Wednesday, June 8, 2022

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

June 08, 2022  No comments

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

3D Printed Tactical Dog Camera Gear Takes Post-Processing to the Field of Duty

Posted: 08 Jun 2022 05:00 AM PDT

Post-processing, which used to be thought of as the 3D printing industry’s “dirty little secret,” is now a well-known fact and not something to hide. The various post-print finishing processes, from merely removing supports and washing parts to painting and polishing them, are almost always a necessary part of the AM workflow, and a growing number of companies, including AM Technologies and DyeMansion, offer these techniques. heliguy, a British commercial drone innovator that uses 3D printing to make parts, recently called on fellow UK company, AM post-processing solution provider AM Solutions—part of the Rösler Group—to optimize and improve the aesthetics and performance of some of its products.

AM Solutions, according to its Head of Sales Colin Spellacy, has been “working at the forefront of surface finishing for 80 years,” and acknowledges that when it comes to post-processing 3D printed parts, a “unique set of requirements” applies.

“Many companies planning to use AM as a production technology are unaware of the fact that post-processing can account for 50-60% plus of the cost of a finished AM part or component, and as such the use of efficient, automated post-processing technologies is vital,” Spellacy continued. “We are delighted to be working with heliguy, and it is great to see how our M1 Basic machine has become such an integral asset in the heliguy lab.”

The M1 Basic from AM Solutions is refining AM parts produced by heliguy, providing better-looking and better quality commercial-grade end-use products.

heliguy already has a range of various 3D printing equipment in its production facilities, including a Formlabs 3L and Markforged X7, and has also added AM Solutions’ compact M1 Basic post-processing system to its in-house collection.

“It adds the finishing touches to treat or refine 3D-printed parts, such as removing excess material, washing and curing, or sanding and polishing,” heliguy wrote about the M1 Basic. “The enhanced surface finish helps to improve component performance and the general aesthetic of the part.”

The entry-level, all-round solution is used to smooth and polish the surface of both plastic and metal single parts and small batches. It’s supposed to be easy to use and integrate into manufacturing lines, and features an integrated process water recycling system, noise protection, and a comprehensive software package that allows users to store post-treatment processing programs, which helps reduce operator errors. Additionally, by installing divider plates, separate processing chambers can be set up to treat multiple parts at the same time and enable excellent, repeatable surface finishing.

“AM Solutions' M1 Basic machine not only enhances the surface of our 3D printed parts which both improves performance and look and feel, but it has helped in the development of innovative drone solutions. It is a fantastic machine and it is helping to drive our in-house design and development capabilities to manufacture our own parts, as well as working with third-party organisations to bring their concepts to life,” said Ross Embleton, Lead Product Designer at heliguy. “The M1 Basic is refining the parts we've made using the AM process, providing better-looking and better quality commercial-grade end-use products. In smoothing and polishing parts, it also enables us to create a perfect surface for painting or dye, which is another important element of improving the aesthetics. Crucially, the M1 Basic is a very versatile machine, allowing us to work with a greater ecosystem of materials to expand our product offering and truly keep our manufacturing in-house.”

It appears that one of the specific products heliguy used the M1 Basic for comes from its heliguy Lab for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, which works to, according to the website, “create add-ons for drones to enhance their capabilities.” The heliguy design team created a Tactical Dog Camera for police and security personnel: a high-definition camera is attached to a trained dog via some cool headgear, and then transmits footage to a screen that police and surveillance crews can wear and monitor during firearms operations and search and rescue missions. Heliguy says that its bespoke dog cam “reflects our approach of taking drone-industry technology into other areas.”

By using 3D printing and its related technologies, such as AM Solutions’ M1 Basic post-processing system, to manufacture parts and products in-house, heliguy can help lower costs and speed up project timelines.

heliguy’s Tactical Dog Camera

“AM truly democratises and localises production for manufacturers, and as such opens up huge possibilities for expanding companies such as heliguy,” Spellacy finished. “In the area of post-processing for AM parts, AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology provides a range of processes and machines that are all focused on elevating post-processing from a necessary evil to an enabling technology. We exist to automate the post-processing of AM parts in order to overcome the sometimes, slow, costly, and disconnected AM process chain, and to ensure that AM is an efficient and viable production alternative to legacy manufacturing technologies. We promote innovative, customer-focused process development for AM operations, and we collaborate with customers to ensure the optimal post-processing solution for each application.”

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

June 08, 2022  No comments

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

Seurat Plans to Multiply Metal 3D Printing Workforce Tenfold by 2025

Posted: 07 Jun 2022 06:30 AM PDT

Seurat, a metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology and services startup, has announced an ambitious plan to increase its number of employees from 100 to 1,000 by 2025. In a press release announcing this goal, the well-funded Massachusetts-based firm cited the doubling of its workforce over the past year as a primary point in favor of the feasibility of its expansion plan. It also referenced recent news of the Biden administration's allocation of $7 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) to the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program.

This is only the beginning of the expansion of the IAC program planned for this decade. The administration has set aside a total of $550 million more in funding for IAC-related initiatives over the next five years, which includes $400 million in grants for manufacturers who implement projects recommended by IAC or another similar assessor. The IAC program, established in 1976, works via 31 assessment centers — each at a participating U.S. public university — that release no-cost analyses aimed at helping small and medium businesses increase the energy efficiency of their industrial processes.

The $7 million just allocated, in addition to creating IACs at five more universities, will also be used to create workforce training programs to familiarize students, as well as apprentice and existing workers, with new technologies and more efficient practices. With an additional amount of funding 80 times the size of this being devoted to the IAC program over the next five years, it doesn't seem unreasonable to think that it could help add thousands of emerging technologies (including AM) workers to the economy by 2030.

Beyond the potential of that funding for the labor pool in the AM sector as a whole, Seurat is ideally positioned to attract a talented workforce simply from its being headquartered in New England in general, and the Boston area, specifically. Along with the sheer abundance of world-class higher education, it's hard to imagine an environment with a greater concentration of metal AM activity. And, even with that in mind, Seurat stands out owing to its unique Area Print technology, which utilizes a system of two million tiny points of laser light to print much larger areas of a layer simultaneously than is possible with other laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines.

Moreover, in its most recent round of funding, led by the investment arm of Xerox, Seurat gained $21 million, bringing the company's total investments at this point to about $80 million. One of the other investors included the holding company that owns Porsche, which is extremely bullish on AM. In this vein, Seurat could be an excellent fit for engineers and technicians hoping to work on the series production scale, and to work towards eventual implementation of mass customization.

Finally, the company is also fairly unique in terms of its position as a developer of its own tech that nonetheless operates as a service bureau instead of as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Thus, working at Seurat could allow employees to work on a much wider diversity of products than at a manufacturer/distributor of machines and/or materials.

The company would have to do slightly better than it did the past year, over the next three years, for it to reach its goal. This is obviously lofty, but certainly not impossible, especially given the combination of factors described above. However it turns out, Seurat is astute to focus on the entire industry's need to push for more workforce training, and I would think that focus will pay off in terms of its likelihood to reach 1,000 employees.

Images courtesy of Seurat

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PEEK 3D Printed Oil and Gas Valves Now Available via 3ntr and Valland

Posted: 07 Jun 2022 06:00 AM PDT

Italian industrial 3D printer manufacturer 3ntr has partnered with custom industrial valve company Valland SpA to 3D print PEEK oil and gas valves. Using 3ntr's Smart Power A4SP 3D printer, Valland has made PEEK components for internal usage and is now transitioning to making PEEK end products for oil and gas companies.

Valves have been a focus area for very few people in the 3D printing set. However, given their vast numbers and the high degree of differentiation of custom valve designs, the sector is ripe for additive manufacturing (AM). Many valves are unique, low-volume, or are now out of production. At the same time, valve companies, national oil companies, or private oil majors have to warehouse a large number of these components, tying up capital. If a particular valve can’t be found or made quickly, the costs can be very high in the oil business. These factors contribute to making an ever stronger, and perhaps surprising, case for metal and polymer valves made with 3D printing.

Particolare stampat0 in 3D da 3nter
PEEK, and other similar materials in the PAEK family, is very strong and chemically resistant. Its stiffness, low weight, and inherent flame retardancy makes well suited to oil and gas. The PAEK family of materials are already widely used in oil and gas for seals and valves manufactured with conventional manufacturing techniques. PEEK, therefore, is not as exotic to an oil and gas company as it may be to many fields.
However, PEEK is notoriously difficult to process with AM. Often, poorly printed parts can turn to a rather expensive glass-like brown structure that has none of the strength that you need it to have. Problems with temperature control can also lead to the appearance of black specs on parts. It’s a good sign that 3ntr´s printers can process this material well for an industrial client.

¨Since 2020, the company has decided to create an internal department dedicated to Additive Manufacturing, officially established at the beginning of 2022, and to make the definitive leap in quality, it was decided to focus on 3ntr's A4SP. Since the first tests performed, the printer has given extremely positive feedback both in terms of the quality of printing superpolymers such as PEEK, and in terms of precision and repeatability. Having a printer of this level in house has enabled us to definitely accelerate our research and development processes, giving us an important competitive advantage….Also, thanks to the flexibility of 3D printing, we can respond even more punctually and quickly to the special needs of our customers,” said Gianluca Acquistapace, Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Valland.

Valland went from outsourcing its PEEK parts from a service to internal prototype printing to making their own tooling before venturing into 3D printing commercial products. Recently, it got the first order for its PEEK 3D printed valves.
3ntr previously made very well built industrial AM machines with reliability and repeatability in mind. By moving into higher temperature 3D printing, they’ve had to up their game with nozzle temperatures of over 400°C and built plate and build chamber temperatures of around 200°C. This is not enough, however. The company will have had to improve their thermal management in order to coherently print these parts. If 3ntr is successfully able to port its reliability and repeatability to high-temperature materials, then the likes of Roboze, miniFactory, 3DGence, Vshaper and AON3D will have a tough competitor on their hands.
This is good for the industry. I really believe that if you can 3D print high-temperature materials well, then you will automatically make an excellent 3D printer for other materials, as well. So, I applaud any progress in this arena specifically. I also really believe that the oil and gas sector, and the energy sector more broadly, is an exciting area for AM.
Energy components may often be critical. When they’re out of service, unavailable, or fail, the costs are very high. Part libraries in these industries are enormous and they are geographically very spread out. By their very nature, oil and gas installations can be found all over the world, often in places very far away from your nearest city or transport hub. The high cost of part failure and the remoteness of installations also makes the energy industry an extremely good candidate for adopting AM.

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3D Printed Hypercar to Be Distributed by Czinger Vehicles Global Dealer Network

Posted: 07 Jun 2022 05:30 AM PDT

Having raised $160 million just this April, 2022 is the year that Divergent 3D and Czinger Vehicles truly ventured into the public eye. Beginning with the lead up to AMUG 2022, CEO and founder Kevin Czinger has revealed an increasing amount of information about the plans and partners for his unique blend of 3D printing and automation technology. The latest is the establishment of the Czinger Vehicles Global Dealer Network, a group of approved merchants for the sale and service of Czinger Vehicles.

KUKA robots used in DAPS located at the Divergent 3D factory. Image courtesy of Marc Weisberg.

The Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS) that powers Czinger Vehicle's manufacturing is an end-to-end workflow that begins with generative design to optimize parts that are then fabricated on 12-laser metal 3D printers from SLM Solutions and assembled by a robotic cell. The first vehicle to be released by Czinger is the 21C, an impressive hypercar made up of numerous 3D printed metal parts that will be rolled out in a lot of over 80 units. The company will then release a luxury coupe and SUV made with Divergent's DAPS workflow.

The Czinger 21C 3D printed hypercar. Image courtesy of @iamted7.

Now, these vehicles will have a network through which they can be delivered and maintained. The first in the group is Czinger Beverly Hills, which was followed by a long list of dealers around the world: Czinger Tokyo (Sky Group), Czinger Greenwich (Miller Motorcars), Czinger Miami (Prestige Imports), Czinger Dallas (Boardwalk Group), Czinger Frankfurt (Doerr Group), Czinger London (H.R. Owen), Czinger Canada (Pfaff Automotive Partners), Czinger San Diego (O’Gara Coach Company), Czinger Los Gatos (Los Gatos Luxury Cars), Czinger Chicago (Mouse Motors), Czinger Barcelona (Spirits of Speed), and Czinger Saudi Arabia.

“We are extremely happy to be working with such a sought-after group of dealerships,” said Czinger Founder and CEO Kevin Czinger. “These are auto groups that have shown time and again through their proven track records that they are in the vanguard of the automotive world. We could not be more pleased to be working with partners that recognize the promise and possibilities that our innovative design and sustainable manufacturing systems bring to the table. We also feel that our partners are positioned in key markets around the world that will strategically grow the brand, while ably servicing a very discerning clientele.”

Czinger Beverly Hills provided the following statement in a press release: “We were thrilled to be the first dealership in the United States to partner with Czinger.  Czinger is re-defining the future of high-performance cars as well as making leaps forward in digital automotive manufacturing.  How can you not love a hypercar inspired by the ‘fastest air breathing manned aircraft?’  We look forward to working with Kevin and Lukas Czinger and their talented team as they pioneer changing the way cars will be designed and manufactured for generations to come. Czinger Beverly Hills will lead the nation in deliveries and create the best experience for Czinger clients.”

Kevin Czinger has said that his firm, Divergent 3D, which produces the vehicles for Czinger Vehicles, has partnerships with eight of the leading original equipment manufacturers in automotive. However, he hasn't revealed which ones. Previously, the company was working with Stellantis's PSA Group. More recently, the CEO posted on social media about a trip to visit Mercedes in Germany. The first official partnership will be revealed this September.

Divergent’s future vehicles. Image courtesy of AMUG/Divergent 3D.

If all goes as planned, DAPS microfactories could do the globe and revolutionize the way auto manufacturing is done. Until then, we will have to wait and see.

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3DPOD Episode 108: AM for Space & Defense with Brian Neff, Sintavia Founder and CEO

Posted: 07 Jun 2022 05:00 AM PDT

Sintavia‘s Brian Neff has built a company that uses a fleet of large metal powder bed fusion systems to 3D print some of the most demanding and technically challenging parts that can be made. In the U.S. aerospace and defense markets, Sintavia is already well-known. Outside of that arena, not so much. We talk with Brian about Sintavia’s journey and what the company produces. We talk about the potential of 3D printing for heat exchangers and heat sinks as well as for space. Really interesting episode and we really hope that you enjoy it as well!

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