3D Printing News Briefs: August 11, 2019

We’re starting off this 3D Printing News Briefs edition with some good news from Xometry – this week, it announced the availability of Carbon DLS technology as one of its process options. Moving on, Markforged published a case study and Aeromet announced new properties for its A20X powder. Finally, HP has launched a design competition.

Xometry Offering Carbon DLS Technology

Just this week, custom on-demand manufacturing network Xometry announced that it will be offering Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology by Carbon as one of its available 3D printing process options, in addition to SLS, SLA, FDM, DMLS, PolyJet, and HP’s Multi Jet Fusion. Through its Instant Quoting Engine, Xometry customers can get quotes, design feedback, and lead times for production-grade parts 3D printed with Carbon’s DLS. You can learn more about how to get the most out of this technology, and the Xometry platform, during a live webinar on Wednesday, August 14, from 12 – 1 pm; each attended will be entered to win a pair of Adidas Futurecraft 4D shoes with 3D printed soles by Carbon.

“We are very excited to add Carbon’s cutting-edge DLS technology to Xometry’s capabilities. Our additive customers have been asking us for it due to its reputation for speed and quality,” stated Bill Cronin, Xometry’s Chief Revenue Officer.

Dunlop Uses Markforged 3D Printer to Save Money

UK manufacturing company Dunlop Systems and Components mostly makes air suspensions, which are utilized by trains and heavy machinery. The tooling team was having a bottleneck issue with making replacement parts, such as a fixture to hold parts in place during hydraulic crimping, and needed a solution that would save the company time and money. So Mark Statham, the company’s Production and Engineering Manager, went to a talk held by Markforged partner Mark 3D, and realized that he had found the solution. The company purchased the Markforged Onyx 3D printer, and has been using it to make replacement products like the crimping fixture, which was previously warping due to heat, as well as custom tooling for a beta electric vehicle. By using 3D printing to fabricate all tooling, the Dunlop team is seeing significantly reduced lead times, and estimates it will save a total of roughly £40,000 a year.

“Our department’s almost got bragging rights because we can now say that we don’t hold up any program,” Statham said in the Markforged case study on the relationship. “If you want something done, we can now print it within a couple of days. So we’re not holding anyone up.”

Aeromet Announces New Properties for A20X Alloy 

UK foundry specialist Aeromet International is known for developing the world’s strongest commercially available aluminum casting alloy, A20X. Now, after the HighSAP research project, which Aeromet collaborated on with Rolls-Royce and Renishaw, the company announced that its patented alloy has achieved new record-breaking properties after surpassing the critical 500 MPa UTS mark. Heat-treated parts for the NATEP-backed project, which were 3D printed with A20X Powder, have achieved an Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of 511 MPa, a Yield Strength of 440 MPa, and and Elongation of 13%, which solidifies its standing as one of the strongest aluminium AM powders commercially available.

“Since bringing the A20X alloy to market for additive manufacturing 5 years ago we have seen significant adoption for high-strength, design-critical applications,” stated Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet. “By working with Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and PSI we have optimised processing parameters that led to record-breaking results, opening up new design possibilities for aerospace and advanced engineering applications.”

HP Launches New 3D Printing Design Competition 

Artificial intelligence, robotics, big data/analytics, and the Internet of Things will all have an important part to play in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but 3D printing could have one of the most important parts of all, which means that we need more designers who can use the technology in production applications. With that mindset, HP has launched a design competition that will focus on color use, functionality, and aesthetic appeal of 3D printed products.

“Color is opening up a world of new possibilities for 3D printing. It’s helping surgeons create models to prepare for surgery, allowing manufacturers to develop better parts, and enabling customization not previously possible,” the contest site states.

“How would you use color to elevate 3D printing? Show us by submitting your color design to our competition for a chance to win an HP ZBook 15 G5 Mobile Workstation.”

The deadline to enter is September 5th; the public can vote for their favorite, and the winner will be announced by October 15. Designs should focus on extended or new functional color ideas that “benefit the product’s consumer” and expand its function, and applicants should be able to explain why 3D printing is the best production choice for their idea. For more contest information, including general guidelines, how to enter, and the judging criteria, check out the contest page here.

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