In this edition of Sliced, the3D印刷行业新闻摘要, we cover the latest business developments, partnerships, and novel applications in the wider 3D printing sector.
Today’s edition features a number of collaborations, a lamp design competition, automotive updates, a new post-processing system, and the first commercially available 3D printed home in the US.
Read on for the most recent updates from Omegasonics, Blue Power, SQ4D, the DMC, TCL Hofmann, CORE Industrial Partners, Summit Tooling and more.
New partnerships in the 3D printing industry
TheDigital Manufacturing Centre(DMC), an up and coming UK-based 3D printing service bureau, has announced a partnership withEnable Manufacturing, the innovator behind the Additive Casting process. Combining traditional casting with 3D printing, the novel technology uses a polymer 3D printed tooling component coated in a ceramic shell to form a casting mold. The DMC will begin offering the service to its customers come March.
DMC首席执行官Kieron Salter表示：“在接下来的几个月中，我们将与使团队紧密合作，使团队能够将加法铸件无缝整合到我们现有的数字化流程中。这项合作是另一个令人兴奋的演示，即DMC及其合作伙伴正在引导英国制造业进入第四次工业革命。”
Elsewhere, in Europe, 3D printer OEMRapid Shapehas announced a partnership with dental specialistSAREMCO Dental AG. Together, the firms will begin offering SAREMCO’s specialist dental 3D printing resins for use with Rapid Shape’s SLA 3D printers. This includes the recently launched SAREMCO PRINT CROWNTEC resin, one of the first materials to be approved for permanent crowns, inlays, and veneers.
Across the pond, binder jet 3D printer OEMExOnehas appointed equipment supplierTCL Hofmannas an authorized channel partner to sell ExOne machines in Australia and New Zealand. The move stands to strengthen ExOne’s growing outreach in the Asia-Pacific region as metal binder jetting sees increasing use in high-volume production applications.
Exone亚洲副总裁Ben Leung补充说：“我们很高兴能与如此受人尊敬且经验丰富的供应商的代表，尤其是具有3D打印经验的供应商。随着Exone在亚洲加强我们的网络和战略，我们希望TCL Hofmann在我们的增长和扩张中发挥关键作用。”
Automotive updates from Rolls-Royce and Cadillac
在汽车世界中，2月1日Cadillacdebuting its 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models. The vehicles feature two 3D printed HVAC ducts and a 3D printed electrical harness bracket. The medallions on the manual gear shift knobs are also 3D printed, with reports that additive manufacturing enabled Cadillac to reduce costs and waste when developing the models’ manual transmission systems.
The Blackwing models are set for an exclusive launch, with just 250 units offered to customers. The CT4-V Blackwing – the smaller of the two – is rumored to pack a 3.0L twin-turbo V6, while the CT5-V could feature a 6.2L supercharged V8.
在其他地方，材料公司Nature Squaredrecently designed a custom劳斯莱斯带有3D打印扭曲的幻影。这款豪华汽车被称为虹彩富裕，其内部装饰有3000多个尾羽。该公司使用3D打印实际上模仿了羽毛后面的天然机翼的肌肉组织，从而使仪表板流行起来。
收购故事添加剂制造
3D printing service provider捉摸, a subsidiary of private equity firmCORE Industrial Partners, recently acquiredSummit Tooling and Summit Plastics, a pair of precision tooling and injection molding service bureaus. Together, the Summit businesses make the fourth add-on acquisition to the Fathom brand since CORE initially purchased the company back in 2018. Now, with a new fleet of more than 30 machines, Fathom will be able to better serve the medical and packaging markets with its new conventional manufacturing capabilities.
Ryan Martin, CEO of Fathom, said, “Summit’s focus on customers during the design, prototyping and low-volume production stages of a product’s life cycle perfectly aligns with Fathom’s unique customer value proposition. We’re excited to work with the Summit team to explore opportunities to even better serve its customers through Fathom’s comprehensive digital manufacturing platform while also providing Fathom’s existing customer base expanded domestic quick-turn precision tooling and molding capabilities.”
Elsewhere, the ex-CEO of箍tasysIlan Levin has set up his own special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) by the name of Moringa Acquisition Corp, which will reportedly focus on mid-sized Israel-related technology firms with a proven model of commercial success. The company recently filed to raise $100M with the SEC to acquire an Israeli technology company, withEarlyBirdCapital和Moelis & Coacting as underwriters. Moringa has not stated at this stage whether or not it will be pursuing 3D printing companies.
Post-processing and metallurgy tech from Omegasonics and Blue Power
In the peripheral technologies market, California-basedOmegasonicsrecently upgraded its proprietary ultrasonic cleaning and support removal equipment to improve its processing speeds. Intended to streamline the post-processing portion of the 3D printing workflow, the updated technology is compatible with ABS, PC, PA-12, and other polymers parts 3D printed on FDM systems.
Armen Boyajyan of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a customer of Omegasonics’, stated, “It used to take a full day to manually remove support material from some 3D parts. Now we just put the parts into the ultrasonic cleaner and do something else while they’re being cleaned. After three hours, we have nice, clean parts.”
Over in the metallurgy sector, powder characterization specialistRosswag工程recently qualified an AC1000 air classifier manufactured byBlue Power, adding the device to its metal powder preparation process chain. Rosswag will use the air classifier to characterize even the finest alloy powders reliably, ensuring homogenous layer coatings and maximum flowability for processes like L-PBF.
Daniel Beckers, Head of Metal Powder Production at Rosswag Engineering, explains, “The sophisticated and modular system design minimizes the risk of cross-contamination, so that a wide range of alloys can be processed in a short time. In addition to the processability of the metal powders, the separation of the finest particle fraction is also relevant for handling and occupational safety.”
Essentium research and EOS training
3D打印机OEMEssentiumrecently released the results of an independent global research study it conducted on the use of industrial 3D printing. Through the survey, the company found that 3D printer investments at an industrial scale are ultimately paying off, with participants reporting several benefits. This includes improved part performances (46%), overall cost reductions (46%), and significantly reduced lead times on industrial components (45%).
On the other hand, the company also reported on a number of remaining obstacles on the path to mass 3D printing adoption. Specifically, 98% of manufacturers would like to see an increase in material choice, 37% claim they are being held back by the high costs of 3D printing materials, and 24% believe 3D printing materials are unreliable.
3D打印机OEMEOSrecently launched a new set of online training programs to help companies get up to speed with 3D printing. Offered under the加性思维consulting unit, the programs are designed to allow employees to become additive manufacturing experts in a short space of time. There are modules available for a wide variety of additive manufacturing roles with several dedicated learning paths, including machine operators, application specialists, and production managers.
Patrick Schrade, head of the Additive Minds Academy, explains, “With our learning paths, customers can train powerful teams with all the skills needed in additive manufacturing. The knowledge we offer ranges from basic understanding of the technology to selecting components for AM production, as well as design and AM-appropriate engineering, to scaling and validating production. For each individual role, we develop a corresponding training program.”
3D printed lamps and commercial houses
Looking at the latest applications of 3D printing technology, construction companySQ4Drecently 3D printed the first commercially available home in the US. Printed using the company’s patent-pending Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS), the $299,999 property features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a dedicated 750 square foot garage.
Stephen King ofRealty Connect, adds, “At $299,999, this home is priced 50% below the cost of comparable newly-constructed homes in Riverhead, NY and represents a major step towards addressing the affordable housing crisis plaguing long island.”
Finally, the recent3D Printed Luminaire Design Competition举办Huda照明和Immensa Labscame to a close with Khawarizm Studio taking the top spot. The Lou’Lou’ lamp, which is the Arabic word for ‘pearls’, took center stage on the podium with its geometric blend of cultural heritage and nature. Inspired by both a wind catcher and a mathematical Voronoi diagram, the fractal design is intended to capture the Studio’s love for Arabic heritage and organic abstract patterns.
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Featured image shows the Sliced logo on an image of a Rolls-Royce Phantom dashboard. Photo via Nature Squared.
