News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Sintratec AG, an affordable SLS 3D printer manufacturer from Switzerland, has become the latest company (and the next SLS hardware system manufacturer) to have joined the ColdMetalFusion Alliance. The project looks to revolutionize access to industrial metal parts by leveraging cost-efficient and robust polymer SLS printing technology enabling high productivity at low investment costs.
Fortify, a full-stack materials science and additive manufacturing company, has appointed Lawrence Ganti as the company’s new CEO – succeeding Josh Martin, the Co-founder, who will take on a new role as Chief Product Officer.
Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), a pioneer in microscale 3D printing systems, unveiled the new microArch S350, the latest addition to its roster of industrial-grade micro-precision 3D printers. This next-generation version of BMF’s 25μm-resolution system offers the highest throughput in the company’s portfolio, combining high part quality with the print speed required for end-part production.
As additive manufacturing continues to grow, one of the most challenging and high-potential segments of AM, that of reactive thermoset materials, remains largely unexplored. Only very few companies have fine-tuned technologies that can proficiently and cost-effectively use these materials. One of them is the French company Lynxter, which built up knowledge and experience in silicone 3D printing starting with the launch of the first S600D silicone 3D printer. Ongoing development at Lynxter has led to a new solution for the 3D printing of elastomers: the S300X silicone 3D printer.
As anticipated by 3dpbm in July 2022, the Cadillac CELESTIQ, described by GM “as the most technologically advanced Cadillac ever”, features an impressive 115 3D printed parts in the production vehicle, demonstrating GM’s broadest use of this process. Additively manufactured parts include the steering wheel center, which is the largest metal part GM has printed in production, combining the show surface and the structural B-side of the part. Another 3D printed part is the seat belt adjustable guide loop, which is GM’s first safety-related 3D printed part.
The Bosch Group has shown a growing interest for additive manufacturing over the past few years. The company owns Dremel (a pioneer in educational desktop 3D printers), it has made strategic investments in/formed strategic partnerships with companies such as Arris, Anisoprint and BigRep, it acquired 3D printers (from basic Ultimakers to industrial SLM Solutions systems) and its ceramic division, Bosch Advanced Ceramics has made progress in offering technical ceramic 3D printing capabilities. Now Bosch Industrial Additive Manufacturing, aka BIAM, unveiled a product known (for now) as 3D Printer MVP – (Minimum Viable Product), a 3D printer based on a pellet extrusion process that uses widely available granulate materials.
Nippon Gases, part of the global Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation is the latest company to join the ColdMetalFusion Alliance, which now includes multiple polymer PBF 3D printer manufacturers, a process developer and material expert (Headmade Materials), multiple post-processing experts (PRES-X and AM Solutions) and a sintering expert (Carbolite Gero). The gas expert company, providing gases to inert AM build chambers, aims to offer customers reliable industrial and specialty gas solutions and to work on reliable sintering standards together with the other member companies.
Creality has officially launched the Ender-5 S1, the latest printer in the company’s Ender series of FDM printers. According to Creality, the Ender-5 S1 has been designed not just to be another one of the printers in the series, but “a flagship that integrates and reinvents the essence of this popular series”. The upgraded motion system, which enables an acceleration speed of 2,000mm/s², and a printing speed of up to 250mm/s printing speed, is one of the ways the company is making this happen.
Med-tech startup Axial3D has announced the closing of a $15 million investment round led by a strategic investment of $10 million from Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions. This is Stratasys’ first investment in Axial3D. The two companies also will be providing a joint offering to make patient-specific 3D printing solutions for hospitals and medical device manufacturers more accessible so it becomes a mainstream healthcare solution.
Swiss 3D printing manufacturer Sintratec will be unveiling a brand new selective laser sintering system at the upcoming Formnext exhibition: the Sintratec S3. The Swiss-made high-tech module features a laser three times more powerful than the previous generation.