, TenLinks and 3D Printing Industry feeds. As the news comes at you, give a quick look at each item and pass it through your requirements filter. Going to the information will require travel to trade shows. I recommend starting with shows that are focused on AM. These will bring a large number of AM suppliers to one location, allowing you to get a feel for what is out there in a general context. Depending on your industry and application, you may also elect to visit a show that caters to these while also having AM representation. You won’t get as broad of a view at these shows, but those that exhibit are likely to be a bit more aligned to your needs. Regardless of the show type, walk the floor with the intent of absorbing as much information as you can and ask as many questions as possible. Also eavesdrop, a conversation between the supplier and another attendee may give you insight to the questions you should be asking or an idea of competitive technologies. For the shows you can’t visit, visit their websites for a listing of exhibitors that are in the AM space. You won’t get the details you need, but it can provide company names to add to your list for further investigation. In this same vein, you could also turn to online databases like those from Aniwaa or Senvol. But don’t think that a repository of equipment will make the journey easy. With the breadth and depth of alternatives, it is difficult to keep the information up to date and impossible to characterise all of the criteria on which you will be filtering. Investigating the AM landscape is a journey that requires time and effort. There are no shortcuts for those that want to find the right solution. Invest the time, be diligent, and be inquisitive. The journey may be exhausting but the rewards are worth it.

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