3D Printing News Briefs: April 10, 2018

April 10, 2018 by Sarah Saunders 3D Printers 3D Printing 3D Printing Materials Business Medical 3D Printing Metal 3D Printing

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We’re sharing news about awards and new products in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. DWS Systems has won the Red Dot design award for its DFAB 3D printer, while the INDUSTRIEPREIS 2018 named the AM-MODULE NEXT GEN laser deflection unit by RAYLASE the Best of Production Technology winner. Verashape has a new 3D printer, Stratasys has a new material, and ViscoTec has a 3D printer head with a new, optional heating function. Electrolux is launching its first Innovation Factory, and RedWorks is sharing its latest updates.

DWS Systems Wins Red Dot Award for Product Design

SLA 3D printing leader DWS Systems just announced that its DFAB dental 3D printer has won the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design in the Best of the Best category. The high-speed DFAB – the first chairside 3D printer for dentists – was designed to efficiently 3D print natural-looking dental prostheses, using its Photoshade technology and biocompatible Temporis material to accurately reproduce the color of patients’ teeth for a more natural look. A jury of 40 members assessed the 6,300 submitted objects based on their originality.

“We are very pleased for DFAB to be recognized for its good design and innovation by this important prize. DFAB’s linear design and end-user centric concept is what separates it from the competition,” said DWS Systems’ CTO Maurizio Costabeber. “After decades of experience in digital dentistry and developing advanced materials, we look forward to continue supporting dentists to provide patients with prosthetics with a great fit and natural look.”

RAYLASE AM-MODULE NEXT GEN Wins INDUSTRIEPREIS 2018 Award

According to a whitepaper by RAYLASE GmbH, which manufactures high-precision components for fast deflection and modulation of laser beams, the laser-based 3D printing processes of SLS and SLM technologies don’t have the necessary ability and productivity to meet stringent component quality and sustainable process stability requirements. One way to overcome this challenge is by using fast deflection units, like the company’s AM-MODULE NEXT GEN, that can flexibly adjust the laser beam focus during the 3D printing process.

The innovative AM-MODULE NEXT GEN, introduced at formnext in November, was specifically developed by RAYLASE to increase productivity and quality while 3D printing metal components in powder bed systems. The laser deflection unit recently won the ‘Best Of’ award in the Production Technology category of the German INDUSTRIEPREIS 2018 competition.

Verashape Introducing New 3D Printer At 10th 3D Printing Days

Just like it did in 2016 with the VSHAPER Go 3D printer, 3D printer manufacturer Verashape will be introducing its new VSHAPER 500 at the 10th Jubilee edition of 3D Printing Days, the largest trade fair in Poland, hosted by Targi Kielce Exhibition and Congress Centre starting today. The FFF 3D printer features a 440 x 430 x 450 mm workspace, a heat plate and enclosed chamber for high-quality prints, and a V-Port extruder with a dock for two V-JET heads, which allows for the 3D printing of large-scale components. Together with its new distributor BIBUS MENOS, Verashape will showcase the industrial VSHAPER 500 and some of its other 3D printing solutions at Booth #66 in Hall B.

“Many of our customers use 3D Printers in the production of non-standard spare parts, especially in situations where they are no longer available, the cost of buying them is too high or waiting time for parts for machines used on the production line is just too long,” said Adrian Truszkowski, Technical Sales Specialist from BIBUS MENOS Sp. z o.o. “The use of 3D Printing technology reduces production downtime, therefore, is an increasingly important element of maintenance strategies and the VSHAPER 500 perfectly fits into it.”

Stratasys Launching New PEKK-Based Material for FDM

Antero 800NA (PEKK) bracket, used to mount hydraulic components in an aircraft wing. It replaced a machined PEEK part, eliminating the material waste of the subtractive process.

Today, Stratasys introduced a new PEKK-based material for its FDM 3D printers, which can help manufacturers achieve reduced inventories, increased profitability, and more lightweight parts. Antero 800NA, the company’s new high-performance thermoplastic, has a superior chemical resistance, so it can be used to 3D print components like fuels and lubricants that are exposed to hydrocarbons. Its high operating temperature makes it well suited for applications in engine compartments, and its ultra-low outgassing means it can be used in sensitive, confined environments, like satellites, where materials may not outgas under vacuum. The material has excellent wear properties, consistent mechanical properties, large-part dimensional stability, and low-volume cost advantages.

Antero 800NA is the first commercial product in a planned new family of PEKK-based materials. It’s offered with an initial layer thickness of 0.010 in (0.25mm), and should be available for Stratasys’ Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer in Q2 2018, and for the Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer in Q4 2018.

ViscoTec Expanding 3D Printing Portfolio for Viscous Fluids and Pastes

3D print head vipro-HEAD from ViscoTec with heating function.

Germany-based ViscoTec, well known for its innovative 3D print heads, is expanding its portfolio for 3D printing viscous materials with its vipro-HEAD, a print head with an optional heating function. The heating function can easily be attached to the one-component print head, and can be used to heat viscous fluids and pastes, like ceramics, polymers, and waxes, up to 70°C.

Optimum heat distribution is ensured through a metal needle at the dosing outlet, and the product to be conveyed will be heated and kept at a constant temperature through the print head. A 55 mL cartridge can also be heated by itself to the required temperature without the use of an additional control unit. The company also introduced a new adapter, which has integrated venting for connecting to the cartridge.

Electrolux Creates First Open Innovation Factory

Today, Electrolux launched its new Innovation Factory, a collaborative space in a refurbished building on the company’s Italian manufacturing site that will be a co-working hub for accelerating innovation in manufacturing processes and product development with partners. Nearby production lines and R&D centers can instantly test solutions, and the shared facility, which is meant to facilitate alliances, will also include demonstration areas. A Fab Lab will explore advanced technologies like 3D printing, wearable technologies, and collaborative robot (COBOTS) testing. On the Innovation Factory’s website, there will be regular announcements for specific project briefs and public calls for partners and proposals, with the first call coming next month.

“This collaborative space will drive open innovation and generate a multitude of great ideas that will lead to new value for our consumers. We’re truly excited about how this will help us combine the global scale of Electrolux with the agility of our partners,” said Jan Brockmann, Electrolux CEO.

RedWorks Shares Latest Company Updates

ISAC

RedWorks, which is working to help NASA colonize outer space, announced a proof of concept in the fall for its flexible prototype system of 3D printing building materials from dirt. Since then, the construction 3D printer developer, which uses space directed research and competitions to develop and improve their technology, has been even busier. In an update, RedWorks explained that it’s secured the company’s first customer, moved into new facilities, and continued to build and test its Beta Printer for early civilian and military users. The company’s main priority at the moment is to bring its portable factory, ISAC (In-Situ Additive Construction), to market, so the team has been testing the Multi-Core Induction Extruder (M-CIE) at the heart of ISAC with a wider range of feedstock materials, like pre-sifted fine grain riverbed sand and plain old backyard dirt, which typically includes pebbles and sticks as well.

“What our latest round of tests mean for the future of construction cannot be understated: Instead of shipping concrete or bricks to a site, or building an expensive concrete plant near-site, you can make all the masonry you’d need to build as much material of any design you want completely on-site,” the update reads. “The entire process consumes significantly less energy than your average concrete plant of brick kiln, but more important to the contractor, this means material made with ISAC is a lot cheaper than what they can get from a distributor.”

According to RedWorks, if it’s something that’s been pulled from the ground, then the M-CIE can turn it into rock.

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