Additive vs Subtractive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing builds parts by adding material layer by layer, while subtractive removes material to create parts. Although these approaches have different benefits and can serve different purposes, they are often used in conjunction with one another due to their overlapping range of applications. In subtractive manufacturing, the most popular being CNC machining, you'll typically start with solid blocks of materials that are shaped through cutting, boring, drilling, and grinding. These processes rely on a virtual CAD model to serve as input for the fabrication tool. There are many types of subtractive processes, depending on the materials and parts being shaped. Subtractive manufacturing processes are typically used to create parts for prototyping, manufacturing tooling, and end-use parts. There's also a variety of material and processing methods. Like subtractive, additive also relies on a CAD model. Depending on the technology, the 3D printer deposits material, selectively melts and fuses powder, or cures liquid photopolymer materials to create parts. The 3D printed parts often require some form of cleaning and finishing to achieve their final properties and appearance. Additive manufacturing is ideal for a range of applications, including prototyping, manufacturing tooling, short-run production and casting patterns. But technologies released in recent years have made it [...]
Year End Tax Savings
You may have attended the recent Xpand3D event and learned all about how the latest manufacturing products can greatly improve your business. But even after practical benefits have been proven, the approval of larger purchases can still sometimes be difficult due to the big price tag. We understand this issue and would like to inform you of an available option to reduce your costs and help make your new technology purchase a reality. Under Section 179, businesses are able to deduct upwards of $1 million on purchase costs of a maximum of $2.5 million, for equipment purchased and delivered no later than December 31st, 2019. Section 179 is aimed specifically at general business equipment, including HP and Desktop Metal. Curious how much you can save with Section 179 on your own purchase? View the 2019 Section 179 Tax Deduction Calculator via the link below to get an estimated lowered cost of equipment based on your tax bracket. Additional information can be found at Section179.org. This deduction is easy to receive and can greatly help your bottom line by lowering the amount you pay, all you need to do is buy (or finance/lease) the equipment, and use a special IRS form to submit. Keep [...]
RIZE ONE Certified with UL 2904 GREENGUARD
The RIZE ONE is now the world's first industrial 3D printer certified with UL 2904 GREENGUARD. RIZE One is the first and only 3D printer to be certified for health and environment safety under the stringent UL 2904 standards. 3D printers are known to emit up to 200 VOCs and ultrafine particles that can impact users' health and create long term liabilities for companies. Users can now implement the trusted RIZE printers and scale it from engineering all the way to the production floor with no facility changes. The certification includes not only the print process but also the post processing. USP Class VI Certified RIZIUM ONE Material Parts 3D printed with RIZIUM ONE filament and inks conform to USP Class VI specifications for plastics. Class VI specifications designate material as safe for use in manufacturing medical devices. Pharmaceutical, medical device, food & beverage companies can use the trusted parts from RIZE for applications from functional prototyping to end-use parts. Come check out the RIZE ONE printer in person at our Xpand3D manufacturing event next week Oct 15-17 at our headquarters in Branchburg, NJ. Find out more details on the event by clicking the button below. More Info
Desktop Metal Introduces a New Material – H13 Tool Steel
Characterized by its exceptional hot hardness, abrasion resistance, and stability in heat treatment, H13 is a tool steel widely used in both hot and cold work applications. Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well suited for toolmaking. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to deformation, and their ability to hold a cutting edge at elevated temperatures. As a result, tool steels are well suited to shape other materials. H13 is a chromium molybdenum hot work steel well known for its exceptional hot hardness and abrasion resistance, making it ideal for a variety of hot work applications. H13 can also be used in cold work applications thanks to its general hardness and toughness. Mold inserts Extrusion dies Forging dies Sheet metal tooling Stamping tools H13’s high hardness and toughness make it particularly difficult to machine and often requires specialty holders, cutting tools, low feed rates and conditions. Due to these challenges, H13 parts can be both time consuming and expensive to fabricate. By applying the BMD process to H13, teams can quickly fabricate H13 tools—potentially featuring complex geometries that would otherwise be unachievable or prohibitively difficult through machining (e.g., molds with conformal cooling channels). [...]
Mastercam 2020 Coolant Command Options
This article will show you how to adjust the coolant command options inside of the Machine Definition in Mastercam 2020. Setting up the names for the coolant is important to ensure that programmers and operators know exactly what style of coolant to expect for each tool. First, select the machine you would like to change and then go to the Machine tab on the Ribbon Bar and select the Machine Definition option. Click the checkmark in the box that appears and then click on the blue icon which will launch the General Machine Parameters window. Inside here, click on the Coolant Commands tab. Now you will see the top checkbox that is enabled upon opening. Because this option box is turned on, when you go to the coolant parameters in your toolpaths it will only display the coolant names that you set up. Also, there will only be an On and an Off switch. If you turn that checkbox off, then you have the ability to add more coolant styles to the list. This will also give you the option inside the toolpath when you want to turn these coolant options on in the toolpath, whether it is before the tool change occurs, [...]
Variscan Pico 3D Scanner
This article will introduce you to the Variscan Pico 3D Scanner from Cimquest. The Variscan Pico is a stationary, light-based scanner, capable of changing light sources from structured white light to red, green or blue light to optimize the acquisition of different colors and textures as well as achieve full-color scanning. A 10-12-minute calibration process is required to ensure excellent accuracy, resolution, and repeatability for virtually any scanning requirement, whether it be for 3D Printing, rev. engineering, metrology applications, or for AR/VR projects. Touting a +/-.0007" accuracy and a resolution with a point spacing of .002" for a single scan, the Pico can scan parts with extreme accuracy and enough resolution to capture very tiny features, such as very small holes and crisp part edges. One of the most compelling aspects of all Variscan scanners is in their ability to set up multiple exposures, enabling the capture of parts and assemblies requiring multiple exposure settings without the need to spray the part. All Variscan scanners are powered by AEOS, a powerful software application that is fully integrated with each Variscan model. AEOS handles all of the 'heavy lifting' for scanning process before sending the scan to another application for further processing. The Variscan [...]