Additive Manufacturing – Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control

BLT 2024: Pushing the Boundaries of Metal Additive Manufacturing with Cutting-Edge Technology and Innovation

tzenlong — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 21:15:43 +0000

In 2024, Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) has further cemented its reputation as a prominent player in metal additive manufacturing, driving innovation and setting high standards in technology, quality, and performance. This milestone year has seen major enhancements to its equipment portfolio, remarkable breakthroughs in precision and efficiency, and significant contributions across industries such as aerospace, automotive, mold, robotics, consumer electronics, and academic research. These achievements underscore BLT’s strong capabilities in serial production, reinforcing its position as a trusted industry innovator.

Next-Generation Printing Systems: Enhanced Efficiency and Scalability

BLT has introduced major upgrades to its PBF-LB/M systems, emphasizing efficiency, reliability, and eco-consciousness. The BLT-S600 series, refined over eight years of development, now boasts a build dimension of 650mm × 650mm × 850mm, making it ideal for producing mid-sized parts and large, complex components. Innovations like the integrated build cylinder, intelligent quality detection systems, and a gas- and powder-saving circulation system ensure reliable, sustainable, and safe production.

Similarly, the BLT-S450 underwent a transformative upgrade, showcasing remarkable performance in aerospace, mold, and automotive industries. With a build dimension of 450mm × 450mm × 500mm and multi-laser configurations ranging from 4 to 8 lasers, the system enhances productivity while maintaining precision. The addition of long-life filters and automated powder circulation further cements its reputation as a cost-effective solution for industrial-scale manufacturing.

Pioneering Precision and Efficiency in Metal Additive Manufacturing

BLT has made groundbreaking progress in ultra-high-precision metal printing and thick-layer printing solutions, addressing the industry’s growing demand for intricate components and faster production cycles. The advanced PBF-LB/M technology achieves surface roughness of Ra 2-3μm and dimensional accuracy within 0.05mm, catering to applications requiring exceptional detail.

Meanwhile, BLT’s thick-layer printing technology—capable of layer thicknesses up to 150μm—delivers unparalleled efficiency, enabling high-quality serial production at significantly reduced costs.

Additionally, BLT has further refined its variable layer thickness printing technology, offering flexible layer thicknesses of 30μm, 80μm, 120μm, and 150μm depending on the specific characteristics of each part, delivering excellent forming quality and exceptional performance.

Advancing Innovation in Aerospace, Automotive, Robotics, and More

BLT’s expertise extends to diverse industries, including aerospace, medical devices, automotive components, robotics manufacturing, and heat exchanger solutions.

BLT has been a trusted partner in aerospace innovation, producing critical components for commercial rockets and satellites. Highlights include contributions to Orienspace’s “Gravity-1” commercial carrier rocket and Land Space’s ZQ-3 vertical takeoff and landing test. Additionally, BLT played an important role in the successful launch of the SmartSat-2A satellite, manufacturing large-scale parts using BLT-S1000 systems. These achievements underscore BLT’s expertise in delivering high-performance materials and optimized manufacturing processes for aerospace applications.

BLT has optimized various automotive components, including rear subframes, steering knuckles, and battery housings, reducing production time while ensuring consistent, high-quality parts that enhance production efficiency. For heat exchangers, BLT introduced three new aluminum alloy models with optimized designs, achieving a 30% increase in efficiency and meeting growing demands for energy-efficient solutions.

In the robotics sector, BLT has harnessed the transformative power of additive manufacturing to redefine the design and production of robotic components. By employing topology optimization and multi-scale configurations, BLT’s PBF-LB/M technology integrates multiple parts into single units, enhancing functionality, reducing weight, and simplifying assembly. Key applications in humanoid robots demonstrate the potential for mass production and the acceleration of next-generation robotics technologies.

BLT’s commitment to innovation is also reflected in its partnerships with universities and research institutions. The company’s systems and materials have facilitated internationally recognized breakthroughs, including studies on biomaterials for bone tissue repair, high-strength steel for cryogenic applications, and degradable porous scaffolds for large-scale bone defect treatments. Notably, a publication in Nature highlighted the exceptional fatigue resistance of titanium alloys produced using BLT equipment, supporting research on near-void-free 3D printing technology and expanding their potential in aerospace and other critical industries.

Advancing Industry Standards in Quality and Digital Manufacturing

Quality assurance remains at the heart of BLT’s innovations. The company’s enhanced quality monitoring systems integrate intelligent tools for pre-build and in-process stages, ensuring traceability and reliability. Features such as powder bed detection, defect detection platforms, and precise laser alignment have redefined industry standards.

Complementing these advancements is the upgraded BLT-MES system, a digital manufacturing solution that bridges planning and execution. With real-time data collection, production monitoring, and intelligent resource management, the system optimizes production cycles, supporting the era of mass production in metal additive manufacturing.

Expanding Global Reach and Showcasing Excellence at Industry Events

In 2024, BLT strengthened its global presence by partnering with key players across Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond. BLT has forged deep partnerships with Lincsolution in Korea and Orix in Japan, working closely to deliver high-quality metal additive manufacturing solutions and drive technology adoption, including the launch of the ‘Tokyo 3D Lab’ showcasing multi-industry parts produced with BLT’s PBF-LB/M systems, while strategic partnerships in Europe and Africa expanded access to our technologies. In aerospace, BLT’s successful work package with Airbus Atlantic on the A320 O-Ring reinforced our expertise in high-performance, mass-production solutions. At major global industry events, from the US to Germany, South Korea, Japan, and beyond, BLT showcased innovations in automated metal 3D printing, advanced software, and real-world applications across sectors like aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics. These efforts highlight our commitment to pushing the boundaries of metal additive manufacturing and creating value for our partners worldwide.

Shaping the Future of Additive Manufacturing

As we step into 2025, BLT celebrates a year of remarkable achievements that have redefined the possibilities of metal additive manufacturing. From cutting-edge systems and materials to groundbreaking applications across industries, BLT continues to lead innovation, delivering customized solutions that empower partners and shape the future of manufacturing. BLT looks forward to collaborating with industry leaders across various fields to drive progress and create new opportunities together.

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Additive manufactured parts improve the overall performance of semiconductor manufacturing machines

tzenlong — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:10:51 +0000

The additive manufacturing (AM) technology of TRUMPF makes semiconductor manufacturing systems more precise and efficient. “Semiconductor manufacturers can reduce scrap and cut costs with AM technology. The innovative approach of using additive manufactured parts enhances the functionality and precision of semiconductor manufacturing machines and paves the way for more efficient production processes”, said Marco Andreetta, responsible for the semicon industry at TRUMPF. The chip industry requires machines that work with optimal precision and repeatability with performance specifications in the nanometer range. The smallest of deviations can lead to defective chips, i.e. expensive scrap. At Formnext, the leading trade show for additive manufacturing, held in Frankfurt, the high-tech company TRUMPF showcased additive manufactured sample parts for the semicon industry, such as manifolds used in water and gas lines of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Semicon industry reaps benefits from AM technology

The complex machines in the semiconductor industry depend on the precision of each individual component. Fluid and gas manifolds are examples of this fact. Because of their design, the traditional manufacture of complex fluid manifolds resulted in large, heavy parts that have abrupt fluid flow and stagnant zones and could be prone to leakage. The resulting pressure drops and flow-induced vibration have a negative influence on the semiconductor capital equipment. “With AM technology, suppliers of semicon capital equipment can avoid the traditional complex manufacturing assembly and consolidate several parts into one, improving yield and reliability”, said Andreetta. The optimization of the manifolds leads to more efficient and robust components, ultimately improving the overall performance of semiconductor manufacturing machines. AM technology of TRUMPF enables the production of components for semicon machines with enhanced stiffness and reduced weight, crucial for the high-performance demands of semiconductor manufacturing. AM-manufactured fluid manifolds have fewer pressure drops, mechanical disturbances and lower flow-induced vibration. The geometrical freedom of AM can help reduce possible leakage points and increase part performance and reliability.

Semicon industry can rely on TRUMPF AM technology

The quality required for parts used in semiconductor manufacturing machines is unparalleled, and a challenge for any manufacturing technology. With its monitoring solution for 3D printing, TRUMPF makes it possible to fulfill these requirements with automatic multi-laser alignment (AMA) and melt pool monitoring. AMA offers TruPrint users fully automated online monitoring and correction of the positioning of the laser beam paths in relation to each other – accurate down to a few micrometers. TRUMPF premiered the second release of the AMA system at Formnext 2024, which enables faster acquisition and finer correction. The patented system visually acquires the position of master and slave and corrects the second one. The procedure is performed between the production of individual layers, with an interval set by the user. TRUMPF technology also monitors the melt pool live during the printing process. “This not only ensures quality, but also potentially reduces costs,” said Andreetta. That is possible because live monitoring of the melt pool during the manufacturing process could reduce expensive non-destructive tests (NDT) such as a computer tomography (CT) scan of the component after production.

Additive manufactured manifold

The AM technology of TRUMPF enables the production of components for semicon machines with enhanced stiffness and reduced weight. (Image: TRUMPF)

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Hexagon acquires inspection and 3D modelling software capabilities from 3D System

Admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:40:18 +0000

Hexagon today announced the acquisition of 3D Systems’ Geomagic suite of interoperable software packages, which are used to create high quality 3D models from multiple sources, including laser scanning.

The Geomagic suite, which includes products such as Design X, Control X, Freeform and Wrap, is capable of automating the processing of 3D scan data to build digital models from physical objects, which can then be used to generate history based parametric CAD models for use in product manufacturing. The Geomagic software tools can also be used to undertake initial free-form design, modify existing CAD models and to accurately measure and inspect parts for quality control purposes when finished. The acquired capabilities will strengthen the existing software portfolio of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and combine with its leadership in portable metrology sensors to deliver a sophisticated suite of solutions across the full range of manufacturing applications.

“The combination of Geomagic and our existing solutions will further strengthen our market leadership in 3D metrology and reengineering, demonstrating our commitment to deliver increasingly user friendly tools capable of executing complex tasks, so our customers can bring innovative, high quality products to the market at speed and with confidence. We look forward to welcoming the Geomagic team to Hexagon.” said Norbert Hanke, interim President and CEO.

Hexagon will pay a purchase price of $123M for the Geomagic software business, on a cash and debt free basis. In 2023, the acquired software business had around 100 employees, generated revenues of around $30M and delivered operating margins accretive to those of the Manufacturing Intelligence division. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, which are expected to be fully completed by early in the second quarter of 2025.

For further information, please contact: Tom Hull, Head of Investor Relations, Hexagon AB, +44 7442 678 437, ir@hexagon.com

Anton Heikenström, Investor Relations Manager, Hexagon AB, +46 8 601 26 26, ir@hexagon.com

Hexagon is the global leader in precision technologies at any scale. Our digital twins, robotics and AI solutions are transforming the industries that shape our reality.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 24,500 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 5.4bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.

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Bioprinting Adoption To Propel Additive Manufacturing Market

Christellee — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 03:39:56 +0000

Increased demand for personalised and customised medical solutions like bioprinting is driving the 3D printing medical devices sector to rise by US$7.07 billion until 2028 at a CAGR of approximately 25.2%.

Source: Manufacturing Asia

“The potential applications of 3D printing in medicine are vast, from surgical planning and dental restoration to remote patient monitoring and telemedicine,” according to Technavio, quoted by Manufacturing Asia revealed. Meanwhile, a trend towards the field of bioprinting serves as another growth factor.

Additionally, findings from MarketsandMarkets Research revealed the global 3D printing bioprinting market vlued at US$1.3 billion in 2024, is expected to reach US$2.4 billion in 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7%. This growth is driven by advancements in 3D bioprinting technology, increased public-private partnerships, and its integration into pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Key market drivers include adopting 3D bioprinting for precise tissue and organ fabrication, facilitating drug testing and personalised medicine. Opportunities lie in the rising demand for organ transplants, while biocompatibility issues and stringent sterilisation protocols present challenges.

Unlike traditional 3D printers that use plastics or metals, bioprinters utilise a computer-guided pipette to deposit living cells, known as “bioink,” to produce artificial living tissues. This capability has notable implications for organ replacement, potentially addressing donor shortages and reducing rejection risks by creating organs fit for specific needs.

Moreover, the market is also witnessing advances in other areas, including prosthetics, implants, and surgical equipment. Solutions such as stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing are widely used in the production of customised medical devices, including orthopaedic implants and wearable medical devices.

Furthermore, the fields of dentistry and orthodontics benefit from 3D printing, which can be utilised for dentures, bone scaffolds, and hearing aids.

“Complex medical procedures, such as implantable and non-implantable medical devices, drug testing, and organ and tissue production, are also being revolutionised by this technology,” the report added.

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3D Printing Quickens Craniomaxillofacial Tumour Surgery

Christellee — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 01:49:01 +0000

3D printing transforms reconstructive operations and significantly reduces surgery time, Stratasys Ltd demonstrates how.

3D printing solutions by Stratasys Ltd used by the University Hospital Birmingham in England is delivering improved outcomes for head and neck cancer patients, with the institute reporting reduced surgery times by up to three hours through the use of tailored, 3D printed cutting guides.

This 3D printing success is attributed to the integration of a Stratasys J5 MediJet 3D printer that enables the hospital to create highly accurate, patient-specific cutting guides ahead of operations, transforming the way tumors are removed from head and neck cancer patients. Previously, these would have been created by cutting and bending a piece of metal by hand while the patient was on the operating table, resulting in a time-consuming process with a large margin for error.

Surgical Precision With 3D Printing Technology

Using 3D printing, the surgical team can now produce highly accurate devices using patient scans, with a resolution of within 150 microns, helping to support surgical outcomes. These are produced in Biocompatible Clear MED610; a rigid, transparent resin suitable for applications requiring long-term contact (more than 30 days) with intact skin and limited contact (up to 24 hours) with tissue, bone or mucosal membranes.

Read more here at page 46

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Additive Manufacturing Saved Teenager With Bone Cancer

Christellee — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 07:37:17 +0000

The successful operation to remove a 2kg cancerous tumour took place in Vinmec International Hospital in Vietnam, lasting 8 hours, presided by a team of 30 medical professionals.

Typically, when cancer tumours are in complicated areas, patients are often at high risk of death during surgery, even in advanced nations. In this case, the large tumour was found to be in the patient’s pelvic floor.

Vietnam encounters only between five and ten similar cases each year — accounting for 5% of bone cancer cases. The patient suffered numbness in the pelvic area, limiting his movement and gait. Several consultations with doctors concluded with prognosis of mild soft tissue injuries incurred from playing sports, despite the huge protrusion.

Image credit – Vinmec International Hospital

Vinmec’s medical experts realised the cancerous tumour is supplied by a large and complex vascular system, resulting in possible loss of up to 10 litres of blood during surgery. On the other hand, the tumour’s compression on vital organs such as the digestive system, urinary system, spine, pelvis, and blood vessels was a challenge to approach.

In a case of hemorrhage, it would lead to an uncontrollable situation without clearly revealing the tumour and related parts. However, without surgery, the patient would face the risk of left leg muscle atrophy, and eventually death.

Additive Manufacturing — Prelude To Procedure

The technology greatly help the medical team plan the procedure by printing the tumour, consequently, providing a visual and accurate assessment of shape, volume, and correlation with vital organs. Based on that, doctors could plan the operative approach and minimise complications.

3D-printed tumor model with a 1:1 ratio to help doctors plan precise surgery

Prior to the surgery, the radiologists embolised large blood vessels of the tumor to minimise blood loss during surgery. The next day, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and urologists participated in the initial phase of surgery. Cardiologists exposed and controlled the iliac artery, and may perform ligation when bleeding is severe. The urologist then released the bladder and ureters from the tumor, and the gastroenterologist performed a dissection to protect the digestive tract.

Orthopedic experts removed the tumour through two incisions in the abdomen and behind the thigh. During the major surgery, the team of anesthesiologists continuously monitored and adjusted to maintain a stable state and minimise post-operative complications simultaneously. The team that participated in this major procedure comprised over 30 medical professionals. The process took 8 hours.

The patient resumed normal activities after three days and was discharged a week after. However, he was advised to wait for the pathology results is necessary to consider radiotherapy, but it is only an additional method. In this case, successful surgery is the best treatment for cancer.

Currently, there are few centers in the world applying 3D printing technology to disease models for preoperative planning of complex cases. Vinmec is the first and only unit to carry this technology in Vietnam. Presently, 100% of bone, joint, and cancer surgeries at Vinmec are performed in the same process: a virtual surgery (on the software), an experimental surgery (on the model), and then an actual surgery (on the patient).

Prof. Ph.D. Dr. Tran Trung Dung – Director of the Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Vinmec International Hospital

Prof. Ph.D. Dr. Tran Trung Dung – Director of the Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Vinmec International Hospital said: “The giant bone tumour in the pelvis (like a pregnant woman) compressed the left sciatic nerve, causing numbness and left leg atrophy. Untimely treatment leads to loss of function in the left leg, and is even life-threatening.

”Due to the increased size of the tumour, it would compress and cause blockage in the digestive or urinary system. Therefore, it is necessary to remove early to help restore limb function and avoid distant complications of the digestive and urinary systems.”

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Mastercam Announces New Add-On for Additive Manufacturing

Christellee — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:38 +0000

Mastercam announced a new Add-On product, Mastercam APlus by CAMufacturing Solutions, designed for additive manufacturing. APlus can be used with Mastercam Mill, Lathe, or Router licenses.

Mastercam, announced a new Add-On product, Mastercam APlus® by CAMufacturing Solutions, designed for additive manufacturing. APlus can be used with Mastercam Mill, Lathe, or Router licenses.

Using the same interface Mastercam users are familiar with, APlus customers can program, backplot, and simulate their 3D printing scenarios just like they would with traditional toolpaths in Mastercam. APlus uses Direct Energy Deposition (DED) and has toolpaths developed specifically to handle any geometry in Additive Manufacturing (AM), as well as features and utilities designed to remove uncertainty out of the process and to improve efficiency.

Hybrid manufacturing provides users with the versatility to build parts from scratch, add features to an existing part, or to repair a worn or damaged part. APlus integrates seamlessly with Mastercam to allow users to generate Additive Manufacturing toolpaths, as well as visualise the additive and machining outcome.

Kenneth Fortier, Technical Product Manager, Mastercam says “APlus brings Additive Manufacturing to the Mastercam user in a form that is consistent with the workflow used for over 40 years. Direct Energy Deposition is making its way into many machine shops and being able to program hybrid machines or dedicated additive machines using Mastercam makes the transition seamless. With the hybrid process of alternating adding material and milling allows parts with internally machined features to be created that would have been impossible without additive.”

Since Additive Manufacturing is not simply reversing machining toolpaths, all features and toolpaths are designed and developed to ensure users experience efficient and practical results for the additive and hybrid manufacturing process. A great application for using APlus is for blade repairs where the tips of individual blades are showing wear.

To repair the part, the user machines off the worn tips using a suitable toolpath in Mastercam. Using APlus, you can 3D print or deposit material onto the machined surfaces to near net shape.

Finally, you machine the printed sections to the desired specifications. This process can dramatically lower costs when compared to buying or machining a new blade, or even stocking spare parts.

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3D Smart Solutions Largest 3D factory In Vietnam Commences Operation

Christellee — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 06:02:53 +0000

After nearly one year of construction, installation and acceptance according to international standards, the 3D factory of 3D Smart Solutions Company (also known as 3DS) has been put into operation at address 58/6 Vo Van Hat, Long Truong Ward, Thu Duc City (aka District 9), Ho Chi Minh City.

3DS’s 3D factory has all 9 specialised functional subdivisions for a large-scale professional 3D printing factory. Specifically, there is a display area for 3D solutions, training room, 3D printing workshop – including 3 technologies: FDM, SLA, SLS, 3D scanning workshop, industrial design room, workplace, commercial warehouse, canteen and entertainment area.

In terms of machinery infrastructure, the new factory of 3D Smart Solutions has a total of 4 units of industrial 3D printers, 10 units of professional 3D printers, 2 units of industrial 3D scanners, 4 units of handheld 3D scanners and systems including CNC machining. This chain of modern machinery and equipment is imported by the company from major brands in the world such as Formlabs (USA), Eplus 3D (China), Cubicon (Korea), Shining 3D (China). ), HAAS (USA).

Besides 3D machinery and equipment, 3DS company invests in using copyrighted software such as CAD software – Solid Edge, design software for 3D printing – VoxelDance. With the system operated and controlled semi-automatically by information technology built by the company’s IT team, the output capacity of additive manufacturing reaches 250kg/month for raw production, 100kg for fine production.

In addition, the capacity of 3D inspection (3D Inspection) reaches a capacity of 3000 finished products per month and meets 2 monthly product design contracts. 3D Smart Solutions said that this factory can serve many needs in many industry groups such as: Supporting industries – B2B outsourcing (small batch production, prototyping, advertising, new product designs… ); Medical (Design and manufacture of therapeutic aids – such as for orthopedic trauma treatment, 3D printing of surgical guide troughs in dentistry; Education (production of learning models – STEM, training) creating human resources in the field of 3D technology; Architecture (Satellite processing, miniature architectural models, design and production of concrete molds with complex profiles; Fashion (Full body scanning in the modern garment industry) ); Cinema (Design and production of tools, film props).

Currently, 3D Smart Solutions 3D printers use a variety of materials for their production processes, from filament (ABS, PLA, PEEK, PA12-CF), Resin (Tough 1500, Tough 2000, Rigid 4000) , Castable wax…).

In addition, 3D Smart Solutions is also gradually applying artificial intelligence in some processes, while complying with very strict production standards to achieve high efficiency and capacity for this line.

Specifically, in addition to the temperature and humidity for the machinery system, the preservation stage, etc., the operating process is standardised from research, analysis, 3D design, test manufacturing or mass production (small scale) to packaging and delivery all meet the strict requirements of this industry.

3D Smart Solutions’ 3D factory operation team is also selected, trained and certified by 3DS by international firms.

Investing and putting into operation the largest 3D factory in Vietnam is a step forward in the company’s plan from the beginning.

Specifically, at the end of 2021, 3DS launched the 3Dmanufacturer online 3D printing ordering platform; Automate from quotation, online ordering, payment confirmation and production deployment. This is also the difference of 3DS compared to most other businesses that will build factories first and then automate the process.

Sharing about this big milestone, Mr. Truong Tan Tong – Founder and General Director of 3D Smart Solutions said: “With all enthusiasm and effort, from a simple 3D Technology Service Center 14 years ago, 3D Smart Solutions Brand was born and raised. Until today, 3DS we are proud to be in the Top 123 enterprises with typical products and services of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City for two consecutive years: 2019 and 2021, organized by the HCM City Business Association. In addition, 3DS also won the SME100 Fast Moving Companies Awards. This is considered the leading regional award for small and medium enterprises that has been held in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and held in Vietnam in 2020.

“With our current facilities and technical team, we are very pleased. 3D Smart Solutions confidently commits to professionalism in consulting, providing and technology transfer of 3D solution packages in Vietnam and conquers the goal of becoming the leading 3D printing factory in Southeast Asia and the dream. IPO in the next 5-7 years. In line with the company’s slogan: Be Right The First Time – Do Right The First Time”, emphasised Mr. Tong.

3D Smart Solutions (3DS) started its operations in 2009 with the name 3D Technology Service Center and so far has become the exclusive partner and distributor of American technology brands, Italy, Germany, Israel, Japan, etc. In 2019, 3D Smart Solutions 3DS was also honored to receive the title of “Top 108 typical enterprises, products and services in Ho Chi Minh City.

HCM” voted by HUBA. 3DS also won the SME100 Fast Moving Companies Awards – a leading regional award for small and medium-sized businesses that was held in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and held in Vietnam 2020.

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EMO 2023: Trumpf Opens Up New Applications And Reduces Waste

Christellee — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:35 +0000

New software for TRUMPF 3D printers eliminates the need for almost all support structures. Users such as toolcraft cut down material usage and reduce part costs.

High-tech company TRUMPF recently made improvements to its 3D printing software TruTops Print. Users can now print parts with extreme overhang angles as low as 15 degrees without requiring support structures.

TRUMPF will be showcasing its new technology at EMO 2023, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology, which will be taking place in Hannover, Germany.

“The latest version of TRUMPF’s TruTops Print software eliminates the need for virtually all support materials, which ultimately means quicker builds and lower material consumption,” says Lukas Gebhard, Process Development Engineer for additive manufacturing at toolcraft.

“Support-free printing gets parts close to their final shape. It opens the door to parts and projects that were previously impossible, such as the near-net-shape manufacturing of large-diameter internal cooling channels.” In the past, users had to print support structures together with the part in order to anchor the part to the build platform.

These structures also serve to dissipate heat from the printed part and prevent internal tensions and deformations during printing. But TRUMPF’s innovative new technology means that many 3D printing applications can now be carried out without supports, even when tackling hard-to-process materials such as stainless steel.

Software Opens Up New 3D Printing Strategies

“When we 3D print a part, we want as much control as possible over when and where the material melts and re-solidifies. The skill lies in choosing the right exposure strategies to prevent internal tensions and overheating in the overhang region,” says Timo Degen, Product Manager for additive manufacturing at TRUMPF.

TruTops Print enables the 3D printer to use the optimum printing strategy for each different area of the part, thus eliminating the need for support structures.

TruTops Print enables the 3D printer to use the optimum printing strategy for each different area of the part, thus eliminating the need for support structures. At the same time, the improved gas flow of TRUMPF’s new 3D printers caters to uniform processing conditions and support-free printing.

Support-Free 3D Printing Opens Up New Applications

“Users from any industry can benefit from the ability to 3D print parts without supports. The advantages of TRUMPF support-free printing are particularly appealing for parts that feature large cavities or challenging overhangs,” says Degen. Examples include tanks, heat exchangers, hydraulic blocks and tool molds.

TruTops Print allows users to print parts with extreme overhangs as low as 15 degrees without requiring support structures.

The new technology also opens up new applications that could not be properly exploited when support structures were still necessary, including areas such as additively manufactured radial compressors and shrouded impellers. Previously, manufacturers were unable to print support-free impellers due to their overhang angles.

“The need for supports meant that 3D printing wasn’t an economically viable alternative to conventional manufacturing. But now things are different,” says Degen.

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In-Vision Aids Revolutionary Sub-Micron 3D-Printing Development

Christellee — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 02:33:02 +0000

As electronic devices become more miniaturised, the demand for smaller optical components creates production challenges. Conventional methods for 3D-printing of sub-micron sized photonic devices is, in most cases, very costly and impractical outside of a laboratory. Nonetheless, In-Vision is helping to overcome this challenge.

Source: In-Vision Technologies AG

To overcome this challenge, Professor Tapajyoti Das Gupta of the Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore is pushing the boundaries of 3D-printing by developing a new printer capable of delivering sub-micron resolution to produce flexible, stretchable photonic devices with the potential to disrupt the entire semiconductor industry and build a more resilient supply chain.

Demand for Devices Creates Production Hurdles

High-performance optical devices are everywhere: from the average smartphone camera to augmented reality and virtual reality equipment, we’ve become accustomed to and demand exceptional quality imaging capabilities in increasingly smaller form factors. The problem is, producing these precision nanostructures typically requires a multi-step, layered 2D lithography process that requires multiple machines in a cleanroom facility, which makes it costly and hinders scalability.

Aiming to accelerate production and lower the cost, Das Gupta is working with In-Vision and J Group Robotics to build the first large format, sub-micron resolution 3D printer to produce exceptional quality optical devices faster and more economically than current 3D-printing technology allows. By eliminating the clean room and simplifying the process into one machine rather than 10, Das Gupta and his team are opening the doors to much greater production scale and new and broader applications.

In-Vision Light Engine Delivers Sub-Micron Resolution

Where most 3D DLP projectors are limited to one-to-two-micron resolution, Das Gupta’s work requires something much smaller, in the sub-micron range. To achieve this exceptional precision and scaled down image, In-Vision is supplying a projector, based on a DLP9000-Chipset with a newly designed optical path to achieve the sub-micron resolution at a wavelength of 405 nanometers.

With funding from the Indian Ministry of Electronics & Information, Das Gupta and In-Vision have partnered with J Group Robotics to collaborate and build the printer. The group meets frequently to collaborate on technical challenges and align on design and specifications for the printer, with an anticipated completion date of December 2023. Das Gupta says he expects the first optical component to be produced in Spring 2024.

Solving the Supply Chain Challenge

In addition to producing miniaturised photonic devices for AR/VR headsets, SLR cameras and smartphones, this sub-micron capability has broader applications for micro lenses in several other exciting areas. For example, the technology can be used to produce hydrogels and biopolymers for use in contact lenses, biosensors for detecting COVID-19 and other pathogens with a very low concentration of material through spectral analysis, and other applications in the semiconductor industry.

“3D-printing has taken over many other manufacturing processes, the only thing left is printing in submicron resolution,” Das Gupta said. “This technique has the potential to reduce the cost and drive drastic change in the semiconductor industry by eliminating the clean room requirement and making production much faster.”

In addition, Das Gupta says, “It also reduces the carbon footprint of the entire production process and could dramatically improve supply chain resiliency, allowing companies to produce and procure chips much closer to home.”

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