3D Printing News Briefs: October 17, 2017

We’re covering 3D printing files, 3D printers, business, projects, and programs today in 3D Printing News Briefs. MyMiniFactory now supports the 3MF file format, and an interior design company created a 3D printer animagraph to explain how 3D printers work. A university in Australia has purchased the DragonFly 2020 Pro, and EnvisionTEC announced a new reseller. Roboze has appointed a new territory manager, while 3D Printing Studios announced a new board member. Finally, 3D Brooklyn is set to debut its Eyeglass Factory this week, and Dremel has teamed up with Konica Minolta for a new 3D printer program for schools.

MyMiniFactory Supports 3MF File Format

3D printable object-sharing platform MyMiniFactory has officially announced its support of the 3MF file format, due to its ease-of-use and advanced functionality, and is now working with the 3MF Consortium. MyMiniFactory knows that to continue growing 3D design and print communities, there needs to be an adaptable 3D file format, and 3MF was developed specifically to avoid some of the issues that plague other formats. Through its new support of 3MF, MyMiniFactory can allow for better integration with a variety of 3D printing products and software.

“Alongside other major 3D players like Autodesk, Dassault Systemes and Microsoft, MyMiniFactory is thrilled to now support this file format, and looks forward to seeing more and more creators upload and share 3MF content. The 3MF file format provides an advanced 3D printing file format allowing for textures, colors, and internal structures to be printed easily and for free. MyMiniFactory being an Open and Independent platform, it is important for us to support this file format,” said Romain Kidd, the MyMiniFactory CEO.

The first version, and extensions, of the 3MF specification are available for download at no charge.

Animagraph Guide Illustrates How 3D Printers Work

Interior designers, as well as architecture firms with interior design departments, have been 3D printing enthusiasts for some time now – there are even college classes centered around the technology. UK-based interiors specialist Hillarys, which acknowledges that the technology can be used to create prototypes and even window blinds, recently created an animagraph guide, containing step-by-step animated images, that easily explains exactly how 3D printers work, starting all the way at the beginning with the 3D model and the plastic being fed into the printer head. With its bright, minimalistic animations and simple text, the guide is easy to follow.

“We use 3D printers in our office all the time; printing, testing and refining any brand-new ideas we have as a team. They enable us to fix and tweak designs until we have a complete project that we’re happy to put into production,” explained Hillarys spokesperson Tanya Irons. “For all those who think 3D printing is fascinating, and want to know how it works, we’ve created the perfect animagraph to explain and show the ins and outs.”

Step four of the guide is shown below, but you can check out all of the steps here.

DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer In Australia

This week, Nano Dimension announced that it has sold one of its DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D printers to the University of Technology Sydney. The sale was supported by the company’s new distribution partner for Australia and New Zealand, Emona Instruments Pty Ltd, and marks the first time an academic institution in the Asia-Pacific region will install a DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D printer, which will be used for advanced 3D printed electronics research at the university. The distribution agreement between Emona, a leading supplier of electronic test and measuring instruments, and Nano Dimension is part of the Israeli 3D printer manufacturer’s transition to commercial sales.

EnvisionTEC Names New UK Reseller

Professional 3D printing solutions provider EnvisionTEC GmbH has appointed London-based Crispin Associates as its latest reseller in the UK. EnvisionTEC has over 40 3D printer configurations based on six distinct technologies, and Crispin, which specializes in supplying and supporting cutting-edge technologies, is now authorized to sell the entire range of EnvisionTEC printers and materials to the UK market.

Dave Crispin, the managing director at Crispin Associates, said, “Our partnership with EnvisionTEC adds a further string to our bow, complementing our current offerings and allowing us to provide the highest precision 3D printers and industry-focused materials to our clients. We are looking forward to working closely with the EnvisionTEC team to provide the machines and materials, and also education around the potential benefits of using modern 3D printing technology.”

Roboze Appoints New Territory Manager to Management Team

Italian 3D printer manufacturer Roboze announced today that it has appointed additive manufacturing industry professional Ron Weavil to its management team, in the role of Territory Manager on the East Coast of the US, just months after the company opened its US headquarters in New York. Roboze is working to develop an organization that can fulfill American demand for 3D printing solutions in quality plastic materials, like PEEK and ULTEM AM9085, and the first step is hiring experienced staff to assist customers in the US. Weavil will lead the company’s US office, in an effort to strengthen its market position and develop new channel partnerships, as well as reinforce current collaborations and grow the reseller network.

“I am very proud to assume this new role, which allows me to contribute, shape, and grow Roboze’s presence here in the States,” said Weavil. “The spirit of innovation and ongoing investment in R & D make us a state-of- the-art company, ready to face digital transformation with the best solutions on the market.”

3D Printing Studios Announces New Board Member

Effective as of October 1st, 2017, 3D printing service bureau 3D Printing Studios has appointed world-renowned 3D printing expert Professor Chua Chee Kai, based in Singapore, to its board of directors as a Non-Executive Director. Professor Chua, the Executive Director of the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) and a professor with the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has over 25 years of experience in the 3D printing field. In addition to the hundreds of papers he’s published, he was awarded the “Academic Career Award” for his many contributions to 3D printing at the 6th International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping in 2013.

“I am honored and would like to thank 3D Printing Studios for the wonderful opportunity given to me to contribute further and assist them in realizing the company goals and future growth plans,” said Professor Chua. “I see great things coming with 3D Printing Studios becoming the leading 3D Printing Solution and Services technology company across the Asia Pacific region.”

3D Brooklyn Introducing Its Eyeglass Factory 

Tomorrow, October 18th, at the Formlabs Roadshow event in New York City, 3D Brooklyn will debut its latest project – customized, 3D printed eyeglasses, better known as The Eyeglass Factory. The company is looking for willing participants for its prototyping process. Let the employees at 3D Brooklyn know what you want them to create, and later the company will offer one of the designs as an open source download through OnShape, so you too could 3D print your own custom eyeglasses.

“When we first began making glasses, I was skeptical that I would be able to model to all of the industry standards and specifications needed for lensing, on top of engineering a 3D printable design that would work in SLA resin,” said Will Haude, Chief Creative Officer at 3D Brooklyn. “After getting through the initial steps to find the right geometry for sizing, comfort, strength, etc, I was able to nail down a pretty simple and customizable design method that has allowed us to experiment with different shapes and fits. The final stage is post processing which we are experimenting with matte finishes & polished finishes, but my favorite part of the project is the design file which was created as a public file on Onshape and is customizable to anyone who wants to make their own adjustments.”

You can get free tickets to tomorrow’s Formlabs Roadshow event, which will cover Small Batch Manufacturing and take place at the Parsons Design School starting at 6 PM.

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Konica Minolta and Dremel Introduce New 3D Printer Program for Schools

Dremel has long been a proponent of 3D printing in schools, as it can help students learn useful STEAM skills and become more engaged in the classroom. The company has now teamed up with Konica Minolta Business Solutions to continue incorporating the technology into schools around the US with a brand new ‘try before you buy’ 3D printing program. Konica Minolta is offering a free 30-day trial of the Dremel 3D Idea Builder for schools.

The promotion, which is only available for schools in the US, began on October 1st, and will run through July 1st, 2018. It includes a free trial of the 3D printer. If, at the end of 30 days, the school decides it does not want to purchase the printer, it simply needs to send it back in its original packaging.

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