News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Finnish bioprinting startup Brinter released the new extrusion-based Visco Bio medical print head for its Brinter bioprinters. The new modular print heads enable nearly zero dead volume, meaning that expensive medical grade material waste is cut to a minimal level. The Finnish company continues to develop and implement new features to its device on the back of a strong first year’s growth year in 2021.
Based on strong interest from the US market and a solid financial position, UpNano GmbH, a commercial-stage technology company and leader in 2 Photon-Polymerization (2PP) 3D-printing, will extend operations to the United States, adding Erika Bechtold as Vice President of US operations. The company manufactures and sells the renowned NanoOne series of laser-powered 2PP 3D-printing systems that are able to build structures across 12 orders of magnitude at an unprecedented speed. The company’s expansion follows a year of strong business growth, seeing the company’s sales triple and market interest rising strongly.
May 17-19 marks the return of the largest and most influential additive manufacturing event, RAPID + TCT in Detroit, Michigan. The three-day event allows firms to showcase technological capabilities in the booming 3D printing trade. World Industry leaders and innovators will be present to display new technologies and processes geared to educate new and existing users.
The Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has joined forces with the Asturian company Triditive, a global benchmark company in additive manufacturing, to develop a 3D printer leveraging binder jetting technology. For several years, Triditive has been developing and commercializing bound metal extrusion systems tailored for parts production, under the brand AMCELL. Triditive and Foxconn will now work together on further scaling the AM platform’s automated manufacturing capabilities, marking a very important milestone and significant achievement for the Asturian startup led by CEO Mariel Diaz.
The Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT) has placed an order for a Multiphoton Optics MPO 100 printer. Multiphoton Optics was awarded the contract shortly before the official market launch of the new multi-user laser direct writer, which is based on Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP), and is produced by parent company Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH. The MPO 100 will be used in the field of packaging and integrated optics at the Technology Campus (TC) Teisnach Sensor Technology of the DIT.
Carbon, a leading 3D printing technology company, has made known that Michelle Johnston Holthaus has joined the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is releasing two models of the new AZ600 digital wire-laser metal 3D printer on March 1st. The new systems work by melting welding wire, instead of powder, with a laser beam to create high-quality 3D structures. These products build on the initial introduction by Mitsubishi Electric of a unique, proprietary dot forming AM technology back in 2018.
Lithoz GmbH has recently successfully installed their first 3D printer, a CeraFab System S65 Medical, at the CADdent facilities in Germany. CADdent, the leading provider of additive manufacturing and CAD/CAM solutions in dental technology, is currently expanding its 3D printing operations and, with this new acquisition, will offer high-precision 3D-printed ceramic components and serve as a high-performance partner for applied research in the future.
Nexa3D is now shipping its market-ready XiP 3D desktop printers to customers in the US and Canada. Since introducing its first Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) system for the desktop at Formnext in November 2021 – the product’s waitlist has extended to hundreds of product designers and creators looking to increase the throughput and efficiency of their desktop 3D printing.
Earlier this year, BCN3D Technologies announced that its strive for innovation had led its 3D printing experts to never-before-seen 3D printing technology, using high viscosity resins. Developed over the last three years, the patented Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) provoked mass interest worldwide, with more than 500 companies registering to become early adopters of the development of this ecosystem. BCN3D, in a response to the demand, has partnered with Arkema, and Henkel, to obtain material properties and applications otherwise unreachable with other resin-based technologies, and has committed to delivering 20 VLM printers to 20 of the companies currently enlisted in its Technology Adoption Program, during Spring 2023.
Knust-Godwin, a precision contract manufacturer, has received a Sapphire XC from Velo3D to expand its metal additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities.
Launching today from Fiberpunk, Node is an affordable and robust way to add WiFi and accessories to Creality Ender 3 printers (V1, V2) and Prusa MK3S. It consists of an ESP-32 based board with open-source firmware, an OLED display, and a unique SD bridge that makes print faster and more reliable. At $29, it is the most affordable option on the market.
Finland-based bioprinting firm Brinter has launched what it claims is the world’s first multi-material, multi-fluidic bioprinting printhead.
voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET), a provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services, closed its Voxeljet FY 2021 with revenues of €24.826 million, up 15% from €21.567 in the previous fiscal year.
Over the past few months, we have been able (thanks to the very efficient marketing and partnerships team at Anycubic) to test several Anycubic systems, for both filament extrusion and photopolymerization technologies. While we have not had the opportunity to compare them with many other similarly priced systems, we sometimes feel we don’t need to. Every Anycubic system we’ve tried so far has far exceeded our expectations and they just keep getting better. The latest one that we had the opportunity to test is the new Anycubic Photon M3 Plus, which was released last March, together with the M3 and M3 Max (and with the filament extrusion systems Kobra and Kobra Max). It has been a very, very fun and positive experience, to the point that we now think that the M3 Plus’ competitors are not other similarly priced systems but even the much more expensive systems.
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) recently purchased and installed a Xerox ElemX 3D printer from Xerox Elem Additive Solutions at their AMPrint Center in Henrietta, NY. RIT will utilize the printer in their collaborations with manufacturers for research and product development as they focus on next-generation metal 3D printing technologies.
In the blink of an eye, Creality is in its 8th year, although there have been ups and downs, Creality still adheres to the spirit of the 3D printing industry evangelist and user-oriented concept. From being based in Shenzhen to radiating globally, the company’s products have been exported to 192 countries and regions, helping over 1.6 million users to turn their imagination into reality.
GPAINNOVA, one of the leading technology groups specializing in surface finishing solutions for metal parts, has released the DLyte 100PRO, one of the largest and most advanced compact machines for industrial applications based on dry electropolishing. This new equipment overcomes some of the current constraints of traditional polishing machines and offers a wider range of options to automate post-processing in industrial sectors.
Based in the UK—with offices in the US and Asia along with distributors around the world—Raplas is an additive equipment manufacturing company whose sights are very much set on production and overcoming the hurdles that are slowing the industrialization of AM down. You may not yet have heard about it as much as other industrial SLA system manufacturers, but Raplas is emerging as one of the hottest realities in the global AM scene. The company has been experiencing a period of rapid growth, with a large number of clients and a considerable installed base of industrial SLA systems aground the world. Now Raplas is scaling even further, with a new state-of-the-art facility and gen 2.0 of its industrial SLA hardware systems.
Norbert J. Kott, US Army DEVCOM-GVSC Materials, Additive Manufacturing (Detroit Arsenal, Warren, MI) reports in an article that appeared on the SME’s website that they US Army is working with LFAM 3D printer manufacturers Ingersoll (part of the Camozzi Group) and Virginia-based MELD Manufacturing on the Jointless Hull project. Goal of the project is the development of a metal 3D printer that is capable of producing parts as large as an entire vehicle.
EVO 3D is set to offer CEADs technology components as part of one of their customized pellet 3D printer packages. The partnership will mainly be geared towards end-part applications for design and recreational purposes, particularly in the UK.
Velo3D, a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, has added the new Sapphire XC 1MZ large-format printer to its Sapphire family of printers. The Sapphire XC 1MZ printer allows customers to print parts up to one meter in height – with a total build volume twice the size of the Sapphire XC and nine times larger than the original Sapphire – increasing the addressable use-cases of Velo3D’s end-to-end metal additive manufacturing solution.
Nasdaq First North-listed Freemelt, whose pioneering solutions create new conditions for rapid growth and development in 3D printing, has received an order, to a value close to $500k, for a Freemelt ONE system from the prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology in the US. The system will be used for materials research and will be delivered in the second quarter of 2022.
9T Labs, experts in digital, automated, and cost-competitive serial production of continuous fiber components, will be demonstrating how lightweight carbon parts are pushing cross-sector boundaries at JEC World in Paris, from 3rd to 5th May 2022. This exhibition comes after the company’s recent Series A funding that raised $17million to help commercialise its Red Series Additive Fusion Solution platform, with key investments made by 3D printing company, Stratasys, and thermoplastic composites supplier Solvay SA.
EOS, a leading supplier of industrial 3D printing technology, and Sauber Technologies, the company devoted to bringing Sauber’s Formula One mindset and innovation to businesses all over the world, signed a three-year AM technology partnership at the F1 Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain, last weekend. The partnership includes installation of a new EOS P 500 for polymer parts production.
The first of its kind Vista production additive manufacturing system from Medford-based Inkbit is now operational at the Saint-Gobain Research Cross-Business R&D Center. The multidisciplinary research site is currently developing processes and products for global businesses across numerous industries. Powered by Inkbit’s proprietary VCJ (Vision Controlled Jetting) technology, the Vista system enables volume production of end-use polymer parts, with a combination of high throughput, low labor post-processing, and production-grade materials.
Lithoz, one of the leaders in ceramic 3D printing, quietly launched the new and massive CeraMax Vario V900, the first 3D printer that can produce large components with thick walls and full densities using oxide and non-oxide ceramics, including dark ceramics such as silicon carbide, to full density.
Photocentric, the company responsible for the creation of LCD 3D printing, has launched its Liquid Crystal Magna v.2, a completely re-engineered LCD screen-based printer designed with the intention to take additive manufacturing to ‘the next level’. The LC Magna v.2 delivers significantly faster print speeds – resulting in boosted productivity – and reduces waste. Photocentric’s new Liquid Crystal Magna v.2 is versatile and rugged, and is well suited to small-batch, on-demand, or full production applications. The printer consistently delivers accurate end-use parts, at scale, and at a very low cost per unit.
Optomec has reached another important milestone in its continued growth, with the delivery of its 600th industrial 3D printer. The company has now installed more than 250 of its proprietary LENS Systems, for 3D printed metal, and over 350 of its patented Aerosol Jet Systems, with the majority of its recent machines being used for high ROI production applications.
At 3dpbm we cover the latest news and we also conduct extensive market research and publish reports on all the core segments and all the key verticals of additive manufacturing, from energy to aerospace and related markets.
BEAMIT Group, partly owned by SANDVIK, has invested in a GE Additive Concept Laser M Line system to meet growing demand from its aerospace and defense customers for both large format metal 3D printed components and the assistance in industrializing additive production.
Total revenues at voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET), a provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services, increased 14.3% to €4.6 million. The Voxeljet Q1 2022 results are due to an impressive YoY jump in the services revenues category, where sales in the quarter grew by 63.3%. The downside of that is that hardware revenues are down by 32.1%.
Thought3D is set to release its new in-line filament dryer for FFF 3D printers, Drywise (previously only available in Europe), in the US. Drywise ‘unlocks the true potential’ of printing with engineering materials as it eliminates the guesswork of 3D printing with hygroscopic materials. The patent-pending, active, in-line drying technology ensures the material is in the best possible conditions throughout the duration of the 3D printing job. Drywise will be unveiled and officially released in the U.S. at Rapid+TCT 2022, in Detroit.
Nozzle flow filters are used to prevent contamination, as a result of melted plastic, that causes blockages or interruptions to the injection process. These contaminations can cause damage to hot runner systems – resulting in extended downtime and increased maintenance costs. The design of voestalpine’s flow filter X, and flow filter V, both capitalize on the unique capabilities of 3D printing to create additional benefits for the injection molder by integrating a static mixer, or significantly reducing the pressure drop and shear stress.
Dyndrite, the company that developed an accelerated computation engine to control to handle large digital manufacturing files, has extended and signed new partnerships with key AM industry pioneers such as Azul 3D, Impossible Objects and Meteor Inkjet’s new Meteoryte software. It should be noted that these companies have developed, or contributed to develop, some of the most complex and unique AM processes such as HARP, CBAM and material jetting in general. The GPU-accelerated Dyndrite software will help these companies with scalability, automation and overall improved performance to solve the toughest geometry and compute problems.
We left off with Sinterit just over two and a half years ago when we visited the company’s HQ in Cracow to learn about the latest progress and market penetration of the Lisa Pro system. Fast forward to today, across a global COVID epidemic, supply chains crises, rising geopolitical tensions, and the first strong new competitor entering the compact SLS market, and Sinterit is still stronger than before.
In the wake of the high-profile merger between Ultimaker and Makerbot, another pioneering filament extrusion 3D printer manufacturer, Czech Republic-based Prusa Research is making moves. The company founded by Josef Prusa has acquired reseller Printed Solid Inc. to expand direct sales and support into the USA.
After going public and trading on NYSE since July 2016, Markforged has been releasing detailed data on its performance. For over a decade, all 3D printing stocks have suffered from long periods of decreasing value interrupted by short bursts of very rapid growth. Markforged’s stock has been no different; and yet the company’s growth has been solid, regular and organic, with a “strong balance sheet and a track record of execution to our industry”, as Markforged CEO Shai Terem put it during the latest analyst call on Q1 2022 results when the company reported revenues of $21.9 million and 8.6% YoY growth. 3dpbm had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Terem about Markforged’s latest results, ongoing growth strategy and medium to long-term goals.
According to Massivit 3D Printing Technologies, the launch of the Massivit 10000 printer was a success. The launch took place, last weekend, at the JEC World trade show, in France.
Stratasys’ subsidiary MakerBot entered into a business combination agreement with NPM Capital-backed Ultimaker to form a market-leading, comprehensive desktop 3D printing entity.
Stratasys Ltd., a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, has expanded its F123 Series of 3D printers with the introduction of the F190CR and F370CR 3D printers, plus new FDM Nylon-CF10 material reinforced with carbon fiber. The new printers offer high stiffness and strength materials in a hardened machine ready for composite material printing.
Calcasieu Parish School Board has invested in 200 MakerBot SKETCH Classroom sets, totaling 400 SKETCH 3D printers, to further advance its STEAM education and build critical skills among its students. The addition of SKETCH 3D printers brings the latest technological innovations to students to enhance classroom learning across grade levels and better prepare them for the future.
Equispheres, one of the metal AM materials companies that our sister company, 3dpbm Research, has been closely following for some time, just inked two important deals to advance the adoption and distribution of its innovative aluminum AM powders with Taiyo Nippon Sanso and Aconity. Regular readers will remember that we were the first media to offer a deep dive into Equispheres aluminum AM powders in our AM Focus 2020 eBook on Metal AM (article on page 43), as these materials first entered the market. Since then, Equisheres has been steadily growing, by offering specialized powder with unique attributes for additive manufacturing that can achieve 3x faster build rates than legacy aluminum powders.
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) officially introduced the new SLA 750 stereolithography additive manufacturing (AM) solution. Designed to address large format or high volume production applications, the solution comprises the SLA 750 and SLA 750 Dual – the first synchronous, dual-laser stereolithography printer – as well as the company’s new Accura AMX Durable Natural material and the PostCure 1050 post-processing system.
Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd (BFW) and m2nxt (a BFW subsidiary), India’s leading CNC and Industry 4.0 machines and solutions companies, launched the PHOTON 4000G Laser-DED machine, made in India and available worldwide in 2023.
With over 25 years of experience with rapidly advancing manufacturing systems, Rush LaSelle is joining metal 3D printing solutions provider AddUp as Chief Executive Officer of North America, in yet another confirmation of the company’s rapid global growth, especially in the US market.
Lithoz GmbH, one of the global leaders in advanced ceramic 3D printing, recorded its best Q1 performance to date with 8 machine sales since the start of the year. Not only this has been the company’s strongest start in terms of machine sales in its history but it also means that Lithoz LCM ceramic 3D printers are now installed in every inhabited continent, highlighting the company’s impact in the global growth of ceramic additive manufacturing as an established manufacturing technique.
After an early reveal last March, Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM) officially introduced the new ExOne S-Max Flex, a scalable, large-format binder jetting system that 3D prints sand tooling, which foundries use to quickly cast complex metal designs for the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries, among others.
Chinese AM service provider JINGYE Additive Manufacturing, has acquired a batch of large Eplus3D EP-M650 metal 3D printers from Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D to be used in production of aerospace applications. JINGYE Additive Manufacturing is the AM division of the giant JINGYE group, the largest Chinese steelmaker and the only additive manufacturing company in the world that integrates professional R&D, production and sales of high-end aerosol metal powder, laser remanufacturing and 3D printing services.
Nexa3D, a maker of ultra-fast 3D printers, has released the NXE 200 industrial 3D printer, an affordable entryway into Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology. The NXE 200 is a natural expansion of Nexa3D’s portfolio, which also currently includes the NXE 400 industrial 3D printer and NXD 200 dental 3D printer, with the intention of broadening LSPc’s accessibility.
AnkerMake, a new 3D printing brand from rapid charging accessories brand Anker, is introducing the AnkerMake M5, a 3D printer that, according to the company’s press release, was designed “to improve the user experience by reducing printing time up to 70%.” The 3D printer, which also promises several other welcome improvements on basic desktop models, is not yet available commercially but only via a Kickstarter campaign.
The growing demand for bigger and faster SLS 3D printers – Lisa X and Nils 480 challenged Sinterit to launch a new version of the popular PHS. With the tremendous increase in powder volume that could be printed at once, the postprocessing and powder handling with new, faster PHS.
No one likes to do these stories but they have to be reported: 3D printed manufacturer Rize 3D, a company that was offering a unique mix of extrusion and piezo-jetting for full-color 3D printing capabilities, has shut down. This actually happened a few months ago but, as we said earlier, no one likes to do these stories. The company’s special media accounts have been silent for a few months now and a new company, Palitra, has been established to offer support for existing Rize 3D customers.
Swedish bioprinting company Fluicell launched its second single-cell 3D bioprinter: the new Biopixlar AER is a compact 3D bioprinter that lets users create detailed biological tissues with high precision. It is the world’s first microfluidic high-precision bioprinter that fits inside a standard flow hood or biosafety cabinet. Fluicell designed it for high automation and easy workflow integration, with the goal of bringing Biopixlar technology to new customer segments.
Last week SLM Solutions held a large company and customer meeting at its HQ in Lubeck to show off the final and functional version of the huge NXG XII 600 SLM 3D printer. Now Sintavia, one of the premier manufacturers of advanced propulsion and thermodynamic systems for the aerospace, defense, and space industry, has ordered two NXG XII 600s in a move that will significantly advance the entire industry.
Pharmaceutical customization technology developer CurifyLabs has partnered with food printing firm Natural Machines with the aim of bringing a new low-cost drug 3D printer to market.
The most affordable sand 3D printer ever offered by binder jetting pioneer ExOne, the all-new S-Max Flex, will debut at CastExpo 2022 in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23. The new machine has been designed from the ground up as a robotic 3D printing system that combines industry-leading binder jetting expertise from ExOne and Desktop Metal (and possibly ETEC Viridis as well). It features Single Pass Jetting technology and will enable more foundries than ever to enjoy the benefits of sand 3D printing technology.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) installed a new ElemX metal 3D printer from Xerox Elem Additive Solutions. The machine, which is going to be part of the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) will enable the two entities to cooperate on the new Liquid Metal AM technology to continue advancing metal additive manufacturing.
3DGence premiered a new Metal FFF Industrial 3D Printer series at Formnext 2021. The new ELEMENT series (MP260 and MP350) launches with two printers in the mid-size and compact range, extending on their INDUSTRY series of high-temperature thermoplastic printers.
Using Additive Manufacturing technology, the Formula Student Racing Team E-Stall of the University of Applied Sciences Esslingen, Germany, improved cooling of the electric drivetrain and power electronics. Printed with the highest accuracy on the EP-M260 by Eplus3D, the aluminum-made parts were able to easily dissipate the generated heat and therefore improve the performance of the racecar.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), a leading developer of Micro Modular Reactors – MMR – systems for the production of safe, commercially competitive, clean and reliable nuclear energy, has adopted two 3D printers from the recently updated X-Series line of binder jetting systems, with two additional machines to follow this year.
Seiko Epson Corporation has developed an industrial 3D printer that can use commonly available third-party materials to produce strong, accurate industrial parts of various sizes and functions. 3D printers with these features will have uses in a far wider range of applications, including in the production of parts for final products, and will enable users to mass-customize their goods in support of small-batch production.
Markforged Holding Corporation reported that its revenues increased 27%, to $91.2 million, in FY 2021, from $71.9 million in 2020. Gross profit grew 26%, to $52.9 million, in 2021 from $41.9 million in 2020 and gross margin was 58% in 2021, consistent with 2020. However net loss from operations also grew during the Markforged FY 2021, to $61.0 million (compared to a net loss from operations of $17.7 million in the year prior). Quarterly (Q4) revenues also grew. The result is even more significant as the company generated almost as much revenue as its competitor Dekstop Metal did after acquiring two large AM companies (and several smaller ones).
It was in the air, and now it’s official. TRUMPF has acquired the joint venture with SISMA in Italy completely which means the German company’s additive business will now focus on the medical and dental businesses as well.
Nanoscribe and CELLINK, two BICO companies, today jointly unveiled the Quantum X bio, a revolutionary system as part of the Nanoscribe Quantum X platform providing researchers with a very accurate 3D bioprinter. The Quantum X bio is the first-of-its-kind bioprinter enabling submicron printing resolution. Powered by Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP), the Quantum X bio is the premier tool for miniaturizing bioprinting to redefine the development of complex tissue or cell scaffolds and of advanced biomedical applications.
Incus GmbH, an Austrian 3D-printing manufacturer specialized in Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM), closed a Series A investment round in Q4 2021, also including existing investor AM Ventures. The company is also bringing onboard industry veteran Adrian Keppler, former CEO of world market leader in Powder Bed Fusion systems EOS GmbH, as an investor and growth consultant.
Bioprinter manufacturer REGEMAT3D is launching a new equity crowdfunding round, that will help the company further scale its business and product lines while preparing for an IPO set to take place in 2023. At 3dpbm we usually do not cover crowdfunding campaigns for new products, however, this initiative is relative to a company that is already present in the market and has been making significant progress in the bioprinting segment. REGEMAT3D promises massive returns (up to 3 to 4 times the investment) and while the actual success of this financial initiative is subject to the same risks as any financial venture, the overall bioprinting segment is in fact growing up rapidly.
Bioprinting startup Brinter has today announced a partnership with LED Tailor to introduce the new Spectral Blue disinfecting blue light feature embedded in its multi-material 3D bioprinting solution Brinter. The system enables the safe production of e.g. tissue models and drugs, and minimizes the need for separate cleanrooms, making bioprinters more portable and safe.
Sinterit‘s CEO Maxime Polesello, together with Dominik Stasiak, International Channel Manager, and Michal Grzymala-Moszczynski, Head of R&D and Co-Founder of the company, held a thorough webinar to go through many of the features that make the new Lisa X a real breakthrough system in the Benchtop or Compact SLS segment.
Flashforge’s sub-brand Voxelab is releasing a new beginner-friendly filament extrusion 3D Printer in its Aquila series, the Aquila S2. Priced under $300, the Aquila S2 is a direct driver extruder 3D printer capable of handling temperatures up to 300℃, and printing multiple filament types including flexible materials.
Freemelt has received an order for a Freemelt ONE system from a company in the United States of America with an order value close to $0.5 million US. The EB-PBF system will be used for material development for new applications, and it will be delivered during the first quarter in 2022.
ACEO (aka ACEO3D), the silicone 3D printing service based of German silicone giant Wacker Chemie, is shutting down at the end of 2021. The company took orders until December 10th and from now on will only work on projects on a case-by-case basis. While introducing a unique technology with unparalleled silicone 3D printing capabilities, unfortunately, ACEO3D also provided a perfect case to show what not to do when marketing such an innovative and potentially revolutionary product.
Imaginarium, one of the largest distributors of 3D printing products in India, has added the lineup of products from Dutch company Builder 3D as a master reseller for India. Builder 3D Printers are among the largest industrial FFF 3D printers available today on the market. Enabling manufacturing of parts as tall as 6ft, at the click of a button, Builder 3D has a reputation for providing a fleet of robust, reliable, versatile and easy-to-use 3D Printers that streamline workflow and deliver quality results.
Velo3D (NYSE: VLD) delivered its first Sapphire XC 3D printer. Featuring 8 1-kW lasers, the Sapphire XC, or “Extra Capacity,” is Velo3D’s newest and largest metal 3D printer, made for faster production and larger parts. The Sapphire XC is a scaled-up version of the Sapphire printer, utilizing the same Flow print preparation software, the same Assure quality control software, and the same Intelligent Fusion manufacturing process. Velo3D revealed that the system has been acquired by an aerospace customer but did not disclose the name of the company. Several companies in aviation and space parts manufacturing are already using Velo3D solutions, including SpaceX, Launcher, Primus Aerospace, Honeywell and others.
Formlabs launched the Form 3+ and Form 3B+ printers, their fastest 3D printers to date, at CES. The machines are already available and shipping globally. These printers are the result of three years of work vastly improving the company’s proprietary and trademarked Low Force Stereolithography technology that was first introduced in 2019 with Form 3 and Form 3B, which quickly became the best selling professional SLA 3D printers on the market.
Massivit 3D Printing Technologies is, for the first time, entering the defense industries market: the company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and sales of 3D printers and printing materials, signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Kanfit to install its state-of-the-art Massivit 10000 printer at Kanfit’s plants and for the purpose of customer beta testing.
Austrian advanced ceramic 3D printing company Lithoz has recently dispatched the first shipment from their new second production site in Vienna, Austria. With this being their fourth location worldwide after their headquarters in Vienna and bases in America and China, the company’s production capabilities have now greatly expanded and this new XL hub will make Lithoz’s logistic performance more efficient than ever.
This story, which passed under most radars last year, could have some very important implications in dramatically broadening access to advanced DLP 3D printing technology to small business owners, hobbyists and consumers. Texas Instruments, the original inventors of digital light projection technology, introduced the new, TI DLP Pico chipsets to fit into smaller applications so that engineers can develop small, high-quality 3D printers that are more accessible and affordable.
The upcoming Apple TV series Severance, which deals with a high-tech way to achieve a work-life balance, features a room with hundreds of Stratasys F123 3D printers.
In the fall of 2021 Photocentric, the inventors of LCD-based 3D printing, launched LC Opus, its quickest LCD printer yet. Breaking the company’s pre-order record in the UK, the printer is now available to buy in the US.
Micro-manufacturer Isometric Micro Molding Inc. added additional BMF printers to support its customers’ early design verification and prototyping efforts with micro 3D printing capabilities. Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) is a pioneer in microscale 3D printing systems.
EOS, the world’s leading technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing for metals and polymers, has delivered and installed its 1,000th machine in the North American market. The milestone printer – an AMCM M4K from EOS’ AMCM business unit – is a large-scale, four-laser, high productivity system, installed at Florida-based Sintavia.
Wayland Additive signed a partnership agreement with HTL Co Japan Ltd, which will see the latter operate as a distribution partner of Wayland Additive NeuBeam metal 3D printers in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
When it was first presented, the MIT Self Assembly Lab’s liquid-in-liquid 3D printing process received an enormous amount of press coverage and visibility. I have to admit that we were skeptical about it. Then BMW started to play with it and demonstrated that Rapid Liquid Printing technology held great promise for rapid elastomer applications in the automotive segment. That’s when we began to understand the technology’s potential. Now BMW got even more serious with it and, through its BMW i Ventures (which has funded other successful ventures in AM such as Desktop Metal) led an investment in the seed financing round of Rapid Liquid Print (RLP), and its gel-printing technology. RLP uses industry-standard materials, such as soft rubber, silicone and foams, to produce soft, flexible products without retooling or post-processing. Also participating in the round is MassMutual through the MM Catalyst Fund (MMCF).
Through a new partnership with French 3D printing specialist KREOS, Swiss SLS manufacturer Sintratec is expanding its sales and distribution network in Western Europe. As a result, KREOS becomes the first distributor for the Sintratec S2 system in the French market.
As the Global Summit came to a close, Hello Tomorrow announced the winning startups of the 7th edition of their Global Challenge: ATLANT 3D Nanosystems was awarded the 2021 Grand Prize for its μSADALP atomic layer 3D printing technology.
California-based PrinterPrezz has been on the move lately, first with the high-profile acquisition of Vertex Manufacturing and shortly thereafter with the inauguration of a new, larger HQ and Innovation Center in the Bay Area. Now the company is making the news again for installing two Dekstop Metal binder jetting systems, a Shop and a Production system.
Nanoscribe, now a BICO company, launched the Quantum X shape, a new ultra-precise 3D microfabrication system for rapid prototyping and wafer-scale batch production. With the Quantum X shape, high-precision 3D printing becomes significantly more efficient in terms of printing on wafers up to 6 inches in size. This gain in efficiency is particularly important for a research lab and industrial manufacturing processes such as in life sciences, material engineering, microfluidics, micro-optics, micromechanics, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
We don’t usually cover Kickstarter fund-raising projects unless they are credible projects that come from verified companies, who are already on the market with other similar products. Anycubic is one such company. They have been developing high-quality, very affordable LCD stereolithography systems which are on the market and we have been able to test. So if they say they are launching a new, affordable DLP 3D printer, the Anycubic Photon Ultra, on Kickstarter, we see this as more of a pre-sale campaign than an actual crowd-funding.
TEI (Tooling & Equipment International), a company specializing in complex castings in the engineering and manufacturing industry, has acquired the second voxeljet VX4000 system for sand binder jetting, one of the largest 3D printers in the world. TEI specializes in optimizing components, for example, to save weight in the aircraft industry, but also to accelerate the development of new components and vehicles in the e-mobility sector.
Bharat Fritz Werner India, the leading machine tool manufacturer in the sub-continent, is entering the metal additive manufacturing area. In order to lead its new AM activities, BFW India appointed Mr. Ashok H Varma as Executive Vice President and Global Leader – Additive Manufacturing – strategies, business & partnerships.
Swedish 3D printer manufacturer Wematter entered into a partnership with Italian distributor Bologna 3D to establish a sales and service network for the Gravity 3D printers in Italy. The partnership is a step toward Wematter’s internationalization, offering the European market increased access to the full range of Gravity 2022 3D printers.
SSI Sintered Specialties, a leading metallurgical solutions partner, has purchased the X1 160Pro and InnoventPro 3L metal binder jetting system from ExOne. The AM systems feature ExOne’s patented Triple Advanced Compaction Technology (ACT), developed to implement volume production.
When AM, especially metal AM, broke onto the global manufacturing scene and became understood as a technology that could be used to make final parts—not just prototypes—with fewer or no geometric restrictions, engineers around the world began to understand that they had to rethink the way they designed these parts. This concept became known as DfAM, an acronym for Design for Additive Manufacturing. As VELO3D becomes the first new entry in the metal powder bed fusion segment to truly scale, with revenues of nearly $100 million expected in the next fiscal year, and makes it to the NYSE (VLD) after the merger with billionaire Barry Sternlicht’s SPAC company JAWS Spitfire, CEO Benny Buller tells us that we need to move away from “obsolete and abused concepts such as DfAM and workflow automation if we want AM to really live up to its promise”. As disrupting manufacturing paradigms is exactly what AM has been doing since the start, this sounds like something we want to hear more about.
Brose, a global automotive supplier, is now confirmed as one of the first participants in the High-Speed Sintering (HSS) Early-Access Beta Program for the VX1000 HSS 3D printer. The company will work with voxeljet AG as a cooperation partner to further develop the VX1000 HSS for use in additive series production of polymer components for the automotive industry. With HSS, voxeljet combines the advantages of two existing additive technologies: selective laser sintering and binder jetting, giving the benefit of both SLS part properties and binder-jetting productivity. The new VX1000 HSS 3D printer has a significantly larger build volume and a faster print speed than previous systems, enabling true additive series production.
The time has come for Titans of CNC, a CNC shop-turned educational institution and TV series with a 300K-follower YouTube channel, to move on to 3D printing. The team is also moving on to a huge new facility with multiple industrial machines, from EDMs to the largest CNCs and it’s opening up the AM section by installing a Trumpf Truprint 2000 metal PBF system.
GE Additive has been working to offer an industrial Binder Jet production solution to delivers quality parts at cost, at scale. The company is reporting that product development is on track and that it will launch its solution in the second half of 2021. As Desktop Metal and ExOne have joined forces, that ball is now in GE Additive’s (and HP 3D Printing’s) court to show what they can do. In spite of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the upcoming Formnext may be the ideal venue for a showdown.
Steven Gonzalez and Alain Harrus have joined the Advisory Board of Roboze. Steven Gonzalez is one of the major experts in the space industry worldwide with more than 32 years of experience at NASA. Alain Harrus is an expert in industrial manufacturing processes, with a background in Physics and over 20 years of venture capital experience in Silicon Valley.
Accumold, a leading micro-molding company, has taken delivery of a Fabrica 2.0 micro 3D printer from Fabrica Group. The technology was previously known as the Tera 250 and was created by Nanofabrica which has now been acquired by Nano Dimension.
Industrial-scale 3D manufacturing is here to stay and revolutionize for good the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry. As the industry advances, it is necessary to attend to the needs of the customers, such as the ability to print with more than one type of material, the storage, and the management of the pieces that are produced. Thus, during the meeting on additive manufacturing held on October 1 at the Triditive facilities in Asturias, the new Amcell 8300 and Amcell 1400 industrial 3D printers were presented.
Although the company’s headquarters are near Munich, EOS plays at home at the AMTC’s 2021 location in Aachen. The market leader for metal and polymer PBF systems is working hard on constantly improving repeatability in AM and the reproducibility of additive production. That’s the topic that EOS Senior Vice President EMEA Markus Glasser discussed during a panel titled “Reproducibility: Success Factors in Scaling Up”, when, together with Trumpf’s René Kreissl, Head of Business Unit Additive Manufacturing, and representatives from ASTM, TÜV SÜD and Linde, he addressed the current state, progress, and what needs to be accelerated in the future to further improve the goal of process stability.
At this year’s Formnext in Frankfurt AM Solutions is presenting not one but three new machines. The new S1 Wet was specifically developed for the removal of residual powder and the surface homogenization and smoothing of metallic 3D components. With the S2 the experts for automated post-processing solutions are presenting the first shot blast machine for treating 3D printed components made from polymers in indexing, continuous flow mode. Of particular interest will be the C2 system that allows the chemical surface smoothing and application of a color dye in one single machine.
Nippon Seiki, a die-casting mold maker, will start making molds using metal 3D printers. The company introduced two M2 metal 3D printers from GE Additive in July and did so specifically to leverage the new SKD61 steel equivalent material recently developed for 3D printing by Mitsubishi. This material expanded the possible areas of application for mold-making, which is Nippon Seiki’s core business. The Japanese company now intends to become a source of information on metal 3D printer technology and change the mold-making industry.
Current COVID-19 travel restrictions have not stopped Lithoz GmbH from reaching its global market, with the latest CeraFab 7500 3D printer installed remotely at the University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia.
AdvancedTek, a Midwest provider of polymer 3D printing technologies and complementary solutions, has been named Distribution Partner for EOS industrial metal 3D printers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Anisoprint, a manufacturer of continuous fiber 3D printing machines, earned the label from the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce for the companies complying with their standards — Made in Luxembourg.
Photocentric, the inventor of LCD printing, has launched LC Opus, its quickest LCD printer yet. The rugged LC Opus is fast and accurate, delivering reliable and repeatable performance. With a unique design featuring a custom monochrome screen, the LC Opus comes pre-calibrated and ready to print out of the box. Ideal for a desktop or workbench, the machine is suited for a huge variety of applications and environments.
Indian 3D printing service provider STPL3D has launched the new IndoMake INSL industrial-grade SLA 3D printer series in an inauguration event held at STPL’s head office in Surat, Gujarat. The company’s Managing Director Mr. Dhiraj Kumar Vasoya has inaugurated the new series of industrial-grade SLA printers after aarti and traditionally “breaking the coconut” to ensure a good start on path-breaking technology.
The partnership between Velo3D and Launcher is further proving out the value of 3D printing for delivering satellites to orbit cost-effectively and with destination-orbit flexibility. In April 2021, Launcher purchased a Velo3D Sapphire metal additive manufacturing solution to print rocket engine parts in Inconel last. Now the company has added a second one that prints in titanium.
Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM for short), the metal AM service founded by former Team Penske NASCAR race driver Brad Keselowski, is rapidly becoming one of the most productive AM factories in the world. After starting out just a few years ago with only two systems, the service provider has built up a fleet of 21 metal PBF systems, with the newest SLM 280 just introduced bringing the total to three.
Raise3D is introducing in late 2021 its Pro3 Series, ta new 3D printer of its segment, with improvements to address the needs of agile or small-batch production of end parts, tools, spare parts, or other similar products. The Pro3 Series includes two dual-extruder 3D printers: the Pro3, with a build volume of 300x300x300mm, and the Pro3 Plus, with a build volume of 300x300x605mm.
The US Navy issued Stratasys a $20 million contract to purchase up to 25 Stratasys F900 3D printers over the next five years, with the delivery of the first eight expected before the end of 2021. In addition to the printers, the contract includes initial support and sustainment, materials, and development of initial training for the supplied systems.
Even as the transition to metal and ceramic binder jetting for production has only but begun, it is clear that simply implementing fast binder jetting processes will not be enough to truly cater to production demands. Binder jetting materials and processes still present several challenges and bottlenecks that need to be addressed, from the limited number of available materials to the elevated number of highly complex post-processing steps, including infiltration and of course sintering. That’s exactly what UK-based Meta Additive intends to address with its uniquely advanced technology.
Orbital Composites has shipped its robotic 3D printer to the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). Orbital Composites’ commercially available Orbital S AM platform, will assist UMD in their polymer and composite additive manufacturing research, under the guidance of Dr. Gireesh Menta, professor of Mechanical Engineering at UMD. This marks a milestone for both parties as education about robotic 3D printing is gaining prominence in advanced manufacturing. UMD is expanding its teaching and research capabilities in large-scale, out-of-plane robotic 3D printing of thermoplastic polymers, by receiving its first robotic 3D printer. For Orbital, this is also their first commercial shipment of a turnkey robotic 3D printer.
BCN3D, a Spanish leading 3D printing solutions manufacturer, launched the new Smart Cabinet to complete the Epsilon ecosystem, which boosts the entire printing process with BCN3D workbench 3D printers Epsilon W27 and Epsilon W50.
Massivit 3D’s in-depth knowledge of large-scale additive manufacturing has evolved over the years. Many, for instance, will know of how its 3D printers are used to produce large-scale objects—including the DB Project full-scale concept car—for marketing and entertainment purposes. But its technology is also capable of much more. Its newest machine, the Massivit 10000, is built for tooling applications in the automotive, railway, marine, energy and other industries. More specifically, the Massivit 10000 seeks to reinvent how large-scale fiber-reinforced composite parts are fabricated.
Recently, Stratasys has introduced three new 3D printers that together address a large portion of the multibillion-dollar market opportunity in additive manufacturing of end-use parts. The systems collectively are aimed at accelerating the shift from traditional to additive manufacturing for low-to-mid-volume production applications underserved by traditional manufacturing methods.
The INDEX Group in Esslingen, Germany, a specialist in industrial CNC systems, is extending its business by introducing new additive manufacturing solutions. INDEX acquired a majority interest in TRUMPF’s One Click Metal GmbH. This participation provides One Click Metal with additional know-how and capital to continue its growth trajectory in the very promising entry-level segment for 3D printers. TRUMPF remains involved as an active and strategic partner and will support the company’s future development in collaboration with INDEX.
Optomec, an established company in additive manufacturing solutions for 3D metal printing and 3D printed electronics, has recently received more than $7 million worth of new orders from its installed base. The orders include more than 10 new systems being added to increase capacity for existing users, together with a range of enabling software products and digital process recipes.
Increasing requests from customers looking for an Aquila 3D printer upgrade have driven Voxelab to introduce the Voxelab Aquila X2, an ambitious ~$200 3D printer that enhances some core functions of its Aquila predecessor while improving user operation and experience.
Stratasys today launched two new PolyJet 3D printers, the Stratasys J35 Pro, and the Stratasys J55 Prime, along with new software solutions for research and packaging prototyping. The company has accelerated its pace of innovation using PolyJet technology as designers and engineers work to bring new and better products to market faster and more efficiently. The J35 Pro represents the first multi-material 3D printer for the desktop from Stratasys, while the J55 Prime extends the value of the J55 3D printer to include a new set of versatile materials providing tactile, textual, and sensory capabilities in addition to full color.
HBD will launch a new metal 3D printer, the HBD-1500, at the upcoming TCT Asia show, taking place on 26-28 May 2021, at NECC in Shanghai. The HBD-1500 metal additive manufacturing system has an extra-large fabrication size of 460x460x1500mm, one of the largest and widest in the market for metal PBF technology.
Texas-based construction 3D printing company ICON has once again upgraded its Vulcan system. The next-gen 3D printer was announced in parallel to a new 3D printed home initiative—the Exploration Series—which ICON is working on in collaboration with various world-class architects. We’ve got our first glimpse of the inaugural build of the series, House Zero, which is designed by Texas firm Lake|Flato Architects.
Those outside of the distribution world can sometimes take it for granted, but supply chains and logistics are intricate systems made up of many relationships and agreements and constrained by budgets and technical possibilities. H. Gautzsch Firmengruppe, a German B2B distribution services company, understands this better than most. It also understands the potential of AM to open up new possibilities in its business and is further exploring the benefits of it by leveraging Sinterit’s SLS 3D printing technology.
Farsoon Technologies is introducing the groundbreaking FS721M-8 metal PBF system, an 8 x 1000W laser platform, at TCT Asia 2021, underway until May 28th at NECC Shanghai, China. In addition, Farsoon also introduced the large-frame, multi-laser FS721M metal platform to the global market, offering dual and quad laser options for limited commercial orders.
Anycubic is showcasing a rich lineup of new solutions and products at the TCT Asia Show, including the Anycubic cloud platform-based Photon Mono X Pro, the Digital Light Processing (DLP)-based Photon Ultra and the upcoming FDM 3D printer Vyper. With the release of these new offerings, Anycubic expands its presence in the desktop light-curing 3D printer market in terms of technological innovation and user experience.
3D printer manufacturer B9Creations has partnered with South Dakota-based social services organization Black Hills Works to 3D print custom assistive devices for over 600 disabled individuals.
In 2018, CMS, a leader in industrial CNC machines for composite processing, began a collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute, to develop an original LFAM solution, for improving the competitiveness of composite and their applications across various industries. Now the company is ready to present the result of that collaboration, the Kreator hybrid LFAM composites system.
AddUp, the joint venture created by Michelin and Fives in 2016 and specialized in metal 3D printing, has just developed a new generation of machines with promising features for industrial applications. The FormUp 350 New Generation systems caters to Michelin’s ambitions to expand its operations beyond the tire sector.
Chinese metal 3D printer manufacturer HBD engaged in a joint research and development project with the Nuclear Power Institute China (NPIC) and Laser Pulse, a local metal 3D printing equipment manufacturer for the nuclear energy segment, to develop the customized HBD-350 specifically for nuclear power generation applications. The parts were on display at the ongoing TCT Asia AM industry show.
CEAD and Belotti formed a strategic partnership combining expertise in additive and subtract ...
Zmorph launched a completely new product in its portfolio, the industrial 3D printer Zmorph i500, first announced last December. With a large build volume and strong price-to-features ratio, the Zmorph i500 promises to improve throughput and productivity in industrial settings.
Fortify has extended the Flux series product lineup to include two new printers and software to allow customers and partners access to develop new advanced materials. Funds from the company’s recent equity round will be used to scale up the manufacturing of these printers for end-use part applications.
Sindoh, the Korea-based specialist of both 2D and 3D printers, is introducing the new Sindoh S100, its first industrial polymer 3D printer based on SLS technology. The Sindoh S100 will also be the first commercially available 3D printer to feature Bluesint PA12 technology to 3D print with up to 100% recycled powder.
Oryx Additive‘s new Oryx Additive scaWaterjet is specifically designed for user productivity and comfort and engineered for function and quality. The new post processing system is part of the company’s goal to provide a more ergonomically considered solution to help industry manufacturing scale up their support removal efficiencies and improve other finishing processes.
Michigan-based company DM3D has released a new DMD machine with multiple process heads that can print metal parts up to 10ft in diameter and 10ft in height. The giant system has been designed for processing steel and Inconel alloys that are less prone to oxidation.
After conducting an in-depth study of the segment between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021, 3dpbm Research is ready to release its new, sector-defining report and forecast on the metal additive manufacturing market. The report, titled Metal AM Market Opportunities and Trends 2020-2030, was created by leveraging 3dpbm’s index of over 5,500 verified AM companies, ongoing daily coverage of the AM industry via 3D Printing Media Network, and a major survey and study conducted of 296 companies active in the metal AM core segments of hardware, materials and services.
As the AM wave continues to grow in Japan, Tokyo-based JEOL released its new JAM-5200EBM electron beam melting metal AM system. The company, which specializes in scientific metrology systems (including electron microscopes) leveraged its know-how of electron microscopes and electron beam lithography systems for semiconductor manufacturing, to develop a new EBM system with higher power, higher density and higher speed.
With a story published on April 1st (but we performed all the necessary anti-April Fools checks and can now confirm it), researchers in USC Viterbi’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering have revealed a low-cost reusable support method based on a dynamic 3D printing platform which reduces the need for wasteful supports in material extrusion/deposition, vastly improving cost-effectiveness and sustainability for 3D printing.
At Formnext 2019 many were in awe seeing the very large LASERTEC 125 DED hybrid system from DMG Mori. This year there was no physical formnext but if DMG Mori could have shown its newest 3D printer it would have dwarfed it. The LASERTEC 6600 DED hybrid system is a behemoth with up to 1,040 mm on the X-axis, -280 mm to +330 mm on the Y-axis, 3,890 mm on the Z-axis. Yes you read correctly: that’s 4 meters (a bit more than 12 feet) on the Z axis.
Volumetric printing, as this network reported, has arrived in the form of the xolo xube, but this revolutionary technology already faces contenders for volumetric printing patents. A United States patent filed by Mr. Daniel Clark of Topshelf Enterprises (T3DP) and Southern Methodist University claims technology similar to xolo’s volumetric process. Mr. Clark points to his patent as occupying the field in which xolo has released a product.
Formlabs has launched a new 3D printer and business unit for dental 3D printing.
Ford Spain is the first car manufacturer in Europe to use the Form 3L, a larger format 3D printer from photopolymerization 3D printer OEM Formlabs. Ford Body and Assembly in Valencia uses the Form 3L to produce plastic caps that are used in a vacuum test to check engines for leakages. 3D printing helps Ford to prototype new tools and produce specific parts in less time and for a lower cost than with traditional manufacturing.
Callum Automotive installed MakerBot‘s METHOD X 3D printer to produce functional prototypes, tooling, and production parts. Callum’s luxury automotive design business focuses on luxury vehicles and associated lifestyle brands, including the limited edition Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.
Competition is finally starting to pick up in the commercial 2PP nano 3D printing segment. After the segment was long dominated by one company, new systems are now starting to enter the market, including the NanoOne from Austrian firm UpNano, a TU Wien spin-off. Customers from both industry and academia recently acquired NanoOne 2PP 3D printers.
Incus, an Austrian company that produces lithography-based AM solutions, shipped its first Hammer Lab35 system in March 2020 and has since brought the series into full production through 2020. The company has defied the pandemic downturn to bring its product to bear at a time when 3D printing is beginning to be more appreciated by more conventional industry.
It seems just a short while ago that a reliable resin 3D printer cost several thousand dollars. And really not that long ago that they’d cost several tens and even hundreds of thousands. As someone who is definitely not very good at handling technical products, I’ve always kept away from resin 3D printing. Too hard to get low-cost systems to work and too expensive to get reliable ones. But that’s how fast 3D printing evolves. Today Companies like Anycubic can offer machines such as the Anycubic Photon Mono that, for just over $200, ensures a truly seamless, high-resolution, liquid resin 3D printing experience: here is 3dpbm’s Anycubic Photon Mono review.
Multiphoton Optics GmbH has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH. The pooling of development capabilities and technologies for producing microstructures further underscores the global importance of research, development and production of direct-writing laser systems “Made in Germany”. The merger also extends the company’s market position in the micro-optics sector.
Specialists of All-Russia Research Institute of Technical Physics (VNIITF) have developed and manufactured prototypes of lasers with a power of 200, 400, 700 and 1000 W to be used in SLM printers. The development was carried out within the framework of R&D “Lasers”, which is supervised by the integrator “Rusatom – Additive Technologies” (RusAT, an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company).
Thermwood has completed the first of a new type of additive print and trim system, the LSAM 1010. This is a fixed table, high wall system with both a print and trim head mounted on a single gantry. Although with a ten-foot by ten-foot table, it is a bit smaller than the larger dual gantry flagship LSAM systems, it does require a significantly larger gantry.
American multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has signed a 3D bioprinting research and development agreement with San Francisco biotechnology company Aether.
Leading 3D printer OEM Stratasys has introduced a new full-color PolyJet machine. The J720 Dental can 3D print ultra-realistic dental models using 500,000 color combinations.
Kijenzi, a humanitarian start-up from Pennsylvania State University’s College of Engineering, is aiding remote healthcare facilities in Kenya with 3D printed medical supplies.
Stratasys is again incrementing the company’s presence in the rapidly expanding area of production-grade 3D printing systems. After acquiring Origin for high-speed photopolymerization and RPS for large format stereolithography, the company just presented the upcoming line of powder bed fusion (PBF) based 3D printers. The new H Series Production Platform will be powered by Selective Absorption Fusion technology specifically designed to meet the needs of volume manufacturing. Commercial availability of 3D printers based on SAF technology is currently expected in the third quarter of 2021.
One Click Metal, a German company that made easy to use, affordable metal laser powder bed fusion systems its prerogative, is introducing the new MPRINT+ 3D printer priced at just €76,900, which probably makes it the most affordable such system on the market today.
With a well-rounded 3D printing product portfolio comprising production-grade printers, multi-material systems and medical ceramic 3D printing machines, Lithoz has progressed immensely in recent years, delivering products that have contributed to the advancement of ceramic 3D printing. With its newest product launch—the CeraFab Lab L30—the company is going back to its roots with the aim of filling an important gap in the market. The CeraFab Lab L30 is an entry-level ceramic AM machine intended for researchers and academia, as well as material and applications developers. We say back to its roots because the cost-friendly machine is based on Lithoz’s first industrial system developed over a decade ago, the CeraFab 7500.
Wayland Additive officially unveiled its breakthrough metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology NeuBeam, with the commercial launch of its first platform: Calibur3. During a virtual launch hosted by the executive team from headquarters in Huddersfield, a wide range of attendees from all across the world were introduced to the new Calibur3 machine.
We don’t usually report on rumors but this is a strong and credible story, reported by multiple sources: support-less metal L-PBF 3D printer maker Velo3D is now expected to be the next company to go public via a SPAC merger, with Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corp., in order to ride the next AM production wave.
Stratasys is buying an Industrial SLA system manufacturer? 3D Systems answers by introducing an industrial filament extrusion 3D printer: a novel High Speed Fusion (HSF) industrial 3D printer platform and material portfolio. Based on material extrusion technology and developed in a collaboration with Jabil Inc, this unique HSF family of products, including the Roadrunner 3D printer, is expected to provide the best economics of any high throughput industrial fused-filament offering in the market today. Through the use of advanced electric motion control, this unique system operates at speeds and precision levels well beyond current state-of-the-art production platforms. With temperature capability and available build areas greater than those of competing systems, combined with an outstanding materials portfolio, the Roadrunner system is designed to address the most demanding aerospace and advanced automotive applications. The result is not only unique application solutions but compelling manufacturing economics driven by the size, speed, and precision of this new technology platform.
Desktop Metal is launching the new Studio System 2, an updated, office-friendly metal 3D printing technology that builds on the experience of the first Studio System and Studio System+ to offer customers an even more simplified way to 3D print metal parts in low volumes for pre-production and some end-use applications.
Xerox appears to be closer to commercially releasing the liquid metal 3D printer it has been working on since it acquired the startup Vader systems. The company released a new video where it also, for the first time, revealed the name of the upcoming system: ElemX. The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will be the first institution to receive a Xerox ElemX Liquid Metal Printer as part of a collaboration focused on advancing additive manufacturing research
MakerBot qualified the BASF Ultrafuse 316L Stainless Steel material by Forward AM for the MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder for its METHOD 3D printers. With an open materials platform and a growing portfolio of advanced engineering-grade materials, METHOD is now the only industrial desktop 3D printer in its price-class with a heated chamber that can print polymer, composite, and metal materials.
AMEXCI and SLM Solutions strengthened their partnership with the objective to further accelerate the industrialization of metal-based AM. To achieve this and to create the basis for increased productivity and part quality, AMEXCI has invested in the Selective Laser Melting machine SLM®500, equipped with four 700 W lasers.
With a low profile newsletter mailing and a video update on the company’s website, Formlabs has finally released the Formlabs Fuse1 benchtop SLS 3D printer for general commercial availability. Originally presented in 2017, the system’s launch was delayed by a number of events, including the latest COVD-19 pandemic but it now appears ready to enter the market for affordable, benchtop SLS technology, currently dominated by Sinterit.
Austrian ceramic 3D printer provider Lithoz has successfully installed two CeraFab 7500 machines at Plenum, a Brazilian medical device manufacturer. Entering a new geographical market with this sale, Dr. Johannes Homa, CEO of Lithoz, comments, “we are delighted to have such an innovative company as a first customer in this important market.
Leading 3D printer OEM Stratasys has released a medical upgrade to its award winning J750 system. The J750™ Digital Anatomy™ 3D printer, released to the public today, is made to for use by healthcare professionals. It is compatible with a new range of materials from Stratasys which are specifically designed to make anatomical models. Applied in pre-surgical planning, or for training, models made from these materials mimic the feel of live-tissue, providing surgeons with “a more realistic […] environment” and “no-risk setting” for practicing complex operations.
Australian company, SPEE3D, designers and manufacturers of kinetic consolidation (cold powder spray) metal 3D printers, continues its global expansion by entering the large Brazilian market. A recent agreement with Infocus Laser Systems, a consolidated and experienced distribution of industrial AM products based in the capital Sao Paulo, led to the establishment of a SPEE3D Brazil presence.
Atomstack, a Chinese intelligent manufacturing technology company, released its Cambrian line of desktop rubber 3D printers, a first for desktop printing. The printers promise greater prototyping and faster production of customized rubber items.
Researchers from the University of Toronto (UoT) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre have developed a handheld device capable of 3D bioprinting sheets of skin that can heal burn wounds.
The system is particularly suitable for prototype development and small-series production. Typical areas of application for such components printed with DELO materials include the automotive and microelectronics industries, as the materials are highly resistant to temperature and media and have properties similar to those of high-performance plastics.
Looking to expand their capabilities in ceramics additive manufacturing, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) finally partnered with 3DCeram Sinto Inc. and purchased a C900-Flex 3D printer. This was Oak Ridge’s first time purchasing equipment from 3DCeram Sinto.
Sinterit, the Poland-based company known for its low-cost SLS 3D printing solutions, has launched the latest addition to its ecosystem: the Powder Handling Station (PHS). The new system, to be used alongside Sinterit’s Lisa or Lisa PRO printers, is designed to streamline and improve the powder recovery and cleaning processes for selective laser sintering.
Stratasys enhanced its J750 printer to enable printing ultra-realistic bone models, which may be used in biomedical training and research. The printer can now mimic porous bone structures, fibrotic tissue, and ligaments so medical professionals can create models that behave just like human bone. The company has relied heavily on clinical research to enhance its product.
There is no denying that large-format sand and polymer binder jetting 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet has not had an easy time fully exploiting it’s hardware’s market potential. The company is too large to be as streamlined as a startup and not large enough to move the marketing muscle of the HP’s and EOS’s of the polymer AM world. And not Silicon Valley enough to move investors as Carbon does. The new VX1000 HSS could change all this, giving voxeljet a real and significant technological advantage over the competition: no one else has yet built a high-resolution polymer system capable of printing this much and this fast.
SLS 3D printing company Sinterit has launched its latest material, which will open up new opportunities for applications, especially in the electronics and automotive segments. The 3D printing powder, the company’s seventh material launched to date for its Lisa PRO system, is PA11 ESD.
FGK -Glas/Keramik- GmbH, a leading innovator in research and development of advanced ceramics and test labs, acquired the latest 3D printer from Lithoz GmbH: the CeraFab Multi 2M30. The recently released system is capable of multi-material 3D printing in a single component.
California-based 3D printing company Airwolf 3D has released the latest 3D printer in its EVO series, the EVO R. Made in the United States, the new 3D printer was developed with dependability, safety and efficiency in mind and is being marketed to the engineering, design and primarily education segments.
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.