News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
One Piece manga fans had a chance to get interactive with their favorite One Piece characters 3D printed in huge sizes for the publication’s 20th Anniversary celebrations. Fans used the event app’s augmented reality videos to film themselves together with the 24 giant 3D printed props and to customize the videos to share on social media.
Carboni e Metalli, an innovative startup based in the heart of the Italian Motorvalley, worked with metal AM service provider Beam IT to create a radical concept motorcycle using several metal 3D printed parts. Named Lunar Project, as it pays homage to the successes of the Apollo missions, the bike was presented at the 2019 Wildays in Italy and took home the “BEST OF SHOW” award for the best motorcycle.
This Friday, we’re rounding up some news items that reflect both the good of the industry and its growth and a bit of the bad. On the positive side, BCN3D has restated its commitment to open source technologies with the release of 3D printer files for its Sigma R19 and Sigmax R19 and Origin has started shipping its Origin One 3D printer. The industry received some more negative news from Aleph Objects, however, which appears to be downsizing significantly to stem problems of cash flow.
Lancashire3D Ltd, a large 3D printing studio in the North of England, has become the first UK based studio to deliver on the circular production promise, in which resources are reused again and again to benefit the 3D printing ecosystem, and the environment, by reducing its waste and recycling on site. Called the Sustainable Range, these recycled plastics will complement its existing Filamentive recycled plastics and will be offered to customers at a discounted price, allowing Lancashire3D Ltd to pass on the savings from reclaiming plastics.
Ai Build, London based provider of autonomous 3D printing technologies will now be pairing its AiSync cloud software with industrial 3D printers produced by Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik’s AM unit WEBER Additive. WEBER is a German manufacturer of plastic extrusion machinery, which the company has been building for over 100 years. Now, with support from AI Build’s software and the extensive experience the London company has matured in the additive workflow, even a traditional plastic company like WEBER is ready to make the jump.
This summer, bioprinting company nScrypt revealed an interesting partnership with the U.S. Military aimed at deploying a ruggedized version of its BioAssembly Tool (BAT) bioprinter to print samples in a forward-deployed desert environment. In July, the company also sent its bioprinter into space to be used aboard the ISS. Following the early successes of both initiatives, nScrypt has introduced the nRugged system—the first 3Dprinting/bioprinting platform built for harsh environments.
In the cycling world, Australia-based company Bastion Cycles has been something of a beacon for additive manufacturing. Though not the first to 3D print bicycle parts, the company was one of the first to demonstrate how metal additive manufacturing could be used to produce functional components for commercial and customizable bike frames. Recently, the company took its AM production to the next level by bringing metal 3D printing in house.
Optomec is introducing a new LENS Laser Deposition Head (LDH 3.X), with a variable optics system that can create three discreet focused spot sizes to accommodate changes in laser power. The LDH 3.X supports a wide range of laser powers from 500 W to 3 kW to ensure optimal DED processing across a range of parts and applications.
Industrial 3D printing company Essentium Inc. has made a series of announcements today, all of which aim to expand the company’s business to meet a growing demand for its AM solutions. A key part of its expansion strategy is to ramp up the production of its High Speed Extrusion (HSE) 3D printers. Essentium is also broadening its international growth strategy and working with partners to deliver an open ecosystem for industrial extrusion AM.
Product design and development company Altair has just launched Altair Inspire Studio, a new 3D design and rendering software solution. The software was developed for designers, architects and digital artists and offers a flexible and comprehensive set of tools for designing, visualizing and evaluating products.