ICYMI: Additive manufacturing news reflected the return of IMTS with big announcements before and during the show. HP announced availability of the Metal Jet S100. Nikon expanded their additive manufacturing reach with bid to takeover SLM Solutions and investment in Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies. Materialise acquired Identify3D. Desktop Metal introduced digital sheet metal forming technology. Desktop Health acquired Keystone Technologies. Mantle introduced a metal hybrid platform for toolmaking. Xact Metal introduced a line of mid-size metal machines. New materials and material qualifications were announced.
Here’s a quick look at these stories and more.
Nikon to Partner with SLM Through a Public Takeover Offer: SLM Solutions Group AG and Nikon Corporation have entered into an Investment Agreement in relation to a voluntary public takeover offer that Nikon intends to launch for all outstanding shares of SLM at a cash consideration of EUR 20 per share. READ MORE
Shop System+ and Shop System Pro for Metal Binder Jet Expands: Desktop Metal, Inc. announced two upgrade packages on the successful Shop System, offering new flexibility, functionality, and value. READ MORE
Markforged Completes Digital Metal Acquisition: Markforged announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Digital Metal, the creator of a precise and reliable binder jetting solution, extending Markforged’s capabilities into high-throughput production of metal additive parts. READ MORE
3D Systems Announced CuNi (CuNi30) Alloy for Laser Powder Bed Fusion: 3D Systems announced CuNi30, a corrosion-resistant, copper-nickel alloy for use with its DMP Flex 350 metal 3D printer. This material resulted from the company’s collaboration with HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to develop materials and process parameters for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. READ MORE
SeaSpine Announces Full Commercial Launch of the WaveForm® TA (TLIF Articulating) Interbody System: SeaSpine Holdings Corporation announced the full commercial launch of the WaveForm TA (TLIF Articulating) Interbody System, using additive manufacturing. READ MORE
Mantle Releases Metal 3D Printing System to Simplify Toolmaking: Mantle , announced the commercial launch and availability of its metal 3D printing technology for toolmaking. The system simplifies how mold tool components are made and accelerates how manufacturers making molded parts – a $265 billion market – go from product idea to launch. READ MORE
B9Creations Launches Dark-Site-Capable Material Development Software: From an idea in a basement to today’s global footprint in 70 countries worldwide, B9Creations launched an upgraded version of its B9Captivate material development software with Dark Site capabilities. READ MORE
Xact Metal Introduces the XM300G Family of Mid-Size Affordable High Performance Metal Printers: Aiming to bring affordable metal 3D printing to small- to medium-sized companies and decentralize metal 3D printing, Xact Metal™ announced the launch of the XM300Gseries of affordable mid-size metal 3D printers. READ MORE
Materialise Makes CO-AM the Most Secure Platform for Distributed Manufacturing with Acquisition of Identify3D: Materialise has acquired Identify3D, a company that develops software to encrypt, distribute and trace the flow of digital parts across complex supply chainsThe acquisition of Identify3D makes Materialise’s CO-AM platform the most secure platform for distributed manufacturing. READ MORE
Desktop Metal Introduces All-New Digital Sheet Metal Forming Technology with Figur G15: Desktop Metal, Inc. announced the launch of the Figur G15, the first commercial platform of its kind to shape standard sheet metal on demand directly from a digital design file using all-new, patent-pending Digital Sheet Forming (DSF) technology — no stamping tools, molds, dies, or presses required. READ MORE
Velo3D Qualifies M300 Tool Steel for Use in Its Sapphire Family of Printers: Velo3D announced that M300 tool steel, an ultra-low carbon alloy that delivers very high strength and hardness, is qualified for use in Sapphire printers. Velo3D has already seen extensive interest in the alloy from automotive manufacturers for use in high-pressure die cast inserts, injection molding, and other types of tooling. READ MORE
Biotech Company, Systemic Bio™ Announced by 3D Systems: 3D Systems announced the formation of a new, wholly owned company called Systemic Bio™, a biotech company focused on the application of advanced bioprinting technologies to pharmaceutical drug discovery and development. Systemic Bio will leverage 3D Systems’ breakthrough, production-level bioprinting technology to create extremely precise vascularized organ models using biomaterials and human cells. READ MORE
Fully Automated Work Cell for the Additive Repair of Turbine Parts: Optomec Inc. and Acme Manufacturing announced an industry first, fully automated work cell initially optimized for repairing aviation compressor blades made of titanium. The turnkey work cell is the product of a two-year collaboration between the companies working with input from commercial maintenance repair & overhaul (MRO) and US DoD repair centers for aircraft engines. READ MORE
Calling All Stakeholders: America Makes and ANSI to Develop Version 3 of Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing: America Makes and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced today plans for the America Makes and ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC) to develop version 3 of its Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing, last published in June 2018. READ MORE
HP Disrupting Traditional Manufacturing with New Metal Jet S100 Solution for Mass Production of 3D Printed Metals: HP Inc. announced the commercial availability of its Metal Jet S100 Solution. Accelerating innovative designs and products and digitally printing mass quantities of quality parts, HP’s Metal Jet S100 Solution is transforming industries and helping scale 3D metals to mass production. READ MORE
GE Completes Latest Adaptive Cycle Engine Tests, Successfully Concludes Adaptive Engine Transition Program Efforts: The U.S. Air Force and GE have successfully concluded testing on GE’s second XA100 adaptive cycle engine at the Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC). With testing at AEDC completed, GE has accomplished the final major contract milestone of the Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), which began in 2016. READ MORE
Nexa3D Brings to Market High Throughput, Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing Platform: Nexa3D announced the commercial availability of its new ultrafast Quantum Laser Sintering platform; the QLS 820. With the highest part throughput in its class, the QLS 820 thermoplastic 3D printer is designed from the ground up for higher volume production and higher temperature processing for greater material selection. READ MORE
Markforged Introduces Smooth TPU 95A to Produce High Quality, Flexible Parts: Markforged announced the addition of Smooth TPU 95A to its growing portfolio of materials. The new, rubber-like material provides manufacturers with an efficient way to easily and reliably make high-quality, flexible parts on demand in low-to-medium volumes. READ MORE
Production Grade Materials Introduced by 3D Systems: 3D Systems announced Figure 4® Tough Clear and DuraForm® PAx Black – two new production-grade materials designed to address a breadth of industrial applications. Both materials have been engineered for long-lasting mechanical performance and stability in any environment making them ideal for a host of end-use applications in industries such as consumer goods, transportation & motorsports, aerospace & defense, and service bureaus. READ MORE
Stratasys Completes Merger of MakerBot With Ultimaker: Stratasys announced it closed the merger of subsidiary MakerBot with NPM Capital-backed Ultimaker to form a new entity under the name Ultimaker, effective August 31, 2022. READ MORE
17-4PH Stainless Steel Powder for Binder Jetting (BJT) Launched by Uniformity Labs: Uniformity Labs announced the availability of its ultra-low porosity 17-4PH stainless steel powder for the Desktop Metal Shop Pro Binder Jetting (BJT) platform, an advanced metal powder that delivers superior material properties, sintered part geometric accuracy, process yield and print uniformity at highest throughput. READ MORE
Polyplastics’ New 3D Printing Technology for DURACON (R) POM Accelerates Product Development Cycle: Polyplastics Co., Ltd. has developed three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for production of DURACON (R) polyoxymethylene (POM) products. The technology, known as Material Extrusion (MEX), delivers physical properties close to those of injection-molded articles despite being 3D-printed. READ MORE
Nexa3D Upgrades Professional Series 3D Printers: Nexa3D announced the immediate availability of its new Professional Series upgrade for its flagship NXE series printers. Based on Nexa3D’s ultrafast LSPc technology, the Pro Series delivers higher productivity and part accuracy with greater print success. READ MORE
Nickel Alloy Inconel 625 Now Qualified on All Desktop Metal 3D Printing Systems, including the Shop System™: Desktop Metal announced that nickel alloy Inconel 625 (IN625) has been qualified on the Shop System, a metal binder jet system, making the material a qualified material across its entire portfolio. READ MORE
Nexa3D Adds New Photoplastic Materials, Further Expanding its Industrial 3D Printing Applications: Nexa3D announced the expansion of its high performance functional resin portfolio, with the immediate commercial availability of three new photoplastic resins tailored to address the growing demand for rapid production and prototyping. READ MORE
Nikon Announces Investment in Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global, Inc.: Nikon announced an investment in Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global and their approach that enables users to integrate additive tools onto any platform. This technology unifies multiple complementary technologies in one set up. READ MORE
Dentsply Sirona Extends Its Digital Dentistry with Primescan Connect: Dentsply Sirona launched new products and solutions as part of its digital dentistry universe designed to bring dentistry to a new level. One of the highlights is the new Primescan Connect, a laptop-based version of Primescan, Dentsply Sirona’s easy to use, fast and accurate intraoral scanner. READ MORE
Desktop Health and Keystone Industries to Deliver Dental Photopolymer Resins: Desktop Health, a healthcare business within Desktop Metal, and Keystone Industries, a manufacturer of dental photopolymer resins, announced a partnership to make a broad range of Keystone 3D printing dental resins available on Desktop Health’s Einstein printer, beginning with KeySplint Soft. READ MORE
