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METAL 3D PRINTING
FOR THE OPERATING ROOM How 3D Systems and EIT are transforming surgical implants
We chose the Stratasys uPrint machine for functional prototype testing. This FDM technique allows us to print plastic parts & attach motors.
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
AUGUST 2015
ISSN 1751-0333
EDITORIAL HEAD OF CONTENT
James Woodcock james@rapidnews.com GROUP EDITOR
Daniel O’Connor daniel.oconnor@rapidnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR
Laura Griffiths laura.griffiths@rapidnews.com NEWSDESK
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Education for the Nation
E
ach issue of TCT has themes that are set out by our media planner at the start of every year, however during the proofing process one does start to spot unintentional subjects running throughout the magazine as if this were some grand plan. Certainly this is an issue imbued with one sentiment throughout; education is paramount. We’re always learning, it would pretty much, in an industry that is still in the middle of unprecedented growth, be impossible not to. Whether it’s an elementary grasp of a new technology or an unpredictable new application, we’re in a privileged position at TCT to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the technologies today. Unfortunately, this is not a privilege everyone shares (though with the sheer breadth of great, free content available through our various channels it should be), it was worrying to hear the Head of UK Business Skills & Innovation, Clare Marett, say during the CECIMO AM Conference in the European Parliament that UK SMEs were skeptical about the benefits of the technologies and were reluctant to invest any time or money into finding out more. Granted, the technology doesn’t have a benefit for everyone, but it is more than just jewellery, aerospace, automotive and medical, it is whatever you want it to be. There’s a story on page 13 of a company using the technology in a pretty mundane but very beneficial way to pass savings on to their customers, those are the kind of applications that could lead to widespread adoption. Many companies we read or hear about using the technologies didn’t get the hard sell, often it takes one enthusiastic team member to take a look at the tech and
ponder how their company could benefit from it. Towards the back of this issue the ever, excellent Todd Grimm column offers a further in depth analysis to the conundrum facing many SMEs wanting to adopt the technology. But it all starts with education, the more people that understand the technology the more of those enthusiastic employees we have. These enthusiasts will be able to explore particular benefits, set about implementing them and garner the experience necessary to make it a successful application for others to learn from. Fortunately, it would appear most Government’s and policy makers are finally taking note as Laura and I both explore at the various conferences we’ve attended since the last issue. There’s plenty more education to be had in this issue from a sneak peak at what is to come during TCT Show + Personalize 2015 to a look at the state of 3D Printing in the automotive industry. We’re always learning and we hope we can drag you along for an educational ride. As always, we’d love to hear from you if you have a particular story of interest, all of our contact details are on the previous page and we do try to get round to replying to everyone. Druck On.
Daniel O’Connor Group Editor
For a new era of manufacturing Applying over 40 years of cross-sector engineering Renishaw’s new metal powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system for industrial production features increased emphasis on automation and reduced operator interaction. Find out more at www.renishaw.com/additive
www.renishaw.com Renishaw's EVO project Strip ad TCT 0715.indd 1
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE EDITOR
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
CONTENTS
TCT | AUGUST 2015 EDITION
LEAD NEWS
08
41
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METAL 3D PRINTING FOR THE OPERATING ROOM
Cover star 3D Systems on working with Emerging Implant Technologies to transform surgical implants.
MONUMENTS WOMAN
Dan takes a look at the work of artist Morehshin in her fight to restore ancient artefacts destroyed by ISIS.
FEATURES
11
NEWS
A roundup of all the latest news from the last month, for more on each of the stories visit www.tctmagazine.com
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SHAPING THE CURVE
We uncover how one underwear company is using low-cost 3D printing to produce moulds for casting.
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CAN YOU REALLY 3D PRINT A SUPERCAR? From model cars to supercars we bring you an update on the latest AM developments in the automotive industry.
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MODELMAKING, EVOLVED
Fusing traditional model-making with cutting-edge technology, Amalgam explains how it was able to create a set of large scale exhibition models in rapid time.
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MOVING INTO THE FUTURE OF 3D
Laura reports on her visit to the new home of Europac3D, one of the UK’s leading 3D scanning and 3D printing companies.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AM & 3D PRINTING REVIEW We bring you the highlights from the 10th edition of the UK conference in Nottingham.
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TCT SHOW PREVIEW
Show firsts, Executive Keynotes and Inspired Minds – we bring you a little taster of what you can expect to see at this year’s TCT Show + Personalize.
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PERSONALIZE PRINTING PRESS
A pick of some of the best 3D prints we’ve spotted over the last month.
DRIVING THE FUTURE OF UK MANUFACTURING TCT speaks to Bart Simpson of Delcam to find out how the CAD/CAM solutions provider is reshaping the UK manufacturing landscape.
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LE CORBUSIER REMASTERED Laura finds out how London studio, Digits2Widgets used 3D printing to recreate the Le Corbusier’s chapel “Notre Dame du Haut”.
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REPUTATION MAKES INNOVATION
We speak to Croft Filters about the challenge to convince an entire industry about the benefits of AM.
CENTRE STAGE
Jim visits Renishaw’s new Innovation Centre and reveals the engineering company’s ambitious plans for EMO.
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EDUCATING EUROPE
Dan reports on his trip to the European Parliament for the Additive Manufacturing European Conference.
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MOVING WITH THE TIMES
TCT takes a look at some current projects that are showcasing the pivotal role 3D printing is playing in the architecture industry.
REGULARS
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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GUEST COLUMN TODD GRIMM COLUMN
AUGUST 2015
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LEAD NEWS: 3d systems
METAL 3D PRINTING FOR THE OPERATING ROOM HOW 3D SYSTEMS AND EIT ARE TRANSFORMING SURGICAL IMPLANTS W O R D S : 3 d s yst ems
F
ROM PREOPERATIVE PLANNING TO
patient education to surgical guide production, 3D printing for medical applications is on the rise as physicians and researchers are increasingly taking advantage of the technology’s endless flexibility. A new generation of metal 3D printing technology along with biocompatible metals are adding another layer of possibilities, allowing medical implant companies to 3D print patient-specific implants for immediate use in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. German medical device manufacturer Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT), the first European orthopedic implant maker to focus solely on manufacturing with 3D printing, recently demonstrated the vast potential of medical additive manufacturing by supplying the first anatomically adapted, 3D-printed titanium fusion implant to a patient with a degenerative cervical spine condition. The technology behind this pioneering effort was 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing (DMP), which is capable of building metal objects layer by layer in a variety of metals, in this case biocompatible titanium. Designed in partnership with 3D Systems and produced using its cloudbased manufacturing services, the porous EIT cervical implant imitates the structure and characteristics of natural trabecular bone, say the developers,
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
allowing the surrounding structures to fuse with it more easily and significantly accelerating the healing process. This sophisticated medical device—with its precise micro-, macro- and nanostructural components—demonstrates the power and potential of infinitely complex 3D printed parts and the incredible accuracy of DMP technology. The capabilities of DMP, and medical applications like EIT’s, are already capturing the medical community’s attention: “We are fascinated by the possibilities of this new technology combining modern computer-aided design and custom-made manufacturing of a high-tech cervical implant,” said Uwe Spetzger, the surgeon who performed the surgery, and the chairman of the neurosurgery department at Klinikum Karlsruhe, in a press release. “The future of patient individualised spinal implants has begun.”
ABOVE: Fluoroscopic image of implanted 3D-printed Cervical Cage and 2) an image of Direct Metal Printing.
Typically, a cervical implant procedure requires bone grafts as well as stock metal implants and comes with a range of undesired outcomes, like implant migration and breakage. As a result, many patients require subsequent operations before the implant can be secured. EIT’s implant, on the other hand, nullifies the need for bone grafts and, with its bone-like structure, provides enhanced bone-implant contact and fusion. At the same time, using patient-specific imaging data
Individualiastion will deliver better implants, faster and easier surgery, and better patient outcomes at a reasonable cost,” said Stephanie Eisen, CEO of EIT in a press release. “The reoperation rates in spine surgery are by far higher than, for example, with hip or knee implants. It is our mission to change this outcome statistic.
and 3D printing, EIT is able to provide implants that fit perfectly with the patient’s anatomy and produce those implants faster and more economically than traditional methods. These custom-fit implants reduce the chance of migrating and actually encourage the bone-implant fusion that is so vital to the success of this procedure. For the patient, this all translates into less time under anesthesia because no bone grafts are required, a reduced risk of reoperation due to migrated implants and, potentially, a faster recovery. Used increasingly in medical applications, as well as automotive, aerospace and manufacturing, Direct Metal 3D printers by 3D Systems create chemically pure, fully dense and highly accurate metal parts using patented laser melting technology. In addition to the biocompatible titanium used by EIT, DMP printers are compatible with over 20 materials, like Inconel, maraging steel and chromium cobalt. As medical manufacturers shift toward personalised and highly complex implants and drill guides, the future is bright for 3D Systems’ Direct Metal 3D printing.
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CRP GROUP CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF MECHANICAL MACHINING AND AM
The CRP Group is celebrating two milestones as the company marks 45 years in the precision mechanical machining sector and 20 years in additive manufacturing. Founded in 1970 by Roberto Cevolini to provide CNC machining to the motorsport industry, the company has since transformed itself to meet the demands of the international market through alternative to traditional manufacturing methods for small services and the production of functional prototypes and end-use components.
NEWS Partnerships, appointments and collaborations have been making headlines this month as industry leaders and bodies join forces to accelerate the growth of additive technologies.
The Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group (3DPRG) at The University of Nottingham has unveiled its new lab dedicated to research and testing of new materials and practical applications for 3D printing. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the lab features a new suite of analytical equipment and £2.7m of world-first additive manufacturing machines including the bespoke PiXDRO JETx six head ink jetting system.
FOR THESE STORIES IN FULL CLICK TO WWW.TCTMAGAZINE.COM
RENISHAW APPOINTS HEAD OF GLOBAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Renishaw has brought in industry veteran Clive Martell to head up a new role as Head of Global Additive Manufacturing. The former Delcam President and CEO began his career in the software industry back in 1982 and will turn his attention to driving the company’s AM strategy across its worldwide product group, liaising with both development teams in the UK and sales and marketing operations on a global scale. For more turn to page 61.
SIGMA LABS LAUNCH METAL 3D PRINTING SERVICE WITH ARETE INNOVATION SOLUTIONS
WORLD’S FIRST HYBRID GRINDING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINE UNVEILED
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies has revealed its contribution to the world’s first hybrid grinding machine, millGrind. The first of its kind machine sets a new standard for precision by integrating surface and profile grinding with additive manufacturing in a single machine. millGRIND is a continuousdress creep-feed grinding machine made by Elb-Schliff WZM GmbH and equipped with Ambit laser metal deposition and milling capabilities.
FAST PROJECT FORMED TO BRING INNOVATIVE 3D PRINTING APPLICATIONS TO AEROSPACE Three manufacturing companies in Europe have partnered together for the FAST Project, aimed at optimising design and technologies to make large aerospace structures and parts more efficient, cost effective and inventive than ever before with 3D Printing. The three companies involved in FAST are; Constellium - a large supplier of aluminium based parts, Stelia Aerospace - a manufacturer of aircraft equipped fuselages and CT Ingenierie - a engineering company who specialise in technological innovation. AUGUST 2015
Sigma has announced a joint venture company with Cincinnatibased AM in metals specialist, Arete Innovative Solutions LLC. The new entity, AreteSigma, will be a comprehensive metal solutions provider for the burgeoning AM market. The joint venture sees two ends of the metal AM spectrum join forces to offer a full suite of services from design through prototyping and manufacturing of highprecision metal components.
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM UNVEILS NEW 3D PRINTING RESEARCH LAB
casting applications ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
W O R D S : da n i e l o ’c o n n o r
curve
Shaping the
I
t is a well-worn trope to discuss how rather than usurping traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing is actually improving them. We’ve seen countless case studies from jewellers using wax-based stereolithography resins in order to cast exquisitely beautiful rings in precious metals with geometries that simply could not be achieved using any other technology. There has also been some eye-catching news this year from Stratasys who were keen to showcase their partnership with the world’s largest fast moving consumer goods manufacturer, Unilever. That particular case study demonstrated how Unilever used Stratasys technologies to create moulds for injection-moulded prototypes thus cutting lead times by staggering amounts.
“Before, we would have to wait several weeks to receive prototype parts using our traditional tooling process; not only would this lengthen lead times, it would also increase costs if iterations were required,” explained Stefano Cademartiri, R&D, CAD and Prototyping Specialist at Unilever back in January. “With 3D printing we’re now able to apply design iterations to the mould within a matter of hours, enabling us to produce prototype parts in final materials such as polypropylene, 40% faster than before.” But the adoption of 3D printing to speed up traditional manufacturing processes doesn’t stop at highend Stratasys and 3D Systems machinery, as one of the world’s leading underwear manufacturers, Anita Dr. Helbig GmbH, has showcased by integrating German RepRap technology into their production line. Since their inception in 1886 the underwear company’s USP has always been extreme comfort and fit across their range of women’s underwear. From sports bras to post surgery prosthesis the four words Anita stands for are: fit, function, look and comfort. In order to improve those keys aspects of their brand and keep the cost to the consumer down, Anita has turned to
a machine that costs as little as €2649 in order to produce moulds. “The moulds have been changing all the time and we need tools for 10 different types in 100 different sizes”, says Anita’s Managing Director Georg WeberUnger Junior. Traditionally Anita used a wooden template to create a fibreglass prototype that was mirrored by a manual process to create an aluminium mould to pour the silicone into – a process that could take in excess of 14 days. “The two sides were never absolutely identical”, the MD recalls Since purchasing a German RepRap X400 Machine Anita have set about creating a process that is not only quicker but has a cost saving of up to 50%. The original aluminium moulds are 3D scanned and adapted using CAD software to create a 3D printable model. The resulting PLA model is then cast with sand and a foundry then turns that into the required aluminium mould to shape the end product. The fact that a world renowned company like Anita, which employs in excess of 1500 people, is adopting a process like this with a technology that costs so little to install bodes well for a raft of desktop machinery hoping to find its own niche in the market.
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THE ART OF PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY
Creating freedom is an art: the freeformer revolutionises additive manufacturing. Highly flexible manufacturing of functional 3D products from standard granulates without a mould – from one-off parts to small-volume batches. Freely formed by the Red Dot Award winner 2014. A unique perspective, worldwide!
www.arburg.co.uk
deepak mehta ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
Certifying 3D PRINTS WOR DS : de e pa k m e hta
R
emoving the barriers
to entry for 3D printing is one of the most important challenges that faces the industry today. For the last five years I have taken it upon myself to help to remove some of the hurdles, so that more and more people can benefit from additive manufacturing. Initially the obstacles were more regarding clarity of information, access to technology and skill gaps. This led me to build out a network of 3D printers in Antwerp using 3D Hubs, organising events to raise awareness and teaching youth basic CAD skills, tasks slowly taken over by my son, Ritik. On this journey, my son was my most valued prototype: his confrontation with the technology and insights led me to a path way ahead of most, realising early on that teaching design and modelling skills are crucial to avoid a new digital divide. While the world is gearing to teach kids to program, the missing skill for them will be to bring the digital back to the analogue world. Something Andy Middleton of Stratasys recently acknowledged at CECIMO in Brussels. When Ritik decided to start working on a line of commercially available eyewear (www.irixs. com), he was confronted with the retail requirement of a CE-mark for his glasses. Upon research into the matter, we found that there was very little documentation
and that nobody in the industry offered CE norming on their materials or machines. Generally, 3D printed products are exempted under hand made or small-scale productions, but this does not instill a great heap of confidence with the end consumer. This leads to uncertainty and doubt on behalf of the small-scale innovators, who are left with the burden of writing their own norms and hoping that is suďŹƒcient. The lack of certification is impeding innovation and blocking the ability to leverage the power of AM in order to democratise manufacturing. Certification for additive manufacturing is not an easy job, but it can be done: a quick peek at the EOS materials site and you see that some of the metals are certified, but none of the plastics are. Defining the right combination of machines and materials printed under the right controlled environment should be certifiable. Testing the printed samples would give you the data needed to certify the design and provided it is printed in the similar situations the future products should pass the tests as well. A while ago, I got the opportunity to raise this issue with CECIMO and I hope that the industry will come together to offer a platform so that certification of prints would become easier. This would lead to more people using the technology and the creation of safer products.
Biography Deepak Mehta became involved in the world of 3D Printing through his then10-year-old son, Ritik. From that day onwards he has been doing his bit to remove the barriers for broader acceptance of the technology: educating youngsters to develop modelling skills, opening an experience store in Antwerp to lower the barrier to entry and advocating additive manufacturing within startups.
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automotive
point of view and also plenty of consumerfodder branded scepticism, it’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting areas 3D printing has touched.
WOR D S : la u r a g r iffit h s
L
eading names in the automotive industry such as Formula 1, Lamborghini and Honda have been applying additive manufacturing methods for almost three decades. As one of 3D printing’s earliest adopters, the technology has helped manufacturers reduce cycle times for new parts and design iterations but more recently, concept models have demonstrated the possibilities of the technology to go beyond prototyping towards the production of final, durable parts. Last year, Phoenix-based, Local Motors grabbed mainstream attention when the world’s first 3D printed vehicle was successfully printed in just 44 hours and driven off the show floor of the
International Manufacturing Technology Show. Manufactured in collaboration with Cincinnati Incorporated and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Strati was created with BAAM (big area additive manufacturing) in ABS plastic and reinforced with carbon fibre. Though it may not look like a typical road-worthy car, the Strati is on track to go on sale to the general public, with plans to reduce the print process to just 24 hours and receive clearance by the U.S. vehicle rules and regulations to get it on the road by 2016. Theoretically, you could see a 3D printed car driving alongside you in the space of a year and that’s a phenomenal coup for the promise of additive manufacturing in producing real functional parts.
Can you really 3D print a supercar?
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
It has been estimated that the global 3D printing in automotive industry will generate a combined $1.1 billion by 2019. For a section of the industry that has invoked both some of the most exciting stories from an engineering
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ANOTHER WORLD FIRST? Last month, an automotive story surfaced that divided the 3D printing community with news of the self-proclaimed “world’s first 3D printed supercar”, the Blade. Designed and built by Divergent Microfactories (DM), the vehicle is a super sleek model and in terms of aesthetic appeal, is light-years away from the Strati. However, the legitimacy of the Blade has of course been questioned with petrol heads and 3D sceptics quick to ask the obvious – “Is it all 3D printed?” Despite the initial dubious reaction, speaking with CEO Kevin Czinger, it seems there are some worthwhile fundamental concepts behind the vehicle. “The objective is to have the licensing of our manufacturing technology catalyse an explosion of innovation by small teams that will design and build environmentally beautiful, cool, fun and affordable cars. Our engineering prototype, the Blade, starts us off in that direction - cool design, super performance, radical reduction of material, a chassis
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Our objective is to flip that script by using new technologies to dematerialise car manufacturing - radically reducing the material and energy that go into designing and building cars
structure comprised of 41 pounds of carbon fibre and 61 pounds of 3D printed aluminium, and 1/3 the lifecycle emissions of a traditionally manufactured vehicle.” In the 3D community, it’s always good to be wary of any “world’s first” labels and that’s where the general consensus have had their backs up about the Blade. The car is faster than a McClaren P1 supercar and has double the power-to-weight ratio of a Bugatti Veyron – that’s pretty impressive on it’s own. The reality of its 3D printing credentials however are in the underlying structure of the car. The chassis design and also the manufacturing process have utilised 3D printing whereas the remaining elements of the car have been achieved by conventional processes. So does that really warrant the title of “world’s first 3D printed supercar’? “Our objective is to flip that script by using new technologies to dematerialise car manufacturing radically reducing the material and energy that go into designing and building cars,” Kevin explained. “So we’ve focused on the chassis
design and manufacturing process, not the other elements of the car. We are using 3D metal printing to create the underlying structure of the car, not just the components that attach to it. To us, that is the core disruptive use of 3D metal printing in the auto industry.” DM uses a node process to manufacture its parts. Rather than applying large sheets of metal or tubing and welding them together, they have created standardised modular structures using 3D printed aluminium nodes to connect carbon fibre tubing and sheer panels. The result is less material, energy and reduced costs by eliminating the need for costly tooling changes or stamping machines. LOCALISED MANUFACTURING Bringing manufacturing closer to home is a key advantage of additive manufacturing and DM is invested in changing the fundamental characteristics of the car industry through localised manufacturing. In the spirit of going green, we now have cleaner cars that have been designed consciously to reduce
automotive
after all – and currently holds three U.S. Microfactory locations in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Crystal City. Over the next 10 years, the company plans to open 100 Microfactories around the globe to bring together the worldwide Local Motors community and facilitate the creation of new vehicles based on local needs. GROWING PARTS FOR AUTOMOTIVE Earlier this year, the name Carbon 3D arrived on the scene and introduced the world to what is possibly the fastest 3D printer the industry has yet seen. Working in stealth mode to develop the technology, the Terminatorinspired CLIP 3D printing method is capable of creating parts up to 100 times faster than current 3D printing methods without layers and has sparked the imagination of some big-name early adopters. One of those is Ford Motor Company who entered Carbon 3D’s early access programme to look at whether the technology could help them realise their ambitions to use 3D printing as a manufacturing technology. The 100 year old automotive giant has already been utilising 3D printing for nearly 30 years and Ellen Lee, Team Lead in Additive
If we radically reduce capital cost, we can significantly increase innovation and make design and building of a very important product much more accessible to smaller and more dynamic teams.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
emissions. Whilst we may see a few more electric car charging points popping up in public spaces, DM believes the real issue is in the way vehicles are manufactured. “Factories can cost billions of dollars and once built the focus is on capacity utilisation - how many cookie cutter cars can be manufactured from the same dies and stamping equipment,” Kevin commented. What they’re aiming for is a “renaissance in car manufacturing”. Putting production in the hands of teams around the world, DM is keen to provide people with the tools to set up a microfactories in their local area that have the potential to save on space, energy, materials and time. The company says these factories could have the capacity to produce up to 10,000 cars per year for production factories. “If we radically reduce capital cost, we can significantly increase innovation and make design and building of a very important product, cars, much more accessible to smaller and more dynamic teams,” Kevin added. “We think that’s a good thing for the world.” Local Motors is also heavily focussed on the idea of localised manufacturing – it’s in the name
Manufacturing Research at Ford, says it has radically changed their manufacturing process. In the last year, Ford has put together a research programme dedicated to looking at technologies and new materials that could enable them to use additive technologies in production parts. Initially attracted to the speed of the technology and its ability to “grow” parts rather than layer them, the team began working with Carbon 3D to find out what material properties and possibilities it could provide for durable, functional parts. “In automotive applications most people keep their cars at least 10 years, all of the parts go through really huge temperate cycles,” Ellen explained. “All the parts need to function in that range of temperatures for 10 years or more so to be able to develop a material that can be printed and printed quickly with good properties is a really big challenge.” In addition to reducing cycle times, the usual positives of additive such as designing lightweight structures, cutting costs and material use, there’s the added promise of customisation. Though we might not be at the point of printing a car from our own garage, Ellen feels there are some significant parallels in the maker space and automotive industry in being able to create custom parts for a car. “A lot of things we do certain ways because that’s what our processes allow us to do. If we think outside the box, there may be many more efficient ways to do things and that’s what we’re really trying to look for,” Ellen commented. “I think consumers will be interested in being able to personalise or customise a vehicle. That’s a big selling point for additive manufacturing. You see it today already in the maker space people are customising everything so I think that’s what customers are really interested in.” Currently Ford is concentrating on smaller parts and looking at
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automotive
HYPERCAR OR JUST HYPE? Now from supercars to model cars to hypercars, Swedish hypercar manufacturer, Koenigsegg, recently installed Stratasys Dimension SST 1200es 3D printer to accelerate the in-house production of its record-breaking vehicles. Made up of more than
300 carbon fibre parts, these cars require a hugely labour intensive manufacturing and assembly process but 3D printing has allowed the manufacturer to create tooling, fixtures and some functional end used parts with better speed and precision than ever before. “It not only allows us to modify and print prototypes quickly but also provides us with the option to use them as end use parts in our cars,” explained Christian von Koenigsegg, founder and CEO at Koenigsegg Automotive AB. “Once the Dimension printer was up and running, our engineers started using the machine straight away. The benefits were clear immediately. The process of printing prototypes onsite and testing each component has sped up the development of the car design by an estimated 20%.” For Koenigsegg, performance is at the heart of its workflow, be that materials, software, tools or vehicle performance. Koenigsegg was no newbie to 3D printing and the manufacturer previously outsourced its additive manufactured parts to a service bureau. However, this created a somewhat stunted design process and now with their in-house AM capabilities, every member of the team has access to the 3D printer creating a better, seamless workflow. The results of this can be found in Koenigsegg’s latest model, the Agera, which benefited greatly from a faster and more creative design process. “The turnaround time for getting a component right in terms of design has decreased enormously, it now only takes a few days instead of a number of weeks,” Christian added. “Our designers and engineers can quickly establish a part’s suitability for the supercar without stifling their creative flow.” By incorporating onsite additive technology, Koenigsegg was able to reduce costs by 40% and time by 20%.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
what it can achieve with resolution and surface finish. Of course there is still a long way to go before additive can be in a position to replace conventional methods such as the time tested injection moulding but Ford’s AM team is keen to looking at the possibilities of where it fits in to the entire production process. The team is even looking towards Carbon 3D to eventually make a bigger printer capable of printing large car parts. “Right now we’re looking at what we can do to bridge that gap,” Ellen continued. “Maybe we’ll never compete one to one but we can do things with additive manufacturing that we can design for that we can’t build any other way. So we’re looking at a lot of those concepts, for example tooling is one but at the same time we’re concentrating on the development of new materials and material performance.” It seems as though Ford is looking to use 3D printing in areas other than production with the creation of the Ford 3D Store. Following the recent launch of its range of 3D printable versions of favourite Ford models such as the Focus ST and Ford GT, it’s clear the interest from the consumer end is pushing the automotive stalwart to think outside of the box about how it can utilise 3D technology to address not only its industrial manufacturing processes but also the commercial side of the market. Perhaps in the future the manufacturer will extend this platform to offer parts and accessories that users will be able to customise and purchase on demand. For now the idea of custom trims and spoilers for might be something that’s reserved for the luxury market.
A lot of things we do certain ways because that’s what our processes allow us to do. If we think outside the box, there may be many more efficient ways to do things and that’s what we’re really trying to look for.
THE FUTURE Though we might not actually have a complete 3D printed supercar just yet, the key pieces are there to show that it isn’t such a fantastical goal. Additive manufacturing has already made such a huge impact on the way we manufacture vehicles and parts that it has solidified itself as a valuable link in the automotive development chain – so ingrained that many OEMs couldn’t operate without it. Right now its key role is still very much in the prototyping phase and in order to push that forward, more research into material properties is needed to ensure the durability of 3D printed parts for use in intense environmental conditions. Ford’s work with Carbon 3D demonstrates the primary factors car manufacturers are interested in in terms of producing final parts additively – speed, materials and size. Developments are happening on all of these fronts and though they might not be everything they’re made out to be in flashy headlines, these world firsts and supercars are providing a platform to showcase how far these developments have come along. Perhaps the current goal shouldn’t be about racing ahead to see if we can replace all traditional processes, just to see if we can, but rather to find out where additive holds the most value in the automotive industry be it customisation, greener manufacturing or just perhaps that ultimate genuine “world’s first”.
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amalgam ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
Scenario: World-leading aircraft seat developer needs to produce full size seat mock ups for an audience of over 500 leading aircraft suppliers. The seats are still “in progress” and there are six weeks until show time – what do you do?
Model making, evolved
Z
SEATS UK, global ODIAC
frontrunner in the production of first and business class aircraft seats, found itself turning to 3D printing for the rapid production of high-quality, exhibition models for its new Z500 and Z600 models set to go on show at the aircraft interiors event, AIX Hamburg. Keen to avoid any horror stories of seats being pulled from exhibition stands or less-than-perfect mock ups, the company turned to Amalgam, a UK-based model making company with over 30 years of model making experience and an arsenal of rapid manufacturing technologies that would see the seats shipped in time for lift off. “3D printing was the only possible way to produce the huge number and variety of components needed for this job in the timescale,” explained Mike Harvey, Director, Amalgam. “Smaller parts were printed using Stratasys’ Objet technology, some then being given a metal skin for both appearance and strength. Most of the larger panels were printed in SLS Nylon for strength
WOR D S : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs
and hand finished to a high standard.” Rising to the challenge, the parts were redesigned to fit each process in collaboration with Zodiac’s CAD design team and a total of 100 SLS 3D printed parts were sourced from three suppliers to bring the products together in record time at Amalgam’s workshop. Some 10-12 parts per seat were manufactured using Stratasys’ Objet technology whilst the more traditional, subtractive CNC machining process was also a key performer. Mike commented: “The great advantage that 3D printing gave us was the comparative ease with which the designs, which in some cases were evolving as we worked, could be revised and updated without having to start over. In a couple of cases the 3D prints revealed previously undiscovered issues that led to on-the-fly revisions and second iteration components being incorporated into the design – no doubt
these will be fed back into the final production items.” One palpable question raised by this project was: are these models prototypes or exhibition models? One may wonder if there is a distinction, but there are discrete differences between the two with the pivotal reason being a prototype is typically a developmental tool whereas an exhibition model needs to closely resemble the production item whilst not being produced using mass
production methods. It’s not meant to replicate how the product will be made in real life but these are still complex, tactile models with buttons, doors and moveable parts that must be robust enough to withstand the general wear and tear of a busy trade show floor. Mike explained: “In order to best achieve this it is therefore vital that materials used and engineering solutions relied upon are thoroughly tested well before the model is finally assembled.” The amalgamation of traditional and contemporary processes proves that even with 3D printing, the art of model making, in a conventional sense, hasn’t been lost but rather is now a complementary foundation for the advent of these rapid technologies to enable the generation of more complex models, faster then ever before. Mike added: “Amalgam is not just another service bureaux, we are a proper “old school” model maker that has embraced 21st century processes and adapted our approach to take full advantage of all they offer without compromising on the more traditional skills.”
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CNC MACHINING INJECTION MOULDING
europac
WOR D S : laur a g r iffith s
John “TCT Show” Jones and I ventured to Crewe to get a glimpse of the brand new purpose built lab facility for precision scanning and 3D printing company, Europac3D. The team set up home in the new space earlier this year to facilitate a huge expansion due to rapid growth and if I’d been told a few months back we could expect marshmallow and strawberry kebabs upon our arrival, I would have cheated this visit to the top of my list. There’s a young, contemporary feel to Europac’s new space. From being greeted by arty 3D printed replicas of models Cara Delevingne, Anja Rubik and Binx Walton who were scanned by Europac for a three-cover issue of the uber trendy GARAGE magazine to the noticeably young pack of 3D artists working away on cutting-edge software to perfect an influx of 3D body scans, it feels very fresh.
Amongst the 3D selfie miniatures that are dotted in every corner of the new office, a not so subtle hint towards one of the company’s latest projects, a vast collection of high-spec industrial standard scanning equipment reminds us exactly why Europac has become one of the biggest names in the UK 3D scanning market. Europac has been scanning in 3D for over 20 years and holds one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of scanning technology. The new showroom demonstrates the full spectrum from the high-accuracy Kreon Zephyr II Blue laser scanner that can tackle even the most challenging of surfaces to Artec’s range of handheld scanners, Spider and Eva, that have found huge demand from the marketing
also focussed on bringing affordable 3D solutions to the market such as the Kreon Solano value scanning device, which can be attached to a range of portable measuring arms. Another piece that caught our eye was a complete reverse engineering kit aimed at the jewellery market. Featuring a Rexcan DS2 3D scanner and 3D Systems ProJet 1200, the one-stop-shop provides small jewellers with the ability to create intricate castings from rings to custom keepsakes and memorabilia. One of the company’s latest installations and current centrepiece is the increasingly popular Artec 3D Bodyscanner. The scanner takes just 12 seconds to scan an entire person and six minutes to generate a finished file. Of course I stepped into to give it a go. It’s an odd experience desperately trying to keep in position as the rotating exterior spins around to capture you from every angle but I’m
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
industry to capture real life products. In addition to high-quality technology, Europac is
assured the team of experts are pros at cleaning up any details and tricky features like tattoos or spectacles. Europac is also busy exploring the multitude of things you can do with a 3D scan, some of which we saw during our visit that are to be revealed later this year – watch this space – and then one that’s managed to keep the consumer world excited, the ability to 3D print them. Europac’s office now houses a conveyor belt style operation of around 24 3D Systems machines. This doesn’t feel like a typical workshop setup, it’s all very clean and calm and given these machines have the capacity to print around 2,000 3D models a week, everything’s running along smoothly. It’s a very sophisticated operation and each machine is cleaned routinely and connected to its own computer to ensure that work can continue to flow. This is only set to get bigger as the demand for 3D figurines continues to soar. In the spirit of expansion, Europac plans to take over the floor at this year’s TCT Show as the company brings its biggest ever exhibit of 3D scanning and 3D printing equipment to Birmingham’s NEC, plus a brand new exciting 3D scanning concept. For a company that’s heavily invested in capturing the small details, the story here says things at Europac3D are about to get a whole lot bigger.
Moving into
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AM conference review ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
Review:
International Conference on Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
A
t a time when
barely a month goes by without some form of 3D printing conference, expo or launch, it seemed only fair that this conference began with an address from Richard Hague, University of Nottingham, explaining how the International Conference on Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing fits into our bursting industry calendar. Celebrating its 10th year, this conference is about representing the research and science behind additive technologies, showing what it can do and uncovering honest truths about what it cannot. Around 300 delegates from across the globe, spent two days in Nottingham observing and eagerly jotting notes from a range of presentations and parallel exhibition featuring industry experts across manufacturing, software,
WOR D S : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs
metrology and art and design. This year’s talks leaned towards the more technical side of the industry, demonstrating further the conference’s position as a provider of valuable information for the additive community. Kicking things off with a brief look into the 2D space, Marcel Slot from Oce Technologies, demonstrated how inkjet is a key enabling technology for AM. Horst Exner, University of Applied Sciences, talked about the future of Laser Micro Sintering whilst Neil Mantle, Rolls Royce, gave an informed talk about the world’s largest additive aero engine structure and introduced the UK AM Strategy. Jim Zunino, US Army Research Lab, explained how in-field AM applications are saving on lead times and costs and how a new system, much like Thingiverse, is being developed to enable in-field 3D printing of key components
on desktop machines. Closing day one, Jan Willem Gunnink of Autodesk/ Delcam gave a more animated presentation about the “dirty secrets” and easy to make mistakes with 3D printing. Inspired by the words of Confucius – “Involve me and I will understand” – Jan invited the audience to offer estimations on some tricky additive questions. It’s amazing how much power several bags of Haribo sweets, awarded to even the most outlandish answers simply for participation, can shake up a crowd of suits. Day two began with a more design-orientated feel with James Gardiner, of Lang O’Rourke, talking about the opportunities and challenges in construction 3D printing and Sander Hofman, Arup, praising the design possibilities for structural nodes with additive technologies. Leading names behind the recently announced 3MF Consortium, Alexander Oster, netfabb and Luis Baldez, HP, explained how this new file format will benefit the industry and Richard Leach, University of Nottingham, highlighted the importance of metrology. Willemijn Elkhuizen, Delft University of Technology, demonstrated how 3D scanning is being used to reproduce fine
art and woodwind instruments and Prof Cheng-Kuo Sung, National Tsing Hua University, provided a look at the state of the 3D printing industry in Taiwan. Delegates also got to have a look around the University of Nottingham EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing. The state-of-the-art centre recently invested in £2.7 million of bespoke AM equipment including a four head metaljetting system from Oce and a PiXDRO JETx, six head ink jetting system, capable of printing in six different functional materials. There’s a simple telling sign of an engaging conference and that’s whether the “any questions?” closer is met by a few eager hands in the air or a heads down, fidgeting silence. What was interesting about this conference wasn’t the number of raised hands but the queries proposed by the audience, real-life questions that asked how these technologies might work for their real-life situations. With that, the AM & 3D Printing Conference did exactly what it set out to do, share valuable industry knowledge with the additive community so that advantages can be exploited and new avenues can be explored.
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INTRODUCING
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DELCAM ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
Driving the future OF UK MANUFACTURING
M
WORD S : l a u r a g r i f f i t hs
anufacturing is changing and by that, we’re not talking about the shift from subtractive to additive, it’s the realisation of the value of combining both to create a new breed of hybrid technologies and solutions. Since the 1960’s, CAD CAM solutions provider, Delcam has positioned itself with a central role in the UK manufacturing landscape. What sprung from a vision to use computers to assist pattern makers in modelling difficult 3D shapes has grown to comprise more than 30 offices across the globe providing design, manufacturing and inspection software solutions to a variety of industries. Bart Simpson, Business Development Lead at Delcam is an aeronautical engineer by trade but after 20 years at Delcam has found himself
We’re providing people with the intellectual muscle to drive those machines but we’re continuously trying to understand more about the manufacturing processes and new technologies.
on the customer facing side of the engineering spectrum. Establishing his career at BA and moving through the ranks from Delcam’s customer training team, Bart’s says his varied background gives him that first-hand customerfocussed insight to provide users with the right software solutions to fit their needs. Bart explained: “What we’re really interested in is not just delivering software products to people but delivering solutions which are really a combination of the software and the applications.” Last year, Autodesk completed its acquisition of Delcam to continue its expansion into manufacturing and fabrication and help deliver a better digital manufacturing experience. Back then it was hailed “the biggest news story in the history of CAM” and for a cost of £180 million, was the largest acquisition to have ever been signed off in the CAM industry. Bart says the union of the two couldn’t have been a better fit or arrived at a more crucial time. “It’s a really interesting time for Delcam and Autodesk,” Bart explained. “We’ve each been thinking about these changes which are coming on in the technology front. We’ve each been approaching them historically from different parts of the process – Autodesk on the design side and Delcam very much on driving machines to make parts. Now what we can really see is that each has got to be thinking about the other.” The last few years have brought about some interesting projects for Delcam from producing Olympic medals with the Royal Mint
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International exhibition and conference on additive technologies and tool making
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Where ideas take shape.
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DELCAM
I think generally there’s far more interest in manufacturing than there was maybe 10 years ago.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
to the RAWFEED project with Airbus and Cranfield University. Describing their initial involvement as “almost back to front”, one of Delcam’s most recent missions was the Bloodhound Project, a global engineering venture, using a 1000 mph World Land Speed Record attempt to inspire the next generation into STEM subjects, a project which has been met with immense enthusiasm as they’ve taken it on the road to schools. After hearing about the project on the radio, Delcam knew they had to get involved but they soon discovered their products were already being put to work by a Delcam customer. After digging a little further and learning more about their education initiative, the company put its name to the project and set about helping the team to come up with solutions for more complex automotive parts that hadn’t yet been tackled, one of which was produced in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield. However, it’s not just industrial engineers that are embracing the amalgamation of these technologies and Bart has seen the Delcam product range applied in environments from automotive and aerospace with the RECLAIM initiative down to more commercial products like custom flip-flops. It’s all about finding out which processes should be used and where. “You have what you could class as your traditional or early adopter technologies looking at using a cool new technology for manufacturing right the way through to what are almost startup businesses who are looking at new novel products for people right at the other end of the spectrum. So I think you’ve got a real broad cross section of organisations who are picking up new technology,” Bart commented.
One area Bart was keen to talk about was the development of UK manufacturing. UK software is driving manufacturing on a global scale with 85% of Delcam software revenue coming from abroad. Based in Birmingham, the company is eager to allow customers to come in and have a look at its advanced manufacturing facility, a unique environment featuring six 5-axis machine tools designed to replicate the same commercial pressures that customers may face and ultimately develop new processes to help solve their manufacturing challenges. Delcam is also interested in helping tackle the manufacturing skills shortage and its investment into the next generation of engineers goes much further than school STEM projects as the company has on average around 15 people come through the doors on summer placements and graduate programmes to help provide them with the skills for this next wave of manufacturing. “I think generally there’s far more interest in manufacturing than there was maybe 10 years ago,” Bart explained. “Really what we’re always impressed with is how quickly we can get those people involved with looking at new manufacturing technologies and processes and I think there is very little fear with many of those people about getting involved with technology.” For the engineering industry, its been said there’s a lot of “reinventing the wheel” as designers and manufacturers find themselves tackling the same questions and resolving the same problems. As manufacturing techniques progress, our design goals are changing so we’re no longer designing parts specifically for a traditional process but rather because we want them to have certain properties. “These are processes which we can then standardise and automate in our software tools which we then supply to a much broader cross section of the manufacturing industry,” Bart commented. It’s not just about designing new processes, it’s about driving efficiencies and productivity and that means investing in processes, software and people to get the most out machine hardware. Bart added: “We’re providing people with the intellectual muscle to drive those machines but we’re continuously trying to understand more about the manufacturing processes and new technologies. When we deliver those software products to people we’re actually improving the productivity of that big piece of capital equipment.”
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croft filters ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
WOR D S : laur a g r iffith s
Finding a specific applicationfor additive manufacturing is half of the battle when paving your way into the marketplace. Croft Filters, a UKbased manufacturer specialising in, you guessed it, industrial filters, has been applying AM methods for the last two years.
Reputation makes INNOVATION
A
fter witnessing 3D printing in action first hand at a FabLab, Manchester, Croft turned its attention to AM to provide a unique edge to its 28 years’ established filter business with a new manufacturing method that could have significant energy saving benefits. Speaking with director, Neil Burns, it’s remarkable to learn of the challenges the company still faces when convincing people that AM is the way to go. Despite the hype, a lot of questions remain about trust, reliability and finishing. Customers are often concerned about parts breaking up or the quality of finish, but Neil says this is something the company is very aware of. “That is a typical reaction to additive. The world’s not ready for it yet,” Neil commented. “We’re very lucky here because we have customers approaching us for a speedy solution to a problem, which is beneficial to us as we can use it as an opportunity to promote the speed and highquality products that AM technology enables us to offer.” Despite the move to additive with its in-house Realizer SLM 250 and CAD design team, Croft hasn’t forgotten its subtractive roots. Many projects continue to rely on conventional processes - typically large batches where the cost of traditional mesh wire methods is much less than that of additive. “It’s not all about replacing conventional manufacturing methods but AM is an additional tool to offer our customers,” Neil commented. “We’ve got to inform people that AM is not the same as what you see on television programmes, such as The Big Bang Theory, where a 3D printer (costing $5,000) produces a 25 Cent party whistle in 3 hours. We tell people that there are dirty secrets.” Some of those secrets include informing customers that AM isn’t always the right solution and focussing on postprocessing techniques, an area the company is investing heavily in after recently receiving a grant for £75,000 from Innovate UK. For SMEs, making the jump to AM can be quite a challenge. Capital
costs are huge and the growing competition makes it more challenging to maintain that all-important reputation. However, with the trusted status already in the bag, Croft has been working with the Lancaster University, University of Chester and Liverpool John Moore’s University to access high-end technology, such as ANSYS software, 3D scanning and metrology equipment, which can be out of reach for smaller businesses. Louise Geekie, project manager at Croft, commented: “Student projects quite often give you an opportunity to get a very different viewpoint on a specific problem or they might have access to software, such as computational fluid dynamics software, which is extremely high-end.” There’s a modest feel to the company but there’s no denying the impact this value added application is having on a global scale as the Croft name jets off to present all over the world to Singapore and back to more local territory in Nottingham. Louise added: “When you can introduce 3D printing in a new space, that’s when you’re showing an industry what you can do. It’s very difficult to try and inspire people to change part of their processes.” There’s much more than just filtration going on at the UK-based factory, from automotive solutions to community projects. Looking to the future, there are some exciting ventures on the horizon, including being the first company to be brought on board the STFC Science and Technology Facility Council CERN Business Incubation Centre, where Croft’s 3D printed parts have been submitted for testing out in Switzerland. Through this, Croft plans to push Stainless Steel to the limit and experiment with new alloys. “I’m very wary about being the teacher to the rest of the world,” Neil concludes. “Being first to market is great but you really have to be careful as to what you do, we’re very lucky we’ve got the filters behind us. Without that, this wouldn’t be happening.”
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CECIMO
Educating Europe WOR D S : DAN IE L O’ C ON NOR
O
riginally, this piece was going to start with a convoluted allegory comparing the trains vs. planes debate to additive manufacturing vs. traditional manufacturing one. It surmised that though the flight time to Brussels was shorter than the train journey, the added land travel, checking in and security procedures meant taking the Eurostar to Brussels was the quicker and cheaper option. The first draft compared the added faff surrounding air travel to that of the post-processing and preparation of the machine in AM technologies, that mean despite its perceived speed 3D printing is still a slow process. This was written, smugly, on the way into Brussels for the Additive Manufacturing European Conference, the return journey involving striking Ferry workers blockading the Channel Tunnel in Calais meant this allegory was no longer applicable, especially seeing as I ended up on an Ryanair flight out of Charleroi 24 hours after my train was due to leave.
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The metaphor also proved inaccurate for the manufacturing side, as the gathered members of the industry explained how 3D printing is rapidly changing from a prototyping technology to a fully operational manufacturing tool across a host of applications from consumer goods to aerospace. The problem facing Europe is not the technology itself but do our businesses understand this shift in ability in technologies? IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR TOOLING… The conference, organised by CECIMO the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries, brought together some of 3D printing’s finest minds including Stratasys’ Andy Middleton, SLM Solutions’ Stefan Ritt as well as members of the European Parliament and leaders of the manufacturing industry. The aim was to leverage the years of manufacturing experience an organisation like CECIMO has and to see how applicable that was in order to help European businesses adopt additive technologies.
“Europe is in dire need of new economic dynamism,” Stated Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament. “Additive manufacturing offers great potential for disruptive innovation. It can boost industrial competitiveness and, at the same time, deliver significant material and energy efficiency gains. We need an ambitious EU industrial policy that taps into new technologies and industrial trends to promote competitiveness and sustainability”. This comment was imbued with a sentiment that was felt throughout the day’s proceedings; that there was a need for Europe to get its backside into gear when it comes to helping businesses adopt 3D technologies, Roland Berger’s Bernhard Langefeld summed that feeling up: “From 2004 to 2010 the AM industry showed a significant growth of around 20%, from 2010 onwards it was more like 40%,” said the Strategy Consultant. “Europe has a leading role in AM but competition from Asia and US is arising rapidly.” Andy Middleton, President Stratasys
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
TCT Group Editor, Daniel O’Connor was invited to the European Parliament for the Additive Manufacturing European Conference to see how the EU’s strategy for AM was shaping up. Unfortunately a lack of strategy for another European issue nearly left him stranded there…
EMEA followed those remarks up with his insight into why he felt the EU is being left behind by its intercontinental cousins: “Without significant investment in education Europe cannot compete with the US and Asia. My kids, who are 10 and 14, print their own parts; phone cases etc. They won’t win any prizes for design but they are beginning to understand the technology.” 3D printing has, in the past, been heralded as the technology to bring back manufacturing powers to the West but with the Chinese government announcing recently that by the end of 2016 it plans to have at least one 3D printer in each of its 400,000 primary schools, those ideals may now seem a little far-fetched and education, not just in children, became the salient thought throughout the think tank. Clare Marett, Head of Manufacturing and Business Investment at Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that UK SMEs have a lot of trepidation when it comes to additive manufacturing. She suggested that of the businesses she had visited, who may well benefit
from 3D printing, most felt that the technology was a passing fad and one they were not prepared to invest a significant amount of capital or time in. A feeling that exasperated SLM Solutions’ Stefan Ritt, whose company’s machines are producing certified metal parts for aircraft and Andy Middleton, who said that 50% of the business Stratasys do in Germany is with the automotive industry. A TIME FOR STRATEGY It was becoming ever clear throughout the day that Europe was in need of some direction from the top down in order to keep up with the fine tradition of manufacturing the union was built on. Fortunately, a conference like this is exactly geared towards setting a platform to move us forward; there were strong calls for the EU to adopt a “European strategy for Additive Manufacturing”. It would appear from the post show happening that this is now taking shape; Clara de la Torre, Director for Key Enabling Technologies, at DG Research of the European Commission, commented after the event: “Only in the
7th Framework Programme (2007-2013), €160 million in EU funding was granted to more than 60 successful projects on additive manufacturing technologies. In the first year of the Horizon 2020 Programme, in 2014, nine AM projects and actions were selected to benefit from more than €17 million in EU funding.” Filip Geerts, CECIMO Director General stated: “Additive Manufacturing is moving fast towards becoming a mainstream technology. However there are challenges and obstacles on the way to its industrialisation that should be cleared and to that end, adequate government policy must play a role in technology development and market uptake. With the know-how, skilled workforce and resources, Europe has the potential of becoming a global centre of excellence in AM. Europe does not have the luxury to lag behind competitors in disruptive technologies that transform the economy. It has to aim at global leadership. We hope that the new EU Industrial Policy Roadmap and the Digital Single Market Strategy will give the necessary attention to AM”.
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am in architecture ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
“The idea of 3d printing buildings was once a dream, but today it has become a reality.”
Moving with the times “The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.” WOR D S : DANIE L O’ C ONNOR
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hose are the thoughts of one of
history’s most famed architects, Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright was an architectural pioneer who was quick to embrace new technologies for his radical 20th Century masterpieces such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. It is difficult to imagine just how inspired he would be with the development of the latest 3D technologies, which look set to change the face of architecture forever. In the corresponding issue of TCT last year we featured a piece on Zaha Hadid Architects and their dreams of using 3D printing not just in the modelling stage but on construction sites too. “If we could just go to a site with a raw powder and a machine you would save an incredible amount of money before you’ve even looked at your carbon footprint,” Pasca di Magliano, a Project Director at Zaha Hadid told Rose Brooke. “You wouldn’t need all the packaging and all the expensive temporary
work you need with concrete. With 3D printing you don’t need formwork, you can just build. It reduces dead materials because you are using materials only for construction.” A year is a long time in this fastest of moving industries and since that article, 3D printing architecture has gone through the roof, if you’ll excuse the pun. Thanks, in no small part, to TCT Asia exhibitors WinSun we’ve seen an explosion in projects that have taken the approach that many architectural model makers have been using since the technologies’ inception and applying that on a grand scale to construction sites across the globe. Like all of 3D printing’s crucial applications – aerospace, medical, automotive, consumer products etc – it’s the move from prototyping to manufacturing that has enabled rapid architectural developments over the last 12 months. But unlike those other applications it is not that the technology has improved in speed, credibility or quality that has enabled this leap, it is the sheer
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FRENCH RELIEF HOMES 3D printing consultant Graham Tromans thinks that the most exciting thing in the advancements made in 3D printing construction are in the field of relief. The idea that once a natural disaster has struck we can be on the ground 3D printing homes for the displaced within hours is the driving factor behind a recent collaboration between researchers at the French University of Nantes and an engineering university spin-off company called Capacités. The project, InnoPrint3D, uses a robotic arm and some proprietary building materials to create a fully insulated, waterproof emergency shelter three metres high by three metres wide in a timescale of 20-30 minutes. “You have to imagine that, in a disaster, the robot will be shipped by boat together raw material containers and the human relief. There, on demand, according to the desired size, in 20-30 minutes, an emergency housing can be
realised and used for several months pending a more permanent reconstruction “said Benoit Ferret of the Robotics team at the University of Nantes. The on-going project is experimenting with new materials with the hope that they can use in situ raw materials as well as working towards buildings that are up to seven metres in height. USING SAND TO 3D PRINT BUILDINGS The University of Nantes project would do well teaming up with researchers from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), who are developing a technique to use the plentiful natural resource of sand to create habitable structures with the use of a binding agent. Imagine a binder jetting machine with sand as the powder material and sodium thiosulphate (a chemical used in to dechlorinate tap water) as the binding agent. This is loosely the theory behind the In:Sand project, which poses the following question: “What if we could control how our landforms are shaped using natural forces and natural materials of abundance? Can we really decide and design landforms of the future, literally?”
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
size of machines and development of materials that has enabled a raft of incredible undertakings appear. Here, we take a look at some of the current projects that are showcasing 3D printing’s architectural rise:
MX3D BRIDGES The great Isaac Newton once said: “We build too many walls and not enough bridges”. Netherlands based startup MX3D are looking to change that by 3D printing a bridge over a canal in Amsterdam. Tim Geurtjens, CTO MX3D, said: “What distinguishes our technology from traditional 3D printing methods is that we work according to the ‘Printing Outside the box’ principle. By printing with 6-axis industrial robots, we are no longer limited to a square box in which everything happens. Printing a functional, life-size bridge is of course the ideal way to showcase the endless possibilities of this technique.” The team plans to “draw” the complex and intricate structure in mid-air over one of the city’s canals using the industrial 3D printing robots developed for a previous project. Printing will begin on one side of the water and rail supports will be used to construct the bridge so it joins with the other side. THE OFFICE OF THE FUTURE WinSun have been enlisted by the United Arab Emirates National Innovation Committee to create the world’s first 3D printed office building in Dubai. Not only will Winsun be using their celebrated 3D printing techniques with their proprietary ecologically friendly building materials, like Crazy Magic Stone, to create the exterior, the ambitious plans for the 2,000 square foot building also include 3D printed furniture. “This project reflects the vision of our leadership here in Dubai,” Al Gergawi, the Chairman of the UAE National Innovation Committee explained. “The idea of 3D printing buildings was once a dream, but today it has become a reality,” he added. “This building will be a testimony to the efficiency and creativity of 3D printing technology, which we believe will play a major role in reshaping construction and design sectors. We aim to take advantage of this growth by becoming a global hub for innovation and 3D printing. This is the first step of many more to come.” AUGUST 2015
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Morehshin Allahyari ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
We take a look at one artist’s fight against the destruction of ancient artefacts by ISIS using 3D technologies. WOR D S : dani e l 0’ c onnor
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Cameron is ISIS and in February this year footage emerged of some of their George Clooney members destroying and Matt Damon is ancient artefacts in loosely based on the Mosul Museum, a true story of an Iraq. The upsetting Allied group from video features Monuments, Fine several men taking Arts, and Archives sledgehammers to programme risking their lives to protect antiquities thousands of years old as an important cultural ISIS representative property during WWII. It is estimated states: “These statues and idols, that during wartime these artefacts, if over 750,000 artworks were either God has ordered destroyed or stolen its removal, they became worthless by Nazi forces. to us even if they 70 years on from are worth billions of D-Day the “threat dollars.” of this generation” The destruction according to British Prime Minister, David caused widespread heartache: “I’m totally shocked,” Amir al-Jumaili, professor at the Archaeology College in Mosul, told the Associated Press at the time. “It’s a catastrophe. With the destruction of these artefacts, we can no longer be proud of Mosul’s civilisation.” HE MOVIE
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REPRODUCTION TO COMBAT DESTRUCTION Iranian-born, San Francisco-based artist Morehshin Allahyari is using 3D printing
MONUMENTS WOMAN
technology to fight this systematic and senseless destruction, in doing so she is becoming a very 21st Century Monument Woman seeking to make Mosul proud of its civilisation once more. At Autodesk’s Pier 9 workshop Allahyari has tirelessly sourced imagery and documentation for several of the Mosul Museum’s most important pieces. Enlisting help from archaeologists and historians from establishments spanning British Museum and Iraqi institutions she has managed to produce faithful replicas of some of the destroyed pieces for her project, ‘Material Speculation: ISIS’. “I don’t think you can ever replace these artefacts,” states Allahyari. “But what I’m trying to do is find a way to recreate them as faithfully as possible.” At the Pier 9 facility in Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, that ‘way’ was to use one of the many 3D printing technologies on offer to the artists in residence. After modelling the files
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using the data she collected new media artist, Allahyari used Stratasys PolyJet technology with VeroClear materials to create the replicas. The material choice is important for one of the collection’s key features; each replica has a memory card embedded inside it complete with all of the information Allahyari discovered during research. Each piece acts as a time capsule preserving the artefacts for future generations. “One of the things I want to do for the next version of the project is to have the information as well as the printable files available to the public online.” Says Allahyari. The hope is that by highlighting the plight of the Mosul items, recreating them and distributing the files online it will create and exposure that directly contravenes the intentions of ISIS in the first place. Combatting the destruction of history by recreating it and disseminating it to the globe.
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tct show preview ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
TCT Show + Personalize 2015 Preview REGISTER AT WWW.TCTSHOW.COM
Encompassing the Las Vegas-based TCT at the 2015 International CES in January, the inaugural TCT Asia in Shaghai in March and our upcoming partnership with formnext powered by TCT in Frankfurt this year has been a pretty hectic one for us here at TCT Towers. That chock-a-block diary doesn’t mean we’ve been resting on any laurels for an event that the office whiteboard tells me, at the time of writing, is just 75 days away, TCT Show + Personalize 2015. With visitor registrations at an all-time high, an exhibitor list to be drooled over, a free conference programme worth its weight in gold and a host of other features including Inspired Minds, the 20th edition of TCT Show + Personalize is set to be our biggest ever show. Jim Woodcock, Head of Content for TCT + Personalize said: “With ever-increasing demands placed on people’s time the TCT team strives to constantly provide a better return on the time spent at TCT Show. Our commitment to free access both for the exhibition and
conference sessions further reduces the burden and allows access to more than 200 exhibitors and 40 speakers over two days. The TCT Show exhibition is one of the most comprehensive showcases of 3D technologies for design, development and manufacturing anywhere in the world while the conference celebrates 20 years of inspiration, education and entertainment in 2015.” The two-day event in our second home at the NEC, Birmingham across September 30th and October 1st is the place for you, either as a visitor or exhibitor, to do business. With all the major players in the industry as well as a host of debutants with new and innovative products in attendance there is always going to be rewards to be reaped whether you’re a multi-national, SME or solo entrepreneur. In the next edition of the magazine you’ll be receiving a free TCT Show 2015 Planner with all of the exhibitor news you may have come to expect from this annual TCT Show preview. Here’s just a snippet of what some of our exhibitors have in store:
EUROPAC SET FOR BIGGEST SHOW EVER
Europac3D have taken almost 100m2 of space at this year’s TCT and will showcase a huge array of 3D scanning and 3D printing equipment – plus a brand new exciting scanning concept. As one of the UK’s biggest resellers of 3D Systems machines, Europac3D will showcase plastic, wax and composite material 3D printers and their complete solution for 3D Systems printer ownership, including equipment sales, servicing and maintenance, training and consumables sales.
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tct show preview ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
STRATASYS BRINGS LARGEST EVER UK BOOTH TO TCT SHOW
This year’s TCT Show + Personalize will see Stratasys showcase its largest ever UK stand with a diverse array of attractions for visitors. With a whole area dedicated to its customers, the leading 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions provider will demonstrate the versatility of its 3D printing technology across a spectrum of industries and applications. Whether it be concept modelling, rapid prototyping or direct manufacturing applications, visitors will be able to see live cases of how additive manufacturing is driving time and cost efficiencies in the world of automotive, aerospace, medical, dental, consumer goods and more. For the very first time, Stratasys will also have its own on-stand presentation theatre. Daily seminars will offer visitors the chance to learn about the latest technology advancements, material developments, as well as application-specific customer presentations. Visitors will also have the chance to see newly appointed President of Stratasys EMEA, Andy Middleton, present what’s set to be a stirring keynote at 1pm on Wednesday 30th on the main stage of the TCT Conference. Middleton will explore the growing role of 3D printing in the manufacturing space and what the future holds for the technology on the production floor.
of industry. Meet the team at TCT + Personalize to find out how you can reduce your prototyping costs and lead times, or learn how 3D printed end-use parts can be introduced to complement traditional manufacturing applications.
HP SHARES VISION FOR 3D PRINTING AT TCT 2015
NEW UK 3D PRINTING BUREAU TO LAUNCH AT TCT
This year’s TCT sees the launch of 3D Print Bureau, a new business dedicated to the rapid delivery of digitally manufactured parts and prototypes. Spearheaded by industry veteran Gary Miller, 3D Print Bureau provides a wide range of 3D printing solutions including PolyJet, FDM, DLP and LS, myriad materials, plus expert advice and consultation based on over 12 years of industry experience. Built on a foundation of knowledge and passion for 3D printing, 3D Print Bureau delivers enthusiastic, quality services speedily and cost effectively. Demonstrating a Stratasys Connex multi-material 3D printer live on stand C22, Hall 3A, 3D Print Bureau also showcases a unique collection of 3D printed models from all aspects
HP has announced HP Multi Jet Fusion, a technology that could ignite a whole new vision for the future of 3D printing. A vision that ultimately could reinvent the innovation process and transform how industries design and manufacture. Leveraging decades of printing leadership—and inspired by creative collaboration with materials and software solutions—the complete HP Multi Jet Fusion solution is built on HP’s proprietary synchronous architecture and multi-agent printing process. Visitors will get the chance to see examples of Multi Jet Fusion on the HP booth and hear from J. Scott Schiller, Worldwide Director 3D Printing at HP in the TCT 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Conference at 10.45am on 30th September.
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INSPIRED MINDS AT TCT SHOW + PERSONALIZE 2015 TCT continues to inspire the next generation of makers and engineers as Inspired Minds returns to the UK for 2015. TCT Show + Personalize, the UK’s 3D technologies showcase, is delighted to announce that Inspired Minds (formerly Bright Minds) will return for 2015 on the back of a very successful 2014 edition. TCT remains committed to inspiring the next generation, giving over 300 schoolchildren the opportunity to get real hands-on experience at this years two day 3D printing spectacular event. The 2014 edition saw many students take part in interactive courses designed to complement their existing STEM curriculum right at the heart of the event floor. With the generous donation of equipment from 3D Systems Corporation and the expert tuition of Black Country Atelier (BCA) the students had opportunity to learn about 3D printing in a hands-on fashion before heading out to the expansive exhibition to look more closely at a selection of over 200 exhibitors and their wares. After a successful student programme in 2013, the classroom was expanded in 2014 and the range of technologies covered increased to include 3D scanning, a haptic based 3D mouse and the new Cube and CubePro printers from 3D Systems. This year’s programme, developed by BCA, will encourage pupils to apply real-world design and manufacture thinking into their work using a range of technologies that reflect the importance of an integrated set of tools in the classroom and an ecosystem that includes not only technology, but teacher training and the new curriculum. Duncan Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Rapid News Communications Group commented: “The Inspired Minds initiative is central to the TCT mission of helping our community assess and adopt 3D technologies. Educating the next generations is important not only for the students but for the future health of the industry as a whole. 3D technologies are becoming more widespread we must ensure that those entering the workforce are sufficiently well trained — and our valued partners 3D Systems and Black Country Atelier share in that philosophy.” Jing Lu, CEO of Black Country Atelier, a leading provider of Additive Manufacture (AM) and Smart Product Design curricula, added: “We are delighted
to be invited back to inspire Bright Minds 2015. This year, we are extending our bookable school area with a separate “drop-in” zone, enabling educators to experience our accredited AM courses. As AM grows in industrial applicability, education must equip future designers and engineers with skills in these technologies. Through our training, BCA enables the 21st Century manufacturing team to deliver products of the future.” Rajeev Kulkarni, Vice President and Chief Product Officer, 3DS commented: “From engineering to fashion to medicine, 3D printing technologies are the foundation for many of the careers of tomorrow. We are proud that our educational ecosystem and partnership with TCT Inspired Minds and BCA is helping foster a digital literacy that helps students think, create and communicate in 3D in the UK and beyond.” The programme is designed for students in Secondary School education in the UK. Each session will last approximately two hours and will also give participants entry to TCT Show + Personalize. Industryled tours of the TCT Show + Personalize can also be arranged. Schools within the UK wishing to participate should contact Jing Lu at BCA to register their interest and discuss how they can get involved. The places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Email: jinglu@blackcountryatelier.com
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TCT Show + Personalize 2015 THE CONFERENCE TCT SHOW + PERSONALIZE 2015 – THE CONFERENCE
Throughout the years the TCT Show + Personalize Conference has brought some of the 3D printing industry’s most illustrious names like Avi Reichental, Scott Crump and Dr Hans Langer to the NEC stage. For the 2015 edition the TCT Show Conference team have worked tirelessly to put together a conference programme that is not only illustrious but at the same time visionary. Introduced in 2013, the Executive Keynotes are part of the TCT conferences worldwide. The 2015 programme for the 20th edition of the industry-leading 3D technologies event perfectly showcases this mix of experience and innovation. The line up features: Al Siblani, CEO, EnvisionTEC; Scott Schiller, Worldwide Director 3D Printing, Hewlett-Packard; Max Lobovsky, CEO, Formlabs; Conor MacCormack, CEO, Mcor Technologies; Todd Grimm, President, T. A. Grimm Associates; Andy Middleton, President EMEA, Stratasys. Jim Woodcock, Head of Content at TCT commented: “We strive to bring fresh perspectives to the TCT conference stages year-onyear — something that’s made easier by the wealth of talented speakers available to us and the speed that this fascinating industry is developing. Our executive keynotes have decades of experience with 3D technologies between them (and sometimes decades each) but are all poised to have their biggest impacts in the years to come. Longstanding companies like EnvisionTEC,
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Lotus F1 Team collaborated on the development of a family of isotropicaly reinforced thermoplastic materials for the laser sintering process. At TCT the team will look at the new materials, how they were developed collaboratively and some of their applications.
3MF, THE LINGUA FRANCA OF 3D PRINTING - ALEXANDER OSTER, CEO, NETFABB AND ADRIAN LANNIN, GROUP PROGRAMME MANAGER, MICROSOFT CORPORATION Stratasys and Mcor will share the stage with relative newcomers Formlabs and debutants HP — with Todd Grimm providing the energetic education that he has become famed for.” The Executive Keynotes perfectly set up two days of free conferencing in the main arena at the NEC. Here are some of the programme highlights for you to get in the planner:
BOEING, LOTUS F1 & ALM TEAM UP TO PRESENT “DEVELOPING MATERIAL FOR AEROSPACE & MOTORSPORT APPLICATIONS”
The technical demands, production rate and pace of innovation in aerospace and motorsport make those industries fertile ground for development of new materials for additive manufacturing. Working together with technology supplier ALM, engineers from Boeing and
3MF is an industry consortium working to define a 3D printing format that will allow design applications to send full-fidelity 3D models to a mix of other applications, platforms, services and printers. The consortium’s goal is to provide a specification that eliminates the issues with currently available file formats, and allows companies to focus on innovation, rather than on basic interoperability issues. We invited Alexander and Adrian to deliver updates on this important project.
RECREATING THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD: USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES TO ALLOW ACCESS TO OBJECTS FRANK COPPER AND PIETA GREAVES The discovery and subsequent digitisation and recreating of the Staffordshire Hoard - the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metal work - has been a
Lighter, Stronger Parts without the Learning Curve
Inspire delivers an easy-to-use set of tools for generating structurally efficient concepts. When paired with a 3D printer, users often reduce costs, development time, material consumption, and product weight while increasing part performance. ď‚Ź Learn more at solidThinking.com/TCT
Š 2015 solidThinking, Inc. and solidThinking Inspire. All Rights Reserved.
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tct show preview ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
fascinating story that captured the public imagination. We invited Frank Cooper and Pieta Greaves to the stage to unveil how 3D technologies have played a pivotal role in unlocking the Hoard’s secrets and allowing public access on an unprecedented scale.
3D PRINTING: THE NEW GENERATION OF IMPLANTS - CARSTEN ENGEL, CTP, XILLOC
After graduating as a biomedical engineer, Carsten worked as a researcher at SIRRIS in Belgium for five years. His main work involved R&D projects in the field of biomedical and aerospace applications where he optimized systems and designs using metal alloys. He deployed the ISO13485 standard for four different technologies for biomedical materials. On several levels and projects, he helped industrial companies to integrate 3D printing in the production chain. He also helped clients to understand how to re-design parts for 3D printing in function of the technology and the material as well as integrate elements to ease and automate the post-process. As a result, several companies integrated state-of-the-art metal printers thanks to his consultancy work in the BeNeLux. We invited Carsten to share insights from his current challenge as CTO at Xilloc.
3D PRINTING AS A GATEWAY TO INNOVATION - ALEX BERRY, FOUNDER, SUTURE LTD
Alex is the lead protagonist in the Sutrue strory, a real human-interest project that has 3D printing at its ‘heart’. Using 3D printing in the development of a medical device led to the anticipated increase in innovation, but also opened up some new ways of engaging with, and being engaged by, the medical community. We invited Alex to share his story so far.
SEMINAR PROGRAMME
Our speaking line-ups don’t stop at the jam-packed conference programme the show floor will also host our Seminar Theatre where luminaries including Graham Tromans will present his famous ‘Introduction to Additive Manufacturing’ and Chris Krampitz and Onno Ponfoort will introduce attendees to the UL AM training curriculum. The seminar programme also includes a selection of software, scanning and inspection presentations as well as a raft of talks presenting the latest technology on display at the twoday event. Whatever you are visiting the show for, our free to attend conference agendas have talks to entertain, presentations to inform and discussions to inspire. For the full line-up and a list of timings head to www.tctshow.com.
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WE THINK OUR SHOW IS PRETTY DARN SPECTACULAR BUT DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT HERE’S WHAT A SELECTION OF EXHIBITORS AND VISITORS HAVE SAID: This year’s show, our 10th TCT in a row, has been fantastic. We have seen a significant increase in the interest in our products at the show, a good portion of which has been from potential international customers. We look forward to returning to TCT in 2014. MARTIN FORTH, VICE PRESIDENT, ENVISIONTEC
TCT Show has always been amazing for us. It was the first show we did six years ago and it continues to be successful, we’ve had great leads, people truly interested in buying 3D printers. DEIRDRE MACCORMACK, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MCOR TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
It’s been fantastic; every year it’s the most important show we do. We’ve had loads of people onto the booth, lots of great enquiries and some really interesting applications as well. SIMON BRANDON, MARKETING MANAGER UK, SCANDINAVIA, BENELUX, STRATASYS
It is a great show. We’ve been coming for ten years and it’s always been successful for us, good clientele and it is a great way to launch the 3D Systems product range for 2015. IAN MASON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRINTIT 3D LTD.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
TCT SHOW TESTIMONIALS
TWO TCT SHOW + PERSONALIZE EXHIBITORS TO HOST WEBINARS ON TCTMAGAZINE.COM Print magazines, digital editions, a worldwide conference programme, a consistently updated website, podcasts, social media, a YouTube channel bursting at the seams full of incredible video content… these are just some of the ways TCT + Personalize is accelerating 3D technologies with a vast array of content. Our newest medium for delivering content is TCT hosted webinars that are free for all to attend on tctmagazine.com. Companies from the industry will be delivering expert-led tutorials to help you get the best out of 3D technologies. The first two webinars in September come from Stratasys and Proto Labs respectively:
STRATASYS: 9TH SEPTEMBER 2015 MAXIMUM REALITY: ADVANCED MULTIMATERIAL, MULTI-COLOUR 3D PRINTING Stratasys and product design consultancy Design Reality will explore what is possible today with advanced 3D printing. Multi-material, multicolour 3D printing has provided a significant shift forward in terms of ultra-realistic prototyping. This webinar will lift the lid not just on the latest technology, but also on the most innovative techniques.
PROTO LABS: 17TH SEPTEMBER 2015 DIGITAL MANUFACTURING – PRECISION, SCALE, SPEED The number of manufacturing options available to product innovators has grown exponentially, maintaining focus on project priorities and capitalising on the most appropriate technology to best fulfil those priorities becomes ever more critical. In this webinar Proto Labs will look to capture the common influencing factors and see how these evolutions are supporting innovation and the decision making process like never before. Head to mytct.co/TCTWebinar for more deatils
The TCT Show is the only true event dedicated to the whole industry and applications of 3D printing, It’s view of positive realism and not hype is refreshing and essential in order to educate and help grow this industry, for both the consumer and professional user alike. RICHARD HORNE AKA RICHRAP
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PERSONALIZE
In the last issue of TCT Magazine we picked out some of our favourite 3D prints, since that publication one of the products went on to break a world record and another got picked up by Disney. Let’s see if we can keep that success rolling as we showcase some of the best 3D prints we’ve seen on our travels around the virtual and physical worlds.
PRINTING PRESS
VANINA
Street Fighter V Cover Art The massively popular Street Fighter video game franchise returns this year and to celebrate the resurection of one of the icons of the gaming world its makers, Capcom, have joined forces with 3D printing platform Source3 to produce a limited edition 3D printed cover. “Our twin goals at Source3 are bringing premium, licensed content to the 3D industries and demonstrating the power of 3D printing to brands,” says Scott Sellwood, CoFounder and VP of Business Development at Source3. “It is exciting to work with a forward thinking creative team like Capcom to use 3D printing to connect fans to iconic characters using innovative technologies.”
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
SKRAEP
Paper Jewellery Two items spotted this past month have used paper for their design inspiration but in radically different ways. The first (above) is Skraep, which takes the complex geometries of a crumpled up piece of paper and recreates it using a simulation plus 3D printing. The design by LuxMea Studios won an A’Design Award in Milan this year and is currently available on Kickstarer.
Bastille July 14th marked Bastille Day or ‘Le Quatorze Juillet’ as the locals call it. The storming of the Bastille in 1789, which marked the beginnings of the French revolution, is intrinsically linked to a bread/flour shortage and those obliviously enjoying their piles of pain at the Versailles. With this in mind food geniuses, Modernist Cuisine, set about creating a special brioche to mark the occasion and their head chef Francisco Migoya began by sketching out a potential design. The design was sent to 3D Systems Culinary who transformed those sketches into a 3D model to print out in sugar on their Chef Jet Pro machine. The result is this remarkable Brioche and icing sculpture.
The second item is not just inspired by paper but made with it. Environmentally conscious Lebanese fashion label VANINA used Mcor Technologies’ full colour IRIS HD paper 3D printing to produce their latest collection, Leaves. “Mcor is a great tool for us as a fashion brand. It allows us to expand our exploration of new methods of reuse by using digital fabrication techniques in tandem with traditional handcrafting,” said Joanne Hayek, Co-founder and Designer,
Ford Now you can print a car, or at least a small model of one. Ford has launched a 3D store with a range of famous Ford models available to download or order pre-printed. You’ll read in our earlier automotive feature that this isn’t the first time Ford have dabbled in 3D printing. “3D printing at home is a growing trend, and it makes sense for us to offer our customers a chance to make their own 3D Ford models,” said Mark Bentley, licensing manager, Ford Global Brand Licensing. “At Ford, we’re using 3D printing every day to rapidly prototype parts, and now we want to share that fun with our fans.”
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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
TOYOTA MOTORSPORT GmbH
EXPERTS AT ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TMG is on the cutting-edge of additive manufacturing, with 10 laser sinter (SLS) machines and with 35 years of top-level motorsport experience, we pride ourselves on delivering superior quality, fast. Our strong relationships with key suppliers ensures TMG works with a range of materials, including the new DSM Somos® PerFORM material which offers high-resolution production with even shorter lead times.
www.toyota-motorsport.com +49 2234 1823 0 | contact@toyota-motorsport.com
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digits2widgets ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
W OR DS : l a u r a g r iffit h s
W
hen SwissFrench architect Le Corbusier completed his somewhat unorthodox plans for one of the most iconic examples of twentieth-century religious architecture back in 1954, the idea that this complex design would one day be modelled from a digital file and a machine, couldn’t be any further from the designer’s self-proclaimed primitive and sculptural style. Famed for its geometrically challenging organic form and ability to frustrate architects and model makers decades after its completion, Le Corbusier’s chapel “Notre Dame du Haut”, more commonly known as Ronchamp, has proved incredibly difficult for model makers to accurately replicate.
aid of 3D printing. “We do an awful lot of work for architects,” explained Jonathan Rowley, Design Director at D2W and an Architect too. “What we wanted to do was produce an absolutely exquisite architectural model that was 100% 3D printed and would illustrate all of the things that architects should be thinking about if they’re looking to use 3D printing to produce models.” Some of those key points include understanding the 3D print materials that are most appropriate for the project and then designing a CAD model that provides all of the key detail for the scale you’re producing the model and at a scale the selected 3D printer will be able to reproduce. These are the same modelling design decisions that have
Le Corbusier REMASTERED
In fact, it is such a particular and well-known form, that when modelled inaccurately, it is very obvious. After seeing many model makers suffer the same fate as the builders that constructed the original building located on the hill of Bourlémont near Belfort in Eastern France, London based, 3D printing studio, Digits2Widgets (D2W) set itself the challenge of creating the most accurate model of the chapel ever produced, with the
always had to be made. The advent of CAD and 3D printing don’t change this. It’s the Architectural backgrounds and experience running industrial 3D printing equipment that enabled D2W to make these judgements, which allowed the printers to do their very best. “We wanted to reproduce a building that was very challenging and that would display all of the joy of using CAD in order to produce a very accurate model of something complicated,” Jonathan added. Joining the D2W team at the right time, Rhino wizard and highly experienced
All of the joy and brilliance of 3D printing is in the CAD file. The printer is just a machine that whoever’s designing needs to understand when you’ve married those two together you can get something pretty special.
Architectural model maker, Bart Radecki, was set the task of producing a CAD model of Ronchamp. Using original plans from a book dating back to the 1950s featuring Le Corbusier’s hand-written notes, Bart was able to translate these original designs into a base model. What makes this such an interesting project, is that the initial designs and notes do not resemble the chapel that stands on the hill today. Created in an organic fashion, (partly built from the rubble of a church that originally stood on the site and was destroyed during WW2) and making changes along the way, the actual building was made in a way that meant even the original builders were required to make it up as they went along. ››
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Somos
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the building was printed in a single Nylon SLS piece. The roof was separated from the whole CAD model in order for it to be removable to reveal the inner details and a final piece, a small water trough that catches rainwater at the rear of the chapel, was dyed grey. The complete model will be on display at this year’s TCT Show + Personalize (Stand H23) and the studio is also in talks with a London museum to introduce the model into their shop as a new form of ondemand retail. In comparison to traditional hand-crafting methods, this technique is both quicker and potentially more accurate, demonstrating one of the positive benefits of 3D printing but Jonathan says prising “3D printing” into just about any project, simply for the sake of being 3D printed, isn’t something the company is particularly interested in.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
Using this information, the base design was then adjusted using thousands of photographs to get the CAD model looking as close to the real building as possible. Exploiting the capabilities of CAD, Radecki was able to include information about the building’s distinctive textures. Rather than simply choosing to recreate the building’s exact geometries, a texture map was produced to mimic the building’s rough exterior and draped over exact areas of the design. “So many people still have their minds so blown with the fact that 3D printers will make them a shape that they’re not actually paying very much attention to how much you can also influence the surface texture,” Jonathan explained. “All of the joy and brilliance of 3D printing is in the CAD file. The printer is just a machine that whoever’s designing needs to understand and then when you’ve married those two together you can get something pretty special.” The entire CAD production process took around two weeks to complete, including not just a completely accurate exterior but also the incredibly detailed interior with the model being created in four parts in order to reveal those allimportant details. The base site was 3D printed in multicolour whereas the main body of
“I don’t show this model to anyone and try to impress them by the fact that it’s 3D printed. It stands on its own as just an exquisite model, 3D printing is irrelevant,”
It’s not a great 3D printed model, it’s a great architectural model that just happens to have been 3D printed.
Jonathan commented. “It’s not a great 3D printed model, it’s a great architectural model that just happens to have been 3D printed.” It’s not just architects that are knocking at the Camden company’s doors to benefit from this technology and the company has made the consorted effort to build up a team of in-house experts from areas like gaming, industrial design, jewellery, model making and of course architecture, to ensure that customers are getting the right knowledge about how 3D printing can, or indeed may not, benefit them. “We just need people to understand what it can do today,” Jonathan concludes. “That’s where people are getting confused, they’re reading all of these stories that really should be written 15 years from now and expecting it to be like that today. We just want to be clear and get people to understand what it can do for you today. Today is important, the future is fun but we’ll never get to the future if today isn’t useful.” AUGUST 2015
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STUDIOBUTTAFAVA
Machines to build the future, cutting-edge solutions that give the possibility of achieving what mankind has imagined, and technologies on which the improvement of the quality of life depends: this and much more will be EMO MILANO 2015. The spotlight will be on the wide offer of machine tools available, capable of attracting users from all the main sectors that use metal working systems.
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RENISHAW ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
T Head of Content, Jim Woodcock followed in the footsteps of HRH The Princess Royal as he visited Renishaw’s newly opened Innovation Centre to see how the engineering vanguards are cementing themselves as the UK’s most ambitious company.
Centre Stage
he unveiling of the new Innovation Centre and ambitious lineup for EMO are indicative of the progress the UKbased engineering firm Renishaw has made in the last five years. Renishaw was forced to reduce its headcount by 20% in 2008/2009 as a result of the global financial crisis. As a manufacturer of equipment subsequently used for further manufacturing, Renishaw was especially hard hit as coffers were locked and investment dried up. Fastforward five years and the workforce has more than doubled from a 2009 low of 1,800 to approaching 4,500 globally. Arriving at the company’s Wooton-underedge headquarters site the new Innovation Centre acts as a tangible embodiment of this newfound optimism. The sheer size of the structure is impressive, though through some careful earthworks and landscaping it somehow remains unobtrusive until you draw up close — important given the rural location. More than 1,300 staff are employed at this site alone and more satellite sites around the county means the company is now Gloucestershire’s largest private employer. The building was officially opened earlier in July by HRH The Princess Royal, who last visited the Wooton-under-edge facility some 35 years ago. At the official opening The Princess Royal commented, “It’s extraordinary how you have evolved that technology which was so ahead of its time into being such an integral part of pretty well what anybody wants to do in terms of precision manufacturing; an astonishing achievement.” Once inside the climate controlled building one is faced with an expansive showroom
where the breadth of Renishaw’s endeavours are demonstrated. Soaring ceilings, highly polished floors and expansive windows combine to house working CNC machines, large CMMs, smaller metrology equipment, an AM 250 (complete with 3D printed titanium bike, of course), dental, medical and neurosurgical displays. Of all the equipment, each piece impressive in it’s own right, the neurosurgical applications represent a ‘perfect storm’ of ambition and technical know-how resulting in life-changing potential. Using its decades of expertise in highprecision measurement and control Renishaw has been able to work with neurosurgeons to create robotic surgery systems capable of assisting with the most delicate operations. One application is the placement of electrodes deep into the brain either for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and for locating areas of the brain responsible for triggering seizures in diseases like epilepsy. Beyond the displays the Centre morphs from offices to workspace to labs thanks to its flexible structure that allows easy re-purposing of space. Conference facilities, staff restaurants (running five lunch services to cater for the growing number of employees), meeting spaces and more complement the traditional rows of open-plan workstations. Although seemingly complete the Innovation Centre is already due for a further phase of expansion, thankfully factored in to the original designs and to ensure no one gets jealous the rest of the buildings on site, including the original mill, will be refurbished over the coming year. ››
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RENISHAW AN EMOLUTION During the visit to the Innovation Centre the Renishaw team were not only gearing up for their annual pilgrimage to TCT but also to this year’s EMO Fair in Milan. If there’s a central theme to the products that Renishaw will present at EMO, then it is ‘de-skilling’. Across the range of new and updated measurement and control technologies the focus is on removing the need for highly trained staff at the point of use, exemplified by the fact that the journalists assembled at the press conference were encouraged to try the systems out for themselves. Renishaw is obviously confident their tech is foolproof! We will be releasing more news of the company’s EMO plans online in the coming months but a standout was new INTUO gauging software which is now offered with the Equator system to simplify and automate the gauging of a wide variety of parts, removing dependence on the skill of manual gauge users. This package can also be used as a realistic alternative to multiple manual devices such as vernier or digital callipers, micrometres and plug gauges. With minimal training the INTUO software allows the programmer to create gauging routines using just a part with an engineering drawing. With the ‘Feature Predict’ function activated, the programmer uses the joystick to take points on each feature while INTUO does most of the work, by predicting the type of feature, the nominal value and a possible tolerance band. It is then easy to
adjust the program to change the number of points taken or to space them evenly, and match nominals and tolerances to the engineering drawing. Shop-floor operators then simply select and run these programs within the user-friendly Renishaw Organiser front-end software.
The Princess Royal arrives at the Renishaw Innovation Centre and introduced to Sir David McMurtry.
Jim Henshaw (right), Director of Renishaw’s Encoder Products Division,
The New Head, Clive Martell
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The recent press conference also gave TCT the opportunity to meet with the new Head of Global Additive Manufacturing, Clive Martell, former President and CEO at Delcam. In his new role at Renishaw, Clive will report to Geoff McFarland, Group Engineering Director and will be responsible for the strategy and direction of additive manufacturing across
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the Renishaw Group. In the recent press release announcing Clive’s appointment Geoff McFarland, commented: “Having worked closely with Clive Martell during my six-year tenure as a non-executive director of Delcam, I am delighted to welcome him to Renishaw. His extensive experience within the global manufacturing industry, including the ability to grow customer
service activities, the development of dedicated software solutions and the establishment of Delcam’s Healthcare division, will be especially valuable to Renishaw as we develop additive manufacturing as a standard solution for production applications.” Clive will liaise with development teams in the UK and sales and marketing operations
across the world and will be particularly focussed on making a global success of Renishaw as an AM solutions provider. As AM looks to have substantial impacts not only within Renishaw but also across the global manufacturing sector we’d like to welcome Clive to the rollercoaster ride of the additive world.
ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
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THE DIRECTORY
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ACCELERATING 3D TECHNOLOGIES
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GRIMM COLUMN
WOR D S : TOD D G R IMM
Let designers witness the AM process, from start to finish, so that they gain a hands-on appreciation for what is possible and what is not.
Todd Grimm
is a stalwart of the additive manufacturing industry, having held positions across sales and marketing in some of the industries biggest names. Todd is currently the AM Industry advisor with AMUG
TGRIMM@TAGRIMM. COM
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CONUNDRUM
dditive manufacturing (AM) is different; in virtually every way it has different advantages, limitations, opportunities and challenges when compared to traditional processes. Those differences are what make AM unique and quite powerful. Yet, those differences make it difficult to make the transition. That creates a conundrum, especially when it comes to production applications. This conundrum has two parts. The first part is that AM is a solution looking for a problem. Since companies can’t make small quantities of complex parts cost effectively and in a timely manner, they don’t have an existing demand for such things. Instead, they often seek the same, just better, faster or cheaper. However, if everything remains the same, AM is often a poor choice. The second part of the conundrum is that AM’s differences mean that knowledge and experience are needed. Without this insight, implementation and execution may be challenging. But how does a company develop this insight when it cannot see a business case to make the shift to AM considering the first part of the conundrum? The most common example of the conundrum is the presentation of a part designed for machining, moulding or casting accompanied by the question of “how much will it cost, how long will it take and what quality will I get, if I use AM?” For applications beyond prototypes, the answer is often that it will cost more, take longer and have different qualities. For those without some serious business drivers that tilt the scales in favour of AM, the investigation often ends there. For a happy AM outcome in this example, the part should be designed for AM. It should be complex, have reduced mass and be adjusted for the targeted process. The designer or engineer needs to forget everything he has previously learned and design something radically different. This is quite a change and is asking a lot of the individual. This means that designers must make a big leap in skillsets, often without the benefit of guidance, prior to the need for AM production arising. This scenario applies to many other differences spanning material properties, quality considerations, process control, operations, and costing. Effectively,
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companies that wish to use AM for production applications must discover these differences before the need arises so that the can be leveraged and managed. So how can a company extract itself from this conundrum? Create “sandboxes”, to use a software term, where individuals can play with new concepts without penalty for failure. Expose individuals to the AM process rather than presenting them with the final part so that they gain an appreciation for strengths and limitations. And encourage “baby steps” that allow them to progress at their own pace towards the end goal. In design, the baby steps may be adding or modifying a few features rather than diving into highly complex, topology optimised parts. Let them first come to the realisation that some rules can be broken before taking the old rulebook away. For exposure, let designers witness the AM process, from start to finish, so that they gain a hands-on appreciation for what is possible and what is not. For the sandbox, encourage trial and error as learning experiences, either in parallel with conventional work or as a separate activity. One option is to encourage alternative designs for a part that is currently being prototyped and print them all. While the modified design won’t be useful since it doesn’t match the true design intent, the penalty-free experience will be invaluable. Another option would be to tackle alternatives for projects with lesser consequences. For example, try design for AM on a production fixture that is not needed immediately. The last idea is to provide a few hours a week to design something radically different and then have it printed. Make it fun or make it competitive, but make it an activity were any outcome is a success. Even in advanced industries that are using AM for production, like aerospace, the challenge exists. Finding good opportunities and marrying them with experience is an oftcited issue. At the highest level, the way out of the conundrum is to make the decision that AM will play a role in production at some time in the future. Then, to support that goal, establish the mechanisms to develop AM knowledge. Without that knowledge at your disposal when opportunity knocks, you will either have to go through a discovery phase when the stakes are high or ignore the opportunity. Quite the conundrum.
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Mechanical bracket for a satellite to be used in the space sector produced on a Renishaw AM250
Explore the potential of additive manufacturing Renishaw’s additive manufacturing systems use powder bed fusion technology to produce fully dense complex metal parts direct from 3D CAD. Also known as 3D printing, this technology is not constrained by traditional manufacturing design rules. Create complex geometries such as conformal cooling channels for tooling inserts, reduce component weight by only placing material where it is needed, and consolidate multiple parts in one assembly. Additive manufacturing is also complementary to conventional machining technologies, and directly contributes to reduced lead times, tooling costs and material waste. • No requirement for tooling. • Increased design freedom - complex geometries and hidden features. • Rapid design iterations right up to manufacture.
For more information visit www.renishaw.com/additive
Renishaw plc Brooms Road, Stone Business Park, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0SH, United Kingdom T +44 (0)1785 285000 F +44 (0)1785 285001 E additive@renishaw.com
www.renishaw.com