3D Printing Information Briefs, June 15, 2023: Exoskeleton, Startup Award, & Extra – 3DPrint.com

We’re beginning issues off at present with a case examine from Materialise about an exoskeleton that includes 3D printed components. Shifting on, IN-VISION has expanded its highly effective HELIOS mild engine with new choices, and Sakuu debuted its new Li-Metallic Cypress cell chemistry for manufacturing licensing. Deutsche Bahn introduced its 100,000th 3D printed half, Mantle acquired the SME AM Begin-Up Know-how Award for its 3D printed tooling answer, and Implement AM is partnering with MatterHackers to donate 3D printers to Ok-12 faculties across the U.S.

Materialise 3D Prints Plastic Components for HANK Exoskeleton

Whereas it could sound like science fiction, exoskeletons are making a really actual influence in medical rehabilitation purposes. Biotechnology firm GOGOA, based mostly within the Basque Nation, makes a speciality of analysis, design, and growth of superior robotic exoskeletons to improve individuals’s high quality of life, and labored with Materialise to 3D print plastic components for its personalised, light-weight HANK exoskeleton. HANK, so named because it’s a play on the Basque phrase for leg, “hanka,” helps sufferers recovering from neurodegenerative ailments, spinal wire accidents, and cerebrovascular accidents (strokes) by serving to them be taught to stroll once more. It encourages neuroplasticity, which permits the mind to alter over time, and stimulates motor neuron reprogramming, permitting customers to steadily achieve decrease limb mobility based mostly on repetition, and minor changes to their gait sample—rushing up rehabilitation instances. After profitable prototyping, almost all the versatile exoskeleton’s exterior parts, like connectors and brace helps, and components contained in the battery pack, use 3D printed components, which had been fabricated out of PA 12 utilizing HP’s MJF know-how and combine nicely with HANK’s metallic parts.

“We may fulfill a lot of the prototyping steps and see the totally different applied sciences on the Materialise web site with none bother. And this led to a smoother manufacturing course of with AM general,” stated Galder Arego, Enterprise and Model Strategist at GOGOA. “Though any doubts or questions we did have had been answered swiftly by the manufacturing help staff.

“We’re actually impressed with the client and technical help: the design consultants gave us just a few tips about optimizing our designs and assisted us with the paperwork for the ISO13485 certification. As we’re the primary European exoskeleton firm that’s CE-certified, having a neighborhood provider accustomed to the regulation round producing such specialised medical tools is an actual profit.”

GOGOA is continuous to experiment with AM supplies to develop HANK+, which makes use of the identical 3D printed components and fundamental framework as the unique, however with a streamlined design and exterior lights.

IN-VISION Expands Highly effective HELIOS Mild Engine

Excessive-Efficiency Mild Engine HELIOS. Picture credit score: Madalina Leahu Images

Austrian know-how firm IN-VISION develops and manufactures high-precision optical techniques and UV mild projectors for industrial purposes, and introduced the enlargement of its flagship HELIOS, stated to be the world’s strongest mild engine. The HELIOS system normally is designed for tough manufacturing environments, water-cooled and with a totally encapsulated mild path, and all of its optical components, and their coatings, are optimized for one of the best uniformity and distinction ratios. However the brand new choices HELIOS has launched are opening up new purposes, and leading to extra effectivity in lithography and 3D printing. First, the HELIOS X model is a brand new UV mild projector based mostly on a dependable {industry} platform for dynamic publicity, and consists of an open FPGA to make the unit open and customizable. HELIOS S stands for “superpeak,” which implies its excessive efficiency is elevated additional with an ultra-high depth of as much as 16 watts within the picture aircraft—very useful when working with resins. Lastly, the HELIOS Duo and HELIOS Trio are the primary mild engine with triple wavelengths.

“Ultimately, it’s all the time about productiveness for our prospects,” stated Florian Zangerl, CEO of IN-VISION. “We assist to extend this by shortening publicity instances and enlarging development fields with our projectors.”

Sakuu Introduces Li-Metallic Battery Chemistry for Manufacturing License

Sakuu launches its safer, excessive vitality, excessive energy density Li-Metallic Cypress cell chemistry for manufacturing licensing.

AM and battery know-how firm Sakuu Company has debuted its safer, excessive energy density, excessive vitality density Li-Metallic Cypress battery cell chemistry. Cypress presents a number of nice efficiency traits for battery producers, together with 750+ Wh/l vitality density and excessive 8C pulse discharge, 3C steady discharge. Plus, its proprietary construction, which was developed for compatibility with 3D printing, will increase Li-Metallic cell scalability, and permits for extra environment friendly packaging. Based in 2016, and working two services in Silicon Valley, Sakuu is licensing its proprietary battery chemistry in order that companions can produce batteries with main security and efficiency benefits, and industry-standard certification procedures, together with UN/UL testing, are presently underway for Sakuu’s Cypress cell chemistry product. Sakuu Cypress is now accessible to any battery producers fascinated by licensing the know-how for roll-to-roll manufacturing.

“Lithium-metal battery chemistries produce elevated vitality density and extra efficiency advantages, however sometimes current growth challenges as a consequence of excessive reactivity. With Cypress, Sakuu has solved these points by way of novel electrochemistry, making lithium-metal chemistry prepared for scalable manufacturing,” stated Sakuu Senior Vice President Arwed Niestroj, a veteran throughout the automotive {industry}. “The compatibility with 3D-printing will additional improve the efficient use of battery packaging quantity with new and distinctive approaches to thermal administration. Li-Metallic cells have benefits that Sakuu has made attainable, scalable, and protected. Producers can now license this know-how.”

Deutsche Bahn Reaches 100,000th 3D Printed Spare Half

Transmission housing – manufactured utilizing oblique 3D printing. Picture Credit score: Deutsche Bahn AG /Dominic Dupont

Deutsche Bahn (DB), the nationwide railway firm of Germany, is the world chief in 3D printing for the railway {industry}, printing components for over 500 totally different purposes, from wheel set bearing covers for shunting locomotives to a field hyperlink for ICE trains and extra. The corporate shops roughly 1,000 digital fashions in its digital warehouse, and is glad to report that it not too long ago produced its 100,000th 3D printed spare half for practice upkeep—a gear housing for shunting locomotives. Weighing in at 570 kg, with a quantity of almost one cubic meter, it’s the heaviest, and largest, 3D printed half that DB makes use of, and is a part of the continuously rising digital warehouse. Binder jet know-how is used to create the mould during which the gearbox housing is later forged, and the half would have taken at the least ten months to get utilizing conventional strategies of procurement, versus two months with 3D printing. Utilizing 3D printing to fabricate its spare components, and maintaining digital technical drawings in its database, permits DB to avoid wasting on time, sources, and cash.

“3D printing is reworking upkeep. It saves time, cash and sources as a result of we are able to produce spare components on the contact of a button because of a “digital warehouse” and don’t want giant inventories,” stated Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, DB Board Member for Digitisation and Know-how. “In instances of worldwide provide bottlenecks and uncooked materials shortages, 3D printing is extra necessary than ever.”

Mantle’s Tooling Resolution Wins SME’s AM Begin-Up Know-how Award

Mantle P-200 printer

San Francisco-based Mantle, which makes a speciality of metallic 3D printing for toolmaking, acquired the prestigious Additive Manufacturing Begin-Up Know-how Award from SME on the 2023 RAPID + TCT convention. This aggressive award attracts a number of the finest 3D printing startups, and acknowledges these with applied sciences that clear up present manufacturing issues with a singular technical strategy. As such, Mantle was chosen because the winner for its TrueShape 3D printing know-how, which permits for higher software designs and fixing expert labor shortages, whereas additionally lowering value and lead instances for precision tooling manufacturing. The corporate’s know-how has been adopted by main OEMs, toolmakers, and molders, and was chosen for the award based mostly on its uniqueness, market potential, technical feasibility, and clear messaging and communication.

“We’re extraordinarily happy to be chosen by SME because the 2023 AM Begin-Up Know-how Award winner,” said Ted Sorom, CEO and Co-Founding father of Mantle. “Since its public launch, Mantle has confirmed important worth for our prospects by automating the method of constructing precision instruments. Via a number of case research, producers of all sizes have skilled the ROI positive factors that Mantle’s 3D printing know-how delivers by slashing the money and time wanted to fabricate precision molds in comparison with conventional toolmaking processes.”

ImplementAM & Matterhackers Donating 3D Printer Bundle

Application-based additive manufacturing workshop sequence ImplementAM, which presents interactive, day-long seminars throughout the U.S. for product builders and innovation leaders fascinated by rising their AM information, additionally desires younger college students to be taught extra concerning the know-how as nicely. Along with Matterhackers, ImplementAM is donating a MakerBot Sketch 3D printer prize bundle ($1,700 worth) to at least one Ok-12 faculty in each metropolis they go to, from Detroit and Los Angeles to Boston (June 22), Denver (July 20), Milwaukee (August), Austin (September), and extra. The bundle is supposed to arrange a faculty for fulfillment, and consists of the printer and supplies, together with coaching and upkeep and restore companies. At every ImplementAM occasion, attendees may have the possibility to vote for an space faculty to obtain the giveaway. ImplementAM has opened entries for its upcoming giveaways, and likewise introduced that the winner of its Detroit 3D printer giveaway was the Detroit Worldwide Academy for Younger Ladies.

“Having a 3D printer for my college students for the primary time goes to be a sport changer! It is going to be one of many gateways for our younger girls to get impressed and discover the sector of STEAM as they be taught and create 3D prints on the Makerbot for his or her Robotics Crew and science lessons,” stated Kavita Sadwal, Science Instructor and Robotics Coach on the faculty. Sadwal submitted the appliance, and was the official recipient of the giveaway. “They’ve additionally realized concerning the influence and worth of giving again to the neighborhood by experiencing firsthand the generosity of Matterhackers.”

Faculties can apply to be on the shortlist for future giveaways right here.