News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
As one might expect, creating a virtual 3D world is a laborious process that requires not only time and effort but also a high level of skill. Look at any video game, and the graphics will have required thousands and thousands of hours of work on the part of developers specialized in 3D rendering, lighting, textures and more.
Rapid Application Group (RAG), an Oklahoma-based additive manufacturing company, has significantly increased its production capacity with the installation of a 3D Systems’ Figure 4 Standalone 3D printer. The recently added polymer AM platform will enable RAG to improve its services and turnaround times for clients in the aerospace, defense, healthcare, motor sports and oil and gas sectors.
GE Healthcare has announced a partnership with VA Puget Sound Health Care System to accelerate the use of 3D imaging and 3D printed anatomical models for medical applications. VA Puget Sound Health Care System is a government-run healthcare program for veterans serving states in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
Software company PTC has acquired generative design software developer Frustum Inc. The acquisition deal, worth about $70 million, will see PTC add Frustum’s AI-powered generative design tools to its Creo software portfolio.
German machine tool manufacturer TRUMPF is seeking to expand the versatility of metal materials for its additive manufacturing technology. As announced at Formnext last week, the company’s TruPrint 5000 is capable of printing high-carbon steel or titanium alloys, while a new green laser with pulse product enables the printing of pure copper and other precious metals.
Three Freeformer exhibits were on show at Arburg‘s Formnext 2018 booth, along with more examples of functional parts made using the Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) process than ever seen before. There was a world premiere of the Freeformer 300-3X, which for the first time enables the additive manufacturing of complex plastic parts from three materials in a durable hard/soft combination with a support structure. Four interactive stations will be available where trade visitors can test the quality and functionality of selected parts for themselves. Furthermore, two tried-and-tested
Kodak has launched its KODAK Portrait 3D printer at Formnext 2018 in partnership with Smart International, Kodak’s global brand licensee for all things 3D printing. The new desktop 3D printer, targeted at the professional market, offers such features as dual extrusion, an enclosed all-steel structure and more.
Callaway Golf Company, a manufacturer of golfing equipment, has entered into a consultancy agreement with GE Additive’s AddWorks team through which it will seek to exploit the benefits of 3D printing. Callaway has already unveiled the first product to be realized as part of the collaboration: a redesigned Odyssey R-Ball Prototype putter head.
Carbon named by Erpro Group as their first partnership in France with digital 3D manufacturing company following the installation of a Carbon M2 3D Printer.
As part of its updated software strategy, GE Additive is teaming up Autodesk to streamline the metal 3D printing process through the development of an integrated workflow software for GE Additive systems. The workflow will combine the Autodesk Fusion 360 platform with GE Additive Build Preparation interfaces to connect all stages of the AM process, from design and simulation to printing and machine analytics.