Author: Masoud Mahjouri-Samani, PhD | NanoPrintek | <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">info@nanoprintek.com</a>Modern technology and the move toward the Internet of Things have escalated the demand for innovative and efficient printing techniques, particularly in electronics and functional devices. Traditional ink-based printing methods have long been the standard, but now NanoPrintek’s dry multimaterial printing technology has emerged as a disruptive alternative, offering numerous advantages over its ink-based counterparts. The technology’s on-demand and in-situ nanoparticle generation and real-time sintering capability allow the printing of various electronics and functional devices with pure, multifunctional, hybrid materials printing. This thus opens the path to electronics printing and other applications ranging from energy and health to sensing devices. Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTgzNzEwLTE3MTE1MTk5ODM3MTAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />Figure 1: Dry printing process.  On-demand/ in-situ nanoparticle generation and real-time laser sintering that enables the printing of various electronics and functional materials and devicesUnveiling a Universe of Materials Beyond the Limitations of Ink: Traditional inks can be restrictive regarding the materials they can accommodate. Dry printing, on the other hand, opens doors to a wider range of possibilities. From semiconductors and conductors to insulators and nanocomposites, dry printing can handle a broader spectrum of functional materials rapidly, enabling the creation of more advanced and innovative functional devices.Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTg0ODgyLTE3MTE1MTk5ODQ4ODIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />Figure 2. The ability to directly print a wide spectrum of materialsMinimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTgyNzc1LTE3MTE1MTk5ODI3NzUuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />I will  present at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA in Boston 12-13 June 2024 --&gt; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa</a>Environmental Friendliness: Ink-based printing often necessitates complex ink formulations, storage, disposal, and cleaning procedures. Solvents and other hazardous materials can pose environmental and health risks. Dry printing, however, bypasses these concerns entirely. By utilizing solid targets as a source for on-demand and in-situ pure nanoparticle generation, dry printing eliminates the need for harmful solvents and additives, leading to a cleaner, more sustainable, and environmentally sustainable manufacturing process.Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTg0NDUwLTE3MTE1MTk5ODQ0NTAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />Figure 3. The game-changing advantages of NanoPrintek’s dry printing technologyCost Efficiency: Dry printing technology significantly reduces production costs compared to traditional ink-based techniques. By eliminating the need for timely and costly ink formulation processes as well as consumables like inks and solvents and minimizing waste and downtime associated with cleaning, dry printing offers a more economical solution, leading to tens of thousands of dollars in savings per year.Potential Precision and Resolution Enhancement: Due to the nanoscale size and purity of the dry nanoparticles, dry printing enables higher precision and resolution in the deposition of electronic materials. This opens the possibility of creating intricate circuit patterns and fine features, leading to improved performance and reliability of electronic devices.Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTg0ODE1LTE3MTE1MTk5ODQ4MTUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />Figure 4. Example of dry printed lines without sintering (a) and with real-time sintering (b, c). Compatibility with Diverse Substrates: Unlike ink-based printing, which may have limitations in terms of substrate compatibility, dry printing offers greater flexibility. It can be used on a wide range of substrates, including flexible materials like plastics and paper, as well as rigid surfaces like glass, ceramics, and even FR4 substrates, expanding the possibilities for product design and innovation.Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTg0OTQ1LTE3MTE1MTk5ODQ5NDUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />Figure 5. Enabling the printing on a wide spectrum of substrates c). Improved Durability and Longevity: The materials deposited through dry printing electronics often exhibit superior durability and longevity compared to those applied using ink-based methods. This is due to the lack of surfactant and contaminations during the real-time sintering process, which allows better particle-particle fusion and a cleaner interface with the substrate. This results in electronic devices that are more resistant to wear and environmental factors, prolonging their lifespan and enhancing overall performance.Versatility in Applications: Dry printing electronics offers versatility in its applications across various industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, healthcare, and beyond. Whether manufacturing flexible electronics, RFID tags, sensors, energy devices, or smart packaging, this technology can adapt to diverse needs and requirements.In conclusion, the advantages of dry printing electronics over ink-based techniques are indisputable. From cost efficiency and environmental friendliness to enhanced precision and versatility, this disruptive technology is reshaping the landscape of functional devices and electronic manufacturing. As advancements continue to propel the field forward, NanoPrintek's dry printing technology promises to unlock new possibilities and drive innovation across industries.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa">We are Exhibiting at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED event in Boston (12 &amp; 13 June 2024) : </a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa</a>Minimize imageEdit imageDelete image<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTE5OTgyODM1LTE3MTE1MTk5ODI4MzUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii" />

Multi-material printing without inks? The technology’s on-demand and in-situ nanoparticle generation and real-time sintering capability allow the printing of various electronics and functional devices with pure, multifunctional, hybrid materials printing - without inks and with bulk properties!

Dry Multimaterial Printing Technology: Unraveling New Realm of Possibilities in Printed Electronics

<div data-id="9908f31" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Modern window systems from Switzerland</h2></div><div data-id="69b735e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">A warm fall day in Winterthur, Switzerland. The wooden building of <a href="https://www.eschbal.ch/" target="_blank">Eschbal</a>, clad with tall glass windows, already gives an idea of what this company specializes in. We are greeted by Michael Ebnöther and are guided through a production hall. Here and at two other locations, the Eschbal group develops and produces its own wood and wood/metal window systems. 'Our diverse customer base particularly appreciates our innovation, proximity and flexibility', emphasizes Ebnöther. The employee in the technology department is currently focusing on sustainability and material cycles.</div><div data-id="69b735e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0MjUwMzkwLTE3MDgzMjQyNTAzOTAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The “Sirius” window system is Eschbal’s main product. Image source: Eschbal AG<div data-id="371df47" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Innovation and product optimization</h2></div><div data-id="a4a60e8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">Technical drawings of components appear on the screen in Ebnöther’s office. In addition to its core business, the fabrication of aluminum frames and sashes, Eschbal’s daily agenda includes the continuous optimization and development of its products. For its flagship product, the <a href="https://www.sirius-fenster.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Sirius” window system</a>, the team succeeded in maximizing the glass surface to let in as much light as possible. But innovative ideas alone are not enough. 'To strengthen our market position, we need to respond quickly to individual customer requirements', says Ebnöther. This is where additive technologies come into play.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0Mjg5MzI2LTNfRWJub2V0aGVyRnJhbWUuanBnLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Since 2018, Michael Ebnöther is part of the technology department at Eschbal.<div data-id="66f7fc8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Incorporating 3D printing processes</h2></div><div data-id="bc27b16" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">'In terms of design, 3D printing gives us much more creativity – we can now develop things that we hadn’t even thought of before', explains Ebnöther. Until a year ago, Eschbal had commissioned 3D printed parts from external service providers. However, as internal demand continued to grow, the company decided to acquire its own printer. '<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cRdVdqEZ0Vc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> Sintratec was the ideal solution for us. As we are a company that manufactures exclusively in and for Switzerland, it was essential for us to find a Swiss 3D printer', emphasizes Ebnöther. Since fall 2022, a <a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/sintratec-s2/" target="_blank">Sintratec S2</a> has been successfully in use at Eschbals’ production facility.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0MzIzMTUxLTRfM0RwcmludFBhcnRzLmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">3D printing has become an integral part of product development.<div data-id="af667bd" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>High-quality parts in a short time</h2></div><div data-id="5c13cdf" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">The team uses the modular SLS system to realize prototype parts, production tools and small series of window components with robust <a href="https://sintratec.com/3d-printing-materials/sintratec-pa12-powder/" target="_blank">PA12 nylon</a>. Why did Eschbal choose selective laser sintering (SLS) in particular? «With the SLS process, we were especially impressed by the tolerances of up to 0.1 millimeters and the surface quality», explains Ebnöther. 'In addition, other technologies such as FDM cannot deliver the quantities we need – with the S2 we can print up to 100 parts within 24 hours', the technician continues.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0MzU3NDU4LTE3MDgzMjQzNTc0NTgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Profiles and window components are laser sintered with PA12.<div data-id="aab5b28" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Comparable material properties</h2></div><div data-id="c6edfcb" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">3D parts have become indispensable for Eschbal, especially for prototyping. «Before we invest in an expensive injection molding tool, we need something in our hands that we can test and verify,» says Ebnöther. It is crucial that the SLS parts have very similar properties to the injection molded products. Equally important is the shorter development time: 'Compared to the previous process with external suppliers, the S2 saves us several days.' For small quantities, Eschbal also manufactures series parts. For example, a reinforcing element that is only required for special profile combinations. An injection molding tool would not be profitable here, so the component is produced on demand on the S2 instead.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0Mzg3MDIxLTE1X0N1dHRpbmdNYWNoaW5lLmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">At Eschbal, SLS is used for prototypes, series parts or production aids such as cutting bases.<div data-id="2d57e47" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Less weight – more flexibility</h2></div><div data-id="a9737b0" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">Ebnöther presents another application example. A connector was previously heavy and bulky. To optimize it, the design was revised, quickly printed with PA12, iterated and verified. 'As a result, we were able to reduce the weight of the new connector by 33%', says Ebnöther. Eschbal’s production department is also grateful for the SLS printer. Tools and auxiliary materials, such as the cutting bases for the cutting machine, which previously had to be commissioned, are now 3D printed in-house to precisely fit the corresponding profile. This is cheaper, faster, and allows the company to react much more effectively to potential adjustments.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0NDE2MTM5LTEwX1BhcnRzU2NyZWVuLmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A connecting element was optimized using an SLS prototype.<div data-id="738f8b9" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Pushing design boundaries</h2></div><div data-id="8731b84" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">By implementing SLS 3D printing, the technicians at Eschbal have gained valuable design freedom. «It is simply easier, faster and cheaper to push the boundaries», says Ebnöther. For Eschbal’s development department, the Sintratec S2 has fulfilled the team’s expectations and hopes. 'From the first contact until today, we are completely satisfied – the team and the support from Sintratec are a clear recommendation', concludes Michael Ebnöther.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA4MzI0NTI4OTI1LTE3MDgzMjQ1Mjg5MjUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

At Eschbal, a Swiss manufacturer of window systems, prototypes, small series and production tools are additively manufactured. To this end, the technical department around Michael Ebnöther successfully uses a Sintratec S2.

Innovative window systems with SLS components

Established over 80 years ago, <a href="https://eriks.com/" target="_blank">ERIKS</a> maintains its industry leadership position by embracing cutting-edge technologies, like the UltiMaker 3D printing ecosystem, to meet the evolving needs of its diverse customer base. With more than 5,000 skilled colleagues in 15 countries, ERIKS is a multi-product specialist that provides a wide range of high-quality mechanical engineering components and services.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t09tfbLVZHs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> ERIKS has been an early adopter of 3D printing, incorporating it into various aspects of its operations, from jigs and fixtures to production parts. ERIKS places a strong emphasis on its lean manufacturing practices to create more value for customers with more efficiency, better quality, and fewer resources. What sets the company apart from its competitors is its commitment to quality and precision, evident in its decision to utilize 3D printing in clean manufacturing facilities. Notably, ERIKS achieved a <a href="https://ultimaker.com/learn/eriks-working-clean-certified-and-in-control-with-3d-printing/" target="_blank">milestone</a> by certifying the workflow to create food-safe printed parts, positioning it as one of the pioneers globally.<h3>The Reliability and Longevity of UltiMaker 3D Printers</h3>The majority of ERIKS 3D printers are dedicated to prototyping, customized jigs, fixtures, and tooling for production or maintenance purposes. Over time, the company has embraced the use of 3D printing for end-use parts, leveraging a variety of materials to meet specific requirements such as heat resistance, food safety, or EMD safety.Job van de Sande, Head of Engineering at ERIKS, notes the versatility of 3D printing, enabling the production of flexible or rigid components tailored to diverse applications, including optimizing assembly or production processes, quality tools, and safety equipment.Van de Sande emphasizes the significance of UltiMaker in their 3D printing journey, stating,<blockquote>We made UltiMaker the platform of choice for FDM 3D printing at ERIKS. Now, we have expanded our fleet of printers to around 25 across 10 different teams in six different countries.</blockquote>ERIKS employs various UltiMaker printers across the S series, including the latest UltiMaker S7 3D printer. The reliability and future-proof nature of UltiMaker have been crucial for ERIKS, ensuring that their investment in printers remains viable long-term.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1707898995275-ezgif-4-6437a5bebe.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Van de Sande commends UltiMaker's reliability and longevity, stating,<blockquote>It’s very important that the printers we buy today are still usable five years from now. And thanks to the constant updates, for example, in firmware, we have been able to still utilize the entire fleet of UltiMaker printers that we bought over the years.</blockquote><h3 id="isPasted">A Smoother, Faster, Better Process with 3D Printing</h3>Jan Brabander, Product Manager at ERIKS Industrial Plastics in Ede, the Netherlands, highlights the significant role of 3D printing in their processes, especially for rapid prototyping and small series production, where cost-effectiveness and speed play crucial roles.“During the development process, we can produce a part to make it easier to show to our production team or customers," Brabander notes. "We also use 3D printing throughout our processes internally, like production or quality control. For example, tools to assemble products, or to check measurements, or to make our process faster, smoother, and of better quality. We use 3D printing more and more for making end-use parts that are industrial grade and can be used in the machines or in the factories of our customers.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1707899061933-1707899061933.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">ERIKS assembly jig for motors and motor driversERIKS Industrial Plastics specializes in CNC machining and injection molding, but also incorporates 3D printing as a viable option for producing parts tailored to customer needs.Van de Sande explains, "Whether they search for an application that needs to be heat resistant or food safe or EMD safe, 3D printing will work. But, also, when they look at more dynamic properties like having flexible or very stiff parts, they can really utilize the 3D printers for that." The Engineering Plastics production facility in Ede is designed to produce food-safe parts according to EC1935 and in compliance with GMP standards.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1707899117267-1707899117267.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">ERIKS drill alignment jig for electronics housingsVan de Sande outlines a bottom-up approach for 3D printing adoption. Teams throughout ERIKS are encouraged to explore the potential of 3D printing within their production environments, gradually becoming part of the 3D Printing Expert Group. ERIKS has fostered a community where experts from different business units and locations converge to exchange ideas and knowledge, ensuring a holistic approach to 3D printing implementation.The use of <a href="https://www.trinckle.com/" target="_blank">Trinckle</a>, a software that offers parametric design and automation solutions, has further democratized 3D printing, enabling a broader group of individuals, who do not necessarily have engineering backgrounds, to create applications and utilize 3D printing. The software also offers a range of industry-standard preset fixtures, allowing ERIKS to streamline and accelerate the creation of 3D-printed applications.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1707899140110-UltiMaker_ERIKS_Screenshot_06_2.15.1.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The UltiMaker Material Station offers easy front loading for up to six spools of filament, end-of-filament detection, NFC recognition with compatible materials, and automatic material switching.<h3 id="isPasted">Leveraging the Power of the UltiMaker 3D Printing Ecosystem</h3>ERIKS has adopted the full UltiMaker 3D printing ecosystem, leveraging the <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/s-series-materials/#marketplace" target="_blank">UltiMaker Marketplace</a> and <a href="https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-digital-factory/" target="_blank">Digital Factory Enterprise</a> edition to establish a standard within the organization. Digital Factory provides a comprehensive solution for 3D printer management, allowing users to prepare, queue, print, and manage their projects remotely. The reliability and constant updates, including firmware and applications like Cura – the world’s most popular slicing program – ensures that ERIKS maintains a fleet of printers that remain usable over time, as well as enables the teams to expand the applications for 3D printing.Security is a paramount concern for ERIKS and its customers. The deployment of Digital Factory Enterprise ensures secure operations, maintaining systems behind firewalls, while the <a href="https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura/" target="_blank">Cura Enterprise</a> edition facilitates collaboration with IT partners to ensure seamless tech stack integration. This comprehensive approach has allowed ERIKS to create a broad community of enthusiasts and experts, driving the widespread adoption of 3D printing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1707899181056-1707899181056.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption id="isPasted">UltiMaker’s 3D printing software enables ERIKS engineers to design and iterate quickly to ensure components are created to spec.</figcaption><h3 id="isPasted">Design Flexibility with 3D Printing</h3>Brabander points out the benefits of 3D printing, stating, "The design flexibility is a significant advantage. There are less limitations in the production process. Also, it’s very fast."The flexibility of 3D printing allows for rapid prototyping during development, streamlining communication with production teams and customers. ERIKS strategically chooses between various manufacturing/production technologies, considering factors such as series size, part quantity, lead time, and technical parameters to meet customer needs efficiently, and offering 3D printing as a solution when it aligns with the customer's needs.Brabander emphasizes, "We're not pushing any type of technology. We can use 3D printing as a tool in our toolbox if that offers the best solution for our customer."As ERIKS continues to integrate 3D printing into more locations, the company anticipates increasing cost and time savings, further expanding the technology's applications. Brabander continues, "The real benefit in our perspective is being able to produce better quality parts faster for our customers." The design flexibility and speed of 3D printing make 3D printing an optimal choice for certain applications.<h3>Scaling up 3D Printing Capabilities</h3>ERIKS' forward-thinking approach to 3D printing has not only improved its internal processes but has also become a valuable tool in meeting customer demands. The combination of UltiMaker's reliability, continuous updates, and comprehensive 3D printing ecosystem has propelled ERIKS to the forefront of innovation in manufacturing.“With the development of more reliable and repeatable end parts, ERIKS has started to take steps towards aligning it with industry standards and making sure that 3D printing really becomes the alternative or even the preferred choice for new and exciting high-end applications,” said van de Sande.Van de Sande concluded,<blockquote>To scale up our capabilities within ERIKS, UltiMaker has already proven itself to be a reliable and flexible solution.</blockquote>

The majority of ERIKS 3D printers are dedicated to prototyping, customized jigs, fixtures, and tooling for production or maintenance purposes.

ERIKS: Leveraging 3D Printing to Improve Manufacturing Processes

Korneel Bullens began using UltiMaker in 2013, when the company released its first desktop 3D printer, the Ultimaker 2. What started out as a personal fascination soon evolved into a business, thanks to collaborations with UltiMaker and Protolabs Network by Hubs (formerly 3D Hubs). This venture became a testament not only to the reliability of UltiMaker 3D printers, but also to the viability of 3D printing as a lucrative business.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SlTeKsPFjNA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h3>Nonstop reliability with UltiMaker</h3>Operating approximately 30 UltiMaker 3D printers from the <a href="https://ultimaker.com/3d-printers/s-series/" target="_blank">S series</a>, Korneel attests to their consistent performance and minimal technical demands. This reliability translates into a valuable commodity: time. By choosing UltiMaker, Korneel can focus on strategic aspects of his business and not the mundane tasks of printer maintenance.“Each hour I need to spend on a printer is an expensive hour. If I have a printer that just works and keeps on working, it gives me so much flexibility with my time,” he notes. “There are printers that have been printing for five years straight on—and they just work.”<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NjE2OTE0NTE2LWV6Z2lmLTMtYTk0ZTUzZTU2Mi5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With 30 UltiMaker 3D printers, Korneel is able to effectively run a successful 3D printing service bureau.Korneel’s army of UltiMaker 3D printers run on a 24/7 schedule, with his 12 S5 models running nearly nonstop for years. The recent additions of the UltiMaker S7 3D printers reflect the resilience and reliability of UltiMaker printers.“The main reason why I went with UltiMaker and why I’ll be sticking with UltiMaker is that we’re reaching 99.5% reliability. If I press print, there’s almost no chance of it not succeeding. I haven’t been able to match that with other brands,” Korneel continued.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NjE2OTcxMDI5LTE3MDY2MTY5NzEwMjkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Korneel prints 500-1000 component housings per month for Sessy.<h3 id="isPasted">Achieving 90%+ operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact</h3>“Our goal is to run at 90/90—90% of the printers 90% of the time. There are better and worse months. But overall, we hit above that,” said Korneel. He leverages UltiMaker's reliability to achieve impressive operational efficiency, positioning his business for scalability without drowning in printer maintenance.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NjE3MDc3MDc0LWV6Z2lmLTMtYmI0YWQyNzIzZS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Digital Factory enables the print farm to operate efficiently and effectively.To efficiently manage his bustling print farm, Korneel relies on UltiMaker’s <a href="https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-digital-factory/" target="_blank">Digital Factory</a>. The platform streamlines his 3D printing operations, providing insights into each printer—status updates on print jobs, materials, history, and more. Legal compliance, particularly European data regulations, like GDPR, is also a significant consideration, and Digital Factory and UltiMaker provide the necessary assurances.Environmental sustainability is another major focal point for Korneel. He has a 69 kilowatt solar panel system on his rooftop. His business operates entirely on solar power and uses recyclable materials like PETG and plant-based PLA. Korneel also works with a materials supplier that runs completely on solar power, which is important since he uses 40-60 kilograms of filament a week. This conscious decision not only aligns with ethical considerations but also opens conversations with customers who prioritize eco-friendly practices.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706617170727-ezgif-3-dc3b5786b2.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Korneel has a 69 kilowatt solar panel system on his rooftop and operates his 3D printers entirely on solar power.“We believe that environmental impact is important to think about as a company,” Korneel stated. “We’re still producing plastic, but less plastic is better than more plastic. If you are producing plastic—and we still have to produce it since we use it in our daily lives—just think about the impact you’re having. It’s very easy to use recyclable materials or materials that don’t have an origin in oil. For example, one of the products we have from our supplier is completely made from waste materials from the production process. The color isn’t pretty, but for most of our customers, the color of the print doesn’t matter.”<h3>Harnessing the full potential of 3D printing</h3>Korneel works with a wide range of companies, producing parts for companies like <a href="https://www.sessy.nl/" target="_blank">Sessy</a> (home battery), <a href="https://dato.mu/" target="_blank">DATO Duo</a> (musical instruments), <a href="https://happypot.co/" target="_blank">Happy Pot</a> (sustainable flower pots), and others. The flexibility of 3D printing empowers them to adapt swiftly to changes in supply chains and meet the demands of their customers.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706617196062-Korneel-Happy-Pots-1.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Some of Korneels customers, like Happy Pots, prefer to work with businesses that supports environmental sustainability.“We should see 3D printing as part of a journey,” said Korneel. “And that’s one of the things that’s nice about 3D printing and one of the reasons why I’m still happy to be partnering with Protolabs Network by Hubs. If you’re a small company with a fantastic idea and you want to bring that to market, one of the nice things that 3D printing can do – and what Protolabs Network facilitates – is taking you on that journey through to manufacturing as well.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706617218100-Korneel-Dato.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Parts printed for the DATO DuoRobin, 3D Printing Supply Chain Manager, Protolabs Network by Hubs noted, "We are proud to share that Korneel is one of our key Manufacturing Partners in the Netherlands. He has been an integral part of our FDM business within the EU for nearly 10 years now and has made remarkable contributions towards improving our on-time shipment record. Over the years, Korneel's dedication and hard work have enabled him to achieve one of the best on-time shipment records within the European additive network. This is especially noteworthy considering the high volume of orders he processes on a monthly basis as a 1-man company. Korneel's commitment to excellence has been a cornerstone of our success in the Netherlands, and we are grateful for his contributions to Protolabs Network by Hubs. We congratulate him on this outstanding accomplishment and look forward to his continued success in the future.”Korneel’s journey with UltiMaker is a testament to the impact of reliable, efficient, and scalable 3D printing solutions on the growth of a business. From hobbyist to entrepreneur, Korneel showcases how strategic choices in technology, coupled with sustainability initiatives, can not only create a thriving business but also open new business ideas.

Korneel Bullens began using UltiMaker in 2013, when the company released its first desktop 3D printer, the Ultimaker 2. What started out as a personal fascination soon evolved into a business, thanks to collaborations with UltiMaker and Protolabs Network by Hubs (formerly 3D Hubs).

Korneel's 3D Services: Empowering Business Growth with UltiMaker 3D Printing

<a href="https://www.gentlegiantstudios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gentle Giant Studios</a>, with 30 years of experience in the entertainment and technology industries, has been providing data acquisition, product development, and digital services to clients worldwide. Their services include a complete range of digital and traditional prototyping and fabrication services. Its clients include major motion picture studios, toy and collectible companies, fine artists, VFX departments, museums, industrial design and architectural firms.In collaboration with Walt Disney Studios marketing team, Gentle Giant Studios was faced with the challenge of promoting Disney’s upcoming film, Elemental. With the primary goal being to create excitement among the viewing public, the idea of developing life-size versions of the film’s characters for photo opportunities at various locations worldwide was conceived. To make this vision a reality, Gentle Giant Studios needed a 3D printer that was both fast and accurate to complete the job in time for the movie premiere. This was especially challenging since marketing budgets were not released until the schedule was already tight up against the movie’s release.Gentle Giant Studios took their expertise to new heights with help of the <a href="https://nexa3d.com/3d-printers/xip/" target="_blank">ultrafast XiP desktop 3D printer</a>. With its cutting-edge resin 3D printing technology, Gentle Giant has been able to produce incredibly detailed character models for Disney’s Elemental movie promotion on an extremely tight timeline.<h2 id="isPasted">The challenge: To meet tight the deadlines of the Disney team and deliver high-quality maquettes</h2>For two main reasons, gentle Giant Studios required a 3D printer that could produce high-quality prototypes in the form of maquettes quickly. They needed to obtain the green light to manufacture the 1:1 life-size versions for the Pixar Studio team, and they also needed to meet tight deadlines due to challenging painting and lighting effects. The maquettes needed to be approved in days in order to meet the fabrication timeline of the life-size pieces, which would go on to be displayed at key movie premiere events around the world.<blockquote><blockquote id="isPasted">“With the extremely tight deadline and challenging manufacturing process we could not have met our manufacturing dates with any other process as the iterations involved very challenging painting/lighting effects. The XiP enabled us to move revisions into physical form faster than printing in other slower technologies.”</blockquote>Jason Lopes,&nbsp;Dir. of Additive Manufacturing at Gentle Giant Studios</blockquote><h2>Project Summary</h2><h3 id="isPasted">Customer</h3>Gentle Giant Studios for Disney Pixar<h3>Industry</h3>Entertainment<h3>Products</h3><ul><li>XiP Desktop 3D Printer</li><li>xMODEL17-Clear Resin</li></ul><h3>Application</h3>Maquette Production<h3>Advantages</h3><ul><li>Print Speed: XiP provided fast printing capabilities, enabling Gentle Giant Studios to meet tight deadlines and secure approvals quickly.</li><li>Part Quality: high-quality prototypes printed with xMODEL17 resin allowed the artisans to capture intricate details and bring the Elemental characters to life.</li><li>Surface Finish: translucent, smooth surface finish was required for the intricate painting job.</li></ul><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NTExMzMyMDY3LVhpUC1EZXNrdG9wLTNELVByaW50ZXItU3BlY2lmaWNhdGlvbnMtTmV4YTNELmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The XiP rapid printer.&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">The solution: The XiP desktop 3D printer was used to quickly produce high-quality prototypes</h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NTExNDYzMTE2LWhpZ2gtcXVhbGl0eS10cmFuc2x1Y2VudC1wcm90b3R5cGVzLXhpcC1kZXNrdG9wLTNkLXByaW50ZXItMTgwMHgxMzUxLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Prototypes created by the printer.&nbsp;Gentle Giant Studios chose to use Nexa3D’s XiP Desktop 3D Printer, given its industry-leading print speed and high-performance capabilities. The team used xMODEL17-Clear resin, a rigid and durable modeling material with enhanced optical clarity. It is perfect for prototyping applications that require fine feature details and a high-quality translucent or transparent finish.&nbsp;Its characteristics include high optical clarity, fine feature detail, and smooth surface finish. Part clarity was of utmost importance in this project since the parts needed to be painted to provide the illusion of both fire and water, the two main characters in the movie. The team at Gentle Giant Studios worked with Disney to create more than five different design iterations within days. Due to XiP’s fast print speed and high-quality parts, the teams could settle on the final design in record time.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jTT51_cmtd0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" id="234947695" title="Bringing Characters to Life with XiP and XiP Pro">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><h2 id="isPasted">The benefits: The final designs are delivered to Disney’s team in just 2 days</h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2NTExNDUwMjk4LTE2ODY5NDIzNjA5MjcuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The engaging figures.With the help of fast printing XiP, the Gentle Giant team could iterate on different designs quickly and ultimately obtain Pixar’s approval on the final design in less than two days. The life-size pieces were used at various movie premiere events around the country and in a promotional pop-up exhibit in Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. Dubbed The Elemental Experience, Disney’s pop-up exhibit recreates the metropolis at the center of the movie, which depicts a world where the different elements – Fire, Water, Earth, and Air – learn whether they can co-exist.Learn more at <a href="https://nexa3d.com/case-studies/gentle-giant-studios-case-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nexa3D.</a>

Using fast printing XiP, the Gentle Giant team swiftly iterated designs and gained Disney’s approval within 48 hours.

Gentle Giant Studios Brings Disney's Characters to Life Rapidly with XiP Desktop 3D Printer

We now present a work recently completed at our new Reggio Calabria office. This case history fits right into the set of solutions elaborated for the production of companies and professionals. Solutions that 3DiTALY has studied thanks to the potential of digital fabrication and additive manufacturing. 3D printing, in fact, is a technology that makes it possible to create customized and specific components for the food industry. These components can be tools such as funnels, machine parts or other devices useful in food production and packaging. The distinguishing feature of 3D printing is the ability to create custom-designed objects. For this very reason, instead of using standard or generic parts, food companies can design and create components tailored to their particular needs. This customization enables optimization of production processes and greater efficiency in the production chain.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706175865317-policom-stampa-3d-produzione-stampanti-alimenti-food-alimentare-serie-ultimaker-3ditaly-02.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">UltiMaker for custom tools in production chains</h3>Policom is a company that mainly produces almond milk, but also other products. The company approached us for 3D modeling and 3D printing of a funnel useful for bagging almond paste bags. Thus, it is about designing custom-made tools that, when inserted into the production chain, improve its efficiency and reduce its costs. On the other hand, we had already achieved very good results in this area. This is because evolved filament 3D printers like UltiMaker can become tools that greatly facilitate and accelerate processes. An UltiMaker will help you achieve OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). Indeed, when market demand changes rapidly, 3D printing offers a way to respond at the same pace. Without having to wait for outsourced production. Test your lines right away with sample packaging that can be 3D printed overnight.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706175908467-1706175908467.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">3DiTALY: professional consulting and design service</h3>Everything naturally started with design. Our service department gathered the client's needs and set to work to formulate a quote. Once approved, the computer-aided design (CAD) work started. The design was thought elaborated and engineered with Autodesk Fusion 360 3D modeling software. Fusion 360 is an ideal tool for precise design, shared among multiple operators in the cloud, and most importantly, parametric. This means that if any client requirement changes, you can easily step in to make non-destructive changes to the entire model. In this regard, our training section, the 3DiTALY Training Center, provides training courses on this software for companies and professionals.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706175937202-1706175937202.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">A viable application of the 3DiTALY AMP line</h3>To complete this job, we used the UltiMaker S7 3D printer, loaded with Igus Iglidur i150 filament. Igus was used because it has FDA food certification and because it is an abrasion-resistant material. Igus Iglidur i150 is a material that is part of our new line called AMP (Alternative Materials to Peek). This library of materials for filament 3D printing was created with the goal of analyzing the need of companies and providing an alternative solution to Peek that maintains the same performance and improves usability and accessibility. Peek is a high-performance engineering polymer that is used as a substitute for metal in many applications. It has two major drawbacks: it is very expensive and it is difficult to use. In 3DiTALY we have identified 4 main technical characteristics of Peek (mechanical, thermal, chemical and abrasion resistance) and found good alternatives with the same performance, but at a lower price and easier to use. Among them we find the Igus.

Story produced by UltiMaker partner 3DiTALY.

3D printing, in fact, is a technology that makes it possible to create customized and specific components for the food industry.

3D Printing for Mass Production in the Food Industry: The Policom Case

In the world of additive manufacturing, the development of advanced methods has opened up new horizons for creating complex metal parts with precision and efficiency. <a href="https://www.coldmetalfusion.am/" target="_blank">Cold Metal Fusion</a> is one such groundbreaking process that utilizes polymer SLS 3D printers by Sintratec to produce metal components. In this article we will walk you through the CMF process chain, from preparation to the final metal parts.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r828X7o7RKo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><div data-id="c66a2bb" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>A lightweight Automotive Gear</h2></div><div data-id="a063078" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">To illustrate the Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) process, we will produce a lightweight gear that is used in the automotive industry. The intricate geometry of the part makes it an ideal example, as it can only be produced through additive manufacturing. For printing, we will use the Sintratec <a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/" target="_blank">All-Material Platform</a> with the <a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/sintratec-s2/" target="_blank">Sintratec S2</a> and the <a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/mcu-160/" target="_blank">MCU-160 Build Module</a>. As part of the CMF lab system, we currently have two materials available which have been specifically developed by <a href="https://headmadematerials.de/" target="_blank">Headmade Materials</a> for the SLS technology: M2 tool steel and 17/4PH stainless steel. As it is a common material in the automotive industry, we will be using 17/4PH for our gear.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149095900-1706149095900.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><div data-id="ff8201a" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Step 1: Print Job Preparation</h2>Similar to the standard <a href="https://sintratec.com/from-digital-design-to-industrial-3d-print/" target="_blank">selective laser sintering (SLS) process</a>, the print job is first prepared inside the <a href="https://sintratec.com/software/sintratec-central/" target="_blank">Sintratec Central</a> software. The 3D model is imported, duplicated and arranged in the available build volume. In regards to the CAD design, shrinkage during the sintering stage must be taken into account, which can vary depending on the material – for 17/4PH it is 14 percent. Once set up, the print job is sliced*, exported, and sent to the system via USB drive or local network. At the <a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/mhs/" target="_blank">Material Handling Station</a>, we fill the build module’s powder containers with Headmade’s 17/4PH material, whereby the amount of powder is automatically calculated.*Slicing is the process of converting 3D objects into 2D layers.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149135724-1_PrintJobSetup.jpg.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> </div><div data-id="fbef267" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><div data-id="f17ceb6" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Step 2: Printing &amp; Depowdering</h2>Once the build module is filled, we move it to the Fusion Module – in this case the&nbsp;<a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/sintratec-s2/" target="_blank" id="isPasted">Sintratec S2</a>. Using the touch screen, we select our print job and start printing. As the name suggests, the Cold Metal Fusion process is cold: the powder bed is kept only at around 50°C, which is a much lower temperature to conventional polymers. This makes the printing process very stable and allows for all of the unsintered material to be reused. Once printing is complete, we remove the build module to depowder the so-called green parts in the material handling station, similar to the polymer process.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149162559-5_PrintingS2.jpg.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> </div><div data-id="2c67180" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><div data-id="426e8f7" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Step 3: Post-processing</h2><div data-id="fc3658e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default" id="isPasted">After depowdering, the last bits of powder are removed in a washing station using a 30 bar water jet. This step also ensures a smooth surface finish and high part accuracy. Since green parts in the industry tend to be very brittle, such ease of handling and post-processing is a novelty. This is due to the ingenious material, which consists of a plastic binder matrix with metal spikes sticking out. When the plastic component melts during the printing stage, all the cavities are filled, resulting in a very high green part strength.</div><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149193267-1706149193267.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div><div data-id="eb73a43" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Step 4: Debinding</h2>After post-processing, we load the green parts onto a tray and take them to the debinding station. Here, once the door is closed and sealed, the chamber is flooded with an acetone solvent at a gradually increasing temperature. What happens under the microscope is that the solvent penetrates the wall of the parts and begins to extract one of the plastic components. After a night of debinding, we remove our transformed brown parts from the station for further processing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149216058-10_Debinding.jpg.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> </div><div data-id="f86dfe0" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><div data-id="f2d3ff6" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Step 5: Sintering</h2>Next, we transfer the so-called brown parts to the sinter furnace. Inside, the chamber is heated up to over a thousand degrees. As the temperature increases, the metal particles begin to grow together into a dense metal part, with any last bit of plastic burning away. This sintering process takes about 10 to 15 hours, but remains the same regardless of the size of the furnace or the number of parts being processed. Once the metal parts are sintered, they can be removed and further machined if required.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149232529-12_Sintering.jpg.webp" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> </div><div data-id="0a32cc8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><div data-id="e2857be" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Final Parts &amp; Conclusion</h2></div><div data-id="aca1ad7" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default">Now that we are finished, we have a pure stainless steel 17/4PH part in our hands. There is no residue left of the plastic that was used in previous steps. And compared to conventional manufacturing, these parts are at the same level of mechanical performance – with much higher freedom of design and complexity. In fact, the CMF process produces components with an excellent elongation of 13.2% after hardening, which exceeds the MIM standards. Combined with the hardware of the CMF Alliance, this technology allows users to manage porosities, incorporate flow channels in their designs and achieve superior mechanical properties. With these unique capabilities, the CMF process undoubtedly sets a new standard in the metal AM sector.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706149265911-1706149265911.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Exploring the Cold Metal Fusion Process Chain

How to 3D print Metal Parts with a polymer SLS Printer

Just out of a 3D printer parts may not have the uniform surface and smooth finish expected. The parts might even be rough, textured and with uneven surfaces. In most cases, the 3D printed parts will either have a black, transparent or white colour. So they would have to be polished and painted to enhance aesthetics and any kind of resistance to water, heat and corrosion. Plus, 3D printing technologies like <a href="https://xometry.eu/en/fused-deposition-modeling-fdm-3d-printing-technology-overview/" target="_blank">fused deposition modeling (FDM)</a>, <a href="https://xometry.eu/en/stereolithography-sla-3d-printing-technology-overview/" target="_blank">stereolithography (SLA)</a> and <a href="https://xometry.eu/en/direct-metal-laser-sintering-dmls-3d-printing-technology-overview/" target="_blank">direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)</a> leave support structures which have to be removed.This is why 3D printing finishes are an important matter to take into account when you decide to go for an additive manufacturing process. Whether your aim is to achieve a uniform surface, to colour your 3D printed part or to improve its chemical properties, it is possible to choose a suitable finishing option or to combine several of them to obtain the desired result.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844218237-mjf-tpu-grey-closeup-sample-part-xometry-768x512.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Close up of a MJF PA12 3D printed part natural<h2 id="isPasted">Basic post processing operations for 3D printing</h2>The basic operations, as the name suggests, involve manual operations like the removal of support structures and basic smoothening of the surface for the next steps which involve better surface smoothening.<h3>Removal of support structures</h3>The 3D printing processes like DMLS, SLA, FDM and Carbon DLS make use of support structures to support overhangs and delicate features according to the design. These support structures have to be removed after the part is out of the printer. This removal can be done with manual or automatic tools but it is the most important step for further post processing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844236335-formlabs-support-structure-3d-printing-768x576.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Visible support structures on 3D printed parts (Image credit: Formlabs)<h3 id="isPasted">Blasting</h3>Blasting involves the spraying of particles under high pressure against the just out of the printer 3D printed parts. The media particles striking against the surface bring a smoother finish and even texture to the part. This is the initial step in smoothing the surface and getting rid of material residues. It is also used to remove paint or create an even surface for painting and dying.This finishing process creates a smoother texture compared to the original part with almost even texture but doesn’t give a shiny surface or a glossy look.<h2>3D printing finishes to get a smooth surface finish</h2>Post-processing the plastic or metal 3D prints is the most effective way of guaranteeing a <a href="https://xometry.eu/en/how-to-get-a-smooth-surface-with-3d-printing/" target="_blank">smooth surface finish in 3D printing</a>. In most cases, finishing methods can be used to achieve smoothness in a part, irrespective of the material or the printing process with which was used.The various surface finishing techniques will deliver different textures and appearances and are not all suitable for all 3D prints. Part geometry and material are the two biggest factors that influence post-processing techniques. The following finishing options are available in Xometry’s Instant Quoting Engine.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844255187-SLS-PA12-Black-Dying-VFS-Closeup-1440x960.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Closeup of a SLS PA12 3D printed part with black dying and vapour smoothing finishes<h3 id="isPasted">Bead blasting</h3>Bead blasting is similar to media blasting where the difference is that instead of any media, glass beads are impacted on the part surface with high velocity. The spherical beads on repeated impact leave a much smoother and uniform finish.Apart from giving a uniform finish, bead blasting also helps in improving the mechanical strength of the part. Since the beads are spherical, they don’t much affect the dimensions by hitting deeper into the part and changing dimensions.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844273812-MJF-Nylon-PA12-parts-comparison-as-printed-vs-bead-blasted-768x512.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">MJF Nylon PA12 3D prints comparison: as printed vs. bead blasted<h3 id="isPasted">Media tumbling</h3>The tumble finishing technique, also known as tumbling or rumbling, is usually used on relatively small parts. Some of the most common, large tumblers are capable of finishing parts of 400x120x120 mm or 200x200x200 mm. For a smoother surface texture, MJF or SLS parts can be polished in media tumblers or vibro machines.&nbsp;The 3D prints are to be finished and placed in a media tumbler that contains small ceramic chips and on vigorous vibrations, the ceramic chips rub against the part, removing irregularities and extras.&nbsp;This process is a little stronger compared to bead blasting.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844291372-MJF-Nylon-PA12-parts-comparison-as-printed-vs-tumbled-768x508.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">MJF Nylon PA12 3D printed parts comparison: as printed (left) vs. tumbled (right)<h3 id="isPasted">Chemical vapour polishing / Vapour smoothing</h3>Unlike physical smoothing processes such as media tumbling, vapour smoothing does not remove material on the workpiece. Instead, a vapour finishing agent (FA 326) is introduced into a sealed processing chamber along with the parts to be smoothened.&nbsp;The vapour sticks to the part surface where it creates a controlled chemical melt. This chemical melt lowers the surface peaks and valleys by liquifying and redistributing material and makes the surface even. This process also enhances shine and surface quality.This top quality surface finishing option is hence more expensive compared to the other processes. But it gives a shiny and ultra-smooth surface to the final object.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844319477-MJF-Nylon-PA12-parts-comparison-as-printed-vs-black-spay-painted-and-vapour-fused-768x512.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">MJF Nylon PA12 3D printed parts comparison: as printed vs. black spay painted and vapour fused<h2 id="isPasted">Post processing operations for colour 3D printing</h2>While it is possible to <a href="https://xometry.eu/en/colour-3d-printing-options-overview/" target="_blank">print 3D parts directly in colour</a>, for example with coloured filaments using the FDM process, it is very common to use a surface finishing operation to colour 3D parts.<h3>Spray painting</h3>As the name indicates, spray painting is the coating of paint on the 3D part using spray paint cans and a very common colouring technique that is used even for conventionally machined parts. One major drawback is, the paint coating is just on the surface level; it doesn’t go deeper into the part and hence, if it is scratched or subjected to wear and tear, the internal natural colour is visible.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844336821-sls-pa12-black-s.p.-front-sample-part-xometry-768x615.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">SLS PA12 3D printed part with a black spray painting finish<h3 id="isPasted">Dyeing</h3>Dyeing colours the plastic deeply whereas spray painting only colours the surface. This assures vibrant colours in particular and also makes it possible to avoid the phenomenon of peeling or scratching which can occur with spray paint. The lack of excess thickness prevents loss of detail, thus conforming most closely to the original design.&nbsp;This quality is critical and most important when 3D printing technology has been selected because of the design complexity. Many users prefer dyeing a part in black due to its uniformity in colour and its overall look.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703844383206-sls-pa12-yellow-dying-front-sample-part-xometry-min-768x615.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">SLS PA12 3D printed part dyed in yellow<h2 id="isPasted">Surface finishes for 3D printing available at Xometry</h2>The table below sums up the various surface finishing options you can choose to obtain the desired finish aspect and surface texture for your 3D prints.<figure id="isPasted"><table><tbody><tr><td>Surface finish</td><td>Suitable 3D printing technology</td><td>Advantages</td><td>Considerations</td></tr><tr><td>Blasting</td><td>SLS</td><td>• Gives smooth texture to &nbsp;surface • Makes surface paintable • Cheap comparatively</td><td>• Might lead to dimensional inaccuracy • Does not give smooth finish</td></tr><tr><td>Bead Blasting</td><td>SLS</td><td>• Preservation of the part’s dimensions</td><td>• Requires the use of extra materials</td></tr><tr><td>Chemical Vapour Polishing / Vapour smoothing</td><td>MJF, SLS</td><td>• Shiny finish</td><td>• Lack of versatility</td></tr><tr><td>Media tumbling</td><td>SLS</td><td>• Good for small parts</td><td>• Size limitations for large parts exist • Time-consuming</td></tr><tr><td>Spray painting</td><td>MJF</td><td>• Cheap and fast</td><td>• Applies only on surface, inner colour visible if subjected to scratches</td></tr><tr><td>Dyeing</td><td>MJF (black), SLS (black, blue, green, red, yellow)</td><td>• Colours deeply into the part instead of only surface • Very durable with superior aesthetics</td><td>• Costly compared to spray painting</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2>Source 3D printed parts with finishes at Xometry</h2>Post processing is a very important operation for 3D printing processes. Basic operations like removal of support structures is mandatory while other basic and finishing operations are done to improve the physical and aesthetic value of the part.

This article is aimed at providing an overview of surface finishes for 3D printed parts and helping you select the right option for your applications.

Surface Finishes for 3D Printing

In this episode, we discuss an additive manufacturing breakthrough from MIT that enables inkjet printers to print soft materials that were deemed unsuitable before, print more accurately, and print ~660 times faster than comparable printer technologies!<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/a04f438a-330e-4e3b-b5b5-d78d1bba7768?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe><hr>This podcast is sponsored by <a href="https://www2.mouser.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" id="isPasted">Mouser Electronics</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAzNjg3NjMxOTA3LU1vdXNlci53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><hr><h3 id="isPasted">EPISODE NOTES</h3>(3:23) - <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/this-3d-printer-can-watch-itself-fabricate-objects" target="_blank">This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects</a>This episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click <a href="https://resources.mouser.com/explore-all/using-3d-nanoscale-printing" target="_blank">HERE</a> to learn more about the underlying technology enabling nanoscale 3D printing; printing environment where dimensions are 1/100,000th of a human hair!<hr><h2 data-attrid="title" data-local-attribute="d3bn" data-ved="2ahUKEwiBhLnmu4aAAxVmwjgGHcDWC38Q3B0oAXoECEgQEQ" id="isPasted">Transcript</h2>Hey folks, have you ever tried to use a 3D printer to produce a part and it didn't turn out the way you wanted? Well, I have and it's really frustrating and something I've learned is these old 3D printers have trouble with producing complex designs, have trouble using certain materials, especially those that don't harden quickly. So, what we're talking about today is a team from MIT and from ETH Zurich and a startup that are working to give 3D printers an eyes and a brain so they can understand what they're printing, make course corrections if they need to and this will unlock their ability to use better materials and print a lot faster than the current materials do. I think it's really interesting, so let's jump right on into it.I'm Daniel, and I'm Farbod. And this is the NextByte Podcast. Every week, we explore interesting and impactful tech and engineering content from Wevolver.com and deliver it to you in bite sized episodes that are easy to understand, regardless of your background.&nbsp;Daniel:&nbsp;What's up peeps? Like we said today, we're talking all about an awesome 3D printer from MIT. But before we jump into that, I want to mention a technical resource from our sponsor, Mouser Electronics. If you've listened to this podcast at all, you must know that we're huge Mouser fans. We love that they're one of the world's biggest electronics suppliers. And as a result of that, they've got their fingers on the pulse of cutting-edge technology. They've got awesome technical resources for us to help stay up to speed with cutting edge technology. And in this case, we've linked a technical resource talking about 3D nano scale printing, which honestly sounds pretty dang sweet. So, we know what 3D printing is. We know what working with stuff at the nano scale is, which is like working at geometries that are at or below one nanometer. So, we're talking-Farbod: One 100,000th the thickness of your hair.Daniel: So, so small. It's one 100,000th, one, one, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, way thinner than the human hair. Being able to manipulate geometries at that level already, that kind of boggles my mind. I've got a sweet spot in my heart, because that's where Farbod and I met, doing nanoscale level research together. But taking that and combining it with 3D printing, which allows us to basically additively create geometry. But being able to do this at such a small-scale using lasers that are only two photons wide. It sounds pretty incredible. So, it's the same principle as resin printing, which is what things that like Formlabs and many Stratasys printers use, but they're talking about the theory of being able to do this at the nano scale, building up things one atom at a time, having full control over the structure and using it to complement other types of nanotechnology, something like CVD, which is very commonly used to create super conductors and other type of awesome materials like graphene.Farbod: Yeah. Yeah. I was going to say, I one of the things I liked about the article was that it gives you that primer on what the existing technology looks like. So, you have that basis when you're learning about the new thing to know what's like actually really cool about this versus whatever the state of the art currently is. Like other miles of resources, very well put, very easy to digest, even if you're not familiar with the field. And I really enjoyed reading it.Daniel: And it's super relevant to what we're talking about today, which is using vision, using a closed-loop system to help push the boundaries of what's possible with 3d printing and basically what this team from MIT is done. They made a super smart 3d printer that can see what it's doing. Which is revolutionary because not many 3d printers to date use a visual tracking or visual monitoring control system, old 3d printers have had trouble with different types of materials, especially those that don't harden quickly and specifically they talk about materials that can smear during the printing process. If you've got no feedback loop to understand what the geometry is that you're printing, you don't wanna use a material that, tends to be a little bit more volatile or a little bit more dynamic while you're printing. You're gonna have to be limited to materials that are really, really rigid, really, really stable. And that's worked pretty well to date. But what this team from MIT is saying, let's use a vision-controlled system, rely on innovations like these really, really sweet super smart inkjet 3D printing system that's been developed at MIT combine these to overcome these material constraints. And it allows us to closely monitor, closely adjust the printing, but also make things with cool new materials, make cool new geometries that we've never been able to make before, and make them a lot faster than we've ever been able to make anything before.Farbod:&nbsp;Yeah, so the underlying technology they're talking about is nothing crazy, right? Like you have inkjet printing, which has been adopted by a lot of big manufacturers. What is it? Smile Direct Club? The one that uses HP's inkjet printers for coming up with the Invisalign style night guards or treatments for orthodontics or whatever. So that's not new, but like you mentioned, they talk about how the type of materials they can use for inkjet printing has typically been limited because certain materials, even though it gives us desirable material properties at the end, don't do well with the printing process because they smear or whatever. So, what these folks have added, it's the collaboration between MIT, MIT Spinoff InkBit, and then ETH Zurich, is a closed feedback loop system, right? Like what if after every iteration of us printing a layer, we check is it looking right or no? And if it's not looking right, how do we fix it? Like the sauce is again, it seems straightforward, but the beauty is in the genius of its simplicity. Because every time they scan, I mean sorry, every time they print, they take a scan, they process it and all that takes about a second, and then you tell each dropper that's within the inkjet printer, there's like 16,000 of them.Daniel: Yeah, 16,000 different nozzles.Farbod: Crazy, but that's the level of control they have, so they can be like, nozzle number 13,582, drop 80% of what you're dropping because you're causing smears. And being able to finely tune that printing system allows them to have a lot more flexibility with the type of materials that they wanna use.Daniel: Well, and what I wanna mention is like the analogy that came into my head is like, because we just decorated gingerbread houses at home for Nellie's birthday, which was awesome by the way. No invite for me, that's cool. If you're like, if you're, we're just gonna gloss over that. If you're decorating a gingerbread house or decorating a cookie, right? Trying to use some frosting, let's say. And I give you very, very specific instructions. I want you to make a smiley face on the top of this cookie or on the top of this gingerbread house. And then I put a blindfold on you and hand you a bag of frosting and say, go do it. You're not gonna do it very well. And that's basically what we've experienced with 3D printers to date, is we give a very, very specific set of controls, very, very specific set of instructions. We upload it to a 3D printer. It knows what it's supposed to be doing, but it doesn't have any feedback on how it's actually going. Doesn't have a visual feedback system to close the loop and understand what's going on. So, if you imagine, if I was relying on you to be able to make this cookie with a smiley face on it the perfect way every single time. I'm gonna severely limit the different types of materials you can use. I'm gonna severely limit the different types of shapes that you can use to make sure that I get a reliable product. That's basically what we've been doing with 3D printing. Because there's no visual feedback loop to help the printer understand and correct, course correct along the way, we've had to severely limit what types of materials 3D printers can use. We've had to limit what types of geometries they can use. Or the most frustrating part, and you and I both experienced this personally, is you may ask your 3D printer to print something that's toward the boundary condition, at the edge of what's possible. It could run for 24, 36, 48 hours, and then it fails in hour 47. It didn't know. It keeps printing. You show up the next morning to work or you wake up after your 3D print overnight and it just looks like a disaster happened.Farbod:&nbsp;Spaghetti monster, yeah.Daniel:&nbsp;And then the 3D printer didn't know because there was no visual control system to help close the loop. So, this fundamentally speaking is really, really compelling to me because we've got visual control systems in a bunch of different parts of manufacturing. It seems about right that this has made its way to 3D printing. But for it to combine forces with something like this really complex 3D printing from Inkbit, that's the one with the inkjet printer, right? With 16,000 different nozzles, that's like two superpowers collide here, which is using a vision controlled system to close the loop and doing it on a really, really sweet, really, really awesome 3D printer with a lot of firepower to help push the boundaries and tell us, these are the awesome materials that we can use now. These are the cool geometries we can use now. And they're doing things like printing soft, functional, accurate geometries of robot hands and heart models. And all of this without human intervention, doing it very reliably and doing it using the visual control system, I think it's pretty sweet.Farbod: I agree with you, man. And one thing I was gonna say is, it really reminds me of Machina, for our listeners that might not remember. Machina is the startup based out of California that's using robots to do sheet metal forming. And one thing that was really interesting is that these robots are AI powers to know how hard to press, to how long to deform a certain area before backing off, things like that. A big portion of their secret sauce was the ability to scan and understand the form to inform it in terms of how well it matches with the CAD file, which is exactly what this solution is doing. But then it kept iterating and getting better and better over time because it would realize, even before it made the mistake, how to do it better the first time around.Daniel: Not just course correcting mid-printing, but then also understanding some of the fundamental rules and principles and incorporating that into the design for the next time.Farbod:&nbsp;So, it's interesting seeing that theme just on the what is it, the next generation of manufacturing, is that this closed feedback loop system is becoming more and more critical. But another thing I was gonna say is, now that they've kind of cracked this printing of materials that are typically sought after, but not possible, the “so what” that we're gonna start getting into is that they can experiment with certain soft materials that they didn't have access to before and do multi-material printing where you can have rigid bodies with soft components like a robotic hand that has tendons that you would want to make out of the soft material, but then the skeleton is made out of the hard material. On top of that, you're not sacrificing your precision either, if anything, you're making it better because you're constantly layer after layer comparing it with your CAD file, allowing you to have what they refer to as airtight like interfaces between the hard components and soft components.Daniel: And on top of all that, right? Which is obviously a plus here for anyone that's dealt with 3D printing. It takes a long time. And a part of that is again, if you're trying to make sure that the part turns out to the design that you want a vast majority of the time, let's say 99.9% of the time that the desired geometry is produced reliably on that system, you're going to do things like control the speed. You're going to make it really, really slow so that it can move really precisely. Instead, when you've got this vision-controlled system, you can start to understand where we can basically turn up the speed dial and then not still sacrifice the quality of the part because we're monitoring it visually during the printing process. This team from Inkbit said that they were able to produce the same parts with the visual control system, about 660 times faster than other state of the art 3D inkjet printers. So, this is not only revolutionizing the materials we can use, it's not only revolutionizing the geometry we can use. It's also revolutionizing the production speed for 3D printing. All three of those have been touted as like potential pain points with 3D printing for different applications. So, I think that's really interesting. And then it really goes back to the analogy I came up with in my head to try and understand what's going on here. Again, let's go back to our analogy. You're sitting in the kitchen for a moment and I'm asking you to make, you know, decorate gingerbread cookies. If I tell you to make a specific design and you can take your blindfold off now and you've got a picture of what the design's supposed to look like and you're watching your gingerbread, watching yourself make your gingerbread cookie right next to it. You're gonna do a really good job. You're gonna work a lot faster than when you're blindfolded. The results gonna be better. You might be able to use more experimental materials, et cetera, to achieve the desired design. In the same way, we're kind of giving 3D printers their own eyes and their own brain to understand what, how the progress is of producing that design and then in the end state, what it's supposed to look like and make any course corrections on the way to get there.Farbod:&nbsp;Absolutely. Well, besides knowing that you don't have faith in my gingerbread making abilities, I would say that that is a great analogy.Daniel:&nbsp;Thanks, man.Farbod:&nbsp;But I think it's time to wrap up the episode. What do you think?Daniel:&nbsp;Yeah, I agree. I'll give us a quick wrap up here, man. Please do. All right, so think about 3D printing right now. It's like trying to decorate cookies without eyes and without a brain. You get a really, really specific set of instructions to your 3D printer, but it's got no feedback loop system to understand is the design that it's making close to the design that you want, and are there any course corrections that need to be made along the way, right now, 3D printers don't have that ability. So, this team of scientists from MIT, a startup called Inkbit and then also ETH Zurich are working together to add a vision controlled system to help 3D printers see what it's doing. And then that'll allow it to use many new materials to make many new complex things like robot hands and heart models. And not only that, it'll be able to do it with these better materials over 600 times faster than current printers do.Farbod: Money, money.Daniel: Thanks, my dawg.Farbod: I mean, you don't invite me, but you know, that's ending was money.Daniel:&nbsp;We'll resolve that off air.Farbod: Ah, okay. All right. All right. Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening. And as always, we'll catch the next one.Daniel: Peace.<hr id="isPasted">As always, you can find these and other interesting &amp; impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.To learn more about this show, please visit our<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" target="_blank">&nbsp;shows page</a>. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published. Be sure to give us a follow and review on<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-next-byte/id1548255861?l=en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">&nbsp;Apple</a> podcasts,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPPsRtegnivsRUEsQ09R7?si=IPMiah7xT_apJtPjqvXMlA" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">&nbsp;Spotify</a>, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!--The Next Byte: We're two engineers on a mission to simplify complex science &amp; technology, making it easy to understand. In each episode of our show, we dive into world-changing tech (such as AI, robotics, 3D printing, IoT, &amp; much more), all while keeping it entertaining &amp; engaging along the way.

In this episode, we discuss an additive manufacturing breakthrough from MIT that enables inkjet printers to print soft materials that were deemed unsuitable before, print more accurately, and print ~660 times faster than comparable printer technologies!

Podcast: The 3D Printer That Teaches Itself To Print

<a href="https://pensa.co/" target="_blank">Pensa</a>, a design, strategy, and engineering consultancy, recently added the Method XL 3D printer to its repertoire of 3D printers. Method XL joins its predecessors, Method and Method X, to give the team of designers and engineers a seamless 3D printing process aimed at boosting prototyping and R&amp;D and scaling production.“We were one of the first users of Method,” said Marco Perry, co-founder and partner at Pensa and Pensa Labs. “The Method platform has been very useful for us. It’s been fantastic and going to Method XL has been a seamless integration. Resiliency and consistency are why we stick with the same platform. We know how to use it, what settings work well for us, and what materials work well for us. From prep to print to clean up and finish, the whole process is the same across all machines, so we can print the same part on each machine and get the same results.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703159056507-pensa-labs-parts-.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 id="isPasted">3D Printing as an Injection Molding Alternative</h2>Both Pensa and its sister company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pensalabs.com/" target="_blank">Pensa Labs</a>, which creates wire formers and wire cutters used in medical, dental, aerospace, and automotive industries, utilize 3D printing for their design and development, whether it’s by designers who need to evaluate form or ergonomics or engineers who need to evaluate function. Method XL has been a great addition for production, particularly for Pensa Labs. Its large 305 x 305 x 320 mm build volume lets the team print an entire project at the same time or a project with many iterations or larger parts.The team has been using Method XL to print a mix of applications, from tooling to prototypes, for Pensa Labs’s newest C64 machine, which includes a variety of new features, such as 3D bends and cuts for materials of different densities, including stainless steel, titanium, cobalt-chrome, coppers, aluminum. The C64 machine can bend and cut in 3D, a quarter-inch material all the way down to 1/10th of an inch.For small batch production runs, such as the ones that Pensa Labs needs, sometimes injection molding isn’t a viable option. Injection molded tooling can be expensive, especially when using hardened steel. It can take a long time to machine and harden, and should something go wrong, all that time, effort, and costs would have been lost. To save themselves from potential headaches, Perry and his team will 3D print iterations in ABS on Method XL before going to injection molding, checking fits or checking that there are no intersections. With a machine with seven moving axes, something is bound to hit something else, so ensuring there are as many parts as possible is critical.“One of the benefits of having a Method XL here is that we can run a full batch of parts. When it comes to prototyping, it’s also great that now we can prototype much larger parts that we would never have been able to do earlier,” Perry noted.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703159081621-pensa-labs-batch.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">“What’s good about Method XL is that we slice it once, we get all the parts, and we run them in batches and it basically becomes short run production runs,” said Perry. “Because of the low volume of the parts that we make, it doesn’t justify the cost of cutting injection molding tools—which typically require a minimum of 10,000 units. Plus, a lot of the parts might be more complex than what injection molding can do. The printer is configurable. We can make changes on the fly and 3D print the way we need and when we need.”However, when necessary, the team will scale from 3D printing to injection molding. Because they are using similar materials in their prototypes, translating to injection molding is seamless.<h2>Getting consistent and repeatable ABS parts every time</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703159106194-pensa-labs-xl-parts.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">“It’s important to make sure you work with the same materials that you’re going to use in production. That’s why we use ABS—because we know we can match that performance and finish in production. We like the stability of ABS. The predictability, the surface quality, and the durability is everything that we need,” said Perry.The combination of Method XL’s heated build plate and actively heated chamber enables Pensa to achieve accurate, high-quality prints, whether they’re prototypes or production parts. While still a desktop printer, Method XL offers industrial-grade engineering capabilities that can rival its traditional counterparts.“One of the important things about prototypes is that you want to make sure that the fidelity of the prototype is going to match what you’re going to get in production. Otherwise, you can’t tell if the idea is bad or whether the prototype is just not matching what you want to do. So when we use Method XL, we know we’re going to get great ABS parts that we can match in injection molding,” he continued.For parts with intricate details, the team uses the RapidRinse soluble support material, which dissolves quickly and easily in tap water. Previously, the team used support materials that required a caustic bath that was difficult and cumbersome to maintain and drain. RapidRinse has made support removals a thing of the past, reducing the effort and time it used to take and the possibility of damaging the part.“We’ve been very happy with the parts in terms of surface finish, tolerance, accuracy, and repeatability,” Perry stated. “The repeatability of the parts is super important to us. If it’s a prototype, I want to know that when I come back, I’ve got a prototype that acts the same way, and we know what we’re getting. When it comes to production, we need to have every part be the same inside the C64. That way, we know that no matter what machine we have, they have the same part.”<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sge-x7IZSTY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>

Pensa recently added the Method XL 3D printer to its repertoire of 3D printers. Method XL joins its predecessors, Method and Method X, to give the team of designers and engineers a seamless 3D printing process aimed at boosting prototyping and R&D and scaling production.

Design and Engineering Firm Pensa adds Method XL for Small Batch Production

Established in 1906 and headquartered in Italy, Panelli Srl is a leading manufacturer of submersible pumps and motors. Thanks to recent investments in industrial automation and the extensive use of robotized assembly, Panelli can offer various products with high hydraulic characteristics.Historically, the company only used a traditional industrial 3D printer for prototyping, but materials costs were high. As a result, Panelli added the UltiMaker Method XL 3D printer, a cost-effective and comparable alternative, allowing the company to successfully achieve the dual goals of cost efficiency and superior quality in their prototypes.<h2>Challenge: Prototyping and testing large parts that can withstand high impacts</h2>Panelli’s technical department employs 3D printing to prototype its pump components and ensure that all parts are up to specifications. The team currently uses a simple industrial 3D printer and needed to add another one to support its growing design and production needs.“We print very often, almost daily,” said Francesco Zamirri, mechanical designer at Panelli. “Especially when we need to improve the hydraulic performance of an existing range or create a new one.”However, traditional industrial printers can be rather large and expensive, both to operate and maintain. The team needed something more affordable and that would not require much maintenance.<h2>Solution: Integrating Method XL into their processes</h2>After consulting with&nbsp;<a href="https://manufat.com/ultimaker-makerbot-method-xl/" target="_blank">Manufat</a>, a local reseller with expertise in 3D printing solutions, Panelli added Method XL, UltiMaker’s latest professional 3D printer. Known for its robust engineering capabilities, Method XL was a cost-effective alternative to expensive industrial machines but still offered industrial-grade features. The heated chamber and heated build plate reduces the risks of warping and improves layer adhesion across the entire print. Method XL also boasts a 305 x 305 x 320 mm build volume and ABS and carbon fiber 3D printing capabilities, allowing Zamirri and his team to continue to prototype large and strong parts with little downtime.“We selected Method XL because it can create high-quality, industrial-grade parts in ABS and carbon fiber,” said Zamirri. “Method XL allows us to test prototypes with large dimensions and high pressures. For a desktop 3D printer, the results are exactly as we would get them on our industrial printer. Method XL is also very easy to use, and the materials are much more affordable. We have had a great experience with it so far.”The team is using Method XL to print functional prototypes of diffusers and large centrifugal impellers that must withstand high pressure and flow rate. Because they need strong parts that can endure their testing, the prototypes are printed in ABS Carbon Fiber, a composite material known for its ability to withstand high impacts.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxODU0MjM3NjY4LWV6Z2lmLTItNmUzNDRlMDVhNy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The team also uses ABS-R for rapid prototyping and parts with complex geometries. ABS-R offers superior printing performance for consistent and repeatable parts. With ABS-R, they can use RapidRinse, UltiMaker’s support material that easily dissolves in tap water. This feature not only enhances operational sustainability but also widens the scope for designing complex parts without compromising on strength.“RapidRinse is very helpful. We can have the final part with a super easy workflow and with better quality, compared to the use of breakaway supports,” said Zamirri. “We also don’t have to use any chemical solvent that is always very hard to manage.”<h2>Results: Streamlined workflow, and time and cost savings</h2>Zamirri and his team continue to use both Method XL and their older industrial 3D printer to accelerate the prototyping process. While one machine prints the impeller, the other is used to print the diffuser, ensuring high efficiency and little downtime.“The use of 3D printing lets us save a lot of time and money, compared to the use of CNC machining,” continued Zamirri. “In 24 hours, we can produce an impeller with a very difficult geometry and minimal effort. Impellers always have very complicated shapes, and Method XL helps us a lot.”

Panelli’s technical department employs 3D printing to prototype its pump components and ensure that all parts are up to specifications. The team currently uses a simple industrial 3D printer and needed to add another one to support its growing design and production needs.

Panelli Srl: Accelerating Prototyping and Testing with 3D Printing

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/a04f438a-330e-4e3b-b5b5-d78d1bba7768?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>With 3D inkjet printing systems, engineers can fabricate hybrid structures that have soft and rigid components, like robotic grippers that are strong enough to grasp heavy objects but soft enough to interact safely with humans.These multimaterial 3D printing systems utilize thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin, which are smoothed with a scraper or roller and cured with UV light. But the smoothing process could squish or smear resins that cure slowly, limiting the types of materials that can be used.&nbsp;Researchers from MIT, the MIT spinout Inkbit, and ETH Zurich have developed a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials. Their printer utilizes computer vision to automatically scan the 3D printing surface and adjust the amount of resin each nozzle deposits in real-time to ensure no areas have too much or too little material.Since it does not require mechanical parts to smooth the resin, this contactless system works with materials that cure more slowly than the acrylates which are traditionally used in 3D printing. Some slower-curing material chemistries can offer improved performance over acrylates, such as greater elasticity, durability, or longevity.In addition, the automatic system makes adjustments without stopping or slowing the printing process, making this production-grade printer about 660 times faster than a comparable 3D inkjet printing system.The researchers used this printer to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft and rigid materials. For example, they made a completely 3D-printed robotic gripper shaped like a human hand and controlled by a set of reinforced, yet flexible, tendons.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mw9hYHoD46o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>“Our key insight here was to develop a machine-vision system and completely active feedback loop. This is almost like endowing a printer with a set of eyes and a brain, where the eyes observe what is being printed, and then the brain of the machine directs it as to what should be printed next,” says co-corresponding author Wojciech Matusik, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT who leads the Computational Design and Fabrication Group within the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).He is joined on the paper by lead author Thomas Buchner, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich, co-corresponding author Robert Katzschmann PhD ’18, assistant professor of robotics who leads the Soft Robotics Laboratory at ETH Zurich; as well as others at ETH Zurich and Inkbit. The research appears today in Nature.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTA1ODQ1NTg1LU1JVC1WaXNpb25KZXR0aW5nLTAyLXByZXNzLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The researchers used their printing system to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft and rigid materials. Since the printer has 16,000 nozzles, the system can control fine details of the device being fabricated. This rendering shows objects that have been halfway built by the printer. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers<h2>Contact free</h2>This paper builds off a low-cost, multimaterial 3D printer known as <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2015/multifab-3-d-print-10-materials-0824" target="_blank">MultiFab</a> that the researchers introduced in 2015. By utilizing thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin that are UV-cured, MultiFab enabled high-resolution 3D printing with up to 10 materials at once.With this new project, the researchers sought a contactless process that would expand the range of materials they could use to fabricate more complex devices.They developed a technique, known as vision-controlled jetting, which utilizes four high-frame-rate cameras and two lasers that rapidly and continuously scan the print surface. The cameras capture images as thousands of nozzles deposit tiny droplets of resin.The computer vision system converts the image into a high-resolution depth map, a computation that takes less than a second to perform. It compares the depth map to the CAD (computer-aided design) model of the part being fabricated, and adjusts the amount of resin being deposited to keep the object on target with the final structure.The automated system can make adjustments to any individual nozzle. Since the printer has 16,000 nozzles, the system can control fine details of the device being fabricated.“Geometrically, it can print almost anything you want made of multiple materials. There are almost no limitations in terms of what you can send to the printer, and what you get is truly functional and long-lasting,” says Katzschmann.The level of control afforded by the system enables it to print very precisely with wax, which is used as a support material to create cavities or intricate networks of channels inside an object. The wax is printed below the structure as the device is fabricated. After it is complete, the object is heated so the wax melts and drains out, leaving open channels throughout the object.Because it can automatically and rapidly adjust the amount of material being deposited by each of the nozzles in real time, the system doesn’t need to drag a mechanical part across the print surface to keep it level. This enables the printer to use materials that cure more gradually, and would be smeared by a scraper.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTA1ODc2NjQxLU1JVC1WaXNpb25KZXR0aW5nLTA1LXByZXNzLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A photograph shows a variety of 3D-printed objects in white, displayed on a tray. The objects are: a robotic hand, cubes made of lattice structures, a biological heart, and a walking robot. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers<h2>Superior materials</h2>The researchers used the system to print with thiol-based materials, which are slower-curing than the traditional acrylic materials used in 3D printing. However, thiol-based materials are more elastic and don’t break as easily as acrylates. They also tend to be more stable over a wider range of temperatures and don’t degrade as quickly when exposed to sunlight.“These are very important properties when you want to fabricate robots or systems that need to interact with a real-world environment,” says Katzschmann.The researchers used thiol-based materials and wax to fabricate several complex devices that would otherwise be nearly impossible to make with existing 3D printing systems. For one, they produced a functional, tendon-driven robotic hand that has 19 independently actuatable tendons, soft fingers with sensor pads, and rigid, load-bearing bones.“We also produced a six-legged walking robot that can sense objects and grasp them, which was possible due to the system’s ability to create airtight interfaces of soft and rigid materials, as well as complex channels inside the structure,” says Buchner.The team also showcased the technology through a heart-like pump with integrated ventricles and artificial heart valves, as well as metamaterials that can be programmed to have non-linear material properties.“This is just the start. There is an amazing number of new types of materials you can add to this technology. This allows us to bring in whole new material families that couldn’t be used in 3D printing before,” Matusik says.The researchers are now looking at using the system to print with hydrogels, which are used in tissue-engineering applications, as well as silicon materials, epoxies, and special types of durable polymers.They also want to explore new application areas, such as printing customizable medical devices, semiconductor polishing pads, and even more complex robots.

This rendering shows a robot being built layer-by-layer using the new process. The black spheres represent the material that the printer uses. The material is then cured by UV light, represented in blue. At the top of the image are the cameras that scan the procedure and adjust accordingly. Image: Moritz Hocher

Computer vision enables contact-free 3D printing, letting engineers print with high-performance materials they couldn’t use before.

This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects

3D Point, a 3D printing service bureau based right outside of Berlin, Germany, is fast becoming the go-to for many companies needing to produce parts in large volumes. Although still a young company, having been founded in 2020 by Dieter Fischer and Stefan Wenzel, 3D Point has been receiving orders nearly nonstop from local customers as well as manufacturing and industrial companies across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond. Some of their biggest customers include large manufacturing companies supplying the automotive and railway industries.To provide the best service to their customers, Stefan and Dieter employ an army of 60 3D printers, which utilize a mix of FDM, SLA, and SLS technologies. Half of them are the popular UltiMaker S series. The company has a mix of S5 and the recently launched S7 printers.“I have been using UltiMaker printers for 10 years, so I know how reliable the machines are,” said Stefan. “When I was at P&amp;G, we used them in the additive manufacturing department to print spare parts for the Gillette production line. We were printing thousands of parts, and the printers really exceeded our expectations.”<h2>Keeping productivity high</h2>At 3D Point, the team of three use the S series printers for different applications, but primarily replacement parts in series for companies, which vary from 300 to 5,000 pieces per order. 3D Point’s customers have 3D printing in-house, but do not have the capacity to print parts in large quantities. That is when customers outsource their production to the company.With orders this large, Stefan needs to ensure that there is little to no down time. A broken printer could mean major delays for his team, and, in turn, for their customers.“UltiMaker printers are very user-friendly, and hardly require any maintenance or repairs. The machines have good firmware and the regular updates are efficient,” said Stefan. “At 3D Point, the printers are working almost nonstop. If there is an issue, we get serviced by UltiMaker’s channel partner Igo3D. They are local, fast, reliable, and can get the machine back up and running in no time.” Igo3D is UltiMaker’s channel partner and representative for Germany, Austria &amp; Switzerland.The S5’s compact size also allows Stefan to stack them all on shelves against one wall without taking too much space within the print farm, compared to traditional industrial machines or other desktop 3D printers. At the same time, the S5, as well as the S7, offers a large enough build volume that allows 3D Point to keep up with demand or to print larger parts as needed.“I am excited about the new S7. We have been using it and have found that the bed leveling has improved and is better and more advanced than the S5. In addition, the PEI coated flex plate is the best I have ever experienced in the market. The first layer sticks to it better with no warping and parts come off the plate easier. The S series overall has been a fantastic product line,” said Stefan.“The factors that are important for a service bureau are ensuring that setting up a print job is easy and that each print should be first time right. We are fulfilling orders constantly so any issues that delay us–whether it is iterating on design or having technical issues–will affect our business as a whole,” Stefan continued.<h2>Printing in a safe and secure environment</h2>An important aspect for 3D Point was the S5’s open materials platform, which provides the team with flexibility to meet the different needs of their customers. While they mostly use UltiMaker materials, sometimes customers have specific materials requirements. As a result, they have the option to utilize the UltiMaker Marketplace, which opens them up to hundreds of third-party materials from which to choose, including BASF Forward AM’s Ultrafuse, PolyTerra™ from Polymaker, Extrudr GreenTEC, and more.Although they work in a print farm which already has a strong ventilation system for 60 printers, Stefan notes that the UltiMaker Air Manager is a great added value when it comes to ensuring better air quality in the space. Some materials require a closed system when printing to ensure that the materials print properly. But that means more particulates are swirling in the air. The Air Manager not only keeps the temperature inside the build chamber more consistent, it also helps to filter the air to reduce particulates.Data security is also a top priority for the 3D Point team. “Another key reason for using UltiMaker is the security certification ISO/IEC 27001 for its software, an internationally recognized standard for information security management. We prefer a closed system for IT data, which is essential for the protection of intellectual property. There are strict laws in place in The Netherlands as well as the European Union that prevent the misuse and mishandling of data. As a European company, UltiMaker takes the security of its customers’ data seriously. We feel better knowing that our and our customers’ data are protected with UltiMaker,” stated Stefan.Headquartered in The Netherlands, UltiMaker is in strict compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive privacy legislation that protects personal data and the movement of data for all European citizens, and the Dutch Personal Data Protection Act, which governs what may or may not be done with personal data.<h2>The future of the print farm</h2>3D Point is preparing to print metal on the UltiMaker printers. With requests for metal parts coming in, it has been something that Stefan has been working towards.“We have the knowledge of printing in-house, we have software and design expertise, we have material knowledge on the Ultrafuse 17-4 and 316L, we have a close relationship with a sinter and debinding company. And on top, we are investing in post-processing, such as polishing (diamant) and laser engraving. We are ready,” Stefan concluded.

3D Point, a 3D printing service bureau based right outside of Berlin, Germany, is fast becoming the go-to for many companies needing to produce parts in large volumes.

3D Printing Service Bureau Startup Keeps Customers Productivity High with UltiMaker 3D Printers

This article is written by Sahar Al Kamand at Hummink as part of the TechBlick series on additive electronics.&nbsp;The Motivation Behind HPCAPThe evolution of printing technologies has always been driven by an important factor: increasing precision while diversifying applications. To accomplish this, HPCAP (High Precision Capillary Printing) developed by Hummink emerges as a groundbreaking technology that leverages the power of capillary forces and resonance without the need for other external factors reaching high resolutions and expanding the applications.&nbsp;Introducing HPCAP&nbsp;Drawing inspiration from Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), HPCAP employs a macro-resonator as its primary sensing mechanism to provide feedback during contact and printing processes. What sets this technology apart is its exclusive reliance on capillary forces and resonance as the sole driving forces for printing, completely devoid of UV, laser, or pressure-based dispensing mechanisms. This mechanism employs a glass pipette, filled with various inks, as its printing tip. Its precise control mechanism and compatibility with a wide array of inks make it a promising solution for several high-resolution applications reaching as fine as 100 nanometers. In a way, it can be compared to the world's smallest fountain pen, enabling precision printing on a sub-micron scale.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY3MDgzNjg4LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNDU5MDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 690px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">How Does it Work?&nbsp;A macro-resonator (or tuning fork) oscillating at a resonance frequency of about 1 kHz is attached to a mechanical bridge. The oscillation is generated by a piezodither that excites the macro-resonator. The bridge, driven by a piezostage, allows the resonator to move with a 5 nm precision in Z axis (Z-fine). State-of-the-art electronics are used to control the resonance of the macro-resonator through three different parameters: the resonance phase, amplitude, and frequency. Any shift in these values can be controlled to achieve different printing features, indirectly modifying the print geometry (thickness, line width...). Amplitude can be adjusted between 5 nm and 100 nm, and any frequency shift of 100 mHz or more can be accurately detected. A glass pipette is attached to the extremity of the macro-resonator, and oscillates in phase with the latter. This pipette is made of a pulled glass capillary; and despite its fragility, the real-time detection of interaction between the substrate and the pipette avoids any uncontrolled damage to both the substrate and the pipette, while maintaining a high-quality dispensing mechanism. By controlling the pulling parameters (heat, force etc...), a wide range of pipette diameter can be achieved, from 100 nm to 50 μm. The pipette can be filled with various inks. Pipettes are typically filled with a few tens of microliters. Since the dispensed volume is in the nanoliter range (orders of magnitude lower than the pipette volume), a single pipette can print up to hundreds of kilometers, depending on the dispensing diameter.The figures below show that the first step of the HPCAP printing process is to approach the tip to the substrate surface. As the macro-resonator is oscillating at its proper resonance frequency, a slight change of a few hundreds of mHz can be observed once a small meniscus is formed between the ink inside the pipette and the substrate. The formed meniscus is stabilized by the macroresonator's oscillation, and this frequency shift is then locked by the electronic feedback loop. After this initial step, capillary printing can be achieved by moving the substrate in the XY axis. As the frequency shift value must remain constant, the Z-fine bridge will move the resonator (hence the pipette) in the Z direction to perfectly follow the topography of the substrate, while allowing continuous deposition. As explained earlier, the only driving force for printing is the capillary force and the resonance of the macro-resonator.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY3MjMxMDg2LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAyMDEyMTAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 737px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin</a><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699873715385-Screenshot+2023-11-13+120348.png" style="width: 704px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">HPCAP Stands Out:&nbsp;Unlike inkjet printing technologies, HPCAP is not a drop-on-demand technology. It ensures the continuous printing of any ink on any substrate, without the characteristic defects that can be observed with inkjet printing. Other technologies rely on electric field (EHD) or pressure (robocasting) as a driving force for printing. However, most of these technologies struggle with sub-micronic resolutions and precisions, as the required external energy for dispensing/extruding dramatically increases with smaller printing dimensions. This can be explained by the increased pressure drop as described by the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. For HPCAP technology, the ink is not pushed from the inside of the pipette, but rather pulled by the substrate from the outside, with the pressure drop governed by the Laplace- Young equation. Though both these equations are a simplification of the underlying mechanisms behind ink dispensing through narrow channels, they provide an understanding of the differences in required printing forces between pressure driven (where dp scales with 1/𝑅4) and capillarity (where dp scale with 1/𝑅 ). The strength of capillary forces at these resolutions allows HPCAP to dispense at submicronic resolutions and with high viscosity materials.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY3MzA0MDQxLVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAwNDkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 134px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Hagen-Poiseuille Equation. Where ∆𝑃 is the pressure drop, 𝜂 is the dynamic &nbsp; viscosity, L is the significant length of the channel, Q the volumetric flow rate, and R the pipette radius. &nbsp; &nbsp; <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY3NDEyMzAzLVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAxMDYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 99px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Laplace-Young Equation. where 𝛾 is the surface tension of the fluid, and R the pipette radius.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY3NDQ4Njg4LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAxNDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 685px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">HPCAP Applications:&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Since HPCAP does not need an external source of energy, it is thus unlike other additive manufacturing technologies that use laser or UV for instance not limited to photosensitive material. Polymers (PMMA, SU8, PVP, epoxy...), conductive inks (silver, copper, gold...), 2D materials (nanowires, graphene) with viscosities up to 100,000 cP have been successfully printed using HPCAP technology. With a few adjustments in rheological, capillary, and colloidal properties, any ink can be printed, and any material is potentially processable. This strong versatility allows HPCAP technology to address a broad range of applications where high precision and resolution are required.High resolution interconnects and repair for semiconductor and display applicationsOne of the major applications for HPCAP technology is the dispensing of conductive inks for complex and high- resolution interconnections. The figure below (a, b, and d) shows SEM images of printed examples for such applications. All results were obtained with Hummink manufactured silver ink. A and b in the figure show examples of printed lines used in the repair of open circuit defects in display and packaging and Image d in the figure demonstrates 3D packaging capabilities of HPCAP technology by printing high aspect ratio conductive pillars.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY4NzMwMTY4LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAyMTUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Printed BiosensorsFully printed biosensors have gained increasing attention for the past years because of their cost efficiency, design versatility, and possible enhanced performances. As a technology capable of depositing a wide range of active material, such as conductive inks or biomaterials, HPCAP has been used in collaboration with renown labs to demonstrate its ability to print fully functional biosensors. The figure below shows a functional biosensing device printed with HPCAP technology. Gap reduction between electrodes has been a major challenge for fully printed electrodes. It has several positive impacts :<ul><li>It increases the field effect, hence improving the sensitivity of the biosensors</li><li>at comparable field effect and sensitivity, it reduces the energy consumption of biosensors</li><li>with adjusted geometries, selectivity of the biosensors can also be adjusted</li></ul><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY5MDUxOTc3LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAyMzgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 721px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY5MDkxNTE2LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAyMDEzMzgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin</a> Watchmaking&nbsp;Luxury watchmaking predominantly revolves around the production of high-quality, upscale products. The dials of these watches, which are often the centerpieces of their design, are meticulously crafted using expensive, delicate, and fragile materials. The intricate topography of watch dials, as depicted in Figure below has posed challenges for traditional inkjet printing techniques, preventing them from achieving the desired high-resolution decorations. Additionally, newer printing technologies that rely on external energy sources have often been too aggressive, posing significant risks to these delicate substrates.However, as discussed in the prior section, the innovative HPCAP technology offers a solution. It incorporates real- time detection of the interaction between the pipette and the substrate, ensuring no harm comes to the latter. Notably, HPCAP's capabilities extend beyond mere decoration. It can dispense a variety of inks—from precious metals and quantum dots for ornamental purposes to functional materials like resins and glues. Given these attributes, HPCAP is being closely examined as a viable technology for both functionalizing and personalizing watch dials.&nbsp; <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY5MTQyOTM4LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAxNTAyNTkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 684px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Conclusion: &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;HPCAP technology stands out in the landscape of printing technologies, offering a unique approach that shuns conventional energy sources, relying solely on capillary forces and resonance. Its incredible precision is exemplified by its ability to navigate the Z-axis with a 5 nm accuracy. The versatility of HPCAP is evident in its compatibility with numerous inks, irrespective of their viscosity. This versatility offers a broad spectrum of applications, from the high-stakes realm of semiconductor repair to the intricate world of watchmaking and decoration. As industries continue to demand higher precision and versatility in printing, HPCAP provides a forward-looking solution that is poised to redefine the standards of the printing world.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzY5MjAwNzk4LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0xMS0wNiAyMDEyMTAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 701px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin</a> This article originally appeared <a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/introduction-to-high-precision-capillary-printing-hpcap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>

This article discusses how HPCAP technology - inspired by AFM technology and capillary motion- enables additive and digital manufacturing of electronics with unprecedent resolution for application in semiconductor packaging, printed electronics, AR/VR, microLEDs, and beyond. 

HPCAP - combining AFM and capillary technology to push additive electronics to submicron resolution

When 3D printed parts are used in any application, their failure can result in dangerous situations. If a part isn't durable, it might break under pressure, resulting in equipment malfunction or even injuries. Testing is crucial for manufacturers to determine the suitability of different materials for their specific applications. By subjecting the components printed by the Sintratec S2 to rigorous testing, Sintratec can identify their strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that only durable and high-quality 3D-printed parts are released to the market.&nbsp;This article explores the robust testing processes and the impressive resilience displayed by the Sintratec S2 components, which highlights the company's unwavering commitment to delivering superior quality products.<h2>Testing 3D prints</h2>Sintratec, a Swiss startup specializing in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printers, has shared the process of testing their new machine, the Sintratec S2. The test demonstrates the strength of Sintratec's PA12 powder and the efficiency of the Sintratec S2 machine in producing durable prints. This article explores the rigorous testing processes and the resilience of components printed by the Sintratec S2.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk2MjcxNTg2Mzc3LVNpbnRyYXRlYy1TMi1Gcm9udC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=" Sintratec S2">&nbsp;The Sintratec S2 3D printer.&nbsp;In the comprehensive video produced by Sinatrec, we see Andi, a lead engineer at Sintratec, demonstrating the strength and durability of the parts produced by this new machine. The project involves designing a functional electric ducted fan (EDF) driven by an 800-watt RC brushless in-runner motor to see how much power the part could handle without being damaged.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BYieQ-PVlQs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-10="true" id="743390312" title="3D printed Electric Ducted Fan TESTED – How strong is SLS?! (EDF Turbine Test)" data-gtm-yt-inspected-24="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>Once the design was completed, the part was printed using <a href="https://sintratec.com/3d-printing-materials/sintratec-pa12-powder/" target="_blank" style="border: 5px solid orange;">Sintratec's strong PA12 material (EXTERNAL)</a>. The next step involved balancing the fan with lead balls around the rotation axis to prepare it for testing 3D prints (BAD). The EDF was then tied to a metal cord, mounted on a rail, and clamped to a table for the testing phase. With proper safety measures in place, the engine was started, and the speed was increased gradually.However, the test was aborted at around a quarter to full speed due to concerns about powder emission from the front. Upon investigation, it was found that this resulted from a <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/7-design-tips-for-structural-optimization-lightweighting" target="_blank" style="border: 5px solid green;">design flaw (GOOD)</a> where a small inner area was not closed. The initial prototype had a hollow shell, which made the EDF too soft and pliable. The interior walls were reinforced with additional structures to address this, and the part was printed again.<h2 dir="ltr">Testing round two</h2>In the subsequent test, the EDF was fixed onto a more stable workbench, and the power was increased once again. Although an imbalance in the spinner was noticed, it was removed, and the test continued. Smoke was added to visualize the airflow, and the peak power reached about 1,400 watts, a result considered impressive, especially given the motor's nominal power of 800 watts. The EDF sustained the test without any damage, showcasing the strength of Sintratec's PA12 powder and the efficiency of the Sintratec S2 machine in producing durable prints.<h2 dir="ltr">End Thoughts</h2>Testing the durability of 3D printed parts is crucial for multiple reasons such as safety, material understanding, quality control, design optimization, regulatory compliance etc. Moreover, the durability of 3D-printed parts enhances the reputation of the products or services they're associated with.&nbsp;The commendable performance of the Sintratec S2 system in the tests highlights Sintratec's commitment to giving customers the best and most reliable products, reaffirming its reputation in the world of 3D printing technology.&nbsp;<a href="https://sintratec.com/sls-3d-printer/amp/sintratec-s2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 5px solid orange;">Learn more about Sintratec here. (EXTERNAL)</a>

Aircraft turbine wheel printed on metal 3D printer.

Sintratec, a Swiss startup specializing in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printers, is in the process of testing their new machine, the Sintratec S2.  