Additive Manufacturing Research

Another Hat in the Ring: Will Xerox Shake up the 3D Printing Market?

At Xerox’s recent Investor Day 2019, a company that has been indirectly involved in the 3D printing industry for many years, announced its acquisition of metal additive manufacturing systems company Vader Systems and the company’s plans to develop a direct role in the market for 3D printing technologies.

Is Xerox entering 3D printing in this way, at this time, like a big fish leaping into a small, yet crowded pond? In the last two years, there are quite a few big fish which have jumped into the proverbial 3D printing ‘pond,’ and while said pond keeps getting bigger, it’s certainly becoming more and more crowded.

Statements from Xerox regarding their plans for 3D printing are very reminiscent of other major companies which have done the same in recent years, with the most direct comparison likely to be HP.

Will Xerox shake up the 3D printing market?

The company’s biggest and most direct influence for now appears will occur via its acquisition of Vader Systems. Vader, in SmarTech’s opinion, is an “aging startup” and a developer of what is claimed to be an innovative metal additive manufacturing technology based at some level on inkjet technology. While Xerox has also made some claims on its intent to bring solutions into the polymer 3D printing market including materials, printing systems, and software, we do not have concrete details as of now so we will focus on Vader and metal additive manufacturing.

What impact might Xerox have on metal AM?

From a technical perspective, Xerox’s acquisition makes some sense. The company has a longstanding history in inkjet technology, and has been a long time supplier of various elements of this technology to other 3D printer manufacturers who use it in their own printers. Vader’s technology is based on some of the same tenants of inkjet printing, with the inherent (theoretical) scalability that comes with it. With that in mind, a lot of my thoughts on how to answer the question of “will Xerox shake up the metal additive manufacturing market” end up circling back to “what are the reasonable expectations for inkjet-oriented technologies to compete against fusion or extrusion based technologies?”

There’s no easy way to answer or opine on that in a blog post, but for now, I’ve made a few observations and formed some opinions that have started to shape my thoughts on Xerox’s potential impact (keeping in mind that more concrete details are still to come).

First, the primary statements regarding Xerox’s own motives for the Vader acquisition (and apparently it’s overall upcoming 3D printing activities that will be revealed in more detail), are based on the perception that, “manufacturing customers want to use 3D printing, but the current offerings only serve the prototyping market well, not broad manufacturing.”

I consider this a very risky statement to put forth as the bases for a large investment and business strategy as this this perception is becoming rapidly outdated. I would argue that manufacturing customers are using current 3D printing technologies and they want to use them more as they are able to overcome production challenges. Suppliers and customers are increasingly messaging parts production in their AM efforts.

Xerox is also staking its position in metal AM on a technology that is decidedly not impacting the broader AM market as of yet. While there is an argument to be made for going with an outsider whose technology matches up closely with your own expertise, at this time I believe that the manufacturing community at large is ready to buy into a specific metal AM manufacturing process and work at fine tuning their processes and technologies to advance. To this end, technologies like powder bed fusion, and metal binder jetting have exponentially greater support in terms of end-to-end solutions.

There also comes a point where switching and experimenting with other metal AM methods provides diminishing returns for manufacturing customers. Xerox will have to sell the most influential users of metal AM today on a new process and at a time when we’re seeing such strong momentum behind some of the existing and more widely adopted methods.

While for now I retain a healthy amount of skepticism about Xerox’ potential success in metal additive manufacturing. I look forward to learning more about the specific solutions Xerox will bring in 2019 and beyond.

By Scott Dunham – Vice President, SmarTech Publishing

BASF acquires two manufacturers of 3D printing materials

BASF New Business GmbH (BNB) has acquired all the shares of Advanc3D Materials GmbH in Hamburg and Setup Performance SAS in Lyon. Advanc3D Materials offers advanced, tailor-made plastic powders and formulations for selective laser sintering (SLS) together with process know-how. Setup Performance, which operates a production site in Lyon, is Advanc3D Materials’ most important partner in the development and manufacture of SLS materials. BNB is integrating both companies into its subsidiary BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH (B3DPS). The acquisition is an important step forward for BASF in its expansion in the field of 3D printing.

“Following our acquisition of Innofil3D last year and the consequent strengthening of our market presence in plastic filaments for layer extrusion we are now in similar fashion expanding our market access in the area of powder bed fusion. The portfolio complements our existing range, being perfectly suited to products such as polyamide 11, polyamide 12 and polypropylene,” says Dr. Dietmar Bender, Vice President Manufacturing & Technology at BNB. In April, B3DPS introduced a new PA6 material for selective laser sintering that can easily be processed on most SLS machines commonly used in the market today.

Advanc3D Materials is already well established in the market, offering a wide range of products as well as comprehensive market and application expertise. A consistent, finely ground powder, UV stabilizer additions and good free flow are among the elements required to enable the materials to be used in 3D printing. Setup Performance is Advanc3D’s contract manufacturer and development partner. The company’s product & process development and production site in Lyon is noted for its high efficiency and short development cycles for new products.

“We are looking forward to being part of BASF. This will enable us to expand and further develop new formulations for the industrial additive manufacturing activities of our customers all over the world,” explains François Minec, Managing Director of Advanc3D.

“This know-how, the infrastructure and the advanced materials are a perfect complement for us,” says Dietmar Bender. Existing and new customers, especially in the automotive and consumer goods industries, can now benefit from the expanded portfolio of B3DPS. “This acquisition is a further step toward our objective to become a leading supplier of powder-based materials and formulations for industrial 3D printing.”

3D printing is gaining in importance

The production of individually formed plastic parts through additive layer manufacturing by a 3D printing process is becoming increasingly important in the industry. One production method is selective laser sintering (SLS). Using a three-dimensional structural design, a laser draws the shape of an object in a powder such as polyamide. The material hit by the laser melts and the required 3D object is produced layer by layer. Up until now, many complex plastic parts had to be produced by injection molding. The significant advantages of 3D printing include lower costs in small series and much faster production, because no mold is required. Parts manufacturers can thus react much faster to customer requests and meet individual customer requirements much more easily.

EOS and Additive Works to advance Amphyon simulation software for metal AM

AM leader EOS has announced it will be partnering with German startup Additive Works to advance the metal additive manufacturing process through the further development of Amphyon, Additive Works’ simulation-based pre-processing software for AM. The software solution is capable of virtually simulating the AM build process and identifying potential problem areas in a part’s design before going to printing, saving users both time and production costs.

Simulation software is becoming a key ingredient in the additive manufacturing process, as it enables users to predict if a 3D model is optimized for 3D printing or will encounter problems, such as surface defects or structural compromise, when printed.

“Although AM technology itself is very mature, especially for unexperienced users it can be difficult to predict if a part will be 3D printed as expected,” explained Dr. Nils Keller, CEO of Additive Works. “So when a part is manufactured with issues…it means a waste of machine time and material costs. An answer to this challenge is Amphyon.”

“Using simulation software is standard when it comes to conventional manufacturing methods,” he added. “With Amphyon, simulation now also becomes a solution for additive manufacturing, underlining the increased use and changing requirements of industrial 3D printing for serial production.”

Through its partnership with Additive Works, EOS will offer its Amphyon software solution to its clients and will work alongside Additive Works in further enhancing the platform’s support for EOS’ portfolio of metal materials, processes and systems. Ultimately, the goal for the two companies is to integrate Amphyon’s assessment, simulation and support modules into EOS’ job and process management sofware, EOSPRINT 2.

“While the vast majority of the public thinks that additive manufacturing allows for the creation of three dimensional objects from a digital design by just clicking a button, users of the technology know that the reality is more complex,” said Martin Steuer, Head of Product Management Software and Services at EOS. “United by the mission to make Industrial 3D printing even more intuitive and user friendly, EOS is happy to partner with Additive Works on the subject of AM-process-simulation. ‘Simulate before you create’ really is a key factor to ensure a successful laser sintering process with metal materials, right from the start.”

Additive Works’ Amphyon software solution is based on what the company calls the “ASAP principle,” which includes steps related to Assessment, Simulation, Adaption and Process. The workflow, designed for Direct Metal Laser Sintering technologies, offers automated print predictions and assessments, optimization support and process simulation.

The first step in Amphyon’s AM simulation process is the assessment stage, which entails an evaluation of a given part’s geometry and an analysis of all possible build-up orientations. In this step, the software takes several factors into account including build time, support volume, post processing efforts and part deformation. A detailed and automated analysis of all these elements allows the software to automatically identify the most optimal orientation for printing the part.

The simulation stage, for its part, comes in two modules: the Support module (in beta testing) and the Mechanical Process Simulation (MPS) module. The support module enables users to optimize and automatically generate support structures. Notably, the process also adapts the support perforation and the interfaces between part and support based on defined process loads. This, says Additive Works, helps to cut back on the support material used without sacrificing (and even improving) process stability.

The MPS module provides efficient and intuitive tools for simulating process mechanics and calculating distortions. This module also compensates for these distortions by exporting and building a “pre-deformed” STL file.

Presently, Additive Works’ simulation platform integrates profiles for key EOS metal materials, though the companies hope to expand this integration by adding support for all of EOS’ metal portfolio.

Prodways, Openlab, and Platinum 3D boost industrial product development with 3D printed molds

In a joint project focusing on incorporating 3D printing technologies into the production of plastic injection molds, Prodways Technologies, Openlab by Schneider Electric and the Platinium 3D platform are teaming up to accelerate the development cycle of industrial products.

Example of an injection mold printed in 3D on a standard injection molding machine ©Openlab Schneider Electric

One of the major challenges for the Industry of the Future will undoubtedly be to release new products onto the market faster in order to stay competitive. At the same time, international standards and certification requirements burden electricity manufacturers with long certification processes for their components, which must be produced using final material prototypes. In order to reduce time to market, the R&D departments of electrical component manufacturers such as Schneider Electric, a global leader, need to produce their prototypes fast in order to obtain certification and perform functional tests with the final material. Consequently, the challenge is to be able to break free of traditional tooling – a long, expensive process – by creating the prototype molds through 3D printing and to then inject final material parts and speed up the iterations needed to get certified before producing the final production mold.

With nearly 400 product launches per year and revenue in excess of €24 billion in 2017, Schneider Electric has placed strategic importance on technological innovation focused on improving time to market. To achieve this, Schneider Electric utilizes its Openlab, located in downtown Grenoble, to support development projects for new offers.

To quote Frédérick Choupin of Schneider Electric: “Our goal is to use cutting-edge technologies to shorten the product development cycle. With 3D printing and agile project management, we’re in a position to overcome the traditional obstacles of long-established processes and market an innovative product 60% faster.”

With this in mind, Openlab by Schneider Electric has been working with Prodways Technologies and the Platinium 3D technology platform for over a year to incorporate MOVINGLight technology into the development cycle of its electrical components in order to print plastic injection molds in 3D. Ultimately, nearly 25 tooling molds were printed in 3D, and as a result, hundreds of parts could be injected on an injection molding machine under manufacturing conditions in order to create parts that matched the final shape and complied with the certification prerequisites with the correct polymer grade.

Sébastien Guenet, Deputy Executive Officer of UIMM Champagne-Ardenne (Champagne-Ardenne Union of Metallurgies Industries), Platinium 3D, said, “Typically, producing an aluminum mold for tooling prototypes of parts that need to be certified as final material has a lead time that can range from several weeks to two months, and that drastically slows down the development cycle.”

“With 3D printing, we can produce tooling prototypes in a few hours, modify them immediately based on the needs of the functional tests and then inject final material parts. These final material parts are sent directly for certification while the aluminum mold is still being produced. Thanks to this process, we considerably speed up the new-product development cycle since the final material parts are already certified even before the aluminum production mold is finalized.”

Thanks to Prodways’ 3D printing materials that boast high mechanical and heat resistance, Openlab by Schneider Electric and Platinium 3D have injected charged and nonflammable polyamide parts. Glass-charged polyamide is one of the most commonly used materials for technical components where heat resistance is mandatory; it is standard for many industries and an indispensable prerequisite for obtaining certifications.

3D printing, which is essential for developing industrial products, is therefore poised to play a key role in the growth of the businesses of the future. Through this partnership, Prodways Technologies, Openlab by Schneider Electric and Platinium 3D are reaffirming their central role as trailblazers paving the way to innovation in French industry.

NCMS opening AM center in Maryland HEAT Center

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) plans to establish a new manufacturing innovation center in Harford County, Maryland. Focusing on developing next-generation industrial additive manufacturing, materials, and processes, this facility will house leading engineers and the world’s most powerful production technology. Collaboration at the center will lead to scientific breakthroughs in metallurgy and plastics, as well as the launch of new factory machinery that will transform the way U.S. producers make aircraft, automobiles, munitions, medical devices, and other products.

“As a proven leader in advanced technology innovation development, NCMS has the unique ability to engage and work with a wide variety of partners while finding the critical infrastructure, talent, and investment for successful program and project management,” said NCMS president, Rick Jarman. “We believe Aberdeen, Maryland is the place where these vital innovation ingredients come together and are key to the new industrial revolution.”

Led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-MD and Lindsay Graham, R-SC, the new center has received bipartisan support from across the country, indicating the tremendous interest in capturing the impact and capabilities of this critical technology to maintain and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

“I’m pleased to welcome NCMS to Maryland and add this national innovation leader to our State’s manufacturing ecosystem,” said Sen. Van Hollen. “I look forward to seeing how the collaboration of NCMS alongside industry leaders will transform manufacturing – enabling rapid production at lower cost.”

Partners of the new center include the State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and Harford County, Maryland, as well as founding members 3D Systems and Applied Materials.

“3D Systems is proud to have helped NCMS lead this initiative,” said Neal Orringer, vice president, alliances & partnerships, 3D Systems.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to partner with key government and industry leaders such as Applied Materials to drive innovation and U.S. competitiveness. This effort is designed to equip our military with the best technology possible at the best value to the taxpayer.”

This collaboration between government, industry, and academia will advance and build on breakthrough, non-traditional technologies to enable U.S. manufacturers with large-scale additive manufacturing, unprecedented speed in part production, novel designs and materials, dramatic cuts in cost and delivery times, and point-of-need part manufacturing. The goal is to provide U.S. troops with the most updated platforms and tools available, so they are prepared to face any situation,

NCMS’ long-standing, proven and sustainable success is possible because of its effective collaboration with world-class organizations that deliver solutions to enhance our nation’s manufacturing capability. Building on its extensive relationships with the U.S. Army, NCMS expands this connectivity to the Army Research Laboratory, the Army’s corporate laboratory. Through its material science research effort, ARL executes fundamental research for scientific discovery and innovative problem-solving to provide superior materials and devices needed to achieve lasting strategic land power dominance.

“Our administration is pleased to see two years of planning and partnership come to fruition with this new manufacturing innovation center,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This unique consortium – which brings significant opportunities to Harford County, Maryland, and the region – will rapidly accelerate manufacturing opportunities in our state, leading to more jobs and a stronger economy.”

The State of Maryland, like NCMS, is committed to enhancing the global competitiveness of North American manufacturing. By creating a center focused on continued innovation in advanced materials, this region of Maryland will become a hub of collaboration among researchers, the defense community and industry for the future of materials and manufacturing.

Harford County is providing leased lab, training and administrative space for the facility at the Higher Education and Applied Technology Center or HEAT Center.

“We are excited to work with NCMS and look forward to being active partners in this unprecedented consortium for new manufacturing technology,” said Harford County Executive Barry Glassman.

BigRep partners with DMRC to further AM research

Leading large-scale 3D printer manufacturer BigRep have partnered with the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC), one of the world’s foremost industrial research networks. BigRep will join the consortium as the only FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machine manufacturer in the distinguished network of 29 companies representing the complete additive manufacturing (AM) value chain. This includes material …

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CTC to offer EBAM metal printing through new partnership with Sciaky, Inc.

Sciaky, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) and leading provider of metal additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, have entered a strategic partnership with Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) to support a growing demand for high quality, large-scale additively manufactured metal parts. CTC will offer Sciaky’s industry-leading Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) metal 3D printing technology to its diverse range of …

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