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Regardless of the continuing affect of the worldwide semiconductor scarcity, Brexit and COVID-19 on the broader financial system, February was nonetheless a month of progress in 3D printing, with protection purposes, R&D innovation and new system launches all taking main steps ahead.
Learn on for February’s standout developments from ExOne, Markforged, Xerox, Renishaw, Stratasys, 3D Methods, Desktop Metallic, America Makes and extra.
World turbulents proceed
For a lot of 2020, COVID-19 prevented the 3D printing sector from holding in-person commerce reveals, and this pattern continued into February 2021. That month, RAPID+TCT turned the newest business occasion to be moved, with a scaled-down present rebooked for September, on the grounds that its organizers wished to carry it within the “most secure attainable surroundings.”
February additionally noticed President Biden tackle the USA’s rising pandemic-induced shortages, by way of a evaluate into the nation’s provide chain dependency. Crystalized within the lack of semiconductors wanted to construct the newly-launched PS5 and Xbox One video games consoles, however obvious in different areas of the US financial system as nicely, this shortage triggered a evaluate specializing in potential in-sourcing alternatives.
On the time, America Makes’ Govt Director John Wilczynski hailed the initiative, saying that the group “applauded President Biden’s crucial govt motion to safe and strengthen provide chains important to America’s continued progress,” whereas including that COVID-19 had revealed its “untenable overdependence on imports, and the necessity for the capability to reply rapidly within the face of challenges.”
On British shores, in the meantime, Renishaw rolled-out a raft of recent measures, designed to insulate its EU-based enterprise from the affect of Brexit. Having carried out inner danger analyses, the agency opted to develop its amenities and inventory ranges at its EU workplaces, whereas making a few of them unbiased subsidiaries, with the intention of easing any Brexit-related disruption induced to its provide chain.
Renishaw’s Chief Govt William Lee stated the transfer would permit it to “meet the challenges posed by the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union,” and on condition that the agency reported a FY pre-tax revenue of £120 million, it seems to have been justified.
Patent expiry opens alternatives?
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in February although, as a possible window for innovation opened when Stratasys’ heated construct chamber patent expired. Provided that Stratasys held unique rights to this FDM design from 2000-2021, these looking for to oppose it within the high-temperature market throughout this era, had been compelled to search out novel workarounds.
Nonetheless, the ultimate patents protecting this space of the agency’s machines went on to run out later within the month, and although Stratasys sought to minimize the event, saying that it had already give you new heated oven applied sciences and guarded them from replication, some sources noticed it as an alternative for 3D printer producers to innovate.
INTAMSYS CEO Charles Han, as an illustration, stated the patents’ expiry might make industrial FFF methods “extra common and extra aggressive,” including that they’d now be capable to substitute “much more conventional manufacturing strategies.” On the flipside, Davide Ardizzoia of 3ntr.internet, stated the patents’ expiration “wasn’t going to alter that a lot,” and its new printer would solely be “marginally affected.”
DoD lays out 3D printing plans
On the navy entrance, the US Division of Protection (DoD) additionally kicked off a yr of experimental 3D printing purposes by unveiling its first additive manufacturing technique. Drafted by the OSD ManTech Program Workplace alongside the US’ navy providers and different protection companies, the doc noticed the DoD define 5 key objectives, by means of which it aimed to broaden its adoption of the know-how.
Throughout the month, there have been already clear indicators of this technique being put into motion, with binder jet 3D printer producer ExOne commissioned by the DoD to develop a transportable 3D printing manufacturing facility. Set to be housed inside a normal delivery container, the system is being designed to include every little thing wanted to fabricate spare components within the area, whether or not that be at land, air or sea.
The US Naval Postgraduate College (NPS) additionally revealed in February that it had put in Xerox’s long-anticipated ElemX Liquid Metallic 3D printer at its college campus. Utilizing the system, NPS researchers are at present exploring methods through which the know-how will help cut back the US Navy’s spare half manufacturing prices, in addition to its dependency on the US navy’s complicated world provide chains.
Markforged wraps up IPO
The tip of the month additionally noticed industrial 3D printer producer Markforged full its merger with Particular Function Acquisition Firm (SPAC) one. Following Desktop Metallic’s $580 million deal final yr, Markforged’s transaction noticed it change into the second within the business to go public on this means, elevating an estimated $425 million within the course of.
On the time, Markforged President and CEO Shai Terem stated: “We’ve been on the forefront of the AM business, and this transaction will allow us to construct on our unimaginable momentum and supply capital and adaptability to develop our model, speed up product innovation and drive expanded adoption amongst prospects throughout key verticals.”
Because the yr went on, it turned out that Markforged would change into the second in a string of high-profile SPAC mergers regarding 3D printing companies, with billions extra {dollars} price of comparable offers being agreed earlier than the tip of 2021.
3D Methods, Stratasys and ExOne launch new 3D printers
February proved to be a bumper month for 3D printer releases too, and Stratasys kicked issues off early on, with its new J850 Professional PolyJet 3D printer. That includes a 255 x 252 x 200mm construct capability and multi-material processing capabilities, the system has been constructed to deal with low-cost prototyping purposes within the automotive, medical, and shopper sectors.
Stratasys’ launch was intently adopted by that of ExOne’s new Metallic Designlab 3D printer and X1F furnace. Powered by Rapidia’s ‘two-step’ know-how, the agency’s manufacturing unit works with ‘HydroFuse’ alloys, which can be utilized to manufacture highly-complex support-free components. The methods’ launch additionally coincided with a deal between the companies that noticed ExOne achieve first refusal over any acquisition of Rapidia.
3D Methods made a splash in February as nicely, by making its first foray into FFF, with its new ‘Roadrunner’ 3D printer. Developed alongside Jabil, the system is claimed to be able to printing high-temperature filaments at a speedy tempo, doubtlessly making it very best for aerospace and automotive producers, and placing it in direct competitors with Essentium’s Excessive-Pace Extrusion (HSE) platform.
Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President and CEO of 3D Methods, stated on the time that the launch of its Excessive Pace Fusion filament printer, would permit the agency “to construct on the organizational focus it had adopted in 2020,” along with “increasing its presence in rising markets that demand excessive reliability merchandise.”
“Our investments on this resolution, and collaboration with Jabil, will permit our prospects to extend productiveness and efficiency.”
A month of dope new R&D
Away from high-profile launches, enterprise offers and shifts in macroeconomic traits, February additionally noticed a number of progressive 3D printing analysis initiatives come to fruition. Some of the eye-catching of those was an open-source lung simulator, developed at McMaster College and the College of Waterloo, that proved able to replicating the affect of smoking hashish on the human lung.
On the Technical College of Denmark, however, gaming readers will likely be blissful to listen to that researchers managed to show a part of a Microsoft Xbox 360 right into a nanoscale medical 3D printer. Utilizing the console’s optical pick-up unit (OPU), the group discovered they had been in a position to substitute the optical system of a standard SLA machine, in a means that would cut back its manufacturing price by hundreds of {dollars}.
“The unique purpose for creating our personal 3D printer was to have the ability to print cubic centimeter quantity with micro/nanoscale decision for our personal micro-container primarily based drug supply growth,” DTU Affiliate Professor En Te Hwu defined again in February. “We couldn’t discover a 3D printing system in the marketplace that would do that, so we needed to make our personal.”
“We imagine that this know-how can affect totally different areas of well being know-how.”
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Featured picture reveals an M1 Abrams tank beneath TACOM. Photograph by way of the US Military.
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