In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re talking about some exciting new centers opening up that specialize in 3D printing technology, an additive manufacturing course and a little medical news, and some interesting 3D printed objects. Thales is creating an industrial center in Morocco that specializes in metal 3D printing, while Z3DFAB opens a Digital Production Center in South Korea. H2 Manufacturing Solutions is bringing GE Additive’s Design for Additive Manufacturing course to Denver, and Exactech is the first US implant manufacturer to use PowderSolve for medical implants. A Belgian startup is using recycled plastic to 3D print sunglasses, and Formlabs tested the strength of its SLS technology by 3D printing a large pavilion structure for the FUSE conference.
Thales Creating Industrial Center in Morocco
“With an existing aerospace ecosystem of subcontractors, Morocco has everything needed to become Thales’ global centre of expertise in 3D printing,” said Pierre Prigent, Thales Country Director in Morocco. “The use of a secure digital platform provides the industrial Competence Centre with the latest innovations in terms of connected industry and smart plants, and will improve the competitiveness of the solutions offered to our customers.”
Z3DFAB Opening Digital Production Center in South Korea
“The long implementation of all the mastering in cleaning and post processing as well as passivation was essential to qualify Z3DFAB to the highest standards in AM production for the medical world. With the EOS EOSTATE MeltPool we have the fundamentals for High standards in production and QA,” said Madjid DjemaÏ, the CEO of Z3DLAB. “Now we will capitalize on this to integrate all the remaining for the automotive and aeronautic specifics and make of Z3DFAB the best and biggest digital AM center of Korea.”
H2 Manufacturing Solutions Bringing GE Additive Course to Denver
Heidi Hostetter, the CEO of H2 Manufacturing Solutions, said, “Additive manufacturing is fundamentally changing how manufacturing is done, and the biggest gap is designing parts to realize all the benefits additive provides. We’re thrilled to bring the world’s leading experts in additive manufacturing design to Colorado to share their knowledge. H2 and Manufacturer’s Edge saw this as another way to help the ongoing effort to make Colorado a leader in additive manufacturing.”
The course, which is limited to two attendees from any organization/company, ordinarily costs $3,000 per seat, but will be free of charge this time for the first 55 manufacturing professionals from Colorado who register.
Exactech First Implant Manufacturer in the US to Use LPW PowderSolve for Medical Implants
“Using PowderSolve, the ability to know the material condition and to track the powder history, or genealogy, through different blends, repeated uses and different batches ensures full metal powder traceability in every individual part that we build,” said Ron Green, Exactech’s Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations. “The assurance that this presents to a surgeon, delivering enhanced patient mobility through Exactech implants, cannot be underestimated.”
Belgian Startup 3D Printing Sunglasses from Recycled Plastic
Belgian startup w.r.yuma, which is pronounced “We are Yuma,” got its name from one of the sunniest places on Earth, and recently kicked off a Kickstarter campaign for its 3D printed sunglasses, made out of recycled plastic waste. The startup aims to turn plastic waste, sourced from the Netherlands and the Flemish region of Belgium, into different colors of sunglasses. The plastic is fed into a 3D printer and melted into strands of plastic wire to build the frames, which are put together by hand and outfitted with Mazzuchelli lenses from Italy. w.r.yuma’s founder and CEO, Sebastiaan de Neubourg, wants to make sustainable recycling useful as well as fashionable, and is inviting potential clients to send the sunglasses back once they’re done with them, so they can be turned into a new pair.de Neubourg, a former mechanical engineer for a sustainability consultancy, said, “I think that sustainability should become mainstream. We’re not going to solve the plastic waste problem by just taking this plastic and putting it in sunglasses, but it’s a first step. … I want to touch a lot of people with that message.”
Formlabs Tested SLS Technology by 3D Printing Large Pavilion for FUSE Conference
“As designers, we imagine a future where converting a digital-spatial concept to a physical reality is seamless and automatic, like 3D printing. The construction system used to build the FUSE pavilion can also be applied to interior design, furniture, sculpture, and more. When we combine tomorrow’s construction methods with digital fabrication tools like the Fuse 1, there will be nothing standing in the way of architects and any form imaginable,” Dudley wrote.
What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. Don’t forget to discuss in the Facebook comments below.