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The month of September 2021 noticed quite a lot of “world’s largest” and “world’s longest” claims concerning printers, factories, and bridges, alongside a return to in-person occasions with TCT 3Sixty and RAPID+TCT 2021, new house functions, and 3D printing partnerships and acquisitions.
Learn on for the standout developments in September, which concerned the likes of 3D Techniques, Markforged, Nano Dimension, Shapeways, Terran Orbital, the AMGTA, and others.
Unlocking sustainable house exploration
September started with the promise of unlocking sustainable house exploration missions with the development of a novel material-efficient ‘skeletal flooring’ for a prototype European House company (ESA) lunar settlement. Fabricated by Dutch robotic metallic 3D printing agency MX3D, the ultra-lightweight metal construction showcased the lunar manufacturing potential of MX3D’s expertise, which may very well be used to construct regolith-based buildings in future.
“This can be a outstanding achievement from MX3D, which additional highlights the potential of this additive manufacturing method for an growing vary of house functions,” mentioned Advenit Makaya, ESA engineer. “The design flexibility, and the chance to mix the printed construction with embedded monitoring programs, are price investigating for functions in house buildings.
“This system may be thought-about for the in-situ development of infrastructure throughout sustainable exploration missions, by utilizing metallic feedstock derived from the locally-available regolith.”
The world’s longest and largest developments
The primary of September’s “world’s largest” and “world’s longest” claims was a 3D printed concrete pedestrian bridge within the Dutch metropolis of Nijmegen, which, spanning 29 meters, is reportedly the longest bridge of its form in existence.
The venture was undertaken by Rijkswaterstaat and designer Michiel van der Kley in honor of town’s 2018 European Inexperienced Capital standing, and noticed TU Eindhoven, Witteveen+Bos, BAM and Weber Beamix introduced onboard to deliver the 3D printed bridge to fruition.
The bridge trumped Tsinghua College’s 86-foot effort in Shanghai and was produced to showcase the design and sustainability advantages of using concrete 3D printing strategies to supply not solely bridges, but in addition doubtlessly homes and different buildings.
In the meantime, Fraunhofer IGCV and binder jet system manufacturing voxeljet introduced their intentions to construct the largest wind turbine 3D printer thus far, referred to as the Advance Casting Cell (ACC). The system is being constructed particularly to print the molds wanted to forged elements for GE’s Haliade-X turbine, and can enter preliminary trials in 2022.
In response to voxeljet, the ACC might cut back mould lead occasions by as a lot as 80 % and can considerably reduce the elements’ carbon footprint by enabling them to be printed on-site.
“The 3D printed molds will deliver many advantages together with improved casting high quality by way of improved floor end, half accuracy and consistency,” mentioned Juan Pablo Cilia, Senior Additive Design Engineer at GE Renewable Power. “Moreover, sand binder jet molds or additive molds present price financial savings, by decreasing machining time and different materials prices because of optimized design.”
Elsewhere, nano and microsatellite developer Terran Orbital unveiled its intention to construct the world’s largest industrial spacecraft facility in Florida at 660,000 sq. foot. Based mostly on a synthetic intelligence (AI)-controlled provide chain, the middle will leverage 3D printing applied sciences for the manufacturing of hundreds of various house autos annually.
The ability shall be constructed on Merritt Island, an space that’s dwelling to quite a lot of different 3D printing companies energetic within the house sector, reminiscent of off-world manufacturing specialist Made In House, which was acquired final 12 months by aerospace conglomerate Redwire, and the likes of Firehawk Aerospace, Relativity House, and Firefly Aerospace.
3D Techniques acquires Oqton
September additionally noticed 3D printer producer 3D Techniques purchase AI-powered software program specialist Oqton for $180 million. By integrating Oqton’s Manufacturing Working System (MOS) into its current providing, 3D Techniques is aiming to create a platform that’s “instrumental in advancing AM” and enhance its software program earnings to $100 million by 2025.
Oqton’s software program had attracted appreciable curiosity throughout the 3D printing trade, after elevating $40 million in funding and fostering a number of industrial partnerships throughout 3D printing, robotic welding and CNC machining with the likes of Prodways, EOS, Sisma, TRUMPF and Sandvik.
“We’re enthusiastic about becoming a member of with 3D Techniques,” mentioned Dr. Ben Schrauwen, CEO and Co-founder of Oqton. “On the identical time, we deliver our deep experience in AI, automation, robotics and machine studying, which can assist our prospects and companions to scale and join completely different manufacturing processes in a variety of healthcare, bio-tech and industrial market verticals.”
New electronics 3D printing processes
The month of September additionally noticed a partnership bloom between Nano Dimension, a number one producer of commercial 3D printers for additive manufactured electronics (AMEs) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), to develop new freeform 3D printing and meeting processes for the manufacturing of electromechanical programs.
By the top of the venture, the companions hope that Nano Dimension will have the ability to combine the improvements into its proprietary DragonFly LDM 3D printing system, which is specialised to manufacture electronics reminiscent of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Oliver Refle, Head of the Additive Manufacturing Division at Fraunhofer IPA, was optimistic concerning the partnership: “This mind belief will permit each events to immediately analyze and enhance processes by sharing concepts, knowledge, and experience, was we develop the following technology of 3D inkjet printing with the aim of making new and higher processes and integrations for the ultra-accurate printing of latest high-performance digital gadgets (Hello-PEDs).”
New print administration software program
September additionally noticed the continuing return of in-person occasions throughout the 3D printing sphere with RAPID+TCT 2021, the place Markforged introduced the launch of its new Eiger Fleet print administration software program. The cloud software program is designed to assist producers undertake and scale 3D printing inside their current workflows, whereas enabling customers to oversee and automate their Markforged machines from afar.
In response to Markforged, the newest addition to its Eiger software program portfolio will “rework AM from a small-scale operation right into a globally-connected, distributed manufacturing fleet.”
RAPID+TCT 2021 additionally noticed the disclosing of Roboze’s Prometheus 3D printing slicer, new 3D printing supplies and software program partnerships from Stratasys, and additions to Flashorge USA’s “multi-generational” portfolio.
The life-cycle of 3D printed aerospace elements
Halfway by way of the month, the Additive Producer Inexperienced Commerce Affiliation (AMGTA) launched its newest analysis venture, a life-cycle evaluation (LCA) evaluating a 3D printed aerospace part to 1 that’s historically manufactured. The LCA sought to check the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of a jet engine low-pressure turbine (LPT) bracket fabricated by way of each strategies, utilizing 18 completely different environmental indicators.
Every stage of the LPT bracket’s manufacturing shall be scrutinized by the symptoms, which embody components reminiscent of materials extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and ultimately, end-of-life.
Returning to the moon?
Extra space information, and protection contractor Lockheed Martin harnessed Makerbot’s METHOD X 3D printer to design and take a look at parts of an AI-powered lunar rover that may very well be deployed throughout NASA’s mission to return to the moon. The contractor’s Superior Expertise Middle (ATC) 3D printed prototypes of the car’s programs housing and sensor mounts able to withstanding the tough realities of house, from searing desert warmth to UV or moisture publicity.
“The rover we’ve got at ATC is a testbed that we designed and developed in-house,” mentioned Aaron Christian, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Lockheed Martin House. “This inexpensive modular testbed permits us to make fast modifications utilizing 3D printing to vary the design for different functions and simply excessive atmosphere autonomy wants.”
Printing dwelling mind cells
A research outlining the profitable 3D printing of dwelling mouse mind cells additionally made the headlines in September, performed by the College of Montreal, Concordia College, and the Federal College of Santa Catarina.
Utilizing their self-developed Laser-Induced Facet Switch (LIST) bioprinting expertise, the scientists produced sensory neurons which remained alive two days after printing, throughout which the group was in a position to run quite a few exams to measure the capacities of the printed cells. The group believes their growth is promising for bioprinting’s potential concerning illness modeling, drug testing, and implant fabrication.
One other day, one other SPAC
September continued the 3D printing Particular Function Acquisition Firm (SPAC) merger development of 2021 with two main offers reaching completion. First up, 3D printing service supplier Shapeways accomplished its merger with clean examine agency Galileo Acquisition, intently adopted by 3D printer OEM Velo3D’s debut on the New York Inventory Change following its merger with Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Company.
Shapeways deal noticed the agency obtain $103 million in gross proceeds, together with a $75 million frequent inventory PIPE, with the mixed firm renamed Shapeways Holdings (SHPW). Velo3D’s deal, in the meantime, delivered round $274 million in complete internet proceeds and noticed the mixed firm listed beneath the ticker “VLD”.
The previous 12 months has seen a big surge in SPAC mergers throughout the 3D printing sector, with the likes of Quick Radius, Fathom Digital Manufacturing, Essentium, Markforged, and Redwire all cashing in on the act.
The return of TCT 2021
Lastly, September noticed the return of the TCT 3Sixty present to the NEC in Birmingham in a considerably scaled-down model of earlier editions in mild of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regardless of decrease exhibitor numbers, there was nonetheless a lot to see at this 12 months’s present.
For example, E3D launched its new FFF 3D printer hotend vary, RapidChange Revo, Photocentric displayed its not too long ago launched LC Opus LCD 3D printer, and 3D Techniques showcased the newest addition to its supplies portfolio, VisiJet Wax Jewel Purple. Elsewhere, Materialise demonstrated the newest model of its Magics software program and its long-awaited Bluesint PA12 expertise, whereas Fillamentum introduced its first 100% biodegradable filament for 3D printing, NonOilen.
Learn extra concerning the key takeaways from the commerce present flooring, partnership bulletins, and functions circumstances on present at TCT 3Sixty right here.
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Featured picture reveals a rendering of Lockheed Martin’s AI-powered lunar rover. Picture by way of MakerBot.
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