XYZ Printing SLS Machines Offer a Greener Professional 3D Printing Solution
XYZ Printing’s SLS machines can be used to reduce waste and provide more cost efficiency, making additive manufacturing greener. (Sponsored Content) Fully Recycled PA12 Part from mixed MJF and SLS waste, XYZ MfgPro236, MfgPro230 All forms of 3D printing provide incredible value in terms of innovation, speed, communication, and customization. This novel technology’s advantages have outweighed the downsides, such as cost, electrical usage, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste. SLS technology reduces waste by using essentially reusable thermoplastic powders. However, depending on the platform you select, the critical factor of recycling material remains. Some SLS machines have material recycling efficiencies as high as 80/20 (meaning the refresh rate is only 20% for un-sintered powder). Others require fresh powder at a rate of 50%, and these tend to be large-format machines that print larger parts. Hazardous or not, it presents a significant issue of end-of-life powder waste for machine owners, especially those working with multiple machines. Service bureaus and businesses with more than five large-format SLS and or MJF machines face a storage dilemma as the wasted powder stacks up. How much do they have to pay for disposal, and what is the environmental impact? Despite the advantages SLS 3D printing provides over [...]
Metrology Minute – Geometry Deviation
When considering analytic 2D and 3D features, Control X can return a lot of useful information from manufactured features on an aligned scan. For example, when considering cylinders (holes) in a manufactured part (3D Printed, machined, etc.), Geometry Deviation analysis can return essentially all of the pertinent data required for manufacturing in terms of measuring location, size, and orientation. In the example of the gas valve below, the scan of the machined part was already aligned to its nominal CAD model. Shown below are the results when analyzing two cylinders on the part for size, location, and orientation. The “paired” values are provided from the scan and actual values are provided from the nominal CAD model. The deviation values show the centerline deviation of the scan to the nominal CAD model in the three directional axes as well as the “Dev” value, which is the ‘as-the-crow-flies’ deviation, from scan to CAD model. For planes, the compelling information provided in the Geometry Deviation analysis is the normal vector and how the scan differs from the nominal model. 2D information is available as well through Geometry Deviation. The image below shows analyzing the scan of a circle on the part as compared to the nominal [...]
Desktop Metal Expands 3D Printing Lineup
Desktop Metal Expands Lineup for World’s Best-Selling Metal Binder Jet System with Shop System+ and Shop System Pro Desktop Metal today announced two upgrade packages on its Shop System™, offering new flexibility, functionality, and value for the world’s best-selling metal binder jet system. The Shop System+ and Shop System Pro offer power users new options for materials and controls. (Photo: Business Wire) Desktop Metal recently announced two upgrade packages on the Shop System, offering new flexibility, functionality, and value for the world’s best-selling metal binder jet system. First unveiled in November 2019, the Shop System was designed to bring metal additive manufacturing to machine and job shops with an affordable, turnkey solution that achieves exceptional surface finish parts with rich feature detail at speeds up to 10 times those of legacy powder bed fusion additive technologies. To date, Shop System users worldwide have logged more than 20,000 print hours. Now, Desktop Metal is expanding the lineup of this successful platform with the Shop System+ and the Shop System Pro, giving power users more flexibility and control over operating costs and machine parameters. The Shop System+ package enables high-production users to access Desktop Metal-engineered powders and binders at a discount, reducing the [...]
Mattel and MakerBot Team Up
For Mattel, bringing joy and education through play is serious business. Mattel is a leading global toy company, with a portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®. With the help of the MakerBot METHOD 3D printing platform, Jack Peach, key lead innovation engineer, and the Product Innovation team are reinvigorating toy research, design, and development at the company. The MakerBot METHOD and METHOD X 3D printers have been game changers, enabling them to put form to the creation and bring joy and imagination to the next generation of Makers. “In early 2020, I decided to invest in a 3D printer that offered high resolution, high repeatability, and was super easy to use. When I started using the METHOD 3D printers, I realized 3D printing parts at home at the industrial level with industry-standard material was amazing,” said Jack. “Our team’s focus is to share innovative product features with the brand team and help bring them to market. When physical models are needed, our team can rely on industrial-grade 3D printing materials like ABS-R or Nylon Carbon Fiber because they are durable enough to prove out form and [...]
Dungeons & Dragons Dice Tower: An ABS Story
Did you know that ABS is the most popular material for engineers in the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) category? ABS is strong and has great machinability and thermal stability. Usually, ABS is highly susceptible to warping and curling in desktop 3D printers which, before the MakerBot Method X, caused ABS to be too challenging and unreliable to print with, regardless of its great qualities. MakerBot has also created RapidRinse™, a support material for ABS that actually dissolves in tap water! No chemicals are required in order for RapidRinse™ to dissolve, offering your ABS prints unlimited geometries. For fun, we experimented by printing a Dungeons & Dragons dice tower made of ABS with and without the support material, RapidRinse™. In the photos, you can see the difference between the two. The tower printed with RapidRinse™ has crisp overhangs with no stringing or extra material hanging off. For personal projects, this may be less enticing as some prints can be created without support. However, for engineers or designers that are bringing innovative ideas to life, having access to RapidRinse™ offers endless possibilities. More Info on 3D Printing
New Ultimaker Metal Expansion Kit
3D print functional steel parts on your Ultimaker Ultimaker and BASF Forward AM are proud to announce that the Metal Expansion Kit is now available from our network of resellers – meaning it is now possible to print functional steel parts on your Ultimaker S5, at a fraction of the cost of other metal production methods. At the Ultimaker Showcase event back in April, we unveiled two new solutions that together deliver a breakthrough for 3D printer users. First came Ultimaker Cura 5 offering enhanced detail and print speeds. Now, the Ultimaker Metal Expansion Kit unlocks massive possibilities for Ultimaker customers. You can now take advantage of a new range of metal 3D printing applications by upgrading the Ultimaker S5 with the Metal Expansion Kit. Its seamless workflow makes creating stainless steel parts easier, more efficient, and affordable. From small series of small tools to auxiliary components. What’s included? You may be wondering how an expansion kit allows an existing printer designed for thermoplastic filaments to reliably print metal parts. There are two key elements. First, the kit includes Ultimaker Print Cores – including a new Ultimaker Print Core DD¹ – with nozzles specially optimized for printing metal and ceramic support materials. The [...]