News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
6K Additive, a division of 6K, a leader in the sustainable production of engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries produced from its UniMelt plasma technology, has entered into a strategic AM powder supply agreement, and recycling partnership, with NY-based Incodema3D, a production supplier in metal additive manufacturing.
Dr. Kuldeep Agarwal a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU), Department of Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology, has partnered with Additive Technologies (AddiTec), a founding partner of Meltio, an additive manufacturing company pioneering the development of affordable metal 3D printing systems, to develop new ways to produce biocompatible bone implants with improved properties.
Velo3D, a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, has qualified M300 tool steel, an ultra-low carbon alloy that delivers very high strength and hardness, for use in Velo3D’s Sapphire printers. Velo3D has already seen extensive interest in the alloy from automotive manufacturers for use in high-pressure die cast inserts, injection molding, and other types of tooling.
Optomec Inc., a leader in metal additive manufacturing solutions, and Acme Manufacturing, a global leader in robotic material removal systems, are set to showcase an industry-first, fully automated work cell, initially optimized for repairing aviation compressor blades made of titanium. The turnkey work cell is the product of a two-year collaboration between the companies working with input from commercial maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) and US DoD repair centers for aircraft engines.
DBZ (Divide by Zero Technologies), one of India’s leading 3D Printer manufacturers, has launched AION NX, the next frontier in large format hybrid 3D printing. The AION NX system addresses the needs of pattern and mold makers, large component manufacturers of the automobile, defense, aerospace, and innovators in the Research & Development sectors. With the largest bed size in its class, custom extrusion heads and hybrid machining capabilities, the AION NX allows manufacturers to print large components of up to 1 metre in a single setting.
3D Systems has developed CuNi30, a corrosion-resistant, copper-nickel alloy for use with its DMP Flex 350 metal 3D printer. This material resulted from the company’s collaboration with HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, which focused on developing materials and process parameters for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. The companies’ deep domain expertise facilitated the development of CuNi30 and is allowing Newport News Shipbuilding to use additive manufacturing in place of its traditional casting technologies. Direct metal printing parts using CuNi30 to meet Newport News Shipbuilding’s low-volume, high-mix hardware needs can improve supply chain efficiency – with an anticipated 75% reduction in lead times as well as lowered inventory costs.
Materialise, a global leader in 3D printing solutions, has acquired Identify3D, a company that develops software to encrypt, distribute and trace the flow of digital parts across complex supply chains. Data security and integrity have become top of mind for companies that want to retain control over their design and production data, as they transition from a centralized production model to multiple digital production sites, closer to their customers. The acquisition of Identify3D is intended to make Materialise’s CO-AM platform the most secure platform for distributed manufacturing.
As extrusion LFAM technologies continue to grow in adoption, with larger machines, improved capabilities and ever more powerful tools, CARACOL AM, a company that has been at the forefront of this revolution since it began, is ready to take flight towards an entirely new phase of its growth, on the wings of its new HERON cluster system.
3D printers can be an invaluable tool for teachers and students to teach and learn about STEM applications. From creating a physical model of a complex mathematical concept to aiding in the expression of an artistic idea, 3D printers can always bring objects out of the imagination into the real, physical world, and then into the hands of students for their motivation, inspection, analysis, and more. Apart from 3D printing, the Snapmaker 3D printer enables students to combine laser engraving and CNC carving into a 3-in-1 machine, making it ideal for education. Now the company is launching special back-to-school deals with up to 20% off from September 6th to September 20th, 2022.
Mantle is officially launching its metal 3D printing technology for toolmaking, with the P-200 3D printer and F-200 furnace. The system was developed to simplify the way mold tool components are made and accelerate how manufacturers making molded parts – a $265 billion market – go from product idea to launch. Deliveries of the first production systems are planned for the first half of 2023.