3D Printing: The Stories We Missed This Week — December 10, 2016

On this week’s edition of “The Stories We Missed,” we’ve got a whole collection of news from across the entire 3D printing industry. To start, the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office will be issuing a $5 million grant to ORNL and Ames Laboratory to help research new techniques for creating tailored metal alloy powders used in industrial 3D printing. The electronics 3D printing company Nano Dimension has delivered their DragonFly 2020 3D Printer to an undisclosed Fortune 100 company for evaluation purposes. Danit Peleg, a consultant for the software and automated software developer Gerber Technology, has been awarded with a spot on Apparel Magazine’s Top 30 under 30 list. Wacker Chemie AG has just unveiled their plan to create customizable 3D printed chewing gum. Additive Elements has presented a new material system to produce extremely dense acrylic parts using Binder Jetting technology. The design software supplier Magnacad released their “Magna-Catalogs 2017” collection to provide IronCAD users with optimal tools to have better control over the pre-printing process. The Italian 3D printer manufacturer Northype has just released the Flatforce build plate, allowing Nylon and other technical materials to be efficiently printed without the need for glue or other adhesive systems.

ORNL and Ames Laboratory Receive $5 Million Grant for Metal Alloy Research

Earlier this week, the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) announced that they would be issuing a $5 million grant to help improve metal alloy materials for industrial 3D printing. The project will be led by the Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory with the support of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Together, the two prestigious research labs will research the use of high pressure gas atomization to enhance the properties and overall quality of metal powders. To accomplish this, Ames Lab will develop a computer model and simulation for the gas atomization process, which will be tested at their powder synthesis facilities. From there, ORNL will test these newly developed materials on their wide range of metal 3D printers, including machines from Arcam, Renishaw, DM3D, Concept Laser, and ExOne.

Iver Anderson, project leader and senior metallurgist at Ames Laboratory, said: “There’s a lot of intense interest focused on additive manufacturing with metal alloys, because there are so many potential applications. Industry has demands for prototyping parts, design development, reducing waste of expensive materials, and efficiently producing custom and legacy components for their customers.”

Nano Dimension Delivers Dragonfly 3D Printer to Fortune 100 Company

It’s been a major year for the Israeli electronics 3D printing company Nano Dimension, which has finally sent out the first shipments of their highly anticipated DragonFly 2020 3D printer. After supplying their first-ever system to an Israel-based defense company, Nano Dimension followed up with a recent delivery to the German-headquartered microprocessing company PHYTEC. Now, they have announced that their electronics 3D printer has been shipped to an undisclosed Fortune 100 company in the United States. The recipient of the Dragonfly 2020 is a US-based multinational corporation that develops technological products and services. They are considered to be a beta customer for Nano Dimension, and will house the electronics 3D printer in their main innovation center. After utilizing the printer, the beta company will provide Nano Dimension with qualification and feedback on the 3D printing system.

Gerber FashionTech Consultant Danit Peleg Selected for Apparel Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 List

Known for her expertise in creating high-end 3D printed fashion within her own home, designer Danit Peleg has helped to take 3D printed clothing from a niche idea to the fashion runway. Currently serving as a consultant to the integrated software and automated apparel solutions provider Gerber Technology, Peleg was just awarded with a spot on Apparel Magazine’s Top 30 under 30 list. She was recognized for her innovative fashion design, the latest of which includes a 3D printed dress that was showcased at the opening ceremony for the Rio Paralympics. In her work with Gerber Technology, Peleg collaborated to help refine their AccuMark 3D and YuniquePLM In The Cloud software programs into her 3D printed garment workflow. The fashion designer is already working on her next line of 3D printed garments, using Gerber’s software solutions to help manage her process from start to finish.

“We are proud to collaborate with Danit, to help her bring her vision to life and drive technological advancement in garment design,” said Elizabeth King, Vice President, Digital Solutions Community and Ecosystem at Gerber Technology. “Visualization tools are essential to the future of garment design and AccuMark 3D is helping pave the way forward whether using traditional or 3D printed textiles.”

WACKER Develops 3D Printing Process for Gum

After building up recognition with their unique silicone 3D printing technology, the Munich-based company Wacker Chemie AG has just unveiled a new 3D printer that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. At the upcoming ProSweets Cologne 2017 sweets and snacks trade fair, WACKER will unveil their new technology, which will 3D print chewing gum in customizable shapes, adding flair to this unique food market. WACKER will also be introducing their CANDY2GUM technology, which will reproduce the texture of actual chewing gum, and enable manufacturers to blend unique flavors into the candy material, such as chocolates and fruit juices. These confections are made with WACKER’s CAPIVA C03 premix material, which is added to chewy candy material to produce chewing gum. The 3D printable gum and the CANDY2GUM technology will be unveiled at ProSweets Cologne 2017, an international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry that will take place next year from January 29 to February 1 in Cologne, Germany.

Additive Elements GmbH Creates Dense Plastic Material for Binder Jetting

With an aim to develop optimized materials for Binder Jetting 3D printing technology, the Munich-based material producer Additive Elements GmbH has just announced the creation of a highly dense plastic material. Looking to provide this style of 3D printing with stronger materials, Additive Elements has developed a new material system based on acrylics (PMMA). The AE12 material system is comprised of a binder mixed with additives, which polymerize together after the building process and create parts the highest density possible. In addition, the unused material can be reused for new prints, making the material system economically sound as well. The material was developed for use with voxeljet 3D printers, but should be compatible with other Binder Jetting systems. Though the material won’t be suitable for extreme mechanical jobs, Additive Elements is targeting markets in need of high-quality functional objects.

“We want our process to let additive manufacturing take the next step in direction of serial production. Plastic parts will be producible at a fraction of costs of the established 3D printing technologies. For a lot of industries, this is the major criteria for adapting additive manufacturing,” explains founder Thilo Kramer.

Magnacad Releases “Magna-Catalogs 2017” for IronCAD Users

Earlier this week, design software supplier Magnacad released their “Magna-Catalogs 2017” collection designed specifically for IronCAD users. The collection will help users integrate advanced pre-printing process tools into their CAD software, and will include a number of new and refined features. Following their recent partnership with the Swedish 3D printer manufacturer Magicfirm Europe AB, the collection includes a catalog on the pre-printing settings for the new ZYYX 3D printer. Magnacad will also supply IronCAD users with advanced components for parametric and advanced variant shapes. Lastly, three new “Mag-STUDIOS” will allow CAD users to render their 3D objects in a number of virtual environments, including the Convenience Store, Liquor Store, and a Money Center.

Northype Unveils Flatforce Build Plate for Printing With Technical Materials

Based out of Italy, the 3D printing company Northype is aiming to eliminate the warping of technical materials with the newly unveiled Flatforce build plate. The component will allow 3D printing users to print with advanced materials without the need for adhesive solutions or risk of deformation. The Flatforce is capable of handling even tricky ABS material without glue or tape. The universal build plate is engineered to work with a wide range of advanced materials, including Nylon, Nylon Carbon, HIPS, PETG, and more. Northype worked closely with the Italian filament producer TreeD to test and refine the efficiency of the Flatforce with these materials. In the case of Nylon, simply set the build plate to a range of 70-90°C to print without any warping, leading to exceptionally high-strength prints. The build plate is available in a variety of sizes, ensuring that you can find the perfect fit for your own 3D printer. Discuss in the Stories We Missed forum at 3DPB.com.