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Hunting for Medals with 3D Printing and Treed Filaments 3D Printing Processes

by Medical

Canoe and Surf: Two Italian athletes at the Paralympics and World Championships. Prostheses and guardians printed with TreeD Filaments materials by engineer Marco Avaro. Veronica Yoko Plebani went to the Paralympics in Rio. Fabrizio Passetti prepared for the World Championships in La Jolla, California. These are two Italian athletes who already have a rich collection of achievements and trophies, and they share one characteristic: they use prostheses 3D printed by biomedical engineer Marco Avaro, using TreeD Filaments materials. In his laboratory Avaro works with a material derived from Carbonium, an highly technical material developed specifically for this application. Veronica practices canoeing, Fabrizio surfing. “For Veronica I made a brace for the hand – explains Avaro- while Fabrizio needed a prosthesis in extremely high-performance carbon, capable of withstanding even considerable stresses“. Both athletes are thrilled with the result and are tangible evidence of the extraordinary results that can be achieved thanks to 3D printing. In the orthopedic laboratory Del Bene Fabio in Trieste, the engineer is working virtually non-stop and with TreeD Filaments he is able to create increasingly sophisticated prosthetics. “At the base there are high-quality, high performing filaments, made by Treed Filaments, and WASP printers. Now 3D printing has become something structural, calculated and extremely precise. We are printing parts with tolerances of two tenths of a millimeter.” It is important to note that a prosthesis is a tailored medical device and is subject to a whole series of rules and characteristics, based on prescriptions written by qualified physicians. Obviously we carried out a series of trial and error.The filaments are certified and in this period the specifications are being written.

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AMBER Researchers Develop New 3D Bioprinting Technology to Make Alternatives to Bone Grafts 3D Printing Processes

by Medical

Researchers in AMBER, the Science Foundation Ireland funded materials science centre, hosted in Trinity College Dublin, have created a process to support 3D printing of new bone graft material. This world first research, led by Professor Daniel Kelly and recently published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, could be used to regenerate large defects caused by tumour resections, trauma and infection, as well as inherited bone deformities. Professor Kelly’s research could also have numerous applications in craniomaxillofacial (the whole area of the mouth, jaw, face and skull) and orthopaedic surgery, especially in cases where tissues with complex geometries need to be regenerated, for example cases in the head, jaw or spine. Worldwide, 2.2 million procedures a year require a bone graft. At present there are currently two methods to provide a bone graft. The first is an autograft, where bone is transplanted from one site to another site within the same person. This type of grafting can be quite painful, and issues can arise at the site of extraction, as it heals. The second, an allograft is where bone is taken from a donor and transplanted. Complications can include donor site morbidity, poor availability of transplantable tissue and disease transfer from the donor to the recipient. AMBER’s new 3D printing method could replace traditional methods and eliminate these difficulties, by enabling the printing of larger and more complex shaped implants. Furthermore, the mechanical properties may be tailored for specific applications, which means bone grafts could be used in more complex cases such as in the head and jaw. AMBER researchers’ method consists of using 3D bioprinting technology to fabricate cartilage templates which have been shown to assist the growth of a complete bone organ. The AMBER team used 3D bioprinting to deposit different biomaterials and adult stem cells in order to engineer cartilage templates matching the shape of a segment within the spine. The team implanted the templates under the skin, where they matured over time into a fully functional bone organ with its own blood vessels. During skeletal development many of our bones are formed by a process in which cartilage templates are transformed into a vascularised and functioning bone organ. Professor Daniel Kelly, Investigator at AMBER and Director of the Trinity College Centre for Bioengineering, said: “This is new approach to tissue and organ engineering and we’re very excited. 3D bioprinting is a rapidly expanding area in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. While the technology has already been used to engineer relatively simple tissues such as skin, blood vessels and cartilage, engineering more complex and vascularised solid organs, such as bone, is well beyond the capabilities of currently available bioprinting technologies. Our research offers real hope in the future for patients with complex bone trauma or large defects following removal of a tumour. In addition, this bioprinting approach could also be used in the development of the next generation of biological implants for knee and hip replacements. Our next stage of this process is to aim to treat large bone defects and then integrate the technology into a novel strategy to bioprint new knees.” Professor Kelly will be presenting his research at the 5-Year Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) Symposium on Monday September 5, where leading bioengineers, cancer scientists, clinicians and immunologists will discuss their next-generation research projects. For a full agenda of speakers, see:https://www.tcd.ie/biosciences/assets/pdf/agenda_tbsi_5anniversary_draft_tb.pdf A short video of the process can be found here, A short video of the process can be seen here,https://youtu.be/NWBa8OWgApM. The paper can be found in full here:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adhm.201600182/full.

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How to Name a New and Revolutionary 3D Scanner? Find Out on September 12th 3D Scanning Sevices

by Business

Lifting the veil of secrecy, I will tell you that our team has been working day and night on a brand-new, never-before-seen, hand-held 3D scanner. And it’s almost here! However this post is not about how great or unique this piece of tech will be. This article is a glimpse into the life of an innovative, somewhat bizarre, yet never-boring team of brilliant techies. It turns out that naming a 3D scanner is almost as difficult as inventing a 3D scanner. Our team of engineers is ordinarily in harmony with our support, sales, manufacturing and marketing staff, but in the last few weeks we’ve witnessed heated intra-departmental discussions all around our Moscow office and at our manufacturing plant. The debate especially intensified, as the first prototypes started circulating around the office and the topic of color also began appearing in conversations (“What color should the scanner be?”). So what were some of the name choices? To understand why certain names were suggested, you have to know the key features of the new technology. As we are not yet formally announcing the new scanner, I won’t go into details, but I will say this: it is a hand-held, white light 3D scanner with three sets of interchangeable lenses that never have to be calibrated and can be switched out easily like lenses of a professional photo camera (snap on/off these lenses and you can go from capturing tiny objects such as jewelry to large objects such as cars or furniture). So the new scanner will ultimately have three “heads” and will be able to scan objects of almost any size. Sounds like a breakthrough, right? Our whole whacky team is very excited about the upcoming release (due out this autumn). So what do we call this new device? Here is where the debate starts… Some of the suggestions (and reasons for rejection) were:

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Thor3D wins case against Artec in German court 3D Scanning Sevices

by Business

At the 3D Printing Business Directory we pride ourselves in working with some of the most fascinating companies in the industry. One of these is certainly Moscow based 3D scanner manufacturer Thor3D, whose recent history has seen the company go thorough some difficult times and yet overcome the challenges that have come before it. Now Thor3D is pleased to announce the end of a prolonged legal dispute with Artec Europe S.a.r.l. in Germany. On August 25th, 2016 the Dusseldorf Higher Court handed down a final decision in favor of Thor3D and the creator of the technology behind the scanner, Mr. Andrey Klimov. The disagreement between the two companies started in 2015, when Artec Europe S.a.r.l. mistakenly assumed that the recently-announced Thor3D scanner, might contain misappropriated technology. The company filed a claim in the Dusseldorf court asking the court to confiscate one of the Thor3D scanners at the Euromold 2015 exhibition for an independent review. The court granted the request, and a prototype of the scanner was seized. Since this action was taken as a precaution (the Court, at the time, agreed with the plaintiff that once the exhibition was over, the alleged device might leave the country), Thor3D was not informed ahead of time, nor had a chance to voice its opposition. Several months later, there was a hearing in which we finally had a chance to present our arguments before a judge and in March 2016, the court sided with us. It agreed that the prototype should not have been confiscated in the first place, as Artec Europe S.a.r.l. did not prove that it had exclusive rights to what it claimed was “its” technology (regardless of whether Thor3D used it in its scanners….which it didn’t). The decision was upheld again in August 2016, after Artec Europe S.a.r.l appealed. We would like to take this opportunity to make several things clear:

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Samsung and MakerBot Join Forces To Inspire the Next Generation of Innovators 3D Printer Hardware

by Technologies

Samsung Electronics Europe today announces that it is joining forces with MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry. With this partnership Samsung and MakerBot aim to inspire the next generation of innovators by bringing 3D printers to classrooms across Europe. Samsung and MakerBot are equipping schools, colleges and museums with 3D printers as part of Samsung’s digital skills programme so that students at any grade level can both code and create. The planned first phase launches in Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Sweden this year and builds on Samsung’s network of 1,300 Smart Classrooms and 65 Digital Academies. The vision behind the partnership is to combine design and coding classes with 3D printing so students can experience the full design cycle as a way to develop ideas and innovate. With MakerBot, educators and students have access to a full set of solutions and services that enables them to tackle real-world problems. “In response to the alarming skills gap and high levels of youth unemployment in 2013, we backed the European Commission’s Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs with a pledge to engage 400,000 young people across Europe by 2019. We will achieve our goal 3 years early so we can now invest further in educating thousands of young people in the latest digital skills.” says Evelyn Nicola, Sustainability & Citizenship Manager, Samsung Europe. “Our partnership with MakerBot will support a network of ‘Lighthouse Schools’ – centres of excellence for digital learning across Europe – to teach technology skills and encourage design and manufacture. Just imagine a 9 year old girl with her idea for a new design, being able to turn her idea at school into reality and take home. Experiencing the entire creation journey, from idea to digital concept to physical object represents the future of learning and R&D.” “Samsung and MakerBot share the same vision of developing new technologies that help prepare students for the jobs of the future,” said Andreas Langfeld, General Manager of MakerBot EMEA. “3D printing can help teach many of the 21st century skills that employers are looking for and applying knowledge to the real world. We’re excited to partner with Samsung to help even more educators and students discover the power of 3D printing.” Europe has particularly high youth unemployment. Many young people leave education without the digital and soft skills that their future jobs demand. At the same time education systems are struggling to respond to the changing needs of employers. Some teachers also lack the support and confidence to adapt how they teach to match the increasingly digital world. To address these challenges, Samsung focused its European citizenship programmes on digital education and employability. It helps young people to experience how digital skills can open new doors to their future through two core programmes: Firstly, Smart Classrooms create new learning opportunities for 6 – 16 year olds. Since 2013, over 1,300 Smart Classrooms have opened across 20 countries in Europe. Samsung not only provide technology, but also offer educational content and teach digital skills, such as coding to students and teachers. The second programme, Digital Academies is Samsung’s targeted contribution to tackling the digital skills gap. There are over 65 across Europe. In these learning centres, 16 – 24 year olds can access smart technology, ICT training and employability programmes to help their transition from education to employment. About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 307,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com About MakerBot MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), believes there’s an innovator in everyone, and sets the standard in reliability and ease of use. As a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, MakerBot offers a set of solutions that illuminate and guide every stage of the 3D printing process, making it easy to go from idea to end result. Founded in 2009, MakerBot has one of the largest installed bases in the industry with more than 100,000 MakerBot Desktop 3D Printers sold to date. MakerBot also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing community in the world. The company’s industry-leading customers include designers, educators, engineers, and consumers.

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Cloud 3D Printing Software 3D PrinterOS Powers Duke Innovation CoLab’s 60+ 3D Printer Farm 3D Printer Hardware

by Technologies

At the 3DPrintingBusiness.Directory we pride ourselves in working with some of the most fascinating and potentially disruptive companies in the industry. One of these is cloud 3D printing software 3DPrinterOS, a startup which offers what is likely to be the most advanced and complete cloud 3D printer networking system. We’ve known its founder John Dogru since the very beginning of his venture into 3D printing cloud software – and have seen his company come a long way – but don’t just take our word for it. Take renowned Duke University’s Innovation CoLab’s. The Innovation Co-Lab is a creativity incubator, focused on exploring how new and emerging technologies can fundamentally reshape the research, academic, and service missions of the university. Working with innovation-minded people around Duke’s campus, the lab is building a model program that will elevate and inspire Duke students who are solving problems, big and small, through ever-changing technological environments. Duke students of all backgrounds, interests, and skill-sets are encouraged to participate. To help the students find solutions to real everyday problems, the Innovation CoLab offers an impressive array of over 60 3D printers including literally a ton of Ultimakers, a few other interesting thermoplastic extrusion systems (MakerBot, Printrbot and a large format Gigabot), some Formlab desktop SLA systems and even a new full color mcor ARKe (find the full list here). All these 3D printers are connected to and managed by 3DprinterOS. The open platformed is licensed by OIT for all of Duke. Any member of the Duke community can use this software to manage their print jobs, even remote printing is possible. Stop into the lab to get an access code and a quick run down about how to use the system. To get started with 3D printing at Duke, there is a full online course available at Duke Extend. The course gets students up and running on the 3DPrinterOS system. Definitely worth checking it out

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EnvisionTEC Partner Viridis3D Shows Off New 3D Printing Tech 3D Printer Hardware

by Technologies

Viridis3D, a supplier of additive manufacturing technology for making sand molds and cores for foundry applications, has teamed up with Palmer Manufacturing and Trident Alloys to provide live demonstrations of its new robotic 3D printing technology. Customers from the United States, Canada and Mexico attended the first demonstration events held in June and August, and were shown the speed and flexibility that the RAM123 printers bring to the foundry industry. Three more events will be held on Sept. 14, Oct. 6, and Nov. 8. Each session will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will receive an hour-long live machine demonstration, a foundry tour, and an offsite Q&A at a nearby conference center. Trident Alloys, a jobbing foundry in Springfield, Mass., purchased a Viridis3D RAM123 printer in 2015, and has added 3D printed sand molds as a quick turn service for making production sand castings. The company has produced castings for existing customers, ranging from prototype, production, and legacy spare parts. Jim Galaska, owner of Trident Alloys, said he was “surprised at the new business that we are getting through word of mouth, before we even started advertising.” Will Shambley, Co-founder of Viridis3D, and Jack Palmer, President of Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, will lead the live demonstrations showing how the company makes cores and molds with the robotic 3D printing technology and discuss how Trident Alloys is using the technology in everyday production. “These demonstrations show just how revolutionary and disruptive 3D printing technology is for the foundry industry,” Shambley said. “We have a great product that is already making production sand castings.” Palmer added, “The Viridis3D technology is amazingly simple, rugged, and affordable. Its ability to achieve excellent surface finish with accurate tolerances sets itself apart from anything else on the market today.” Space is limited in each session. For more details and to register, visit www.palmermfg.com/reservation.html. About Viridis3D Founded in 2010, Viridis3D is an all-inclusive supplier of additive manufacturing technology for industrial applications. The company sells complete systems of materials, 3D printing machines, robots, software, and the training needed to successfully deploy functional solutions for metal casting, ceramics, and composites applications. Viridis3D is backed by an exclusive strategic partnership with EnvisionTEC. For more information, please visit Viridis3d.com. About Palmer Manufacturing & Supply Palmer Manufacturing and Supply, a manufacturer of foundry equipment from Springfield, OH, is the official sales partner for the Viridis3D sand casting systems in North and South America. More information at www.palmermfg.com. About EnvisionTEC EnvisionTEC is a leading global provider of professional-grade 3D printing solutions. Founded in 2002 with its pioneering commercial DLP printing technology, EnvisionTEC now sells 40 printers based on six distinct technologies that build objects from digital design files. The company’s premium printers serve a wide variety of medical, professional and industrial markets, and are valued for precision, surface quality, functionality and speed. EnvisionTEC’s intellectual property includes more than 100 patents and 70 proprietary materials. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, and Gladbeck, Germany, EnvisionTEC is privately owned by its founder, who is passionate about advancing the field of additive manufacturing. Learn more at EnvisionTEC.com.