3D Printing News Briefs: September 19, 2017

We’re going to start off with a little business news in today’s edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, then move right along to a new competition, a little education, and some products that have been, or will soon be, on display at tradeshow events. Module Works and Spatial will work together on CAD/CAM solutions for additive and hybrid machining, while Precision ADM announces an important ISO certification. As part of an infrastructure pillar that includes 3D printing R&D, the world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power project has launched in Dubai, Ultimaker is introducing a new education competition to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and 3Dexter is offering 3D printing training courses with Hatchway CAD Center. Finally, Thought3D is presented the redesigned Magigoo at the upcoming TCT Show, and the Metal X 3D printer will be showcased for the first time in Germany.

Module Works and Spatial Begin Collaboration

3D software development toolkit (SDK) provider and Dassault Systèmes subsidiary Spatial Corp has teamed up with ModuleWorks, which supplies CAD/CAM SDKs for machining and simulation, to develop software components that give CAD/CAM vendors complete additive and hybrid machining workflow solutions. The two already share a large customer base, and this new cooperation ensures that their libraries will quickly and flexibly integrate into CAD/CAM applications that will speed up the development of cost-effective, advanced workflow solutions. Spatial’s powerful CGM Polyhedra SDK, which offers a precise, watertight mesh, can be passed on to the high-performance ModuleWorks additive and hybrid manufacturing components, which provide toolpath calculation and simulation, in order to create these workflows.

Ray Bagley, Product Manager for Modeling Products and Additive Manufacturing at Spatial, said, “Our continued cooperation with ModuleWorks will further enable us to deliver an integrated software platform to empower 3D printing OEMs and ISVs to create a single, comprehensive application, covering all the additive manufacturing software tasks. This integrated solution combines the power of 3D InterOp, CGM Polyhedra, and ModuleWorks machining engines. Customers will be able to leverage this solution to deliver much more robust applications to their end users, improving their user experience and production efficiency, all while reducing their own risk and getting to revenue faster.”

Precision ADM is ISO Certified for Medical Device Manufacturing

Global engineering and manufacturing solutions provider Precision ADM announced that it is the first Canadian metal additive and subtractive manufacturing services company to receive ISO 13485:2016 Quality Management System certification. By implementing this industry standard, which represents the comprehensive list of requirements for designing and manufacturing medical devices, Precision ADM will be able to make medical devices using the latest manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, which will help lower production costs by reducing waste and time to market. The company is targeting materials like titanium, stainless steel alloys, and cobalt chrome to use in 3D printing medical devices.

“Achieving ISO 13485 Registration and Certification using both metal Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing methods for Medical Devices is a first for any Canadian AM services company. We are proud of our team’s accomplishment in achieving this significant milestone and are excited to work under this quality system with our existing and new clients,” said Precision ADM CEO Martin Petrak.

World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Project Launches in Dubai

The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) is implementing the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world. His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently launched the project, which will generate 700 megawatts (MW) of power, include the world’s tallest solar tower (260 meters), and cost about Dh14.2 billion. This project is part of implementing the fourth stage of the Solar Park, home to an almost completed 3D printed laboratory, and will support the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, made up of five pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and having an environment-friendly energy mix. The CSP project is in the infrastructure pillar, which includes initiatives like the Solar Park, a 3D printed comprehensive innovation center, and a new free zone under the name Dubai Green Zone, which will work to attract R&D centers and emerging clean energy companies.

“The UAE has succeeded in building a global green economy model based on the environmental sustainability and clean energy and supported by clear plans. These plans will contribute to strengthening the foundations of such model and developing it according to the world’s finest standards so as to make the most of this field and invest in enhancing infrastructure, building capabilities and training competent national competencies,” said Sheikh Mohammad. “Implementing the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) project reaffirms the UAE’s leadership in renewable clean energy all over the world and enhances our status at the forefront of the most advanced countries in this field. We are pressing ahead with carrying out projects that support  the UAE’s comprehensive development and our aspirations that we have set for the future and are being implemented today. We are steadily moving towards achieving Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 goals, which we have launched to turn Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy and become the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050. We are very proud to see our goals turning into tangible achievements by our national cadres who proved efficient and excellence in various fields.”

Ultimaker Introduces New Education Competition

To encourage hands-on learning and innovation, Ultimaker has introduced an education challenge to teachers in Asia-Pacific countries – create actionable lesson plans that incorporate 3D printing. The goal is to find creative educators who work to pioneer new technology in the classroom, as well as share their lesson plans with other teachers through Ultimaker’s education platform, the Pioneer Program. The challenge deadline was extended to October 30, 2017 by popular demand, and educators have until then to win an [easyazon_link identifier=”B01AVF6EN0″ locale=”US” tag=”3dprint09-20″]Ultimaker 2+[/easyazon_link] or [easyazon_link identifier=”B01M66TXYD” locale=”US” tag=”3dprint09-20″]Ultimaker 3[/easyazon_link] for their school.

“Ultimaker’s products and solutions encourage students to address real-world problems, regardless of grade level,” said Ultimaker CEO Jos Burger. “It’s our goal to set the engineers, artists and designers of the future on the right path, and to support their learning along the way. Our 3D printing solutions are the perfect accompaniment to developing key skills in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM).”

Entries must be submitted in English and in the form of a lesson plan, and the competition is open to educators in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Two winning entries from each country will receive a new Ultimaker 3D printer, free materials, professional training, and the chance to share their lesson plans and ideas with other teachers around the world through the Ultimaker Pioneer Program. You can find the full submission requirements and rules on the official challenge announcement.

3Dexter Offering 3D Printing Training Courses with Hatchway CAD Center

India’s top 3D printing service in education, 3Dexter, is collaborating with the Hatchway CAD Academy, to provide 3D printing training courses to young people in a training center in the city of Cochin, Kerala. The two will be running a 3D printing curriculum at the center, as well as offering people hands-on assistance with 3D printers. Hatchway runs career-oriented programs to help people develop skills, and 3Dexter, which is expanding to the southern part of the country for the first time with a Cochin franchise, has already collaborated with multiple companies and institutions to develop and promote 3D printing curriculum.

“The franchise will host enthusiast wanting to enroll themselves in the 3D Printing training course developed by 3Dexter,” said Smarth Vasdev, the Co-founder of 3Dexter. “This start enables a new growth stream for 3Dexter and helps to expand to areas where we aren’t located. With the help of Hatchway CAD Academy we can reach new heights in south.”

Thought3D Presenting Redesigned Magigoo at TCT Show

Maltese startup Thought3D introduced its Magigoo 3D printing adhesive for ABS and PLA back in 2015, and gave it a complete rebranding makeover last year. Practice makes perfect, as they say, and at next week’s TCT Show in Birmingham, the startup will be showcasing the newly redesigned Magigoo adhesion pen. Magigoo was invented to help filament stick to the printing bed, and while customers were pleased with the product, it was hard to get the glue out of its former hard, plastic container; the rubber nib at the end of the stick offered no help in this matter.

So a new container, made out of flexible material, was designed for Magigoo, so users can simply squeeze it to get a controlled amount of glue out; another new addition is the transparent label, so users can see how much Magigoo is left in the bottle. The rubber nib was also replaced with a foam applicator, in order to create a consistent, even layer on the print bed. If you’ll be at the TCT Show next week and want to check out the new Magigoo by Thought3D, you can visit one of the following exhibitors to get a sample:

• Hall 3, Stand J26: FELIXprinters, a Dutch manufacturer of desktop 3D printers
• Hall 3, Stand G69: Fillamentum, a brand name of high quality filaments developed and manufactured by Pzarlich
• Hall 3, Stand D6: HAWK 3D PROTO, a desktop 3D printer supplier
• Hall 3, Stand B33: Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co. Ltd, a 3D printing material manufacturer

Metal X Presented at EMO Hannover

For the first time, the Metal X 3D printer by Markforged will be presented in Germany. One of the company’s partners, Mark3D, will be showcasing the Metal X at the EMO Hannover 2017 trade fair, which began yesterday and runs through this Saturday, the 23rd. Many 3D printed components that were fabricated using the Metal X will also be on display at the event. Stop by Hall 27, Stand A37 at EMO Hannover Messe this week to see the desktop metal 3D printer for yourself; a few free tickets to the event are still available here.

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