Metal 3D printing is expanding its reach by air, by land, and now by sea if the U.S. Navy sees positive results as it tests additive manufacturing for ship-building applications. Back in October, Naval Sea Systems Command announced it had approved a 3D-printed metal drain strainer for use on the aircraft carrier the Harry S. Truman. The prototype part was installed in the carrier’s steam system as part of a one-year trial. The strainer was originally a cast part that required a nine-month lead time to produce. The printed piece was created by Huntington Ingalls Industries and Newport News Shipbilding,…
As more companies use additive manufacturing (AM) processes to create end-use metal parts (not just prototypes), quality and scrappage issues associated with AM have become a bigger issue. Many 3D printing technologies have demonstrated high degrees of variability regarding consistent parts creation, and because design for AM skills are often in short supply at most companies, there is great trial and error involved in creating usable parts. That has resulted in a high percentage of scrap and wasted materials. To reduce waste and improve part quality, end users need a way to virtually test builds before creating physical parts. An…
The use of 3D printing for medical models has emerged as a key application in the healthcare space. Hospitals, universities and other organizations use printed models to help visualize injuries and damaged organs, as well for surgical planning, practice and tools. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has so far cleared only one 3D printing software for creating anatomical models that are used for patient care—Materialise Mimics inPrint. Materialise, in turn, has worked with 3D printer manufacturers to certify their hardware for use in these applications. In November, Stratasys announced that it had expanded the suite of printers and…
Researchers at Purdue University have come up with a method to more efficiently print with thick, viscous materials while also improving safety and reduce environmental damage. Jeffrey Rhoads, a professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering, and Emre Gunduz, a former research assistant professor at the school have launched a new startup (Next Offset Solutions Inc.) to make printers and energetic materials based on the research. The energetic materials include solid rocket fuels, propellants and pyrotechnics. The process allows for the printing of thick materials with high levels of precision by applying ultrasonic vibrations to the nozzle to reduce friction…
Glucose monitoring is critical for diabetics. In the past, they had to test their glucose via painful finger pricks or using embedded sensors under their skin. There are now biosensors that measure glucose levels in sweat, which are less painful and invasive, but these flexible sensors are typically created via screen printing, a process that is wasteful and relies on the use of toxic materials. Researchers at Washington State University have found a way to produce flexible glucose sensors using 3D printing via direct ink writing. They are using a nanoscale material that is electrically conductive and flexible, and claim…
Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. gave the media a peak inside its new Advanced Manufacturing Center, a $45 million facility in Redford that will use 3D printing, virtual reality, simulation and collaborative robots to create new innovations in vehicle production. “More than 100 years ago, Ford created the moving assembly line, forever changing how vehicles would be mass-produced,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of Global Operations. “Today, we are reinventing tomorrow’s assembly line — tapping technologies once only dreamed of on the big screen — to increase our manufacturing efficiency and quality.” The 3D printing in the facility includes…
Industrial 3D printer company voxeljet AG has agreed to deliver up to five of its new VJET X printers over two years for the large-scale production of complex sand molds and cores for a German automotive manufacturer. The customer has also ordered another two printers for installation in 2019. “The 3D printing industry is at an inflection point and this achievement marks a key milestone in our mission.” — Ingo Ederer, voxeljet CEO According to voxeljet (which is acting as a sub-contractor on this project), the project could potentially involve delivering multiple units “in the low double-digit range” over the…
Lockheed Martin Space has qualified a 3D printing process to build titanium fuel tanks for satellites. Sciaky (a Phillips Service Industries subsidiary) announced that its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) process had achieved qualification for making the tanks after testing that was part of a multi-year development program with Lockheed. Lockheed Martin printed both halves of the 46-in. titanium fuel tank domes on an American-made Sciaky EBAM 110 machine. The tanks met or exceeded NASA’s performance and reliability requirements, which will allow the tanks to become a standard product option on LM 2100 satellites. “Sciaky's EBAM technology is now the…
General Motors (GM), like other automakers, is using 3D printing technology to create parts for its new vehicles, and has already leveraged the technology for prototyping and other design-related activities. The company also plans to expand its use of the technology to improve manufacturing processes at its production facilities. According to an article in Automotive News, the company believes the technology could save them millions in annual production costs. During a press tour of GM’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, the company’s director of global manufacturing integration, Dan Grieshaber, said that the company has 3D printers in most of its…
As more companies explore the possibility of using metal additive manufacturing (AM) equipment to create both prototypes and production parts, the challenges of quality control and consistency with AM machines is becoming more apparent. The same part printed on the same machine at different times does not always meet the same specification. Sizes may be slightly off, or pores or cracks may be present. That lack of consistency is an ongoing problem, and one that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hopes to address through a project conducted through the NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) and Physical Measurement Laboratory…
Auto manufacturers are big proponents of 3D printing, but so far they have mostly used the technology for prototyping or reducing costs in tool and dye making. That could be set to change if a new partnership between Divergent 3D and automaker PSA Group achieves its goals. In September, PSA Group (which manufacturers the DS, Peugeot and Citroën brands) signed a strategic partnership letter of intent to work with Divergent 3D on metal printing projects. According to the company, PSA Group intends to improve manufacturing efficiency using 3D printing. “We are very impressed by the promising new opportunities in Divergent…