Prominent Organizations Invest in 3D Printers and Post-Processing Technology

In 2016, Ultimaker released the Ultimaker 3, the latest in its line of popular, highly praised desktop 3D printers. It was followed by the Ultimaker 3 Extended, a larger version of the 3. Both have been lauded for their ease of use, professional quality prints and versatility, making them well-suited for a variety of applications. The latest customer to declare itself a loyal Ultimaker 3 Extended fan is Robert Bosch, specifically its Additive Manufacturing department, which has announced that it will be investing on a global scale in the 3D printers.

Bosch’s Additive Manufacturing department tested several different 3D printers before settling on the Ultimaker 3 Extended as the most professional, reliable and easy to use. The company will now be using the Ultimaker 3 Extended in multiple locations across Germany, Hungary, India, China, the United States and Mexico for 3D printing prototypes, tooling, jigs and fixtures. The goal is to boost innovation while cutting back on manufacturing and design costs.

Bosch is the largest supplier of automotive components in the world, as well as a major supplier of industrial technologies, consumer goods, and energy and building technology. The company was looking to save not only on cost but time, as well as to facilitate a faster time-to-market for its new products, when it decided to invest globally in 3D printing.

“We are very happy that this well-respected, leading supplier of technology and services chose our desktop 3D printers after an intensive selection procedure by its Additive Manufacturing department,” said Jos Burger, CEO at Ultimaker. “The team at Ultimaker is working hard to make 3D printing accessible by continuously improving our hardware, software, materials and services. This global investment of Bosch confirms that our 3D printing ecosystem is ready to advance innovation on a global scale. The quality and speed of our service is the same in all countries, which helps our clients to go from an idea to manufacturing validation in just a few days, no matter where they are in the world.”

In another partnership, PostProcess Technologies has announced an agreement with Johns Hopkins University‘s Carnegie Center for Surgical Innovation to automate post-processing for the center’s 3D printing facility. The center has been using 3D printing to create patient-specific organ models for surgeons and patients, as well as for purposes of education, engineering prototypes, and custom lab devices. WIth PostProcess Technologies’ solutions, Johns Hopkins has been able to decrease its overall cycle time and improve consistency in its 3D printing endeavors.

Juan R. Garcia, MA, CCA, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of the Facial Prosthetics Clinic and of 3D Printing Services, worked directly with PostProcess Technologies to implement its CENTI solution. The compact CENTI machine removes support material from PolyJet 3D printed parts. The full solution involves custom software that controls optimized agitation and energy delivery, as well as proprietary detergents made specifically to remove the support material and leave the prints themselves in optimal condition.

PostProcess Technologies also offers automated support removal and surface finishing solutions for FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, DMLS and Binder Jetting technologies.

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