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3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing

Auto Glass Giant Saint-Gobain Cuts Costs & Lead Time with BCN3D 3D Printers

Posted: 25 May 2022 07:00 AM PDT

Automotive glass is one of those extremely mundane-sounding sectors that's nonetheless indispensable to the stability of global supply chains. Those sectors, of course, seem to be the ones which have been most amenable in recent years for incorporation of additive manufacturing (AM) into their routine production operations.

Fittingly, then, in 2019, Saint-Gobain started using BCN3D's Epsilon W50 printers and Smart Cabinets storage units in the Sekurit unit of its Barcelona plant. Saint-Gobain, a French multinational that has existed since 1665, and which is one of the key players in automotive glass, currently uses 3D printing to produce the tools, fixtures, and jigs it needs to make automotive sidelights and backlights.

Saint-Gobain just released a brief overview of the results of the adoption of 3D printing in its business operations thus far, and the numbers are solid: Barcelona's Sekurit division has saved €170,000 (about USD$182,000) in barely three years. Even more impressively, and of the utmost significance to enhancing supply-chain resilience, use of 3D printing has reduced the lead times required for tooling by 93%.

$182,000 over the course of three years for a company the size of Saint-Gobain, with 180,000 employees across 75 countries, doesn't sound like much initially. On the other hand, the Sekurit division alone has 39 plants around the world. So, if the company were to incorporate AM techniques at all its Sekurit plants, it could save over $2 million a year at baseline, just for this one application. When you start to consider the possibilities for Saint-Gobain increasing the number of AM applications it employs, as well as its incorporation of AM in additional divisions beyond Sekurit, the potential for significant long-term cost reduction becomes clear.

The logic behind digitizing the supply chain becomes clearer, moreover, when viewed against the larger backdrop of a general push towards lower carbon emissions, as well as the reduction in workforce seen in just about every industry since the pandemic started. Concerning the first of these things, Saint-Gobain last month entered into an agreement with German car manufacturer Audi, as well as German company Reiling Glas Recycling, for a one-year pilot program to recycle automotive glass. This is especially significant as no closed-loop recycling circuit yet exists for the product. If it's successful, the combination of recycled glass and AM could contribute significantly to the aggregate reduction of carbon-emissions in automotive production. Because Saint-Gobain has slowly been increasing its activities in additive construction, there's no reason to assume it won't expand additive across its other operations.

Concerning the reduction in workforce since early 2020, in the United States, at least, the automotive glass sector has lost 14% of its technicians. It would be interesting to get a more detailed breakdown of Saint-Gobain's numbers in this case, to see how much of the cost savings were labor-related. It's important to keep in mind, beyond the cost savings, that the filling of supply chain gaps means that the company is able to keep output at a level that likely would've no longer been achievable without the incorporation of, in this case, 3D printing.

Additionally, from a longer-term perspective, and in all heavy industries, just-in-time and right-on-time production will continue to become more intertwined with standard operating procedures. AM isn't the only solution to this problem, but it's hard to imagine the problem being solved without its being an integral component.

Images courtesy of Sekurit

The post Auto Glass Giant Saint-Gobain Cuts Costs & Lead Time with BCN3D 3D Printers appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Startup Accelerator: Quantica Disrupts Inkjet 3D Printing with JetPack Development Platform

Posted: 25 May 2022 06:30 AM PDT

In addition to Grid Logic, the most exciting firm presenting at RAPID + TCT 2022 was Quantica. This Berlin-based startup, previously covered here, showcased its new JetPack, a sort of development kit for exploring Quantica's high-viscosity jetting technology. Because Quantica's jetting heads have so many potential applications, the JetPack can enable customers to discover the proper pathway for their own use of the technology.

At RAPID, we caught up with the Quantica team, who discussed the new product, as well as the many use cases that high viscosity jetting enables. It was quickly apparent that the company has essentially redesigned the inkjet heads we see in so many additive processes—such as those from Stratasys and Mimaki—and improved them to process a much broader array of materials and fluids. Because it can print with resins 15 times more viscous than others on the market, it can not only produce full-color objects with a variety of stiffness/flexibility properties. It can do so with materials that are actually functional for uses beyond prototyping.

"You can start to put more materials into the fluids to get better properties and functionality," Jason Remnant, Business Development Director for Quantica, told 3DPrint.com at RAPID + TCT. "So, if you want it to be more conductive, you can include more conductive materials like silver nanoparticles. If you want it to be more abrasion-resistant, you can add that. When we’ve looked at all the different types of properties that you want in 3d printing, if you move to high viscosity, everything becomes possible."

One such application is the production of dental parts made from multiple off-the-shelf photopolymer resins. Typical vat photopolymerization processes can't combine disparate materials within the same print job to create a single part, say a denture or model with gum- and teeth-like resins. As a result, the gums are fabricated in one print and the teeth in another. With inkjetting—and specifically with Quantica's process—a full denture or model can be produced at once, with varying color tones and levels of flexibility.

"The whole point is that actually you want the teeth bit to be more robust and wearing, but you want the gums to be soft," Remnant said. "So, there’s two different materials, but it would deposit them at the same time. With the existing process, they can make the gums and somewhere else than they make the teeth and then they paint the teeth, then they assemble in this long process. It takes weeks. Doing it this way [with Quantica], you shorten that whole supply chain down, take out a lot of cost, and you can get your dentures maybe the next day or the same day."

Interestingly, the idea for Quantica didn't come out of a PhD program or research institute, where we're used to seeing high-tech startups born. Ben Hartkopp, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, told 3DPrint.com that the firm was born out of a basic desire to broaden the materials that can be jetted     . After developing the technology for their own purposes, they realized that there was no other 3D printing process on the market capable of what they had achieved. At this point, Quantica's printheads can eject materials at about 4,500 milli pascals per second at room temperature.

3D printed dentures made in a single process with multiple materials using Quantica’s printhead. Image courtesy of Quantica.

"We’re the first ones to be able to truly print multiple engineering-grade, end-use materials. We’re basically refining this process to be able to deliver true full-color aesthetics in dental and then expanding that to every market essentially," Hartkopp said. "The exciting challenge that we are currently addressing is exploring which verticals to address first and finding the right material partners," Hartkopp said.

That's where the JetPack comes in. JetPack is said to "seamlessly" work with dropwatchers and print test stations so that users can select and validate materials and drive electronics compatibility with Quantica's printheads. This, in turn, would lead to a new range of materials and printing systems to produce end products.

The Quantica JetPack. Image courtesy of Quantica.

"It will help us accelerate getting into these markets because there are companies that want to start exploring this technology with their materials and their fluids. In many cases today, many of these markets that are trying to use inkjet have not succeeded properly. They’re doing bits and pieces, but they’ve struggled because they can’t get the right performance out of the fluid. They’re diluting the materials down to get it to work through inkjet technologies," Remnant explained. "We’re removing that barrier and telling them they can go back to the type of materials they want to use. We have to tell people to go back to using the types of materials they want to use."

So far, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering, and Automation IPA has become one of the first research partners to use Quantica’s JetPack to develop photorealistic printed objects and applications. However, if you visit the company's website, you can see that the applications are nearly limitless.

Users can feasibly deposit dielectric, conductive, ceramic, organic, metal materials and more—and not in separate print jobs. These materials can be combined. This means that 3D printed electronics are a possibility, as are organic tissues, or even a combination of both. The JetPack is just the first step in giving users access to Quantica’s high functionality, multi-material 3D printing technology, but they are currently developing a printer that will be announced later this year.

The post Startup Accelerator: Quantica Disrupts Inkjet 3D Printing with JetPack Development Platform appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

House 3D Printing, Bacterial Materials, and More Awarded by 3D Pioneers Challenge

Posted: 25 May 2022 06:00 AM PDT

The 3D Pioneers Challenge awards the best and most innovative breakthrough projects in 3D printing. This year, the jury selected projects from around the world across several categories, including medtech, design, architecture, mobility, sustainability, and more.

Hyperloop Brake

Of course, the hyperloop is a bit of a marketing dream/scam at the moment, but who knows if it will become a reality. If it does, it will need brakes. A team made up of members from ETH Zürich and inspire AG have come up with a compact, 3D printed brake that still works in case of a power failure.

The project describes the brake operating such that “by pressurizing a bellow, a compliant system is forced apart. This generates a gap between the guide rail and the brake. When pressure is released, immediate braking is initiated by contracting the bellow. The integrated gyroid structure absorbs the braking forces and air channels assist in releasing the brake.” And all of that intricacy is done inside of one single component, showing off 3D printing’s ability to make a complex integrated part. 

WASP’s Additive Construction

WASP won in the sustainability and architecture categories with its TECLA habitat and its concept store for Dior. The company made the TECLA with natural materials and its huge Crane WASP 3D printer. Combining earth, clay and modern techniques points to a digital clay future. The jury noted, “WASP, pioneer of the 3D-printed house, is convincing in its use of local clay and with the archaic principle of building a house from the ground. It’s good to see global brands like Dior putting a focus on this sustainable principle and making it a reality for everyone to grasp.”

Living Products

The best student project was by Shuyun Liu and Stefanie Putsch, of the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle. In the “GlasKlar” project, the pair encouraged and managed the development of bacteria on specific materials. By producing a living product with bacteria, the project is a far cry form the sterile world of mass production. 

3D Printed Motors

The electronics winner was from the U.K.´s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). The MTC showed off its FEMS3, a 3D printed motor with high power density. In the engine, the team reduced mass by 65% while also cutting the number of parts and assembly steps. Seals and other components were eliminated, as well. What I like about the project is that here we saw three different materials being used for 4 parts, which were then turned into a single 3D printed part. 
“Leveraging the advantages of additive manufacturing to design and manufacture a bespoke element of a complex product and thus system integration at such a high level is very impressive. Weight reduction of a functional electric motor – sustainability in the overall concept. Motors consume a huge portion of energy in industry. Ideas to improve electric motors by additive manufacturing is a great lever towards higher performance and thus improved sustainability,” the jury noted.

Multi-Axis Bioprinting Robot

The medtech winner was a multi-axis robot used as a bioprinter created by the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing CHINA // University of Manchester UK // Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University. Of course, we’ve seen such a concept before. For instance, the BioAssemblyBot 500 is a six-axis bio printer. However, the team also prints in an oil bath, which should preserve tissue. The platform can also use multiple robots at once. The team claims that it can print “vascularized, contractible, and long-term survived cardiac tissues.”

PARTBOX

Schubert Additive Solutions won in the Digital category with the PARTBOX. This is a concept whereby the PARTBOX does not require any 3D printing knowledge and through streaming data directly to the box over mobile networks, rather than the public internet, it can receive parts to print out. 

A 3D Printed Boat

Dutch firm RAW Idea tried to replace unsustainable, fibre glass boats with 3D printed boats made out of recycled material, resulting in the “Tanaruz Boats.” At the end of life, the whole craft can be recycled. The vehicle can also be 3D printed on demand, with a shorter turnaround time than via traditional means.

Geo Slate

“Geo Slate” by Daria Biryukova, Eric Geboers, Matteo Baldassari and Peter Hoendermis takes a critical look at the traditional material slate. The team transformed slate sludge waste into a 3D printing material for binder jet. They are currently making upcyled roofing tiles out of that material. 

The 3D Printed SETAE Jacket

Designed by Julia Koerner and printed by Stratasys, the “SETAE Jacket” was made on a J750 printer and is inspired by the microscopic structure of butterfly wings. The ability to 3D print polymers onto fabric is now available to Stratasys customers more generally through the release of the J850 TechStyle 3D printer. 
These projects differ from pure concepts to real-world projects. As exciting as all of them may be, it will be much more exciting to see how they play out when introduced to the market.

The post House 3D Printing, Bacterial Materials, and More Awarded by 3D Pioneers Challenge appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Gilmour Space Unveils 3D Printed Rocket Engine as it Readies for 2022 Launch

Posted: 25 May 2022 05:30 AM PDT

Australian rocket company Gilmour Space Technologies is getting one step closer to its first commercial launch in late 2022. The pioneering launch services company known for its orbital-class hybrid rocket technology has unveiled Phoenix, a new 3D printed liquid oxygen kerosene (LOx/Kero) engine that will power the third stage of its Eris rocket to orbit. Even more so, last week, Gilmour shared a video of a successful 190-second full mission duration test-fire of its new regeneratively-cooled liquid rocket engine.

Capable of delivering up to 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO), Gilmour's Eris is one of Australia's most highly awaited rocket launches. Establishing a new paradigm for the small-payload customers, the three-stage rocket is targeted to begin launches to low earth orbits from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport at Abbot Point, in north Queensland, in only a few months. To meet this global demand, Gilmour's first Eris rockets will be launching payloads up to 305 kg into low earth orbits, 215 kg into 500 kilometers sun-synchronous orbits, or 305 kilograms into 500 km equatorial orbits. As it gets ready for its maiden voyage, Gilmour has already closed two commercial launch contracts (including one with fellow local startup Space Machines), targeting 12 rockets a year by 2025.

According to CEO and Founder Adam Gilmour, both the first and second stages of Eris will be powered by Sirius, Gilmour's large hybrid rocket engine, undergoing qualification tests. Instead, the third stage will get its thrust from five Phoenix engines developed to give the rocket an "extra performance" needed to deliver substantially more payload to orbit.

Liquid rocket engines are used by most rocket companies worldwide, including SpaceX, and are notoriously complex and expensive to develop. But Adam Gilmour points out that Phoenix––its second orbital-class rocket engine system––has demonstrated world-class sovereign capability in two different rocket systems developed by a homegrown small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Moreover, its recent successful Mission Duty Cycle test is a pinnacle milestone in engine development, proving that all key engine components (turbopumps, injectors, chamber, igniters, and more) can operate in a flight-like configuration.

“The team has done exceptionally well to design, build, and test this new engine in just over a year while also scaling our main hybrid rocket engine, building out the rest of the vehicle, and pushing to develop a new orbital launch site in Australia,” added Gilmour. "Our goal has always been to provide an affordable and reliable option for accessing space, and we believe this unique engine combination will allow us to achieve that for our customers.”

Rendering of Gilmour Space Eris rocket. Rendering of Gilmour Space Eris rocket. Image courtesy of Gilmour Space.

Founded in 2013, Gilmour Space has grown to become one of Australia's largest space companies, raising more than $130 million to date and a workforce of over 140 employees. As one of the most active companies in Australia's emerging commercial space sector, it was chosen to lead the Australian Space Manufacturing Network (ASMN), a national network with a mission to advance local space manufacturing and future launches, which recently received an AU$52 million ($39 million) government grant to create, commercialize and finally launch space technology on local soil.

As Gilmour pioneers new and innovative hybrid propulsion technologies, it works to ensure a future of lower-cost access to space. Towards that goal, the company also signed a memorandum of understanding with Air Services, Australia’s air navigation service provider, to help facilitate safe air traffic management during Gilmour's launches.

Also, as part of the government's AU$7 billion (roughly $5 billion) investment in new space capabilities, Gilmour was recently chosen to build and launch a prototype surveillance satellite for the country's Department of Defence on its Eris rocket in 2023. The AU$15 million ($10.7 million) partnership is a big milestone for an Australian-owned SME developing sovereign space and launch capabilities. Once complete, the G-class satellite will help counter threats and assure the country continued access to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Adam Gilmour with Justin Parker, Head of Air Services Safety & Environment Assessment (on right). Adam Gilmour with Justin Parker, Head of Air Services Safety & Environment Assessment (on right). Image courtesy of Gilmour Space via Facebook.

Knowing that the space industry will demand thousands of qualified individuals in the future, Gilmour is also encouraging high school and university students to get involved in building, programming, and launching rockets and satellites to space. In that spirit, a few of its latest initiatives include space flight simulators for Queensland's Bowen State high schoolers and a series of Gilmour Space expert talks with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students. At this pace, it is clear that Gilmour Space will be a leading force in Australia's rocket industry, developing and launching hybrid launch vehicles for small satellites to LEO pretty soon.

The post Gilmour Space Unveils 3D Printed Rocket Engine as it Readies for 2022 Launch appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Sauber Technologies Teams with EOS for Polymer 3D Printing

Posted: 25 May 2022 05:00 AM PDT

EOS has signed a three-year deal with Sauber Technologies, the Swiss engineering company that works with the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen, formerly a Sauber sister company. While Sauber does a lot of automotive engineering and is an emerging power in additive manufacturing (AM) in Switzerland, the Formula 1 team relies on Sauber to perform much of its AM work.

Orlen was backed by Longbow Finance, an entity connected to Swedish billionaires Karl-Johan Persson, the founder of H&M, and Finn Rausing, an heir to the Tetra Laval packaging fortune. Though the team was almost sold to Andretti Racing in 2021, Mr. Rausing is said to now own the F1 team outright through Islero Investments.

A lot of Sauber Technologies AM is currently performed on Additive Industries metal machines. Additive Industries, meanwhile, does have a partnership with the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team. Now, EOS, has a partnership with Sauber, but it is focused on 3D printing polymers, after signing a partnership agreement at the Barcelona GP last weekend.

f.l.t.r.: Christoph Hansen (COO Sauber Technologies), Frédéric Vasseur (Team Principal Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen), Dr.-Ing. Tina Schlingmann (Head of Sales EMEA, EOS), Markus Glasser (SVP EMEA, EOS)

Christoph Hansen (COO Sauber Technologies), Frédéric Vasseur (Team Principal Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen), Tina Schlingmann (Head of Sales EMEA, EOS), Markus Glasser (SVP EMEA, EOS)

¨We see AM applications in F1 for both prototyping and serial production where reproducible part quality is key. Together with Sauber we are aiming to set new benchmarks here. With more serial AM applications in F1, automation will be essential too, enabling higher productivity and reduced costs per part. Sauber is the first customer for polymer-based AM, integrating this into its production, including the installation of an EOS P 500 system,” said Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA at EOS.

¨EOS and Sauber share the same passion for application-driven design and the highest quality standards, which we want to offer in motorsports and beyond. EOS's company culture is a perfect fit for us, which is why we decided to enter this partnership. From a technology perspective, we co-operate with EOS because its ecosystem of partners and sister companies not only enables the end-to-end solutions we need, including automation, but provides us with highly custom solutions via AMCM (Additive Manufacturing Customized Machines),” said Christoph Hansen, COO Sauber Technologies.

The two are working together to further industrialize 3D printing. To do that, Sauber will install a P500 system running PA 12. The company claims that the system only has to be serviced once a year and that it has a 75% higher uptime than competing machines. This polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) printer compares to the great deal of stereolithography systems used in motorsport to build wind tunnel parts. Both PBF and SLA are relied on to 3D print jigs, fixtures and end use parts. There are also metal powder bed fusion components made for motorsports.
I’m curious to see what kinds of parts and production Sauber will run with the P500. There is a lot ongoing in F1 and many other racing classes. There is also a great deal of speculation about major car manufacturers using 3D printing in end use parts in production cars. What I’m most interested in now, however, is neither of these things.
I’d like to see just how well 3D printing has percolated through to small series sports cars, specialty vehicles like fire trucks, high value components in automotive customization, aftermarket and more. For decades now, Formula 1 and one-off hypercars have been the staging area for 3D printing in automotive. However, away from the spotlight, how is it going in many other automotive applications? The area where the economics of additive moves from possible to probably is small series production parts that are still high-value but not for motorsports. Perhaps this deal will get us a bit closer?

The post Sauber Technologies Teams with EOS for Polymer 3D Printing appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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