The Latest 3D Printers, 3D Scanners, and Software: So Much to See at Hannover Messe 2017

While we’re currently focusing on the Materialise World Summit taking place this week in Belgium, next week it’s all about Germany, and the Hannover Messe trade show. Hannover Messe will run from April 24-28, and while it may be hard to top last year’s opening speaker, there is certainly much to look forward to at the industrial fair. We already knew that Verashape, headquartered in the trade show’s 2017 partner country of Poland, would be attending Hannover Messe with all of its VSHAPER 3D printers, and the company also teased that a new solution that would be unveiled. We can now report that Verashape’s newest product, the VSHAPER MED 3D Printer, will be showcased at the upcoming Hannover Messe.

The VSHAPER MED is well-named, as it is dedicated for use in the medical sector, which makes great use of 3D printing technology in terms of 3D printed medical models, implants, and even 3D printed organs.

“3D Printing is also used in aesthetic surgery, prosthetics and transplantation,” said Marcin Szymański, VERASHAPE Product Manager. “With the use of 3D Prints it is possible to create perfectly fitted tooth crown, lighter and more hygienic cast counterpart as well as innovative bone prosthetics, enabling the substitution of body parts damaged in accidents or by complications from cancer.”

VSHAPER MED

The new VSHAPER MED offers UV sterilization, a HEPA filter for ventilation, and can print up to 450°C. It is available in two versions: the 270 offers a build volume of 270 x 270 x 200 mm, while the 450 has a build volume of 450 x 450 x 450 mm. The printer’s housing is made of an antibacterial, silver-based powder coating, and can print with many different materials, including:

• PEEK
• PLLA
• ABS
• PMMA
• PETG
• PVA

In addition to the new VSHAPER MED, Verashape will also have its VSHAPER Single, Double, and Pro Printers at Hannover Messe, but all three are also now available in the new 450 version.

Szymański added, “Throughout the show we will also be making live presentations of SOFTSHAPER software, which is widely popular among producers of 3D Printers as well as their users.”

You can visit Verashape in exhibition hall 17, at stand C76.

Another Polish company attending Hannover Messe is OMNI3D, which introduced its large industrial Factory 2.0 Production System in 2015; the 3D printer was finally available for purchase last summer. The company will be at the trade show’s Polish Pavilion with 19 other young, innovative companies, and its flagship product recently won two important industry awards.

Factory 2.0

At last month’s Kielce Trade Fair, it won the main prize for “Industrial 3D Printer, 3D Printing Days, SIT Poland, Industrial Spring,” and earlier this month, the Factory 2.0 was named the “Product of the Year 2016″ in the 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing” category at the Engineering & Maintenance Poland show.

“Such honours are very important for us. Both in building our image, but also as a motivation for the entire OMNI3D team to take further steps in the product’s development,” said Konrad Sierzputowski, Co-CEO at OMNI3D. “These prizes are awarded by engineers, readers of magazines and end-users, so those who know the 3D printing scene best. That is why they are of great value to us.”

Hannover Messe brings in over 200,000 people each year, which gives OMNI3D a pretty large crowd to work with. The company will be presenting its Factory 2.0 at the event, but on a larger scale, Poland, while participating as the Partner Country, will be working hard to support Polish companies further expanding into foreign markets.

“Germany with its high potential is a very attractive market for us. The customers there are technologically advanced and well educated companies. They are looking for solutions that reduce costs and improve efficiency, available at a reasonable price,” explained Tadeusz Hoppel, Co-CEO of OMNI3D. “Our printer today can compete with the best industrial machines and it is an attractive solution for businesses worldwide. Through our presence at the fair, we are hoping to start cooperation with companies interested in distributing our printers in Germany.”

OMNI3D will be in Hall 3, at booth C24.

Polish company SMARTTECH, founded nearly two decades ago by a group of doctors and researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology, will also be exhibiting at Hannover Messe next week. SMARTTECH produces professional optical measurement devices, known as structured light 3D scanners, and will be introducing its new SMARTTECH 3D Portable 1.3Mpix Scanner at the trade show for the first time.

The scanner is designed for mobility and rapid measurement, and can be used for prototyping, quality control, and also in the medical field. It provides an instant scanning time of no more than 0.2 seconds, and is highly accurate at 0.06 mm. The device can either be placed onto a tripod, or used by hand, and a battery pack and touch screen offer mobility. Geometry-based alignment makes it possible to combine scans, and intuitive software will offer user guidance throughout the process. Speaking of software, the 3D Portable 1.3Mpix Scanner will be presented with the latest version of SMARTTECH3Dmeasure v2017 software. The reason the scanner can be used in the medical field is its innovative measurement method, which is based on harmless, white structured light – no physical contact or lasers required.

SMARTTECH will also be showcasing its MICRON3D Color 24Mpix 3D scanner at Hannover Messe, which is designed for precise data acquisition; its high resolution allows for accurate data to be gathered for more complex structures.

The scanner’s device detector can gather up to 24 million points, described with X, Y, and Z coordinates, to make a point cloud to describe the measured object’s color and shape. It’s also sensitive enough to easily scan dark and shiny objects as well.

Along with fellow Polish company OMNI3D, SMARTTECH will be in Hall 3, booth C24 at the Polish Pavilion at Hannover Messe; stop by to see the premiere of these fast and accurate 3D scanners.

Industrial automation and information company Rockwell Automation will be attending Hannover Messe this year, addressing IIoT and digital transformation opportunities at multiple company booths, including Microsoft. In addition, the company will be showcasing its own services, solutions, and technologies, which can help other companies take advantage of the IIoT.

Tom O’Reilly, Vice President, Global Business Development, Rockwell Automation, said, “Digital transformation and initiatives like Industrie 4.0 are without a doubt a priority for manufacturers and industrial operators everywhere. With our Strategic Alliance partners, we will be showcasing how technologies like device-to-device communication and augmented reality can deliver value for companies as they embark on digital transformation and build a truly Connected Enterprise.”

Rockwell Automation will be demonstrating virtual design at the Microsoft booth in Hall 7, stand C40. The Microsoft HoloLens headset can create a mixed reality experience by working with the Rockwell Software Studio 5000 development environment. Users are able to take a look at a machine’s functionality and design before manufacturing it, and once the machine is complete, this mixed reality environment can provide training, and design change visualization, with a ‘digital twin’ model. Rockwell Automation will also be showcasing its Automation and Panduit industrial data center at Cisco’s booth, located in Hall 8, stand C13; the data center “provides all the hardware needed to transition to a virtualized environment,” the company states.

3DPrint.com’s Sarah Goehrke visited with the F370 at Stratasys’ booth at SOLIDWORKS World 2017

At SOLIDWORKS World 2017, Stratasys introduced its new, user-friendly F123 professional 3D printer series, and is bringing the series to Hannover Messe as well. The platform’s three 3D printers support a wide range of budgets and capabilities for each prototyping stage, from concept verification and design validation, all the way to functional performance.

The F123 series consists of three models:

• Stratasys F170, with a build area of 10″ x 10″ x 10″
• Stratasys F270, with a build area of 12″ x 10″ x 12″
• Stratasys F370, with a build area of 14″ x 10″ x 14″

The 3D printers save you precious time, as they require minimal setup, come with auto-calibration, and you can print with three to four different materials, in ten separate colors, depending on the application. Stratasys will be exhibiting the F123 series 3D printers in Hall 6, at stand K06.

Stay tuned for next week for more news about Hannover Messe! Discuss in the Hannover Messe forum at 3DPB.com.