3D Printing News Briefs, April 6, 2023: Metal Powder, 3D Printed Bike, & More

April 6, 2023 by Sarah Saunders 3D Printing 3D Printing Materials Business Metal 3D Printing Sports

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We’re starting with business first in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as Dyndrite has joined ASTM and Endeavor 3D is one of HP’s Digital Manufacturing Partners. In materials news, Sandvik is opening a metal powder web shop, and Swarco Advanced Industry Systems developed a range of glass filler beads that enable AM material optimization. Finally, Revel Bikes 3D printed a prototype concept downhill bike.

Dyndrite Joins ASTM International’s CMDS Initiative

Dyndrite, which developed the GPU-accelerated computation engine used to create digital manufacturing hardware and software, announced that it is now a member of the ASTM International Consortium for Materials Data and Standardization (CMDS) initiative, run through ASTM’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE). This initiative is working to speed up qualification and help with greater adoption of AM technologies, and Dyndrite will work with industry members that are, as the company explained, “chartered to standardize the requirements for AM materials data generation and create and manage shared high-pedigree ‘reference’ datasets.” The company will release shareable build recipes that show how standardized designs-of-experiments (DoE), based on ASTM data standards, can be made using its technology, and other members will be able to use these recipes across all major OEM file formats, ensuring that data is generated and recorded in a standard, repeatable way.

“We are excited to join the ASTM consortium for materials data and standardization, and further work with the Data team. We have built tools uniquely capable of ensuring quality and traceability through AM component production. This is increasingly important as the metal AM industry moves to generate foundational material data built upon the Common Data Model. Our work enables knowledge transfer of critical material data and pedigree needed for robust characterization of the process-structure-property relationship. Understanding and effectively communicating this concept will greatly increase the adoption of metal AM for production applications,” said Steve Walton, Head of Product, Dyndrite.

Endeavor 3D Joins HP Digital Manufacturing Partner Network

Additive contract manufacturer Endeavor 3D works to change the world of manufacturing through solutions that reduce costs, improve efficiency, and open new possibilities for AM designers, engineers, and researchers in North America. Now, it has been promoted to the list of HP Digital Manufacturing Partners via invitation, certified by HP with an onsite assessment and evaluation. Endeavor 3D was already a member of the HP Digital Manufacturing Network (DMN), and now this exclusive certification sets it up as a premiere provider of prototyping and production services using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion fleet. The company is already collaborating with leaders in the automotive, medical device, and aerospace industries to use HP’s technology suite for product development and production.

“Joining this short list of HP Digital Manufacturing Partners is an important milestone for our company. Our deep relationship with HP continues to expand with a singular shared vision, to support the next generation of designers, engineers, and manufacturers with our experienced relationship-centric team of skilled additive professionals and full manufacturing capabilities. The foundation of our operation is to offer end-to-end prototyping and production services 24-7 that exceed existing quality standards.” Endeavor 3D’s 65,000 square foot, award-winning facility in Douglasville, GA is exclusively devoted to advanced additive manufacturing technologies and is outfitted with state-of-the art, in-house testing laboratory equipment and quality control systems.”

Sandvik Opening Osprey Metal Powder Web Shop

At formnext 2022, Sandvik pre-launched a concept: offering online sales of AM-optimized alloys from its range of Osprey metal powders. Now, the company has announced that its Osprey Online web shop will be open for business as of April 12th, 2023. The new online store promises easy ordering, fast deliveries, and premium quality metal powders, initially including Osprey titanium, maraging steel, nickel-based superalloys, and stainless steels. To mark the opening of Osprey Online, the company will air a special edition episode of its interactive webinar series Additive By Sandvik: Material Matters, which will demonstrate the web shop and its available alloys in great detail through an in-depth presentation, and also explain the role this new e-commerce solution will play in Sandvik’s mission to move towards more sustainable manufacturing.

“We are thrilled to offer this customer-centric solution, to provide our customers across the additive manufacturing industry with premium metal powders at any time. We are painfully aware of the struggles to acquire timely deliveries of high-quality metal powders, to keep important AM projects from coming to a halt. We are very excited to be the go-to partner that can help our customers through that challenge – and many more,” said Dr. Andrew Coleman, Head of Sandvik’s Business Unit Powder.
“Sustainability is an integrated part of our operations at Sandvik Additive Manufacturing. From manufacturing the powders in facilities powered by green electricity, to keeping strategic stock and avoiding air freight, the e-commerce business is definitely in line with our aim of driving the shift toward more sustainable manufacturing.”

The 30-minute Osprey Online webinar will air at 12 pm CEST (6 am EST) next Wednesday the 12th, and end with the web shop doors opening. Register here.

Swarco’s Glass Filler Beads Enable AM Material Optimization

Austrian company Swarco Advanced Industry Systems, part of the international Swarco Group, developed a range of tailor-made glass filler beads for 3D printing that can help optimize AM materials. These beads make it possible to modify and optimize the properties of 3D printing base materials, including composites, according to individual parameters. As Swarco explains, adding them at the same time will increase the creep behavior and hardness of the basic material.

Swarco began producing small reflective glass beads for road markings in 1969, and has grown into a leading manufacturer of micro glass beads, used as a high-grade filler material in the composites industry and for special industrial applications; these also serve as a blasting abrasive for surface treatments. Glass filler beads are made with a very efficient production process, which leaves a small carbon footprint that helps bring material costs down. They offer a higher density to molded parts, and are great to use for 3D printed parts.

Revel Created a 3D Printed Carbon Fiber Downhill Bike

Colorado-based Revel Bikes recently released the Rodeo, a 3D printed downhill (DH) bike that incorporates both its affinity for the West and its carbon fiber FusionFiber wheels. The company claims the prototype concept is the world’s first fully 3D printed carbon fiber DH bike, and partnered with 3D printing company Arevo to manufacture the “passion project.” Through its FusionFiber journey, the company discovered the potential for the Rodeo, and the brand was introduced to Arevo, which has experience with both carbon fiber 3D printing and 3D printing bikes. Revel realized 3D printing could be used to develop the bike frame, and senior engineer Jordan Haffener worked with Arevo to create several 3D printed prototypes, until they landed on one that could undergo the stresses and rigors a DH bike would undergo. However, while the company said that “in its current state the process is far too expensive and unrealistic” to bring the Rodeo DH bike to production, Revel wanted to try Arevo’s AM technology and see its potential for the future.

“A 3D printed composite CBF downhill bike?! The Rodeo is just a concept for now and it’s not for sale,” Revel writes on its website. “But we wanted to show off what our team has been working on because this stuff is fun! Still, it serves as an example of conviction, innovation, and what is possible with current technology and what could be a reality in the future. It’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of a 3D-printed carbon bike made here in the United States, and the ramifications could mean incredibly improved prototyping and development processes for bike brands, safer conditions in production facilities, significant environmental benefits, and greater customization for the rider at better costs.”