3D Printing: The Stories We Missed This Week — August 20, 2016

Another week, another handful of stirring stories in the 3D printing realm that we weren’t quite able to get to over the jam-packed week. The Brussels, Belgium-headquartered chemical group Solvay will unveil new automotive-driven 3D printing materials at the K 2016 trade fair, taking lightweight materials to a whole new level. Mechanical engineer Jaan Hurditch designed and 3D printed the Lead Mate, a plastic device that attaches to your dog’s leash, giving pet owners a comfortable grip while they take their canine companion for a stroll. The France-based 3D printing service bureau Sculpteo has just launched 14 new paint colors that can be applied to their White Plastic material. IGo3D, the European reseller and distributor of 3D printing equipment, has announced their acquisition of GetReadyFor 3D, a project aimed to increase 3D printing literacy across the globe. Poland’s authorized distributors of SOLIDWORKS, CADWorks and SOLIDEXPERT, have teamed up with Verashape, and will begin selling the company’s VSHAPER 3D printers. Lastly, the electronics 3D printer manufacturer Voxel8 are offering customers a free 3D printed sample to showcase the capabilities of their Developer’s Kit 3D printer.

Solvay to Showcase Lightweight Materials at K 2016 Showcase

At K 2016, the plastics and rubber trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, the chemical group Solvay will showcase new lightweight materials formulated for the automotive industry, along with other products specially designed for 3D printing applications and functional prototyping. The material chemists will introduce two new Technyl products for the automotive market, a heat performance polyamide for thermal management and an innovative halogen content tailored for sensitive electrical applications. The Business Manager for Transportation at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers, Sandra McClelland, will make a presentation at K 2016 detailing their commitment to lightweight materials, detailing how advanced polymers are helping reduce CO₂ emissions by lowering vehicle weight. Solvay will also unveil new additions to its Technyl Sinterline polyamide (PA) powders line, which are specially designed for 3D printing applications and for development of functional prototypes for small series productions. In addition to lightweight materials, the company will focus on sustainability, launching Technyl 4earth premium recycled solutions, and will also feature high-performance materials used for binders and separators for lithium ion batteries that help enhance safety and performance.

Hasting Point Engineer Invents ‘Lead Mate’ to Assist With Dog Walking

When Hastings Point, Australia-based mechanical engineer Jaan Hurditch was looking for a comfortable solution to stop his dog from pulling away at the sight of other dogs or cats, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Hurditch designed and 3D printed the ‘Lead Mate’, a plastic attachment that screws onto the leash, allowing the dog walker to have better grip and control over their canine companion. While he was developing the attachment, Hurditch decided that he would buy a 3D printer instead of paying a service bureau to do the work for him, which was his big introduction into additive manufacturing. He also gave samples of his product to friends and dog shelters, using their feedback to refine his idea into a viable and helpful attachment. After the prototype was completed, the engineer took his design to a plastic manufacturer to bring the Lead Mate to full-scale production. The Lead Mate is currently available to purchase directly from the product website for $9.95.

“I looked into getting it 3D-printed but it was going to be super expensive, so I found 3D printers for sale and ended up buying one and learning how to use it,” Hurditch said. “It was quite a learning curve in itself and it took many months to get a decent print out of the printer.”

Sculpteo Launches 14 New Colored Paints for Their White Plastic Material

When the France-based 3D printing service bureau Sculpteo expands their 3D printing capabilities, it isn’t always in the form of new materials. This time around, Sculpteo has unveiled 14 new colors of paint that will be used to finish their popular White Plastic material. The service bureau will apply the paint via a spray gun, giving the print a uniform and smooth coat of colorfulness. The paint layer will add just 200 microns of thickness to the 3D printed part, and is very durable and provides long-lasting intense color. The cellulose paint being used by Sculpteo is ideal for all uses as far as prototyping goes, though they warn that the paint on mechanical parts may wear away over time. The new colors include black, mouse grey, white, yellow, red, blue, green, purple, orange, pink, beige, metal grey, gold, and silver, each of which will be available in a matte or glossy finish. You can see more picture of the new vivid colors on Sculpteo’s blog post detailing the new paints.

iGo3D Acquires 3D Printing Education Brand GetReady4 3D

European reseller and distributor of desktop 3D printing equipment iGo3D has just announced that they’ve acquired GetReady4 3D, a brand and project with the goal to contribute to 3D printing literacy. The project was co-founded by Diogo Quental, the recently appointed CEO of iGo3D, and Nadia Yaakoubi, who helped coordinate the Learning Area in iGo3D. Already established in Europe for distributing and reselling high-grade 3D printing hardware, software, and materials, iGo3D will focus on providing 3D printing education to their customers. According to iGo3D, the educational activities hosted by GetReady4 3D will remain the same, sharing 3D printing education through their website, along with their 3D Printing online course that was developed in collaboration with SABE Online. The addition of more educational content in German will be implemented onto the platform over time.

“With both co-founders of GetReady4 3D working for iGo3D it seemed natural to merge the efforts of both companies at some point,” said Tobias Redlin, co-founder and managing director of iGo3D. “GetReady4 3D focus was on contributing 3D printing literacy, exactly what we wanted to add to iGo3D. The decision to acquire the project was logical. We expect that we can leverage GetReady4 3D work in two new areas that we are preparing: iBS, the iGo3D area for Business Solutions; and the coming iGo3D Education Programme.”

SOLIDWORKS Suppliers in Poland Expand Distribution, Offer Verashape 3D Printers

The two primary suppliers of SOLIDWORKS in Poland, CADWorks and SOLIDEXPERT, will expand their services in a new partnership with Verashape, the manufacturer of VSHAPER 3D printers. Due to the rising needs of their customers, the two suppliers have decided to build upon their 3D printer product portfolio, and will help Verashape grow their distribution network both in Poland and around the world. Companies that utilize VSHAPER 3D printer will receive product training and support during every stage of the distribution process. As a matter of fact, some of the specialists working with CADWorks actually helped develop the first line of VSHAPER 3D printers, meaning that a knowledge and needs of the 3D printing company are likely already well understood. With CADWorks and SOLIDEXPERT on their side, Verashape will look to expand their distribution network to new customers.

“We’ve decided to join our efforts with Verashape based on the desire to continue previous cooperation between our companies. Specialists from CADWorks worked on the development of the first VSHAPER printers, they are still supporting the constructors from Verashape in the design process with the use of SolidWorks software. It is not a revolution but an evolution, and the choice of a partner was an obvious one,” says Wojciech Marchewczyk, Managing Director in CADWorks.

Voxel8 Creates Sample Part to Show Off the Ability of Their Developer’s Kit Electronics 3D Printer

In order to promote their new Developer’s Kit electronics 3D printer, Voxel8 is offering prospective customers a sample part that showcases the capability of their technology. The 3D printed sample part contains an embedded resistor and LED, both of which were printed in their Standard Silver Ink on our the Developer’s Kit platform. According to Voxel8, the part takes just a matter of minutes to complete, and displays the exceptional multi-material performance of their electronics 3D printer. To receive the 3D printed sample part for free, simply order it from Voxel8 using the coupon code “USBLIGHT” at checkout. Although the Developer’s Kit is in high demand, the company claims that shipping times for the Developer’s Kit 3D printer are currently stabilized at four to eight weeks from the time of purchase. Discuss further over in the 3D Printing Weekly News forum thread at 3DPB.com.