Desktop Metal Upgrades Live Sinter™ Software
Desktop Metal Announces Upgrades to its Popular Live Sinter™ Software, a Powerful Multi-Physics Simulation Tool that Delivers Trusted Results Live Sinter simulation software predicts and corrects for shrinkage and distortion in metal parts 3D printed with binder jetting technology. Sinter-ready, printable geometries are provided in as little as 20 minutes and deliver highly accurate final part results. (Graphic: Business Wire) Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE: DM), a global leader in additive manufacturing technologies for mass production, recently announced significant updates to Live Sinter — a powerful multi-physics sinter simulation software application that automates the generation of sinter-ready, printable geometries, as well as supports, setters, and inserts, to make repeatable, volume production of high-precision end-use metal parts through binder jetting more accessible. Launched in the fall of 2020, Live Sinter is now trusted by users at more than a hundred companies globally, and the software is a key enabler of Desktop Metal’s AM 2.0 binder jetting solutions, making them easier to adopt and ramp to production for customers without any prior powder metallurgy or sintering expertise. Live Sinter’s powerful multi-physics simulation and compensation software delivers sinter-ready, printable geometries that maintain tight shape and dimensional tolerances. After scan-based adjustments, Live Sinter enables correcting for [...]
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 [...]
Mastercam 2023 Slot Mill Enhancements
In this article, we will introduce a significant upgrade in Mastercam 2023, the Slot Mill toolpath. In previous versions of Mastercam, Slot Mill was only capable of processing very limited shapes. When you selected the Slot Mill toolpath and the chain of the profile to be machined, the oblong chain geometry generated the path with no problems. However, if you tried any of the other similar shapes you would get a warning message that says “Boundary must be closed and include two parallel, straight sides, use Create Rectangle with Rectangular Shape set to Obround.” With the Mastercam 2023 release, these restrictions have been removed and Mastercam can now process any of the shapes with no trouble at all. There are many benefits to this new capability. The new and improved Slot Mill automatically follows the profile with a ramping entry without needing to select a special start point. If you look closely at the geometry you can see that the transitions from the center use smooth, looping motion to prevent plunges in the following cuts. This allows you to have the benefit of parallel passes and high-speed transitions without having to pick one or the other. This new Mastercam enhancement greatly increases the [...]