News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
This week, we take a brief look at some new releases and announcements from materials company Royal DSM, 3D printer manufacturer Markforged and additive workflow software company Link3D.
At the recent AI Accelerator Summit in Boston, Additive Leader at GE Global Research Brent Brunell addressed the growing need for AI-enabled applications within the context of industrial metal 3D printing. With an audience made up of some of the leading hardware and chip innovators in the tech industry, Brunell explained that in order for metal AM to be broadly industrialized, the sector needs faster computing capabilities and more computational power.
Building an SLS system is more complicated than most realize. This is what SLS system manufacturers have been saying for years, five years to be exact, since the first SLS patent expired in February 2014. Then a few companies set out to change that myth and only one of them – so far – has succeeded: Krakow, Poland-based Sinterit. Its Lisa and latest Lisa Pro systems are real, reliable products. We had the chance to test and review their technology first-hand, after visiting the company in Krakow for a hands-on training session.
PTC signed a definitive with Onshape, creators of the first Software as a Service (SaaS) CAD/CAE product development platform. As per the agreement, PTC acquires Onshape for approximately $470 million. The acquisition is expected to accelerate PTC’s ability to attract new customers with a SaaS-based product offering and position the company to capitalize on the inevitable industry transition to SaaS. Pending regulatory approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed in November 2019.
Evonik Venture Capital, the investment arm of German chemical company Evonik, has invested in Castor Technologies, a startup whose software is helping AM adopters to identify how and where to use additive manufacturing for production. Evonik says the investment in the Israel-based startup will allow it to expand its business beyond selling materials for the 3D printing market into services, enabling customers to test the printability of parts.
This summer, bioprinting company nScrypt revealed an interesting partnership with the U.S. Military aimed at deploying a ruggedized version of its BioAssembly Tool (BAT) bioprinter to print samples in a forward-deployed desert environment. In July, the company also sent its bioprinter into space to be used aboard the ISS. Following the early successes of both initiatives, nScrypt has introduced the nRugged system—the first 3Dprinting/bioprinting platform built for harsh environments.
Optomec is introducing a new LENS Laser Deposition Head (LDH 3.X), with a variable optics system that can create three discreet focused spot sizes to accommodate changes in laser power. The LDH 3.X supports a wide range of laser powers from 500 W to 3 kW to ensure optimal DED processing across a range of parts and applications.
Product design and development company Altair has just launched Altair Inspire Studio, a new 3D design and rendering software solution. The software was developed for designers, architects and digital artists and offers a flexible and comprehensive set of tools for designing, visualizing and evaluating products.
The KRAKEN system has been presented at the AITTIP Technology Center, located in Zaragoza (Spain) in the frame of project final conference to 120 attendees from Spain, UK, Germany, Italy, Greece and USA. This manufacturing system is the result of a European Project coordinated by AITIIP in which 15 partners have collaborated for the last three years.
Farsoon Technologies, a China-based 3D printer manufacturer, is getting closer to the commercialization of its new FS301M metal 3D printing system. The machine, which was designed based on feedback from industrial end-users, is now ready to enter its beta testing stage.