Prodways, Openlab, and Platinum 3D boost industrial product development with 3D printed molds

In a joint project focusing on incorporating 3D printing technologies into the production of plastic injection molds, Prodways Technologies, Openlab by Schneider Electric and the Platinium 3D platform are teaming up to accelerate the development cycle of industrial products.

Example of an injection mold printed in 3D on a standard injection molding machine ©Openlab Schneider Electric

One of the major challenges for the Industry of the Future will undoubtedly be to release new products onto the market faster in order to stay competitive. At the same time, international standards and certification requirements burden electricity manufacturers with long certification processes for their components, which must be produced using final material prototypes. In order to reduce time to market, the R&D departments of electrical component manufacturers such as Schneider Electric, a global leader, need to produce their prototypes fast in order to obtain certification and perform functional tests with the final material. Consequently, the challenge is to be able to break free of traditional tooling – a long, expensive process – by creating the prototype molds through 3D printing and to then inject final material parts and speed up the iterations needed to get certified before producing the final production mold.

With nearly 400 product launches per year and revenue in excess of €24 billion in 2017, Schneider Electric has placed strategic importance on technological innovation focused on improving time to market. To achieve this, Schneider Electric utilizes its Openlab, located in downtown Grenoble, to support development projects for new offers.

To quote Frédérick Choupin of Schneider Electric: “Our goal is to use cutting-edge technologies to shorten the product development cycle. With 3D printing and agile project management, we’re in a position to overcome the traditional obstacles of long-established processes and market an innovative product 60% faster.”

With this in mind, Openlab by Schneider Electric has been working with Prodways Technologies and the Platinium 3D technology platform for over a year to incorporate MOVINGLight technology into the development cycle of its electrical components in order to print plastic injection molds in 3D. Ultimately, nearly 25 tooling molds were printed in 3D, and as a result, hundreds of parts could be injected on an injection molding machine under manufacturing conditions in order to create parts that matched the final shape and complied with the certification prerequisites with the correct polymer grade.

Prodways MOVINGLight printing process

Sébastien Guenet, Deputy Executive Officer of UIMM Champagne-Ardenne (Champagne-Ardenne Union of Metallurgies Industries), Platinium 3D, said, “Typically, producing an aluminum mold for tooling prototypes of parts that need to be certified as final material has a lead time that can range from several weeks to two months, and that drastically slows down the development cycle.”

“With 3D printing, we can produce tooling prototypes in a few hours, modify them immediately based on the needs of the functional tests and then inject final material parts. These final material parts are sent directly for certification while the aluminum mold is still being produced. Thanks to this process, we considerably speed up the new-product development cycle since the final material parts are already certified even before the aluminum production mold is finalized.”

Thanks to Prodways’ 3D printing materials that boast high mechanical and heat resistance, Openlab by Schneider Electric and Platinium 3D have injected charged and nonflammable polyamide parts. Glass-charged polyamide is one of the most commonly used materials for technical components where heat resistance is mandatory; it is standard for many industries and an indispensable prerequisite for obtaining certifications.

3D printing, which is essential for developing industrial products, is therefore poised to play a key role in the growth of the businesses of the future. Through this partnership, Prodways Technologies, Openlab by Schneider Electric and Platinium 3D are reaffirming their central role as trailblazers paving the way to innovation in French industry.

NCMS opening AM center in Maryland HEAT Center

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) plans to establish a new manufacturing innovation center in Harford County, Maryland.  Focusing on developing next-generation industrial additive manufacturing, materials, and processes, this facility will house leading engineers and the world’s most powerful production technology.  Collaboration at the center will lead to scientific breakthroughs in metallurgy and plastics, as well as the launch of new factory machinery that will transform the way U.S. producers make aircraft, automobiles, munitions, medical devices, and other products.

“As a proven leader in advanced technology innovation development, NCMS has the unique ability to engage and work with a wide variety of partners while finding the critical infrastructure, talent, and investment for successful program and project management,” said NCMS president, Rick Jarman. “We believe Aberdeen, Maryland is the place where these vital innovation ingredients come together and are key to the new industrial revolution.”

Led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-MD and Lindsay Graham, R-SC, the new center has received bipartisan support from across the country, indicating the tremendous interest in capturing the impact and capabilities of this critical technology to maintain and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

“I’m pleased to welcome NCMS to Maryland and add this national innovation leader to our State’s manufacturing ecosystem,” said Sen. Van Hollen. “I look forward to seeing how the collaboration of NCMS alongside industry leaders will transform manufacturing – enabling rapid production at lower cost.”

Partners of the new center include the State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and Harford County, Maryland, as well as founding members 3D Systems and Applied Materials.

“3D Systems is proud to have helped NCMS lead this initiative,” said Neal Orringer, vice president, alliances & partnerships, 3D Systems.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to partner with key government and industry leaders such as Applied Materials to drive innovation and U.S. competitiveness.  This effort is designed to equip our military with the best technology possible at the best value to the taxpayer.”

This collaboration between government, industry, and academia will advance and build on breakthrough, non-traditional technologies to enable U.S. manufacturers with large-scale additive manufacturing, unprecedented speed in part production, novel designs and materials, dramatic cuts in cost and delivery times, and point-of-need part manufacturing. The goal is to provide U.S. troops with the most updated platforms and tools available, so they are prepared to face any situation,

NCMS’ long-standing, proven and sustainable success is possible because of its effective collaboration with world-class organizations that deliver solutions to enhance our nation’s manufacturing capability. Building on its extensive relationships with the U.S. Army, NCMS expands this connectivity to the Army Research Laboratory, the Army’s corporate laboratory. Through its material science research effort, ARL executes fundamental research for scientific discovery and innovative problem-solving to provide superior materials and devices needed to achieve lasting strategic land power dominance.

“Our administration is pleased to see two years of planning and partnership come to fruition with this new manufacturing innovation center,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This unique consortium – which brings significant opportunities to Harford County, Maryland, and the region – will rapidly accelerate manufacturing opportunities in our state, leading to more jobs and a stronger economy.”

The State of Maryland, like NCMS, is committed to enhancing the global competitiveness of North American manufacturing. By creating a center focused on continued innovation in advanced materials, this region of Maryland will become a hub of collaboration among researchers, the defense community and industry for the future of materials and manufacturing.

Harford County is providing leased lab, training and administrative space for the facility at the Higher Education and Applied Technology Center or HEAT Center.

“We are excited to work with NCMS and look forward to being active partners in this unprecedented consortium for new manufacturing technology,” said Harford County Executive Barry Glassman.

Titomic & Fincantieri to test materials in first step of evaluating AM for shipbuilding

Since partnering with shipbuilding company Fincantieri last month, Australian metal AM company Titomic has signed a Material Science Testing (MST) agreement with Fincantieri Australia. The agreement is the first step in evaluating Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion technology’s viability for Fincantieri’s manufacturing processes.

As part of the new agreement, Titomic will conduct various tests on a Fincantieri specified alloy (following ASTM International Standards) using its AM process to achieve desired mechanical and chemical properties. The tests will include hardness, strength, porosity and chemistry analysis tests. The goal of these tests will be to offer insight into the material properties, performance and costs of Titomic’s additive manufacturing process.

“We are pleased to kick off this first project with Fincantieri as part of our MoU,” said Jeff Lang, CTO of Titomic. “We will be producing test samples at our new state of the art facility in Melbourne in order to conduct the stringent tests required. This is the first step towards manufacturing large marine parts on our metal 3D printers of limitless scale.”

As part of the companies’ agreement, Titomic’s technology and operational team recently made a trip to the Riva Trigoso Shipyard in Italy to learn how Fincantieri’s mechanical ship components are designers, developed and produced. Eventually, the aim is to transfer Fincantieri’s marine technology to Australia.

“Titomic’s technology combined with Fincantieri’s technology transfer program to Australia creates the potential to return Australia’s capability in mechanical componentry,” said Sean Costello, Director at Fincantieri Australia. “Our aim is to return high-value jobs to Australia, reduce costs and become sovereign as a shipbuilding nation.”

Fincantieri

May 14: Titomic signs MoU with Fincantieri

In a world first for AM adoption by the Marine sector, Titomic signed a MoU to work with Fincantieri to evaluate the potential for the Company’s additive manufacturing process, Titomic Kinetic Fusion, to be used in Fincantieri’s manufacturing activities. Effective immediately and with a 12 months duration, Titomic’s signing with Fincantieri explores the Company’s proprietary processes to complement and improve existing manufacturing process and is the start of a synergistic partnership.

“This agreement with Fincantieri marks a significant milestone for future shipbuilding and industrial scale additive manufacturing,” said Jeff Lang, CEO and CTO of Titomic. “Titomic’s signing with Fincantieri to evaluate our Titomic Kinetic Fusion process will not only add value to existing manufacturing and repair activities, it will lead to the creation of next generation high tech vessels.”

With 20 shipyards across four continents, Fincantieri S.p.A is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation. It is the leader in cruise ship design and construction, and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry sectors – from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity special vessels and ferries – to mega-yachts, ship repairs and conversions, systems and equipment production, and after-sales services.

Fincantieri also carries out maintenance and refurbishment of cruise ships – a major and growing international industry. The company is also one of the shortlisted bidders for The Future Frigates SEA 5000 program. Titomic was awarded Best Maritime Innovation award at Pacific 2017 International Maritime Exposition. This MoU affirms Titomic’s entrance into the shipbuilding and offshore industries. The initial R&D phase will take place at Titomic’s Melbourne facility.

Dario Deste, Chairman of Fincantieri Australia also commented on the deal: “We are pleased to partner with Titomic, an innovative advanced manufacturing company, to pursue new technological development, continuous improvement and value creation for all our stakeholders. The significance of this partnership examines how we can introduce new manufacturing technologies to make Australia sovereign in advanced naval technology and improve our solutions on the world-wide market.”

Titomic & Fincantieri to test materials in first step of evaluating AM for shipbuilding

Since partnering with shipbuilding company Fincantieri last month, Australian metal AM company Titomic has signed a Material Science Testing (MST) agreement with Fincantieri Australia. The agreement is the first step in evaluating Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion technology’s viability for Fincantieri’s manufacturing processes. As part of the new agreement, Titomic will conduct various tests on a Fincantieri…..

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Miss South Africa contestants wear Bare Beauty swimwear adorned with 3D printed flowers

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: 3D printing is an incredibly versatile manufacturing process. From 3D printed race car parts, to sports equipment, to coral (and that’s just this week), additive manufacturing has found applications in many industries and for many, many purposes. Polish 3D printer manufacturer Sinterit recently drew out attention to another novel use of Selective Laser Sintering technology (SLS): swimwear.

Ciska Barnard, the swimwear designer for Bambshell, an exclusive swimwear label started by former Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, recently integrated 3D printed floral details into a swimwear collection for the finalists of the Miss South Africa competition.

The swimwear collection, called Bare Beauty, was inspired by natural beauty and skintones. “Bare Beauty showcases pieces, custom made to suit each finalists skin tone & body shape,” reads a post on Bambshell’s Instagram. “The concept of this range is to showcase each contestant’s natural beauty, with nude tones to match & compliment their complexion. At second glance, you’ll notice the detail and textures of intricately 3D printed Build Volume Flowers and custom embroidered details.” 

The collection is also notable for its floral details, which were made using SLS 3D printing. Build Volume, a South African 3D printing company, collaborated with Bambshell on the collection and used its Sinterit Lisa 3D printer to manufacture the flowers. To ensure the flowers were flexible and could be worn comfortably, they were printed from Flexa Black, a TPU-based material known for its smooth and flexible properties.

“Most of our clients use hard materials like PA12,” said Konrad Glowacki, co-founder of Sinterit. “It becomes a standard for a broad range of industries. But fashion needs more flexible solutions. It is not so easy to find a dependable, flexible material that would be a perfect match for the fashion industry and available for 3D printers…We are happy to provide two reliable products: Flexa Black and Flexa Gray.”

The finished 3D printed flowers bring something new to the swimwear collection. Finished in the same colour as the bathing suits, they offer a subtle and delicate refinement to the swimwear akin to lace but in three dimensions.

BIOLIFE4D demonstrates ability to bioprint human cardiac tissue patch

Chicago-based biotech company BIOLIFE4D announced this week that it has successfully 3D bioprinted a human cardiac tissue patch, bringing the company a small step closer to its ultimate goal of 3D bioprinting a viable and transplantable human heart.

In the world of bioprinting, many tend not to look past a headline, leading some to believe that 3D printed transplantable organs are close on the horizon. And while we know this isn’t quite the case—it is still interesting to track what bioprinting companies whose goal it is to print organs are up to.

BIOLIFE4D is one such company and it is undoubtedly excited to have achieved an important milestone in its bioprinting research. According to the biotech firm, it successfully demonstrated its ability to bioprint a cardiac patch just days after the opening of its new JLABS research facility in Houston in May.

The bioprinted tissue reportedly contains multiple cell types (as opposed to just cardiomyocytes), similar to a real human heart and integrates “preliminary vascularization.” Spearheaded by Dr. Ravi Birla, Chief Science Officer of BIOLIFE4D, the innovative bioprinted cardiac patches could be used to restore myocardial contractility in patients with acute heart failure.

“We are extremely excited to have achieved this milestone and to successfully demonstrate our ability to 3D print human cardiac tissue,” said Dr. Birla. “When we began this process, we knew this would be a key step in validating our technology and scientific approach, so we are pleased to be able to have accomplished this so quickly.”

biolife4d

“We have always believed that our scientific approach, as well as the tremendous team we have assembled, positioned us for rapid scientific accomplishment. The speed at which we bioprinted 3D human cardiac patches, within days, is unheard of within the scientific community. These efforts clearly demonstrate our ability to bioprint human tissue and provide a clear and rapid pathway towards bioprinting human hearts.”

The speed at which BIOLIFE4D succeeded in bioprinting the cardiac patches seems to have come as a surprise to the company itself, as most research indicates that bioprinted human cardiac patches require six to eight months to develop. With the promising early start, the company says it will now begin to focus on other constructs including valves, blood vessels and a mini heart.

BIOLIFE4D says its bioprinting process enables scientists to “reprogram” a patient’s white blood cells to iPS cells (a type of stem cell) and then into different types of cardiac cells. These are then bioprinted into tissue patches and perhaps one day into viable human hearts. Obviously, the implications of being able to 3D bioprint a transplantable human heart are massive, especially as heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. But again, it will likely be a long time before we hear of the world’s first bioprinted heart transplant.

“This is a tremendous time for BIOLIFE4D and we could not be prouder to have accomplished this scientific landmark in such a short period of time,” commented Steven Morris, CEO of BIOLIFE4D. “From the beginning, our mission has been to utilize our technology to save lives. Today, we believe we are one step closer to ultimately achieving that goal.”

EU commits to fast-tracking additive manufacturing industrialization at AMEC 2018

Bigger fiscal and R&D incentives, bolder standardization efforts and caution before legislating are needed to speed up additive manufacturing deployment in Europe. This was the main message emerging from the AMEC 2018, the Additive Manufacturing European Conference, which took place in Brussels and was co-hosted by Members of European Parliament (MEPs) from some of the …

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BigRep partners with DMRC to further AM research

Leading large-scale 3D printer manufacturer BigRep have partnered with the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC), one of the world’s foremost industrial research networks. BigRep will join the consortium as the only FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machine manufacturer in the distinguished network of 29 companies representing the complete additive manufacturing (AM) value chain. This includes material …

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Concorci and Leitat build Catalonia advanced manufacturing hub for 3D printing

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Leitat and Fundación INCYDE have revealed the launch of a High-Tech 3D Incubator Project to be housed in the Barcelona Free Trade Zone and financed with European Regional Development Funds. The bid has been provisionally approved by the INCYDE Operations Selection Committee. According to State Delegate in …

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