3D Printing: The Stories We Missed This Week — September 3, 2016

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From major business acquisitions to exploding rockets, it’s been quite a wild and bumpy ride into the weekend. Here’s a look back at some of the news that we didn’t manage to cover in full this week. For starters, Autodesk 3D printed a new high-performance prosthetic limb for German Paralympian Denise Schindler. A research team from Korea Polytechnic University has created a 3D bioprinting system to create medical products, and also developed a preparation for tissue regeneration that is capable of dissolving in the body. 3D printer part manufacturer Dyze Design has recently launched their new extruder, the DyzeXtruder GT. German 3D printing company Concept Laser is said to be exploring the possibility of selling their business, which could fetch them over 600 million euros. Haydale has announced their acquisition of Innophene, a Thai firm that is working to develop graphene-enhanced transparent conductive inks for inkjet and other printing platforms. SolidProfessor is offering readers from 3DPrint.com a 20% discount on their three annual memberships tiers. The 3D printing titan 3D Systems will preview their digital manufacturing strategy and solutions at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago on September 12, and yes, we will most certainly be in attendance! Lastly, a major explosion shook the entire space industry place while the aerospace company SpaceX failed to test fire their Falcon 9 rocket, which may have had 3D printed components onboard.

Autodesk Creates 3D Printed Prosthetic for German Paralympian

swm-autodeskThis year’s Paralympic Games are set to take place from September 7 to 18 in Rio de Janeiro, and one participating cyclist from Germany, named Denise Schindler, will be vying for a medal with a 3D printed prosthetic created for her by Autodesk. Although the artificial limb was printed at Autodesk’s San Francisco-based facility, their R&D center in Israel also played a major role in the development of the prosthetic. Using their cloud-based design software Fusion 360, Autodesk engineers tested out more than 50 design iterations for printing the final prosthetic for Schindler, which ended up being lighter, more aerodynamic, and had a greater power output than her previous artificial limb. In April, Schindler got to meet and show off her 3D printed prosthetic to US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Hannover Messe. The cyclist will be one of 4,350 athletes from 178 countries to participate in the upcoming Paralympic Games.

“This is an excellent example to the way in which technology and innovative tools change the way in which we make things,” said Eitan Tzarfati, the head of Autodesk’s Israel R&D center in Tel Aviv. “In using generative design powered by algorithms we are at the beginning of a revolution in design and manufacturing. Human designers cooperate with powerful computers and advanced software in dealing with design limits.”

Korea Polytechnic University Researchers Develop 3D Bioprinting Technique to Restore Damaged Facial Bones

SWM-scitech_0This past week, the South Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced that a new bioprinting technique was developed by a research team from the Korea Polytechnic University. The team, which was led by professor Yoon Won-soo, created a 3D bioprinting system capable of manufacturing medical products with biomaterials, which led them to develop a biodegradable mesh for facial bone reconstruction surgery. With their newly developed system, which was approved by Ministry of Food & Drug Safety (MFDS), patient-specific prostheses can be produced and inserted without bones having to be cut, and can also cut the average surgical operation time from eight hours to two hours or less. The research team developed the biodegradable mesh was prepared with their FDA-approved biodegradable medical polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer material, which dissolves away a few years after the transplant is completed, thus lowering the risk of inflammation. This developed medical solution was put on the market earlier this year by T&R Biofab, a company founded by Won-soo. Their 3D bioprinting system was developed in collaboration with the Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) and the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

Dyze Design Launches New High-Performance DyzeXtruder GT Extruder

unnamed (6)The high-performance 3D printer part manufacturer Dyze Design recently launched their brand new extruder, the DyzeXtruder GT. The newest addition to their well-established product line, the extruder will include enhanced features that will promote high quality prints, such as a dual pinch system to keep filament from sliding, an auto-lock lever system, and a powerful pushing force. Like all of their high-performance components, the DyzeXtruder GT extruder will help makers optimize their printers, and thus reach higher levels of performance. The new extruder product line can be purchased on the Dyze Design online shop, available with or without an upgrade kit, as well as through select resellers such as youprintin3d.de, voxelfactory.com or filimprimante3d.fr.

“Small, light and powerful. Our new extruder is the reference for high quality prints on FDM type printers,” says Jean-Sébastien Carrier, President and CEO of Dyze Design. “Unlike our old model and compared with other standard extruders on the market, the DyzeXtruder GT offers extra features such as a dual pinch system that ensures the filament not to slide, 9 kg of pushing force and a auto-lock lever system that allows to easily change the filament.”

Concept Laser to Explore the Possibility of Selling Their Company

swm-conceptlaserThe German 3D printing company Concept Laser GmbH has been gaining a lot traction as of late, recently debuting their Mlab Cusing 3D printer in the United Arab Emirates and working with Materialise to enhance their technology. Their recent string of success may be influencing the owners of the company to consider selling their business. According to Bloomberg, Concept Laser is working closely with advisors on a sale process, which could net them more than 600 million euros. Although a final decision hasn’t been reached, and Concept Laser has yet to comment on the possibility of a forthcoming sale, they have increased their 2016 first half sales by a whopping 86% compared to the same period in 2015. The news of a possible sale has attracted interest from tech companies and private equity firms, but these interested buyers have not been identified as of yet.

Haydale Announces Acquisition of Graphene Ink Developers Innophene

SWM-648991HaydaleTM-Logo-2cPosEarlier this week, UK-based nano-materials producer Haydale Graphene Industries, which recently introduced their first graphene-enhanced 3D printing filament, announced their acquisition of Innophene, a Thai firm that is working to develop graphene-enhanced transparent conductive inks for inkjet and other printing platforms. The acquisition is said to be worth a total of £311,665, and will provide Haydale with Innophene’s portfolio of ink products and their recently developed graphene enhanced PLA resin. The material, which is ideal for the production of medical devices, enables improved mechanical and barrier performance without sacrificing transparency, allowing the material to be colored through the addition of pigments, whereas a graphene loaded PLA will be black. Innophene is located in the Bangkok-based Thailand Science Park, and has worked with the Thailand National Science & Technology Development Agency in the past.

“We have been working with the Innophene team for more than nine months, where they have carried out a number of projects for us. The analytical and application development facilities that they have access to on the Thailand Science Park is substantial and we have been impressed with the quality and speed of their response. Innophene’s managing director, Komkrit Sajjaanantakul, has 10 years’ experience in medical devices, bio plastics and sensors and has started to develop local sales opportunities,” said Haydale CEO Ray Gibbs.

SolidProfessor Offers 3DPrint.com Readers 20% Discount on Annual Membership

SWM-solidprofessorFor those interested in getting some hands-on experience with the wide array of CAD software programs out there, educational resource platform SolidProfessor has a great deal on their annual membership plans. Throughout the entire month of September, SolidProfessor will offer a 20% discount to readers of 3DPrint.com for all three tiers of their membership. Simply sign up using the promo code “3DPrint20”, and you will have instant access to hours of guided video learning. SolidProfessor offers Standard, Professional, and Premium memberships, all of which will be available at a discounted price for our readers for the remainder of the month. SolidProfessor specializes in developing highly technical content, particularly with online learning resources for software applications that are widely used in engineering and design, including SOLIDWORKS, Onshape, SketchUp, and others.

3D Systems to Preview Upcoming Strategies and Solutions in Chicago This September

swm-3dsystemsOn September 12, the Rock Hill, South Carolina-based 3D printing company 3D Systems will head to Chicago to host their 2016 Strategy and Solutions Event, which will feature a preview of their upcoming digital manufacturing strategies and new 3D printing solutions. The exclusive one-day program, where 3DPrint.com will be in attendance, is taking place at the McCormick Place convention center, and will connect company partners, customers, analysts, and of course, the media together to discuss their thoughts on 3D Systems’ latest manufacturing solutions, as well as their future plans. The event will be led by recently appointed CEO Vyomesh Joshi, who will be providing insight into digital manufacturing trends, emerging applications, strategic partnership initiatives, as well as an overview of 3D Systems’ updated business approach and focus areas. Attendees will be given an opportunity to pose questions and share their thoughts during the event. The 2016 Strategy and Solutions Event will coincide with the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), which is taking place in the same convention center, where 3D Systems will have two demonstration and display booths. Those looking to follow with the 3D Systems preview can watch the event via webcast on the 3D Systems Investor Relations website.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes During Failed Firing Test

Falcon-9_explosion_A-2016-09-01-879x485After a string of successful rocket launches and landings, the American aerospace company SpaceX encountered a major setback this past week as their Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a failed firing test. Although it’s unclear whether the rocket contained 3D printed components or not, it’s certainly possible, as SpaceX has used additive manufactured parts in the past to reduce the building costs of their Falcon 9 rocket and improve their overall performance. The explosion was gigantically frightening, but thankfully the launchpad was clear at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported. The explosion took place around the rocket’s upper stage liquid oxygen tank during propellant loading. Unfortunately, a $200 million payload that was equipped to the rocket was also destroyed at the time of testing, including Facebook’s Amos 6 satellite, which was engineered to provide satellite internet access to Africa and a number of other countries. All in all, it must have been an extremely rough day for everyone involved in the Falcon 9 launch and the space industry in general. According to SpaceX, the issue seems to be attributed to the launchpad and ground systems, rather than the rocket itself. Discuss these topics over in This Week’s 3D Printing forum at 3DPB.com.

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