News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Though there is still an important focus on Mars for its potential to host a human colony someday in the future, NASA is already thinking beyond the red planet and looking further out in the solar system to Saturn and Jupiter, whose moons may be the most likely places in the galaxy to show signs of life.
BigRep has leveraged its large-scale 3D printing technology to create what it calls the world’s first fully FFF 3D printed (and functional) e-motorcycle. The 3D printed e-motorcycle, dubbed the NERA, was on display last week at Formnext along with a number of other innovative 3D printed prototypes, including a bionic passenger seat, an adaptive robotic gripper and a 360 degree mobile industry platform.
Software company PTC has acquired generative design software developer Frustum Inc. The acquisition deal, worth about $70 million, will see PTC add Frustum’s AI-powered generative design tools to its Creo software portfolio.
NASA recently expressed interest in working with the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). The organizations have announced they will form a collaboration to enable NASA to explore the use of MTC’s additive manufacturing technology for future space exploration missions. The MTC has been home to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) additive manufacturing benchmarking center since its launch in 2017.
German machine tool manufacturer TRUMPF is seeking to expand the versatility of metal materials for its additive manufacturing technology. As announced at Formnext last week, the company’s TruPrint 5000 is capable of printing high-carbon steel or titanium alloys, while a new green laser with pulse product enables the printing of pure copper and other precious metals.
Desktop Metal has entered into a collaboration with the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Production Technologies IAPT for the purpose of developing new, specialty materials for its Studio System+. The materials developed through the joint effort will reportedly become available to Studio System+ customers within Europe.
Three Freeformer exhibits were on show at Arburg‘s Formnext 2018 booth, along with more examples of functional parts made using the Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) process than ever seen before. There was a world premiere of the Freeformer 300-3X, which for the first time enables the additive manufacturing of complex plastic parts from three materials in a durable hard/soft combination with a support structure. Four interactive stations will be available where trade visitors can test the quality and functionality of selected parts for themselves. Furthermore, two tried-and-tested
Belgian chemical company Solvay introduced three new medical grade additive manufacturing materials for the healthcare industry at Formnext last week. The new materials, KetaSpire PEEK (NT1 HC), KetaSpire PEEK (CF10 HC) and Radel PPSU (NT1 HC), are Solvay’s first high-performance filaments for medical use.
Energica Motor Company S.p.A., an Italian manufacturer of electric motorcycles, unveiled the Bolid-E, at EICMA 2018 earlier this month. The motorbike prototype, part of Samsung and Energica’s Smart Ride project, integrates a number of 3D printed components realized through a collaboration with CRP Technology.
Dimension Inx, a company that develops biomaterials for 3D printing, has signed a distribution agreement with Advanced Solutions Life Sciences (ASLS), a company specializing in biofabrication technologies. Through the partnership, ASLS will now offer Dimension Inx’s bioprinting materials to clients around the globe.