Apr 12, 2018 | By David
We’re back again with another round-up of all the latest happenings in the non-stop 3D printing world, as we know it can be hard to keep up sometimes. Recent stories include automotive manufacturer Hyundai Mobis announcing the launch of a new lab dedicated to improving its 3D printing capabilities, and Ultimaker launching a new set of core lessons for STEAM educational programs. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so keep reading if you want to get back up to speed.
1. Hyundai Mobis launches new 3D printing lab
(source: Hyundai Mobis)
Hyundai Mobis, the parts and service arm of the South Korean car manufacturing giant, has launched a new 3D design and printing lab. The facility is intended to improve the company’s additive manufacturing capabilities, offering the potential to quickly manufacture parts for a full-size car.
The Design Model Workshop cost the company 3 billion won ($2.8 million) to build, and it spans over a 430 square meter site at Hyundai Mobis’ Mabuk Technical Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. It is one of the few design studios in the world specifically intended to produce auto parts. The workshop is equipped with some advanced design facilities, including a fleet of powder-based 3D printers, as well as clay modelling machines.
The facility will be used to test out different auto parts on a car before shipping. The use of 3D printing technology means that the car modeling, sample design and editing stages can take place very close together, which will streamline the process. The ability to look at designs 3D printed to scale and not just virtual images on a computer screen will also allow designers to work much more efficiently, giving them a clearer picture of how a particular part will function and how it will be integrated into the main car body.
2. Ultimaker launches set of Core STEAM Lessons
(source: Ultimaker)
Leading desktop 3D printer manufacturer Ultimaker has today announced the launch of a major educational initiative. The Ultimaker Core Lessons: STEAM Set is designed for educators working in STEAM subjects, and it includes eight free lessons for STEAM educators based on feedback and guidance from the company’s North American educators and partners.
Ultimaker’s Pioneer Education pages already offer a broad range of educational tools and resources for 3D printing technology, and this latest set of STEAM lessons should expand the company’s educational reach even further. Universities and research institutes can benefit from these resources just as much as informal educational programs.
The main goals of the Ultimaker Core Lessons: STEAM set are to encourage students to be more responsible for their own learning outcomes, to provide powerful learning aids, like Design Thinking techniques, to build cooperative learning opportunities, to build resiliency by taking advantage of rapid prototyping and testing techniques, and to develop communication skills through continuous documentation and sharing. Founded back in 2011, Ultimaker launched its Pioneer Program in 2016 following years of success in the desktop 3D printer market. The program now has over 100 members worldwide.
3. Xometry partners with Zverse to deliver on-demand 3D design services
(source: Xometry)
Leading on-demand manufacturing platform Xometry has announced a partnership with Zverse, one of the major on-demand platforms for 3D design. This collaboration will enable customers to receive manufacturable design files for new parts as well as modifications of existing designs and, importantly, reverse engineering.
"A common manufacturing roadblock we see is that a customer needs a part produced, but they may not have a 3D file or their current file is not ready for manufacturing," said Randy Altschuler, co-founder and CEO of Xometry. "Also, many customers need reverse engineering of their legacy parts that have been manufactured for years without a digital file which is required for today's digital manufacturing age.
A range of different manufacturing services will be available once the 3D designs are generated by Zverse’s platform. The designs will be costed using a machine learning algorithm, and ZVerse's 3D Design On-Demand platform will optimize the design for the selected manufacturing process. Processes include CNC, injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing and more.
4. CoreLink releases Foundation 3D Interbody Cage Systems
(source: CoreLink)
Fast-growing medical implant manufacturer CoreLink has announced the release of its latest spinal product, the Foundation 3D Interbody Cage Systems. This 3D printed medical device is intended for cervical and lumbar fusions, and it is made from titanium.
The Foundation 3D Interbody Cage System makes use of CoreLink’s two patented technologies, Mimetic Metal and Strut Sure. Mimetic Metal enables it to mimic key characteristics of natural bone, featuring 100% open-pore architecture and micro roughened porosity with significant hydro-wicking properties. As for Strut Sure, this asymmetric load sharing support structure with an interconnected lattice is designed to provide the optimal balance between strength, stiffness, and stability. The system is available for Cervical, Straight Lumbar, and Curved Lumbar applications, in a variety of lengths.
According to Justin Owen M.D., a neurosurgeon in Slidell, LA, ''I appreciate the possibility of the endplates growing around the porous metal surfaces, which would seem to provide faster stabilization towards fusion before growing across the entire disc space.''
5. 4WEBMedical exceeds 30,000 implants of its 3D printed implant technology
(source: 4WEB Medical)
Leading medical implant company 4WEBMedical has reached a significant milestone, with an announcement today at the annual meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) that the company has exceeded 30,000 implants of its proprietary Truss Implant Technology worldwide.
This 3D printed implant technology has revolutionized the fields of spine, foot and ankle, and orthopedic surgery since it was launched back in 2012, when it received the first ever FDA approval for a 3D printed spinal implant. The key features of the 4WEB truss technology are that it provides a hierarchical surface roughness from the macro to nano scale. This stimulates an osteogenic response, while the open architecture of the design broadens the fusion column by up to 75%. Additionally, the truss design provides controlled load distribution maximizing resistance to subsidence.
Founded in Dallas in 2008, 4WEB Medical’s first major breakthrough was to use 4WEB, a unique geometry that can be used as a building block to create high-strength, lightweight web structures. In combination with early adoption of 3D printing technology and advanced materials, this put the company ahead of the pack. The company’s product portfolio now includes the Cervical Spine Truss System, the Anterior Spine Truss System, the Posterior Spine Truss System, the Lateral Spine Truss System and the Osteotomy Truss System, and it is actively developing truss implant designs for the knee and hip.
6. Höganäs launches Customization Technologies to increase additive manufacturing capabilities
(source: Höganäs)
Swedish metal powder manufacturer Höganäs has recently announced the launch of a new venture, known as Customization Technologies. This will be a dedicated product area intended to meet growing demand for its products for 3D printing technology and services, as well as Metal Injection Molding (MIM).
Customization Technologies is part of Höganäs’s Industrial business area and will cover the entire value chain for both AM and MIM, from application development and technology support to market development and global sales
According to Fredrik Emilsson, CEO of Höganäs, ''Höganäs already has a number of successful metal powders in AM and we see further opportunities to grow rapidly within both AM and MIM, not least through our recent acquisitions of Metasphere Technology and H.C. Starck Surface Technology and Ceramic Powder.''
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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