DS-MAR22-PG06+07_Layout 1 14/03/2022 11:46 Page 6
INDUSTRY NEWS
LOTUS TYPE 62-2 COACHBUILT SPORTS CAR PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF 3D PRINTING
Polymer 3D printing solutions company Stratasys has partnered with luxury automotive brand Radford to create over 500 3D-printed parts for the launch of the Lotus Type 62-2 coachbuilt sports car. This featured in a documentary called Radford Returns, which is available for streaming on the Discovery+ channel. The documentary tells the story of the revival of the art of coachbuilding using technology for the 21st century. It documents the build of the retro-modern Lotus Type 62-2 supercar, with viewers getting an inside look at the process – from designing to prototyping, tooling, and finally producing production parts utilising Stratasys FDM, PolyJet, and stereolithography 3D printing technologies. “Stratasys’ 3D printing technology gave us the design freedom and ability to easily create customised, one-off pieces and parts for these two prototype vehicles. It gave us the ability to fully embrace customised coachbuilding but with
updated processes using 21st century technologies,” said host Ant Anstead. To produce the first two cars, over 500 parts were 3D-printed at the Radford Studio, automotive design and engineering firm Aria Group, and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. Using Stratasys’ GrabCAD Shop workflow software, the Radford team scheduled and tracked their 3D prints across five global locations, using a fleet of up to 20 different Stratasys 3D printers at one time – a true demonstration of distributed manufacturing. The array of Stratasys printers included the F900, F770, Fortus 450mc, F370 and J55 3D printers, each used to achieve different desired outcomes for each part. “By integrating 3D printing technology into their shop, Radford has been able to bring 1960’s-style supercar automaking into the 21st century with the high-end, hyper-customised style and features that
3DGBIRE ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
3D print specialist 3DGBIRE has announced a partnership with CMG Technologies – a leading provider of Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) – to bring UK-based de-binding and sintering capabilities for parts which have been 3D printed with BASF Ultrafuse 316L and 17-4PH stainless steel filaments. The move will enable customers to rapidly introduce
metal additive manufacturing into their businesses and produce pure, industrial grade metal prototypes and
end use parts in as little as five days, without having to export them overseas for de-binding and sintering after printing. This will help reduce lead times, allowing companies to quickly produce prototypes and begin production with additive manufacturing, whilst avoiding expensive tooling and mould costs if high volumes are not required. Parts are produced with Ultrafuse 316L and 17-4PH filaments, which contain high levels of stainless
steel and polymer binders to enable easy printing. The binder content is then removed from the printed part via a catalytic de-binding process and the part is then sintered to a high density to achieve its hardness and strength. The parts produced by this process are virtually identical to those produced by MIM or CNC, which are more costly manufacturing methods for small batches. Leah Melling, marketing, sales and technical support manager at 3DGBIRE, commented: “This
partnership with CMG Technologies will make it easier and faster than ever for customers to print metal parts and prototypes on FFF or FDM 3D printers and finish them with de-binding and sintering – all here in the UK.”
https://3dgbire.com
their customers expect in a vehicle of this caliber,” said Pat Carey, senior vice president, Strategic Growth for Stratasys. “It’s an extreme example of something we see every day in the auto industry. Everyone making investments in new vehicles wants a deeper level of customisation – and 3D printing is helping make it possible.”
www.stratasys.com INTRODUCING VLM
BCN3D has announced a new 3D printing technology: Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM). VLM is a patented lithography-based 3D printing process that laminates thin layers of high viscosity resins onto a transparent transfer film, producing high-performance parts rapidly and affordably. This can process resins 50x more viscous than the industry standard. The mechanical system allows the resin to be laminated from both sides of the film, making it possible to implement strategies to speed up printing times or to combine different resins to get multi-material parts and easy-to-remove support structures. Without a strict low viscosity constraint,
chemical companies obtain the freedom to formulate, as a whole new set of ingredients and modifiers can be added in the resin to achieve the desired effect on thermal and mechanical properties. VLM processes resins that obtain 3x the amount of impact resistance for rigid materials and a 200% increment in tear strength.
www.bcn3d.com IGUS RECEIVES UL APPROVAL FOR HALOGEN-FREE TPE CABLES
igus has announced that is the first cable manufacturer in the world to receive UL AWM certification from US validation agency Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for its high-end TPE cables, which do not require fire-retardant halogens as additives. This is the first time that the testing organisation has recognised that halogen-free TPE cables can also meet the fire protection requirements in industry. According to the US National Fire Protection
Association, machine fires rank 4th most common among causes of fire in the industrial environment in the US, closely followed by fires that are connected to electrical causes. “That is why we are particularly pleased that igus is now the world’s
6 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MARCH 2022
first manufacturer to receive a UL seal for halogen- free TPE cables,” said John Barker, product manager of the chainflex cables at igus UK. “The approval proves to our customers that they are on the safe side with chainflex high-end TPE cables.” Barker added: “Previously, customers had the opportunity to order 1,044 chainflex cables with UL approval. With the new certification, more than 200 TPE cables are added, so we can now offer a nearly complete UL certified program.” European customers also benefit from the cables as well as those who build machines for the North American market, where UL certification of the individual components is the required standard.
www.igus.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
