3D Printing News Briefs, August 14, 2024: Reverse Engineering, STEM Learning, & More

We’re taking care of business first in 3D Printing News Briefs today, as Solideon has oversubscribed its pre-seed funding goals and Revopoint3D announced a global strategic partnership with KVS for reverse engineering. Moving on, a metal hybrid 3D printer was used to solve a real-life engineering challenge onboard the USS Somerset, and On running is using a robotic 3D printer and foam to create lightweight running shoe uppers. Finally, a maker has created a 3D printable construction kit to support STEM learning.

Solideon Oversubscribes Pre-Seed Funding Goals

Robotics-enabled manufacturing company Solideon, which specializes in the aerospace and defense industries, has oversubscribed its pre-seed funding goals. The company surpassed its initial $5,000,000 goal within just 18 months of becoming incorporated and graduating from the Techstars Space accelerator. This additional capital will allow the company to speed up its growth and advance its mission. Solideon is committed to revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, and this really resonated with its customers and investors. Plus, the recent release of Congress’s budget, which includes initiatives like the replicator program, helps companies, like Solideon, working to build a forward-deployed, flexible manufacturing solution. The company’s pre-seed round saw participation from strategic investors like Stellar Ventures, 8090 Industries, 1517 Fund, Boost VC, and more, and the funds will be used to help scale production of its 20k sq. ft. manufacturing facility by adding more manufacturing cells and developing a forward-deployable robotic system.

“The real work starts NOW. We are on a mission to Rebuild America’s Industrial base first and eventually humanity’s industrial base throughout the solar system,” stated Oluseun Taiwo, the Founder of Solideon. “We have an amazing support system in the way of our venture partners, and are blessed to be able to work with them to execute on our ambitious vision.”

Revopoint3D Partnering with KVS for Professional Reverse Engineering

3D scanning solutions provider Revopoint3D, which works to make 3D modelling accessible to everyone with its user-friendly products, announced a global strategic partnership with KVS Ltd, a leading developer of QUICKSURFACE 3D reverse engineering software. Together, they will offer a comprehensive reverse engineering solution for professionals, enabling them to scan objects and easily process the data into usable CAD files used for many applications, like additive manufacturing and automotive aftermarket part design. When the KVS suite is integrated with 3D scanners, the combination increases the efficiency of transforming scan data into usable CAD data, so this new solution should be fast and seamless. Revopoint3D will offer bundles of its scanning hardware and KVS QUICKSURFACE software to its customers around the world, including an initial 30-day free trial license with purchase and upgrade options.

“Here at Revopoint, since the inception of our business, we have strived for the democratisation of 3D scanning technology. We focus on providing cutting-edge and user-friendly products that enable those who previously could not access 3D scanning to adopt its capabilities. However, we recognise that 3D scanning is just the start of the process,” explained Vivian Li, Co-founder and Head of 3D Scanner BU. “As we expand further into engineering and manufacturing applications, our customers seek a full end-to-end solution to progress from the original part to manufacturable CAD. This is where QUICKSURFACE comes in.”

CAMRE’s Metal Hybrid 3D Printer Solves Issue on USS Somserset

Hull Technician 3rd Class Mario EnriquezSanchez, a Denver native, cuts the baseplate of a 3D printed component aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 while underway in the Pacific Ocean, July 15. Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz)

In recent years, 3D printing has been a critical area of interest for the Department of Defense. For the US Navy in particular, implementing the technology on ships can save time and money, and increase warfighting readiness by enabling repair and replacement of parts and equipment. Recently, a team of engineers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) participated in the world’s largest international maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), and brought a hybrid metal 3D printer onboard the USS Somerset. Mere hours later, the team put the system to the test to solve a real-world engineering challenge—a critical component shattered on the reverse osmosis pump, which generates clean water for the crew. Because the hybrid system uses both additive and subtractive manufacturing, the workflow was streamlined, and the NPS student engineers were able to show how why operationalizing 3D printing remains a focus for many DoD leaders.

“If the crew had to rely on a replacement part without using additive manufacturing, it would have taken weeks or months. With this technology, we’ll have the new component printed and ready for installation before the order for a replacement would be completed,” said Staff Sgt. Jordan Blake, a member of the Marine Innovation Unit, in charge of the project’s technical oversight aboard ship.

On Running’s LightSpray Robotic 3D Printed Shoes

Swiss company On, which creates high-performance running shoes and clothing, uses its unique additive LightSpray process to fabricate what it calls “the lightest elite-level shoe we’ve ever made.” A robot employs 3D printing, though it looks a little like multi-axis spraying, to continuously fuse 1.5 km of filament onto a computer-optimized midsole in a complex pattern. The material is Double Helion HF hyper foam, which On says is 40% bio-based and “adds high energy return and impact absorption.” LightSpray is supposedly a single, three-minute process to create a complete, lightweight shoe upper, without glues or seams, that weighs only 30g. The resulting shoe is the lace-free Cloudboom Strike LS, which weighs just 170g to keep athletes running faster. LightSpray reduces the waste you normally get when fabricating shoes, and, compared to On’s other racing shoes, is said to reduce CO₂ emissions by 75%.

“Uniting robotics and materials innovation, this unique process cuts a decades-old, multi-part process into a three-minute, minimal-waste step,” the website states.

The Cloudboom Strike LS shoes will soon be ready to purchase, for $330, via the On running website.

Open Source STEMFIE 3D Printable Construction Kit for STEM Learning

If you were a MECCANO kid, the permissively-licensed 3D printable STEMFIE is going to bring back fond memories. (Image: STEMFIE)

A maker named Paulo Kiefe has fond childhood memories of playing with construction set toys, like MECCANO, and building “incredible contraptions.” As an adult, he wants kids around the world to nurture the same sort of passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, and after some prototyping, has created his own 3D printable construction toy, called STEMFIE, to support this vision. The MECCANO-inspired kit is designed for easy 3D printing on consumer-grade systems, and doesn’t need any supports, which speeds up bulk production and makes the process even more user-friendly. The STEMFIE parts include flat and cubic building blocks, wheels with a power-transmission hub for building robots and vehicles, and even a tool for putting it all together. The open source STEMFIE building system and all its parts are published under a permissive custom license, and its documented in full, with project ideas and downloadable print files, on the website.

“If you are an individual acting in your hobby interest or are a part of an organization (schools, libraries, retirement homes, FabLabs, maker spaces, etc.), I highly encourage and support the commercial use of the STEMFIE project. Feel free to print and sell any STEMFIE parts and projects, as well as your creations; after all, you are feeding and taking care of your 3D printer!”