Jul 18, 2017 | By Tess

Before packing up for your summer vacation, be sure to check out these updates from the 3D printing world. From company partnerships to new initiatives, this hot July week is shaping up to be a good one for the industry.

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing to 3D print polymer parts for Airbus A350 XWB aircraft

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of 3D printing company Stratasys Ltd., has been selected by aerospace giant Airbus to 3D print parts for its A350 XWB aircraft. The parts, which will be printed from an ULTEM™ 9085 polymer, will consist of non-structural parts such as brackets. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing says it will be 3D printing the aircraft components using the company’s FDM production printers.

The goal of 3D printing the non-structural parts will be to give Airbus more supply chain flexibility and better cost competitiveness. 3D printing will also enable the aerospace company to reduce both material consumption and waste in its aircraft manufacturing processes.

“We are proud to work with Airbus to continually advance 3D printing in aerospace applications,” commented Joe Allison, CEO of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. “Our expertise in building parts ready for installation on the aircraft, along with our unique process controls and quality procedures, will allow Airbus to improve competitiveness leveraging on the technical benefits of 3D printing.”

Techniplas opens Additive Manufacturing Center for automotive clients in Ventura, CA

Techniplas, a plastic fabrication company that specializes in automotive products and services, has just announced the opening of its new Additive Manufacturing Center in Ventura, CA. The new center, which is being operated by the company’s digital-innovation arm Techniplas Digital, will be used for the production of “lighter and stronger” parts for its automotive clients.

The 3D printing center already houses about a dozen 3D printers, including FDM, DMLS, and SLA machines, and Techniplas says it plans to add 20 high-speed 3D printers to its facility by the end of the year. The AM center will also place an emphasis on hybrid manufacturing, which will combine “traditional tool and mold bases with modular plugin inserts that are 3D printed.” This method, it says, will make it easier to carry out short production runs.

George Votis, Techniplas founder and chairman, said: “Everyone from our customers to their customers will directly benefit from the capabilities in our new facility. The automotive industry is being disrupted and redefined at lightning speed, and we are putting in the capabilities which will place us well ahead of the curve to better serve our customers and to bring new engineered products to market even faster."

The new Additive Manufacturing Center will also be working with early-stage companies to develop algorithms and processes designed for enhancing its digital thread and manufacturing capacity. This effort will include a cloud-based generative design platform that can be used to automatically model metamaterial lattice structures to fit certain constraints.

PyroGenesis receives $368k through military contract, exercises $238k of warrants for 3D printing metal powder production

PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a leader in advanced plasma processes and a manufacturer of metal powders for 3D printing, recently announced the signing of two military contracts, which totalled roughly 1.6 million Canadian dollars ($1.2 million). Now, the company has said it has received an additional CA$445,950 ($367,982) under one of the contracts.

The company has also announced that CA$300,000 ($238,000) of warrants have been exercised. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, commented on the announcement, saying: “This exercise of warrants is timely. We are currently looking beyond the ramp-up phase towards increasing production capacity ahead of our original expectations. This exercise of warrants, together with any future exercise of warrants and options, will enable us to implement plans to accelerate our original schedule to increase our production capacity of metal powders for the Additive manufacturing (3D Printing) industry.”

Pascali added that the company is currently investigating the possibility of having three more of its powder production systems operational by 2018. The company recently broke into the metal 3D printing powder scene, and says the initiative is moving forward successfully.

Dubai Future Accelerators gears up for third cycle, invites companies to collaborate with government for challenges of the future

As Dubai’s Future Accelerators program heads into its third cycle, the business accelerator initiative is inviting companies from all over the world to help find “solutions to key strategic challenges.” After two successful editions, in which over 4,000 applications were submitted, the Dubai Future Accelerators program is looking for more ways to integrate 4th Industrial Revolution technologies (such as 3D printing) for innovative applications.

The third cycle will take place starting in October 2017 and will last for nine weeks. The goal is to connect industry with the government to implement new and even revolutionary solutions for a plethora of issues and challenges in our modern societies.

“Over the past two programs, we have enjoyed remarkable success in terms of the enthusiasm of participating government entities, and the sheer number of MoUs signed with pioneering companies to find innovative future solutions, create opportunities for sustainable growth, and further enhance our society,” commented Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Accelerators.

Sectors that will be focused on for the third cycle of the program include: transport, health, security, utilities, city planning, government, telecoms, municipal services, education, entrepreneurialism, and aviation.

As part of the latter category, Dubai Future Accelerators has partnered with Emirates, which will be participating in three challenges. The challenges include developing a self-driving and eco-friendly fleet of vehicles for ground support operations at airports, improving the airline’s operational efficiency by 50 percent, and creating AI- and VR-based training solutions for cabin crews.

“As we open submissions for the third edition, we look forward to building on our earlier success,” added Belhoul. “This year, we will see new government entities come on board to collaborate with global innovators to create advanced working models and future solutions across many verticals…It will help transform the UAE into a hub and testbed for innovative ideas, and state-of-the-art projects that will further contribute to the economy.”

Singapore-based 3D Matters and 3D Metalforge obtain ISO9001 certification

Singapore-based metal 3D printing company Metalforge and its sister company 3D Matters have both been granted ISO9001:2015 certification by DNV GL, an international third-party certification body that specializes in the maritime, oil and gas, and energy industries.

According to ASQ, the ISO9001 certification is an “international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS).” The certification is used to showcase a company’s capacity to provide products and services that meet both customer and regulatory requirements.

3D Matters—recognized as one of South East Asia’s leading 3D printing companies—and 3D Metalforge are the first additive manufacturing companies in the region to obtain the sought-after international quality management system standards certification. Both companies say the announcement marks a significant step forwards for them, and marks their “commitment to continual improvement, customer satisfaction, and overall sustainable business performance.”

Matthew Waterhouse, CEO of 3D Metalforge and 3D Matters, stated: “We understand that quality standards, as well as consistent and sustainable business practices, are top priorities for most of our world-class customers. Through our strong partnership approach, 3D Metalforge hopes that our ISO9001:2015 certification will provide added confidence to our customers and stakeholders as we collaborate to jointly navigate new opportunities and challenges in the world of metal additive manufacturing.”

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer Company

 

 

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