3D Printing: The Stories We Missed This Week — November 12, 2016

On this week’s edition of “The Stories We Missed This Week”, we’ve got news that spans from the animated universe of Rick and Morty to South Korea. For starters, one die-hard fan of the intergalactic animated comedy Rick and Morty utilized 3D printing to create the “Pass the Butter” robot found in the show. The Melbourne, Australia-based Amaero Engineering, the first to 3D print an entire jet engine, recently signed an agreement with Safran Power Units to extend joint research. Studio-317, a manufacturing studio designed for the apparel industry, announced a global partnership with Reliable Source Industrial (“RSI”) to expand their prototyping capabilities in regard to the activewear industry. The Luxembourg-based 3D scanning company Artec 3D has signed a partnership agreement with Image Systems’ Motion Analysis to integrate scanning products with the TEMA and TrackEye software suite. In Seoul, South Korea, Sems Games has opened their first pop-up store that will allow customers to design characters and have them 3D printed. The Union City School District in New Jersey has created a district-wide STEAM curriculum that integrates 3D printing technology. Lastly, the architecture design firm Branch Technology was awarded with the Chattanooga Chamber Of Commerce 2016 Spirit Of Innovation Award.

Rick and Morty’s “Pass the Butter” Robot Brought to Life with 3D Printing

Known as one of the most innovative and crudely hilarious television shows around, the animated series Rick and Morty features a lot of crazy contraptions we could only dream of being real. One die-hard fan utilized 3D printing technology to create the “Pass the Butter” robot from the opening scene of the first season’s ninth episode, “Something Ricked This Way Comes”. The robotic device was designed and built by Reddit user “Andredotcome” with a 3D printer and a base made from an I-spy Mini Wireless Wifi App-control Spy Tank RC Car. In the show, the robot becomes depressingly self-aware of its sole purpose, which is to the pass the butter. In a demonstration video, the fan showed his 3D printed “Pass the Butter” robot in action. Just as in the episode, the creator of the robot was able to ask it for butter and also remind it that its existence has no meaning beyond this task.

Amaero Engineering Signs Agreement with Safran Power Units to 3D Print Turbojet Components

Based in the innovation cluster in Melbourne, Australia’s Monash University, Amaero Engineering made great strides in the aerospace industry last year with their two fully 3D printed jet engines. Now, the engineering company is launching a new joint venture with the French aerospace firm Safran Power Units to 3D print turbojet components. The partnership agreement will follow with a new manufacturing facility that Amaero will build upon the Safran Power Units site in Toulouse. The engineering company will relocate two of their large customized Selective Laser Melting (SLM) 3D printers to the new facility, along with their ‘know-how’ and other intellectual property. These 3D printed turbojet components will be tested and validated by Safran Power Units before they enter serial production. From there, Amaero will produce components for Safran to post-process, machine, and finally assemble into auxiliary power units and turbojet engines for commercial and defense use. The facility is expected to be under full operation by the first quarter of 2017.

“Our new facility will be embedded within the Safran Power Units factory in Toulouse and will make components for Safran’s auxiliary power units and turbojet engines,” said Amaero CEO Barrie Finnin.

Studio-317 Expands Prototyping Capabilities in Activewear with RSI Partnership

This past week, Studio-317, a manufacturing studio geared towards the apparel industry, announced a major partnership with the leading global activewear apparel manufacturing and services company Reliable Source Industrial (RSI). The deal will be driven by a major investment from RSI into Studio-317, which will help further the studio’s production capabilities with a total supply chain solution. RSI will assist the apparel manufacturing studio in every step of the manufacturing process, from ideation to production. The global partnership will also help Studio-317 expand their ability to support apparel designers and develop better industry practices for how innovative products can be made with both speed and quality in mind. RSI will help expand services such as 3D design, 3D printing, rapid prototyping, digital wearable solutions, and small batch manufacturing.

“With RSI, we are building towards offering our clients a one-stop shop from product innovation to small batch production, a service which does not exist in Portland or anywhere else in North America,” said Elizabeth LeMay, founder and President of Studio-317 Corporation. “For Studio-317, this partnership means expansion, financial backing, manufacturing support, and access to the latest technical, high performance fabrics and production technologies.”

Image Systems Motion Analysis to Couple Software Suite with Artec 3D Scanning Technology

The Luxembourg-based 3D scanning company Artec 3D recently signed a partnership agreement with the Swedish high resolution imaging company Image Systems’ business unit Motion Analysis to couple their 3D scanning technology with motion analysis software. Artec’s 3D scanning products will easily integrate with Image Systems’ global measurement solutions, and will enable that software to use the vast amount of data points created in the 3D model for enhanced data output and improved object visualization. The 3D scanner package will come alongside Image Systems TEMA and TrackEye software solutions, and will enhance the customer experience. One use of the new bundled solution will be for automotive crash testing. Users will be able understand how close the crash-test dummy’s head is to the steering wheel, using Artec 3D scanning to virtually calculate the closest point between the head and the steering wheel.

“3D scanning greatly influences the world around us from how products are designed to creating visual effects in movies to preserving history. Every day we are looking for new ways to push the boundaries of what can be achieved using our handheld 3D scanners and Image Systems’ Motion Analysis business unit is at the forefront of this. Combining 3D scans with motion analysis will provide unique benefits for a variety of industries,” said Artyom Yukhin, president and CEO of Artec 3D .

Sems Games Opens Pop-Up “Playhouse” Store in South Korea

In Seoul, South Korea, the startup Sems Games has opened the “Playhouse” pop-up store, which will offer their customers a firsthand experience of their PLAP process, an innovative toy service that enables simultaneous offline toy design and assembly via 3D printing technology. Their process allows customers to design and 3D print their own intellectual property-based character. With this service, customers are able to create different mixtures of highly recognizable characters, such as the body of Batman and the head of Astro Boy. The objective of this pop-up store is to offer customers the enjoyable experience creating their own unique toy with 3D printing technology. Not only will these characters be physically produced, they’re also able to be incorporated into online games and enable customers to create personalized virtual spaces.

New Jersey School District Integrates Dremel 3D Printing in STEAM Curriculum

In New Jersey, the Union City School District has taken a major step forward with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) education thanks to the classroom-oriented Dremel Idea Builder. The integration of Dremel’s 3D printing technology will help accelerate the adoption of makerspaces throughout the school district, which will have a profound effect on the district-wide STEAM curriculum. Known for their above-average graduation rate, the Union City School District attributes much of their success to technology equity. Marcos Navas, a Dremel Idea Builder Ambassador and technology facilitator at the district, will facilitate project-based lessons in the everyday STEAM curriculum as well as summer-long STEAM camps. By fusing together this curriculum with project-based learning, the school district hopes to spark a youthful maker movement within their classrooms.

“The maker movement has vast potential, but it’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all initiative,” said Rafael Franca, manager, Dremel 3D Education. “We listen to how districts like UCSD are using the Idea Builder to forge new learning experiences, and provide resources for students to approach a 3D printer as a flexible tool, rather than a stand-alone technology.”

Branch Technology Awarded with Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce 2016 Spirit of Innovation Award

Aiming to revolutionize the way we design and build with a combination of 3D printing, industrial robotics, and conventional building materials, Branch Technology is a pioneer in tech-infused architecture in North America. Using their cellular fabrication technology, which is an innovative technique that solidifies material in mid-air to create a cellular matrix, the Tennessee-based company is aiming to built the first 3D printed house in the city of Chattanooga. This past week, their technological prowess earned them 2016 Spirit of Innovation Award from the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, a prestigious accolade for being a pioneering force within the city. The event was keynoted by civic and business entrepreneur Stephen Culp, and also honored a number of other “Early Innovator” companies, including Aegle Gear, Collider, and i-Card.

“We’d like to thank the community and the Chamber for supporting us,” said Platt Boyd, president & CEO of Branch Technology. “What we’ve discovered since we’ve been here is that what sets Chattanooga apart is a spirit that is unafraid to try something new, to be first at something amazing.”

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