3D Printing News Briefs, August 30, 2024: Hypersonics, Gas Turbines, Pickleball, & More

We’re starting with software and business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as 3DPrinterOS has announced its integration of Prusa Slicer, and Continuum Powders continues to grow its executive team. Moving on, two Colibrium Additive engineers are offering onsite support to Purdue University’s hypersonics facility, Aurora Labs had a successful maiden flight with its 3D printed micro gas turbine, and 3D printed Kevlar could revolutionize repair procedures for aerospace structures. Finally, a 3D printed pickleball makes gameplay much quieter, and 3D printed concrete toilet pods are being added to some Welsh railway stations.

3DPrinterOS Announces Integration of Prusa Slicer for Cloud Slicing

3DPrinterOS, a solution by 3D Control Systems, is a top cloud-based 3D printing management software platform, and just announced that it’s integrated Prusa Slicer into its cloud slicing feature. Prusa Slicer is well-known for being precise and versatile, so it will be a good addition to 3DPrinterOS’s cloud platform and help to improve the user experience, provide more slicing options, and streamline the 3D printing workflow so it’s much more efficient. Users will now be able to access advanced features from Prusa Slicer right from the cloud, which means the latest configurations and updates are always right at their fingertips, and negates the need for any local installations.

One benefit of integrating Prusa Slicer into 3DPrinterOS’s platform is advanced customization of settings for users, so they have more control over the quality of their final prints. It also enables improved compatibility and more effective collaboration, as users can prepare models for many 3D printers, including Prusa machines, and share slicing profiles and configurations within the platform. By adding Prusa Slicer into the 3DPrinterOS cloud platform, local software management is not required, so users can have access to slicing tools from anywhere, and they can also send print jobs right to the printer, which will definitely improve productivity.

Continuum Powders Adds to Executive Team with New CMO

Continuum Powders, a portfolio company of global private equity firm Ara Partners, develops high-performance, sustainable metal powders, with a streamlined powder lifecycle management process that reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions. The company, working to increase its market share and speed up strategic go-to-market planning, recently announced an expansion to its executive leadership team in Renette Youssef, the new chief marketing officer (CMO). Previously the CMO at Velo3D, Youssef joined Continuum Powders not long after Rob Higby was named CEO, and will use her leadership and strategic foresight to strengthen the company’s brand presence, drive lead generation efforts, improve customer engagement and corporate valuation, and expand market reach. With over 15 years of experience in building successful technology brands, Youssef should have no trouble solidifying the company’s position as an industry leader.

“Renette is an absolute marketing superstar with a unique ability to effectively articulate game-changing, next-generation technology offerings. Continuum has been converting advanced manufacturing thought leaders to our OptiPowder offerings on a daily basis based on our powder quality, our service level, and our unmatched carbon reduction story.  Renette is the ideal person to lead Continuum Powders, and our industry, as we realize the fundamental benefits of reduced cost, tax and carbon credits, and reducing the carbon footprint, that Continuum’s offerings enable for each of our customers,” said Higby.

Colibrium Additive Supporting Purdue Hypersonics Facility

Ryan Saucier (left) and Nathan Humbert (right), both lead additive manufacturing engineers, handle Colibrium Additive’s equipment housed in Purdue Applied Research Institute’s (PARI) Hypersonics Additive Manufacturing Technology Center. Under a new arrangement, Saucier and Humbert, both representing Colibrium Additive, are offering their technical expertise as full-time on-site support to PARI.

Two full-time Colibrium Additive engineers have been embedded into daily operations at Purdue Applied Research Institute’s (PARI) Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (HAMTC), in an effort to provide a new framework for industry-university collaboration. HAMTC is the only hypersonics center in the U.S. with design, manufacturing, joining, and testing capabilities, and the onsite support from Colibrium Additive will help researchers “more efficiently produce novel hypersonic technologies” that could transition to defense. Nate Humbert and Ryan Saucier, who have PARI credentials, have been fully integrated into the university system, and act as AM subject matter experts at HAMTC, supporting students, faculty, and staff throughout the AM process. They fill the knowledge gaps at the center, and help maintain everyday operations, like the MX and X Line 2000 3D printers at HAMTC.

“These engineers from Colibrium Additive provide insights that move our research along further and more rapidly than if we had to reach out via email or collaborate virtually. We hope to create the model that other industry partners can replicate for other areas of expertise,” said David Bretz, PARI’s senior project manager for this effort.

Aurora Labs Completes Maiden Flight for 3D Printed Micro Gas Turbine

Aurora Labs Limited (A3D) announced an exciting milestone—its 200 Class metal 3D printed micro gas turbine completed a successful maiden flight, achieving 22kg of thrust. The company surmounted numerous obstacles with this project, which began with the goal of developing a fully functional micro gas turbine using advanced metal AM. The resulting A3D 200 Class turbine, which was designed, printed, and built in Australia, is lightweight, and optimized for efficiency and performance, thanks to a design that reduces its overall mass without losing quality or power. It features an integrated electronic control unit and a brushless fuel pump for excellent combustion temperatures and fuel efficiency, and with a thrust capability that exceeds 20kg, the metal 3D printed micro gas turbine is perfect for a number of industrial applications.

“I am thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the micro gas turbine project with our maiden flight now complete. A3D’s development of the 3D printed turbine underscores our commitment to innovation and positions the Company at the forefront of pushing micro gas turbine technology to new advancing frontiers,” said Aurora Labs CEO Rebekah Letheby.

MCAST 3D Printed Kevlar Shields for Aerospace Repair

For safety purposes, it’s very important to maintain the structural integrity of aircraft and spacecraft, but current repair methods can be costly and time-consuming. The SBORAEK (Smart Ballistic Optimization for Repairing of Aerospace Exostructures using 3D-printed Kevlar) project at the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) aims to create custom repair patches using 3D printing. With support from MCAST’s Institute of Engineering and Transport (IET) and Aerospace Engineering Institute, as well as Italy’s CISAS of the University of Padova and Skyup Academy, the project has three main goals: develop a method to optimize the design of 3D printed shields for better ballistic performance; use 3D printed continuous aramid (man-made) fibers, like Kevlar and carbon fiber, to make repair patches; and streamline the repair process to reduce MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) time.

The project’s acronym, inspired by the traditional savory Turkish Börek pastry made from yufka dough (from “bur,” meaning “to twist,”) is reflective of the smart methodology the project team is using to create layered structures for aerospace repair. By using 3D printing of continuous aramid fiber materials, the SBORAEK shields could improve overall repairability, minimize downtime and costs via on-site repairs, achieve customization that reduces weight and wasted materials, and even find applications on the International Space Station and future spacecraft. The team presented the project at several international occasions, and SBORAEK concluded in a series of tests conducted with laboratory launcher company Thiot Ingenierie at its Hypervelocity Impact facility. A Light-Gas Gun was used to successfully assess the ballistic performance of the 3D printed Kevlar and carbon fiber shields.

Accel Digital Solutions Unveiled Quieter Pickleball Made with MJF

Pickleball is a fun sport, but it’s also a very noisy one. So Accel Digital Sports, a division of Michigan startup Accel Digital Solutions, set out to make a quieter 3D printed pickleball that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology and reusable materials to reduce environmental impact, the company developed the high-performance DigiPro pickleball series, which is USA Pickleball Quiet Play approved, built for longer playtime, and features enhanced airflow for better accuracy and control. Accel also worked with Pickleball Sound Mitigation, a company that’s dedicated to analyzing noise, sound barriers, and options for quieter balls and paddles, and put the DigiPro up against other leading pickleball brands in a study which showed that the durable 3D printed pickleball is more than 10 decibels quieter than other tournament-approved balls. The DigiPro pickleball emits a quieter “click” noise, instead of the normal loud “pop,” that’s closer to a tennis ball’s “thump.”

“Being experts in additive manufacturing, we saw an opportunity to design the first 3D printed pickleball for the sporting industry. We led the ideation and consulted with HP®, a leading global provider of additive manufacturing equipment, to co-invent this patent-pending product,” the website states.

You can purchase the 3D printed DigiPro pickleball for just $30 on the Accel Digital Sports website.

3D Printed Concrete Toilet Pods for Welsh Railway Stations

Inside the 3D printed toilet pod

Railway stations in Wales that don’t have toilets are about to get them in the form of 3D printed concrete pods, made by ChangeMaker 3D, CyBe Construction, and Baily Garner, with help from Transport for Wales to roll out the pods on the Welsh rail system. This was a winning project in the Clean Futures Accelerator program, and in addition to offering toilet facilities, the 3D printed pods will integrate rainwater harvesting and solar power as well. The pods, made up of three separate 3D printed walls that will be assembled onsite, are 2.4 meters high, and use 60% less steel than similarly sized pods made with traditional materials and processes. The prototype pod, which took 4.5 hours to print with CyBe’s robot crawler, is being further developed and tested at Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), a not-for-profit Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) in the Midlands that’s one of the leaders of the Clean Futures Accelerator.

“We’ve got a kicker for the bricks to determine whether the traditional damp-proofing method is still required for a 3D printed wall. So we have one wall with and one wall without bricks that’s going to give us a real world example of whether we can take those steps in the construction process going forward,” explained Changemaker 3D CEO and Co-Founder Natalie Wadley.

“The other things we’re testing include the interface with the 3D printing with traditional materials and traditional construction methods. That’s something that we know, going forward, there’s always going to be a requirement for those interfaces, whether it’s a base slab, whether it’s roofing, doors – all those details. This gives us a real opportunity to actually build and construct in a way that blends the traditional methods with 3D concrete printing.”