3D Printing: The Stories We Missed This Week — October 29, 2016

On the latest edition of “The Stories We Missed This Week”, we’ve got a whole array of major business news and innovative feats. To start, a nine-year-old boy named Jacob Leggette was invited to advise Barack Obama after impressing with his 3D printing prowess at the White House Science Fair back in April. Simplify3D has added 5 new languages and 20 new 3D printers to their universal 3D printing software, helping them expand into the global market. The Rochester Institute of Technology has acquired the first commercial liquid metal 3D printing system from the Buffalo-based Vader Systems. The Polish 3D printing company Zortrax has quite the bargain going on right now, as they’re offering the M200 3D printer for $1 with the purchase of their printing materials promo pack. The 3D software startup Mixed Dimensions has hired Careen Yapp to head the licensing effort of their MakePrintable solution and Game Capture technology. Lastly, in preparation for the upcoming RAPID + TCT 3D technology event, SME is collaborating with FARO Technologies, Direct Dimensions, and the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University to 3D scan and print miniature replicas of the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh.

Baltimore 9-Year-Old Invited to White House for Kids Advisory Group

Back in April, a Baltimore-based kid named Jacob Legette got the opportunity to showoff his 3D printed wares to Barack Obama at the 6th White House Science Fair. Now, the 9-year-old has been invited back to join a new set of youthful advisors to President Obama. Legette had pitched the idea to Obama during their first meeting earlier this year, convincing the President that he should have a kids advisory group that explains what’s interesting to them, and thus can be implemented into STEM education. Last week, the young 3D printing enthusiast and his younger sister were present for the first official kids science advisor meeting, making them 2 of the 11 bright minds invited to share their ideas in the White House.

Simplify3D Adds Multi-Language Support to 3D Printing Software

The industry-leading 3D printing software developer Simplify3D is looking expand their standing in the growing global market by adding multi-language support to their product. The company has integrated complete software translations for five additional languages, and now offers Simplify3D in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. Additionally, the 3D printing software is also supporting over 20 new 3D printers, including the Monoprice MP Select Mini, TEVO Tarantula i3, Wanhao Duplicator 6, Geeetech Delta Rostock Mini G2s Pro, bq Witbox 2, Hatchbox Alpha, Felix Pro 1, and others. The update is available for all existing Simplify3D users, while prospective users can test compatibility between their 3D printer and software with the 14-day risk-free guarantee.

“3D printing is a global phenomenon,” said CEO Clayton Webster. “We have software users in more than 120 countries so we’re excited to make the software more accessible to them.”

Rochester Institute of Technology to Acquire Liquid Metal 3D Printer from Vader Systems

Based out of Buffalo, New York, the 3D printing company Vader Systems has poised itself to become a leader in liquid metal 3D printing. This past week, they took a major step towards that goal by selling their first 3D printing system to the Rochester Institute of Technology. The acquisition will be part of a collection of high-tech equipment being utilized for research and development in RIT’s Additive Manufacturing and Multifunctional Printing (AMPrint) Center. Vader Systems’ MK1 3D printing system is centered around MagnetoJet technology, a process that allows aluminum alloy to be liquefied in a high-temperature ceramic chamber and printed, making their printer faster and less expensive to use than systems that utilize metal-based powdered inks. Both Vader Systems and AMPrint Center researchers will continually update the MK1 capacity, specifically exploring a variety of metals and increased number of printing heads. The newly opened Center for Advanced Technology will be one of the first research labs in the world to focus solely on the development of innovative multifunctional 3D printing technologies, materials, and devices.

“We are very proud and honored to have the first Magnetojet printer as part of the AMPrint Center,” said Denis Cormier, AMPrint Center director and RIT’s Earl W. Brinkman Professor. “It promises to be an indispensable tool for the fabrication of metal parts and will greatly further our capabilities and help our industrial partners. Additive manufacturing and multifunctional printing offer incredible opportunities for start-up companies, such as Vader Systems, and the AMPrint Center is ideally suited to serve as a site for testing and promoting new products and equipment, allowing us to create a regional ecosystem for this new manufacturing industry.”

Zortrax Offers $1 M200 3D Printer With Printing Materials Promo Pack

This past week, the Polish 3D printing company Zortrax launched an extremely exciting promotion that could net you a $1 3D printer along with all of the printing materials you would ever need. Looking to push their gargantuan 3D printing materials promo pack, which includes 87 spools of their own specialized materials, Zortrax will offer their M200 3D printer alongside the materials for a single dollar, all following the recent global release of the company’s new M300 3D printer. The promotional pack of materials costs $3,734.30, and includes Zortrax’s Z-ULTRAT, Z-HIPS, Z-PETG, Z-PCABS and Z-GLASS. Upon purchase of the promo pack, the M200 can be added for $1, a deal that is especially appealing to engineers, architects, and designers who utilize a hefty quantity of materials on a daily basis. Those looking to replenish their 3D printing materials stock can essentially do so through Zortrax and receive a free desktop 3D printer. Out of the 87 spools offered in the promotional pack, 26 will be the usual Z-ABS, which will come in a vast array of colors, including yellow, red, blue, warm gray, pure white, sky blue, pure black, cool gray and android green

Mixed Dimensions Adds Careen Yapp as Senior Vice President of Global Business Team

This past week, the US-Jordanian 3D printing startup Mixed Dimensions announced the addition of Careen Yapp as the Senior Vice President of their Global Business Team. With 18 years of experience in the interactive entertainment industry, Yapp will head the licensing effort for the company’s MakePrintable solution, which is a cloud-based platform the rebuilds polygon meshes and eliminates all anomalies from 3D models. In addition, the new member of the Mixed Dimensions team will also handle licensing for their upcoming Game Capture technology GamePrint, which is expected to be released during the first quarter of 2017. GamePrint will allow users to capture in-game play moments and turn them into customizable 3D printed figurines that can be ordered and sold to other users via 3D marketplace.

SME Hosts 3D Scan of Pittsburgh Bridge for Upcoming RAPID + TCT 3D Technology Event

In preparation for the upcoming RAPID + TCT 2017 3D Technology event taking place next year in Pittsburgh May 8-11, the nonprofit 3D printing organization SME has collaborated with a number of industry leaders to 3D scan the city’s famous Roberto Clemente Bridge. SME worked with FARO Technologies, Direct Dimensions, and the NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University to take the first-ever 3D scan of the historic Roberto Clemente Bridge, which will be used to create 3D printed miniature replicas of the bridge. These 3D prints will act as puzzle pieces at RAPID + TCT 2017. The scan was completed and transformed into a 3D point cloud by FARO Technologies, which will be converted into a CAD model by Direct Dimensions. Finally, the CAD model will be 3D printed and featured at the upcoming 3D printing event.

“3D scanning technologies allow physical objects to be captured and transformed into 3D digital models with incredible detail,” said Michelle Edwards, applications engineering manager, FARO Technologies. “Scanning something as recognizable as the Roberto Clemente Bridge can spark many conversations. People have never seen this bridge as a 3D point cloud. Once they see that, they begin to question their own processes. That’s how innovation happens.”

Discuss in the Stories We Missed forum at 3DPB.com.