3D Printing News Briefs, June 3, 2020: Tethon 3D, SolidLine, Scottish Enterprise, Phillips Corporation

We’re telling you about a new material in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, followed by some business news and a military partnership. Tethon 3D is launching a new material, while SolidLine is opening an innovation center. An organization that supports the Scottish government has news about an advanced manufacturing challenge, and the Phillips Corporation is partnering with the US Army.

Tethon 3D Launches New Tethonite Ceramic Powder

Nebraska-based 3D printing materials company Tethon 3D announced that it is launching Mullite Tethonite, a new ceramic powder that can be used for binder jetting. The firm is releasing a beta version of a UV-curable mullite ceramic resin for both DLP and SLA 3D printing. Parts that are 3D printed with mullite material, which is often used for applications like heat exchangers, furnace liners, and electrical insulators, have low thermal conductivity and are resistant to thermal stresses. In order to 3D print with the new powder, users will also need to use a Tethon 3D companion binder.

“Ceramic and metal additive manufacturing is growing at a rapid pace,” said Trent Allen, the President of Tethon 3D. “We believe that some of the largest growth we’ll see in the next five years is pushing the current boundaries of how things are post processed. We see a lot of value in printing this Mullite material into custom kiln furniture & refractory products.”

This brings the total number of Tethonite formulations to five: High Alumina, Porcelain, Stoneware, Earthenware, and now Mullite.

SolidLine Opening Innovation Center in Hamm

SolidLine presents complete process chains and solutions in the new rooms.

SolidLine AG, a top provider of PLM solutions for product development and manufacturing in Germany, recently opened a new innovation center in Hamm, where customers can experience the company’s whole PLM solutions portfolio for CAMWorks, SOLIDWORKS, and 3D Systems, including 3D scanning, digital twin, subtractive and additive manufacturing, mixed reality, and more. The unique environment gives interested parties the chance to try out its PLM solutions, even with their own 3D models and products, and the center also uses the many onsite 3D printers to act as an industrial AM service provider for its customers. Additionally, the Innovation Center offers post-processing services and is available for appointments, workshops, events, and training courses.

Mike Gregor, Head of 3D Printing at SolidLine AG, stated, “The new SolidLine innovation center is all about optimizing product development and manufacturing. The SolidLine Innovation Center is deliberately not a pure exhibition space, but a PLM experience world in which the advantages of integrated product development and manufacturing become tangible.”

Scottish Enterprise’s Advanced Manufacturing Challenge Fund

The Scottish Enterprise organization, which supports the Scottish government, offers academic institutions, third sector organizations, and public bodies the chance to earn a £15.8 million investment through its Advanced Manufacturing Challenge Fund (AMCF). Its goal is for projects delivered by the organizations that receive funding to help Scottish SMEs advance their manufacturing capabilities. Every year, up to £8.9 million in grant funding from the government and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is awarded, while successful applications will have to secure match funding of up to £6.9 million.

There are 12 possible AMCF projects that applicants can work on, including the Make it SMART Hub for Manufacturing and Construction SMEs in the Highlands and Islands, Aerospace Digital Visualisation Suite, and Additive Manufacturing – Business & Technology Support Packages (AM-BATS), with themes including reinventing the workforce, supply chains, and adoption of new technologies and processes. The projects will also demonstrate sustainable development, positive approaches to non-discrimination and equal opportunities, and gender equality. The projects began in April and will end by December 31st, 2022.

Phillips Corporation Partnering with US Army for 3D Printing

The Federal Division of the Phillips Corporation, which distributes and provides service for machines and other ancillary equipment to the United States Federal Government and the DoD, has entered into a Public Private Partnership Agreement, or P3, with the US Army. The company will provide 3D printing expertise, and support the Army Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing at the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA-JMTC). Phillips Federal Applications Engineers will be embedded at the Rock Island CoE facility, where they will work to, as a press release states, “exploit the potential of additive manufacturing in developing solutions to meet the Army’s current and future supply chain challenges.”

“Phillips Corporation sees substantial growth opportunities in additive manufacturing technologies (also known as 3D printing) that are rapidly advancing applications for forming unique metal and plastic industrial parts for the Defense Industrial Base. In order to increase awareness for these technologies, Phillips is pleased to reach an agreement with the Army’s Rock Island CoE where we can collaborate on manufacturing unique parts using additive technology applications and processes,” said the CEO of Phillips Corporation, Alan M. Phillips. “This an exciting time in the evolution of additive manufacturing, and we are pleased to be involved with the CoE as a thought and application leader in the additive manufacturing segment of our industry.”

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