Nucor Steel Tariffs and 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 2, 2018 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing |

by Charles Goulding R&D Tax Savers | Mar 12, 2018 Nucor is America’s leading steel company with steel mill and steel products facilities throughout the country. Nucor produces about 15 million tons of steel per year including hot and cold rolled steel, steel joists and metal buildings. They have a production capacity of over 26 million tons. Nucor also is North America’s largest steel recycler and saves about 19.2 million tons of steel from landfills every year. The company favors the new and controversial steel tariffs and has always been an agile competitor in the challenging steel industry. Nucor has both raw steel processing and...

AM Continues Rapid Ascent, Targets New Markets

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 2, 2018 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Featured |

CO). Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is a vibrant and dynamic field. Each year, developments in AM allow organizations to create products that were previously unthinkable. Novel design methods, advanced materials and complex geometric features are some of the reasons why AM stands out among methods of manufacturing. It is causing nearly every industrial sector to rethink the way they might design and manufacture products. New AM system manufacturers, material producers and software developers, as well as interesting business models, are entering the market. They present endless possibilities for those in product development and manufacturing around...

The Future of 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 5, 2018 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The Future of 3D Printing by Scott Fawcett Now more than ever, manufacturers are having to respond to increased connectivity and digitisation in the industry. Driven by the changing demands of customers, manufacturers must be dynamic and flexible, responding quickly to find solutions that meet customers’ requirements. This industry evolution, more commonly known as Industry 4.0, will shape the future of 3D printing. Put simply, Industry 4.0 describes the current transformation of manufacturing practices towards a more automated and data driven model and 3D printing is a vital building block in that evolutionary process. As the rate of technological...

Bossard Enters the Emerging Market of Additive Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 5, 2018 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Fastener Press Releases, Featured |

March 05, 2018 The Bossard Group is entering with three partners the emerging market of 3D printing. Together with its subsidiary KVT-Fastening, Bossard will present three different technologies at the Additive Manufacturing Expo in Lucerne from March 6 to 7, 2018. Cooperation partners for the Swiss market include TRUMPF (laser metal fusion), German RepRap (fused filament fabrication) and Henkel (stereolithography). These partnerships will allow Bossard to sell 3D industrial printers and related consumables (metal powder, filaments, etc.). Bossard will also act as a partner in consulting customers up to designing complex parts for 3D printing. The Bossard Group views...

Global Applications for the Stanley+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator Now Open!

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 12, 2018 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) and Techstars today announced that the application period for the Stanley+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator is now open. Last month, Stanley Black & Decker and Techstars, one of the world’s best startup accelerators, announced the formation of a three-year partnership and the launch of the Stanley+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator in Hartford. This mentorship-driven, entrepreneurial accelerator program will select 10 startups in the additive manufacturing space to participate in its first year. The Stanley+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator will focus on additive manufacturing, which includes technologies that build 3D objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material....

The Future Looks Bright for Additive Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 30, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

As more companies embark on their digital transformation, they are increasingly reevaluating their manufacturing processes. They’re exploring how 3D printing can enhance and augment traditional manufacturing methods. Additive manufacturing is a powerful force within digital manufacturing, bringing new applications and markets into focus. In the future, the additive manufacturing market is predicted to reach $55.8 billion by 2027, according to a recent report by Smithers Pira. Here is how we think the future of 3D printing will enable this journey: Traditional versus Additive Manufacturing: A Seismic Shift Traditional manufacturing processes such as machining and injection molding have emerged as industry standards for high-volume mass production over...

Meeting Mass Customization Demands with 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 19, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Today’s buyers are different than previous generations. They are living in a world of customization, where they can instantly download apps and customize their phones, their thermostat knows their preferences and they have uninterrupted access to music, movies and books. The empowerment gained by digital experiences delights us as individuals. Instant gratification has become a critical element in the consumption of information and goods. The expectations developed through interactions in the digital world fuel those same expectations for the physical world. This is why consumers won’t settle for what everyone else already has. They demand something unique to match...

R&D Tax Aspects of 3D Printed Fasteners

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 16, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Fasteners |

Fasteners are literally what hold the world together. A fastener is essentially any hardware that holds two objects together, such as bolts, nuts, screws, and anchors. Fasteners are found in everything from toys to highways. Advances in both plastic and metal 3D printing are making it possible to print hardware for a multitude of industries. Fasteners are usually manufactured using either machining techniques or forming (without cutting) techniques. Forming can be subdivided into hot forming and cold forming. Each of these manufacturing processes requires expensive machinery, multiple steps, significant labor costs, and is associated with challenging design limitations. 3D...

World’s Largest Titanium Additive Manufacturing Facility Opens in New York

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 23, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Sometimes additive manufacturing is simply outclassed by traditional techniques like molding, casting or machining. In other cases, the technology’s strengths make it a no-brainer. For example, the long lead times, low batch sizes and high cost of aerospace parts make additive a perfect fit in this industry. GE’s famous fuel nozzle is just one example. Another area in which additive manufacturing shines is working with titanium. Notoriously difficult and expensive to cut, 3D printing titanium parts is proving to be a better solution than conventional machining. Naturally, these two advantages combine to create metal additive’s wheelhouse: titanium aerospace parts. Norsk Titanium, an FAA-approved supplier...

A Love Affair with Flying

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 11, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

GE Engineer Credits Grandfather for Introducing Him to Aircraft, Flying At the young age of two, Joshua Mook fell in love with aircraft — his grandfather, a pilot, introduced him to flying by taking him on a ride in the family plane. Little did Mook know his passion for aircraft and flying would put him on the path to become an engineering leader at GE Additive — the division of GE dedicated to additive manufacturing, which is a way of printing parts layer by layer as one piece that’s expected to revolutionize manufacturing. (For more on Josh’s story and...

World’s First 3D Printer Capable of Producing High Precision Metal Objects Available Now

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 21, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Digital Metal begins commercial production of its 3D metal binder jet printers, offering unprecedented detail, surface resolution and design possibilities for small components Höganäs, Sweden. – [September 19, 2017] – Digital Metal®,a Höganäs Group company, the world’s leading producer of metal powders, today announced it has initiated commercial production of the industry’s first high precision binder jetting 3D metal printer that can produce smaller and more intricate components than any previous technology. The DM P2500 can be purchased or licensed from Digital Metal and is ideal for serial production and customised parts, opening up the possibility to print...

Bringing Competitive Excitement to Additive Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 28, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing |

As the impact of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, on business continues to surge, the need for career development in this rapidly growing industry is also rising. Four years ago, SME decided to collaborate with Stratasys, the 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) solutions company, on an initiative to attract students to the emerging tools and technologies involved in AM and 3D printing. After a number of discussions and months of planning, we developed the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition to test high school and post-secondary students on their knowledge and skills in this space. This contest is part of...

NanoSteel Launches 3D Printable Tool Steel

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 1, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

New Case-Hardening Steel Designed for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Printed Industrial Die Demonstrates Performance of the BLDRmetal™ L-40 Powder PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Monday, June 19, 2017)—NanoSteel®, the leader in nanostructured steel materials, today announced the launch of its first product for the laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process. BLDRmetal™ L-40 is a case-hardening steel powder that provides high hardness and ductility (case hardness >70HRC, 10%+ core elongation) and prints easily on standard commercial equipment. This alloy provides superior performance to M300 maraging steel and is an alternative to difficult-to-print tool steels such as H13. Expanding the potential use of...

Alien Technology: How 3D Printing Will Help Colonize Mars

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 27, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

NASA continues to award money to the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, a $2.5 million competition that requires contestants to design a 3D-printed habitat for deep-space exploration. While many acknowledge it will be some time until a human sets foot on to Mars, it has not stopped innovative minds from trying to find ways to build on the red planet. Space is an extreme environment where resources are scarce, and blasting Earth’s resources into space is expensive. Anyone designing for space must make the tools and materials as minimal as possible, not to mention ensuring that they fit within a rocket....

This Start-Up is Using Robots and 3D Printers to Staff a Factory with Almost No Humans

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 20, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Self-driving cars have captivated the world. Now, a Brooklyn-based start-up called Voodoo Manufacturing wants to bring the same autonomy and safety to manufacturing, with a factory that makes 3-D prints of any imaginable design, staffed almost entirely by robots. Customers upload a design file to Voodoo’s site. The start-up then manufactures their desired items in batches from one to 10,000 units per order. Voodoo’s factory runs 160 different 3-D printers today, rather than using injection molding machines you’d find in a conventional factory. Most recently, Voodoo began developing robots to run the 3-D printers with little to no human...

Xometry Secures Investments from BMW i Ventures, GE Ventures and Highland Capital Partners

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 20, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

GAITHERSBURG, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)—Xometry, the leading on-demand manufacturing platform, announced $15MM in funding led by BMW i Ventures, with participation from existing investors including GE Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. Further fueling Xometry’s rapid market expansion, the latest round of funding will accelerate Xometry’s investment in its machine learning-based software platform, manufacturing partner network, and sales organization. “We’re thrilled to partner with BMW i Ventures and deepen our relationship with General Electric,” said Randy Altschuler, co-founder and CEO of Xometry. “We’re accelerating our efforts to provide additional features to our online platform, making it easier for engineers and procurement managers...

Arconic Pushes the Boundaries of 3D Printing with Parts for Space Exploration

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 13, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Four small vents—each the size of a one-liter water bottle—represent one giant leap for deep space exploration, and aerospace manufacturing too. The vents are Arconic’s first additively-manufactured flying space products. Arconic 3D printed the vents for Lockheed Martin for service on NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which will one day carry humans to Mars. The components are designed to equilibrate the pressure between the inner and outer hull of the spacecraft. The original components were fabricated from several individual components and welded together. Our 3D printed, nickel superalloy versions take about 40 hours to produce versus weeks for the traditional manufacturing method....

Mind Meld: How GE And A 3D Printing Visionary Joined Forces

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 6, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Few people know more about 3D printing than Greg Morris. The entrepreneur bought his first stereolithography machine back in 1994, when 3D printers were still largely confined to university labs and research centers. That machine allowed Morris to print polymer parts layer by layer directly from a drawing inside a computer. After his first taste for this emerging technology, Morris wanted more. He acquired an early 3D printer for metals that used a laser beam to fuse together fine layers of metal powder. The machine was useful for rapid prototyping, but he also saw the technology’s potential for mass...

New 3D Printed Superalloys Improved with Nanomaterials

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 3, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Working with newer technology requires understanding the associated machines, materials and software involved. 3D printing, for example, is one of the technologies that is rapidly growing and requiring a quick, deep understanding of how it can be used in manufacturing. Singapore’s Industrial Additive Manufacturing initiative as part of the countries Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) focuses on Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Laser Aided Additive Manufacturing (LAAM), and more. Researchers have published a paperon the microstructure and mechanical properties of superalloys for additive manufacturing. Superalloys can be used in difficult environments....

Mad Props: A 3D-Printed Airplane Engine Will Run This Year

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 22, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

GE Aviation’s Advanced Turboprop (ATP) engine will be the first commercial aircraft engine in history with a large portion of components made by additive manufacturing methods, which includes 3D printing. The designers reduced 855 separate parts down to just 12. As a result, more than a third of the engine is 3D-printed. Click Here to Read the Full...

3 Tips to Maximize the Impact of 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 22, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

3D printing may be associated with consumer products manufacturing with short product lifecycles. In the industrial gas turbine market in particular, design cycles may be a few months or shorter. In addition, the end products can be complex from a dimensional and manufacturability standpoint. Some engineering departments in industrial manufacturing companies may use 3D printing for functional prototypes or manufacturing at scale. The greater value may come when it is used to drive the cyclic iterative design process. Click Here to Read the Full...

Laser Metalz: Bionic Design Is The Next Frontier For 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 15, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

“Bionic design allows you to adapt structures from nature and find the most optimal solution,” says Concept Laser’s Hund Frank Herzog is the founder and CEO of Concept Laser, which makes the world’s largest industrial printer for metals. His printers can already produce delicate jewelry and medical implants as well as massive engine blocks for trucks. They even started printing “bionic” components for planes. “Bionic design allows you to adapt structures from nature and find the most optimal solution,” says Daniel Hund, Concept Laser’s marketing director. Last fall, GE acquired a majority stake in Herzog’s company and folded Concept Laser into...

A Guide to Additive Manufacturing Metals

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 15, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Additive Manufacturing (AM) machines making metal parts have been around for many years, maybe more than you know. Since their beginning, the number of companies producing the machines have increased and now they’re ready to invest further in this maturing technology. With so many new advances happening at lightning speeds, even the experts struggle to keep track of them. Senvol has dedicated itself to helping all parties involved in AM in making the right buying decisions. Making the wrong purchase could mean an expensive mistake, not only in capital but also in training and maintaining a competitive advantage. The...

GE Selects More Than 400 Schools to Receive 3D Printers

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 8, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

In its commitment to developing pipelines of future talent in additive manufacturing worldwide, GE will send 3D printers to over 400 schools. This is part of the GE Additive Education Program which reaches more than 180,000 students around the globe. The desktop polymer printer package is destined for primary and secondary schools while a a metal printing machine will be distributed to eight colleges or universities. The printer package for primary and secondary schools includes two Polar Cloud-enabled polymer printers – one Polar 3D printer and one XYZprinting printer. Also included is Polar 3D’s STEAMtrax curriculum with a two-year license, six rolls...

The Tech Column: The Future of 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 8, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

3D printing is, of course, one of the major areas that will usher the industry into its next chapter of production, efficiency and, yes, public perception. As the president and CEO of Proto Labs, a Minnesota-headquartered rapid manufacturing prototype, Vicki Holt is a major champion for the tech. IndustryWeek has written about Holt and Proto Labs a handful of times over the last couple years, and they check in with her again to discuss the state of additive manufacturing today, some of the challenges of the tech, and a survey the company recently commissioned that might give some hope for the...

GE: 3D Printing Opens A ‘New, Unlimited Dimension’ For Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 3, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Carlos Haertel, who runs the GE Global Research center in Munich, says additive manufacturing technologies like 3D printing are opening a “new, unlimited dimension” to how we make products as varied as jewelry, dental implants, planes and jet engines. He is not alone. Mohammad Ehteshami, head of GE Additive, calls additive technologies “an engineer’s dream.” The former jet engine designer, who now leads an entire GE business dedicated to developing 3D printers, materials and engineering consulting services, says this technology is something he “never imagined” possible. In May, Ehteshami’s business opened a new Customer Experience Center right next to...

How Additive Manufacturing is Going to get Bigger and More Efficient

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 1, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

In the world of production technology, additive manufacturing is a prime candidate for huge increases in efficiency, speed and manufacturability. “The GE acquisition is a game changer in this industry,” Murray said. “Frank Herzog, the founder of Concept Laser, had this vision of the factory of tomorrow where we take humans out of the chain of production. If you look at GE and what they’ve done with Predix on their jet engines and other products, the future is exciting as we move to the next phase of manufacturing.” Click Here to Read the Full...

Stratasys Moves 3D Printing Into Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 1, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

While 3D printing has exploded on the scene with ready-made prototypes and spare parts, many have insisted the technology is suited for manufacturing. 3D printing company, Stratasys, has taken a step into low-volume manufacturing and mass customization with its Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator. The tool uses additive manufacturing technology for product production. The new platform is composed of a modular unit with multiple 3D print cells working simultaneously. The Demonstrator is driven by a central, cloud-based architecture that is designed to produce parts in a continuous stream with only minor operator intervention, automatically ejecting completed parts and commencing new...

Best Practices for Prototyping in the Age of Advanced Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 26, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

“Fast prototyping should no longer be the goal. Smart prototyping should be.” When the phrase, “advanced manufacturing,” first burst onto the scene a few years ago, few of us knew what to make of it. Did it apply literally to how things were made, like with CNC machining or 3D printing? Was it a reference to robotics and other trends affecting the changing factory floor like wearables and AR? Or did it mean the increasing amount of new-fangled, high-tech products manufacturers were making? The shift of business operations into the cloud? The coming Industrial Internet of Things? The concern...

Fit To Print: See Firsthand How GE’s Additive Business Is Changing The Way We Make Jet Engines, Jewelry And More

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 25, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

A few years ago, a team of eight GE Aviation engineers decided to give additive manufacturing a whirl and 3D print a helicopter engine. Using a laser beam to weld together hair-thin layers of a metal powder, they combined 900 different parts into just 14, including one engine segment that used to have different 300 components. The printed parts were also 40 percent lighter and 60 percent cheaper. “To make these parts the ordinary way, you typically need 10 to 15 suppliers, you have tolerances, you have nuts, bolts, welds and braces,” said Mohammad Ehteshami, the engineer who led...

Stratasys Takes on the Next Additive Roadblock

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 18, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

At RAPID, Stratasys unveiled another new concept in 3D printing, the Stratasys Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator. The new platform puts multiple 3D print cells together in a modular unit to produce a continuous stream of multiple products. After a long, slow build-up, additive manufacturing has come a long way very quickly this decade. New technologies and breakthroughs have made 3D printing easier to use, more stable, and more practical in almost any setting—from grade school labs to jet engines, and everything in between. Meanwhile, new materials and deposition techniques have made 3d-printed objects far stronger more useful than many ever thought...

Metal Parts Now 5x Cheaper Thanks to New Development in 3D Printing Plastics

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 18, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Pittsburgh, Wednesday May 10, 2017: 3D Hubs today announces it’s bringing low cost metal parts to market. Using Polymaker’s PolyCast, a new material for FDM printed patterns and a global network of foundries, 3D Hubs will offer cast metal parts up to 5x cheaper than existing methods. Traditionally, the investment casting process uses a machined die to produce wax patterns for casting. 3D Hubs becomes the first company to use FDM castable plastic (PolyCast by Polymaker) to create these patterns. The benefits, besides its low cost, is that FDM printing allows for the production of large, complex patterns that...

Should You 3D Print That Part? SME Launches ITEAM at RAPID to Answer That Question

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 18, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

It’s an age old question. Should I use additive manufacturing or another process to create my product? Or as SME puts it…To 3D print or not to 3D print? At RAPID + TCT last week, SME announced that they have partnered with GM and Dr. Michael Grieves of the Florida Institute of Technology to create ITEAM, the Independent Technical Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing Consortium, to address that question. ITEAM was formed to develop a web-based evaluation system to aid manufacturers in making better decisions in additive manufacturing. The chief things that ITEAM is concerned with are the following: Is this something I can 3D print? Does it make...

On The Right Foot: This 3D Printing Incubator Is Liberating Engineers (And Much More)

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 16, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Hailing from the Outer Banks, a long, sandy necklace of islands hanging from North Carolina’s Atlantic coast, Jimmie Beacham knows something about witnessing history. When his grandfather, John, was a small boy, he watched one of the Wright brothers’ first attempts at flight in nearby Kitty Hawk, a feat that ultimately ended up changing how we live. Now Beacham himself is in the vanguard of a revolution, one that is changing how we design and make things. It’s called additive manufacturing, which includes technologies like 3D printing. As chief engineer for advanced manufacturing at GE Healthcare, Beacham, 43, is...

SME – Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals Certification

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 14, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Official Co-Sponsor Learn the Fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing To achieve the Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals Certification, you must show you are able to understand and demonstrate the fundamental concepts and processes of additive. The certification in Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals is the first and only certification validating an individual’s knowledge of industry-standard concepts in additive manufacturing, based on revisions to the Additive Manufacturing Body of Knowledge by the Additive Manufacturing Leadership Initiative (AMLI) in 2016. It is ideal for individuals working in or seeking to work in additive manufacturing roles in automotive, aerospace, and medical equipment. It is also ideal...

Five Ways 3D Printing is Changing Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 11, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

As 3D printing is becoming a major part in manufacturing in production. No longer just for prototyping, the industry has to make adjustments for this shift. Today only 0.01% of all manufacturing output is 3-D printed. Instead, the technology is predominantly used to produce prototypes, which enables companies to transform and tweak product models much more easily and cost-effectively than by using traditional manufacturing methods. But 3-D printing is beginning to make small yet significant inroads that are taking it beyond prototyping and onto the manufacturing floor and production process. The industries making this happen are diverse. For example, aircraft manufacturer...

Tooling U-SME Introduces Additive Manufacturing Training Solutions Including Industry-First Certification and Apprenticeships

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 9, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

(CLEVELAND, May 2, 2017) — Additive manufacturing is a rapidly developing market, and the evolution of this technology is outpacing product design and development. As a result, there is a critical need for continuous training and development to ensure the manufacturing workforce keeps up with the latest advancements. Tooling U-SME — the workforce development arm of SME — has launched a portfolio of additive manufacturing learning and development solutions that includes access to specialized training packages, apprenticeship programs and the industry’s first certification — all to support manufacturers that want to increase additive manufacturing operations at their companies/organizations and schools looking to...

NCDMM Appoints Rob Gorham as New America Makes Executive Director

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 2, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Ed Morris, NCDMM VP and America Makes Director to Retire on May 31, 2017 Youngstown, Ohio — May 1, 2017. The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) is pleased to announce Rob Gorham will become the new America Makes Executive Director effective May 1, 2017, replacing Ed Morris. Ed will be retiring from NCDMM on May 31, 2017 and will continue to provide active transition support until his departure. Rob joined NCDMM in February 2013 as the America Makes Deputy Director for Technology Development and has served for the past two and half years as the...

The Proto Labs “Industrial 3D Printing For Dummies” eBook ExplainsAM’s Role in Product Development

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 27, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Need to know more about 3d printing? Just starting out? The Proto Labs “Industrial 3D Printing For Dummies” book explains how additive manufacturing can accelerate and augment product development—from prototype through production. Learn about new and existing technologies, available materials, and how 3D printing is being used for commercial applications in nearly every industry....

The Heirs Of Gutenberg: GE Is Adding The Next Chapter Of Its 3D Printing Push In Germany

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 27, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

When the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg developed the printing press during the Renaissance, he set words, and ideas, free. Six hundred years later, his compatriot Frank Herzog is taking printing to a new dimension, using it to liberate designers and reinvent manufacturing. Herzog is the founder of Concept Laser, one of the leading makers of industrial 3D printers. Whereas Gutenberg used movable type and sheets of paper to make books, Herzog’s machines fuse together fine layers of powdered metal with a laser beam and print three-dimensional objects directly from a computer file. With few limits on the final shape, the method...

Additive Manufacturing Standards to Support Industry Accreditation

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 20, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Fifteen newly-proposed standards from ASTM International’s committee on additive manufacturing (F42) will help companies in that industry comply with a new checklist for accreditation by the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP). The checklist is available through the Performance Review Institute. Experts, auditors, and others interested in certification related to metal powder bed fusion, a type of 3D printing involving laser and electron beams, are encouraged to join the nearly 600 members of F42 and its subcommittee on materials and processes (F42.05). “The development of a NADCAP accreditation checklist for additive manufacturing technologies is a critical...

Wohlers Associates to Partner with Materialise on a Design for Additive Manufacturing Course in Belgium

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 20, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA, April 18, 2017—Wohlers Associates, Inc., a consulting firm focused on additive manufacturing and 3D printing worldwide, today announced a three-day course on design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). It is being held in collaboration with Materialise, an industry-leading provider of 3D printing software and services. The course is May 31 – June 2, 2017 at the Materialise headquarters location in Leuven, Belgium. Wohlers Associates has twice offered a similar course for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, which received high marks for its effectiveness. “We are very happy to collaborate with Materialise, a company with an outstanding reputation and extraordinary...

MIT Additive Manufacturing Expert Discusses the Future of AM and a New Comprehensive Training Course

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 17, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Following years of research, there is now a high level of interest in additive manufacturing (AM). AM has a variety of applications from ubiquitous personal fabrication to the reconfiguration of global supply chains. To educate about this growing technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is offering a comprehensive introduction to AM, including: fundamentals, applications, and technology trends. The course, “Additive Manufacturing: From 3D Printing to the Factory Floor,” will educate participants in AM processes for polymers, metals, composites, and biomaterials. It will also educate on how AM’s capabilities (rate, cost, quality) are determined by the material characteristics, process parameters, and machine designs. Participants who complete the...

Boston Engineering Speeds Prototyping by Using Their Rize One 3D Printer

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 13, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Driven by making meaningful impact. That’s the philosophy of Waltham, Massachusetts-based Boston Engineering. Since 1995, the company has provided comprehensive product design and engineering consulting services spanning the entire product development process, from concept through commercialization, across consumer products, defense and security, medical devices, robotics and industrial and commercial products. Whether designing the most innovative products and technologies or getting to market faster, Boston Engineering thrives on solving their clients’ challenges and making a lasting difference in the way people work and live. LAB’S 3D PRINTER CREATES BOTTLENECKS Developing the best products and technologies and beating the competition to...

Does Additive Manufacturing Make Sense in a “Subtractive” Machine Shop?

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 6, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Chris Joest, president and third-generation owner of Imperial Machine & Tool, a CNC machining business in Columbia, New Jersey, sees broad potential application for additive manufacturing. “Go to any industrial concern in this state, and probably you will find at least 5 percent of their manufactured parts could be produced more effectively through additive manufacturing,” he says. However, his shop is not interested in that 5 percent. At least not yet. Four years ago, this machine shop of around 40 employees expanded its capabilities to include metal AM, specifically selective laser melting (SLM). Today, it has two powder-bed metal additive...

Small Wonders: 3D Printing ‘Microfactories’ Are Coming To Abu-Dhabi, Dubai

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 6, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

“Micro” isn’t a word that comes to mind when people talk about the United Arab Emirates, the home of the world’s tallest building, the largest man-made island and other grand attractions. But it points to the country’s future as a manufacturing and design hub. GE Additive, GE’s new business focusing on advanced technologies like 3D printing, said last week it would open the first two “microfactories” in the capital Abu-Dhabi and Dubai. Each of the facilities will hold several 3D printers and other additive manufacturing machines. The microfactory based in Abu-Dhabi will help local industrial companies speed up the adoption...

Making the World of the Future

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 30, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Additive manufacturing, hyper-customization and 4D printing are putting the future at your fingertips. By Juan Perez | UPS This is Part 2 of a five-part white paper series called Routes to the Future, in which we explore the innovations, challenges and opportunities in a new era of possibilities. The way we make the world around us – how we design, produce, deliver and reclaim the objects of everyday life – will follow new routes. We are trekking down many of these routes today but have just scratched the surface of where such journeys will take us. That’s the premise behind this...

WOMEN IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: HAVE WE MOVED THE NEEDLE?

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 29, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

By Julie Reece, VP Marketing Last week, I participated in a panel at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference called, The Changing Landscape of Additive Manufacturing – Women in Additive Manufacturing. Impressive women representing a variety of backgrounds and perspectives joined me on the panel, including Elizabeth Goode, President of Goode Inc., Melissa Lutz, Business Director at Somos, Shannon VanDeren, President of Layered Manufacturing and Consulting and Lisa Burt, Engineering Project Manager at Catepillar. Among the questions we were asked, two essential questions we tackled as panelists were: How has the industry changed since you started, as...

Verifying Structural Integrity of Metal 3D-Printed Parts

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 23, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

For safety-critical components, it is important to know if voids or inclusions are present in metal 3d-printed parts. X-ray computed tomography offers a look. Metal additive manufacturing is being increasingly considered for lowering component weight without compromising strength, particularly in aerospace applications where decreased weight leads to increased efficiency. For safety-critical aerospace components, however—as well as for similarly critical automotive, energy and medical components—it is essential to know whether voids or inclusions are present in the AM part, how large they are (both individually and in total), and where they occur, as well as whether the dimensions of...

Better Watch Out! This Italian 3D Printing Workshop Is Taking A Leaf From Saint Nicholas

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 16, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Every December, pilgrims from all over the world descend on the southern Italian seaport city of Bari to celebrate Saint Nicholas and visit the Basilica di San Nicola. The church is the final resting place of the famous saint known by millions of children for, among other things, his magical workshop staffed with elves who can make pretty much anything. But you don’t need to trade balmy Bari for the chilly North Pole to see production versatility in action. GE engineers in Bari are using 3D printing to obtain similar results. “Using reverse engineering and 3D printing, a customer...

RAPID + TCT 2017: Additive Manufacturing Disrupts; Creates Innovation, Opportunity and Challenge

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 15, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

(PITTSBURGH, March 14, 2017) – Additive manufacturing has, since its beginning, forced new ways of thinking, designing and producing using an entirely new set of tools and ideas. That industry-wide disruption and its resulting advances in knowledge, technology and materials take the stage at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh for SME’s RAPID + TCT event, May 8-11. RAPID + TCT, now in its 27th year, is a leading forum for ideas and showcase of technology in the still growing and ever-evolving world of 3D printing. Additive and advanced manufacturing industry leaders will headline keynote sessions of interest...

3D Printing Is Already Starting To Threaten The Traditional Spare Parts Supply Chain

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 9, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The race is on to use 3D printing to produce small-series parts, on demand and on location, for industries from aerospace to automotive. At stake is the shape of a $400 billion market for spare parts manufacturing and logistics. And those changes are not 20, or even 10, years out — they are happening now. Using models built through computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing can produce virtually any solid object, even those with complex architectures, and in a range of materials, including plastic, ceramic, and metal. Currently, about half of 3D printing — also known as additive manufacturing —...

An Epiphany Of Disruption: GE Additive Chief Explains How 3D Printing Will Upend Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 7, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing |

Jet engines are large and complicated machines. But sometimes surprisingly small parts can make a big difference in how they work. A decade ago, engineers at CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aviation and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines, started designing a new, fuel-efficient jet engine for single-aisle passenger planes — the aircraft industry’s biggest market and one of its most lucrative. The CFM team got to work and came up with a new engine that could dramatically reduce fuel consumption as well as emissions. A key to the breakthrough was the wildly complex interior of the of...

Futuristic Oceanscapers are Floating Villages 3D-printed from Algae and Plastic Waste

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Mar 2, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

These 3D-printed floating villages could be a means to future energy independence. The structures, envisioned by architect Vincent Callebaut, would recycle ocean waste harvested from international waters as building materials for new, sustainable marine architecture. The composite material would comprise a mix of plastic waste and algae. Biomimetic and completely self-sufficient, these sustainable habitats are a vision of an egalitarian society for environmentally conscious individuals. The project aims to resolve long-lasting tensions between Western governments and African countries when it comes to global energy consumption. Thanks to Archibiotics, a discipline pioneered by Callebaut, a new type of architecture would be born-one that combines...

Renault Trucks Builds Lighter, More Compact Engine with Metal 3D-Printed Parts

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 23, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The Renault Trucks Lyon Powertrain Engineering department has designed a prototype DTI 5 four-cylinder Euro 6 step C engine produced with additive manufacturing. The engine’s rocker arms and camshaft bearing caps were manufactured via metal 3D printing and successfully bench tested for 600 hours inside a Euro 6 engine. The number of components in the DTI 5 engine has been reduced by 25 percent, making a total of 200 fewer parts. “The aim of this project is to demonstrate the positive impact of metal additive manufacturing on the size and weight of an engine. This process has enabled us...

How to Implement Additive Manufacturing into Your Business Model

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 23, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

In the decades since its invention, additive manufacturing (AM), aka 3D printing, has proved to have long-term benefits for businesses that incorporated the technology into their business models and operations. More companies are looking to save the time and money 3D printing offers them. It’s not always easy to make this transition, however, and many businesses need help identifying how to fully leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s Professional Services exists to provide guidance for these businesses. They offer truly customized manufacturing solutions for your company by evaluating your operations, identifying opportunities for AM, assessing its impact, and...

SAP Taps 3D Printing for Worldwide Distributed Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 16, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

As 3D printing shifts from a prototyping tool to a production technology, manufacturers will be required to find ways to incorporate additive manufacturing (AM) into their existing workflows. From a logistical standpoint, this means having software and management tools that are capable of handling the wide variety of AM processes used and validating and certifying the parts made with those processes. For this reason, SAP was primed to take advantage of the burgeoning AM market and launched SAP Distributed Manufacturing to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) integrate 3D printing into their supply chains. ENGINEERING.com spoke with SAP Senior Vice...

3D Opportunity for Business Capabilities: Additive Manufacturing Transforms the Organization

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 9, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Successfully implementing and scaling additive manufacturing (AM) technology to an industrial level—or even to determine whether it is economically justifiable—often requires organizations to consider factors beyond the AM machinery. As additive manufacturing (AM) becomes prevalent, organizations looking for more AM value opportunities must go beyond installing machinery to developing enabling capabilities such as talent, quality assurance, and organization redesign. Companies that have found such value share their stories. Click Here to Read the Full...

Every Beginning is Hard! The story of the X3D Expandable 3D Printer

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 2, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The beginning stages of a new company involve a lot of trial and error to get the final product. X3D experienced this when designing their 3D printer. Read their story! Idea was there, concept sketches were ready, and X3D Expandable 3D Printer could proceed to the CAD phase and make some nice renderings. First models were promising, but they were not so similar to the original concept. Something was missing-this was just a box, and honestly even the designer would have never bought it. Then they tried again and got a little bit closer, because it is very important that...

3D Printing Will Change The Way We Make Things And Design Them In 2017

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Feb 2, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Although a lot of talk has been around robots and internet technology in manufacturing, 3D printing will have a big impact on the future of making and designing. Much of the focus in the technology world currently is on artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data – and how they will affect the way we use products and how machines operate. But developing just as quickly, although with slightly less hype, is 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), which is going to have at least as big an impact on how we make things as AI et al. The...

Just Press Print: GE Is Building A 3D Printing Vending Machine For The Jetsons

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jan 25, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

When biomedical researchers are looking for a new drug, they study hundreds of chemicals at a time to learn how slightly different combinations of molecules will attack a particular disease. It’s called combinatorial chemistry. Now, GE scientists are applying a similar approach to 3D printing. They are tweaking and testing various material combinations to achieve the best properties for a given part. The approach is helping engineers working at the Additive Materials Lab inside GE Global Research headquarters in Niskayuna, New York, move quickly through the early, iterative stages of alloy development, increase the repertoire of new materials and, by extension, the...

Partners Unveiled New 3D Printer at Humtown

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jan 24, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

LEETONIA, Ohio – Representatives of Humtown Products, America Makes and Youngstown State University cut the ribbon today on a new, first-in-Ohio 3-D printer that will further advance additive manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley. The event took place at 10 a.m. at Humtown Products. The printer is part of an additive manufacturing center that also will serve as a classroom and laboratory for engineering students from YSU and other community colleges and universities in northeastern Ohio. A project team led by the Youngstown Business Incubator and including YSU and Humtown was awarded $999,107 last year from America Makes to accelerate research and...

Liquid Metal 3D Printing Holds Promise As Revolutionary Manufacturing Method

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jan 19, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

3D printing by the Vader Systems’ liquid metal 3D printer works by melting an aluminum strand at 1,382 degrees Fahrenheit. When an engineering student couldn’t find the 3D parts he needed for a project, he decided to take matters into his own hands. With the mindset of building the foundations of a metal printer, he intended to create something that could revolutionize the manufacturing process. Metal printing isn’t news, but current machines use powdered metal to print. This powder is then put together using an electron or laser beam. Vader Systems’, however, has a 3D printer the uses liquid metal instead. The Inspiration Founder Zack Vader...

GE to Develop Competitive Financing to Stimulate Growth in Additive Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jan 12, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

BOSTON, MA – Today GE (NYSE: GE) announced its GE Additive business will collaborate with GE Capital to sell and finance metal additive machines. Manufacturing companies will now have more ways to access transformative 3D printing technology, spurring growth in several critical industrial markets including medical, aerospace, automotive, and machining. GE Capital will develop a range of customized financial solutions for its customers. These solutions will allow GE Additive customers the ability to access strategic and flexible financing solutions to acquire this transformative manufacturing technology in countries around the globe. “Our dual expertise both in manufacturing and in equipment...

How to Overcome 3D Printing Challenges for Aerospace

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jan 5, 2017 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

While there are all sorts of fun ideas and projects to be realized through modern 3D printing technology, engineers within the aerospace sector are currently researching its usage for reasons that are far more serious. Although the technology is already showing an enormous potential to impact the entire manufacturing industry, there are some obstacles to overcome before 3D printing becomes commonplace. Click Here to Read the Full...

3-D Manufacturing Hub ‘Cut a Path for Others’

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 29, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – America Makes serves as a model for the diverse manufacturing hubs that have followed since its creation four years ago, the Youngstown Business Incubator’s chief operating officer told the White House conference on advanced manufacturing. Barb Ewing was among the featured speakers at the White House Manufacturing USA stakeholder event held Wednesday. Manufacturing USA was announced in September as the new branding for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. During the event, the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute was announced as the 12thManufacturing USA institute. “To stay ahead of the competition in the 21st century, we must build...

What Happens When You Link 3D Printing and the Internet?

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 22, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The industrial fringe of Greenville, South Carolina, isn’t the most obvious place to go looking for a glimpse of things to come. But tucked behind railroad tracks and boxy factories you’ll find GE Power’s new Advanced Manufacturing Works, which opened in April. It’s changing how humans make things. Larger than two football fields and emblazoned with a giant GE monogram, the facility is like a massive toolbox from the future. It holds a sleek “microjet” cutter that sends a laser beam through a thin stream of water and cuts shapes into the hardest metals that are so precise they...

GE’s 2017 Annual Outlook: Changing The Game With A Digital Industrial Strategy

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 15, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Every year, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt hosts a meeting with analysts and investors to walk through the company’s strategy and financial goals for the upcoming year and review major wins from the past year. Earlier this afternoon, Immelt discussed GE’s transformation into the world’s largest digital industrial company and his plans to lead the digitization of industry and revolutionize how we make things by adopting 3D printing and other additive manufacturing technologies. Click Here to Read the Full...

3D Printing and Printable Electronics Combine to Change the Way We Manufacture Electronics

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 15, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Pulse Electronics printer can print conductors and circuits directly onto 3D surfaces. Demonstrates how manufacturing processes will look in the future. For the past 100 years, electronic products have been built discretely with components fitted and then wired up. The first radios were made of wooden boards with pins hammered into them and wires wrapped around them. Fast forward to today when the latest smartphones use multilayer PCBs with components placed on by machines. Manufacturing techniques (such as pick and place), have allowed mass production of devices which has revolutionized how technology is integrated into everyday life. But there...

Arconic Strengthens Its 3D Printing Collaboration With Airbus

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 13, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Arconic to Supply 3D Printed Nickel and Titanium Parts for Airbus Airplanes Under Two New Agreements Builds on agreement announced earlier this year to supply 3D printed titanium fuselage and engine pylon components for Airbus commercial aircraft Expands Arconic’s position on high-growth platforms, including the A320 Underscores Arconic’s leadership position in 3D printing for aerospace NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Arconic (NYSE:ARNC), a global technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing leader, has entered into two agreements to supply Airbus 3D printed metal parts for the airplane maker’s commercial aircraft. Arconic will supply 3D printed components made from high temperature nickel superalloys, and 3D...

$5 Million Grant to Improve Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 8, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Bringing 3D printing into an industrial setting is difficult. While less of an issue when working with plastics, using metal powders formed into a manufactured part will need to exhibit properties similar to that of machined, cast or forged metal. A USD$5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office looks to improve the materials used in industrial additive manufacturing (AM) by looking at new techniques for creating metal alloy powders that can be customized to match specific requirements. The project, led by the Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and supported by facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, looks to...

Oerlikon to Build Production Facility for Additive Manufacturing Materials

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Dec 1, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Oerlikon has announced that it will be building a manufacturing facility in Plymouth Township, Michigan, dedicated to producing materials for additive manufacturing and high-end surface coatings. The company expects the demand for advanced materials for additive manufacturing to increase rapidly in the coming years, making it one of the key growth areas in metal-based additive manufacturing. Among the materials to be produced at the new facility will be advanced titanium alloys for additive manufacturing. Click Here to Read the Full...

SAP, Stratasys Accelerate Distributed Manufacturing Innovation Across Network of 3D Printing Labs

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 24, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

WALLDORF — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) announced it is establishing a global network of 3D printing co-innovation labs to educate and enable customers, employees and partners on the adoption of additive manufacturing as an integral part of the manufacturing production line. Unveiled in conjunction with charter co-innovation partner Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, this initiative builds on SAP’s more than 40 years of experience across the industry. Digital manufacturing and co-innovation sites are currently being rolled out across Paris, France; Johannesburg, South Africa; Walldorf, Germany; and Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and Palo Alto, California, in the United...

The Essential Guide to 3D Printing – 101 Questions Answered!

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 17, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

This 3D printing guide is split into 101 questions. To help you find the right answer, please enter your search keyword in the table. From simple questions asking what 3d printing is, to materials, costs, and more, click on any topic that interests you to learn more about the various components of 3d printing. Click Here For the...

How 3D Printing Is Changing Auto Manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 17, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Thanks to 3D printing, auto manufacturing demands and regulations could more easily be met. The movie Back to the Future showed us cars hovering in air in an idea of what 2015 would look like. Now in 2016, we see our cars still bound to the earth. However, when the movie was made, in 1985, most of the materials in modern vehicles didn’t exist. “About half the steel in cars being used today didn’t exist even 15 to 20 years ago,” says Dave Paratore, president and CEO for NanoSteel. New high-strength steels, along with composites and adhesives, are helping to reduce...

From the Hackspace to the Production Line: Why 3D Printing is No Longer Just for Hobbyists

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 10, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

It may have reinvigorated the maker movement, but beyond the hackspace, large-scale consumer uses for 3D printing have proved limited. But designers and inventors are expanding the boundaries of additive manufacturing beyond pushing plastic through a nozzle. Gerard Rubio, CEO of London-based Kniterate, built his first 3D printer in 2009, cobbled together with motors, drivers and parts from old paper-fed printers. That experience, plus an art project involving 3D-printing small figurines of passers-by on Barcelona’s La Rambla, led to Kniterate, an on-demand garment “printer” that knits clothes across two decks of 125 needles. “I call it additive manufacturing,” says...

6 New Recycled and Renewable 3D Printing Plastics

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 3, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

This bunch of new recycled, biodegradable, plant-based, and otherwise sustainable plastics for 3D printing include some you can purchase now or very soon, as well as some still in R&D or early development. These alternatives are a gradually growing class of materials for 3D printing. Click Here to Read the Full...

Ai Build to Bring Artificial Intelligence to Additive Construction

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Nov 3, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The nascent additive construction industry is slowly starting to take shape as an increasing number of start-ups appear on the scene with techniques for 3D printing large-scale structures. The latest is a London-based company called Ai Build, which aims to make additive construction smarter and more accessible through the use of artificial intelligence and affordable materials. As with many additive construction endeavors, Ai Build’s entry into the field begins with a 3D-printed pavilion. As an ornamental building, a pavilion is the perfect large, yet nonfunctional structure for demonstrating the possibilities of 3D-printed architecture, as there is no need to meet critical...

GE’s New Aviation Plant In The Heart Of Europe Will Build 3D-Printed Engines For Next-Gen Cessna Planes

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 20, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

ngineering marvels such as the gothic Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River below the Prague Castle or the ornate astronomical clock in the Old Town Square have been drawing visitors to the Czech capital for centuries. Now the city is also set to define our manufacturing future. GE and the Czech government announced today plans to build a new factory outside of the city focused on the development and production of the world’s first 3D-printed turboprop engine. The plant, which will double as GE Aviation’s first aircraft engine headquarters outside the United States, will employ 500 people. It is...

30 Most Influential Women in 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 16, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Since its inception the 3D printing industry has been male-dominated, reflecting the global picture across the engineering and manufacturing sectors in general. However, with the progression in gender equality, this situation is gradually changing. Moreover, as the 3D printing industry grows in size and reach, it also continues to grow in demographic diversity and inclusivity. Here we recognize a number of the most inspirational and influential women working in the 3D printing industry today. Each of them is contributing to the industry in different ways and helping to shape the way 3D printing has a positive impact on design,...

Manufacturing: It’s Unbelievably Exciting and Nothing Like the Past!

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 13, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The revolution will not be televised—but it will be digitized! Taken from a famous poem and song by Gil Scott-Heron first recorded in 1970, this was a popular slogan in the African-American community back in the day. The lyrics in the poem refers to television series, advertising slogans and icons of entertainment and news coverage that feature examples of what the revolution will not be or do. Click Here to Read the Full...

3D Printing Industry Trends Q3-2016

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 6, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

This Trend Report provides a comprehensive overview on the state of the 3D printing industry for the months of July, August, and September (Q3-2016). The report is based on real data from the 3D Hubs platform with over 7,300 online 3D printing services in 150+ countries. The report details trending 3D printers as well as regions with the most 3D printing activity. Click Here to Read the Full Article ...

Faster Than a (3-D Printed) Speeding Bullet

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Oct 3, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

If you set up enough Google News alerts and RSS feeds, you can fill your inbox with incredible stories about additive manufacturing and 3-D printing pretty much every day. Late last year, for example, Dutch printing company MX3D turned to a pair of robotic arms to 3-D print a bridge over an Amsterdam canal. Earlier this year, the United Arab Emirates National Innovation Committee announced plans to 3-D print a Dubai office building. And just last month, stem cell research leader Celprogen revealed a 3-D-printed heart populated with human cardiac cells. Bridges and buildings and human hearts snag headlines,...

Demand for Machining Centers Remains High Despite Additive Growth

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 29, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Although additive manufacturing has made some impressive gains over traditional subtractive manufacturing, the battle of manufacturing between these two technologies is far from over. Consider a trio of recent market forecasts from SmarTech, Infiniti Research Ltd. and Technavio; the first covers additive manufacturing with metal powders, while the second and third focus on machining centers. Click Here to Read the Full...

7 Startups Driving Innovation in 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 29, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

The hype of consumer 3D printing might be fizzling, but the excitement continues to build for industrial applications. It’s a market still ripe for innovation and as expected there has been a surge of startup activity in the field of additive manufacturing. According to the Wohlers Report 2016, the AM industry surpassed $5 billion in 2015 and is expected to balloon to more than $26 billion by 2021. “The next frontier is to apply 3D printing to the production of parts for final products. This is where the largest opportunities lie and where most investments will be made in the...

Humtown Products Will Build 3-D Labs in Leetonia

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 20, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

S-Max+ industrial production 3-D printer from Humtown Products is coming to Northeastern Ohio. EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – Mark Lamoncha has seen the future at the University of Northern Iowa and will bring it to Leetonia – with the help of the Columbiana County Port Authority and Youngstown State University. And support from the Youngstown Business Incubator and AmericaMakes. Humtown Products, owned by Lamoncha, will occupy the former network operations center, 120 Industry St., in World Trade Park, just outside Leetonia. Humtown entered a one-year lease Monday with the port authority to occupy the structure and install an S-Max+ industrial...

GE, BMW & Nikon Just Poured Millions Into This Hot 3D-Printing Startup

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 18, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

3D-printing startup Carbon now has $222 million in total funding. Big manufacturers and auto companies see a promising future using 3D-printing technology. Carbon, a 3D-printing startup, said Thursday that it received $81 million from a group of investors, including General Electric GE -0.25% , BMW Group BMWYY -2.78% , Nikon NINOY 0.59% , and Japanese manufacturing company JSR. The new cash is actually an extension of a previous $100 million funding round led by GV (formerly Google Ventures) in August 2015. Click Here to Read the Full...

Six Thoughts on Stratasys’ Blockbuster Industry Announcement

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 10, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

To recap, the company revealed a startlingly deep development relationship with two industries, aerospace and automotive, and at the same time appeared to shift towards production manufacturing of 3D printing. As part of the announcement, two demonstration technologies were unveiled: an 8-axis robotic 3D printer capable of efficiently 3D printing composite materials without the need for support material, and a second machine that prints sideways to enable production of infinitely-long models. Yes, infinite, so long as you keep supplying material to the device. Please read our details here, here and here. Click Here to Read the Full...

GE To Acquire Two Top 3D Printing Companies For $1.4 Billion

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 9, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Just a few years ago, 3D printers lived mainly inside labs and on garage desktops where hobbyists used them to produce plastic keepsakes. Not anymore. Today, companies such as GE are using 3D printing and other additive manufacturing methods—which shape components by adding material together, rather than removing it—to print parts for jets as well as power plants and medical scanners. This week GE announced plans to acquire two top additive manufacturing companies—Sweden’s Arcam AB and Germany’s SLM Solutions Group—for $1.4 billion. GE plans to expand the use of 3D printers internally and also serve as a key supplier of additive...

Auto, Aerospace Industries Warm to 3D Printing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Sep 6, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

New 3D printing technology unveiled this week sharply increases the size of objects that can be produced, offering new possibilities to remake manufacturing in the auto, aerospace and other major industries. One application demonstrated by 3D printing machinery maker Stratasys would allow airlines to pick made-to-order airplane interiors that could be tweaked with the click of a mouse. Click Here to Read the Full...

How are Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and NASA Using Additive?

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 29, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

AM in Aero at IMTS The Additive Manufacturing Conference (AMC) at IMTS 2016 is just two weeks away. Already, leading companies from all industries have made plans to participate – companies like Nike, Harley-Davidson, Google, NASA, Zimmer and more. One industry always at the forefront of additive technology adoption is aerospace. As a result, IMTS 2016 offers a unique opportunity to explore this connection, with the AMC and TRAM, the country’s leading aerospace manufacturing conference, happening back-to-back. Don’t miss out! There is a special rate available if you register for both, and as and added bonus, you can use code COMB20 to receive an additional 20% discount. Register...

See inside Honeywell Aerospace’s new aluminum 3D printing lab in Phoenix

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 16, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

Honeywell Aerospace now has an aluminum 3d printing lab in Phoenix, AZ as a part of its innovative manufacturing. Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace has opened a new aluminum 3D printer laboratory as part of its existing Phoenix Additive Manufacturing Center near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Lightweight aluminum is a preferred metal for manufacturing aerospace parts, and having a facility to work with the metal in-house will cut costs, said Donald Godfrey, an engineering fellow for Honeywell who is in charge of the Phoenix lab. Click Here to Read the Full...

U.S. CEO Outlook 2016 | CEOs mobilize for the fourth industrial revolution

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 15, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Manufacturing, News |

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, and it’s upending business models, blurring lines between industries and companies, and demanding an entirely new way of thinking about business. KPMG’s survey of 400 U.S. chief executives sheds light on how companies are transforming in times of extraordinary change. CEOs say that rapidly evolving technology, and the speed of transformation it unleashes, are making the next three years more critical for their industry than the previous 50. While they’re confident about their growth prospects, they recognize that they are operating in a new world – and they’ll have to operate differently to...

What is 3D Printing?: The definitive guide to additive manufacturing

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Aug 12, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

From the basics, to the pros and cons, the technologies, and everything in between, 3d Hubs has composed your go-to source for all you need to know about additive manufacturing. 3D Printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design. There are different 3D printing technologies and materials you can print with, but all are based on the same principle: a digital model is turned into a solid three-dimensional physical object by adding material layer by layer. In this guide you’ll find everything you need to know about 3D printing, starting with the very basics...

3D Opportunity and the Digital Thread

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jul 5, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Reports |

Click the image below to open/download 3D Opportunity and the Digital Thread by Deloitte University...

ASTM and 3MF Sign Liaison Agreement

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Jun 8, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, News |

ASTM International (ASTM) and the 3MF Consortium (3MF) signed a liaison agreement today to explore ways to collaborate and align standards and roadmaps to advance additive manufacturing innovation and deliver state-of-the-art 3D printing technologies to the market. ASTM International is a leading standards-development organization that serves as an open forum for creating and revising international standards. 3MF is an industry association created to develop and promote a new full-fidelity file format for 3D printing. “As adoption of the 3MF file format continues to ramp, it becomes increasingly important to develop a long-term 3MF technology roadmap that businesses support and trust,” said Adrian Lannin, executive...

RAPID | 3D PRINTING EVENT

Posted by Fastener News Desk | May 13, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Events |

Be the Authority on 3D: Printing, Scanning, and Additive Manufacturing May 16-19, 2016 | Exhibits May 17-19 Full Event Hours Orlando, Florida – Orange County Convention Center | West Building Entering its 26th year, SME’s RAPID event plays a vital role in defining additive manufacturing. As the leader and authority figure in 3D technologies, RAPID attracts buyers, sellers, and end-users of design, prototyping, tooling, and direct digital technologies to the preeminent event for discovery, innovation, and networking. The RAPID conference is known worldwide as the unrivaled authority on 3D knowledge and expertise. The world’s foremost additive manufacturing experts speak on groundbreaking processes, applications, materials, and...

Alcoa to Supply 3D-Printed Metal Parts for Airbus Aircraft

Posted by Fastener News Desk | Apr 14, 2016 | 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, Aerospace, Manufacturing, News |

Alcoa to supply 3D-printed titanium fuselage and engine pylon parts. Agreement to leverage Alcoa’s comprehensive capabilities from advanced alloy development to finished part production. Supply agreement draws on new technologies gained through RTI acquisition and organic expansions.