There’s been a breakthrough in controlling the microstructures of metal 3D printed parts.
quality
Bambu Lab’s Disruptive Emergence in the 3D Printing Market
There is an interesting trend occurring in the 3D printing market recently, all caused by Bambu Lab.
The Hylo and Basis: AON3D’s Game-Changing Printer and Software Combo
AON3D announced an intriguing new 3D printer that’s driven by a new AI-powered software system.
Harnessing AI for Industrial Insights: Nano Dimension’s New Patent
Nano Dimension announced they’ve filed a very interesting patent using AI technology.
Cosplay Enthusiasts Take Note: Unique Approach to FFF 3D Print Smoothing
I’m watching a fascinating video showing an unusual technique for smoothing FFF 3D prints.
Essentium Launches EPOD: A Polymer-to-Part 3D Print Service
Essentium’s in-house 3D print service is up and running.
Discover the Artillery Sidewinder X2: Bigger, Faster, and Smarter 3D Printing
Artillery announced their new Sidewinder X2 3D printer, featuring a larger build volume, and several advanced features.
Can You Test for Defects Before They’re Defects?
A new approach to inspection could make metal 3D printing more financially and environmentally friendly.
SLM Solutions Partners with DTI to Enhance Metal 3D Printing Technology
The battle for metal 3D printing supremacy continues, with an interesting move from SLM Solutions this week.
Researchers 3D Print 17-4 PH Steel Using X-ray Diffraction
Examining the rapid phase changes of materials as the steel was being printed, at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), at the Argonne National Laboratory.
Sigma Additive Solutions Open to Mergers, Business Combinations and Acquisitions
Sigma Additive Solutions has made more moves this week.
Ensure Successful 3D Printing with Project Fringe from Phase3D
Phase3D’s “Project Fringe” delivers real-time 3D monitoring to 3D printers.
MX3D: From Early Development to the Production Stage
What’s up with MX3D? We had a chat with them.
Essentium’s Laser Focus on Quality
I had a chat with Essentium’s CEO, Blake Teipel the other week and learned about their increased focus on quality.
How To Supercharge Your Prusa MINI 3D Printer
A new Kickstarter project hopes to make Prusa MINI 3D printers a great deal better.
Stratasys’ Latest Acquisition Increases Part Quality, But Raises a Question
Stratasys announced the acquisition of quality software startup Riven.
The New QUALUP SAS Qu3-HT Does Realtime Filament Compensation
QUALUP SAS introduced their new high temperature 3D printer, the Qu3-HT v2022.
New Volumetric 3D Printing Process Enables Opaque Resin
Volumetric 3D printing is the future, but it’s had a significant limitation: it must use transparent resin. Until now.
Could OVF Replace GCODE?
A newly invented protocol just might replace GCODE for certain types of 3D printing.
Bringing the Power of Data to 3D Printing
Smart data is a powerful tool that can enhance 3D printing and turbocharge manufacturing operations.
SmartScan: Improving Metal 3D Printing
Researchers are developing an interesting system to dramatically improve print quality for metal 3D prints.
Predicting Perfect FFF Extrusions
Researchers have developed a mathematical model to predict extrusion widths to improve 3D print quality.
A Look At The FDM Assessment Protocol
Somehow I hadn’t seen the FDM Assessment Protocol for quite a while, but maybe you haven’t either.
What Is Helio Additive All About?Â
We’ve learned a lot more about Helio Additive, a new startup company.
Materialise Announces MCP-PrintRite3D Technology
Materialise announced a partnership with Sigma Labs that could dramatically increase the reliability of production 3D printing.
Carbon’s New M3 3D Printers
Carbon announced a two new DLS 3D printers, the M3 and M3 Max.
Thought3D Releases Unusual In-Line Filament Dryer
Thought3D announced a very unusual in-line filament drying system they call “Drywise”.
Formlabs Partners With Greenlight Guru For High Quality Product Development
Formlabs announced a very unusual partnership that could lead to dramatically increased quality on all of their equipment.
3D Printed Broiled Chicken Research Points to Improved Print Quality
Researchers developed a system for cooking 3D printed chicken, but this might lead to improved print quality for other 3D printers.
Creality’s Latest Resin 3D Printer: The HALOT-LITE
Creality announced a new desktop resin 3D printer, the HALOT-LITE.
Prusa Research Begins Resin Production
Three years ago Prusa Research launched their own filament production, and this week they launched a similar resin production line.
Fiberlogy Announces FiberSatin Filament
Fiberlogy has expanded its line of 3D printer filaments with a new material they call “FiberSatin”.
Six Sigma Quality Control For Additive Manufacturing
A Six Sigma quality control approach for 3D printing has been developed by researchers at Penn State.
Exploring Relativity Space’s Machine Learning 3D Printing Patent
Relativity Space owns what could become a key patent for additive manufacturing.
New Method To Increase Color 3D Print Surface Quality
Researchers have developed a way for software to help improve the appearance of full color 3D prints.
NIST Identifies Method Of Measuring Metal 3D Printing Stress
The US NIST has developed a technique for measuring mechanical stress in 3D printed metal parts that could change how 3D printing is done.
The Real Secret Behind Successful Powder 3D Printing
The key to powder 3D printing is not the binder or laser.
BCN3D Enters The Dryer Zone
BCN3D announced a new “Smart Cabinet” accessory to accompany their Epsilon workbench 3D printers.
Ensuring AM Quality With CT Scans
Quality has become one of the most important aspects of additive manufacturing, and there’s an unusual way to ensure quality using CT scans.
Stratasys Partners With DyeMansion For Full Color AM
Stratasys and DyeMansion announced a new strategic alliance that combines capabilities to provide an end-to-end full color additive manufacturing workflow.
MiniFactory’s Thermal Automation Enables Semi-Crystalline Polymer 3D Printing
MiniFactory detailed their process for obtaining high-quality 3D prints with PEKK material.
Why Are 3D Print Services Expanding So Much Lately?
I’m reading yet another press release on 3D print service expansion and have some thoughts.
Roboze Announces Roboze Automate
Roboze announced a new system designed to ensure production quality.
Analyzing AM Part Quality At Scale
Researchers have developed an approach for measuring 3D printed part quality over multiple machines.
Fictiv Introduces Quality Services
Fictiv announced a very interesting addition to their manufacturing service: quality inspections.
What Is Klipper, And Should You Use It?
Klipper is a very powerful firmware addition to most 3D printers.
Hexagon’s New HP-OW Sensor Could Trigger Expanded Use Of AM
Hexagon announced a new 3D sensor that could have implications on the future use of additive manufacturing technology.
Implications Of NIST’s $4 Million Support For Metal Additive Manufacturing
At the end of 2020, the NIST awarded almost $4 million in grants supporting metal 3D printing measurement methods and standards.
Wematter’s New Atmosphere System Increases SLS Part Quality
Wematter announced a new system that increases 3D printed part quality significantly.
Catching Heat for Metal Additive Manufacturing
Engineers, scientists, and manufacturing experts around the world are in a frustrating spot when it comes to additive manufacturing (AM).
Can Ulendo Really 3D Print Twice As Fast?
There’s a new Kickstarter project out called Ulendo that says it can enable 3D printing at up to double-speed.
New Superalloy Class Points To Defect-Free Metal 3D Printing
Research may have identified a new class of 3D printable metals that can overcome current limitations.
Dialing In 3D Printing Parameters With Machine Learning
The process of “dialing in” optimal 3D print parameters can be challenging, but how is this best done in a rapidly evolving industrial environment?
Does 3D Printer Nozzle Quality Affect Results?
I’m reading an interesting Twitter thread where two 3D printer nozzles are compared for quality.
Additive Assurance’s Revolutionary Quality Control System, AMiRIS
A startup company has developed a unique method of certifying the quality of 3D printed metal parts.
Are 3D Printers Too Dark?
Lighting has always been a consistent issue with 3D printers, and it doesn’t seem to be improving.
Elcan: Sifting Through The Metal 3D Printing Powder
Charles R. Goulding and Peter Favata discuss the importance of quality for metal 3D printing materials.
Book of the Week: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
This week’s selection is “Mechanical Behavior of Materials” by Norman Dowling, Stephen Kampe, and Milo Kral.
miniFactory’s Unusual 3D Print Benchmark Campaign
Benchmarking samples are often produced to ensure a 3D printed part delivers the required engineering performance. However, miniFactory has introduced a new twist on the process.
Additive Industries Partners With Sigma Labs On PrintRite3D
Additive Industries announced a partnership with Sigma Labs to allow use of PrintRite3D on their equipment.
Book of the Week: The Toyota Way
This week’s selection is “The Toyota Way” by Jeffrey Liker.
Watching 3D Printed Tungsten Crack In Real Time
Researchers have found a way to directly observe micro-cracking of 3D printed tungsten metal.
Eight Ways 3D Printing Can Help Manufacturing
With the recent spotlight on 3D printing as a result of the pandemic’s bump on supply chains, I listed some ways the technology can help manufacturers.
Discovering Future AI Features For 3D Printing
I’m reading the lengthy PhD thesis from Ivanna Baturynska, who has extensively investigated the possibility of using advanced AI techniques to optimize 3D print jobs.
New Method Of Measuring Metal 3D Printed Part Strength
Researchers in the US military have developed a set of tests to determine the strength of 3D printed parts that could aid in future metal 3D printing quality control.
MakerBot Announces Powerful Carbon Fiber Option
MakerBot announced a new version of their METHOD series that is specifically designed to 3D print strong carbon fiber parts.
Book of the Week: Additive Manufacturing for the Aerospace Industry
This week’s selection is “Additive Manufacturing for the Aerospace Industry” by Francis H. Froes and Rodney Boyer.
Shining 3D’s Automatic Part Inspector
Shining 3D’s new AutoScan Inspec provides an easy way to automatically inspect 3D printed parts.
There’s Going To Be A Lot More QIF
QIF is the Quality Information Framework, and additive manufacturing will see a lot more of it in the future.
Shapeways Achieves ISO 9001 Certification
Shapeways has achieved ISO 9001 certification. What is ISO 9001 and how will it affect Shapeways?
Realtime AI-Based Certification of 3D Printed Parts
Inkbit has developed an AI-based quality control system that can not only verify correct layers, but fix them, too.
Filament Drying: The Quest For Perfect 3D Prints Continues
There seems to be a burst of 3D printer manufacturers offering filament drying equipment. We have some ideas why this is happening.
Book of the Week: Print Quality & Printer Calibration
This week’s selection is “3D Printing: Print Quality & Printer Calibration: Troubleshooting Print Quality And Calibrating Your Printer” by Luke Assad.
Production Additive Manufacturing Means Quality Assurance Is Far More Important
What happens when 3D prints change from being prototyping devices to production machines? A lot more quality control, that’s for sure.
Take Control of Metal 3D Print Quality With VELO3D’s Assure System
VELO3D announced a very sophisticated quality control system called Assure that should enable 3D print operators to easily dial in to optimal 3D printing parameters.
Value-Added Inspection
Measurement is often seen as non-value-added work. However, if we properly account for the expected costs involved in passing defects on to customers, then the increased value of the product can be clearly shown.
VELO3D Grows Significantly In 2019
VELO3D announced their first year’s financial results and they were quite spectacular.
TRACE: Traceability In 3D Printing
As 3D printing continues to industrialize, quality management and traceability are increasingly in focus — and that’s just what TRACE software offers.
A Deeper Look At The MakerBot Method X
Does the MakerBot Method X 3D printer really work? We examined several large ABS 3D prints and were very surprised.
Ultimaker Releases Closed Environment Features For Production Capability
Ultimaker just announced the Ultimaker S5 Bundle, with heat and humidity management features that could enable true 3D print production.
A Funny Thing Happened When Filament Shopping
What is the key factor for buying 3D printer filament? It is not cost and we tell you why.
Admatec Adds Vision-Based Process Monitoring System
Admatec’s new vision-based process monitoring system for their ceramic and metal 3D printers could dramatically increase the quality of industrial additive manufacturing.
In-Situ Inspection Gains Momentum In Metal Additive Manufacturing
As metal additive manufacturing continues to see rising adoption, so too does attention paid to the quality of the parts produced.
DiManEx Provides On-Demand 3D Printed Spare Parts
Do you know what Digital Inventory is? Companies like DiManEx can provide a virtual warehouse of spare parts produced on demand without need for physical storage.
Machine Learning System Detects Manufacturing Defects using Photos
Machine learning can be used for more than violating your privacy for a social media challenge.
3D Printing As Seismometer?
What happens to a 3D printer during an active earthquake? One 3D print operator found out the hard way.
The Problem With Printer Profile Libraries
A new strategy by some vendors to provide 3D printer profiles may backfire.
Book of the Week: Additive Manufacturing for the Aerospace Industry
This week’s selection is “Additive Manufacturing for the Aerospace Industry” by Francis H. Froes and Rodney Boyer.
Metal 3D Printing In Question After SpaceX Incident
A catastrophic incident destroyed a SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule, and it might have been caused by 3D printing.
The Form 3 3D Printing Technology And Implications
We’ve received a couple of interesting videos on the new Form 3 technology from Formlabs, and they show a very unusual SLA process.
Inside The Meltpool: Fundamental Problem Revealed
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered a fundamental issue with the most common form of metal 3D printing.
3DEO Celebrates Milestones and New Opportunities
We recently caught up with LA-based 3DEO for an update on the latest in metal 3D printing and the company’s celebration of a diverse workforce.
Microsoft’s AR Technology Finds Its Way Into Toyota Engineering Teams
Even if you have just a grain of knowledge about the automotive industry, you’ll know how resilient Toyota is.
An Update From Additive Industries
Last week we heard from Additive Industries, who continue to prove they know how to 3D print in metal.
3D Hubs Quarterly Report: Things Are Changing
3D Hubs issued their most recent quarterly activity report today.