3D Printing News Briefs, August 23, 2023: Sales & Distribution, Parametric Modeling, & More

In business news today, nano3Dprint announced its latest strategic distribution partnership in Asia, Snowbird Technologies is Meltio’s newest sales partner, and EOS North America launched its AMTurnkey Service. Continuing with 3D Printing News Briefs, WASP has a new parametric modeling app and Airwolf3D unveiled a new large-format desktop 3D printer. Finally, a 3D printed copy of the ‘Il Cannone’ violin celebrates the 70th anniversary of the competition.

nano3Dprint Announces Second Distribution Partnership in Asia

nano3Dprint A2200

Electronic AM solutions provider nano3Dprint is continuing its expansion in Asia with the announcement of its latest strategic distribution partnership. Collimage International Co., Ltd., based in Taiwan, will be distributing two of nano3Dprint’s solutions to its customers—the A2200 3D Multi-material Electronics Printer and the B3300 Dual-Dispensing 3D Printer. nano3Dprint’s current electronics printer lineup enables 3D printing of fully-realized electronic devices with integration of micro- to nanoscale materials, allowing users to easily and quickly invent, design, test, and research. Collimage International has already sold several of these printers to National Taiwan University, which will make them available to undergraduate students in the photonics lab for designing and printing of metallic electrode patterns for self-powered solar devices. With this new partnership, nano3DPrint will reach a “wider audience” of makers, researchers, and innovators in Taiwan.

“By expanding our product lineup, our business captures the attention of a broader audience while rekindling a fresh perspective among our existing customers,” said Alan Tuan, President, Collimage International. “We look forward to creating a new market in Taiwan for nano3Dprint.”

Snowbird Technologies is Meltio’s Newest Sales Partner

Meltio, a leading manufacturer of wire-laser metal 3D printing, announced that its newest sales partner is Snowbird Technologies. Due to their product quality, performance capabilities, and integration and automation functionality, Meltio’s printheads are offered as a standard component on the new patented Snowbird Additive Mobile Manufacturing Technology platform, or SAMM Tech, which operates inside a deployable shipping container to support industrial operators and warfighters by producing large-format metal parts on-demand for equipment repairs. Meltio’s DED process is built around wire feedstock, and Snowbird Technologies is authorized to sell the Meltio Engine Robot—available with dual wire capability—worldwide through the sales partnership agreement. The company will be authorized to conduct installations, site evaluations, setup, and training of the Meltio Engine Robot, and the partnership will likely boost integration of this solution to wire-laser metal 3D printing in U.S. industries.

“The SAMM Tech platform with Meltio components offers an impressive, high-performing solution for in-the-field parts manufacturing. Our goal in expanding our sales partnership of Meltio products is to provide solutions facilitating efficient and accurate additive manufacturing capabilities in the most remote and harshest environments around the world,” said Jeremy Heerdink, Vice President of Business Development, Snowbird Technologies.

EOS North America Launches AM Turnkey Consulting Program

The AM Turnkey service by EOS North America is a new Additive Minds consulting program, which allows EOS experts to take the lead in scaling your AM business, while also helping to get your team ready to take over after proven production. Additive Minds runs the whole process, from project planning, material qualification, and machine operation to training and project handover in an EOS Pflugerville Technical Facility confidential Turnkey bay, where your system is safely operated and monitored by Additive Minds engineers. It’s a low-risk, fast solution for companies interested in adopting industrial 3D printing but not sure exactly where to start. Benefits include extensive project consultation and mapping, customized Additive Minds engagement, and complete team training, and the relationship is tailored to your company’s AM goals.

“AM Turnkey was created based on customer demand. The organizations we work with are typically market leaders, industry disruptors, and national research labs working on high priority projects that cannot be delayed by engineering hurdles, AM system installations and internal team trainings,” said Greg Hayes, Senior Vice President, Applied Technology, EOS. “Working in concert with our customers, AM Turnkey brings EOS’ innovation and engineering to bear for their organization, allowing application to get off of white boards and quicky into a state of proven production which they can quickly scale.”

WASP Introduces New Parametric Modeling App for Clay 3D Printing

Since 2012, WASP has been setting a new standard in the world of clay 3D printing, and earlier this summer, it launched a beta version of a new slicing and parametric 3D modelling software for clay 3D printing. Now, WASP App v0.2 is available to the public, allowing users to manipulate parameters including size, shape, texture, and slicing settings to create your own clay prints. With the app, you can export g-codes  and start printing on WASP’s clay printers right away, without needing an extensive background in 3D modeling and slicing. To explore your creativity, simply follow the app’s main steps: choose a printer; shape your object through parametric design; add a texture; edit slicing settings; and export your g-code.

Users can freely access WASP APP v0.2 by web and experiment to their heart’s content. New features will be added in the coming months, including the ability to queue different g-codes in the same file, which enables the easy creation of many unique pieces, like different sets of tiles, vases, and façades. This feature in particular will work great with the Delta Wasp 40100 Clay Production System, which is a digital factory for automated 24/7 printing of customized clay pieces. Eventually, payment plans will be integrated with more defined versions of the app.

Airwolf 3D Debuts Large-Format Desktop EVO 2X 3D Printer

Las Vegas-based 3D printer manufacturer Airwolf 3D has unveiled its new supersized EVO 2X 3D printer, an advanced desktop Additive Manufacturing Center (AMC) with nearly double the print volume of the EVO 22, its previous largest printer. The new EVO 2X, with its 24 x 12 x 22″ build volume, uses a range of industrial-grade materials, including Nylon, ABS, Polycarbonate, and more, to fabricate giant, robust prints. The sub-$20,000 printer features a cartridge-style planetary G-series extruder assembly, a larger orifice standard nozzle for faster printing, and the EVO Series’ exclusive energy-efficient Tri-Heat Build Environment, which consists of dual chamber heaters and a high-temperature print bed for maximum part adhesion and increased strength. Just like the original EVO printer, the EVO 2X uses Airwolf 3D’s proprietary GENESIS board: a 32-bit, automotive-grade microcontroller that offers increased precision, speed, and control at high temperatures. Plus, you won’t need any specialized electrical hookups, as the EVO 2X works in a standard household 3-prong outlet.

“What separates our machines from the rest? We use EVO 2X printers to manufacture full-scale automotive bodies using 100% ABS. This is simply not possible with any other printer in this price range. Prints times range from 40 to 120 hours for each plate, demanding strong and reliable equipment. These large-scale parts showcase not only spectacular print quality but also display the necessary strength and mechanical properties for functional prototypes and end-use parts,” said Airwolf 3D Co-Founder and CEO Erick Wolf.

“Other machines in the market lack this level of performance and quality, either because they can’t sustain the temperatures needed for engineering-grade materials, or because they compromise on construction, which isn’t sufficient for advanced industrial desktop manufacturing. With EVO 2X you do not need to buy overpriced specialized filament to make large parts. We designed the machine to handle readily available engineering-grade materials.”

Violin Competition Presents 3D Printed Copy of Famous Violin

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the international Premio Paganini violin competition in Genoa, Italy this October, a 3D printed 1:1 copy of a famous violin will be presented. The Guarneri del Gesù ‘Il Cannone’ violin belonged to Niccolò Paganini, an Italian violin virtuoso and composer who died in 1840 after making his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. The 3D printed copy was fabricated using white resin and red nylon strings, which represent not only the competition’s new logo but also the colors of the Saint George’s flag. Premio Paganini partnered with 3DiTALY on the project, using iReal 3D scanners and Formlabs printers to complete the replica, which is meant to continue Paganini’s legacy and involve young people in music. The 3D printed version of the ’Il Cannone’ violin is currently at competition headquarters in Palazzo Doria Carcassi, Genoa, and will be officially presented at the 57th edition of the competition, October 16-27. After, it will be displayed at public events, exhibitions, and concerts in Italy and abroad throughout 2024.

“The 3D “Il Cannone” is an opportunity provided by new technology, and it can be brought to schools and all over the city to recount Paganini in an unconventional way. It is also important to highlight that this work was carried out through a technical sponsorship as part of the competition’s partnership research programme, and that all material relating to the scan and the digital model of the “Cannone” is now part of the archival heritage of the Municipality of Genoa,” said Marco Bucci, Mayor of Genoa.