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Rapid Prototyping

Mark Forg3D’s Mark One: World’s First Carbon Fiber 3D Printer

January 28, 2014 By Barb Schmitz Leave a Comment

Software companies spend a lot of money trying to create excitement at their user conferences, but it was newcomer, Mark Forg3D, that clearly generated the most buzz at this year’s SolidWorks World with the announcement of the upcoming release of its Mark One 3D printer. The Mark One is the first 3D printer to print composite materials. Designed to overcome the strength limitations of other 3D printed materials, users will now be able to print parts, tooling and fixtures with a higher strength-to-weight ratio than 6061-T6 aluminum.

Composite parts are stronger and stiffer than aluminum

The ability to 3D print composite materials is a big deal since the resulting parts are stronger than CNC-machined aluminum, opening up the technology to even more applications. Parts printed in composites are also both stronger and stiffer than the more common 3D printing material, plastic; 20 times stiffer and five times stronger, to be exact.

Designed to be aesthetically pleasing, the Mark One 3D printer can print in carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon and PLA.
Designed to be aesthetically pleasing, the Mark One 3D printer can print in carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon and PLA.

Eye-pleasing design

The brain behind the product belongs to Greg Mark, an MIT graduate, who got the idea for the Mark One after a stint in the aerospace industry. One of the things that struck me when seeing the system for the first time was how pretty it was. Yes, I said pretty.

Mark says this is no accident. “We wanted it to look cool,” says Mark. The first version was “clunky” so his team consulted with industrial engineers to make the system aesthetically pleasing, patterning it after Apple products. The rationale: make it attractive since it will likely be sitting right in the engineers’ workspaces.

System offers users choice of materials

The Mark One offers users a choice of materials: carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon and PLA. The system also improves bed leveling with the addition of kinematic coupling. The bed clicks into the same place every time, saving users significant time.

The unit will sell for $5,000. Though an exact ship date has not been announced, the company is taking preorders on its web site.

Filed Under: CAD Hardware, Make Parts Fast, News, Rapid Prototyping Tagged With: 3D printing

Italian 3D Printing Service Bureau Expands Direct Manufacturing

December 13, 2013 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), a manufacturer of 3D printers and materials for personal use, prototyping and production, announced that Societ Progettazione Ingegnerizzazione SRL (Spring SRL) finalized the purchase of its seventh Stratasys’ Fused Deposition Molding (FDM) 3D Printer at EuroMold 2013, through Italian reseller, Technimold.

Stratasys

Following several years of utilizing Stratasys FDM technology for prototyping, Spring SRL, Stratasys’ largest Italian FDM service bureau, decided to invest in a second Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production System to support its growing demand for directly manufactured parts including jigs and fixtures, and end-use parts.

“FDM technology has always been a core part of our service offering to customers as it allows us to produce tough parts that can endure the stress of functional testing,” explains Fabio Gualdo, co-founder and CEO of Spring SRL. “We purchased the Fortus 900mc to directly manufacture parts that would be impossible to produce with traditional technology and material, such as carbon fibre. Our customers across various industries have been amazed at the quality, speed and performance of 3D printed end-use parts and this was a key part of our decision to invest further in Stratasys’ Fortus Production Systems.”

70 Percent Manufacturing; 30 Percent Prototyping

Spring SRL offers the full range of Stratasys FDM materials, including ABS M30i and PC-ISO for medical modeling. At present, the company’s activities comprise 70% Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) and 30% prototype parts for functional testing in a number of industries including, racing (20%), aerospace (18%) and medical (11%). The company’s prototyping and production 3D printers are working round the clock, totaling 42,000 hours per year; combining the FDM benefits with Spring SRL’s Engineering Department of over 10 years’ experience, gained over thousands of projects.

“As in so many industries today, deadlines are becoming shorter and shorter,” explains Gualdo. “3D printing, combined with our know-how and design skills, has helped us reduce our lead time significantly as we can make several design iterations to a product quicker than we ever could with traditional manufacturing process. We have also been able to save our customers money as no tooling is required and this has strengthened our reputation as the leading Italian service bureau.”

For the aerospace and racing industries, Spring SRL uses Stratasys FDM 3D printing technology to produce a number of parts including 3D printed, end-use armrests featured in a number of airplanes and vehicles. Directly 3D printing the final part enables Spring SRL to reduce its turnaround time by 66% and costs 50% compared to traditional methods such as CNC.

“When approached to produce the armrests, we instantly knew that the ULTEM 9085 material from Stratasys, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, would be the ideal material for this project,” says Gualdo. “The high performance material enabled us to reduce the weight of traditional armrests by 60%, a crucial factor in the aerospace industry.”

Andy Middleton, Stratasys General Manager EMEA adds: “The purchase of Spring’s seventh FDM Production System demonstrates its belief in FDM and its growing viability for manufacturing. We expect to see more and more customers using our technology to enter the world of direct manufacturing as they create the factories of the future.”

Stratasys
www.stratasys.com

Filed Under: Company News, Rapid Prototyping Tagged With: stratasys

FATHOM™ 3D Prints the Seattle Space Needle

November 1, 2013 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

In celebration of FATHOM’s™ upcoming launch party of the new Seattle office and production center, the FATHOM™ team 3D printed the Seattle Space Needle — from CAD modeling to 3D printing to model finishing.

JOIN THE CELEBRATION —
MEET THE FATHOM™ TEAM & CUSTOMERS

FATHOM-3D-Prints-the-Seattle-Space-Needle

FATHOM™ Opens 3D Printing Production Center in Seattle
Thursday, November 14, 2013 – 6:00PM to 9:00PM

Join us in celebration at our new Seattle location — visit with our creative team and customers, and tour the NEW production center. Get a peek at case studies and sample 3D prints on display, watch live 3D printer demos, make new connections, and enjoy refreshments.

This Event is Invitation Only, Please Register in Advance

FATHOM
studiofathom.com

Filed Under: Rapid Prototyping Tagged With: fathom

National MFG Day Highlights 3D Printing

October 7, 2013 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

In studying cell culture, the size and shape of the petri dish influences the results. Tough thing is finding the right dimensions per project, biologist Tom Zarembinski explained Friday during a visit to Fathom 3D printing studio in Oakland, Calif.

It’s important to a study’s results that you find the right size cell dish, said Zarembinski, a researcher at BioTime. So I had this idea that 3D printing might be a good way to make custom size petri dishes.

That’s what brought him to Fathom on the second annual Manufacturing Day Oct. 4, when hundreds of manufacturers across the nation opened their doors to educate the public about what they make. After an hour-and-a-half tour of the production center learning about additive manufacturing, Zarembinski was set on ordering those custom cell dishes to aid his research.

National-MFG-Day-Highlights-3D-Printing

It’s so convenient, he said. I’ll send over a CAD file, they’ll print it out and I can just drive over here to check it out. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Zarembinski was one of a few-dozen people who visited Fathom, the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest 3D printing and rapid prototype production center and top performing Stratasys 3D printer distributor of Northern California and Pacific Northwest. Others included investors, engineers, entrepreneurs and sales reps from various industries. 3D printing specialists took groups around the vintage foundry building to demonstrate and discuss the form and function of the various technologies, from PolyJet, Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective Laser Sintering, and Direct Metal Laser Sintering.

Attendees got to handle the results of sample prototypes: a polymer bike chain, a ball of fully functional gears and a model car made from various plastics. Fathom account manager Preeya Singh explained the possible complexities of rapid prototyping, how in a matter of hours you could have a functional model of your potential product. How parts could be programmed to print out soft and rubbery or firm. A 3D printed skull she showed had clear plastic bones and white opaque teeth — all printed out at the same time.

You could start printing something when the doors close at night and have it be ready by morning, she said. It’s very fast.

Some were already familiar with the technology. Others said they came in with only a vague idea and left convinced in the technology’s power to revolutionize manufacturing.

We like what we see, but even more we see what this could be, said Stephen De Marti, a Comerica banker who scouts out promising businesses to finance. In six hours you can go from a computer file to a fully functional prototype. That’s amazing.

This year’s Manufacturing Day, an event promoted by industry groups like the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, saw more than 840 events in 48 states across the nation and some in Canada.

FATHOM
www.studiofathom.com

Filed Under: CAD Blogs, CAD Industry News, Company News, Rapid Prototyping Tagged With: fathom

FATHOM™ Exhibit at Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo Next Week

September 11, 2013 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

FATHOM will join fellow innovators and industry leaders in Silicon Valley at the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo

FATHOM™ will join fellow innovators and industry leaders in Silicon Valley at the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo this month.

The event, hosted by Mediabistro September 17 and 18 in San Jose, will highlight the current and future impact of 3D printing, as well as its applications and services with leading industry experts.

FATHOM™ will be showcasing case studies, production center services, and live machine demonstrations at the upcoming Northern California conference, which also recently took place in New York City and Chicago attracting thousands of attendees.

3D printing as an industry is advancing at a breakneck pace, so it’s critical to stay informed and in touch with what’s going on, says FATHOM™ Principal Rich Stump, who founded the company in 2008 with Michelle Mihevc. We’re thrilled to be part of a trade show dedicated solely to the advancements in our field. As a product development company and 3D printing specialist that helps thinkers and makers transform their ideas into physical form, FATHOM™ works with some of the most innovative companies on the market. We look forward to making new connections and sharing industry knowledge with the many attendees at this show.

The B2B expo will feature two full days of conference sessions, giving the public a venue to learn about this fast growing field, what investment opportunities exist, and how it affects other industries.

Additive manufacturing is increasingly changing the way we eat, drive, build, fly and live, which is why the event will be well-attended by leading entrepreneurs, educators, engineers, architects, medical design experts, fashion reps, culinary innovators, and other professionals, notes Mediabistro.

Featured speakers will discuss the way 3D printing is revolutionizing the manufacturing sector and how 3D printing impacts the future of medical research. Stratasys founder S. Scott Crump, who has served as Chairman of the Board since the company’s inception, will deliver a keynote on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which he invented.

Additional panels include “The 10 Principles of 3D Printing,” “Leveraging 3D Printing through Innovative Design for Space Exploration,” and “The Promise of Distributed Manufacturing.”

CNET lauded the event for bringing the 3D printing sector front and center, giving the industry its own much-needed platform.

The manufacturing trade journal wrote back in April during the inaugural 3D printing expo in New York City, after years of being lumped in with other maker-oriented technologies, 3D printing finally has its own professional conference.

Stump agrees.

So much is going on in the world of 3D printing that the industry needs its own stage. And what better place to host the inaugural West Coast event than in Silicon Valley, the beating heart of the technology sector?

Visit with the FATHOM™ team at booth #110 and enter to win one of the company’s exclusive 3D printed chessboards. The conference will take place at the Doubletree by Hilton, 2050 Gateway Place, in San Jose.

FATHOM
www.studiofathom.com

Filed Under: 3D CAD Package Tips, CAD Industry News, Rapid Prototyping Tagged With: fathom

Rapidform Updates 3D Scan Data Processing Tool

September 15, 2011 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

rapidform logoINUS Technology, Inc., a world leader in 3D scanning software, announced the latest release of its turn-key Software Development Kit (SDK) for 3D scanning application development. The updated version of Rapidform.dll™ helps you rapidly deploy industry-proven point, mesh and surfacing functions into your software products with minimal effort.

This latest version focuses on making mesh operations easier and more powerful. The SDK now includes Rapidform’s advanced rewrap, adaptive remeshing and curvature flow improvement algorithms, making mesh optimization easier.

INUS Technology has spent more than a decade creating and refining point cloud and mesh processing tools to deliver great results from any type of 3D scanner. With Rapidform.dll, third party developers can take advantage of this expertise and integrate the technology into their own apps.

New features in the SDK include:

• Mesh topology improvement tools

• Mesh editing capabilities, such as mesh Boolean operations and mesh cutting

• Advanced triangle normal repair (to fix common issues with mesh direction)

• User interface APIs for large point cloud and mesh display and selection tools

In addition to the extensive point cloud, mesh and NURBS surface capabilities found in Rapidform.dll, there is also a set of APIs for dental and prosthodontic design from 3D scan data. Developers can create custom dental CAD programs that enable prosthesis design specific to each patient.

Rapidform.dll Dental is a superset of the standard SDK that makes developing custom applications for coping, pontic, crown, bridge and custom abutment design fast and easy.

INUS Technology Inc.

www.rapidform.com

 

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

Filed Under: CAD Industry News, Make Parts Fast, Rapid Prototyping

Faster 3D Optical Coordinate Measuring System

September 15, 2011 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

Creaform introduced the latest addition to the wide range of technologies it develops and manufactures, the MaxSHOT 3D optical coordinate measuring system.

1120 MaxSHOT3D Product Hand High 300x199

The MaxSHOT 3D adds the accuracy and speed of photogrammetry to the range of applications already possible with Creaform technologies, especially when it comes to larger parts. It combines the MaxSHOT 3D photogrammetric video camera and the VXshot processing software.

According to product director Jean-François Larue, the software is innovative and simple to operate. The system features real-time visualization and validation of acquired data and an entirely guided step-by-step operation, it allows even those new to photogrammetry to quickly and easily generate a high accuracy positioning model of an object.”

In concrete terms, using the MaxSHOT 3D with a Handyscan 3D self-positioning scanner, a MetraSCAN optical CMM 3D scanner or a HandyPROBE arm-free CMM translates into shorter measuring time on larger parts, accelerated positioning of the device around the part and higher measurement accuracy.

Creaform
www.creaform3d.com

 

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

Filed Under: CAD Industry News, Make Parts Fast, Rapid Prototyping

New scanner for small part 3D scanning

September 15, 2011 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

threeRivers 3D, Inc., a manufacturer of standard and custom 3D imaging systems, introduced the LC-2-MACRO. This scanner was developed for 3D scanning small parts such as dental molds, hearing aid impressions, jewelry and other highly detailed parts.

lc 2 macro dental s

“The addition of this scanner to our product line provides our customers with even more flexibility,” commented threeRivers 3D President & CEO Mike Formica. “It was developed in direct response to their request for an affordable 3D scanner specifically engineered for small parts scanning.”

It has a working volume of 4 in. x 3 in. x 3 in. and a point spacing of 80 µm, enabling it to capture very fine details. Sharing the same state-of-the-art high-speed architecture as the LC-2, the –MACRO version has a scan time of 5 seconds for a single view, a resolution of 1.2 million points and includes an automated rotary turntable for fast, easy 360 degree scanning.

penny s

Actual scan of a penny with the LC-2-MACRO scanner

 

An Ethernet interface makes the scanner simple to setup and configure and provides fast, reliable data transfer. It weighs less than 5 lb, and easily fits on a desktop or can be integrated into a process line; its light weight, small form factor and tripod mount make it suitable for remote scanning jobs.

threeRivers 3D, Inc.
www.3rivers3d.com

 

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

Filed Under: CAD Industry News, Make Parts Fast, Rapid Prototyping

Stratasys announces eighth annual extreme redesign challenge by Dimension 3D Printing

September 10, 2011 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

stratasys logo 701Stratasys Inc. (NASDAQ: SSYS) announced the launch of its Dimension brand’s eighth annual Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. The global contest encourages students to submit an innovative new product design, a redesign of an existing product, or an original or redesigned work of art or architecture.

Educators worldwide have recognized the annual design and 3D printing contest for its positive impact on students. “Students have the opportunity to put their critical thinking skills to the test, as well as to demonstrate their creativity with this design contest,” said Jesse Roitenberg, Stratasys Education Channel Manager. “Each year they demonstrate they are up to the challenge, with the unique submissions we receive.”

Dimension 3D Printing will award nine student winners either $2,500 or $1,000 scholarships in the categories of Middle School and High School Engineering, College Engineering, and Art & Architecture. Designs are awarded based on creativity, usefulness, part integrity and aesthetics. Instructors of the three first-place student winners will receive an Apple iPad for use in the classroom. Since the contest’s inception, more than $90,000 in scholarships have been awarded to students.

Each submission must:

• be a sound mechanical design

• be realistic and achievable

• include a clear written description of the design.

This year’s contest will also feature an award category in which students may compete for a bonus prize. Students who incorporate a school-spirit theme into their designs will have a chance to win a $250 gift card.

For video, photos, and descriptions of previous winning designs, visit Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. For contest rules and regulations, visit ER Rules & Regulations.

Dimension
www.dimensionprinting.com

Stratasys, Inc.
www.stratasys.com

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

Filed Under: CAD Industry News, Make Parts Fast, Rapid Prototyping

Stepping into creative design with 3D printers

September 10, 2011 By 3DCAD Editor Leave a Comment

Shoes are not a typical design project for engineers. But 3D printers show that just about anything is possible. In this example, it also shows how these printers free your mind to explore other ideas and possibilities.

Marloes ten Bhömer is an acclaimed designer of provocative and otherworldly shoes. For some of her work, she uses a 3D printer from Object Ltd. Because of the multi-material printing capability of these 3D printers, she can design and manufacture her shoes to be modular so that they can be dismantled and reassembled for the purpose of replacing parts. One example is the Rapidprototypedshoe.

atta485f

“My work is very much about liberating design – I use new materials and methods because this helps to break away from conventional approaches,” said Marloes ten Bhömer. “The rapid prototyping process stimulated the idea for this shoe, as the name suggests. I explored the technology and saw that rapid prototyping – adding material in layers – rather than traditional shoe manufacturing methods – could help me create something entirely new within just a few hours.”

Further research led ten Bhömer to Objet’s Connex range of multi-material 3D printing systems. “These printers make it possible to print an entire shoe – albeit a concept shoe – including a hard heel and a flexible upper in one build, which just isn’t possible with other 3D printing technologies,” stated ten Bhömer. “The shoe is printed as a single entity so the parts come off the printer already assembled, and you can still take the shoe apart later on. It is inspiring and opens up the possibility of interchangeable heels and creating custom designs. Also, the possibility of repairs allows for a more realistic product and changes the idea of rapid prototyping into rapid manufacturing.”

atta4860

Designer shoes are easy to manufacture and assembly thanks to 3D printing

The Connex line of Objet 3D printers can combine rubber-like materials and rigid materials in a single prototype; they are used extensively in the footwear industry. Said Gilad Gans, executive vice president of Objet, “As an affordable alternative to factory-produced samples, the process encourages users to review more design alternatives, increasing the potential to produce a more creative or better designed concept.”

“Cost-wise it does make sense to use these printers, particularly for haute couture shoe design,” said ten Bhömer. “I can have prototypes printed in multiple materials with no expensive set-up costs and no minimum quantities. I also have great confidence in the quality of digital prototyping – with conventional shoe mould making, the heel is matched to its left or right counterpart by eye, so there’s always room for error and it can be a slow process. By making the moulds digitally you know the left and right shoes are an exact match and it’s also economical and easier to scale seven different sized pairs, as required for a commercial line of shoes, using specialist software and Objet 3D printing.”

Objet Ltd.
www.objet.com

 

Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::

Filed Under: CAD Industry News, Make Parts Fast, Rapid Prototyping

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