Home Manufactur 3D printing industry news sliced: Meltio, Evonik, ORNL, Roboze, Anisoprint, 9T Labs...

3D printing industry news sliced: Meltio, Evonik, ORNL, Roboze, Anisoprint, 9T Labs and more

In this edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, we cover the latest business developments, partnerships, and acquisitions in the additive manufacturing sector.

Today’s edition features new 3D printing partnerships, business updates, new additive manufacturing materials, additive manufacturing conference launches and a museum 3D printing customizable ‘humanoid’ robots.

Read on for the most recent updates from 3DGence, the European Space Agency (ESA), EWF, ASME, REFORM, Asiga, BEEVERYCREATIVE, and more.

Asia Research Hub in Singapore is Evonik’s innovation hub for new ready-to-use photopolymers which are perfectly suitable for Asiga’s open source DLP 3D printers. Photo via Evonik.
Asia Research Hub in Singapore is Evonik’s innovation hub for new ready-to-use photopolymers which are perfectly suitable for Asiga’s open source DLP 3D printers. Photo via Evonik.

New 3D printing partnerships from Evonik, Roboze, Meltio and Reform

Kicking off this week’s partnership news is German chemicals firm Evonik, which has teamed up with 3D printer manufacturer Asiga to further drive photopolymer-based 3D printing towards large-scale industrial manufacturing. The partnership will see the firms combine Evonik’s INFINAM photopolymer materials with Asiga’s open material architecture DLP 3D printers.

“The cooperation with Asiga, once again, confirms the growth approach we are focusing on with our new product line of INFINAM photopolymer resins launched last year,” said Rainer Hahn, Head of Evonik’s photopolymer market segment. “We are sending an important signal to our customers who will now benefit from an even broader access to our high-performance materials with excellent processability properties on Asiga’s DLP 3D printers to explore new infinite applications.”

Industrial-grade 3D printer manufacturer Roboze, meanwhile, has received investment from former Formula E world champion racing driver Lucas Di Grassi who joins the firm’s investor team in order to bring sustainable and smart production models to market. 

“My long-term vision is to create a better world using cutting-edge technologies,” said Di Grassi. “In Roboze I have recognized a 3D printing technology with a completely revolutionary approach to its production and its effects on our planet.

“A delocalized production, guided by solutions specifically designed to rethink how objects are produced today in a more sustainable way.”

Elsewhere, 3D printer OEM Meltio and has announced 3D printing service provider Sitres Latam as its official sales partner for the Mexican market. Sites Latam is tasked with building a supportive ecosystem for Meltio’s technology in the territory and driving business opportunities and partnerships with technology centers, tooling machine firms, robotics integrators, and academic institutions in the region.

Specialist vehicle manufacturer REFORM has employed the additive manufacturing capabilities of 3D printing service provider Prirevo to aid the development of its vehicles for year-round use in mountain, agriculture and municipal areas. Prirevo is helping REFORM to rapidly and flexibly produce prototype vehicle parts during its product development stage, such as interiors, trim parts, roofs, fenders, and bonnets. 

One of REFORM's specialist vehicles for use in mountain, agriculture and municipal areas. Photo via REFORM.
One of REFORM’s specialist vehicles for use in mountain, agriculture and municipal areas. Photo via REFORM.

3D printer updates from ORNL, ESA and 3DGence

Moving onto business news, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has installed an ElemX metal 3D printer from US printer and photocopier manufacturer Xerox. Installed at the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, the printer will enable ORNL and Xerox to cooperate on advancing the latter’s liquid metal additive manufacturing technology for high-volume applications in sectors such as automotive.

The ESA has announced the completion of a novel 3D printer as part of its IMPERIAL project, which is specifically geared to help increase the autonomy and sustainability of future long-duration space missions. The 3D printer is reportedly capable of printing parts much larger than itself and is built to operate in weightlessness, meaning it can work upside down on Earth.

The project was undertaken for ESA by a consortium led by OHB System and involving Azimut Space, Athlone Institute of Technology, and BEEVERYCREATIVE. Now that the prototype printer has been completed, the next step is to test the machine in orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). 

“The FFF with high performance polymers has been already demonstrated to be unimpacted by a reduced gravity environment, paving the way for new challenges such as the possibility to print unlimited parts in one direction or else exploit batch production,” said Antonella Sgambati, Project Manager at OHB System.

“In the frame of the project, new technological gaps have been identified and covered by development and prototyping testing at BEEVERYCREATIVE which led to this unique achievement, bringing out-of-Earth manufacturing one step closer.”

Industrial 3D printer manufacturer 3DGence has launched its own new metal FFF industrial 3D printer series, premiered at Formnext 2021. The ELEMENT series features two machines, the MP260 and MP350, to provide a compact and mid-sized offering to the metal additive manufacturing market. 

The MP260 is designed to be a compact, cost-effective prototyping printer for metal injection molding (MIM) companies, while the MP350 is a mid-sized industrial system comprising a printer, debinder, and sintering station. 

Xerox ElemX liquid metal 3D printer. Photo via Xerox.
Xerox ElemX liquid metal 3D printer. Photo via Xerox.

New PETG materials from Anisoprint

Anisoprint, a manufacturer of continuous fiber 3D printing systems, has launched two new PETG filaments for use with its Composer A4 and A3 desktop composite 3D printing systems. Available immediately, the Clear PETG and CFC PETG are said to offer good flowing properties for easier printing, offer natural good adhesion to reinforcing fibers, and allow printing in very thin layers with decent surface quality and geometric accuracy.

The PETG materials also exhibit high mechanical properties, good durability, a low absorption rate, and are resistant to fats and mineral acids.

Anisoprint's new CFC PETG filament. Image via Anisoprint.
Anisoprint’s new CFC PETG filament. Image via Anisoprint.

EWF and ASME launch new AM conference

The European Welding Federation (EWF) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have come together to launch a new event for the 3D printing industry, the 1st Annual International Additive Manufacturing Conference. Taking place 19-20th October 2022, the conference will be integrated into EWF’s 30th anniversary celebrations and will focus on emphasizing innovative developments in 3D printing and the technology’s industrialization.

The conference will deliver technical presentations from government, academia, and industry alongside expert panelists and invited speakers. Dominating the program will be polymers, ceramics, metals, and emerging technologies. 

The 1st Annual International Additive Manufacturing Conference will take place 19-20th October 2022. Image via EWF.
The 1st Annual International Additive Manufacturing Conference will take place 19-20th October 2022. Image via EWF.

9T Labs awarded Red Dot Design Award 2022

Swiss carbon fiber 3D printing specialist 9T Labs has been awarded a prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2022 for its Red Series Build and Fusion 3D printing platform. The Red Series has been recognized as a top performer in outstanding design and functionality within this year’s Product Design category.

9T Labs shares the award with its design partner in the development of the system, Meyer-Hayoz Design Engineering.

“We are delighted the ideas that went into the design of the Red Series have been recognized for their significant impact in the global market space,” said Founder Wolfgang Meyer-Hayoz.

“We congratulate 9T Labs on this great accomplishment and look forward to its future projects.”

Customizable humanoid robots give visitors goosebumps

Rounding off this week’s news updates is a rather science fiction-esque development from China’s EX Future Science and Technology Museum, which is using 3D scanning and printing to create lifelike human robots complete with veins and goosebumps.

As shown in the video below, the museum can scan an individual’s facial features and limbs before 3D printing them to form a customized “humanoid” robot that the individual can control through a wearable glove. The robots are made to look as lifelike as possible, down to their veins and the lines on their palms. 

Giving off serious Surrogates vibes, the museum also features robots modeled on Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs.

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Featured image shows one of REFORM’s specialist vehicles with the sliced logo.

3D printing industry news sliced: Meltio, Evonik, ORNL, Roboze, Anisoprint, 9T Labs and more