AMUG Newsletter November 2019

President’s Report

I’ve been really busy this month, as has your entire board. With FABTECH and Formnext all stacking up just before the American Thanksgiving holiday, time has been very tight. Regardless, we are making great progress. For example, the conference agenda, sponsorships, and exhibitor slots are filling up in record time. We expect these to be buttoned up in time for us to give thanks for the strong support, and then move on to the next level of conference details, before the end of the year.

Our web activity will be very intense this year so please check back regularly (www.amug.com). As conference details become available, they are posted to the website. Examples include, Sunday offsite tours (coming); nomination forms for scholarships (live), DINOs (live), and officer/director positions (coming); Technical Competition entries (coming); and conference program (coming). We strive to get the key information out in the monthly newsletter, but the website gives us more space to cover all the details that you need. Those two tools are some of the most important ways that we communicate with you. However, please also be on the lookout for social media posts from our new Marketing Committee (please like, share, and that other stuff).

I guess one of the most important things to share is how thankful I am for the hard work of our amazing volunteers—tireless efforts from our committee chairs, committee members, and directors— and all of the support our second-to-none members give to make our organization so great. Please reward these people with a simple “Thank you” wherever you see them. The continued, tireless support advances AMUG and is critical in helping grow our industry.

May your holiday travels be safe, productive, and filled with warmth from family and friends.

Submit nominations to fill these board positions (2019-2020 board pictured).

CATI and Fisher Unitech Merger

Computer Aided Technology (CATI), a leading provider of product development solutions from SOLIDWORKS, Stratasys, Creaform, and Dassault Systèmes, expanded its reach by bringing Fisher Unitech, a SOLIDWORKS and Stratasys reseller based in Pleasant Ridge, MI, into the Computer Aided Technology family. This merger makes Computer Aided Technology the largest SOLIDWORKS and Stratasys solutions provider in North America.

Over the years, CATI and Fisher Unitech established themselves as industry-leading providers of SOLIDWORKS software and Stratasys 3D Printing technologies, helping thousands of companies with solutions to their product development challenges.

To learn more about this merger, visit the merger FAQ on the CATI website.

ExOne’s 10th Metal 3D Printer Delivers Binder Jetting Innovation

Joining ExOne’s impressive line-up of metal 3D printers is the X1 160PRO, the largest metal binder jetting system on the market and ExOne’s 10^th metal 3D printer. Offering more than 2.5 times the build volume of competing systems for sale today, the X1 160PRO features unparalleled material flexibility, capable of 3D printing more than six qualified metal materials, plus ceramics, into dense and dimensionally accurate parts.

As ExOne CEO John Hartner points out, the X1 160PRO was “designed in response to growing demand from automotive, defense and aerospace customers,” in addition to more than two decades of technology upgrades.

The new X1 160PRO also features ExOne’s exclusive, patent-pending Triple ACT system.  Learn how ExOne technology binder jets metal to precision with this new advanced system which dispenses, spreads and compacts ultra-fine metal powders to deliver industry-leading part density and repeatability. Click here to download the Triple ACT white paper.

New X1 160PRO Metal 3D Printer for high-volume production of quality parts.

Carbon Introduces RPU 130, Its Latest Innovation in Advanced Materials

Carbon^® has debuted a new resin: RPU 130. With an unprecedented combination of properties, RPU 130 fills the need for a tough, rigid, and high-temperature additive manufacturing material suitable for rigorous applications in industries such as automotive and consumer product applications.

In addition to the new resin, Carbon is offering a new heated C5 Cassette required for use with the material, a new dispensing solution, and tuning via software to ensure great end-use products.

RPU 130 was made with environmentally sustainable raw materials. Carbon partnered with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products to use Susterra® propanediol, a 100% bio-based building block that delivers high performance across a wide variety of polymers, coatings, and ink applications. Compared with conventional petroleum-based alternatives, Susterra propanediol produces 48% less greenhouse gas emissions and uses 46% less nonrenewable energy from cradle-to-gate. Nearly 30% of RPU 130 is composed of this plant-based material.

Learn more about Carbon’s materials innovations at www.carbon3d.com.

Brake calipers made with RPU 130 (top: painted, bottom: unpainted).

SLM Solutions Announces the SLM®500 Production Series at Formnext

Pioneers in metal additive manufacturing, SLM Solutions continues to advance selective laser melting machines with an eye toward qualified serial production. Debuting at Formnext, the SLM^®500 Production Series features SLM Solutions’ trusted, industry-leading gas flow along with our powerful quad-700W laser technology. The new permanent filter module increases machine uptime, stabilizes gas flow and reduces consumable costs while eliminating the need for filter cartridge changes. The automated PSV sieve creates a closed-loop material handling process where operator exposure to metal powder is minimized and material integrity is safeguarded by keeping the powder in a sealed, inert environment. An optional metal re-coating brush is also available to further decrease maintenance procedures and maximize build quality over thousands of layers.

The SLM500 was the first on the market to feature four lasers for increased productivity and continues to lead the market in multi-laser precision and expertise. View the new Production Series machine in Formnext booth E03 in Hall 12.0.

The New Standard in Medical Modeling

Our newest system for the medical industry, the J750™ Digital Anatomy™ 3D printer, combines the award-winning capabilities of the J750 multi-material printer with three new, unique anatomical modeling materials. Applications range from risk-free surgical training to faster testing for medical devices, minimizing the need for traditional models like cadavers or animal subjects.

The Digital Anatomy printer allows practitioners to replicate patient-specific pathologies with a high level of detail. Models look and behave like the real thing, with functional live-tissue feel, using materials that mimic heart tissue, bones, and blood vessels.

This high level of realism means that medical device companies can recreate real conditions and clinical situations, improving testing and ensuring the effectiveness of products. Physicians can improve patient outcomes using ultra-realistic, patient-specific surgical planning models.

To learn more about the newest addition to the PolyJet™ family, visit our website.

Heart model 3D printed from TissueMatrix™ material on the Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy 3D printer.

3D Systems Unveils Breakthrough Material to Enable Direct Digital Production of Plastic Parts

3D Systems’ Figure 4 Production Black 10 (PRO-BLK 10)—a revolutionary production material for additive manufacturing applications that enables manufacturers to directly produce end-use plastic parts without tooling— is now available. This is the company’s first photopolymer for additive manufacturing that exhibits thermoplastic behaviors, providing a combination of speed, accuracy, strength, and durability previously only associated with injection molding output. The breakthrough material works with a simple isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wash and does not require a secondary thermal post-cure process, which significantly improves throughput yield and significantly reduces the extensive solvent cleaning cycles needed with other technologies.

In customer testing of a variety of parts, using the Figure 4 system and the new production black material delivered a part in hand on average up to 4X faster (including print and cure time), compared to customers’ existing 3D production systems. This results in parts produced the same day versus weeks required with conventional tool-based approaches.

Automotive dashboard vent produced in 3D Systems’ new production material, Figure 4 PRO-BLK 10.

BASF 3D Printing Solutions Launches New Corporate Brand: Forward AM at Formnext 2019

As we continue to pursue our goal of driving industrial scalability in additive manufacturing, we are introducing a new brand: Forward AM. In our new arrow symbol, “Forward” stands for future-oriented, leading-edge materials and technology, while “AM” stands for additive manufacturing. The new logo emphasizes our company’s dynamic approach to an exciting industrial manufacturing sector.

At Formnext 2019, under our new brand, we’ll be showcasing our comprehensive AM service portfolio encompassing the entire virtual engineering spectrum, from a component’s initial design concept (“Design for AM”), through simulation (“Ultrasim^®”) including printing and finishing, all the way to scanning and testing.

Things to see at our Formnext booth:

• Full size surfboard made of our Ultrafuse rPET recycled filaments
• Engine brackets, developed with Daimler, made from our polyamide Ultrasint^® PA6 MF using a 3D printer from Farsoon
• A camera housing made in collaboration with Origin, using our photopolymer Ultracur3D
• New footwear… to be unveil live at the booth!

For more information, check out www.forward-am.com or contact us at sales@basf-3dps.com.

Forward AM is BASF 3D Printing Solutions’ new corporate brand.

EOS Launches Digital Foam

After nearly 80 years with minimal innovation, the foam industry is now employing 3D printing to produce products that are more comfortable, safer, lighter, and can be customized for each individual. The complexity of bringing 3D printed foam to market has now been simplified by EOS North America (EOS) and its Additive Minds applied engineering team who have launched their Digital Foam™ program–a hub orchestrated by EOS that connects CAD, materials, part qualification, and additive manufacturing (3D printing).

In this hub, rather than the customer needing to solve for all of these variables, Digital Foam paves the path and gets ideas to reality faster. It gives customers a fast-track to producing 3D printed protective headgear, individualized orthotics, or performance footwear, among dozens of other applications.

Read the full press release.

3D printed bicycle helmet (Source: HEXR).

Standardized Machine Connectivity

Adding automation to production workflows is where additive manufacturing will get its next wave of profitability. When 3YOURMIND released its Agile MES last year, it focused on scheduling and job selection automation working hand-in-hand with leading manufacturers and service bureaus.

One of the most significant problems is that services are running multiple AM machine types, which means separate monitoring software, job build software, and auditing software. 3YOURMIND developed its machine connectivity to centralize that data into a single overview to accelerate response time and improve productivity.

“By further digitizing the AM shop floor, we will achieve a lower cost per part, but without standards, it will not be possible to create scalable software systems to achieve AM serial production. This is why we have focused on building scalable machine connectivity working with umati and in joint ventures with major machine manufacturers and our customers,” said Aleksander Ciszek, CEO.

The first machine connectivity release includes real-time monitoring of machine status, automatic adjustment of job time, and showing production errors and warnings in the Agile MES schedule.

End-to-end AM software workflows.

Essentium’s High-temperature Nylon Materials Deliver Extreme Heat Resistance

Essentium Inc. introduces its new portfolio of advanced high-temperature (HT) nylon materials for additive manufacturing at Formnext 2019. The new materials are designed to deliver high heat, chemical, and fatigue resistance as well as high strength for industrial applications while being as easy to print as polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastics at low print temperatures.

Essentium developed the new HT nylon range of materials to offer manufacturers a cost-effective alternative to niche HT materials that require high-temperature extruders, which are prohibitively expensive to buy and maintain. Combining nylon with carbon fiber, the materials are more than four times stronger than high-performance ABS and have a heat deflection temperature of 200°C, allowing manufacturers to print tough and impact-resistant parts to withstand the rigors of the factory floor.

Material constraints are one of the biggest barriers to turning 3D printing into full-scale production runs for manufacturers worldwide. Essentium’s open extrusive additive ecosystem is giving customers more control, greater choice in materials, and ultimately lower cost and higher volumes.

Visit Essentium at Formnext 2019: November 19-22, 2019; Hall 12.1, Booth D31.

High-temperature (HT) nylon materials introduced at Formnext.

Real-Time Monitoring for Additive Manufacturing at Formnext 2019

At Formnext, the leading global exhibition and conference on additive manufacturing (AM), global engineering company Renishaw, is showcasing its AM technologies in Frankfurt, Germany. On Wednesday, November 20, Renishaw was on the TCT Introducing Stage to present its real-time process monitoring systems for AM.

David Ewing, additive manufacturing product manager at Renishaw, delivered a talk titled ‘Real-time process monitoring accelerates process development and streamlines process control’. While AM enables quick and customizable production of complex designs, the risk of imperfections poses challenges for many in the industry.

As metal AM becomes more widely adopted in global production processes, industry will need a reliable method to detect defects at high speeds with impeccable accuracy. With this in mind, Renishaw is showcasing InfiniAM Spectral, a software product capable of real-time process monitoring.

Read the full story.

Manifold AM part for the Brunel University race team.

Lowering Barriers to Adoption for Customers, Unlocking Capital Flexibility and Business Agility

HP has just unveiled new options to help customers improve business agility and speed their transformation to digital manufacturing, including:

• The new HP 3D as a Service (3DaaS) Plus subscription offering integrates hardware, supplies, and services and is ideal for customers looking to accelerate product life cycles with optimized in-house rapid prototyping and final part production.
• The newHP 3D as a Service (3DaaS) Base subscription service provides customers automatic replenishment of HP 3D Supplies, simplified tracking of billing and usage, and reliable remote and on-site support services.  The new pay-per-build service is available for the HP Jet Fusion 5200, HP Jet Fusion 4200, and HP Jet Fusion 500 series 3D solutions.
• HP is expanding the HP Digital Manufacturing Network with new partners Prototal in Europe and Solize in Japan. The HP Digital Manufacturing Network is a global community of digital manufacturing service providers with a proven capability for high-quality, high-volume Multi Jet Fusion and Metal Jet part production.  Customers around the world can access this distributed network of plastics and metals parts providers to scale up parts production when and where they need quickly.

Read the full announcement here.

The initial HP 3DaaS Plus subscription starts with the HP Jet Fusion 340 solution.

3DMP Fall Issue: Powder, Software, Formnext Preview and Much More

The Fall 2019 issue of 3D Metal Printing magazine, now out, explores the role of heat treatment in delivering more-consistent powder and addresses the capabilities of topology optimization software. The issue also profiles RPG Industries and its evolution from a wire EDM shop to a fabrication, machining and additive manufacturing (AM) powerhouse. And, read up on new AM programs at the Colorado School of Mines. The issue also previews Formnext, November 19-22 in Frankfurt, Germany, where 3DMP will be walking the aisles to find and report on the latest technology.

www.3dmpmag.com

3D Metal Printing’s Fall 2019 issue covers powder, topology software and more. It also previews Formnext.

What HP has Learned about Working with 3D Printing

Listen as Dave Woodlock, market development manager at HP’s 3D printing group, discusses lessons learned when incorporating 3D printing into your business as a product and as a tool.  Notes Woodlock, many assume that what holds 3D printing back in terms of greater implementation is material, hardware, and so on. But what HP has found is that change management is a larger issue that executives must address. Woodlock also takes a look at 3D printing’s benefits to saving time in getting product to market faster, and in how this technology will expand the role of the engineer in design and manufacturing.

Listen to the interview, or read the transcript, here.

Multi Jet Fusion part printed for HP’s Indigo platform.

Designing with Additive in Mind

Additive manufacturing requires a different design approach. While AM-specific design software programs are emerging, they are the exception rather than the rule. In the November issue of Digital Engineering, we asked industry experts how best to apply current CAD tools to 3D printing. We also take a deep dive into the world of metal 3D printing, with a focus on simulation tools for metal AM, making the business case for metal printing, and discuss the new additive manufacturing center being built at the Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus.

Check out DE’s November issue to learn more.

November issue of DE discusses design for additive, metal printing, and more.

Read the Autumn 2019 issue of Metal AM magazine Now!

Read the latest issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine for free today! The 196-page Autumn 2019 issue is available to read in your browser, as a pdf download, or via our Metal AM app for iOS and Android. This issue  includes the following exclusive features:

• Sintavia: New facility signals the move towards volume metal additive manufacturing for aerospace and defense
• Thinking about metal Binder Jetting or FFF? Here is (almost) everything you need to know about sintering
• Metal Binder Jetting and FFF: Considerations when planning a debinding and sintering facility for volume production
• VELO3D: How a ‘support-free’ Laser Powder Bed Fusion process could remove roadblocks to serial additive manufacturing
• New horizons for additive manufacturing in the oil, gas, and maritime industries
• Redesigned for additive manufacturing: Serial production of a new fuel swirler for Siemens gas turbine
• Understanding metal powder requirements for additive manufacturing: Views from the industry
• Towards a true digital twin for the metal additive manufacturing process

View online or download your free copy, or get the app today.

Autumn issue of Metal AM.