Skip to main content

AMUG August 2020

By August 20, 2020
 

August 2020

President’s Report

My Fellow AMUG Members,

I hope this finds you all safe and healthy.  While I would prefer to be done saying that, I do sincerely mean it. I know we are all helping in any way possible so that we can overcome the impact of this pandemic. These have been very trying times, and we are all learning the new dynamics and discovering how to adapt. Your AMUG Board wishes you success in your efforts to manage the new ways of how we do business, learn, and get our jobs done.

We (AMUG) are also learning how to adjust. Now that AMUG Conference planning is shifting into high gear, some of our attention is on online conferences and shows. Our experiences reveal that not all of the attempts are working as well as intended, but we are seeing improvements. Our goal is to avoid the former and build on the latter when we augment (not replace) the in-person AMUG Conference experience. As we evaluate the virtual options, we will also assess how we can make our membership more engaging. If you see something that astounds you, please let us know.

We have had a lot of changes to consider and will continue to evaluate alternatives. So we appreciate your patience as we work through all of this.

As always, please be safe and stay in touch!

Carl Dekker
President

AMUG Members: Annual Business Meeting Notice

Current AMUG Members, we invite you to join us for our annual business meeting on September 30, 2020. This discussion will be conducted virtually and broadcast as a pre-recorded video. The broadcast will also be available on demand.

The business meeting will focus on AMUG’s financial reporting, which will be presented by Treasurer Vince Anewenter. As we have done in the previous live business meetings, Vince will offer a concise, yet transparent, rundown on AMUG’s fiscal 2020 financials.

The pre-recorded broadcast won’t provide an opportunity for live Q&A, but AMUG wants to hear your questions and answer them. To facilitate Q&A, members will be able to submit inquiries electronically, and the AMUG Board will disseminate the answers, via email, to all members.

All members in good standing will receive an email (sent to the email address on file from our 2019 and 2020 registrations) with a link to the broadcast. This email will go out on the day of the business meeting’s broadcast release.

Vince Anewenter, treasurer, presents AMUG financials at 2019 business meeting.

SPONSOR NEWS

GE Additivewww.ge.com/additive

Join us for Webinar Wednesday Featuring Amplify Additive

Register for our next edition of Webinar Wednesday on August 26, 2020: Amplify Additive’s Experience with 3D Printed Titanium Acetabular Cups—Insights to an Optimal Case for Using Additive Manufacturing in Orthopedics. Join us as we partner with Amplify Additive—Brian McLaughlin, president, and Jonathan Buckley, senior AM application engineer—to discuss why they selected  Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology to manufacture a critical component for successful hip surgery.

This webinar will dive deep into the characteristics of AM that allow optimization for improved patient satisfaction. We’ll also compare AM to traditional manufacturing technologies, such as selective laser sintering/melting,

Click here to register for this free session. For more information about GE Additive, visit us at ge.com/additive.

The next Webinar Wednesday covers implants with insights from Amplify Additive.

Air Force Rapid Sustainment Officewww.afrso.com

Free Registration is Open for Additive Manufacturing Olympics

On August 12, the Rapid Sustainment Office hosted an Additive Manufacturing Olympics pre-event for Air Force leadership that is now available to be viewed at the Rapid Sustainment Office’s event page under announcements.

The inaugural event’s final showcase is just around the corner, scheduled to begin on October 20. However, the competition is already well underway with 64 teams, from across the country, having qualified for the much-anticipated technical challenges. In addition to these technical challenges, registration for this free event also provides access to the virtual expo and innovation playground. Offering live demonstrations and Q&A segments, attendees will be able to engage in informative sessions and discussions; access participant videos, documents, and websites; and more.

Free registration remains open on the event’s homepage.

Visit the Additive Manufacturing Olympics event page to register today!

DMG MORIwww.dmgmori.com

LASERTEC 30 DUAL SLM

The new LASERTEC 30 DUAL SLM provides 80% more productivity by applying two full-field 600W lasers. A new machine has just arrived in our Additive Manufacturing Excellence Center in Chicago.

Schedule your live or virtual machine demonstration today: additive.dmgmori.com or call 1-855-DMG-MORI / 1-855-364-6674.

LASERTEC 30 DUAL SLM.

Computer Aided Technology (CATI)www.cati.com

Creaform CUBE-R Automated Inspection Solution

The CUBE-R is a fast, reliable, and efficient solution for automated quality control. It features the MetraSCAN-R, a robot-mounted 3D scanner that can be integrated into factory automation systems. It is the perfect alternative to solve productivity bottlenecks at the traditional coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The system enables manufacturing companies to combine the power of optical 3D measurement and industrial automation.

A few key features of the CUBE-R:

  • Accuracy: Very high accuracy— 0.078mm (0.0031 in)— for up to 3m (9.8 ft) parts
  • Multitasking: Acquire measurements and analyze simultaneously
  • Speed: Able to automatically inspect hundreds of parts a day
  • Simple: Automatic field calibration procedure; designed to minimize operator interaction
  • Safety: Rollup door and light curtains
  • Each system includes certification and fully documented test results

To see our entire scanner lineup, visit our 3D scanner page. To learn more about CATI, click here.

Creaform CUBE-R Automated Inspection Solution.

ExOne Launches Scout App and Qualifies Inconel 718 For Binder Jetting

Recently, ExOne announced the launch of ExOne Scout, a secure Industry 4.0 app that provides real-time machine monitoring and analysis of production 3D printers on a wide range of digital devices, including smart phones and watches.

“ExOne Scout is an important step forward as we work to deliver on our vision for smart and sustainable 3D printing technology at production volumes,” said John Hartner, ExOne CEO. “We plan to surround our high-speed binder jet 3D printers with a complete end-to-end digital workflow in the future. While our 3D printers remain the centerpiece, we’re looking to streamline the entire sequence of digital manufacturing around our systems with automation, software, and remote monitoring and controls. ExOne Scout is a step toward delivering a complete digital manufacturing package.”

In addition, ExOne announced the nickel-based alloy Inconel 718 has been certified as Third-Party Qualified, the company’s highest designation of material readiness for its metal 3D binder jet printers.

“The qualification of Inconel 718, following on the heels of M2 Tool Steel earlier this year, shows the ExOne R&D team is aggressively delivering new materials for binder jet 3D printing,” said Rick Lucas, ExOne CTO and VP, New Markets.

ExOne announces ExOne Scout and Inconel 718.

On-Demand Webinar: Jason Lopes on Designing for Carbon DLSTM

Carbon Digital Light SynthesisTM provides the widest range of material properties in the AM industry joined with the ability to go from concept, to prototype, to functional prototype, and even to production all on one platform. Watch our on-demand webinar hosted by Jason Lopes—Carbon partner development engineer and AMUG DINO Award winner—for an overview of Carbon DLS and how it combines advantages of both heat-based and light-based 3D printing technologies. Jason covers how to identify whether your part is a good fit for Carbon DLS, as well as how to harness capabilities like latticing, texturing, and rapid design cycles that push the limits of what’s possible in 3D printing.

Watch the webinar here.

Want to hold a Carbon DLS part in your hands? Request a sample part here!

Jason Lopes, Carbon partner development engineer.

DSM Additive Manufacturingwww.dsm.com/additive-manufacturing

DSM Introduces Glass-filled Polypropylene Granules Optimized for Easy 3D Printing of Structural and Demanding Applications

DSM introduces Arnilene® AM6001 GF (G), a new glass-filled polypropylene (PP) pellet material developed for 3D printing that enables easy and consistent production of structural and demanding applications using fused granulate fabrication technology.

Widely used for its mechanical, thermal, and chemical performance, PP is the second most frequently used polymer worldwide. Automotive, industrial, or infrastructure manufacturers looking to adopt AM technology for low-volume or decentralized production—where the elimination of tools helps decrease cost—desire to use the same material they are familiar with from traditional manufacturing.

To meet this growing need, DSM developed Arnilene® AM6001 GF (G), which stems from the same base material used in high-volume production. This new material is ideally suited for direct printing of structural, lightweight applications for automotive, infrastructure and water management, as well as tooling.

Arnilene® AM6001 GF (G) for FGF printing,

SLM Solutionswww.slm-solutions.us

SLM Solutions Reports 90% Revenue Growth

SLM Solutions reported revenue of EUR 31.2 million for the first half of the 2020 financial year and EBITDA of EUR –6.0 million. Both figures improved significantly compared to the same period in the previous year despite the unfavorable environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meddah Hadjar, CEO of SLM Solutions, said, “The first half of 2020 was significantly burdened by the effects and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, we have made good progress with our turnaround at SLM Solutions. This applies in particular to the development process for our next-generation machine, which has progressed according to plan and will be launched in the week commencing 9 November 2020. We strongly believe this machine will be a game-changer for us and the entire metal additive industry.”

In the second quarter of 2020, SLM Solutions recognized revenue of EUR 13.3 million and received orders amounting to EUR 10.7 million. Overall, the total order intake in the first half of EUR 13.7 million (H1 2019: EUR 20.8 million) slowed down compared to the previous year given the significant restrictions caused by COVID-19 and the resulting global economic slowdown. Simultaneously, the order backlog of EUR 19.2 million as of June 30, 2020, was still well above the previous year’s level, increasing by 31% (June 30, 2019: EUR 14.6 million).

Read the full announcement here.

Dyndrite and HP Partner to Power the Next Generation of Digital Manufacturing Solutions

Dyndrite™, provider of the accelerated geometry kernel used to build next-generation AM hardware and software solutions, on August 4, 2020, announced that HP plans to use the Dyndrite Kernel to help power their next-generation-cloud and edge-based digital manufacturing solutions. The collaboration is designed to bring unprecedented performance, efficiency, automation, and extensibility to the company’s growing portfolio of digital manufacturing products. This announcement demonstrates HP’s commitment to leading the industry in innovation in three key areas: quality, performance, and automation. Read more.

In further news, Dyndrite welcomed five new member companies to the Dyndrite Developer Council, raising the membership to 20 OEMs and independent software vendors (ISVs) across the industry. New members are Additive Industries, Currax, Open Additive, Photocentric, and TRUMPF. Read more.

For more information about the Dyndrite Developer program, click here.

Anthony Graves, senior director, head of product and strategy, Digital Manufacturing at HP, and Harshil Goel, CEO and founder of Dyndrite.

Stratasys Helps GM Stay Nimble

Like virtually every other industry, manufacturing has been negatively impacted by COVID-19, which has hobbled supply chains businesses rely on to produce and deliver goods. One bright spot amid this bad news is 3D printing, emerging as a key technology to help mitigate the impact. It’s been essential for supplying face shields, swabs, and ventilator parts to the front lines of the pandemic fight in a dramatically short time.

That kind of agility isn’t lost on companies like General Motors. GM recently added 17 Stratasys FDM® systems to reinforce its panoply of 3D printers. In GM’s words, 3D printing helps it stay nimble, allowing it to react to market changes or a worldwide pandemic. That premise was put to the test when the U.S. government asked GM to help fill an urgent need for 30,000 ventilators. In short order, GM had its Stratasys printers making production tooling to support the effort, once again validating additive’s agility and efficiency.

See the full story in this press release.

GM 3D printed tooling used for critical care ventilators on Stratasys systems.

Forward AM by BASFwww.forward-am.com

The Future of Additive Manufacturing in the Dental Industry

As part of our webinar series “Exploring the Potential of Additive Manufacturing,” our own Oleksandra Blacka, business development manager for photopolymers, medical & dental, will lead our next topic in September.

Webinar: The Future of Additive Manufacturing in the Dental Industry

When: Wednesday, September 23 at 11:00 am eastern

Agenda:

    • How photopolymer solutions enable fast and customized mold production
    • Global portfolio for dental applications
    • Real-life use cases
    • Cost calculation on application level
    • Origin case study

Register here.

If you’d like to watch the replay of our previous webinars, which include topics on Protective Gear, Enabling Flexible Applications, Cost-effective Metal 3D Printing and Shaping the Automotive Industry, among others, please visit our webinar page.

To learn more, please contact us at sales@basf-3dps.com.

Register now for the webinar!

Announcing Formlabs Factory Solutions

Formlabs has introduced a new enterprise-focused product offering: Formlabs Factory Solutions. For the first time, in one transparent and comprehensive package, manufacturing firms can bring together everything Formlabs does best: a combination of 3D printing hardware, software, and custom materials designed to drive AM adoption at your business.

Formlabs 3D printers have become the go-to solution for a wide range of industries thanks to their consistent performance and unparalleled ease of use. Factory Solutions goes much further than a single printer—it’s an AM ecosystem designed with your business’s products and markets in mind. Available in three solutions designed to unlock growth, quickly scale production, and create new product opportunities: Custom Factory Package, Custom Material Development, and Formlabs Consulting.

Fomlabs announces Factory Solutions to drive AM adoption.

Essentium Provides Design Techniques for High Speed Extrusion Printing at Speed and Scale

As the design process is key to unlocking the value of AM, engineers need to adopt new design principles to optimize a part’s functionality while at the same time reduce material, time, and cost.

While there are already a lot of design tips and techniques for AM available on the web, these design tips are not always applicable to filament printing or High Speed Extrusion (HSE).

In a two-part webinar, Essentium looks at some more specific design tips that will help engineers design for High Speed Extrusion to achieve faster print times without sacrificing quality or repeatability. In the first webinar, we share how to:

  • Avoid sharp corners to accommodate the natural radius inherent to AM processes so that the 3D printer can travel at maximum speed.
  • Optimize travel moves, as High Speed Extrusion printing is one of the techniques where travel movements really matter, this can add up to significant time savings.
  • Plan tool paths for walls and interior fill so that parts are designed for both print quality and speed.

You can view the webinar here.

Essentium offers design tips for High Speed Extrusion in two-part webinar.

Renishaw, Inc.www.renishaw.com/am

RAM3D Partners with Renishaw to Establish its High-quality Volume Manufacturing Capabilities

A spin-out from a national research organization, RAM3D set out to provide a state-of-the-art metal 3D printing service, spanning design, prototyping, and ultimately full-scale production.

Founded on the core values of collaboration, continuous learning, and constant improvement, the company was quick to identify the functional attributes it really needed in its machinery. To establish its high-quality volume manufacturing capability, RAM3D purchased six Renishaw AM systems, with the intention to invest in more Renishaw machines in the future.

Read the full story here.

AM parts on build plate (Image courtesy of RAM3D).

MEDIA PARTNER NEWS

3D Metal Printing Magazinewww.3dmpmag.com

The Latest on AM Machines in Summer’s 3D Metal Printing

The summer issue of 3D Metal Printing is out, detailing developments in AM-machine technology as well as case histories. The issue, in print and online at 3dmpmag.com, also explores how engineers can understand the business case for AM in order to sell decision makers on investment.

Readers will also learn how a drone maker leveraged computational-design software to develop better engines; how researchers have successfully 3D printed 6061 and 7075 aluminum alloys by adding nanoparticle grain refiners to the metal powders before processing; and how to best navigate workflow for part, machine, and process qualification. The issue also details wire-directed energy deposition technology.

www.3dmpmag.com

AM-machine portfolios continue to widen. The Summer 2020 issue of 3D Metal Printing details developments from many providers.

Make Parts Fastwww.makepartsfast.com

Developments in Desktop AM

Desktop 3D printers have evolved into professional systems for engineers, especially those that work with metal-based materials. Notes Jason Meers, director of application engineering for the Americas at Markforged, “The conversations that we’re having today with design and manufacturing engineers has shifted to making additive manufacturing a fundamental part of their manufacturing operation, whether advancing the capabilities of part and tool production, developing a localized supply chain to reduce cost and increase throughput, or used as a more efficient means of maintenance and repair parts.”

Hear more from Jason in our interview (available as audio file and transcript).

Jason Meers, Markforged’s director of application engineering for the Americas.

Digital Engineeringwww.digitaleng.news

Sports Engineering (and more) in July/August Issue

In the July/August issue of Digital Engineering, the focus is on sports engineering – including a look at innovative applications of 3D printing for creating new, lighter weight sports equipment and customized prostheses for athletes with physical disabilities. The issue also covers human body modeling, and it includes an article on the finalists and winners of the CoVent ventilator design challenge.

You can access the digital edition here.

July/August issue now available.

3D Printing Industrywww.3dprintingindustry.com

The 3D Printing Industry Awards are Back!

Originally scheduled for May, the 2020 3D Printing Industry Awards will now take place in November.

As past attendees will know well, our black-tie gala event in London was a night of fine food, great company, and celebration of excellence in the AM world. We have some surprises up our sleeves for the 4th edition, but for now, please take a moment to make your nominations using the linked form.

It’s become a tradition to change the 3DPI Awards trophy each year. And naturally, we use 3D printing to make these coveted gongs. We’re grateful again to Protolabs for sponsoring the trophy design competition and also to Craftbot for providing a very fine prize. If you fancy seeing your design adorning trophy cabinets across the world, more info about the design competition is in this article.

Both the design competition and the nominations phase close at the end of September, so we invite you to make haste.

Entries for 3D Printing Industry Awards and trophy design competition now being accepted.

Metal AM Magazine www.metal-am.com

Discover the Unrealized Potential of Electron Beam AM

Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) has up to now seen considerable success but in limited applications. Primarily used in medical and aerospace applications, parts made by this AM technology are helping power the next generation of airliners and restore function to damaged or diseased joints through orthopedic implants.

But its adoption in the marketplace lags far behind that of Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB)— by far the best recognized and most widely used of the metal AM technologies available in the marketplace today.

How is it that two such similar technologies can differ so greatly in the adoption rate? In this free-to-access article from the Summer 2020 edition of Metal AM magazine, Joseph Kowen considers the story of Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion to date and highlights a new generation of firms working to increase the technology’s adoption.

Read the full article.

Learn more about Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion in the summer issue.

Porsche on the Use of AM

A few weeks ago, the car manufacturer Porsche created 3D printed pistons for the engine of its famous 911 GT2 RS model. AM technologies allowed Porsche to reduce the overall weight of the part as well as lead times while increasing final performance. These are advantages that are highly sought after in today’s automotive sector, which is increasingly oriented toward 3D printing. This technology not only accelerates time-to-market and performance but also offers significantly higher levels of design complexity and innovation over traditional manufacturing methods. 3Dnatives met with the Porsche team to find out more about how they are using AM today. Having experimented with AM technology since the 1990s, Frank Ickinger, one of the members of Porsche’s advanced engine development department, had interesting insights on the role of AM for prototyping car parts and end-use parts.

Hear more in the interview!

Insights on the role of AM offered by Porsche’s Frank Ickinger.

3DPrint.comwww.3Dprint.com

NASA Lets You 3D Print Your Own Mars Perseverance Rover

3DPrint.com’s resident space 3D printing aficionado, Vanesa Listek, discusses the importance of the new Perseverance Rover and its mission on Mars, as NASA releases a 3D printable version of the advanced robot that is currently on a trajectory for the Red Planet. Read about the exciting mission and download a version of the Perseverance Rover as a keepsake or educational tool.

Perseverance Rover model available for download.

Additive Manufacturing Mediawww.additivemanufacturing.media

Cutting Tools, Electric Vehicles and More in The Cool Parts Show Season 3

The Cool Parts Show video series from Additive Manufacturing Media is returning with its third season. The show, launched in October of 2019, highlights unusual and innovative applications for 3D printing and AM technology.

The third season premiered August 12 with an episode highlighting a 3D printed end mill and the interplay between additive and subtractive manufacturing. Episodes still to come will focus on 3D printed implants for bone replacement, tiny 3D printed parts, a next-generation electric vehicle, and a 3D printed consumer product that points the way to more sustainable manufacturing practices.

Find all the episodes, including previous seasons and special coverage, at TheCoolPartsShow.com and subscribe on YouTube to be notified of new videos.

What does a flip-flop have to say about the future of manufacturing? Tune in to Season 3 of The Cool Parts Show to find out.

The Additive Reportwww.theadditivereport.com

Moving Additive Manufacturing Forward

Below are some posts you’ll find on The Additive Report website:

  • The 3MF Consortium keeps pushing to replace STL with a richer file format. Read it here.
  • Electroplating 3D-printed plastic parts can be a cost-effective alternative to metal printing. Read it here.
  • Blogger Kip Hanson writes about the “supersizing” of 3D printers.

If you don’t receive the magazine, please subscribe at our website.

Electroplated 3D-printed plastic hubcaps were used on a special-edition VW microbus.

TCT Magazinewww.tctmagazine.com

Inside TCT’s Unique Double Issue

The latest issue of TCT Magazine is out now and available to read digitally and as a unique double edition for our print subscribers.

As our Head of Content Daniel O’Connor explains in his Editor’s Letter, the first half of this magazine was due out when the UK was under its strictest lockdown measures and was going to require some readjusting to exist. So, we decided to try something different: turn this issue one way, and you’ll find a cover story on road mapping a path to 3D printing adoption. Flip it over, and you’ll see the cover of Issue 28.4 focused on accelerating additive industrialization.

Plus, you’ll also find our annual AM service locator map, ready to stick on your wall and use for your next project.

Join in the conversation and let us know what you think over on the Additive Manufacturing Global Community server.

The latest print edition of TCT Magazine has a unique twist, a double edition.

Note: AM is the abbreviation for additive manufacturing.