News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
At Formnext 2022, in addition to an already impressive setup, Nexa3D released multiple company updates – which included an expansion of the company’s resin portfolio with the release of ceramic, flexible, and clear materials, and partnerships with both Xometry and Quickparts, as well as DyeMansion.
In a battle of titans, SLM Solutions presented the new NXG XII 600E 3D printer, capable of producing metal PBF parts up to 1.5 meter tall (and sold the first system to its development partner), with a build volume of 600 x 600 x 1500, only to have it (partly) overshadowed by Eplus3D’s new EP-M1250 system which has a build volume of 1258 x 1258 x 1350 mm.
Quickparts, a global leader in on-demand industrial production services, joins the Roboze Parts Network, joining the latter’s vision of accelerating the local production of customized parts around the world with industrial 3D printing systems and innovative materials.
MELD announced their newest machine, 3PO, at Formnext 2022 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It features a MELD additive system with an integrated subtractive head that is independent of the additive portion. It boasts an immense cubic build space while eliminating the need for a separate subtractive machine.
Global contract manufacturer Lincotek and MMB VOLUM-e have formalized their relationship. In an agreement between the two companies, Lincotek will acquire a strategic stake in the French metal and additive manufacturing specialist. The deal solidifies the growth plan of the Group’s Surface Solution Division to further penetrate the aerospace market, in terms of both military and commercial applications. As a result, the company will find itself well placed to boost the integration of the use of AM for this market.
AddUp started in 2015, as the result of a joint venture between Michelin, the French multinational tire manufacturing company, and Fives, an international industrial engineering group that designs and builds machines. The two groups entered the joint venture after determining that the available metal additive manufacturing machines were not able to meet their requirements for high-quality, serial production of maraging steel tire mold inserts.
Chromatic 3D Materials is launching RX-Flow™, a new line of 3D printers for reactive extrusion additive manufacturing with thermoset polyurethanes. Designed for development work and low-volume industrial production, RX-Flow™ printers are a low-cost option for manufacturers interested in testing and implementing industrial 3D printing with more durable, flexible materials than are available with FDM, SLA, and other 3D printing technologies.
Vertex Manufacturing, a subsidiary of PrinterPrezz and a Velo3D contract manufacturer, added two extra capacity (Sapphire XC) metal machines from Velo3D to their fleet. One of the systems is the first of its size qualified to print an advanced copper alloy originally developed by NASA for rocket engines. The new printers allow the company to expand its ability to help customers build their most complex parts without compromising the designs, including some of the largest GRCop-42 aerospace parts in the world (up to 600 mm in diameter and 550 mm in height).
Building on many years of close collaboration, AMT and HP have formed a new strategic partnership, focused on delivering advanced post-processing capabilities to HP customers. The partnership centers on an Integrated Post Processing Solution, known as PostPro DMS (Digital Manufacturing System), which provides full support through the entire 3D printing production workflow.
Just as industry trends change in the additive manufacturing sphere, so do hiring trends. Economic factors, state of the industry and industry consolidation are among the factors that influence job creation in AM. Kensington Additive, a global search firm specializing in the 3D printing industry, is here to share its insights about how recent events, such as the pandemic recovery and rising inflation, are influencing the state of hiring and how AM’s continued industrialization is changing the nature of job demand.