TCT Europe 22.3 by TCT Magazine

MAY 14

3D PRINTING | ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

ASIGA MAKES DIRECT

MANUFACTURING AN AFFORDABLE REALITY

3D PRINTING, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

ISSN 1751-0333

GROUP EDITOR James Woodcock e: james@rapidnews.com

DIGITAL AND COMMUNITY EDITORS Rose Brooke | rose.brooke@rapidnews.com Daniel O’Connor | daniel.oconnor@rapidnews.com

NEWSDESK +44 (0) 1244 680222

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Todd Grimm | T. A. Grimm & Associates | tgrimm@tagrimm.com Joris Peels | www.voxelfab.com | joris@voxelfab.com

GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER Carol Hardy | carol@rapidnews.com t: + 44 (0) 1244 680222

DESIGN Sam Hamlyn Tracey Roberts

C.O.O. / PUBLISHER Duncan Wood

C.E.O. Mark Blezard

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May 2014

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CONTENTS tct + personalize | May 2014

01 COVER STAR Direct manufacturing using additive techniques can be lifechanging — exemplified by the hearing aid featured on the front cover, printed using Asiga’s FreeForm Pico 3D printer

REGULARS 07 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 13 TODD GRIMM COLUMN 17 JORIS PEELS COLUMN 66 CTRL-ALT-DEL

FEATURES 08 27

11 21

22 27 31 35

It’s evolution baby...

Machining update

Asiga direct manufacturing Low-cost direct manufacturing using 3D printing — can it be done?

Aerospace focus Recent AM-focussed news from the aerospace world.

The TCT low countries tour Dan O’Connor took to the road like a man possessed, touring the AM and 3D printing highlights of Benelux.

TCT visits IPF to see the Objet500 Connex3 in its natural habitat. News from the subtractive machining world.

Ultimaker / 3DP Canal House A 3D-printed house on the banks of a canal? Must be worth a look.

SASAM

A look behind the scenes of this veteran, Belgium-based AM / 3D printing powerhouse.

Connecting the dots

Concept Laser

Leapfrog / Felix Robotics

AMUG review

MACH / Inside 3DP reviews

RAPID preview

Chester high-growth initiative

Materialise

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, Concept Laser has plans to stay ahead of the pack.

Power to your powder Sandvik Osprey has been making metal powder longer than AM has been an industry — but how?

Transatlanticism Shapeways may be big in New York, but the company started in Eindhoven — Dan paid them a visit.

May 2014

3D Hubs link 3D printers to the people that need them — TCT meets the team. More 3D printing innovation from the low countries. News from the Arizona desert. TCT recaps two exciting events.

What’s in store at this year’s RAPID?

EU-funded high-growth project on the site of the old Shell technology centre.

Bright Minds UK TCT Show + Personalize’s education initiative has a real effect — find out how and why to get involved.

A look at the European project to create standards and workflows for additive manufacturing.

CTRL - ALT - DEL Guest post from Public Knowledge.

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THE EDITOR It’s getting quieter out there. It’s getting quieter out there. If you’re an avid follower of the number of mentions that terms like 3D printing, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing, scanning, making etc. get on the news cycle (we are) you’ll have certainly noticed a decrease in the buzz. A quick look at Google Trends shows current interest in ‘3D printing’ at between 60–70% of their peak values. Still a significant upshift from even two years ago (when searches were at ~20% of peak), but it’s noticeably quieter. It’s true that parts of the industry will not cope with a drop off of interest by the public. Stock prices are buoyed by investors keen to determine if this daily mainstream reportage will equate to getting rich quick. Some consumer-facing companies couldn’t hope to generate the marketing collateral required to reach ‘the mainstream’ if it weren’t for all the free editorial coverage (B2B ad rates are positively paltry compared to consumer media), and others will simply get bored once the buzz wears off. For many though, the introduction to new technologies will have a lasting effect and, once hooked on the possibilities, they will remain part of the crowd. This will be true for both industrial users and for makers / hobbyists / consumers. The vibrancy of the RepRap Hub at last year’s TCT Show + Personalize is testament to the enthusiasm within that community, drawn by the excitement of the technology, the satisfaction of mastering the craft and the sense of belonging to an open and giving community. For the professional user all of this applies plus one other very important and persuasive factor. Money.

long after they stop seeing it in the newspaper. In a way, it’s surprising given the longevity of shows like TCT and the closeness of the community that so many professional users (or potential professional users) only learned about technologies like AM, 3D printing and 3D scanning once they were on breakfast TV! Now that they’re here, they will be here to stay for as long as the technologies deliver on their promises. From the news within this issue you’ll be heartened to learn that this should last for a long time to come. One easy barometer to the health of the industry are the events that are popping up all over the globe. Some focus on a specific group of applications such as medical or aerospace, other are more general. One of the longestestablished events is the annual RAPID expo from the SME. This year sees the conference and exhibition run alongside the Big M (for manufacturing) event up in Detroit, Michigan. Team TCT will be present for the 14th year in a row with a booth on the show floor. If you’re attending please do stop by for a chat, to renew your subscription and to let us know your thoughts. Keep on creating, Jim Woodcock

Anyone that uses a technology that saves them money or allows them to earn more money is going to stick with

Design today... ...build tomorrow Unlock the potential for Additive Manufacturing Renishaw’s laser melting system is a pioneering process capable of producing fully dense metal parts direct from 3D CAD. Find out more at www.renishaw.com/additive

www.renishaw.com May 2014

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LEAD NEWS

A young company called Asiga is challenging expectations of what can be made on a low-cost 3D printer with the goal of bringing affordable direct manufacturing to those who need it most.

Resin for ceramic pressing of dental crowns

PROTOTYPE or Product

Hearing aid shells printed in biocompatible material on an Asiga machine.

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May 2014

A young girl wears a custom hearing aid earpiece made with an Asiga Pico machine

ASIGA - 3D PRINTING IN THE MANUFACTURING SPACE High temperature master materials for jewellery rubber moulds

Direct investment casting materials

he term 3D printing is commonly associated with low-resolution plastic parts made on flimsy machines that are more toy than tool. Additive manufacturing, in contrast, implies sturdy, reliable machines that actually make useful things. The distinction, if anything more than just industry semantics, is one of price and part quality. However, not everyone has been willing to keep the status quo. Asiga was formed in 2009 after the Californian laser company that Ray Ericsson worked for went into administration. Ray explained: “I'd used 3D printers often in my engineering career and I was in love with the technology. In love with everything except the price. When it came time to reassess my future I decided to pursue my passion for 3D printing. I wanted to build an affordable 3D printer with high enough resolution to make finished products directly. I started a company and called it Asiga.” Ray set out with the mission of creating a machine capable of ‘affordable direct manufacturing’, meaning the parts that come of the system must be of sufficient quality to fit directly into an existing workflow. For that, the parts must have the right surface finish and be produced in a range of desirable materials. Low cost for manufacturing So how did Asiga go about combining ‘low cost’ and ‘manufacturing’ in the same product description? “Our approach has been to deconstruct the 3D printing process and reinvent it afresh,” explained Ray. “In our first product launched in 2011 — the Freeform Pico — we introduced our unique "slide-and-separate" process, an ultraviolet-LED projection engine, one-micron-thick fabrication layers, a tiny 20 cm2 footprint, fully integrated support generation software and a retail price of $6,990. Each of these innovations was revolutionary at the time and many are still unparalleled in the industry today. We design and manufacture all the software, hardware and materials in-house, so we know intimately how each system interacts with the others.” The fact that the FreeForm Pico was launched some three years ago now also points to the methodical, distinctly anti-hype way Asiga has gone about entering the 3D printing market. With a new ‘desktop’ machine launching on crowd-funding platforms every week, coupled with the recent explosion of light-based systems, Asiga is virtually a veteran of the space. Hype is good if you want to sell a lot of machines quickly, but reputations are won over a lifetime and lost overnight — and in real manufacturing applications reputation counts.

QuoteServer allows anyone to quickly create and host a professional self-branded e-commerce website for their 3D printing business in a matter of hours. “At the professional level, value is created when 3D printed parts can be sold,” Ray continued. “That’s why Asiga is focused on highresolution direct manufacturing applications like jewellery, dental restorations and hearing-aid manufacture. These industries make up the majority of our customer base. Direct manufacturing represents the biggest opportunity to the industry today.” Others share this positive outlook too. According to the 2013 Wohlers Report, ‘The production of parts using AM is expected to far surpass the current scale of rapid prototyping. The ratio of prototypes to production parts is often 1:1,000 or much greater. In other words, for every 1,000 end-use products manufactured, only one prototype is produced, although this ratio varies widely from product to product and industry to industry. The opportunity for more commercial production activity from AM is immense.’ Ahead of the pack Asiga were in many ways ahead of the curve with the FreeForm Pico, entering the light-curing market before the current surge of interest. The phenomenal explosion of extrusion-style printers has changed perceptions, uses and even business models across the sector. Light curing systems are set to be the next technology of focus both in the professional and prosumer/consumer sphere. Ray summarised: “Although some mooted applications of 3D printing are fanciful, the hype derives from the fact that it is arguably the most automatable and flexible manufacturing process possible. 3D printing makes one-off and small batch production more viable than ever before, and larger scale production may be just around the corner. 3D printing has the potential to be dangerous (think guns), is already disrupting some industries (think dentistry) and changing peoples’ lives (think body parts). This was already happening before popular culture caught on and will continue afterwards.” i| www.asiga.com

A dental model

Theodore Levitt famously said ‘People don't want to buy a quarterinch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!’ When it comes to deploying an additive fabrication system for manufacturing, Ray says the same premise remains true — people want parts, not printers. Ray explained his stance: “At the consumer level I think the fad of buying a home 3D printer will soon pass. 3D printing bureaux can satisfy consumer desire for mass customisation more efficiently than a home printer can. I see a bright future for bureaux, which is why Asiga developed the QuoteServer web platform. May 2014

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Color and material combinations that make you say “Wow!”

[COLOR + RUBBER +TRANSPARENT + RIGID] Introducing the Objet500 Connex3 from Stratasys, the world’s only full-color and multi-material 3D printer. Select from incomparably brilliant and consistent colors, plus a full palette of transparent colors — the only 3D printer to offer such a wide array. And it’s the only 3D printer that prints flexible materials in a broad range of shore values. All with ultra-fine detail creating the most true-to-life modeling possible. Stratasys is the proven leader in multi-material 3D printing. For whatever your mi nd ca n i ma g i n e, vi si t st ra t a sys . co m/O bj et5 0 0 Co n n ex3 o r co n t a ct u s a t e mea @st ra t a sys . co m o r ca l l +49 722 9 777 2 0.

APRIL/MAY NEWS ROUNDUP: Aerospace focus

NEWS

Not only is aerospace one of the most exciting and competitive 3D printing applications, but it is where some of the most ground-breaking advancements of the technology can be seen at their best. Aerospace is a key growth area for additive manufacturing, with industry colossi such as Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems utilising the expertise of Stratasys and 3T RPD to bring their projects to fruition. Click to our special AeroFocus series at www.tctmagazine.com/topics/aerofocus for all these stories and more.

BAE SYSTEMS TURNS TO 3T RPD FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS

Aerospace heavyweight BAE Systems sought 3D printing expertise from 3T RPD when faced with the task of manufacturing a highprecision part quickly and efficiently when the original tooling was damaged. After working alongside BAE's Regional Aircraft arm, 3T additive manufactured essential breather pipes for the BAE 146 airliner, costing 60 per cent less than injection moulding and preventing dozens of aircraft from being grounded.

WINDFORM 3D PRINTING MATERIALS LAUNCH INTO SPACE

Windform XT 2.0 has been used to laser sinter hardware for a camera system and other components for the Ky-SAT-2 satellite, which is currently in orbit as part of NASA's ElaNa IV mission, after being built and tested by the Kentucky and Morehead Universities and Kentucky Space. The Windform material offers high mechanical performance that is extremely light and resistant to extreme conditions and is said to have been "critical to achieve the right components" for the satellite by the Kentucky Space team.

LOCKHEED MARTIN 3D PRINTS FUEL TANK SIMULATION WITH STRATASYS TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD TRIALS 3D-PRINTED UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

Engineers at the University of Sheffield have trialled a 1.5 m-wide prototype unmanned aerial vehicle as part of research into 3D printing complex geometries. The aircraft has been built using polymer materials and the team believes it could mark the beginning of a scheme for producing cheap, disposable aircraft that can be built in remote settings for reconnaissance missions.

Aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin has utilised Stratasys' fused deposition modelling 3D printing on a gigantic scale to build fuel tank simulations for a satellite project. Stratasys subsidiary RedEye built 10 separate sections simultaneously, maximising lead times and controlling costs, providing Lockheed with a more cost-effective, timeefficient alternative to machining with precise, fully-functional results.

MASSIVE HEATHROW T2 SCULPTURE DEVELOPED WITH DASSAULT SYSTĂ&#x2C6;MES TECH Dassault SystĂ¨mes 3DEXPERIENCE Technology has played a pivotal role in designing, developing and producing many of the Boeing and Airbus aircraft that will carry many passengers to and from Heathrow's T2, and this software has also brought the terminal's gigantic Slipstream sculpture by Richard Wilson to life. The 78 m piece is one of Europe's longest artworks, weighting 77 tonnes and represents flight. May 2014

BLOODHOUND PAPER REVEALS AERODYNAMIC CHALLENGES The BLOODHOUND supersonic car is scheduled to begin its potentially recordbreaking voyage in South Africa next year and the first component of the vehicle to crash through the sound barrier will be its 3Dprinted nose component, built using Renishaw additive manufacturing technology. Swansea University's College of Engineering has compiled a detailed paper on the characteristics of travelling at 1,000 mph and how it will cope with supersonic speed.

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Confidence to unleash your creativity

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TODD GRIMM

Don’t be alarmed by stories of unbridled success from big industry players. Todd Grimm has been on the road and has discovered that they’re almost certainly just getting started too.

Behind the Scenes WORDS | Todd Grimm @ T.A. Grimm Associates

t’s no secret that there is a flurry of activity surrounding 3D printing. Interests in the technology and industry are at an alltime high, and the concept of manufacturing with 3D printing is at the forefront of many conversations. On the surface, it may appear that everyone is adopting 3D printing and that everyone is inching closer to producing their next product line additively. As observers, we are given the impression that the revolution is taking place. However, when you get a peek inside companies other than your own, the reality is a bit different. Over just the past two months, I’ve had the opportunity to understand what is going on behind the scenes at a diverse array of companies: users and prospective users, manufacturers and prospective manufacturers, startups and Fortune 1000s, and venture capital and investment firms. The conversations have been interesting, and the realities have been eye-opening. While 3D printing is more active than ever, the behind-the-scenes tours have strengthened my conviction that we are on a 10–20 year evolutionary path, not a five-year revolutionary upheaval. We are marching to the future through a series of small victories rather than a few major events. What that means to you is that time is on your side. While you may have the perception that your company is falling behind, the truth is that you are most likely in the majority. You have time, but to remain competitive, you can’t sit idly and let all others pass you by. Disconnect: Interest and Action Within six days, I was seated amongst employees of two very large, well-known companies. The goal of both gatherings was to bring together people from across the varied business units so that they could collaborate in a way that advances 3D printing’s use. Meetings like this have been rare. Just by their occurrence, it shows management support for 3D printing initiatives. All of the participants were eager; eager to learn more about and do more with 3D printing. However, eagerness and interest don’t necessarily translate to action. In one of the meetings, when the 150 attendees were asked how many have ready access to 3D printing, just three people raised their hands. When asked what they used 3D printing for, the unanimous response was prototyping and design evaluation. Following that insightful conversation, the same group was asked if they own, personally or professionally, a consumer-class 3D printer; just one person raised their hand. Continued on page 15

May 2014

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TODD GRIMM

The other meeting was different. Nearly every attendee had direct access to a 3D printer, and all had interesting tales of how the technology had benefitted them. Their stories were compelling and the business gains were real. It sounded like proof of a revolution in the making until the common grievance was voiced. It seems that even though 3D printing was producing results, many found it difficult to get funding to add more 3D printers.

Interest is high but activity is throttled. Production is a vision but prototyping is the primary application — with decent growth in jigs, fixtures and mock-ups.

Not surprisingly, both meetings liberally used GE (General Electric) as the pinnacle of 3D printing prowess. Attendees at both meetings cited GE for aspiration and motivation. GE has become the signature of success for 3D printing. Its tales of producing aircraft engines with 3D printing have inspired and motivated many. However, I’d be surprised if GE Aviation wasn’t the 3D printing exception within this massive corporation. My guess is that most other GE business units are more like the two companies I visited and much like your own. But keep in mind that I have not recently been behind the scenes at GE, so my comment is speculative.

From those two meetings and dozens of other conversations, I witnessed some commonality across companies of all sizes. Interest is high but activity is throttled. Production is a vision but prototyping is the primary application — with decent growth in jigs, fixtures and mock-ups. Financial justification is imperative but 3D printing often falls short when competing with other capital expenditures. The other commonality is that questions abound, but answers are elusive. Taking a page from the reporter’s handbook, companies want to know who, what, when, where, why and how. Yet, these answers are tough to find and often nebulous. While companies can collaborate with others to get insight, which I highly recommend, the answers are still evolving. Individual companies are left to seek

them out. At the highest level, “Why” is easy: better, faster and cheaper coupled with innovation. Yet, until “Why” is translated into financial gain, a business case cannot be made. Sound like your company? It should because this is the norm as far as I can tell. Attention has driven interest, but that is just the first step. It is an encouraging and welcomed step, but nonetheless, it is just the start. To get to action, companies must overcome the forces of business. It’s all about time and money. Where to spend your time? Where to invest financial resources? And what offers the biggest return?

Companies demand information on why, who, what, when, where and how. Without them, action is questionable. Those answers will come. 3DP makes sense. It is a powerful tool when applied to the right application. But it will take time for these answers to coalesce. Yes, there are those companies, like GE, that have found or made their own answers, but they are in the minority. From my peek behind the scenes, that is my perception. So, the moral of this story is that you are not alone. If you are struggling to move 3D printing forward, there are many, many like you. This means you have time. You are not lagging; you aren’t behind the masses. You don’t have to react to all of the attention. Instead, you have the luxury of time to act strategically. You can’t afford to do nothing, though. You have to start taking action. My advice is to start prototyping now, and if you are already using 3D printing for that application, do it more. Learn from this experience, and use it to start building your plan for the future.

About the Author 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 the AMUG. You can contact him on tgrimm@tagrimm.com

May 2014

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May 2014

JORIS PEELS

Once you up the production on a product and not just the playing but the actual production, then it's going to up the ante. - Phil Anselmo

Heavy Metal: From Lab to Fab WORDS | Joris Peels @ Voxelfab About the Author

epowdering sounds like something members of Louis XIV's court would have to do each evening. It sounds quaint, something from the distant echoes of the past. Something from an age of flowing frocks, necklines plunging like elevated AM stocks, wigs and chamber music in the background while opulent candlelit buffets of glistening boar are laid out for the happy few.

And depowdering should be something from the past. If we actually want to make metal AM products at any sort of scale we need to get serious about production. We can't expect to be making patientspecific implants and aircraft parts to a high degree of accuracy and repeatability while continuing in our ancient ways. We can't expect to grow the AM metals business by sticking to business as usual.

Joris Peels is a business development, strategy, product development and marketing consultant to the 3D printing industry. You can read his blog at http://voxelfab.com/blog/, follow him on Twitter @voxelfab or email him joris@voxelfab.com

spent a few days creating the world's most expensive high tech titanium sieve. “I don't think we can put it in an aircraft Bob, but maybe we can use it for desalination?” Maybe you do this four or five times per new design or geometry.

A revolutionary, amazing process that can change the aerospace industry forever... that involves a guy with a brush individually But, after that its like totally amazing and works every time! Or like, cleaning metal dust off each part. We can't expect to make parts that maybe, depending on some things, not exactly every go inside aircraft engines if we have to let an time. But, at least you totally know what went wrong artisan determine how to build a part. We can't expect to keep people in the skies if each new “We can't expect and exactly at what production step things went wrong, right? You can just verify all of the settings and then individual geometry has to be, based on years of to make parts know exactly what parameter to adjust, right? I mean skill, re-engineered to come out right. We can't there are tables for this, and software and closed loop that go inside expect to have to redesign every new part, test it a few times and then find out it doesn't work. We aircraft engines if control and quality assurance. We totally have all of that information set up and there’s like established processes can't expect to have to redesign, by experience, each new part for each new material. We should we have to let an and workflows that work every single time? So we just turn one knob back a bit and then it works perfectly? not want to be Caravaggio or Titian any longer, artisan Uum… well… perhaps not every time. our aspirations should lie more towards the determine how comparatively humble efforts of the house painter. Just between you and me, be honest with yourself for a to build a part.” moment. If you were going to Euromold and someone AM for metals is amazing, fast and cheap. It’s just told you, “We have two aircraft: a bog standard 747 and like pressing a button. First you have a guy one where all of the parts are 3D printed, which do you want to you eyeball the part, based on a decade of experience that person then fly?” Imagine you were taking your family, your kids or your adds material, maybe redesigns it, then based on experience designs friends? Which would you pick? The one made by the artisans, the supports, then you print it for like half a day, clean it all off with a artists. The skilled and experienced eyeballing and through brush, de-stress it, do some HIP, precipitation harden it, heat treat experience producing every part individually? The romantic in me it, then a guy with a saw cuts off bits from the part, maybe there’s wants to say, that one. The 3D printed aircraft would surely be the some EDM maybe some CNC (OK guys, lets get one thing straight: cooler one. But, for now...I think I'll stick with the bog standard 747. We don't tell the muggles we use CNC? OK?), then some shot peening, maybe a mechanical or chemical polish, then you 3D scan the part, then scan the surface, then you maybe CT scan it or maybe use an electron microscope. Ta Da! Continued on page 19

And then you find out you need to do it again because the part is warped, broken or has enough porosity in it for you to have just

May 2014

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Metal and Plastic Additive Manufacturing for production parts

Visit us: Stand D10, Hall 1 14-18 July 2014

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May 2014

JORIS PEELS

“We have two aircraft: a bog standard 747 and one where all of the parts are 3D printed, which do you want to you fly?”

We can't do production at scale in orthopaedics, aerospace and other industries with artisans and artists. We can't continue on our Ferran Adria, Marco Pierre White arsenal idyll. This was fine for the previous stage of the industry. Skill, years of practice, inspiration, experience and knowledge all leading up to playing with metal. Toying with it, encouraging it, cajoling it to form shapes. A collection of artisans toiling and learning in established partnerships, apprentices to the dark hidden arts of alchemy. If we want however to turn lead into gold, we will have to go from lab to fab.

We need to develop a PostScript for AM.

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Predictive analytics of part quality, density, morphology and surface will need to be made.

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Machine reliability will have to be improved significantly.

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TCO on operating AM metal machines will have to be reduced from $100,000 a year.

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Software will have to automatically design all supports, redesigns, adding of material as well as do optimal nesting.

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Labour costs per part will have to be reduced from over 30%.

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Porosity, cracking and warping of parts needs to be controlled for and discovered as early on as is possible in the process.

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Materials and material characteristics will have to be codified.

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Design for AM will have to be easier, incorporating into it material, load, usage and final outcome.

In order to succeed we're going to have to adopt and create standards, processes, workflows, software, quality control and machines that will fully automate AM for metals. No humans involved.

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Depowdering will have to be fully automated.

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Production lines of machines will have to be set up to do all the post processing automatically.

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No more pushing around of parts on carts.

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Part tracking and identification will have to be automated.

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Scanning for morphology and surfaces will have to take place at every step.

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Support removal will have to be automated.

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Powerful software will have to anticipate, simulate and control these entire processes.

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Software will have to be able to validate new materials and parts while changing process parameters along the chain so parts will work the first time they are made.

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Six Sigma and other quality control processes will have to be adopted and integrated.

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Our error rates will have to be oceans and oceans lower than the single digit percentages we are used to.

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Six Sigma is 3.4 failed parts per million produced parts. We are typically 3000 times less efficient than this.

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Machines will need to be faster, more accurate and have higher throughput.

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Machines will at least need to be able to switch out previous builds during the evenings and nights.

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Machines could also perhaps then independently start new builds during the night.

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Material costs will have to be significantly lowered.

In short we need to automate, control, optimise and improve to the point where we can reliably, constantly manufacture fully dense smooth parts to specific dimensions repeatably round the clock at scale. There are encouraging developments in this field such as Brent Stucker's 3DSIM software, Additive Industries goal to add more automation to metal AM, EOSTATE, Streamics, Geomagic Control & Verify, the m400, the 1000R & the Q10 (especially LayerQam). But, we will need to do much more heavy lifting in order to reach the next phase. Opportunities abound. If you are now the Ferran of this industry I would advise you to do what you can to be the McDonalds of metals services, software or machines for AM. Process control, reliability, operational excellence, throughput and lowest cost to part are key. Fail and you may get to high five some Formula 1 engineers a few times a year but you will be missing out on the greatest wave of opportunity that this industry has ever seen. If you manage this you may soar. There are around 20,000 private jets in the world. Maybe one day many parts of these jets will be made using AM. Maybe you get to call one of them your own. We live in an age where we have telescope lenses precisely ground in order to see 13 billion light years into our collective past. A world where fMRI scans may soon be able to extract actual images of things we imagine from our brains. Robots can play the violin and computers can beat us in chess. We can build things made out of building blocks of single atoms. We may in a few years have more cell phones than there are people on the planet. If we want to play a part in such an amazing world we need to up our game. We need to go from lab to fab. P.S., I'd go with the Bombardier Global. For the interior you may find that a Lufthansa Technik office may be conveniently located near you.

May 2014

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3DP IN THE LOW COUNTRIES

It has been mooted that TCT should take a tour of Belgium and the Netherlands for some time, and the growing number of business and projects related to additive manufacturing in the Low Countries meant these proposals could no longer be ignored. WORDS | Dan O’Connor

t was up to me to plan a three-day tour of the Belgium and the neighbouring Netherlands, visit as many relevant companies/projects as possible and report back. After several itinerary iterations we settled on a grand total of nine establishments, in six towns/cities, covering 610 km of gloriously flat land, possibly as easy to do by bike as by car. If roles were reversed and we were a Dutch media outlet visiting the 3D printing sights of the UK we’d probably have run out of interesting stories within the three days, as it was some, of the companies missed out due to time constraints or a lack of availability could make up another handful of these trips. Organisations we didn’t get to see include the likes of LayerWise, Solvay, Perpetual Plastic Project, LUXeXceL, Colorfabb, Freedom of Creation, Ridix and 4D Dynamics, though we did bump into 4D Dynamics’ 3D printing evangelist Deepak Mehta at the grand opening of Leapfrog’s new facility.

3DP in the

LOW COUNTRIES

The maker movement may be strong in Belgium but put it next to what is going on in the Netherlands and it goes from being a movement to a revolution.

4 4

The TED Talk regular is ideally placed to offer up his opinion on why the technology is so prevalent in the Low Countries: “There’s a concentration of knowledge here, from years of production by the likes of Materialise but I’d actually say that the UK is leading the way in education and could soon be catching up.”

The recent surge in funding in the UK for advanced manufacturing may well make us an additive manufacturing power in 10-20 years time but by that point we’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Materialise already has a good quarter of a century head start on any UK version that may or may not open its doors in the coming years. Despite this being the Low Countries feature it would be wrong not to differentiate between one of the longest and strongest trade partnerships on the globe. It’s not just the speed limits that change once you cross the Belgian/Dutch border, the enterprise 3D printing focussed Materialise, Solvay and LayerWise give way to the entirely consumer orientated Shapeways, Ultimaker and 3D Hubs. The maker movement may be strong in Belgium but put it next to what is going on in the Netherlands and it goes from being a movement to a revolution. The Gartner Hype Cycle suggests that we’re heading into the dreaded “Trough of Disillusionment” for consumer 3D printing, but Gartner musn’t have been conducting their research amongst the Dutch.

4 Dan’s route through the low countries

The big question I asked of all the organisations we visited was “Why is the Low Countries such a hive of 3D printing activity?”, the standard answer seemed to be “Because we have good technical universities”, but perhaps it runs deeper than that? Prepare yourselves for one convoluted, slightly far-fetched ananlogy here: perhaps the very fact that the Low Countries have always had to build upwards, not carve castles into mountainside or caves into sandstone, perhaps that basic understanding of building up from nothing, from flat surfaces by adding material, perhaps that is so ingrained into the psyche of the Dutch and Belgians that additive manufacturing comes naturally? Probably more likely to be the universities…

May 2014

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MATERIALISE

MATERIALISE WORDS | Dan O’Connor

Roughly 16 miles east of Brussels lies the Flemish town of Leuven, a unique university town with gothic architecture and a bloody past. The red and white flag flying above the 15th century town hall is said to symbolise the curdling crimson colour the River Dijle flowed after a victorious battle against the Vikings in 891. Dead bodies of the Northmen were stacked so greatly along the river only their blood ran downstream. Leuven’s resistance in this battle essentially ended the invading Nordic hoards’ relentless march throughout the Low Countries.

Medical Production at Materialise

erhaps it is this fear of the returning Vikings that has made Leuven home; not only to the world’s largest brewer of alcohol to appease them with beer; not only one of Europe’s largest hospitals for the injured; not only the largest and oldest university in the Low Countries perhaps for military tactics; but home to one of the world’s most innovative companies — making particular strides in medical applications so as the Leuven population can be as fit and healthy as possible should the Ashmen commeth. That company is, of course, Materialise NV, who last year alone produced over 150,000 patient-specific medical devices. As if we were doing our Low Countries tour in chronological order Materialise’s Leuven HQ was the first stop. Taking risks Knowing you history is important when visiting a place like Materialise, this isn’t a fly by night, this isn’t a startup, take a look at some of the plaques adorning the glorious reception and you’ll quickly realise that this most innovative of companies turns a quarter of a century old in 2015. To understand the humble beginnings of 25 years ago we’re greeted by Corporate Communications Specialist, Vanessa Palsenbarg, who tells us all about the company’s history during a guided tour of a stunning facility.

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May 2014

MATERIALISE

It all started in 1989 when a young Wilfried Vancraen was working as a Research Engineer at the Research Institute of the Belgian Metalworking Industry. During his research he came across the first batch of 3D Systems stereolithography machines and contemplated what they could mean for manufacturing in the future. Where others maligned the lousy mechanical characteristics of the early machines Fried saw opportunity, he understood almost immediately how 3D printing could and would change the world. Pleas to the research institute to invest in the technology fell on deaf ears so he did what all great visionary entrepreneurs do; he took a substantial risk. The educated gamble was to invest his life savings and to take out bank loans to invest in just one SLA machine from 3D Systems. That solitary machine started Materialise in 1990, at the time of writing the company now owns and operates 103 printers, suggesting, perhaps, that risk paid off.

Bespoke art project by milliner Stephen Jones, ‘Four Continents’ installation for the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh.

The majority of those 103 machines are inside the Leuven facility, from Desktop FDM machines in the bright and breezy co-creation suite to the Mammoth by name, Mammoth by nature stereolithography machines housed in their dungeon-like lair, it is difficult to avoid the sight of a 3D printer, there’s even some Stratasys Dimension machines whirring away in the canteen! Materialise is unique in so many ways, so many ways that it is almost impossible to pigeon hole exactly what kind of company they are. The majority of companies we cover at TCT tend to be fairly easy to categorise; you’ve got your machine manufacturers, your software companies, your bureaus, your materials producers, your users etc… but what of Materialise? How can you label a company that does all of those and much more? Continued on page 25

May 2014

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May 2014

MATERIALISE

In good health Dotted around the building you see exquisite design pieces; from consumer lighting and homeware collections of the upmarket .MGX by Materialise range, to bespoke art projects like celebrated milliner Stephen Jones’ “Four Continents” installation for the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The brave and the beautiful are on display as bold as brass but it is the projects that go on behind closed doors that strike to the real core of Materialise’s business. In 2013 alone Materialise produced around 150,000 patient-specific medical devices. Putting that into context; that’s about 411 a day, let’s say, conservatively speaking, one in four of those is for a different individual, that’s over 100 people a day, 36,000 a year whose lives are improved with, for example, a 3D printed surgical guide or a 3D printed hip replacement or even a 3D printed cranial implant. The reason the doors to the medical facilities are closed in Leuven is not clandestine; it is all to do with standards. While we’re in the normal laser sintering room it, like any other, is covered with the dust produced from the machines, but the medical LS facility is spotless, not a dot of dust and no chance of somebody as hirsute as myself jeopardising the incredible work that goes on. That work is inspired by Vancraen’s vision, when he won our last Most Influential Figure in AM award he said: “I am on the right path with my vision of changing people’s lives through AM and will motivate me, and in fact all of us at Materialise, to strive even harder to make this vision a daily reality in the work we do.”

“Our motto is to make the world a better place with technology” –

graduate students when Fried launched the company back in 1990,” said Palsenbarg.

Materialise recently hired its 1,000th employee and perhaps it is because they know they will be listened to, that they stay. One of the Vice Presidents Vanessa mentioned is Johan Pauwels, again a Katholieke Universiteit Leuven graduate, he took a job as a software engineer at Materialise in 1991. Vancraen The work they do and co. realised very early on that although these One thing that really strikes home about machines were great, the software was terrible, so for Materialise’s Leuven HQ is the sense of Wilfried Vancraen their own needs Pauwels set about making more community, the sense of job satisfaction. manageable and reliable software. The results were so Our guide, Vanessa Palsenbarg is a impressive that Materialise decided to sell the Canadian who graduated from the software to competitors? The result? Over 8,000 3D university in Leuven, she’s into her fourth year at Materialise and printing software licenses to over 4,000 companies the likes of returning home doesn’t cross her mind: “People tend to stay at this Boeing, Ford and Airbus included. company a long time, two of our vice presidents started out here as Utilising the skills developed for in-house requirements as new business models energises the staff; they know if they have a good idea it will be taken on board to further themselves as well as the company. Take RapidFit, a subsidiary to Materialise, it started as inhouse innovation for fixing and measuring large scale parts, after realising this system was a solution to a huge problem in the automotive industry RapidFit now counts the likes of Audi, BMW and Toyota as repeat customers. As grandiose as a motto it may be Materialise really do concentrate on the greater good, the ethos trickles down from those at the top and though this may not help should those Vikings ever return to Leuven, Materialise will never print anything to do with weapons. Fried Vancraen was adamant about this stance from day one and in a recent interview with Whiteboard Magazine he even suggested that could be the reason for company’s bigger footprint in medical than aerospace.

Mammoth stereolithography

A bigger footprint by Materialise could soon be seen across the globe; shortly after leaving the Leuven facility, news that has been rumoured for some time broke; Materialise is filing for an Initial Public Offering. They hope to raise in excess of $125 million to grow the company, which has so many irons in so many fires across the 3D printing spectrum, even further. i| www.materialise.com

May 2014

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CONCEPT LASER

CONCEPT LASER 'INNOVATION, INNOVATION, INNOVATION' WORDS | Rose Brooke

Concept Laser has built up its success in the metal additive manufacturing arena over 15 years. Rose Brooke spoke to CEO Frank Herzog and Head of Sales and Marketing Oliver Edelmann about how the business plans to stay ahead of the competition in an increasingly busy marketplace.

ow is a critical time for this maturing technology. Over the course of two decades of development industry 'founding fathers' have carved themselves niches in the supply chains of major early-adopting sectors. However, the continued rise in popularity of additive manufacturing presents challenges, as new rivals enter the fold and the continuing arms race for developing the most advanced additive manufacturing technology heats up. Established in 2000 and growing its business within the 50-year-old Hofmann Innovation Group in Lichtenfels, Germany, Concept Laser believes it can maintain its lead in this increasingly competitive market. Separating the men from the boys Head of Sales and Marketing Oliver Edelmann explained there is more to being successful in metal additive manufacturing than just being a metal additive manufacturing business. He expects a "significant number" of new machines arriving on the scene in the coming years, but believes Concept Laser's reputation gives it the edge.

This year, Concept Laser opened a 600 m2 research and development facility where engineers are hard at work on the latest materials, laser technology, optics and software.

Edelmann stated: "We listen to our customers' Frank Herzog and "It's not just additive demands and try to Oliver Edelmann establish close manufacturing. It's relationships for quality assurance, our target industries ... and on the product development side monitoring and data we try to involve customers early on to listen to their visions."

storage, and we've learnt a lot working with our customers. This will really separate the men from the boys in the next few years."

"It's not just additive manufacturing. It's quality assurance, monitoring and data storage, and we've learnt a lot working with our customers. This will really separate the men from the boys in the next few years."

Edelmann continued: "Even if a massive company decided to buy a company that specialises in metal additive manufacturing, I think the learning curve to become a trusted supplier to key sectors like aviation is a difficult process. I think it's underestimated by a number of players who are now marching into the market."

Implementing customer demands into Concept Laser's own product development led directly to the creation of the Mlab cusing machine for the dental industry, while the X line 1000R was a co-development project between Concept Laser, Mercedes and other business partners. Herzog noted: "There aren't so many companies offering this kind of high quality technology on the market at the moment. That will change in the future - we have to maintain our lead.

"The Hofmann Group is a family-owned company and Concept Laser is an independent part of it. At the Hofmann Group, we are 600 people and in the last year we had a turnover of more than â&#x201A;Ź100 million (ÂŁ82 million, $138 million). Concept Laser is really the think tank and focuses on development and marketing. The Concept side of our business is about 80 people but if we add together all the people who work for this technology within the group it would be 130 people. In that respect, we are really the biggest metal 3D printing company in the world." Continued on page 29

May 2014

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Extraordinary growth Herzog and Edelmann are content with Concept Laser's progress and are reaping the benefits of the recent additive manufacturing boom. "We already have orders for 2015 and at the moment we are experiencing growth of 30-35 per cent per year. From 2010 to 2014 "I can confirm we've observed really drastic growth," that I see the said Herzog. But is it a case of what comes up must come down? Edelmann and Herzog do not necessarily believe this is so, suggesting the 3D printing 'hype bubble' theory does not necessarily apply to industrial additive manufacturing.

bubble in the consumer side but not in the industrial environment,"

Product samples from the automotive, medical and aerospace industries

"I can confirm that I see the bubble in the consumer side but not in the industrial environment," Herzog admitted. Concept Laser's growth is coming from the usual places - jewellery, mould-making, automotive, aviation - and the company singled out production applications as its main driver. Edelmann explained: "The beauty of the process we have in metals as opposed to plastics is the end-use materials, these have the same mechanical properties as the materials manufacturers currently use so it's not new territory for them. " Expansion, expansion, expansion Concept Laser is growing and the company has invested time and money in establishing a successful Students Office, where talented youngsters are handed real tasks to support the Concept team. The vast majority of these students join Concept Laser proper as engineers, making the recruitment of new talent an easy process. Herzog explained hiring skilled graduates can be a problem for businesses, but because additive manufacturing is considered "sexy", that in itself is a motivation for people to work at Concept Laser, giving the business the pick of the crop.

The company is also casting its net wider to the west and east. Edelmann revealed Concept Laser has set in motion plans to establish offices in Texas and outside of Shanghai in China, but with this enthusiasm for expansion, is an Initial Public Offering on the horizon? Herzog said: "I think at the moment, even though we face big growth in our business, we are able to finance everything from the company group. At the end of the day we must be open to it if, for example, growth becomes so big we need additional capital. Nobody knows the future but the current situation is that we can finance our efforts within the company.â&#x20AC;? "Never say never," Edelmann added. "I mean we have a lot of people scratching at our doors, but at the moment we are comfortable and can keep the steering wheel in our own hands rather than the hands of investors. It's a big advantage being private, as you can have a long-term mentality. We are fine being financed privately and really can create long-term thinking for the technology." i| www.concept-laser.de

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May 2014

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SANDVIK Additive manufacture in metals almost always uses powdered pure metals or alloys as the stock material, either for bedbased or spray-deposition techniques. With the continued increase of interest in metals AM, TCT’s Jim Woodcock visited one of Europe’s leading metals powder producers, Sandvik Osprey, at the company’s Neath production facility.

The Sandvik team with the gas storage tower

More Power to your Powder WORDS | Jim Woodcock

riving along the Heads of the Valleys Road from Abergavenny towards Neath it’s often easy to forget this part of South Wales’ industrial heritage, such is the beauty of the scenery. But it’s not long before a view down to one of the old towns and villages, growth fuelled in every sense by coal, appears once again through the trees. A gentle reminder that this part of the UK was once one of the world’s great industrial powerhouses. The abundance of coal led to the valleys around Swansea becoming some of the most intensely industrialised areas of the last 19th and early 20th centuries. The abundance of easily accessible coal was a major boon for the smelting of metals, with three parts coal to one part ore required for effective processing. At the peak of its powers, Swansea and surrounding areas (particularly Neath) became known as Copperopolis. As ever, economic growth enticed the leading minds of the day to the area, and great strides in metals processing were made.

i| www.sandvik.com

Part of the gas atomiser

Sandvik Osprey sits in the Sandvik Materials Technology group, a 7,300 employee-strong division that focuses on high-value-added products in advanced metallic materials for selected niches includes production of strip steel, wire, tubing and HIPed components. The company produces or processes around 900 materials for further processing into different applications.

Gas Atomisation Despite being part of the spray As Sandvik Osprey has forming process, it wasn’t until 1978 This heritage is still visible today through that the gas atomisation process was Swansea University’s Materials Engineering been making metal first applied to production of metal courses within the Engineering Department. With links to large multinationals such as Rolls- powders for longer than powder for other uses, with the first license going to Deloro Stellite (now Royce, Tata and Airbus. The department offers a the AM industry has part of the Kennametal group). The range of IOM3-accredited (Institute of Materials, existed, it’s perhaps not fact that metals powder production Minerals and Mining) undergraduate courses as by gas atomisation predates the surprising that the well as a number of sought-after postgraduate earliest AM machines is perhaps a opportunities. company has been reminder of how embryonic additive The history of Sandvik Osprey starts at the involved in AM since the technologies are! Outside the AM university, with the meeting of three postworld, gas atomised metals powder very beginning. graduate students Dr Gwyn Brooks, Dr Alan are used extensively in metal Leatham and Jeff Coombs in the early 1970s. The injection moulding (MIM), spray three were working on a spray-rolling process coatings, electromagnetic shielding and hot-isostatic pressed when they developed the idea of a spray-forming process, the components. first patent for which was filed in 1972. By 1974 Osprey Metals In 1995 the first ‘fine powder’ plant was established on the Neath had been founded to further develop and commercialise the site producing powder in the range 30–50 µm. The continual process, gaining patent approval in 1975. refinement of the process, sieving and classification procedures The fledgling Osprey Metals continued to develop its processes has led to the company’s current ability to reliably create powders until 1979 when Sweden-based engineering giant Sandvik picked from 5µm–200µm. This range of particle size, coupled with the up a 51 per cent stake in the firm. In 1985 Sandvik acquired the breadth of materials produced means that the company’s metal rest of the business and the name changed to Sandvik Osprey. powders are suitable almost all AM processes and applications, Sandvik has operations across mining, construction, materials, including powder bed systems (EBM, SLM) and blown powder ‘venture’ and — perhaps most recognisably to most readers — systems (DLD, LENS, DMD and LMD) with applications in machining solutions. Venture comprises activity in process aerospace, automotive, medical and beyond. systems hard materials diamond innovations and the company Wolfram. Continued on page 33 May 2014

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SANDVIK

The creation of alloys happens with the starting melt where metals are combined according to strict ‘recipes’ The gas atomisation process is one of a number of methods for creating powdered metals, each of which creates powders with properties suitable for different applications. Gas atomisation, liquid atomisation or centrifugal atomisation are all used, generating powders of different particle sizes, morphology and chemistry.

Product range Sandvik Osprey boasts the largest range of atomised powders in the world, with over 1000 alloy variations potentially available thanks in part to the versatility of the well-defined and timetested gas atomisation process combined with access to several atomising plants. The company typically manufactures around 200 different alloys per year, depending on customer demand and are in the process of building stocks of popular AM alloys so that customers can order them ‘off the shelf ’ Steels and other alloys manufactured to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 make up the vast majority of Sandvik’s output including:

•

A full range of stainless steels

•

High-speed steels

•

MCrAlY alloys

•

Nickel alloys

•

Cobalt alloys

•

Tool steels

•

Copper alloys

In water atomisation, as described in the name, a powerful stream of water disrupts the flow of molten metal or alloy forced through a small aperture at high pressures. The resulting powders have mixed morphology that impedes flowability and makes them less desirable for AM processes. Particle size capabilities are comparable to gas atomisation. Centrifugal atomisation (using the Plasma Rotating Electrode Process), produces powders of uniform size and shape, though with a lower number of processable materials limited to <100µm particle sizes. PREP is substantially more expensive than other methods. Gas atomisation starts with the same flow of molten feedstock as water atomisation but uses jets of gas — air, nitrogen, helium or argon depending on the alloy being processed — under extreme high pressure to disrupt the flowing melt and break it up. Sandvik Osprey’s Neath facility has substantial gas storage facilities for Argon and Nitrogen, which used in the atomisation process gives the company extensive capabilities for processing alloys of reactive metals. Powder produced by gas atomisation is mostly spherical, with some asymmetric particles and ‘satellites’ (where one or more molten metal droplets combine). Practical size ranges from 0 to 500 µm — Sandvik Osprey operate up to a 200 µm maximum particle size, which encompasses the range applicable to current AM technologies. The benefits of the gas atomisation process for AM uses derives from the highly spherical morphology and resultant high packing density that allow good flow properties and reliable builds. For the blown powder systems good flow contributes to uniform build rates and increased reliability.

Sandvik Osprey’s materials are already used extensively across current AM platforms, spanning different technologies and applications. The different platforms require materials with a size range of 10 µm up to a maximum of around 150 µm. Significantly this breadth of experience has helped build AM expertise within the company, with regular development and optimisation of new materials. Annual capacity of 2,000–3,000 metric tonnes with batches ranging from 3000 kg for high-volume production through to 20 kg for research projects. Conclusion Sandvik Osprey’s unprecedented experience in the development and production of powdered metals and alloys makes the company a powerful ally to the both users and makers of metals AM equipment. Development of partnerships with companies allied to the AM industry will be one of the major contributing factors to the continued exponential uptake of AM into both niche and mainstream manufacturing operations. Materials will forever be the key to unlock the potential of AM and 3D printing hardware, and companies like Sandvik Osprey are ideally placed to deploy many decades of experience in other industries for the benefit of the AM community.

May 2014

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May 2014

SHAPEWAYS

Back in June 2013 our venerable editor Jim Woodcock and publisher Duncan Wood paid a visit to Shapeways’ shiny New York City HQ, in all its table tennis playing, standing desk glory. Almost a year later it was time to pay a visit to Shapeways’ Low Countries foundations in Eindhoven.

TRANSATLANTICISM WORDS | Dan O’Connor

indhoven and New York don’t often appear in the same Venn diagram, one’s the fifth biggest city in a country of 16 million people; the other has over half of that population inside its über trendy city limits alone. However there is one very important similarity between the two; intelligence.

A decade on from New York City being named the world’s most Intelligent Community of the Year 2001 by the Intelligent Community Forum, Eindhoven became the 12th city to join that illustrious list. Both are intrinsically inventive and if you cut them down the middle they bleed innovation. Just a year before that eminent award was bestowed on Eindhoven one of the town’s most innovative companies appeared to uproot and make for New York. Shapeways Big Apple HQ may give the impression that Eindhoven was being left behind but as soon as you walk through the doors of Shapeways Eindhoven, pick up the faint whiff of powdered Nylon and adrenaline any fears that the US might have plundered Eindhoven’s innovation are allayed. We were greeted by the quite inspirational and aptly named (for someone in the business of making) Hugo Ploegmakers, Operations Director at Shapeways Netherlands. The man’s sheer enthusiasm this early in the morning was enough to shake anyone out of a dodgy night’s sleep in a budget, motorway-straddling hotel.

Though the New York office often hits the headlines what you may not realise is pretty much everything ordered from within the EU and, in many cases, across anywhere east of the Atlantic, it more With over 100,000 new than likely comes out models uploaded to the of Eindhoven, more service each month, than likely comes through Ploegmakers one day you could be and his team.

preparing the print for a

That team is now some Doge meme, the next 50 people strong and split fairly evenly; you could be handling a CAD model secret prototype for the processors; next breakthrough in administrative personal; machine technology. operators and those that finish the models. If you order a product from Shapeways it is likely that about 10 of those employees will handle your product through each step of the process. Traditionally when you’re working at a manufacturing plant you know what you’re going to be making each day, not the case for Shapeways; with over 100,000 new models uploaded to the service each month, one day you could be preparing the print for a Doge meme, the next you could be handling a secret prototype for the next breakthrough in technology. This, says Ploegmakers, keeps the team on their toes and highly motivated. Continued on page 37

May 2014

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May 2014

SHAPEWAYS

Eindhoven

Eindhoven works in tandem with New York, the clocks on the wall tell you as much. A part of Ploegmakers’ role is to relay to his team, any changes in the processes that come from HQ. However, to suggest that the Eindhoven team are mere underlings to their Big Apple counterparts would be a misnomer. Eindhoven are allowed to innovate and feedback into NYC and vice-versa. “There is a friendly competitiveness between Eindhoven and New York, which really drives the company forward.” The company is certainly driving forward, there are over 120,000 products printed monthly – roughly 40 per cent of which comes out of Eindhoven – and in excess of 15,000 shop owners – 84 per cent of whom aspire to make it their full time job.

perhaps even go a few steps further… “A lot of people have given up their day jobs to make a Shapeways shop,” explained Ploegmakers. “Our dream is to create the first Shapeways millionaire.” That idea isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds; last year the CEO Peter Weijmarshausen told Forbes he expects to see that in 2014. The marketplace spends a considerable amount of time seeking out the best designers and allowing them to use the Shapeways’ facilities in order to grow their business.

“Our dream is to create the first Shapeways millionaire.”

That last statistic serves as one of the more interesting aspects of Shapeways’ business model. The Shapeways shop enables a budding entrepreneur to start a business with pretty much no risk, they get to do the fun part of designing a product and making money off it and never have to worry about the awkward middle part of production. This means that it isn’t just the 50 people in the Eindhoven office and those over in New York that are being serving the global economy but thousands of shop owners and model makers using Shapeways’ service as a way to make ends meet and

The previous evening TCT had paid a visit to a 3D printing retail store MakerPoint and it had struck us that some of the beautiful design pieces available on Shapeways might benefit from the physical interaction of a store. When offering this, what now seems daft, question, Hugo Ploegmakers explained why this would never be an option for Shapeways: “We have customers and shops from across the globe, where would we put a store? We believe in the internet.”

New York may take centre stage but Shapeways is proud of its Dutch heritage and the Eindhoven branch isn’t going anywhere other than up. “With Phillips and ASML, Eindhoven has always been a hub of hi-tech, it’s the perfect place for Shapeways.” i| www.shapeways.com

May 2014

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BRIGHT MINDS UK

BRIGHT MINDS, BRIGHTER The impact of 3D printing is being felt across the personal and professional spaces on a global scale, thanks in part to the heightened visibility for the technologies in recent years. Of these, the education sector is perhaps the most important for the continued growth and vitality of the industry, the technologies and the positive impacts that are being seen. TCT checked in with some of the stakeholders to monitor the impact. For many years TCT Show + Personalize has harnessed students’ natural curiosity, the generosity of the 3D printing industry and the platform of the event itself to help educate the next generation about 3D technologies. Over the last couple of years the Bright Minds UK programme has expanded thanks to a strong partnership with Black Country Atelier (BCA), 3D Systems and show organisers Rapid News. The 2013 edition saw some 300 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 and the expert tuition of BCA the students had opportunity to learn about 3D printing in a hands-on fashion before heading out the expansive exhibition to look more closely at a selection of the nearly 200 exhibitors and their wares. TCT caught Darren Lyon, Headmaster at the Sir Thomas Fremantle School to see what impact 3D printing is having in education. TCT: How did you hear about the Bright Minds UK initiative? DL: We heard about it through BCA with whom we have a close working relationship. Our students all follow a bespoke 3D design and manufacture course and we are keen to ensure that they are exposed to the very latest developments and ideas around 3D technologies.

FUTURES

curriculum rather than added as an interesting gimmick. The opportunity to see what others are doing through Bright Minds UK ensures that we remain at the cutting edge and that our students are able to see what is possible and how it relates to future careers. TCT: How has 3D printing impacted your curriculum (or would it, if that were possible)? DL: As a school we are determined that girls and boys are equally drawn to STEM opportunities and 3D technologies provide an excellent vehicle for this. Whilst we see the development of the skills needed as vital to our IT curriculum, we also see it contributing to the wider school curriculum. We are already using the technology to aid our craft and design work. As an Easter-based piece of work, Year 8 students designed efficient packaging for a Cadbury’s Creme Egg in maths. One group designed the package using 3D design software and printed their finished design. Science, geography and history teachers are looking at how to use the technology to bring their areas to life, particularly by printing 3D artefacts that can then be handled by students in a way that originals never could be. We also see the development of this technology as supplementing our whole school approach to STEM delivery. A number of students have also aided school fundraising by designing and manufacturing 3D badges for sale at school events. TCT: How do you see the in-house teaching / use of 3D printing developing? DL: We currently work very closely with BCA who have written schemes of work and individual lesson plans. These then contribute to an accredited qualification that we expect all

TCT: What was your knowledge of 3D printing before Bright Minds UK? DL: I had been aware of the emergence of 3D technology but was not entirely sure how we could incorporate this into the school curriculum. We were determined that 3D printing should be embedded into our

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May 2014

students to achieve. One of our teachers has been shadowing BCA to enable her to deliver the course herself next year. Other teachers will train over the coming months. It is also our intention to expand the number of 3D printers we have and even have one in both maths and science. TCT: Have any of the students expressed an interest in manufacturing / engineering since you've introduced 3D printing to your school? DL: We have a number of students who are already looking at how they can pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering. One group who had previously not shown much interest in IT have taken an interest in designing shoes and jewellery. Other students are looking at how 3D technologies can be used in building design and town planning. One of our Year 7 students is even building a 3D printer from a kit. If you know of a school that would be interested in participating in the 2014 edition of Bright Minds UK — please contact Jing Lu (info@blackcountryatelier.com).

UK SERVICE PROVIDER MAP

UK SERVICE PROVIDER MAP If you’re in the UK and have TCT + Personalize land on your doormat every couple of months, you will have hopefully noticed something drop out when you hurriedly ripped open the polybag? It’s the UK Service Provide Map — an annual overview of the UK companies that can help you get your ideas from a rambling series of thoughts to a saleable product, pronto. For international readers the UK and US maps can be downloaded from tctmagazine.com, with more information on global service providers in the TCT directory.

he technologies required for efficient product development are huge in number, in complexity and in cost. Despite the best efforts of a number of marketing departments, unless your product is very basic (i.e., single material, simple geometries) and is kept hidden from view (so it can be rough or just ugly) you’re going to need multiple processes and some good old fashioned human brains and hands to make it happen.

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Access to these things is, thankfully, reasonably plentiful. A multitude of companies exist across all the nations of the world with every tool, material and well-honed skill required to help with everything from startup’s first prototype to an OEM’s fluctuating manufacturing capacity. So pin the map to your wall or bookmark the directory webpages and go forth and create!

So pin the map to your wall or bookmark the directory webpages and go forth and create!

May 2014

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IPF

IPF has seen 3D printing evolve. Acquiring its first Objet machine nine years ago, now it is home to one of the first multi-colour, multimaterial 3D printers in the UK. TCT Magazine asked Head of Rapid Prototyping at IPF Gary Miller for his thoughts on the Objet500 Connex3.

It's EVOLUTION, baby i| www.ipfl.co.uk

tratasys' Objet500 Connex3 3D printer was announced to the world in late January marking arguably the industry's biggest machine launch of 2014 so far. At the unveiling, Stratasys CEO David Reis said the capability to 3D print in multiple colours and multiple materials would transform the way people design, engineer and manufacture products. And when TCT Magazine spoke to Senior Vice-President and General Manager for the EMEA region Andy Middleton in February, he extolled the new additive manufacturing technology as the "holy grail", enabling customers to create realistic prototypes and setting the bar for the competition.

WORDS | Rose Brooke

But who is investing in these industry-disrupting machines? The answer to this is, of course, is service bureaux and Gary Miller, Head of Rapid Prototyping at Industrial Plastic Fabrication Ltd (IPF), has just taken delivery of the company's very own Connex3. Giving us an edge IPF has a special relationship with Stratasys, not only is the bureau a beta tester for the 3D printing industry giant, but the company has been an Objet customer for nine years - and was the first Stratasys VIP customer in the UK and the fourth in Europe. IPF was the first UK company to offer a service using the Objet Quadra Tempo, upgrading to Eden technology and then to Connex machines. IPF ordered its first Connex five years ago, giving the bureau the ability to print flexible and rigid materials simultaneously. "At the time, we didn't fully appreciate that it would make us unique and give us an edge over everything else," Miller said. IPF, therefore, understands the potential of Stratasys 3D printing technology and being able to offer a more diverse service to customers. "With the Connex, not only did we get the build area, but we got the technology and over the past five years we've watched this technology grow first-hand. And the materials have evolved as well as the technology." Miller continued that IPF first learned about the development of multi-colour, multi-material 3D printing at a board meeting of Stratasys technology users. 40

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May 2014

Gary Miller with the latest addition

"Stratasys wowed us with this technology and asked us for our feedback. In our field, colour is not the most important thing - or at least that's how I felt when I was introduced to it. But as I heard other people at the meeting talk - some of them potential clients they were excited. This completely changed my perception because four out of the six people who spoke before me were really enthusiastic about colour. "Multi-colour, multi-material 3D printing holds significant potential, but I think at this early stage there are doubts about how to make the most of it, so it's up to people like us who understand and are enthusiastic about the technology to push it into the right areas," Miller said.

IPF

IPF also run Stratasysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fortus FDM machines producing large parts

Three machines in one IPF's four Connex systems are print-ready to cover a wide range of different materials. This means when a client calls requesting digital ABS the team can react just as quickly as printing in the rigid/flexible combination, saving valuable time and negating the cost/time issues of changing resins, Miller explained.

"Our machines are very reliable; mainly thanks to the experience we've gained from the years of using the technology and the support we receive from our distributor Tri-Tech.

"Around 60 per cent of our Stratasys technology is printing rigid and flexible Tango, but being able to print digital ABS with flexible material means the parts are more durable than previously. The new Objet500 Connex3 is potentially two or three machines in one. One is colour, one is ABS and the other is flexible, so it's three different material combinations in a single machine," Miller said, adding, "it means we've got to shuffle up and share the space to get five Objet machines in downstairs, along with our two FDM Fortus400 systems."

The development of the Objet500 Connex3 was kept top secret for years and Andy Middleton admitted keeping quiet - particularly when quizzed by the industry media - was very difficult. IPF was aware of the new machine before the announcement at SolidWorks World in January and Miller admitted he too found it tricky to remain tight lipped. "It was difficult," he said, "especially with Jim (TCT + Personalize Group Editor James Woodcock) poking around. He continued that while the Objet500 Connex3 is amazing, it's exciting watching what else is coming out of Stratasys. "Yes the Connex3 will provide colour and yes it will do material combinations, but it's what else Stratasys has in the locker. When we first got involved with Objet we had one material to print with, material development over time has meant weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve now a few hundred to choose from!" Expectation management Miller believes the Objet500 Connex3 is very much a machine for the service bureau. "Our machines are very reliable; mainly thanks to the experience we've gained from the years of using the technology and the support we receive from our distributor Tri-Tech. We now have a vast capacity and every night weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re printing a wide range of parts. Even companies that have also invested in Stratasys technology still use us."

IPF's reliability and 3D printing prowess brings the business regular and varied custom, but will customers be treating colour as the norm in the months and years to come? Andy Middleton answered this query with a resounding yes in February, but Miller kept a lid on his enthusiasm.

"I think in some circumstances, definitely yes," he said, "but I think it will be only from those who are prepared to embrace the tech and understand the advantage it offers them. To start everyone used to watch black and white TVs, but when colour was introduced some converted straight away, while others took longer, but I bet you'd struggle to find someone still watching in black and white now." As a service provider, expectation management is crucial, but Miller remains an advocate of Stratasys additive manufacturing technology and is looking forward to how the first prints on the new machine will be received. "I think Andy is right [to be enthusiastic] and it is very early to tell yet. I don't know what sort of feedback we'll get about colour. What I do know is our client base like high quality prints that require little finishing and fit together in the way they were intended. Andy might be right on the money and I might install cyan, magenta and yellow in there and never have to change it because I get customers that want all these parts produced in this colour combination and we'll then be so busy we'll have to buy another Connex3 because it's printing colour around the clock." With nearly a decade of Objet loyalty under its belt, IPF's relationship with Stratasys is this strong for a reason and Miller is confident in this latest development - the adoption of colour may be part of the evolutionary process.

May 2014

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MACHINING UPDATE

MACHINING UPDATE Nomad desktop CNC milling machine surpasses Kickstarter expectations Despite being a traditional and established manufacturing technology, a new CNC milling machine developer is celebrating Kickstarter success. The Nomad 883 desktop milling machine surged past its funding target of $30,000 in little more than 15 hours, reaching $200,000 in just one week. The company behind the Nomad, Carbide 3D, believes the machine is the "next step in digital manufacturing", complementing the current desktop 3D printing trend.

The realm of additive manufacturing is dominant in the mainstream and trade media at present, but what of more traditional subtractive machining and milling technologies? It is easy to keep these two techniques separate when in fact both additive and subtractive systems should work together â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sometime in the same system as we saw with the HYBRID HSTM 1000 concept machine in autumn 2013. Casting a glance back to MACH 2014, we look at some of the biggest game-changing machining news of the first half of 2014.

Dawson Shanahan Triflex is 'ultimate in precision and speed' Dawson Shanahan's newly acquired Triflex Modular multi-station CNC machine was showcased at MACH 2014, boasting leading precision and cycle times. The new system gives Dawson Shanahan "a major increase of capacity that gives [customers] even faster turnaround times and extremely competitive prices on high-volume precision engineered components". The CNC machining centre offers simultaneous five-sided machining without re-clamping, a

Co-founder Rob Grzesek said: "Our idea has always been that engineers, designers and makers have projects that require a CNC machine but they're not interested in a machine that becomes a project in itself. We designed the machine from the ground up to address the complaints we've heard about CNC machines from designing our own spindle to adding automation like tool length probing and custom fixtures to simplify common job setups."

ÂŁ1.1M turnkey investment slashes Farrel production cycle times A ÂŁ1.1 million turnkey investment in cuttingedge machining centre technology from 2D CNC has reduced production cycles from 114 hours to 18 hours on machine-drilled side frames at Rochdale-based Farrel. Moreover, the company has been able to slash machining time on highly-complex rotor forms from 25 hours to only 14.5 hours with its Toyoda FH1250SX horizontal machining centre. Part of the HF Mixing Group of companies that design, develop and

Inconel alloy to give additive manufacturing ExOne a subtractive edge? It is important to remember that additive and subtractive technologies are not mutually exclusive and can in fact complement one another. This is true of additive manufacturing giant ExOne's approach to advancing metal manufacturing. The company's recently-launched Inconel alloy 625 - a desirable metal due to its oxidation and corrosion-resistant qualities, more than 99 per cent density and ability to withstand extreme environments - has been highlighted as a material that will benefit both additive and subtractive manufacturing. ExOne's Chief Technology Officer Rick Lucas stated: "We believe that the ability to directly print highly dense metal components increases our competitive edge with both subtractive manufacturers and other metal 3D printing technologies."

Picture credit: Triflex: via dawson-shanahan.co.uk

turret with as many as eight tools, tool changes during the machining process, rapid chip-tochip time and separate stations for both loading and unloading. Each fixture can index 360 degrees independently resulting in 70 finished parts per hour.

Mills CNC reaps MACH rewards Not only did Warwickshire-based Mills CNC take the largest stand at MACH 2014 in April of this year, but the company's successful Doosan machine tool demonstrations at the event led to 17 orders - including orders for the newest Doosan systems. The exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland had no fewer than 23 Doosan machines on its booth, showcasing a range of lathes and multi-axis turning centres, including the new Lynx sub-spindle lathe, Puma GT2100 lathe and Puma 480L. Mills CNC Managing Director Nick Frampton commented: "The fact that we sold 17 machines was the real icing on the cake and demonstrates the continuing and enduring popularity of Doosan machine tools amongst precision component manufacturers."

produce mixing and compounding machinery for rubber processing and tyre making, Farrel exports 98 per cent of the UK's tangential mixing technology for the tyre industry. Site Director Peter Gaskell commented: "The Farrel team could not believe the added benefits we have been able to accrue from adopting a lean manufacturing capability and through selecting the right partners in machining and tooling technology. Our results even surpass our initial GAP analysis study between the original operational strategy and what the latest machine tool technology techniques deliver." May 2014

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ULTIMAKER/CANAL HOUSE

One of the collaborations Ultimaker can be proud of is with DUS Architects for perhaps one of the biggest and most talked about 3D printing projects on earth.

CANAL HOUSE

Outside Ultimaker HQ

WORDS | Dan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor

he 3D Print Canal House is just a short ferry hop across the IJ from Central Station. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the impressive signage, which will be the same height as the finished canal house. The complex is home to a couple of Portakabins, which house a fascinating exhibition on the reasons that we need to be able to quickly develop housing, the process and materials used for creating the finished product, as well as scaled versions of the rooms. However, it is outside were the real magic happens in the KamerMaker. Continued on page 47

Ultimaker and Canal House Site

May 2014

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ULTIMAKER/CANAL HOUSE Model of Canal House complex

The KamerMaker or RoomBuilder is a shipping container converted into a moveable pavilion that houses what is basically a giant Ultimaker. You can’t fail to recognise the smell and the noise coming from the printer as a heightened version of desktop 3D printing. Tosja Backer, Expo Manager at the 3D Print Canal House, explained the process to us: “The design of each room is first tested on the smaller printers and then sent to the bigger printer, the file is exactly the same. The printer uses a bioplastic formula called Macromelt, it is based on rapeseed, it is poured into a giant funnel at the top of the KamerMaker in pellet form were it is melted and then extruded. It takes about a week to build each piece.”

A finished piece of furniture

The research project is three years long and when the Canal House is finished DUS Architects want it to become a public building. None other than, President Barak Obama recently admired the development on a visit to the Netherlands. i| www.3dprintcanalhouse.com

A giant Ultimaker 2

May 2014

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May 2014

SASAM

The project ‘Support Action for Standardisation in Additive Manufacturing’, SASAM, has established the Roadmap for, and issued the first European Standards in, Additive Manufacturing

SASAM PROJECT: European Standards in Additive Manufacturing

ntil very recently the development, modification and industrial use of AM production processes has been dispersed, uncoordinated and to a large extent aimed at prototyping applications. Even if the mechanical and materials properties of today’s AM platforms are adequate for commercial use, the lack of availability of an International and European Standard was hampering real industrial implementation of AM technology. Furthermore the Strategic Research Agenda SRA 2011, drafted by the AM-Platform European community, refers to standardisation as an important tool to facilitate innovation and bring new products to the market. The gap between the knowledge and technology capability obtained through research and the current requirements for actual market introduction of a new product or technology needs to be supported/bridged by standardisation. Therefore International and European Standards regarding AM were urgently required to promote and help implement a widespread use of the AM process and to regulate evaluation of existing products. With this aim, SASAM project was established with the mission to drive the growth of AM into efficient and sustainable industrial processes by integrating and coordinating standardisation activities for Europe by creating, and supporting a standardisation organisation in the field of AM. This is especially important if we consider that a lot of the market of AM is generated in Europe.

AM could develop into a vital part for the solution to the transition from mass production to custom, needoriented and eco-efficient manufacturing requirements of the future

One major reason for delays in the standardisation of AM so far is the interdisciplinary nature of AM technologies. Accordingly, SASAM consortium carried out a mapping exercise, which set up a Europe wide structure with national nodes of AM experts (Industry and RTDs) together with National Standard Bodies.

AM could develop into a vital part for the solution to the transition from mass production to custom, need-oriented and eco-efficient manufacturing requirements of the future. It will play a crucial role in maintaining the economic viability of manufacturing organisations throughout the European Union. Additive Manufacturing: SASAM Standardisation Roadmap This roadmap was issued according to on-going developments within the sector, the needs and vision from the industry and other principal stakeholders, and development trends within the manufacturing industry and society in general. Input from AM standardisation stakeholders showed that AM technology is expected to release an economical push towards the reliability of the processes, machines and their products. Technical areas includes productivity, process stability, materials, process and product quality, product data and costs); and

•

General areas of training and education, standards and certification, environment, industry definition, liability and others.

On the basis of these remarks, a roadmap indicating timing and topics for AM standardisation was drafted (Figure 1).

These stakeholders were consulted through questionnaires and specific workshops, and provided the information needed to develop the technology roadmap for standardisation forward. Therefore it was consolidated and turned into a global, updated roadmap for AM scoping, including the challenges for standardisation. In parallel, working groups and work items of relevant AM standardisation items that apply to the design, fabrication and assessment of parts produced by additive fabrication were identified. The resulting work — provided by experts in the field — gives a clear definition of the primary themes for standardisation contributing to and resulting in an industrially supported standard for AM what will allow the production and/or preparation of a first draft normative document on the work items.

Figure 1 SASAM’s roadmap for additive manufacturing standardisation

Continued on page 51

May 2014

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inspire. design. make. ADDITIVE ADDITIV A DD VE MANUFACTU M MANUFACTURI MANUFACTUR UFACTURING.3D PRINTING.P PRO ROTOTYPIN OTOTYPING O TOTYPING YP N . PRODUCT PR P RODUC DUCTT DEV VELOPMENT VELOPMEN ELOPMEN LOPMENT OP .SOFTWARE.SCANN .SOFTWARE. OFTWARE.SC FTWARE.SCANNING.DIGITI TW WARE SCANNIN NIN NG.DIGITISING. NG.DIGITISIN .DIGITISING. IGITISI

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SASAM

Structure of AM Standards General Top-Level AM Standards • General concepts • Common Requirements • Generally applicable Terminology • ASTM F2792-12a • ISO17296-1 • ISO/AS TM 52921-13

Process/Materials • ISO17296-2 • Qualification & Certification Methods • Requirements for Purchased AM Parts • Non-Destructive Evaluation Methods

Test Methods

Design/Data Formats

• ISO 17296-3 • Test Artifacts • General Test Methods • Performance Test Methods

• ISO 17296-4 • ISO/ASTM 52915-13 • Data Structures and Metrics for AM Models

Category AM Standards • Specific to material or process category

RAW MATERIALS

PROCESS/EQUIPMENT

MATERIAL CATEGORY SPECIFIC

Metal Powders

FINISHED PARTS

PROCESS CATEGORY / MATERIAL SPECIFIC

STANDARD PROTOCOLS FOR ROUND ROBIN TESTING

Powder Bed Fusion

Polymer Powders

Ti6-4

IN625

Mechanical Test Methods - eg. Part 1 : Tensile Tests, Part 2: Porosity Tests, Part 3: Fracture Toughness, etc

others

Photopolymer Resins

Material Extrusion

Metals Polymers Others

Ceramics

Directed Energy Deposition

Part Specifications

etc.

Specialized AM Standards • Specific to material, process or application PROCESS / MATERIAL-SPECIFIC STANDARDS

APPLICATION-SPECIFIC STANDARDS

Material-Specific Size Specification

Process-Specific Performance Test Methods

Aerospace

Material-Specific Chemical Composition

Process-Specific Test Artifacts

Medical

Material Specific Viscosity Specification

System Component Test Methods

Automotive

etc.

MATERIAL SPECIFIC STANDARDS

Figure 2 The agreed structure for AM standards development SASAM’s Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing Standardisation SASAM recommends a very strong global cooperation, with a common development of AM standards via ISO-ASTM with an appropriate involvement of European experts. This cooperation supports the ideas of the “Industrial Landscape Vision” [ ] which recognises the worldwide approach and significance of AM. A consensus regarding the structure for developing AM standards has been reached on the grounds that it meets the requirements and needs from both ISO/TC261 and ASTM F42 (Figure 2). The common structure defines multiple levels and a hierarchy of AM standards, based on three levels:

•

General standards: specify general concepts and common requirements

•

Category standards: specify requirements that are specific to process-, or material categories

•

Specialised standards: specify requirements to a specific material, process or application

markets and by new industries. This will be a big opportunity for innovation and economic growth in the European industry, which should enhance competiveness and so be instrumental in creating jobs in Europe. This assessment is also underlined by the European “Industrial Landscape Vision”. You can download the full document at: http://www.sasam.eu/index.php/press/news.

Project Coordinator and working group leaders: Frits Feenstra (1), Martin Schaefer (2), Klas Boivie (3), Josefa Galvañ (4), Asunción Martinez (4)*, Benoit Verquin (5)

1. Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek - TNO (The Netherlands) 2. Siemens (Germany) 3. SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing (Norway) 4. Asociación de Investigación de la Industria del Juguete - AIJU (Spain). Reference author. E-mail: proyectos@aiju.info

The agreed structure for AM standards development The intention of this structure is to facilitate the development of modularised standards and to reduce the risk for duplication of work as well as the risk of contradiction between standards. This dedicated standardisation activity is expected to increase the existing AM business and will help to obtain acceptance on new

i| www.sasam.eu i| www.am-platform.com

5. Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques - CETIM (France)

The second part of this article will be available in TCT 22:4, and includes details of the Working Group set up and structures.

May 2014

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3D HUBS

CONNECTING THE DOTS WORDS | Dan O’Connor

hile sitting down to lunch with fellow startup contemporaries at 3D Hubs’ Rockstart HQ, Head of Community Filemon Schöffer, was asked an awkward question: “What do you do to stop people bypassing your service?” Usually when an external source questions your business model it wouldn’t be improper to go on the defensive, but so sure that 3D Hubs is heading in the right direction, Filemon nonchalantly shrugged and said “nothing”. In his opinion its unique business model, which takes a 15 per cent commission off every print run sold through its website, is as solid as a rock. For that 15 per cent a printer owner not only gets their printer facility It’s clearly a service that advertised on perhaps the world’s fastest-growing works for the folk who own 3D printers, based on community platform but it ensures the 3D model a statistics from Wohlers customer is submitting is Report 2013 an educated watertight, carrying out the price calculation and taking care of guess would say that your payment securely. It’s there are about 45,000 desktop 3D printers in the roughly the same amount as eBay plus PayPal fees add up to.

world now, amazingly 10% of those are on the 3D Hubs platform.

3D Hubs’ target market brings together those who do not own a 3D printer but would like something printed and those that do own a printer and would like to print more often. Both parties reap benefits, one can get a model printed quickly, locally and cheaply, while the other can use their expensive printer more often getting to know it better and testing its limits at the same time as turning a profit. It’s clearly a service that works for the folk who own 3D printers, based on statistics from Wohlers Report 2013 an educated guess would say that there are about 45,000 desktop 3D printers in the

world now, amazingly 10 per cent of those are on the 3D Hubs platform. The site hasn’t even been out of Beta stage for a year yet and with deals in place, such as the deal that every single Ultimaker 2 shipped from Ultimaker HQ has a 3D Hubs leaflet inside, that percentage is only going to increase. “When we were starting out people often said ‘3D Hubs, like Airbnb for 3D printing’, Airbnb actually hosted an event in this building and before it started we put a sign on the door saying “Airbnb, like 3D Hubs but for houses,” joked Filemon. That sort of audaciousness coupled with results to back it up means 3D Hubs can no longer be considered as jumping on a bandwagon, it’s at the front, steering and driving that bandwagon; it’s corralled the erratic maker movement and turned it into a loyal, organised posse. We visited one of 3D Hubs’ maker events at the 3D printing retail store, MakerPoint in Arnhem. In truth, MakerPoint could probably arrange its own community event but such is the pull and kudos that 3D Hubs has, they decided to organise the event through the Hubs site as opposed to another events platform. 3D Hubs spawned on the back of 3D Systems’ acquisition of Freedom of Creation (FoC), both the co-founders, Bram de Zwart and Brian Garret were working at FoC when the takeover happened, both quit their jobs to set-up 3D Hubs. It’s been in the collaborative startup space Rockstart since but the rate at which the company is growing it is soon to outgrow the offices, which will be a shame because the vibrancy can be felt from the moment you step inside. With some of the plans Filemon discussed with us during the visit, it is impossible to see 3D Hubs not outgrowing the canal house, which they share with several other startups. “We’d love to create the first, that I know of, C2B model in the world. Imagine if somebody like Nike were able to have a certified Hub in each town,” enthused Filemon. “When you order some new footwear from Nike’s online store they could be printed locally, you could go and pick up your personalised training shoe in a matter of hours.” It’s that sort of blue-sky thinking and can-do attitude that is rife from top to bottom at 3D Hubs that makes it one of the most exciting companies in the 3D printing industry. i| www.3dhubs.com

3D printing map of the world Source: www.3dhubs.com/trends

May 2014

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May 2014

LEAPFROG/FELIX

LEAPFROGGING THE COMPETITION In terms of desktop 3D printing years it seems as though Leapfrog has been around for an eternity. Realistically speaking, in comparison to their 40 year-old parent company, AV Flexologic, it’s only a baby. Leapfrog’s new facility

Martijn Otten and Saswitha de Kok cut the ribbon

WORDS | Dan O’Connor

fter two years cramped inside a small space inside an office on the Flexologic factory floor, Leapfrog has shaken off the shackles and moved into a facility more befitting of a cutting-edge company that has huge ambitions. The new facility, which is joined to the Flexologic, houses enough office space for a team twice the size, a distribution point and an experience centre. Martijn Otten, founder of Leapfrog and General Manager at AV Flexologic told TCT at the ribbon cutting ceremony: “The opening of this new facility not only shows the enormous growth Leapfrog has achieved in a short space of time, but the blueprint for the future. We are ambitious and have a lot of innovations planned for this year, all of which will now come out of this beautiful new space. We’ve been able to achieve this growth because of AV Flexologic and we can now boast our own in-house distribution line, not many desktop 3D printing start-ups can say that.” Of all of the new and more comfortable surroundings for the Leapfrog staff it is the experience centre that brings most satisfaction. Leapfrog pride themselves on their expert days and their educational packages, they now have a confident conference space, filled with Creatrs and 3D-printed products made on them, to house those events. This is not a company standing still or resting on its laurels, Deepak Mehta told us at the event that the reason he likes Leapfrog so much as a company is its willingness to listen and willingness to grow with its customers. i| www.leapfrog3d.com

We first saw a Felix Robotics 3D printer at Euromold last year; the third generation model has a stripped-back look; it is light, it is quick and it is accurate (a 50 micron layer resolution). This reliability and its affordable €1,499 price tag won the machine Make Magazine’s award for ‘Surprise Hit’ in its 2014 guide to 3D printing.

CT travelled to Felix Robotics’ HQ just outside of Utrecht to get the story from the man who started it all, Founder and Director Guillaume Feliksdal.

Tell us how Felix Robotics got started. Felix Robotics started two years ago from my study room when I was studying mechanical engineering at the technical University in Delft. One of my projects involved making a humanoid robot and after leaving I planned to make a new one. When you’ve no longer got the university’s funding you realise how expensive it is, so I started looking at alternative ways to produce a robot. I bought a RepRap kit and assembled it, after a couple of days I finally made my first print. I was immediately hooked on the concept of 3D Printing and thought I'd like to take my experience with robotics to make my own, better printer. I wanted to make a printer that would be a lot easier to assemble and would be able to achieve industrial performance for a reasonable price. After a couple of months I had my first prototype and from then on the business started to grow. You have a lot of competition in the Netherlands from other desktop 3D printing manufacturers, do you think there is room for everyone? Yes, we don’t see any decay in our growth. I think the demand is still larger than the supply. I guess when the market becomes more mature a lot of competitors will fall away but I can’t see the end of the growth at the moment. A report from the Dutch Government said that every home would have a 3D printer, even if 1 per cent of that is true, then that’s a lot of printers to be sold. Talking of the Dutch Government, are they one of the reasons for the accelerated growth of 3D printing in the Netherlands? In my opinion, the Government in the Netherlands is actually a little conservative in advancing technologies. When US President Barack Obama visited the country, the Government were very quick to show him the 3D Print Canal House and say “look we’re really innovative”. But I don’t see it, I don’t see any subsidies or any stories coming out of the Government about 3D printing. Where would you say the majority of the Felix Robotics’ custom comes from? Stangely, for a company based in the Netherlands our Dutch customer base is only just taking off, I’d say the most popular country for our printers is actually Russia. But the Dutch are waking up to it, a year ago roughly only 1 per cent of the Dutch population had heard of 3D printing, now it is difficult to think that there’s a person who doesn’t know about it. Even on this small industrial park we've had three businesses come in and ask us how they could implement it into their business. Education is also a growing sector for us, our printer falls within the allotted budget for teachers, this means they don’t have to jump through all of the bureaucracy in order to get it approved. i| www.felixprinters.com

May 2014

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AMUG REVIEW i| www.additivemanufacturingusersgroup.com

AMUG in review

The 26th annual Additive Manufacturing Users Group conference took place under sweltering sun in the Arizona desert in a change from the traditional coastal haunts. The location wasn’t the only difference for this vital (in both senses of the word) event. TCT willingly made the trip to Tucson. WORDS | Jim Woodcock

Hyphen’s 3D printed virtual reality game pyramid The perfect choice, a scale-model replica of a 1927 Miller 91, won the advanced finishing category of the AMUG technical competition

nowledge is power, or so the saying goes, and thus the acquisition of knowledge is usually fraught with challenges. For one thing, those with the existing knowledge (and thus power) will try to keep it that way. At least they do in most walks of life, but in the Tucson desert this April a cabal of revolutionaries assembled, intent on not personal but collective power. Perhaps cabal — with its implications of a closed, secretive group — is entirely the wrong word. After all, nearly half of the 2014 visitors were attending the conference for the first time and the group thrives on new members bringing new experiences to the fore. More than a conference The ‘conference’ is part traditional speaker-led conference, part user-led interaction, part exhibitions and part hands-on training spread over five days and nights. The starting point each day (discounting the ever-present food laid on) is within the main conference room with a keynote provided by Todd Grimm, Jason Lopes, Carl Dekker and Mike North on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Following the keynotes came a mix of sponsor and user presentations containing product, service, materials and applications updates alongside some more general concerns such as intellectual property, design for manufacture and regulatory changes. As a number of concurrent sessions run they are often only half-full, which far from being a problem ensures that attendees can

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May 2014

prioritise what they really want to see, and allows the audience to interact and guide the direction of the presentations to a far greater extent. Quite often the presentation will merge seamlessly into a group discussion that runs until the next presentation is due to start. These impromptu conversations are resurrected over lunch, dinner and evening drinks, testament to the open nature of the group. Exhibition The 2014 exhibition, taking place on the Sunday and Monday evenings, was well populated with over 50 exhibitors featuring some of the major and minor names in AM, 3D printing, manufacturing and beyond. DSM Somos and Stratasys took the lead sponsorship for the event and both backed that up with impressive presence on the ‘show floor’ and with separate dedicated exhibition rooms. One of the most popular features during the exhibition evenings is the long-running technical competition, with submissions open to view by the attendees and competition judges, before the awards are conferred at the awards banquet evening. The competition recognises excellence in additive manufacturing applications and skill in finishing additive manufacturing parts. A panel of industry veterans (Steve Deak, Larry Monahan, Gideon Levy, Graham Tromans and Bob Dzugan) selected Carlos Bolanos and Gary Rabinovitz, both of Reebok International, as the winners in the advanced applications category. Their submission demonstrated the application of additive manufacturing throughout the five-year development effort for Reebok CHECKLIGHT.

AMUG

A full scale, anatomically correct 3D printed leg CHECKLIGHT is a wearable technology that visually indicates cranial impacts that may have caused concussions. The same panel selected Mike Littrell, president of C.ideas, as the winner in the advanced finishing category. Littrell’s submission, titled The Perfect Choice, was a two-fifths-scale 1927 Miller 91 race car created entirely from additive manufacturing parts that were painted, textured, plated, vacuum metalised and decorated to match designer Bill Gould’s vision. Littrell’s company used four technologies to make the components: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SLA) and PolyJet. Eric Mutchler, project engineer at Solid Concepts, took the runner-up award in both categories for its 3D-printed metal gun, the first in the world. Mathew Olney, on behalf of the Nike Rapid Prototyping Lab, accepted the third place award in advanced finishing for the full-size, anatomically correct human leg and foot. Mike Littrel also received the third place award in advanced concepts for the 1927 Miller 91 race car.

Gary Rabinovitz (left) and Carlos Bolanos demonstrate the Reebok Checklight, the winner in the advanced concept category

Calendarize it… Next year’s AMUG conference will take place in Jacksonville, Florida, between the 19th and 23rd of April. Reservations are available for the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront with a special room rate of $137/night. *Photo credits: Ed Winters Photography

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May 2014

REVIEW Biennial expo MACH is considered one of the biggest in manufacturing and on April 8th, TCT was there, manning the event's first ever 3D printing conference. Around 120 people subscribed to attend and it was standing room only when Empire Cycles' Chris Williams commenced proceedings. Williams' 3D-printed bike frame made using Renishaw additive manufacturing technology was centre stage on the company’s booth in the 3D printing zone, and was cover star of the March 2014 issue of TCT Magazine.

MACH ATTACK i| www.machexhibition.com

WORDS | Rose Brooke

Williams praised Renishaw for succeeding in fitting all of the bike frame onto one AM250 build plate and said he was encouraged by the alternative approach to manufacturing AM allows.

Louise Geekie of Croft Filters explained how 3D printing has allowed the company to create better designs that could not be manufactured using other processes. For example, she explained the traditional technique of moulding wire mesh into the right shape is inferior to 3D printing.

Innovate 2 Make's Bruno Le Razer followed, discussing the use of metal AM and uncovered the "dirty secret" of the technology to the uninitiated, support structures.

"There's the design freedom of building a product you couldn't make using any other type of manufacturing," she said. "3D printing has delivered new opportunities."

"We work in aerospace, medical, automotive. I'm not talking about paperweights, I'm talking about complex designs," he said, explaining it is no push-button technique.

Dr Phil Carroll of LPW Technology was the last speaker to take to the stage. Carroll discussed the intricacies of metal additive manufacturing materials and how maintaining the integrity of the powder is paramount to producing the best products.

"The metal additive manufacturing machine is one link in the entire process," Le Razer explained.

*Photos courtesy of Paul Thomas Photography "If you put rubbish into your process, you get rubbish out of your process," he said, explaining the LPW software allowing users total traceability, giving them a resource for investigating how usable and how high quality their metal powder is depending on where it has been. Turning to face the audience during Carroll's Q and A, almost every seat was filled — even at the end of a two-hour session at lunchtime. Not only does this indicate that the speakers delivered great presentations worthy of people's long-term concentration, but it is a sign the manufacturing industry wants to learn more about additive manufacturing and how they too can benefit from it.

INSIDE 3D PRINTING NEW YORK i| www.mediabistro.com/inside3dprinting/ Notably absent from the floor were Stratasys and their local heroes MakerBot. The company was represented by re-sellers Cimquest who also had a MakerBot Rep 2 on show but on this occasion nothing from 'corporate'.

The Inside 3D Printing event took place at New York's Javitz Center in April. TCT decamped to the event for a busy first day as part of the annual US odyssey. The 2014 edition of the show demonstrated more balance between the exhibition (or ‘exposition’) and conference aspects, but I3DPNY is still a conference first. The sessions were kicked off by 3D Systems' CEO Avi Reichental — now a regular on the conference circuit and a consummate professional to boot — highlighting the significant progress both 3D Systems and the wider industry have made in the last 12 months. The focus was on the 'digital thread' that ties 3D content and 3D printing together. Avi explained how this was the key to the continuing success of 3D printing for both personal and professional users. Medical applications, which are a personal passion of Avi's, were also front and centre, with examples of how data manipulation combined with 3D printing is having significant impact on lives. The much-expanded show floor, perhaps twice the size or more than the 2013 edition, featured exhibitors including Xerox Research Centre of Canada whose involvement in R&D for printing in the 2D sphere (if one can have a 2D sphere) goes back some 40 years. The organisation is hoping to bring this experience to bear in the

3D printing space by accelerating materials development for 3D printers. XYZ Printing — star of Joris' column in TCT 22/02 — look like one to keep a close eye on in the coming years. It seems that FDM-style systems for the consumer market are only the tip of the iceberg for this Taiwan-based child of Kinpo. SLA, industrial machines and more can be anticipated in the not too distant future according to discussions TCT has with the company. Across the hall another virgin exhibitor was botObjects showing a real, working ProDesk 3D printer. The unconventional route to market has been marred with delays and missed deadlines, so it was somewhat gratifying to see a real company showing a real product. May 2014

3D Systems were however there in force, taking the headline sponsorship and undeniably the premier booth. It was of course large (they have so much stuff to show these days) and demonstrated the full gamut of offerings for virtually any 3D printing user, all beautifully branded to give a unique '3DS' look to their kit. There's more to come too with rumours of an expansion to the CeraJet line up in the works. 3D Systems didn't quite have all the stand glory however the bright and bold of Mcor once again lit up the show floor in a bath of orange... the stand, the carpet, even the bin (or trash can) was branded. An impressive display from a company that seems to get to every show and never fails to make an impact. Back into the conference sessions and a plethora of options were available, with a standout for the industrial community being the 3DSIM presentation by Dr Brent Stucker. 3DSIM acts (in the simplest terms) as a ‘print preview’ for powder bed-based metals additive manufacturing, taking into account the staggering number of variables at play.

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May 2014

RAPID PREVIEW

RAPID PREVIEW 2014 Aerotech’s galvo and controller combination offers infinite field of view and greater than 24-bit resolution

machines that provide our customers with a budget friendly machine that can build parts with incredible surface quality at unmatched speeds. The company leverages over 17 years of CAD/CAM/CAE expertise and world-class software partnerships. To supplement its 3D cutting-edge technologies, it also provides unparalleled services and support to ensure its clients’ success. Cam Logic Inc Booth: 1609 i| www.camlogic.com

AEROTECH will exhibit the Nmark AGV-HP galvanometers and Nmark CLS galvo controller combination at RAPID 2014. Aerotech’s Nmark AGV-HP galvanometers use optical feedback technology to increase resolution to greater than 24 bits. Both the standard AGV and higher performance AGV-HP scanners may be directly driven by Aerotech’s Nmark CLS galvo controller, which offers a full suite of advanced application tools that include Position Synchronised Output (PSO) and Infinite Field of View (IFOV). The AGV is available with 10 mm, 14 mm, and 20 mm apertures with standard F-Theta lens interfaces for application flexibility. The AGV can be configured to accommodate 1064, 532, and 355 nm wavelengths, with other wavelengths available. A variety of focal lengths are standard, with correction files provided to remove lens distortion effects. The Nmark CLS offers PSO that ties laser pulses directly to galvo position. While other scanner controllers use time-based pulses to shutter laser light, the Nmark CLS PSO allows true position-based triggering. The ability to accurately trigger the laser as a function of position removes the need to program mark, jump, and polygon delays, resulting in reduced programming complexity. Aerotech Booth: 1125 i| www.aerotech.com

CAM Logic to showcase printing and scanning abilities at RAPID 2014 CAM LOGIC is a leading provider of state of the art 3D printers, 3D scanners, PLM solutions, rapid prototyping technologies and relevant services to help companies design and build better products, improve processes, reduce costs and maximise profitability. Our 3D scanning portfolio includes; Creaform’s handheld laser and projected image scanners that guarantee fast and accurate data at a great value, and Steinbichler Vision Systems’ scanning equipment that delivers exceptional data quality and resolution that competes with traditional metrology tools. For 3D print solutions, CAM Logic offers the entire collection of 3D Systems’ printers, from the hobbyist machines to full production series and EnvisionTec’s

DM3D Technology to showcase direct metal deposition technology DM3D Technology, LLC is the premier additive metal manufacturing company utilising patented laser based direct metal deposition (DMD) technology to form functional metal parts or add metal to existing parts directly from 3D CAD data. DM3D’s expertise and innovation give the company its competitive edge in the marketplace. The company provides production parts, product development services and builds in-line customised production-ready equipment. Direct metal applications are widely used across various industries, including, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, heavy equipment and others.

Linear will be giving attendees of RAPID 2014 a firsthand look at its 3D metal printing operations with a Destination Tour on the afternoon of Thursday, June 12. Those wishing to attend the tour must register online at http://rapid.sme.org/2014/public/enter.aspx as space is limited. Linear Mold & Engineering Booth: 1530 i| www.linearmold.com

LPW Technology presents new research on recycling additive manufacturing powders at RAPID 2014

DM3D will be exhibiting numerous applications on the DMD technology at RAPID 2014 Show. We will be displaying our four major product offerings: • DM3D: Free Form Fabrication or 3D Printing John Hunter, General Manager of UK-based LPW TECHNOLOGY LTD, a market leader in the development and supply of optimised metal powders for additive manufacturing, will present new research on powder re-use at RAPID 2014.

• DM3M: Multi-Material Manufacturing • DM3R: Remanufacturing, Repair and Reconfiguration • DMST: Surface Treatment DM3D Technology LLC Booth: 1108 i| www.dm3dtech.com

Linear Mold & Engineering provides first-hand look at DMLS at RAPID 2014 LINEAR MOLD & ENGINEERING is a full-service engineering company providing a range of services including designing and building moulds for a variety of plastics processes including injection, compression and blow moulding. The company is one of the largest Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) operations in North America. With a total of six DMLS machines from EOS GmbH, and one Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine from SLM Solutions, Linear offers 3D metal printing capabilities for a variety of applications including enduse parts for aerospace and automotive; conformal cooling lines for injection moulds; prototype parts; medical devices and instruments; jewellery components and much more.

May 2014

Mr Hunter will highlight the analytical techniques that can be used to assess the suitability of metal powders for AM applications and recycling. LPW Technology will also exhibit LPW PowderSolve, the company’s innovative software solution for powder lifecycle management on the company’s booth. The talk will focus on new research that assesses the impact of two alternative AM technologies on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of metal powders, Selective Laser Melting and Laser Metal Deposition. The experiments clarify how processing changes metal powders, an essential step in assessing the feasibility of recycling. The analytical data from this work will also be used to demonstrate a novel software solution for powder management, LPW PowderSolve. This package can be used to maintain traceability, document powder aging and highlight contamination prior to powder use, thereby ensuring the highest levels of quality control, throughout the lifecycle of the powder. LPW Technology Booth: 1521 i| www.lpwtechnology.com

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CHESTER

UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER

HIGH GROWTH CENTRE It’s not often that TCT can report on an advanced manufacturing initiative within our HQ city of Chester in the North West of the UK. Thanks to a 9m European Regional Development Fund grant and some enterprising moves by The University of Chester however we can — so Jim Woodcock jumped across town to take a look. WORDS | Jim Woodcock

hester is a beautiful, historic walled city resplendent with Norman cathedral, Roman amphitheatre and the double height shopping streets (known as the Rows) dating back to the mid-13th century. To the north of the city lay some distinctly different landscapes of the sprawling chemical industry along the banks of the Mersey Estuary, itself dating back to the salt mining activities in nearby Middlewich and Northwich dating back to the Romans. One of the main features of the landscape is the Stanlow Oil Refinery, now owned by Essar Energy but established by Shell back in 1924, covering some 1,900 acres of land and producing up to 296,000 barrels per day. Next to the former Shell refinery is Thornton Research formerly the home of Shell Research. The site has recently been gifted to the University of Chester. When owned by Royal Dutch Shell a large research and development area was active in the development and testing of fuel products, including fuel for the Rolls Royce Merlin engines used in the Second World War. The University will open a new Faculty of Science and Engineering as well as co-funded High Growth Centre with £9 million of joint European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and University funds. The Centre is available to startups and pre-startup businesses in the ERDF-defined North West. Up to 41 flexible workspaces are available for enterprises in the High Growth Centre. Competitively priced flexible work spaces are in the process of refurbishment and new start businesses who operate in the engineering, advanced manufacturing, automotive or environmental sectors are encouraged to contact the High Growth team to discuss their bespoke requirements. The unique offering when compared to other High Growth Centres around the UK is the access to the academic staff at the University — as well as the incredible established spaces gifted to the project by Shell. Fully fledged R&D labs will sit alongside academics and students in a hotbed of open innovation. The newly refurbished buildings contain modern labs and offices mixed with functional spaces to cater to every need. As Stephen Lloyd, Sales and Marketing Advisor for the initiative explained: “The aim of the High Growth Centre is to encourage existing or new start manufacturing, environmental, engineering or automotive companies to accelerate their growth strategies.” He added: “Our vision is to develop a Centre of Excellence by leveraging our unique blend of industry, innovation and academia.”

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May 2014

High Growth Centre already provides: • Technical advice and research support from our Faculty of Science and Engineering

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Personalised intellectual commercialisation advice

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Sales, marketing and strategic planning

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Bespoke business development expertise

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Supply chain development

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On-site IT Support

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Funding advice with a network of appropriate funding solutions.

property

and

Business spaces: From late 2014 businesses will also have the option to take up space at Thornton Science Park and benefit from the world class facilities. Including;

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41 flexi space incubator units

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Opportunity to occupy serviced flexi lab spaces

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Access to specialist equipment

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Meeting rooms and conference facilities

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24hr security and free parking.

An increasingly important part of the product and business development process is the protection of intellectual property and avoiding violating the rights of others — something that could easily see a young company killed by legal fees and time spent in court. To help avoid such costly complications the centre will have IP and commercialisation advice.