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- Biden Admin Launches U.S. 3D Printing Program: AM Forward
- Nexa3D to Help Reforest Tanzania via Partnership with ForestNation
- GE Renewable Invests in Construction 3D Printing Firm COBOD
- Japan’s Mojamoja Contest Picks Winning Art from Failed 3D Prints
- First Ever 3D Printed Ceramic Piston Made for Chaos Ultracar
- The Perfect First 3D Printer: Creality Sermoon V1 Pro
| Biden Admin Launches U.S. 3D Printing Program: AM Forward Posted: 06 May 2022 09:26 AM PDT A decade after his predecessor, Barack Obama, launched what would become America Makes, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has launched the AM Forward program, meant to further spur the growth of the additive manufacturing (AM) in the country. The program will see the U.S. government and giant multinationals support 3D printing initiatives, small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in various ways. Supported by the non-profit Applied Science & Technology Research Organization (ASTRO), the federal government is working with initial AM Forward participants GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Siemens Energy to drive AM in the country in various ways. On the public side, the Biden Administration has selected a number of federal programs that can be used to support the adoption of 3D printing by SME manufacturers. These include:
The initial members of AM Forward are also executing their strategies for increasing AM adoption in the country. They are as follows:
The goal of these programs is to achieve more resilient supply chains, while also growing new industries and reshoring production in the country. All of this is meant to be complemented by the Bipartisan Innovation Act (BIA), which creates a Supply Chain Office at the Department of Commerce, as well as aids the development of advanced manufacturing, and invests in regional tech hubs. It also enhances the funding for Manufacturing USA Institutes and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. In this way, the Biden Administration takes over where Obama left off, spurred in large part by the supply chain crises that have emerged as of late. The administration also suggests that this will also reduce costs for U.S. families. For all of these reasons, Biden is urging Congress to pass the BIA. Like the Manufacturing USA Institutes established before AM Forward, we obviously see a great deal of participation from military contractors. Steered by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining, America Makes has steadily seen aerospace and military contractors, as well as other businesses, develop AM over the past decade. The military focus of the organization has, in some ways, seen these verticals developed at the expense of other 3D printing applications.  A rendering of a future hypersonics facility. Image courtesy of ASTROA. In this way, the AM Forward program may not be all that different. In addition to this 3D printing initiative, ASTROA is involved in the development of hypersonic weapons with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. it is also working with the U.S. Army to 3D print large metal hulls for military vehicles. ASTROA President Neal Orringer led Manufacturing Technology and Defense Production programs at the Pentagon, while Executive Director Jason Gorey previously served as executive secretary for the Defense Production Act Committee and worked in human intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency. The rest of the group’s leadership is also closely linked to U.S. military. However, the COVID pandemic has driven more investment into medical 3D printing. This in turn drew more attention to the technology, with the last two years resulting in tremendous growth for AM. At the moment, according to SmarTech Analysis, the sector is worth $10.6 billion. Now, Biden has officially offer material support for the sector, which will aid in the expansion of the sector to the $50 billion in revenues to be reached by 2030, as projected by SmarTech. Feature image courtesy of Gage Skidmore. The post Biden Admin Launches U.S. 3D Printing Program: AM Forward appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
| Nexa3D to Help Reforest Tanzania via Partnership with ForestNation Posted: 06 May 2022 06:30 AM PDT Thanks to a new partnership with UK social business ForestNation, Nexa3D is helping reforest the East African nation of Tanzania. Trees have already been planted for each Nexa3D employee and will be grown for every 3D printer sold by the company. The move is part of the 3D printer manufacturer's ongoing efforts to advance sustainability in additive manufacturing through partnerships, collaborations, and openness. Thus far, the Nexa3D Forest, which encompasses over one hectare of reforested land, is projected to generate 107 tons of oxygen per year and absorb 26.75 tons of carbon dioxide annually. However, these figures are set to grow exponentially as sales continue for the busy company, adding more oxygen to the atmosphere and sustainable resources and jobs in Tanzania. Nexa3D's future plans include growing ten trees for every XiP desktop 3D printer sold. Similarly, on the industrial side, every NXE 400, NXE 200, and NXD 200 will yield 20 trees per printer sold.  Nexa3D ecosystem. Image courtesy of Nexa3D. Commenting on the new effort, Nexa3D leading executive Avi Reichental said that with 3D printer placements doubling annually and more new products being released in 2022 than ever before, he expects the company forest to proliferate. In the last few years, the California 3D printing business has made efforts to expand its market grasp, partnering with resellers in Europe, North America, and Africa. Today, these expansion efforts will bear fruit for Tanzania's forests.
Reversing land exploitationForestNation plants trees in the Eastern and Western Usambara Mountain Ranges located in northeastern Tanzania, where heavy deforestation has ruined the livelihoods of many locals. With the help of Nexa3D, sustainable goals will be achieved. In fact, ten trees have been planted for every current employee, resulting in 1,070 trees today, which simultaneously provide work for local people who are battling against hunger, poverty, and gender inequality. According to a 2019 document by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), deforestation and forest degradation occur in Tanzania at an alarming rate, notably due to human pressure on land and other natural resources. With their valuable conservation forest areas, the Usambara Mountains have not been immune to these trends and witnessed severe land degradation and soil erosion, increasing the land's vulnerability to climate change. Some of the leading causes of deforestation in Tanzania include an increasing demand for fuelwood, which provides over 90% of Tanzania’s total national energy consumption (and other Sub-Saharan African countries). Additionally, the research repository Africa Portal states that land clearance for cash crop cultivation, like cotton and tobacco, which tend to boost export earnings, is consistently mentioned as one of the deforestation causes in the country. ForestNation aims to counter this destruction in several ways. Primarily by providing seedlings for families to plant on their farms for future fruit, medicine, and oil, inspiring tourism with greener landscapes, educating students by growing trees in school backyards, and providing jobs and income, just to name a few of its goals. Women, in particular, have seen limited opportunities in Tanzania, so ForestNation is stepping up by employing up to 200 women year-round and 800 seasonally, comprising up to 90 percent of the staff employed by the project. Nexa3D's Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Ecosystems, Sarah Goehrke, stated that they are not only focused on sustainability goals but also investing significantly in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The leading management executive and former 3DPrint.com Editor-in-Chief is also Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the nonprofit Women in 3D Printing, where she works to drive, create, and operate programming and initiatives focused on DEI and shoring up the AM industry workforce, based on industry needs and responses.
 ForestNation has grown over 1 million trees in the forests of Tanzania. Image courtesy of ForestNation. Nexa3D is among over 120 businesses that have "company forests" with ForestNation, such as Oracle, which is responsible for planting more than 26,000 trees, or glass manufacturer Vidrala which surpassed the 50,000 tree line. So far, the ecological and social business has planted more than one million trees, but its ultimate goal is to restore 90,000 hectares of land with 100 million trees. The post Nexa3D to Help Reforest Tanzania via Partnership with ForestNation appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
| GE Renewable Invests in Construction 3D Printing Firm COBOD Posted: 06 May 2022 06:00 AM PDT Last month, GE Renewable and COBOD International made big headlines in the 3D printing world, with GE's opening of the world's largest additive construction (AC) research facility. The facility is centered around the world's largest concrete 3D printer, specifically designed by COBOD for GE. Now, the two companies — which have collaborated extensively since 2019 — are making another big announcement: GE Renewable has become a minority investor in COBOD, injecting an undisclosed amount in the Danish startup. It's not clear what the investment will entail in terms of particulars, though both companies noted that the funds will be used to build on their existing partnership.  While, thus far, the partnership between the two companies has been focused on 3D-printed bases for wind turbines, COBOD notes that this is far from the only non-residential, low-rise application for its technology. COBOD has printed office buildings in Denmark and Austria, schools in Africa, as well as structures for the oil and gas industry. This suggests that wind turbines could likely just be the start of what COBOD and GE Renewable build together, especially considering the diversity of holdings of the latter company's parent corporation.  COBOD is already one of the most important companies in the AC sector, and GE's investment should solidify that status for the foreseeable future. And, it is precisely its focus on a multitude of different applications for concrete 3D printing which makes COBOD so impressive: not just homes, but also apartment buildings and schools; not just renewable energy, but also more sustainable solutions for the oil and gas industry. It seems like a good bet that GE's investment will further augment COBOD's versatility, opening up the second generation of possibilities for concrete 3D-printing. Moreover, GE Renewable's investment isn't just a positive sign for COBOD: it's a positive sign in the AC sector, as a whole, and not just because it means money is flowing into the space. It's one thing to be wowed by a video of a house getting printed, but that still can't beat a full-on endorsement by one of the most resilient multinational conglomerates in history. This, along with GE's opening of its new research facility, are the types of developments that could lead interest in the AC sector to hit critical mass. Images courtesy of COBOD International The post GE Renewable Invests in Construction 3D Printing Firm COBOD appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
| Japan’s Mojamoja Contest Picks Winning Art from Failed 3D Prints Posted: 06 May 2022 05:30 AM PDT One person's trash is someone else's art. We've heard that before. It's the basis of an entire artistic genre that began in the 1950s with experimental artwork made from scrap metal, waste paper, and other found objects. It seems junk art has pierced the Japanese 3D printing territory now that 3D printing service provider Melta hosted a contest to evaluate art from failed prints. This highly-publicized Mojamoja contest gathered some of the most visually stunning pieces of unique plastic artistry, including character cosplay props gone wrong and tangled resins that appear to be shaped like fruits or flowers. We have seen prints go awry in the past, and in the early 2010s, dozens of images flooded 3D printing forums and social media groups under titles like "beautiful failures" or "3D print failure turned pure art." Enthusiasts usually search for a unique quality in their failed prints, something that will turn their piece into a work of admiration for fellow 3D printing users, especially considering the failure rate related to printers. For example, commercial FDM 3D printers have around a 20% failure rate, and that number will increase if printers are homebuilt. So there is a lot of room for imaginative play with failed prints. However, for Melta and its Mojamoja contest, it's much more than that. They have taken this art form one step further. Under the motto "failure is a sign of challenge," the contest praises the meltdown of plastic 3D printing. Born during the pandemic as a Twitter challenge, Mojamoja became popular enough that in April 2022, Melta decided to host a second challenge. This time around, participants could upload their art on Twitter or present it live to a group of judges, who could see, touch, and evaluate the pieces.  Artists Maywa Denki, Etsuko Ichihara, and Gal Den Kyoko participated in the judging of the Mojamoja contest. Image courtesy of Melta. Out of a total of 120 submissions, judges Nobumichi Tosa from avant-garde performance art group Maywa Denki, media artist Etsuko Ichihara, electronic performer Gal Denkyoko, and Melta president Hiroyuki Uchino chose the winning pieces and runners up for the two categories. The top prize in the live and Twitter section of the contest went to sculptor Yojigen-kun, who presented an all-white resin sculpture, which was initially intended to be a female fantasy role-playing (FRP) character. He received ten boxes of 3D printing filament for his work, along with a trip to Takayama, a city in Japan’s mountainous Gifu Prefecture.  This failed print was the big winner of the Mojamoja contest. Image courtesy of Yojigen-kun In a social media post, Yojigen-kun said the 3D printing art "incident" was so "catastrophic" that he laughed when he saw it. It turns out the sculpture is the unintentional result of a wrecked printer after the artist tried to double the diameter of the nozzle from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm to increase the output speed. By doing so, he damaged the printer, a FlashForge Guider II, so that as the platform began to tilt, the resin continued to outpour, even slipping down. The outcome is what Yojigen-kun describes as "alien eggs in the field." For Judge Uchino, the shape of the work is one he hasn't seen much, and he stated that it is "dignified and suitable for the grand prize, creating visual impact and rarity." For the second place in the live section, referred to as the "Big Prize," the judges chose a character cosplay prop gone wrong. Virtual YouTuber Hyper Toy Creator received an award for his failed work of famous hololive Virtual Youtuber La+ Darknesss' horn (seen below in one of her YouTube posts). This time, the filament broke while the job was printing, and when Hyper Toy Creator added another filament, the joint of the printed piece broke.  Character cosplay prop failed 3D print, representing one of the horns used by Virtual Youtuber La+ Darknesss. Image courtesy of Hyper toy creator. Hyper Toy Creator said that normally, the job should have continued to come out irregular. Yet, it started working normally, resulting in a more impactful shape that has one of La+ Darknesss' horns stand out amid a pool of tangled "plastic spaghetti" coming off of the bed, probably one of the most common ways any 3D print can fail. This particular work was chosen for its sheer size, which exceeds a 500 ml PET bottle. However, the impactful piece drew much attention and earned its artist a coveted prize, a soundproof room by Otodasu, ideal for housing a 3D printer. In the Twitter section, the big award went to a faulty speaker enclosure that Twitter 3D printing hobbyist Takeota’s greed miscellaneous notes posted online. According to the winner, he left the printer running and went off to work. So after scheduling it for the 60-hour job, the modeling progressed, and then a cable was caught in the modeled object, causing the base plate to shift immediately. "I will never forget the shock of discovering it when I got home from work," he stated on a social media post. But, shock or no shock, the judges liked it, and the work won its author a 3D Printer Filament Ultrafuse ABS Fusion, plus three color sets courtesy of Japan 3D Printer. Other winning pieces included an unfinished angel wing, a wobbly-looking pancake tower, and a waterfall of tangled filament. Several of the other winning works can be seen in the image below, and the 120 pieces competing in the contest can be found on Twitter under the hashtag #Mojacon.  The Mojamoja contest winners for 3D prints gone wrong. Image courtesy of Melta. Following the announcement of the award winners, the chosen pieces were exhibited at Tokyo's Mikan Shimokita, a five-story complex under the elevated Shimokitazawa Station that welcomes experimental challenges and projects. The Mojamoja contest exhibition, held last April, was actually part of the opening event of Mikan Shimokita and drew a lot of attention from passersby that were curious to see how failure can turn into art. The post Japan’s Mojamoja Contest Picks Winning Art from Failed 3D Prints appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
| First Ever 3D Printed Ceramic Piston Made for Chaos Ultracar Posted: 06 May 2022 05:00 AM PDT XJet has announced that it produced the world's first 3D printed car engine piston made entirely with ceramics. Developed by Spyros Panopoulos Automotive (SPA) for its Chaos Ultracar, the part was 3D printed using XJet's NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology. At our Additive Manufacturing Strategies event this year, XJet CBO Dror Danai was able to shed light on the impact of precision 3D printed ceramics in applications that might not originally come to mind. This included industrial applications, like end parts for XJet's own 3D printer, as well as automotive use cases. Now, XJet has publicized exactly how 3D printed ceramics can revolutionize motorsports.  Once complete, the Chaos Ultracar is set to be the world’s first “ultracar” with over 3,000 hp. Image courtesy of Spyros Panopoulos Automotive. The founder of SPA, Spyros Panopoulos, is a pioneer in motorsports and has developed what his firm describes as the "most efficient combustion engine on the planet." With his latest creation, the Chaos, SPA is chasing speeds of more than 500 kph and 0-100 kph acceleration of 1.55 seconds. The vehicle, still under development, may have the fastest-revving production car engine yet, achieving up to 12,200 RPM and a whopping 3,065 horsepower. Crucial to this performance was the novel "anadiaplasi" piston designed by Panopoulos for additive manufacturing. The shape of the component is based on the forces acting on it, with material minimized where possible and reinforcement added where needed. The weight has been optimized, while strength and temperature resistance are maintained.  The 3D printed ceramic piston for the Chaos Ultracar. Image courtesy of XJet. Naturally, to create a part with such a complex, organic geometry, AM was required. To achieve the accuracy and surface finish necessary, NPJ was an ideal candidate technology. SPA teamed up with Lino 3D, XJet's partner in Greece, to 3D print the part from XJet Alumina, chosen for its strength, hardness, light weight, and resistance to thermal expansion.
 The 3D printed ceramic piston with rod. Image courtesy of XJet. Of course, AM is increasingly being used throughout motorsports, due the ability of the technology to produce unique, high-performance parts in low volumes where cost is not as important of a factor. However, the Chaos is taking the technology to an entirely new level. Panopolous is applying AM throughout the design of the Chaos. 78 percent of the body is said to be 3D printed, as are other key pieces like the engine block, camshaft, and intake valves.
 The 3D printed steering wheel of the Chaos Supercar. Image courtesy of Spyros Panopoulos Automotive. This is mirroring developments like those of Divergent Technology, which has produced a hypercar that is largely 3D printed and then robotically assembled. Though the Chaos Ultracar may not deploy additive to quite that extent, it breaks new ground by using 3D printed ceramics. The ceramic 3D printing segment is still a small one, but the materials can often be the perfect match for demanding applications such as this. However, most oft-cited use cases for AM ceramics involve medical devices, electronics, and aerospace. Automotive, and motorsports in particular, is not usually the topic of marketing brochures. In this case, SPA and XJet are really working outside of the box. It may be such novel uses as this that push the ceramics 3D printing market to $4.8 billion in revenues by 2030, according the "Ceramics Additive Manufacturing Production Markets: 2019-2030" report from SmarTech Analysis.
As XJet progresses with a new CEO and the introduction of its metal 3D printers to the market, we may begin to see more out-of-the-box thinking from the firm. If it can 3D print ceramic pistons for record-breaking vehicles, there's surely more surprises in store. Feature image courtesy of Spyros Panopoulos Automotive. The post First Ever 3D Printed Ceramic Piston Made for Chaos Ultracar appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
| The Perfect First 3D Printer: Creality Sermoon V1 Pro Posted: 06 May 2022 04:30 AM PDT Introduced by Creality this year, the Sermoon series includes the Sermoon V1 and Sermoon V1 Pro. Selected to exhibit in the National Pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai, the Sermoon V1 series has been rated as the best choice for families and schools. In addition to the quality, most consumers care about the physical appearance of their purchases. Featuring FDM technology, the Sermoon V1 series skillfully makes use of the black and grey colors. It looks simple but elegant, perfectly matching the style of home appliances. For that reason, it has received the title of "Artistic Home Appliance." In addition to its stunning appearance, the Sermoon V1 series will impress users with its ease-of-use and safety. The Sermoon V1 & V1 Pro haves received 18 international certifications, such as CE, FCC, PSE, UKCA, and KC. These systems have been sent to over 60 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, and Japan. Ease-of-Use, User-Friendly for EveryoneIt's not rare to hear complaints from beginners about the difficult assembly required by 3D printer kits. To enhance user-friendliness, the Sermoon V1 series requires no assembly nor leveling, allowing users to enjoy out-of-box printing. The Sermoon V1 series is an excellent choice to start one's 3D printing journey. A More Intelligent, Hassle-free Experience"What if I'm not right next to the printer during long print job? And how can I interrupt the print if there is a failure?"These may be questions asked by most users. The Sermoon V1 series provides an answer. Connect the Sermoon V1 & V1 Pro to the Creality Cloud App via Wi-Fi, and you can start or suspend printing remotely. Moreover, LED lights are equipped for precise observation at night. The Sermoon V1 Pro has further upgraded this function with an added wide-angle camera. The camera enables remote monitoring and video playback, allowing users to catch print failure in time and minimize the risk of filament wasting.
A Quiet Printing EnvironmentThe Sermoon V1 series is the definition of quiet. Thanks to a silent motherboard together with a noiseless fan, sound emission is reduced to less than 45 dB, so that it doesn't disturb a user's study or sleep. Silent printing makes the Sermoon V1 series the best choice for families, schools, ands office. A quiet printing environment makes for a better printing experience. Safety Is Number OneThe Sermoon V1 & V1 Pro have a fully-enclosed structure, with no exposure to wires or high-temperature parts. That way, it's not a problem for users to get closer for observation or to touch the printer. The Sermoon V1 Pro offers double protection with an added function "Pause While Opening Door." This makes it so that the machine will suspend working when the door is opened, with both the nozzle and platform made to cool down quickly. This function reduces the risk of getting injured and protects consumers during 3D printing. Smooth Printing, Good-looking ModelsThe Sermoon V1 series adopts the "Sprite" dual-gear direct extruder, brand new and developed in-house by Creality. Compared with other direct extruders, the Sprite is lightweight, with a roughly 30% reduction in weight. However, it remains powerful, enabling smooth feeding and preventing jammed nozzles. It withstands up to 250℃ for high-temp printing. This makes it possible to 3D print a variety of filaments, including PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, etc. Producing a good-looking final prototype is not a problem!
Slicing and 3D Modeling, Easier to HandleIf you are a novice, don't worry about slicing or data processing issues. With Creality, you can handle it. The Creality Cloud APP allows you to find, slice, and share 3D models with a single click. As one Korean user commented,"The Sermoon V1 Pro is super good，featuring thorough changes to traditional 3D printers."Want to print some favorite models? Just do it! The Sermoon V1 series is an expert at printing toys for kids and gifts for loved ones. It makes life creative and memorable. Furthermore, the Sermoon V1 series can not only print teaching aids, but educational models for science, physics, mathematics, and engineering can be printed out for better understanding. Animal anatomy for biology, cultural relics for history, geometry for mathematics, molecular models for chemistry—all of these abstract concepts can be brought to life with the Sermoon V1 & V1 Pro. Make the abstract tangible—that's why Creality has designed the Sermoon V1 series for families and schools.
Creality celebrated its 8th anniversary on April 9th this year and, during the ceremony, Creality launched its new DTC website as well as its official store, where users can obtain basic information and buy the Sermoon V1 Pro directly. Along with the Sermoon V1 series, Creality also offers the CR-Laser Falcon, Ender-3 S1, CR-10 Smart Pro, and HALOT-ONE PRO & PLUS. The 3D engraver & cutter CR-Laser Falcon, in particular, prioritizes user health with an optimized smoke and dust filtration system. Creality is thankful for those who love its 3D printing products and expect frequent, new developments. The team at Creality are patient listeners, always striving for better products and services for their global consumers. The Sermoon V1 series is very good example that Creality makes an effort to create an artistic life with 3D printers, with an aim to bring these products to families and improve life with visual enchantment. The post The Perfect First 3D Printer: Creality Sermoon V1 Pro appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. |
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