3D Printing News Briefs: October 13, 2017

It’s Friday the 13th – instead of walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, or generally going outside at all, it’s probably safest to stay in and read today’s edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, which covers a 3D printer and 3D printing software, some 3D printing business, and an interesting 3D printed model. Cubibot is still blowing up its Kickstarter campaign, and Materialise has begun its Magics22 software beta program. Rize and EOS have both announced new partnerships, while UnionTech and Organovo are both changing up their staffing. Finally, the University of Queensland is using a 3D printed model to study an extinct species.

Cubibot Kickstarter Campaign News

San Diego 3D printing startup Cubibot introduced its compact, cloud-enabled 3D printer at Inside 3D Printing San Diego last year, launching it on Kickstarter recently, where it reached its crowdfunding goal two minutes after the campaign went live. There are still 12 days to go in the campaign, and it’s raised more than 11 times its original goal of $50,000. As a reward for the crowdfunding community, Cubibot is now releasing the portable, plug and play CubiOne 3D printer, a base model minus the heated bed of the Cubibot. The printer is the same size as the Cubibot, with the same print size of 5″ x 5″ x 5″, but is only designed to use the PLA and Specialty PLA print material. It’s being offered at a special 50% discount off retail pricing – you can purchase the CubiOne on Kickstarter for just $149.

“As a special reward to the crowdfunding community, we wanted to introduce the CubiOne, an entry-level 3D Printer that has the same look and print quality as Cubibot but is offered at an eco-friendlier price point. CubiOne is the perfect choice for people who want to purchase their first 3D Printer,” said Aria Noorazar, the Co-Founder of Cubibot.

“By offering CubiOne, we’re giving even more people the freedom to create their designs whether they’re already 3D printer pros or if they’re completely new to 3D printing.”

Materialise Rolls Out Magics22 Beta Program

When fall arrives, it’s time for Materialise to launch the latest version of its Materialise Magics data preparation software. As was the case in the last two years for Magics20 and Magics21 in the time between the TCT Show and formnext, we’re starting to hear more about the upcoming Magics22. The company has officially started the beta program for Magics22, and about 100 companies are currently testing out the software’s latest features.

“When releasing a new software version, it is very important to have an external audience that tests the product in its real application environment,” said Gert Claes, Product Manager of Materialise Magics. “They help us iron out bugs, refine our software and deliver a polished final version. We very much appreciate their input and are excited to soon be launching the next great version of Materialise Magics.”

The 3D printing data preparation software, which is used by both large and small companies, will hold with tradition and be officially released at formnext in Frankfurt next month. Stay tuned for more details about the new version of Materialise Magics in November.

Rize Announces Reseller Partnership with Cimquest

This week, Rize Inc., maker of the Rize One 3D printer that uses its patented Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) platform to produce injection molded-quality manufacturing parts, announced that it’s partnering up with CAD/CAM integrator Cimquest. The company, already a reseller for Stratasys and HP, is now also an authorized Rize reseller as well. At its upcoming Advanced Manufacturing Expo, Cimquest will be demonstrating the Rize One 3D printer and its APD technology.

Rob Hassold, Founder and CEO of Cimquest, said, “With so many new introductions of 3D Printers over the last several years failing to meet customers’ expectations, it is very refreshing to see how Rize has hit the mark in quality, reliability and performance with the new Rize One 3D Printer. With the unmatched ability to produce uniform part strength in a machine that is environmentally safe, we are seeing amazing interest from many business sectors such as: schools and universities as well as military applications in confined spaces.”

EOS Expands North American Sales Channel with Hartwig Partnership

Industrial 3D printing company EOS and machine tool distributor Hartwig Inc. have entered into a partnership, in order to expand EOS’ North American sales channel into the traditional machine tooling industry. Hartwig’s manufacturing customers can now enjoy the benefits of the full range of EOS metal and plastic 3D printers, which will help in creating lightweight structures, increasing product development and production, and lowering costs. The company sees its partnership with EOS as a logical next step in continuing to grow its capabilities, and will be an EOS distributor for Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

“Manufacturing companies in North America are looking to additive manufacturing technology more and more. Partnering with a company that has the breadth of distribution capabilities of Hartwig is crucial to meet current and future demands for the solutions that EOS offers,” said Andrew Snow, Senior Vice President of EOS North America.

UnionTech Expands Staffing

Chinese 3D printing manufacturer UnionTech (Shanghai Union Technology Corp.) is one of the forerunners of SLA 3D printing technology, and recently showcased its commercial series of PILOT 3D printers at the TCT Show. The company’s offerings have been received very well on the market, and UnionTech, which is established in the UK, Italy, Germany, and France, has a philosophy of selling through a network of local distributors who can provide a support team of regional UnionTech personnel, along with direct sales and service support.

UnionTech announced that it is continuing its growth by expanding offices and staffing, effective immediately. In the European office, the company has added Thomas Yang to Business Development and appointed Susanne Volz as the Sales and Marketing Assistant. Peter Hansford is now the EMEA Sales Director, Laurent Richez was named an Applications Engineer, and Kirk Dyke is the EMEA Technical Service Manager. Finally, Ivan Golovuni is now the Regional Manager for UnionTech in Russia.

Organovo Announces Restructuring with Planned Layoffs

Bioprinting company Organovo recently reported that its preliminary unaudited total revenue for fiscal Q2 2018 should be between $1.3 and $1.4 million, which shows a 2% decrease in total revenue; full results will be released next month. In an effort to improve its operational efficiency, the company has announced a restructuring plan that will put a sharper focus on aligning its resources. The internal reorganization will streamline Organovo’s management structure and consolidate overlapping positions, but it will mean reducing 13% of its overall workforce, which equals approximately 15 positions, by the end of 2017. The company believes that these layoffs will reduce total operating costs by $1.3 million in FY2018 and $2.7 million in FY2019.

“As we direct our strategic effort to growing liver and kidney tissue research services, and the ongoing preclinical development of our liver therapeutic tissue, we identified the opportunity to streamline our operational capabilities and align our organization more closely with achieving these precise commercial and R&D goals. We expect to achieve important process and scale efficiencies that allow us to better engage with our customers and focus on opportunities with the highest return-on-investment for our business,” said Organovo CEO Taylor J. Crouch. “Our new organizational structure also allows us to reduce costs in non-core areas, and more carefully manage our cash burn rate with an eye towards delivering long-term shareholder value.”

3D Printed Model Used in University of Queensland Study

A study led by the University of Queensland (UQ) is using a 3D printed skull model to help learn more about the extinction of a unique, wallaby-sized species of fanged Australian kangaroos. According to UQ School of Earth and Environmental Science PhD student Kaylene Butler, the study involved using ancient fossil deposits from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area that belong to the Queensland Museum to research when the kangaroos went extinct…which could have been about five million years later than previously thought.

“Fanged kangaroos and the potential ancestors of modern kangaroos are both browsers – meaning they ate leaves – and they scurried, but did not hop. Northern Queensland was predominantly covered in rainforest when these fanged kangaroos first appear in the fossil record,” Butler explained. “There is a lot of research to be done before we can be sure what their canine teeth were used for but some have suggested they were used to attract potential mates. We do know that despite their large canines they were herbivorous (plant eaters). We found that fanged kangaroos increased in body size right up until their extinction.”

By using the 3D printed model and other methods to research when the kangaroo species went extinct, Butler and her fellow researchers can help determine why they went extinct in the first place. The results of the study were published in a paper in the Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal.

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