ICYMI: While AM materials development is always of interest to the community, we saw three announcements focused on 3D printing materials last week including a collaboration between the US Department of Energy and Iperion to develop low cost titanium, availability of an alternative to PVA for material extrusion platforms, and qualification of a nickel alloy Inconel. Maybe the most exciting news for anyone who has had to sand a 3D-printed part, was the research of an algorithm at Fraunhofer that could eliminate stair-step in multi-material jetting.

Here’s a quick look at these stories and more.

Low Cost AM Titanium Alloys Focus of Collaboration: IperionX Limited announced that the U.S. Department of Energy  has approved a technical collaboration between IperionX and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop low cost titanium alloys for additive manufacturing utilizing using IperionX’s titanium metal powders. READ MORE

Micro Additive Manufacturing: BMF Raises $43M Series C

(Catch the discussion on AM News Live on August 8)

Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) announced the successful closing of a Series C round of funding, totaling $43 million to drive micro additive manufacturing. The round was led by Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd. (SCGC). READ MORE

New 3D Printing Material Alternative to PVA

Infinite Materials Solutions, LLC launched AquaSys® General Purpose (GP), a water-soluble support material compatible with most polyesters. It is a direct replacement for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and showcases outstanding performance and print fidelity with standard polylactic acid (PLA)-type build materials. Its creators hope the reliable high-performance material marks a shift in the industry, as it saves time and money and is accessible to a wide range of users. READ MORE

Desktop Metal Qualifies IN625 on the Studio System 2

Desktop Metal, Inc. has qualified the use of IN625, a nickel alloy inconel, for the Studio System making a total of eight materials for their metal extrusion 3D printing system. The Studio System is a turnkey metal 3D printing platform that offers customers an easy way to print high-performance metal parts in low volumes for pre-production and end-use applications. READ MORE

Space-Based Drug Development & Manufacturing Platform

(Catch the discussion on AM News Live on August 8)

Redwire Corporation, solar power generation and in-space 3D printing company, announced it will be developing new in-space manufacturing technology to provide novel and flexible services to grow small-batch crystals of protein-based pharmaceuticals and other key pharmaceutically relevant molecules for research and production. Eli Lilly and Company is the first investigator using the new platform. READ MORE

Stair-Step Elimination Innovation in 3D Printing

(Catch the discussion on AM News Live on August 8)

 Scientists at Fraunhofer IGD have devised a purely geometric and algorithmic method for the elimination of stair-step artifacts in multi-material 3D printing. To avoid quantization errors, the surface of the object is modulated with a high-frequency signal. This results in geometrically accurate and color-true surfaces. The research team has set down their findings in a paper – Shape Dithering for 3D Printing – which will be published to coincide with SIGGRAPH, the premier conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques. READ MORE