This week in the Sliced 3D printing news digest: Perfected3D, Proto Labs, Union Tech, Sculpteo, HP, Creaform, Superfeet, LPW Technology, Solidscape, EOS, Sintavia, Source3, Facebook and Microsoft Paint.
Perfected3D launches free beta of auto-modeling software
Newcastle based startup company Perfected3D has launched a trial program enabling users to repair, enhance and optimize digital models for 3D printing.
The company initially started out under the name Whispering Gibbon. Since recieving a 6 figure grant for development from Non-profit group Creative England it has expanded focus beyond the program’s use with video games into software suitable for any 3D model.
The beta version of Perfected3D’s app can be downloaded for free via the company’s website.
Space Group, an architecture and planning firm based in Newcastle, is one of the first clients to preview the software.
Rob Charlton, CEO Space Group comments, “If Perfected3D can really achieve what it promises, it will have a huge impact on project timescales and costs by transforming the existing workflows from concept phase to completion of a build. This could be the breakthrough for the construction industry that we have all been waiting for.”
Union Tech appoints new sales manager for emphasis on OEM solutions
Union Tech Inc., an SLA 3D printing solutions company based in Illinois, has appointed Fred Kaplan as Channel Sales Manager for the Western United States.
Kaplan, who was previously West Coast regional sales manager at Mcor and subsequently Markforged, has been hired to focus on “meeting OEM needs” with Union Tech’s 3D printing technology.
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HP Multi Jet Fusion finds Sculpteo integration and application for Superfeet 3D printed insoles
French online 3D printing service Sculpteo, has become the latest company to offer HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology as a service to its customers.
HP Multi Jet Fusion, which is up 10 times faster than other 3D printing approaches, has been added as a result of demand by 40% of Sculpteo’s existing clientele.
Clement Moreau, CEO of Sculpteo, mentioned the technology in his article for the Future of 3D Printing guest series.
In addition to Sculpteo integration, Multi Jet Fusion technology is used in a new line of custom-made insoles from Edinburgh’s Superfeet.
The ME3D brand uses HP 3D scanning technology to determine the exact shape of a person’s feet and gait when walking.
With this data, Superfeet then 3D print the insoles on demand using the Multi Jet Fusion 3D printer.
Creaform achieves international accreditation for its 3D scanners
Creaform Canada, a manufacturer of industrial grade 3D scanning devices, has attained ISO/IEC 17025:2005 recognition from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.
“the highest calibration laboratory management standards”
Karl Chabot, Creaform’s Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager, explains,
“This designation means that Creaform uses the highest calibration laboratory management standards and has the technical competencies to guarantee that its 3D measurement products meet their technical specifications,”
He adds, “This certification for the HandyPROBE Next™ optical portable CMM product line-up serves as a recognized warranty of consistency in the delivery of high quality and traceable products.”
Proto Labs makes biggest infrastructural investment in company history
Minnesota rapid manufacturing company Proto Labs has invested over $4.6 million in machinery and renovations for their site in Telford, UK.
The money will provide the factory with more CNC and injection molding machines to meet a high demand for product prototypes.
LPW Technology selected for Sharing in Growth (SiG) scheme
Metal additive manufacturing and materials specialist LPW Technology has joined the £1.1 million (the equivalent of $1.4 million USD) SiG scheme from the British government.
SiG has been setup in the UK to support competitive efforts in the supply chain. Over the course of four years, SiG will provide LPW with training and business advice to help the company retain a competitive edge in additive manufacturing.
“The SiG programme will support us to take advantage of the forecast $2 billion growth in the global metal 3D printing market by the year 2020.”
In return, LPW will cover the value of CiG’s guidance in kind with services valued at approximately £1.2 million (Over $1.5 million USD).
Dr Phil Carroll, founder and CEO of LPW comments, “The Sharing in Growth programme will allow us to advance our existing processes and deliver intensive training of an additional 120 staff to the levels demanded by the market sectors we serve, particularly aerospace. […] The SiG programme will support us to take advantage of the forecast $2 billion growth in the global metal 3D printing market by the year 2020.”
Solidscape launches S500 wax 3D printer
Solidscape, a high precision 3D printer manufacturer and subsidiary of Stratasys, has launched a new S500 machine and a range of materials to be used in casting techniques.
Scott Biederman, Vice President of Technology at Hitchiner Manufacturing Co. and one of the first customers of the machine, says,
“We were very impressed with the high level of detail of the patterns printed using the new S500, in addition to the outstanding overall service experience we have enjoyed working with Solidscape.”
Sintavia acquires EOS M400 system
Sintavia, a North American metal 3D printing bureau that recently expanded production with a new facility in Florida, is continuing progress with the addition of an EOS M400 system.
Doug Hedges, Sintavia President and COO, says, “The EOS M400 is a very sound system. We believe it is among the most qualifiable of the large laser platform printers due to its well-controlled mechanical parameters and reliability.”
Facebook looking after Intellectual Property
As Intellectual Property (IP) becomes an increasing concern for designers on the Internet, Facebook is looking into ways to attract this content to the site and protect artists’ work.
As such, the company has just acquired startup Source3 that aims to “recognize, organize and analyze branded intellectual property in user-generated content”.
In other recent news, Facebook also published a patent hinting at the development of a modular smartphone/device.
Microsoft scrap 3D Builder app
In the Fall Creators update of Windows 10, Microsoft have decided to scrap a number of existing features including the 3D Builder app for 3D printers released last year.
Originally designed to make and 3D print digital models of objects snapped with a smartphone, Buidler utilities will now migrate to the more user-friendly Paint 3D and Print 3D apps.
The introduction of Paint 3D has also sparked a backlash from Microsoft fans as it is preinstalled in place of the original MS Paint program.
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Featured image: Sliced logo in the Windows 10 version of MS Paint.
