In this edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, we cover the latest business developments, partnerships, and acquisitions in the additive manufacturing sector.
Today’s edition features new 3D printing partnerships and business updates, new additive manufacturing materials, updates from the construction field, and 3D printed fire-fighting drones.
请继续阅读Freemelt，Prototek，Hawk Ridge Systems，Axle Box Innovations，Rocket Lab，Boston Micro Fabrication等最新更新。
Business updates from Stratasys, Freemelt, Prototek, E3D, and Hawk Ridge Systems
Kicking off this week’s business news is 3D printer manufacturerStratasys, which has introduced a new loyalty and discount program for its service bureau customers. The Stratasys Parts Provider Network (PPN) will provide access to volume discounts on the firm’s systems, materials, service contracts, and software, as well as wholesale pricing for on-demand parts printed through its Stratasys Direct Manufacturing arm.
“Stratasys recognizes the integral role service bureaus play in transforming global manufacturing, and our Parts Provider Network demonstrates our commitment to supporting their unique business needs,” said Pat Carey, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth for Stratasys. “With five additive manufacturing technologies, we can provide PPN members with access to a robust portfolio of solutions to expand their offerings, increase their market share and provide their end customers with solutions to meet their additive manufacturing goals.”
Meanwhile, Swedish 3D printer manufacturerFreemelt收到订单一个Freemelt吗systems for the University of Maribor in Slovenia. To be delivered in the third quarter of 2022, the system is the first to the Slovenian market and will be used for research on materials for orthopedic implants.
Elsewhere, 3D design and manufacturing resellerHawk Ridge Systemsopened the doors to its new additive manufacturing center in the Santa Clara Valley in a move to bolster its production capacities.
“We are excited about moving our Digital Manufacturing Lab to a more spacious and accommodating facility,” says Paul Rudin, VP of Digital Manufacturing for Hawk Ridge Systems. “Displaying our additive solutions is important in order to demonstrate their value, features and capabilities to our clients – and this space allows us to do just that.”
Onto acquisition news now, and on-demand manufacturing service providerPrototekhas completed its purchase of Pennsylvania-based 3D printing service bureauProtoCAM. The latter will merge into中西部原型, Prototek’s additive manufacturing arm acquired in July last year.
Through the deal, Prototek will gain access to ProtoCAM’s QuickCast technology, which enables the creation of rapid investment casting patterns for metal part production, while the merger will also increase the capacity of Midwest Prototyping’s core 3D printing technologies.
Additionally, 3D printing hardware manufacturerE3D宣布收购喷嘴和售后零件提供商ZODIAC 3D. The deal will enable E3D to increase its supply chain stability for all product lines and the company plans to grow ZODIAC 3D’s current product lines of specialty nozzles and other accessories.
E3D产品策略和营销主管Clare DiFazio说：“我个人很高兴向E3D客户介绍黄道带产品系列。”“他们的高质量产品对E3D品牌进行了补充，这意味着我们有信心支持十二生肖。我期待着将这一出色的售后升级范围带到比我们今天提供的更广泛的打印机。
“For us, it means we can be assured that great quality extrusion is more accessible than ever. The future of AM is exciting, and we’re here for it.”
New 3D printing partnerships from Rocket Lab, Boston Micro Fabrication, and COBOD
California-based aerospace firmRocket Labhas entered into a partnership withNASAto manufacture the solar array panel that will power the latter’s GLIDE mission, which will study the area where the Earth’s atmosphere meets space.
To manufacture the solar array panels, Rocket Lab will leverage the technology of its recently acquired satellite solar array panel supplierSolAeroto provide the Z4J quadruple junction solar cell designed specifically for space applications. Fully qualified for space, the Z4J is a high-efficiency, radiation-hardened solar cell laid on carbon composite facesheet panels.
Meanwhile, microscale 3D printing systems specialistBoston Micro Fabrication（BMF）与澳大利亚经销商合作AXT为了为澳大利亚和新西兰市场提供其超高分辨率3D打印机的访问。
“我们的3 d打印机已经得到优秀的接受around the world in areas such as medical devices, electronics, microfluidics and MEMS to name but a few,” said Chris Jianlin Zhou, General Manager of the Asian Pacific Business Unit of Boston Micro Fabrication.
“Expanding into Australia where technology is rapidly accepted was a natural progression for us and we are pleased to partner with AXT for this next stage in our growth.”
Elsewhere, construction 3D printing specialistCOBODhas brought Australian firmFortexon board as a distributor, meaning its construction additive manufacturing technology is now available in six continents. Through the deal, COBOD hopes to strengthen construction 3D printing in the Asia-Pacific region, with the first BOD2 machine arriving in Australia in Q4 2022.
“We are very proud to be partnering up with Fortex to bring our state-of-the-art 3D construction printing technology to Australia,” said Simon Klint Bergh, Head of Asia Pacific for COBOD. “This arrangement, together with our new distribution partners Siam Cement in Thailand and KA Bina in Malaysia, and our new regional office in Malaysia, will mean that we will penetrate the growing market in Asia-Pacific even further.”
New materials from Microlight3D and Filaticum
Onto new materials now, and microscale 3D printer manufacturerMicrolight3Dhas launched eight new resins developed for mechanical meta-materials and life sciences applications. Containing flexible, rigid, and biocompatible resins, the range will allow developers to explore 3D microprinting using different materials to reproduce complex, minuscule objects.
对于机械超材料场，该系列包括两个刚性树脂，即刚性A和刚性-E，以及柔性树脂flex-A，适用于4D打印和微力机械应用，例如微型机械螺钉和螺丝。第四个树脂（Ormored）设计用于红外激光器，可以通过金属或磁性纳米颗粒来增强。
Of the other materials in the product line, OrmioBio and Green-A-Bio are biocompatible resins, while Green-Gel and UV-Gel are biocompatible and ductile hydrogels.
Elsewhere, a rather distinctive surface is now offered by Hungarian-based industrial filament manufacturerFilaticum’snew 3D printing material. The PLA-based Filaticum Fuzzy filament is designed to create objects with a fluffy, fuzzy surface, while maintaining high impact resistance and undergoing post-processing without hitch.
Construction news from Thinking Huts and DELTASYS E FORMING
The first of this week’s construction-related news comes from non-profit思考小屋，它在计划的3D印刷学校中建造了第一个解决马达加斯加学校短缺的情况。3D印刷学校中的第一所位于马达加斯加中南部的Fianarantsoa，并以基本的蜂窝状形状建造，尺寸约为700平方英尺。
打印学校的墙壁大约需要18个小时，然后安装了木屋，门和窗户。总共，该项目花了三个星期的时间完成，并看到了14Trees, a joint venture betweenLafargeHolcim和CDC Group, which built the世界上第一间印刷学校in December 2020.
3D printer manufacturerDeltasys E组, meanwhile, has successfully delivered and installed a concrete 3D printer at the印度科学学院(IISc) in Bengaluru. The printer will be used to research various sustainable materials for concrete 3D printing, and is the latest in a string of investments made by educational institutes in construction additive manufacturing.
New research studies oxide growth on 3D printed metals
A joint study bySouthwest Research Institute和桑迪亚国家实验室has investigated the differences in oxide film growth on 3D printed metals in a supercritical CO2 environment. The team exposed samples of both additively manufactured metals and traditional wrought stainless steels to a simulated supercritical CO2 power cycle environment, including a temperature of 450 degrees Celsius and pressure of 76 bar, for two weeks.
According to the researchers, both types of metals showed oxide growth, however while the oxide covered 72% of the wrought stainless steel, it only covered 54% of the 3D printed metal. Although the data suggests that 3D printing process should be optimized for these types of conditions going forwards, the researchers said their study doesn’t prove that one is more reliable than the other.
3D printed fire-fighting drones
Technology fromEssentium, the OEM behind High Speed Extrusion (HSE), is being leveraged by public safety technology developer车轴盒创新开发3D打印无人机来进行消防和保护。该公司正在利用Essentium的HSE 3D打印平台和高性能材料来加快能够幸免于野火极端热量的轻巧和强大的无人机身体，以支持紧急响应团队的努力。
Axle Box Innovations转向3D打印，以克服开发定制防火无人机的强度，速度和成本障碍。据该公司称，3D打印的无人机在演示飞行测试期间关于其高速影响和整体功能的预期。
Subscribe to the3D Printing Industry newsletterfor the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us onTwitter和liking us onFacebook.
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D Printing Jobsfor a selection of roles in the industry.
Subscribe to ourYouTube channelfor the latest 3D printing video shorts, reviews, and webinar replays.
特色图片显示Filaticum Fuzzy 3D printed owl with the Sliced logo.
