News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Authentise, a provider of workflow software for additive manufacturing, is making digital materials tracking easier for AM powders thanks to its new Material Management feature. The software update will enable users to track every step of the AM powder workflow, including sieving, blending and printing, creating a full digital thread for the material.
. The world’s largest networked manufacturing services provider takes a further step to leverage its international operations for bulk orders. Shipments will be routed through two warehouses, with quoted prices to include customs and brokerage charges. 3D printed parts remain exempt from this change because 3D Hubs has re-emphasized its commitment to exclusively local manufacturing partners.
Oqton, a firm that developed an Industry 4.0 solution for the mid-market, has now integrated EOS software capabilities into its Oqton FactoryOS end-to-end production platform. This partnership enables an unprecedented tight connection between manufacturing software and hardware.
Feng Tao, the vice general manager of SHINING 3D, first discovered the potential of VoxelDance Additive, a CAD-CAM software developed by VoxelDance, a young Chinese development firm specializing in AM-specific software. After an evaluation, SHINING 3D applied it to its EPlus3D EP-M150 and EP-M250 Pro printers. Since 2019, SHINING 3D has been using it to provide a comprehensive service from 3D digitalization, intelligent manufacturing to additive manufacturing in the EMEA markets. Voxeldance Additive has also been officially marketed as a key part of SHINING 3D’s integrated offer, taking care of all the data preparation jobs.
AM Explorer is a visualization software package designed specifically for users working with ...
EV truck manufacturers are emerging as leading innovators in manufacturing. After Quantron used VJET X technology to produce an engine housing, Nikola Corporation has now invested in a large-format FFF additive manufacturing system, the BigRep PRO, to streamline the design and manufacturing processes of their zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems, and hydrogen station infrastructure.
In the aftermath of GE Aviation’s announced $1.4 billion acquisition of Arcam AB and SLM Solutions), investors showed confidence in the two metal 3D printer manufacturers and – as was to be expected – remained somewhat skeptical as to the short and medium term benefits of this deal for GE, with the stock losing a few percentage points in the immediate aftermath of the announcement (to then recuperate most of the lost ground, though). One reason for investor skepticism is the potential for EBM and SLM technologies to become a fully industrialized process. 3D Printing Business Directory caught up with Arcam CEO Magnus René to learn more about the short and medium term potential off EBM technology and what it can do for the ever so important aerospace and medical industries.
BOSTON, MA (USA) – GE (NYSE: GE), the world’s leading digital industrial company, today announced plans to acquire two suppliers of additive manufacturing equipment, Arcam AB and SLM Solutions Group AG for $1.4 billion. Both companies will report into David Joyce, President & CEO of GE Aviation. Joyce will lead the growth of these businesses in the additive manufacturing equipment and services industry. In addition, he will lead the integration effort and the GE Store initiative to drive additive manufacturing applications across GE. “Additive manufacturing is a key part of GE’s evolution into a digital industrial company. We are creating a more productive world with our innovative world-class machines, materials and software. We are poised to not only benefit from this movement as a customer, but spearhead it as a leading supplier,” said Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE. “Additive manufacturing will drive new levels of productivity for GE, our customers, including a wide array of additive manufacturing customers, and for the industrial world.” GE expects to grow the new additive business to $1 billion by 2020 at attractive returns and also expects $3-5 billion of product cost-out across the company over the next ten years.
News have been circulating about a patent that inventor David J Findley filed for Lockheed Martin for a diamond 3D printer capable of creating diamond objects in any shape. Does this mean we are soon going to be 3D printing diamonds? The short answer is probably not, however the patent is definitely real and – while it does open up the perspective of creating artificial diamonds in any shape and geometry – it is actually quite similar to current – albeit still mostly experimental – technologies to 3D print objects using high performance ceramics and zirconia, such as the ones from Lithoz, 3DCeram and Prodways. Not to mention that, since diamonds are notoriously difficult to cut (i.e. shape subtractively), being able to shape them additively would make plenty of sense.
Some believe that the future of 3D printing is in continuous composites, especially the continuous fiber ones, and many have come to believe that the future of extrusion (both thermal and pneumatic) is in robotic arms. Then there are those who see both of these futures as one. Some of them work on the hardware Stratasys and others, like Vynce Paradise, Vice President Manufacturing Engineering Solutions at Siemens PLM Software, work on implementation. We caught up with Mr. Vynce Paradise at last week’s TCT and he had quite a lot of interesting details to reveal on Stratasys‘ plan to 3D print wing-size continuous composite parts through robotic arm thermal extrusion technology.