TCT Magazine Blog - Software and Technology for Product Development and Manufacturing

The TCT Co-Creator Panel

2011-06-03T16:08:00.001+01:00

As Editor I am duty bound to serve the readership first, and I strive to do that with our print, online and digital content.

Over the coming months I will be continuing to build up a team of co-creators that best represent the readership of The TCT Magazine to get involved in the magazine to a level that we've never had before.

This won't be for everyone I know, so that's why I would like to open the doors to you and let you make up your own minds. If you'd like to be able to shape the direction of our coverage in a tangible and measurable way, I would love to hear from you.

I have approached a number of prospective candidates directly with an excellent uptake, so we're building from a strong base. I won't be looking for huge amounts of your time, just your thoughts and comments when we're covering your area of expertise — be it 3D printing, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, software, design, manufacturing... or something else?

For example, I might ask your opinion on a story — to which you can wax lyrical or pass on the offer, it's your call. Likewise you will be able to contact any member of the team directly to ask for coverage of X, Y or Z, and we'll do our utmost to accommodate you.

If you're interested in finding out more, including some of the benefits we can offer you, please drop me an email to james@rapidnews.com and we'll get the conversation started.

Jim Woodcock

Who will get the acquisition fever next?

2011-05-04T11:47:00.000+01:00

A roll of the dice for Stratasys is sure to liven up the markets.

One of the signifiers of a maturing market is an increasing rate of acquisition from established players, and from investors looking for a piece of the action. The last 12 months has seen a number of important acquisitions — driven largely by one major player, 3D Systems.

There are other companies with some cash to splash however...

The news last month that one of the UK's largest and most prestigious engineering companies, Renishaw, has bought 100% of the UK's only AM machine manufacturer, MTT, sent shock waves through the industry. Quite what the response was behind closed doors, and how this will inform the future plans of metals-based AM machines is yet to be seen, but we can guess that a few plans are being re-written.

On the subject of big names, let's not forget that HP bought into the sector last year with their deal to sell re-branded uPrint's from Stratasys — arguably making HP the biggest 'brand' in the sector, especially to those outside the AM bubble. How has this translated into sales? Difficult to say at this point, though both parties insist they are happy with the progress in HP's five territories.

From within the industry we had news that Materialise NV acquired the German AM software specialist Marcam Engineering GmbH, reducing the specialist AM software providers significantly. By bringing Marcam's metals expertise in-house Materialise have filled the holes left by their existing software solutions, and acquired an innovative and well-respected group of developers.

Last night we received the latest acquisition news: that Stratasys, not wishing to be left behind, has put it's hand into its pockets and pulled out $38 million for SolidScape, maker of the high-precision wax-based AM machines that have found significant traction in the jewellery and dental markets.

This latest move makes a lot of sense for Stratasys — the SolidScape technology opens up significant new markets that the company's stalwart FDM tech has been little suited to in the past. It also means that their main rival in the market, 3D Systems, don't steal too much of a march on the company.

Companies currently developing the jewellery and dental markets, including but not limited to 3D Systems, Envisiontec and EOS — will now have to consider that SolidScape has some serious backing behind it, and this move from Stratasys is certainly a statement of intent.

So who or what's next to be snapped up? Someone must have their eye on the troubled Solido 3D (website still not available at time of writing) outfit and it's IP. The SD300 Pro has been around for over a decade now, and refuses to be buried. Bad tech doesn't last long in this sector, so there must be something of interest to one of the bigger players? Or could we see one of the faster-growing startups accelerate their development processes by taking a tried and tested tech back to their guerilla labs with them?

One thing is for sure, there's more of this to come — both acquisitions within the industry (3D Systems have made this much clear) and from outside too. It's all jolly exciting from the 'neutral' point-of-view.

Scientific Institute Explores the Lower Limits of Stereolithography

2011-04-20T15:43:00.000+01:00

Hessel Maalderink, an Additive Manufacturing research scientist at TNO in the Netherlands was involved with the development of a device for microstereolithography. In stereolithography (SLA, or SL) a fluid polymer hardens under the influence of (ultraviolet) light. An object that is to be created gets its shape in this way. One layer is continuously added to a liquid bath, which is followed by a light bundle moving across the surface. Wherever the light touches the surface, the fluid hardens and a sectional plane of the object is formed. The light bundle enlightens the area within the contours of the sectional plane. By lighting very closely, the lines together form a whole of hardened polymer (also known as resin). A variant to this when the underside of the liquid bath is illuminated through the base of the bath, and the work piece is pulled from the base.

Micro Additive Manufacturing
The newly developed TNO variant ‘Force Feedback micro-stereolithography’ is part of a series that is equipped for ‘additive manufacturing’, or the three-dimensional printing of functional products instead of prototypes (commonly referred to as ‘rapid prototyping’). At TNO this printing takes place at micro level, where the objects are only millimetres in size.

Light Sensitive
TNO used Envisiontec’s ‘Digital Light Projection’ machines as the startpoint for its project. These machines are part of a specific class of stereolithography (SL) equipment, characterised by the fact that the part is built bottom-up over a transparent plate that holds the resin, using a beamer as a lightsource. The advantage of this principle when compared to traditional SL lies in the (unlighted and therefore uncured) fluid that remains after the construction of a workpiece. In the case of the ‘bottom-up’ approach, very little fluid remains, when compared with traditional ‘overhead’ SL. Uncured material cannot be reused endlessly in an SL system as some degeneration of the polymer takes place, so less material in the chamber equates to less waste. Another advantage concerns the accuracy of the layer thickness, which is more exactly defined than in ‘traditional’ SL, as the plate of glass creates a firm and smooth reference surface.

A disadvantage lies in the restriction to build large objects. When separating large objects from the reference surface, the forces applied tend to deform it. Lowering the build speed, allowing more time for the material to flow between the object and the reference surface, can reduce this effect.

Controlled Loosening
Maalderink: “The formation of a layer takes up to 25 seconds with the Envisiontec machines. Manufacturing a product consisting of thousands of layers therefore takes a long time. We have investigated whether the time to form a layer can be reduced. One solution is to make the movement very slow, so that even in the case of large surfaces, the forces on the product are not too great. This is the solution chosen by Envisiontec.

Maalderink continued: “We have chosen a different solution. We have developed a class of machines that measure the force during loosening and pressing the object into a new layer of resin. As soon as a maximum value is exceeded, it reduces the speed at which it moves the object in the z direction (perpendicular to the glass). This maximum force that is allowed is related to the sectional plane of the layer concerned. By doing so, we have been able to reduce the cycle time from 25 to 4 seconds, which makes a considerable difference to the overall build time.”

Small Products
Some other developments followed. A set-up was constructed for research purposes, which was suitable for manufacturing small products of 4 by 3 millimetres maximum, with considerable accuracy. The pixel size of the projected image is 4 x 4 micrometres. The typical layer thickness is between 5 and 10 micrometres. By moving the projection in steps (in both directions), objects of 40 by 30 millimetres are also feasible if desired. However the current set-up is not capable of measuring such large forces. This means that per layer the maximum surface that can be hardened is certainly not 40 by 30 mm large (in the case of massive geometries). The steps are barely visible to the naked eye; the seams between two projections have a size of less than one micrometre.

Pixels
The fact that pixels are mentioned has to do with the manner of lighting. This way of lighting does not use LCD (which also uses pixels) in combination with blue light, but a ‘digital light processor’ (DLP) in combination with a UV light source. A digital light processor (Texas Instruments) contains many thousands of microscopic small mirrors that specifically reflect the light that falls on them, in which case each mirror forms one pixel. Maalderink adds: “An important advantage of this when compared with an lcd is that UV can be used. This is a lot more difficult with an lcd. The contrast in the projection is greater too, causing the material that is not to be lighted up to receive less light than with an lcd. This results in the fact that the photosensitive material can be reused somewhat more often, as long as it has not been made part of a product.” TNO has successfully incorporated a great deal of its knowledge in the area of optics into the projector. The institute has also used the device for some other inventions. The sheet of glass is, for instance, not only somewhat tilted each time in order to loosen it from the workpiece more easily, but it has also been moved. If desired, it is also possible to work in a vacuum.

Ceramic
The machine is suitable for processing light sensitive materials, so-called photopolymers. The mechanical properties of these materials are however limited. TNO is therefore currently researching the use of such materials in combination with ceramic powders that are dissolved in the materials. In the same way that casting moulds for exclusive car engines are obtained elsewhere, the idea is to dissolve fine powder grains (smaller than one micrometre) in a resin. When the object is ready, it is ‘burnt out’ in an oven, which causes the resin to evaporate. The grains are now lying against one another and so they sinter together. A substantial shrinkage takes place, which is usually the same in all directions in the case of ceramic materials, which leads to a result that can be predicted well and which for instance does not warp, or will not be confronted with high pressure.

Application
TNO already has various applications in mind, such as for instance in the medical sector and in microfluidics. The institute would like to discuss possible applications with the business world. It uses the device for its own research and third parties can gain experience with it in the Democentre. TNO is also interested in parties that want to adopt the technology. The institute has financed the development itself and presents the outcome as its expectations regarding ‘rapid manufacturing’ are high and the institute wants to continue stimulating the diligence of the manufacturing industry, which includes this area too. The future will tell if the investment in the device and the underlying knowledge is worth it.

Biography

Rein van der Mast started using ‘time-compression technologies’ in ’97. He has been promoting their advantages in specific Dutch magazines for many years, and he applies these technologies in his consultancy work whenever appropriate. He initiated an event in The Netherlands in 2008 called Rapid Manufacturing & Mass Customisation, connecting both emerging markets and presenting speakers, like Terry Wohlers and Professor Frank Piller. He is currently also carrying out private research on sculpting in combination with 3D printing.

Renishaw PLC shows continuing faith in AM

2011-04-15T16:27:00.000+01:00

Today's news that Renishaw PLC has acquired 100% share capital of MTT Investments Ltd, and thus the subsidiary MTT Technologies Group Ltd could prove to be one of the most important stories The TCT Magazine has broken (or will break) this year.

While both MTT and Renishaw are individually well known to the majority of readers, this coming together of the technology and the infrastructure to accelerate its development signifies a turning point for both parties.

MTT offers a number of solutions to the industry — from vacuum casting to micro injection moulding to SLM technology. Renishaw brings to the table investment, expertise and enthusiasm for AM (you only need to spend 5 minutes with Jeremy Pullin to realise that!). Where this 'best of British' partnership takes things is open to debate, but it's bound to have a significant impact on the industry of which it is a part.

Throughout the 3DSUG conference it was apparent that while companies in the AM industry are growing, the industry is still tiny, with even the biggest players genuine small-fry (especially considering that many go to great lengths to make themselves appear much larger than they really are). This leads to frustrations for users along the lines of: "You've shown me this great technology, now where's the next level? The new materials? The new processes?"

Development costs money, time and skills — things that even the largest AM players don't have a great deal of. I'd expect we will see many more acquisitions like this over the next couple of years as the risks decrease for investors, and the technology reaches mainstream audiences. There are plenty of obvious candidates from the laser, machine tool and general engineering arenas for whom it would make perfect sense to buy a bit of AM expertise.

Until the next announcement...

Out and about in the USA

2011-03-17T10:40:00.003Z

'Always turn left' has become 'always head upstairs'...

Catch up with me and the TCT team at the following upcoming US events:

3D SUG, Miami, Florida 3–7 April 2010 — I'll be there 4th–9th effectively, and am looking forward to meeting some new faces.

Amerimold, Chicago, Illinois 13–14 April 2010 (Stand 214)— I'm in Chicago from the morning of the 9th until the afternoon of the 14th, so if you'd like to meet up either at the show or elsewhere please drop me a line. Also onsite will be publisher and events MD Duncan Wood.

RAPID, Minnesota, Minneapolis 23–26 May 2010 (Stand 516) — A chance to catch Duncan, Carol Hardy or myself in Minnesota (probably at THIS 'rooftop' bar (outside show hours, of course)).

We'll also be out and about at numerous smaller events across the rest of 2011 and, of course, at TCT Live in Birmingham this September.

These shows are an important opportunity for readers and advertisers alike to meet with the TCT team face-to-face, whether to give feedback or ideas, talk generally about the magazine or industry, or have a good gossip over a beer. I'll also be on the look out for the most pertinent content for the magazine, website and event so if there's something you think I should see, come and grab me!

Hard to Starboard, Cap'n.

2011-03-15T20:26:00.000Z

Another first for me today — a TCT Live Steering Committee meeting. Far from being merely an excuse to drink tea and gossip, the steering committee also provides an important, though easily overlooked, function — to make sure that the content across the TCT Live event is relevant, entertaining and brings real value to visitors.

It's not easy to put together three days (yes, it's longer this year) of sparkling keynotes, speakers and presentations but by using our team of (mostly) respected experts, TCT is able to offer a conference and exhibition that really can claim to be the best in the world.

But I would say that, wouldn't I. Probably, but I am writing this not at the behest of some higher power, but because I believe it to be true. Having spent considerable time in planes, trains and automobiles visiting exhibitions, conferences and seminars across the globe, I can say with hand on heart that if you want to be educated and entertained then TCT Live should be in your diary before anything else.

A load of (crystal) balls?

2011-03-10T20:32:00.001Z

The future, yesterday.

Have you heard about this amazing new technology called 3D Printing? It can make anything, it's really futuristic but you can have it, I personally guarantee it, in 10 years. It's like a photocopier that makes what it sees. It works like a normal 2D printer you have at home. It will revolutionise manufacturing. You'll be able to print your own Strartavarius. It will one day be available for £50, just like a laser printer...

If you keep an eye on the mainstream media you may well be able to pick a few of those phrases and place them in recent articles, and radio and television broadcasts about AM. These explorations of journalistic integrity (and I realise I am putting myself firmly in the firing line here) range from 'good-natured but hazy' to 'wildly inaccurate and damaging'.

Now I am not, you may be amazed to find out, a journalist by trade. My (in)eloquence and (un)mastery of the English language are happy bi-products of a mis-spent youth absorbing written content at every opportunity. So saying, it's not for me to belittle a professional though non-technical writer, broadcaster or editor who is looking for a decent story and stumbles across the world of additive manufacturing.

On the surface AM looks like science-fiction, and that's exciting. Let's not pretend that even now, even with the knowledge of the minutiae of what makes the various processes work that it's not still just a little bit cool — especially when you can explain it with confidence and clarity to a slack-jawed AM virgin. Given this, we could all forgive someone for getting a little carried away, spurred on by the enthusiasm of their latest ~~victim~~ interested party.

The problem is, however, that mis-information spreads like a disease as journalists and editors beg, borrow and steal from each other in the race toward the bandwagon. It's not their fault, they've got deadlines and anyway they're only doing this to fund the work on their novel...

The real problem is that this information is coming from somewhere within our own ranks. In the race to get to the front cover of a national magazine or newspaper, influential members of our own community are conveniently overlooking some startling inaccuracies. Again, who can blame them. There's no such thing as bad publicity, right?

So what if your machine isn't anything like a photocopier, and to describe it as such would be both dishonest and misleading? If it makes for an easier headline then let it slide.

So what if this technology isn't British, it is actually American and German? If it suits your story, where's the harm.

Yes, publicity is good. Yes mainstream coverage is desirable. Yes, a few white-lies to spark the public's imagination can be forgiven. But as an industry we're building an rod for our own backs if we let the mis-information continue to infiltrate the mainstream...

Tooling Management — Who knew?

2011-03-09T14:41:00.003Z

It was such a glorious spring morning yesterday that my colleague John Jones and I decided it would be rude not to take a blast across the Pennines to Wakefield and accept an invitation from CAD/CAM solutions provider Planit.

Planit were playing host to Swiss data management specialists Datos, producer of the WinTool application for tool and CNC data management. WinTool helps to solve a problem that I had hardly ever considered before, that of the huge amounts of tool components and assemblies in a modern machine shop.

Whenever I have seen CNC machines running in a production setting before, I've only ever given the most cursory thought to the tools beyond the fact that they're there, and they all do different jobs. How they reach the machine, how the operator knows that each tool is the right one, and how all the components that make up a tool end up in the right place at the right time (or not) has simply never arisen.

Now, that may be my naivety I confess, but following the presentation by Datos' Marc Holthuizen and UK-based WinTool Consultant Malcolm Dearing I realised that I am not alone. There seems to be a distinct lack of science behind the tool management in a number of companies — from operators keeping 'their' tools locked in a cupboard for fear of never seeing them again, to complex and expensive 'workarounds'.

The presentation we witnessed wasn't simply for our benefit — it was a demonstration to workshops from the automotive sports industry who are facing some challenges with their current tool management solution. For workshops from the automotive sports industry, knowing if a tool exists, if they own any, where those tools are and in what state of repair could potentially save the company significant time and money.

One company that has implemented the system is Lotus Renault Formula 1 team — Marc and Malcolm continued on to the Whiteways Technical Centre in Oxforshire to install the application.

Although the initial time-investment into such a system is substantial if you want a truly comprehensive management solution, the pay-offs are reportedly huge. It will be interesting to see if either of the workshops from the automotive sports industry implement WinTool and what effect it has on their production facility.

We will be featuring a more comprehensive breakdown of tool management options in coming issues of the magazine.

Failure is not an option

2011-01-24T20:58:00.001Z

I'm currently stateside, San Antonio, Texas to be precise for SolidWorks World 2011. Running since 1999, SWW (as it known, check the hashtag #sww11 on twitter for the latest) is now a huge event that brings together the team behind Solidworks and their users.

It's an impressive affair, highlighted well by the fist keynote speakers — Jim Lovell and Gene Krantz. These are almost certainly names you know: Lovell was the commander of the Appolo 13 mission, NASAs ill-fated third trip to the moon, Kranz was the mission control director back in Houston. The title of this post is Kranz's oft-repeated mantra. Lovell on the other hand gave us the ubiquitous 'Houston, we have a problem.'

The session began however with former SW CEO, Jeff Ray, now EVP of Geographic Operations at parent company Dassault Systémes. Ray gave us an overview of some impressive applications of SW products, including how they were used to help free the Chilean miners last year.

Ray then introduced his successor, Bertrand Sicot. Sicot explained how DraftSight, the company's free 2D offering has been downloaded 300,000 times and has 16,000 DraftSight Community members — impressive uptake since last year's launch.

Now normally the current and previous CEO's of a company would be the keynote, a big deal, a pair of grand framages. But on this occasion they were merely the warm up act for what followed.

Kranz and Lovell are both unparalleled public speakers, and truly brought the story of Apollo 13 to life. For an hour the room was enraptured with quiet, respectful admiration. You'll notice that sww11 hashtag all but stopped while they talked.

In the press conference that followed they were both upbeat about engineers and engineering, but expressed reservations about the future of space exploration.

In today's litigious society, where bad things must never happen, and everyone must die only of old age, it seems unlikely that we'll get a figure like JFK standing up and proclaiming that: "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."

It's more likely to be "We have do these things because they are safe," and that will almost certainly stop us dead in our tracks.

Like Lovell said: "You can't have achievement without risk."

Welcome back

2011-01-04T11:07:00.000Z

The familiar chair, contours formed by a thousand hours of use, welcomes me back to the office like an old friend. The mug that has sat cold and dry for 17 days is brought back to life with the first coffee of 2011. Pen poised, iMac humming, it's time to begin... Back to the world of additive manufacturing after a brain-dulling break then — and there's plenty to talk about from the end of 2010 and start of 2011.

Firstly a couple of pieces I noticed from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/9318390.stm — a decent roundup of the 3D printing arena from BBC America

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12069495 — a festive slant on the world of 3D printing with some interesting food applications.

I highlight these specifically because of the involvement of one of the world's largest media organisations. When a story about a sub-genre of additive manufacturing gets onto the front page of the New York Times, or CNBC or BBC etc it exposes potentially millions more people to the technologies. I doubt whether anyone's likely to rush out and buy a £250,000 additive production system on the back of a mainstream media article, but they might head for a MakerBot or similar. And it all helps the cause of promoting additive technologies, right?

3D printing continues to forge ahead in the mainstream, making it into JWT's 100 things to watch in 2011, which can be found here — http://www.jwtintelligence.com

Having been on the periphery of mainstream intelligence for so long now, it will be interesting to see if the increased competition and falling prices witnessed over the last 12 months really do push additive, though specifically 3D printing, forward throughout the year. Or are we still missing an essential piece of the puzzle that will open up these technologies to the man on the street?

Either way, it's going to be another interesting year! Here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011 for us all.

Incremental improvements

2010-12-08T12:54:00.002Z

Finally back to the office after an extended absence, part of which included braving the cold and subsequent travel chaos to attend this year's Euromold in Frankfurt, Germany.

Now in its 17th year, Euromold is a staple on the calendars of anyone involved in the product design, development and manufacturing chain. Taking up three halls of the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre, the event was well attended despite the closure of Frankfurt airport and the cancellation of hundreds of inbound flights.

Although there were no major tech developments at the show, there were a number of important incremental developments for visitors to learn about:

EOS introduced the EOSINT M 280 — a development of the established M 270 system with a 400W fibre laser and redesigned flow within the build chamber.
Objet unveiled two 3D printers starting from $19,900 — the Objet24 and Objet 30 replace the Alaris30 and signal a shift away from the subdivisions (Alaris, Eden, Connex etc) that have driven Objets marketing of late. While the Objet24 prints only in a single resin the Objet30 can use multiple materials (though not simultaneously) broadening the scope of applications.
MTT Technologies Group has split into two separate entities; MTT Technologies Ltd in the UK and SLM Solutions GmbH in Germany. The move sees both companies acting independently in the global marketplace.
SensAble Technologies announced a new dental partners SILADENT in Germany and Innodema in Belgium, along with news that its 3D modelling software, FreeForm, was availble as a version 11 release.
Delcam and Marcam Engineering announced a plan to work in partnership to develop joint solutions for the AM market. Though not currently legally-binding, the proposed agreement would see Delcam acquire a 24.9% stake in the German software developer, which currently offers AutoFab and VisCAM software.

A number of innovations in materials were also shown at the event including:

EOS launched new materials for both metal and plastic SLS; EOS NickelAlloy IN625 in the metals, while for plastic parts, PrimePart FR (PA 2241 FR, a new, flame retardant material that is particularly suitable for applications in the aerospace industry) and PrimePart ST (PEBA 2301, a flexible elastomeric material offering a wide range of mechanical properties, depending on the laser exposure strategy selected) were launched.
Objet began to address some ongoing concerns in the materials field by launching new 'functional' resins that will be available from next year: Objet Clear Material featuring true transparency with high dimensional stability; Objet High Temperature Material, bringing 3D printing models into a new era of thermal functionality; and Objet first-generation of ABS-like Material, bringing 3D model properties closer than ever to engineering plastics. Objet VeroWhitePlus will be released concurrently to replace VeroWhite.
DSM Somos demonstrated some prototypes made by European bureaux using the company's NeXt SL resin.

Keep an eye on the website in the coming days for more news from the show along with updates from the latest issue.

Did you attend Euromold? What caught your eye this year, and how did it compare to previous outings?

It's all over for another year... ish.

2010-10-25T10:51:00.001+01:00

The TCT Live show closed it's doors on Wednesday, giving the staff here at Rapid Towers time to briefly reflect on a packed couple of days before we have to start all over again!

I was able to speak with a great many of the TCT Live exhibitors over the days either on their booths, in the aisles or more often than not at the bar. The consensus was that the quality of leads was higher than ever — perhaps not surprising as AM in all guises continues to gain traction — and that the whole event was a success for all involved.

I am in the process of writing up an article on a dental products company that has demonstrated how best to make the most of a show like TCT. They learned of the technologies through the introductory lectures given by Graham Tromans at the show in 2009. They then used the show floor to see all the technologies in action and grill the staff on the minutiae of owning and running each system before opting for the best-fit solution.

They were back on the floor again this year, looking for a new scanning solution to further enhance their offering.

It's the perfect example of how seeing the technology 'in-the-flesh' really can help to drive ideas forward. The company in question are going from strength to strength having had their inherent capacity released by the enabling technologies they saw at TCT Live.

So how was the show for you? If you came along and something in particular caught your eye I would be thrilled to hear about it.

Jim

Jim Heppelmann Interview — continued from TCT 18/5 page 38

2010-10-13T11:07:00.000+01:00

...Continued from TCT 18/5 page 38. See the whole article online HERE.

"Solving these problems requires a fundamental breakthrough,” says Brian Shepherd, PTC’s executive VP of product development. “Mechanical CAD has been too focused on the needs of the few, the consumers of CAD information (engineers and designers). Other users are better served by a different approach. An analyst, for example, may just want to take a parametric model and make some quick, easy changes to it, without having to worry about the history that it was created with or the features it was modelled through. A product manager might be better served by a markup approach or a configuration planner, an application that doesn’t really resemble CAD today, a hybrid between CAD and PLM . It’s also important to note that these individuals' needs change throughout the lifecycle.”

PTC doesn’t believe the answer is, as Shepherd put it, “one massive, monster, monolithic application.” To explain PTC’s vision, he borrowed a line from Apple’s iPhone campaign, “Whether you need 2D sketching, 3D direct modelling, surfacing, parametric modelling, or something else pertaining to product development, we want to be able to say, there’s an app for that,” says Shepherd.

Project Lightening (to be launched at the end of October) from PTC is the start of this new approach. PTC contends that if the decision of which modelling paradigm to use (2D, 3D Direct or 3D Parametric) was left up to each user they would naturally select the modelling paradigm (and tool) that would make the most sense for them and their particular task.

There are many ways to dig a hole in the ground, from a simple garden trowel to a powerful mechanical digger. People naturally make the 'right' choice for their personal situation and task. But, in the CAD world, it has always been different. Because of the lack of interoperability between modelling paradigms, and because there is a need for all of the participants in the design process to share data, many companies seek to standardise on a single system and paradigm.

This is always a 'compromise' approach that often provides many users with more capabilities (and more complexity) than they really need. It would be like issuing everyone with a mechanical digger even if their job was just to plant flowers. Project Lightning will eliminate this need for a company to mandate a single paradigm, by offering a set of solutions on a common platform, giving each user the flexibility to invoke whichever modelling paradigm is best suited for them and the task at hand.

Similarly, another dilemma confronting product developers has been the approach to assembly modelling. For relatively simple products with few variants, a pure CAD based approach works fine. But for more complicated products that may have many hundreds of configurations, a CAD based assembly approach is not feasible. In these cases, a PLM approach is required. Project Lightning will solve this problem by rationalising these two methods with a simple, robust PLM backbone that will drive the CAD model.

PTC’s future software environment will be a lot less about geometry and more about the process and solving product issues such as form, feel and function. Will it do the job, will it work in water, does it look good in my kitchen, or will it be too noisy for my lounge. It will become more about design collaboration where multi-party interaction will be seamless, and the complexities of the software will be hidden from the user to be replaced with environments that play to the Game Boy generations’ preferences.

Charles Clarke

charles@rapidnews.com

How to Fix your 1922 Duesenberg Engine — Leno Style

2010-09-29T09:12:00.004+01:00

I am, you may have noticed, rather fond of cars. I am therefore lucky to be in a position where I can see how exciting technologies are used in automotive development — both in a sporting and consumer context.

Imagine my excitement then when I noticed this new video post on Jay Leno's Garage. For those of you who need a little back story: Jay Leno is the long-time host of NBC's nightly late-night comedy/chat programme, The Tonight Show in the US. He is also a car enthusiast and collector, with over 100 cars and a total of 200 vehicles in his collection. Jay Leno's Garage is a website with regular video updates on his car collection, what work has been undertaken and how — worth a watch regardless of specific content if you ask me!

The update from 24th September features some familiar names to readers of the TCT magazine and website: FARO, Autodesk, Geomagic and Dimension. In the episode Jay and his team need to recreate an engine part for a 1922 Duesenberg Rochester engine as, unsurprisingly, parts are pretty scarce these days.

Using a Faro scanner, some Autodesk and Geomagic software, and a Dimension 3D printer, Jay and guests (Gonzalo Martinez of Autodesk, Ping Fu of Geomagic, and Jeff Squibbs of Faro) can re-create the part in a matter of hours.

Another example of how the technologies first conceived for product development are making their way into the public consciousness and finding increasingly interesting and exciting applications.

See the video HERE...

TCT Bright Minds at Renault F1

2010-08-31T14:09:00.010+01:00

There are some definite perks to working in the 'communications' industry, specifically the Three J's — jaunts, jollies and junkets.

Last week I was able to take a day out of the office and head down to the Renault F1 factory in Enstone as part of the TCT Bright Minds scheme. The trip was legitimately arranged by Graham Tromans for the winners of the BM 2009 competition, and I was legitimately there to cover the event and represent the magazine. It didn't stop it being a ~~cracking jolly~~ very informative day out.

Apart from being one of the cleanest manufacturing facilities I have ever seen, Renault F1's UK base also had the impression of being one of the most relaxed. Now, I know that F1 is the pinnacle of engineering in a lot of ways, and that as such the timescales and expectations must pile the stress on to every individual in the place at times, but you just wouldn't know it. Busy, yes. Manic, absolutely not.

Pat Warner, ADM Manager at Renault F1 was kind enough to show the group around as much of the facility as possible — though with the 2010 developments ongoing (see the addition of an 'F-Duct' at the Spa F1 in Belgium last Sunday) and the 2011 car already in the pipeline there must be plenty of 'sensitive' information lurking behind closed doors.

What we did get to see however was deployment of cutting-edge technology in the greatest race series in the world. From composites to additive manufacturing and computer simulation it seemed that the sum of all human engineering knowledge had been brought together with the sole aim of making a very fast car. Put like that, you can see why the doubters and detractors feel they have a point. I mean, F1 is fun (this season has been a belter) but it's not really 'making a difference'. Is it?

In my recent AM and the Environment article in the magazine, I noted that the industries driving the development of 'sustainable' solutions are those that are currently (in perception or reality) the environmental bad boys — energy production, aerospace, automotive and the like. These high-carbon activities have the greatest imperative to reduce their environmental impact, as well as the greatest budgets to dedicate to the cause.

The 'pure' engineering that happens in places like Renault F1 is vital to not only to the continuing development of technology, but also for solving some of the greatest challenges mankind faces now, and will face in the future. It's a shame that most people don't get really excited about environmental issues, it really is. Everything would be so much easier if humans were different like that. But we're not, and the things we get excited about (speed, racing, flying, cool stuff) tend to come at a cost. By turning these challenges on their head we can use our need to compete, our need to push the boundaries and experiment to our advantage.

Processes and innovations from F1 have filtered out to mass automotive markets and aerospace where they are now having a positive impact on 'serious' challenges. It is the white heat of competition that always has, and always will, drive us to develop quickest — peace and love are all very good, but they're no good if you're looking for technological progress.

Finally, congratulations to all at the Renault F1 Team on their podium finish in Belgium.

James Woodcock

The TCT 2010 Reader Survey — Get involved!

2010-08-27T13:23:00.004+01:00

We publish The TCT Magazine for you. This is your chance to let us know how we're doing, and what you need from us next year.

As part of our constant development process we'd like to know what you think of TCT's print and digital output. Whether it's good, bad or indifferent we value the views of every reader, website visitor or social contributor. Only by knowing what you think can we ensure that every time you receive the magazine or visit the website you're getting the information you need in the format you want.

Simply click the link below and answer the eight multiple choice questions. If you have time we would also encourage you to fill in the optional comment box at the bottom of each question with your thoughts, comments or opinions. If there's something you want to see — or don't want to see — let us know!

Complete the survey HERE.

TCT interview with Florian Bechmann, Concept Laser GmbH

2010-08-23T14:44:00.005+01:00

...continued from The TCT Magazine, Vol. 18, Issue 4, page 39.

TCT: Looking back to reproducibility of process, can you reassure readers about your statements?

Dr. Bechmann: Our quality assurance system makes parts assembly transparent by monitoring the construction process in real-time. We thereby tackle all process components: melt pool, documentation, process gas, powder and temperature. A key element here is the real-time monitoring of the melt pool. In practice, for us this means the monitoring of the melt pool at very high sampling rates. As SLM/LaserCUSING is a micro-welding process in a confined space (track width approx. 100 µm with a layer height of approx. 20–50 µm), a high resolution is required. The melt pool module follows the running construction process with several thousand images per second. It analyses the relevant melt track data in real-time. These are recorded and evaluated by our own software. Another key element is the powder module. It is important for us that the powder module operates in isolation from the production plant. This means that the sieving of the metal powder can take place in parallel to the construction process. In addition, it allows high throughput rates with a fine sieve mesh width of down to less than 50 µm. The powder module may be rendered inert; i.e. it contains is a protective gaseous atmosphere which excludes oxygen. As a rule we use the inert gas argon, which ensures the constant chemical composition of the metal powder.
These are our quality criteria, which are reflected in the quality of the component, surface and component structure. Finally, a comprehensive documentation of the process is intended to bring us closer to the aim of zero defect manufacturing. Currently, we are also working on monitoring of the volumetric flow rate in the process gas module. We already have constant monitoring and regulation of the oxygen concentration in the process gas. The regulation of the volumetric flow rate is our current development task. The eventual aim of these measures is a self-regulating process of the highest quality, with high degrees of freedom in the geometry and assured economic efficiency.

TCT: What are your opinions on surface quality? What efforts are you making in this area?

Dr. Bechmann: We are making great strides in terms of surface finish. The once proverbial rugosity of the SLM/LaserCUSING component surface is no where near as pronounced as in the past. For precision parts, today we can eclipse casting with our microwelding process as far as component quality and, in particular, density and surface finish are concerned. We can also overcome their tendency to form blow-holes and separate, as we are working with a very fine build-up of layer using a laser.

TCT: How are you developing the mechanical properties of your SLM parts?

Dr. Bechmann: For this Concept Laser have developed a patented process under the name ‘Island principle’. Stochastically selected, the segments of a layer (so-called ‘islands’) are processed successively. We melt the metal powder in one segment and then move off to a distant segment, thereby ensuring thermal equilibration on the surface. In the melting process, this strategy guarantees a significant reduction in stresses within the component.

TCT: Price is king in manufacturing, and AM is still regarded by many as being prohibitively expensive. Where do you see the balance between SLM and traditional technologies now and in the future on price?

Dr. Bechmann: There is a limit to established industrial processes when considering die casting. We have already been able to free ourselves from prototype construction and move in the direction of small series production. We are increasingly more capable of mass production under the catchphrase ‘mass customization’. For us the boundary is now moving to higher numbers of units. The reason for this lies in the possible speed of component construction today using more powerful lasers. Factors such as cheaper powder prices or the simultaneous and multiple construction of several components in one process room, also come into play. Undoubtedly, the batch size is always the cut-off point for die casting. The unit costs define the choice between conventional manufacture as opposed to toolless, generative production – always considering factors such as quality required, mechanical strength and functionality. Our big chances lie in these three final points, with additional cost degression and further developments of the SLM/LaserCUSING process technology to be undertaken. We have already been able to make that choice swing in our favour in the mass production of dental crowns and bridges.

TCT: What developments do you see in the future?

Dr. Bechmann: We really are broadening our horizons. SLM/LaserCUSING still offers plenty of potential. On the one hand, I see this in the increasing performance of the laser. 200 W lasers are fitted in our machines as standard. However, we have already successfully launched the first installed systems with 400 W fibre lasers onto the market. We are assuming that the trend towards more powerful lasers will continue and promise ourselves additional visible improvements in construction rates over the next few years. Materials are another factor. Let’s consider applications within implant technology. High-purity titanium alloys are used here, which meet the strict requirements of the ASTM standard for surgical implants. High performance alloys will be in greater demand in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in the future. Our partnership with the DLR (German Aerospace Centre), that already uses our machines in its technical laboratories, indicates that things are moving in this direction. I am also thinking about precious metal applications, such as gold or silver, for the dental technology or jewellery industry. It is precisely these sectors that we will, in future, be able to supply products to that are capable of producing truly unique pieces. SLM/LaserCUSING is predestined for producing unique pieces. From my point of view, the bottom line would be that SLM/LaserCUSING is increasingly becoming a materials and product development platform.

F1: Hands off MY technology...

2010-08-04T11:18:00.006+01:00

F1 seems to have a bit of a stranglehold on additive technologies at the moment — not only do all of the teams (probably, allegedly, etc.) have AM bits on the cars, but now the trophies have gone all AM too.

Materialise are once again taking AM to a new audience through its open-minded applications. I watched the Hungarian GP as I have done every GP this year (Lewis was robbed, Schumacher deserves a ban and Kobayashi deserves a medal) but I didn't realise that the real star of the show was an SLS'd six legged dog!

The Rise and Rise of 3D Printing

2010-07-27T16:58:00.006+01:00

The recent news that ZCorp now offer two new 'value' printers is perhaps not that shocking given the recent entry of HP into this rapidly expanding 'low-end' market. Not that I think ZCorp have developed these latest offerings in response to HP's entry (a recent chat with CEO John Kawola put paid to that theory), but it's increasingly obvious that a number of companies have their eyes trained on the sub £15k 3D Printing market. I doubt that Z Corp will be the last to make an offering in this area.

Todd Grimm and Associates have recently released a report that benchmarks seven 3D Printing systems, showing who does what, who really can't do that despite claiming to be able to, and how much it's all going to cost you. The report excellently highlights the abilities and inabilities of the machines, and demonstrates that of all of the technologies to chose from, you're going to feel let down with it at some point.

It could be the sharpness of detail, or the fact that parts of your build simply failed to materialise, or that you've made too many models and now you've no money left. Either way, it's going to grind your gears at some point. It would be the same were you in the market for an injection moulding machine; whether you go Engel, Arburg or Negri Bossi you're likely to come across something, at some point, where your machine is outperformed by one of the others.

If you know what you want from your 3D Printer however, and are willing to accept that no one machine ticks all the boxes just yet, you at least have the options in front of you.

Some see the ultimate goal for 3D Printers to be on every desk next to your home computer. I don't see it happening myself, but I realise that could be a 'one computer in every town in America' type of statement.

If you look at the evolution and uptake of inkjet printers, they went through a huge surge when everyone decided that inferior quality photo-prints using gallons of expensive ink an premium paper were the way to go. Eventually we realised that hunting for drivers online, fixing paper jams and listening to THAT NOISE when the thing is starting up was not fun. So now we upload our photos and get them printed by experts and sent back to us the next day. Bingo.

Facilitating the inkjet revolution was the concurrent revolution in digital photography. Suddenly everyone with an opposable thumb was a photographer. Without this development inkjet would probably never have infiltrated our quiet studies with THAT DAMN NOISE like they did — so what's the concurrent development 3D Printing needs? The ability to design in 3D made as easy as digital photography, that's what.

PS. Just as I was about to post this, an rp-ml post dropped in. From www.pp3dp.com, a Personal Portable 3D Printer. Searching for some info at the moment. The website looks to have been registered in China, and the technology is FDM... Anyone have any ideas? Oh, it's $1500 too.

My Definition is This

2010-07-26T13:40:00.007+01:00

Another issue over bar the proofing. Time to relax... Done, back to the grindstone.

The issue that you'll be receiving in the post in the next 10 days is a bumper 68-pager, with a full 16 pages of preview for TCTLive in October, a State of the Industry feature, AM and the environment and much more.

Putting together the State of the Industry piece was a real challenge — so many crystal clear opinions and murky facts to consider. Of primary importance for the piece was to define the industry, in this case the additive manufacturing industry. Or should that be Rapid Prototyping. Or 3D printing? Where are the boundaries of these terms, what lies within each boundary and what's happening in these sectors — these were the questions that drove me almost to distraction.

I won't give too much away at this early stage, but I think I have it sorted. For now. In my head at least. As 'the industry' morphs and mutates it is entirely possible that these definitions (including those created through the ASTM F42 Committee's efforts) will look hopelessly out of date in a few years time, and it will be back to the drawing board. Crucial to keeping up with developments is the ability to communicate effectively across the board. Using the same terminology and jargon, and sticking to the definitions now available from the F42 Committee will facilitate both intra- and inter-industry communications.

So I'd like to put it to you, gentle reader: how do you define the additive industry?

Comment, email, smoke signals etc as usual.

Jim

How 'work-ready' are today's graduates?

2010-06-28T11:52:00.004+01:00

A recent email alerted me to the New Designers show coming up next month in London. The show brings together graduates from the country's top design colleges to showcase their wares to a global selection of visitors from all walks of life.

The email that sparked my initial interest concerned the production of bespoke jewellery pieces using additive manufacturing/3d Printing. This is not exactly new use of the technology, but designers are constantly 'pushing the envelope'.

I'm interested in seeing what proportion of current graduates — the future designers for all aspects of all industries — have a deep enough understanding of what is currently possible using additive technologies and sophisticated (read expensive beyond the grasp of many design colleges) 3D CAD.

Someone once told me that teachers don't like to teach what they don't know well enough themselves. This, said the anonymous commentator, is what's keeping some technology trapped behind a wall of ignorance. It takes a brave person to walk into a room full of eager (read hungover, possibly asleep) students and attempt to teach them about something truly cutting edge — plain sailing until the clean-shaven tee-totaller on the front row starts asking difficult questions, no doubt.

So are students leaving their courses with enough of the 'right' sort of knowledge? How much work does a company have to put in themselves to bring new recruits up to scratch? Comments as ever can be placed below (go on, don't be scared, have a go. Dare you.) or go for the personal touch to james@rapidnews.com

RAPID 2010

2010-05-22T22:02:00.004+01:00

There will be a full write up on the RAPID 2010 event (which took place last week in Anaheim, California, USA) in the next issue of TCT. Here I'll just summarise some points and give you the flavour (or should that be flavor?)...

The TCT Magazine had a strong presence at the show, with myself and the Publisher, Duncan Wood (arriving not-so-fresh from running the successful MM Live USA event in Cincinnati the week before) there for the duration.

It was an excellent opportunity for me to meet many of the 'key players' in the industry, see some more tech at first hand, and share a few beers in the unseasonably chilly pool-area. I was made to feel immediately at home through TCT's extended family of contributors, advisory board and steering committee members, many of whom have a large hand in helping to organise the RAPID event. The first night in the Lost Bar with a Ricky Gervais lookalike and someone called 'the Governator' was especially memorable...

The keynotes kicked each days events off at 8am, with the first from Ed Fries of FigurePrints a great way to get the halls attention. His story is a fascinating and enviable one and the presentation gripped the hall from start to finish. The standard remained high throughout the event; the 'Founders of Industry' providing insight into their lives and companies; Terry Wohlers giving his glimpse into the future; and a host of other speaker illuminating their chosen subjects.

There were a number of product releases, some of which are on the homepage now, some will be soon. The Materialise CEO Summit took place on the Wednesday of the show and again TCT was able to gain exclusive access to potentially one of the pivotal moments in the future of the industry. The CEOs and executives of all the major companies were at the Summit, as were a couple of the leading opinion formers from the industry. A full review of this event will be available in the next issue.

Before we get that far ahead though I would like to know your thoughts on the future of the industry - you don't need to be a CEO to shape the future (OK, it does help!) so please get in touch and let me know what you think this industry needs to push it forward.

Jim

PM Candidates in Agreement Shocker: Let's Make Stuff!

2010-04-30T11:20:00.004+01:00

So, the last of the Leaders' Debates took place here in the UK last night, with the three Prime Ministerial hopefuls tackling the public's questions on *drum roll please*... The Economy.

David Brown, Nick Cameron and Gordon Clegg all took turns to reassure the public that they had really really good ideas for sorting everything out, and that we didn't need to worry our pretty little heads about any of it. Phew! All we need to do is pick the one with the nicest hair and then go back to doing what ever it is us proles fill our days with.

More seriously there was particular interest (beyond the swingeing cuts, which seem to be the only sort of cuts we're going to get) in the realisation that we need to start making more things in the UK. Like we used to.

The manufacturing debate, alas, is nothing new. It is a peculiar thing that us Brits do; we invent or develop something, be really good at it for a while, lose focus, get beaten, give up. Football. Rugby. Golf. Cricket. Manufacturing. All things we were once world leaders in, now we're lucky to get a look in.

What is new is that all three parties seem to be in agreement on the subject. This wasn't the ramblings of a single-issue campaigner from the west Midlands banging on about the good old days. It was the three leaders of the biggest parties in the UK. So will we see a revitalisation of our manufacturing industries?

Perhaps. A combination of pressure on our energy supply, environmental issues and economic instability have set the tone for a ressurgence in manufacturing in the UK. It would be remiss of us not to take the opportunity to secure our future energy needs in the most sustainable way possible while we have the chance. As Jeremy Pullin pointed out in his last column for The TCT Magazine, the so-called skills shortage is something of a misnomer even now. It is more a shortage in skills application than a shortage of the skills themselves. We still have some of the most talented designers and engineers in the world at our disposal, so I would urge whichever Leader is the next PM to keep their promises, invest intelligently, and allow us to start making some stuff!

For those of you not in the UK, this is perhaps of no interest, however the sentiments expressed by the UK's PM hopefuls are being echoed across the globe. Manufacturing things as close to where they're needed, in the most efficient way possible, is starting to make much more sense than outsourcing to cheaper countries and shipping the goods back. In fact it's the cornerstone of many of the technologies TCT is interested in. Additive Manufacturing is challenging designers and engineers to consider another way, a different route. Developing some of these principals for the large scale economy will be no mean feat, but it will pay dividends in the not too distant future.

The Spirit of Innovation

2010-04-21T15:31:00.004+01:00

It's a busy month coming up Stateside, both for the industry as a whole and for us especially as a company.

With just three weeks to go until PDx/amerimold kicks off in Cincinnati, OH, the show has recently announced its plans for its 'Innovation Center'. The Innovation Center comprises 3000 sq.ft of floor-space featuring GE Aviation; University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning; and Eurkea! Ranch.

The aim of the Innovation Center is to "provide the attendees of PDx/amerimold with first-hand contact with innovative thinkers and doers who can help make them more competitive through imaginative approaches from concept through production."

It is an important aspect of what shows/exhibtions/conferences should be aiming to do. I was recently talking to a representative of one of the big AM machine manufacturers who commented that getting people to see the real-world applications of the technology — as opposed to repeatedly showing them the pretty shapes it could make and hoping they'd make the next step for themselves — is now his main aim. Getting to the show — and I urge you to do so — will bring many benefits on its own, but it is getting to talk to the people that have already achieved so much with the technologies that can really be the eye-opener.

As Doug Hall says in the news piece: “Now more than ever, our mantra holds true: ‘If you're not MEANINGFULLY unique, you better be cheap.’ We have the highest hopes that PDx/amerimold can help us get more companies growing profitably through Innovation.”

Finally, continuing with the spirit of innovation please do visit the MM Live USA show if you're heading to Cincinnati; with 50 exhibitors showing some truly exciting and impressive technology, you never know what will catch your eye!

HP + Stratasys = ...

2010-04-19T17:28:00.007+01:00

It was way back in January (when Europe had snow, and vapour trails still graced the skies) that HP and Stratasys first announced a collaboration that would see HP branded '3D Printers' join the market.

Reaction at the time was mixed, however, now we have some more details, perhaps opinions will change?

HP will be offering an initial line up of just two systems: the HP DesignJet 3D, and a colour version, the HP Designjet Color 3D. The basic model prints in the off-white so familiar to those already involved with rapid prototyping, which HP will refer to as 'Ivory'. The Color version will also print in off-white (Ivory) but will also offer black, red, green (Olive Green), orange (Nectarine), yellow (Fluorescent Yellow), blue and grey.

The choice of FDM using ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) for the first HP outing into this area is interesting, but not amazing. HP are as much about reputation as they are innovation, and FDM is about as tried and tested a method as you could hope for in this industry. It is clean, safe and produces tough, durable parts out of a plastic users will be familiar with. Although HP's technology is already used in ZCorp printers, I think that for the market HP are targeting the 'clean' nature of FDM is perfect.

HP are looking to target engineers and designers using MCAD, and technical educational establishments where the rugged final pieces and lack of powders, binders or even lasers will help win over anxious teachers.

The support material used will be a soluble material that can be removed using the HP Designjet 3D Removal System, which itself requires only a water-in and water-out plus plug socket to operate. Models fresh from the build plate are dropped into a basket, placed into the washer — sorry, Removal System — and hey presto, a short while later you have your finished piece with the support material washed away. Again, removing the need for any caustic washes will give the appointed Health and Safety officer one less thing to worry, incessantly, about. The recently announced 'Smart Supports' system will be available with the HP machines, and all models, bases and spools are recyclable through HP's 'Take-Back' programme.

Perhaps the most exciting thing HP bring to the deal — apart from the name — is the technical support network. One of the barriers to adoption of additive layer technologies has surely been the (relatively) small nature of the companies that produce the machines, and the perception that the technology is so new it will be unreliable. Everyone knows that HP wouldn't risk putting a machine out there with a less than spotless reliability record, and if anything does go wrong, you have a support network proportional to HPs multi-multi million dollar size.

The machines will start at €12,500 + VAT for the single-colour model, €16,200 + VAT for the eight-colour model, the ABS will be available at 5 spools for $750 (approximately 655 cm³ of build), and the Removal System comes in at €1,720 + VAT.

So what does this all mean? HP are aiming to not only penetrate an existing market, but use their marketing strength to grow the market substantially — which is surely the only way this makes sense for them. I will be interested to see how their sales predictions tally up with their first year results for the system.

A belated introduction...

2010-04-14T10:54:00.004+01:00

Firstly an apology: I'm sorry.

It was remiss of me not to make an introduction on here sooner, but here it is. Hello!

It was straight in at the deep end for me with The TCT Magazine, starting as I did mid publishing cycle. But that's old news now, the magazine has gone to print and I'm looking forward to the next one. Such is the life in the jet-stream world of publishing.

Before I get carried away though, there are plenty of things on the agenda before we get to the May/June issue. A couple of trips within the UK to see some new technologies and applications, followed by the Materialise World Conference in Leuven, Belgium next week.

I am especially looking forward to the 'Visionary Summit on Additive Manufacturing', on which I will be reporting in the next issue. The summit is billed as an opportunity to create a visionary plan for the future of the additive manufacturing industry — quite a remit I'm sure you'll agree.

The Summit will be kick-started by Terry Wohlers' keynote on maximising the consumer market, which is surely a topic that will dominate the discussions. There are already a few consumer products on sale that are manufactured additively, but whether the end-user knows (or cares) how these products are made is not clear. Indeed the problem with commercialisation appears to me to be one of education — the number of my friends that knew about the things AM could do before I started espousing its brilliance to them can be counted on one hand. By a person lacking four of the normal complement of digits. The one who knew is a product designer, so he doesn't count.

Demand is driven by the consumer. If the consumer doesn't know that something exists, they can't demand it. Simples. So whether the end-user knows (or cares) about the finer details of the manufacturing process involved in their new iPhone cover is irrelevant, they just need to know that they can now have something that they couldn't have previously, and they will want it!

Back to Materialise: If you can't make it to the Summit, but have a question you'd like to put to the panel, I am here as your conduit. Simply drop me a line (Email, phone, twitter, bottom of this blog, pigeon...) and I'll do my best to be your representative and publish the answers in the next issue.

Jim

james@rapidnews.com

PS. Don't forget to at @thetctmagazine on Twitter for regular bite-sized chunks of TCT.

Call for Papers - TCT Live 2010 Additive Manufacturing Conference

2010-01-22T12:26:00.004Z

This year’s TCT Live conference will continue to explore the realities and the potential of additive manufacture, with a specific focus on industry sectors that lead the way in moving the technology forward.

The comprehensive theme of the TCT Live 2010 event is ‘business critical and advanced technologies for product development and manufacturing’ and to this end the Conference Manager would welcome any paper submissions from parties who can present a definitive application of Additive Manufacture in the following areas:

• Business — The Advantages of Adopting Additive Manufacture
• Automotive Applications of AM
• Aerospace, Applications of AM
• Medical or Dental Applications of AM
• Jewellery Applications of AM
• Sustainable Manufacturing Models of AM

Presentations should address at least one of the following aspects: the design issues, the business benefits in terms of time-to-market and financial objectives, material issues and/or part performance.

The conference will once again be held at the prestigious and centrally located Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 19¬th–20th October 2010, and anyone submitting a presentation must be available to present on either of these two days.

All submissions must be non-promotional in content and presented by companies that are utilising and/or researching the technologies for an industrial application. All submissions will be reviewed by the conference steering committee to ensure that they meet the necessary and exacting requirements of TCT.

No vendor papers will be accepted from companies that sell machines, materials or associated services. Interested parties are initially requested to submit a detailed abstract (3-400 words) of their proposed paper on or before 15th March 2010. This should include the working title, all authors/contributors and their affiliations.

Please submit abstracts to Jenna Reid via email: jenna@rapidnews.com

Here's to 2010!

2010-01-08T14:41:00.019Z

To everyone involved in rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RP&M), here's to an even better year — let's nurture those 'green shoots' spoken about so frequently and enthusiastically in 2009 and start really looking forward to a significant growth spurt in RP&M business. We've only been back a week and I must say, I feel encouraged by your enthusiasm.

There has been a flurry of activity on the rp-ml, which began with a post from Faceto3d, offering an 'STL file of the Detroit Bomber'. Although there was clearly some controversy as to whether this sort of post should be allowed, I think most rp-ml contributors would agree that it provoked quite an entertaining discussion on the, shall we say, lesser discussed and in some cases taboo applications of additive manufacturing (AM), i.e. the adult entertainment industry, and evolved into a rather informative debate on its future — how it is being made more accessible to so many more people and whether it might one day be seen in the home.

The RapMan and RepRap (a web-based technology) are it seems the cheapest OPTIONS currently on the market and, it is claimed, open AM up to a new audience — primary education, hobbyists etc. Also, we're seeing the 'big boys' — the likes of Objet Geometries Ltd, EOS GmbH, Stratasys, Inc. and Z Corp. — beginning to cater for the lower-end users, last year introducing much more affordable desktop printers (although not on the scale of the RapMan and RepRap). It is proposed that this is just the beginning and AM (and CAD) will, in the not too distant future, be understood and used by even the consumer.

However, another train of thought, also voiced on the rp-ml, is that DDM (Direct Digital Manufacturing) will eventually take over from AM and render it obsolete. Then there are those individuals who say you can't beat the 'older' methods, such as CNC, for certain projects.

I think it's difficult to predict the long-term future of AM at this stage, but it's certainly come on in leaps and bounds these last few years years, resulting in its adoption becoming more widespread. The adult entertainment industry is maybe taking things a bit far, but I'm always keen to hear about the unusual and one-off applications that AM is used for.

I'm also fascinated by the new inroads that AM is making into the medical industry. For example, Bob Olsen at Spectrum Plastics Group posted a press release on Organovo and Invetech's new 3D medical printer, which prints 3D blood vessels for use in coronary bypass surgery — amazing! In fact, I recently read in Focus magazine that by 2020 we could be custom printing major organs.

Please keep contributing to these discussions on the rp-ml or even feel free to start one of your own. It's a fantastic resource for many, including myself.

*I'm currently putting together the Directory issue of The TCT Magazine, so if you haven't checked and/or updated your record/s on our website yet, please do so. If you have trouble logging in, please call me (+44 (0) 1829 770 037) and I will make any necessary changes.

There is less room for news in this issue, but if you have any press releases on new or recently launched products or services, please email them to me (ellie@rapidnews.com) by 1st February.

Final Countdown to EuroMold 2009

2009-11-18T16:50:00.021Z

With just 14 days to go until the start of EuroMold 2009, the TCT team will be doing all it can to keep you readers up to speed on the latest product development and manufacturing solutions that will be on show — through the EuroMold 2009 Preview, published in the latest (November/December) issue of The TCT Magazine, the TCT website, which is updated daily with all your releases, and the TCT Select e-newsletters.

This highly successful world trade fair — covering mouldmaking and toolmaking, and design and application development — is now in its 16^th year and organiser Demat GmbH expects a record 1,600 exhibitors from 40 countries and around 1,600 trade visitors to attend.

One of the new halls, Hall 11.0, will be devoted entirely to product development, with particular emphasis on RP&M. As well as the large RP&M machine manufacturers — Objet Geometries Ltd, EOS GmbH, Stratasys, Inc., MTT Technologies Group and Z Corp. to name only a few — there will be numerous companies presenting a wide range of software, materials and services.

So, if you are in any way involved with RP&M, this is definitely an event worth going to. The TCT team will obviously be there, with our co-exhibitors 3DDC and Alchemie Ltd — on Stand C41, in Hall 11.0 — so please drop by and say hello.

*If you have any EuroMold press releases, please send them — together with images if you have them — to: ellie@rapidnews.com

A Good Result - Desktop Factory and 3D Systems

2009-09-01T10:24:00.008+01:00

I've watched the Desktop Factory story unfold over the last few years with great interest and a degree of hope. Cathy Lewis and the team there have worked hard to deliver a breakthrough technology in terms of price. Success of a sub $5,000 machine would be good for the industry particularly as Desktop did a great job getting coverage outside engineering media in mainstream outlets - helping to expose the technology to a much wider audience.

Then the recession arrived and the requirements of investors have subsequently become harder and harder to satisfy, so much so that Desktop Factory had to rethink how they could move forward. Too much time and effort had gone into the technology to walk away, all they needed was an investor or buyer who "got" additive manufacturing.

Enter 3D Systems (full press release here)....The reality is that Desktop Factory needed a believer, not a venture capitalist looking to make a fast (or even slow!) buck - and in 3D Systems and Abe Reichental they have found not only a believer but the company that started it all in the first place...and one with the infrastructure and capability to deliver to market what Desktop Factory started working towards.

I think the news is a good thing, sure there will be those out there that think it would be better for the industry if some other company had got their hands on the technology but it's worth reflecting on this to finish with.

Yes the V-Flash did take a little longer to get to market than everyone, including 3D Systems, expected. However breakthrough technologies are never easy to get to market particularly when you are striving to control the market price of the machine.

The key point here is that 3D delivered it to market successfully and that is why this deal is a good one. Because now the Desktop Factory machine WILL be launched commercially, it WILL work and it WILL have the back up of an organisation that has already done it time and time again over the last twenty or so years...and that all means that more people will have a 3D printer in their price range than before and that can only be good for all.

The World of Inspection at TCT Live 2009

2009-08-24T16:01:00.004+01:00

A little bit of self promotion here, as the dates for this years TCT Live 2009 event race towards us it's time to spotlight one of the key new developments for this years event.

Supporting the TCT Live theme of Education for Industry, the 2009 show will include a dedicated Seminar Day for Inspection, Digitising and Metrology technologies enabling visitors to witness and learn about the very latest technologies and techniques being used in this sector.

The seminar has been designed to take an in-depth look at the impressive technological developments in this sector. With case studies and interactive demonstrations, presentations will take visitors through the full spectrum of measurement, scanning and inspection equipment available and the various ways it can be used to improve R&D, process efficiency and product lifecycles.

Topics being discussed include: Rapid 3D Measurement of Inner & Outer Structure by Computed Tomography — Dr Martin Simon, Wenzel; Measuring up to the Challenges of F1 Motor Racing — Steve Nevey, Red Bull Racing; The Advantages of DSSP within Aerospace — Steven Fletcher, Geomagic Inc.; Saving Time & Cutting Cost Using Optical Measurement — Andrew Cuffley, GOM UK; and The Conundrum of Detail v Accuracy v Speed — Satish Mysore, 3D Digital Corp.

The full programme can be found here

On the exhibition floor itself, visitors will find the leading experts in this field who will be on hand to give advice and demonstrate live their revolutionary techniques. A host of new equipment will be introduced at TCT Live this year. New exhibitor, 3D Digital Corp, will show together for the first time a laser 3D scanner and White-Light scanner. Making its UK debut on the Carl Zeiss stand will be the new ‘myCalypso’ software with the DuraMax CMM.

Konica Minolta will demonstrate live its recently introduced Range 7 3D Digitiser and the versatile Vi-9i 3D Digitiser. The all new Romer Infinite II portable measurement system complete with Scanshark Laser Scanning System will be displayed by Hexagon Metrology. Wenzel UK will be exhibiting three new products for the first time in the UK — the exaCT CT scanning machine, the new Steintek MobileScan3D, and Pointmaster, demonstrated for the first time as a standalone 3D surfacing software. Meanwhile visitors to Z-Corp will see firsthand the ZPrinter 650 and the ZScanner 700 CX.

Other exhibitors from the sector include NPL, Olympus, Vision Engineering, Steinbichler, Werth, Geomagic, FARO and GOM,

TCT Live is being held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on October 20–21, the Inspection Digitising & Metrology Seminar will take place on the second day of the show, October 21.TCT Live and its co-located show MM Live are proud to promote Education for Industry. By providing specific industry sectors with an educational platform, vendors and users alike are given the opportunity share and discuss the very latest in cutting-edge techniques.

All seminars are free of charge to attend, for details on all seminar programmes visit www.tctshow.com, where registration can also be completed quickly and easily.

Event Review - Time Compression Expo, McCormick Place, Chicago, USA

2009-07-28T14:43:00.006+01:00

After RAPID 2009 had taken place in May I headed back across the pond in June to take a look at the inaugural Time Compression (TC) Expo which was organized by our friends at Gardner Publications.

Gardner have a strong portfolio of publications and events including Moldmaking Expo, Moldmaking Technology Magazine and of course Time Compression Magazine, the US counterpart to the The TCT Magazine. The acquisition of Time Compression by Gardner in late 2008 was the catalyst for the launch of TC Expo and Gardner chose to co-locate the new show within NPE 2009, one of the worlds largest plastics exhibitions and their own Moldmaking Expo which ensured a decent level of traffic from the get go.

Rather sensibly in the current climate the floorplan was conservative in size for the launch year but was quickly snapped up by all of the usual suspects you might expect to see including 3D Systems, Objet, Stratasys and its legion of brands, EOS, DSM Somos and Ex One. They were joined by some of the major inspection/metrology technology providers and topped off with a healthy spread of US service operations.

Traffic through the TC Expo area was generally agreed to be pretty good, many exhibitors reported that they were meeting new people which with NPE alongside you would expect and this certainly vindicated the decision to co-locate. It is perhaps fair to say that a five day show for these technologies, even in a market as large as the US, is perhaps a bit long but you’ll see by the end of this article than that has already been taken care of for 2010.

Running parallel to the exhibition was a comprehensive conference programme. The keynote opening address was delivered by Todd Grimm of TA Grimm & Associates Inc., I’ve heard Todd speak on a number of occasions and he never fails to deliver. He assumed quite rightly that not all attendees would be clued up on additive techniques and delivered a presentation with a healthy dose of realism for those who had only heard the marcomms briefings of the vendors. It was refreshing to get a balanced view, too often we are told that ALM is the panacea…and too often it clearly is not!

On the show floor there were are few highlights and launches that merit a mention. 3D Systems used the event to announce the introduction of DuraForm® FR 100 Plastic, a new flame-retardant sintering material that meets the requirements of a broad range of aircraft and consumer-product applications.
  
Kevin McAlea, vice president and general manager commented, "We are very pleased to be the first Additive Manufacturing company to commercially offer V-0 certified, flame-retardant sintering material. This is a true invention in materials’ development for Rapid Manufacturing, meeting required certification for very demanding aerospace and consumer goods applications.”  

Dan Gustafson of NextEngine was demonstrating a new dual axis scanner that is due for release later this year and Delcam were present within the Moldmaking Expo demonstrating previews of new versions of its PowerSHAPE CAD software and its PowerMILL CAM systems, both of which are scheduled for release later this year, they will offer faster mould design and faster machine tool programming respectively.

The faster mould design has been made possible by the incorporation within PowerSHAPE of the Parasolid kernel for solid modelling alongside Delcam’s own system for surface modelling. These two technologies provide an unbeatable combination for toolmakers, according to Delcam’s Marketing Manager, Peter Dickin.

Perhaps the most high profile launch within TC Expo came from Objet Geometries who proudly launched the Connex 350 machine. This is the second in the Connex family that allows users to simultaneously print multiple materials with different mechanical and physical properties. You can read more about the machine here but it is fair to say this machine, which is smaller than it’s big brother, brings this technology within the reach of many more potential users than previously and that can only be a good thing.

Perhaps the most interesting news came as the event drew to a close. This was the announcement of an agreement in principal between Gardner and DEMAT, the organizers of EuroMold, to stage a new event for 2010. Product Development-Experience (PD-x) with amerimold, will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio from May 11 to 13, This event is set to provide product development professionals with the know-how and expertise necessary to accelerate time-to-market with innovative products in the North American market. Watch this space, we’ll keep you updated on this one!

My Kind of Town…in Miniature

2009-07-24T16:56:00.003+01:00

Whilst in Chicago for the TC Expo Aaron Boruch and Vince Adams of DSM Somos® stand pointed me in the direction of an interesting project that they had been involved in and with a little time before my flight back I stopped by to look at what they were so keen for me to see.

In recognition of the centennial anniversary of Daniel Burnham’s first architectural Plan of Chicago in 1909 and to help promote Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, the Chicago Architecture Foundation recently commissioned a large-scale model of the city of Chicago,

Chicago-based Columbian Model & Exhibit Works, along with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, chose rapid prototyping technology as the best way to create the model and after constructing accurate digital models of the buildings, rivers and roads, each of the more than 1,000 building structures included in the exhibition were produced using SOMOS® high-performance stereolithography resins.

Catherine Tinker of Columbian Model & Exhibit Works explains why they chose stereolithography. “These buildings, made from SOMOS® material, were undeniably the best choice for models of this scale and importance. The buildings have outstanding detail, stability and are easy to finish and paint,”

Vince Adams, DSM Somos® Marketing Manager added, “We are extremely pleased to have been part of this historical project. Not only does it showcase what stereolithography technology can achieve for the architectural community, but has allowed DSM to contribute to Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Games.”

The complete display portrays more than four square miles of the city. It contains an exact model of every building in the area. There are more than 1,000 of them, from a 3-foot-high Sears Tower down to old two-story storefronts at a scale of 50 feet to 1 inch. The entire city model encompasses an area of more than 800 square feet and it is pretty damn impressive when you see it first hand.

The Chicago Model City Exhibition is on display now at the Chicago Architecture Foundation building in downtown Chicago. If you are lucky enough to be in this fantastic city before November 20th then it’s well worth a visit, if only to show the family that the stuff you do at work can be cool!

TCT Live & MM Live 2009 Welcome MedilinkWM & My M-Link as Supporting Partners

2009-07-13T10:35:00.002+01:00

Rapid News Publications plc, organiser of TCT Live and MM Live 2009, is delighted to announce that Medilink West Midlands and its fully owned subsidiary My M-Link have become supporting partners of the show.

Held at the prestigious Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21st October 2009, TCT Live is the leading UK event focussed on cutting-edge product development and manufacturing technologies with a key focus on innovation. The event is targeted at all stages of product development from concept and design to specification and manufacturing. MM Live, co-located with TCT, is a global showcase for everything to do with the mass manufacture of small to micro precision parts, whether a company can make them to order or supply the machinery to mill, turn or mould.

MedilinkWM has been a regional leader in developing business networks for medical and healthcare companies, resulting in commercial ventures and business growth. It has worked with members to increase their viability in the market and grow their medical business through technology and knowledge transfer from Universities and the NHS — and achieves this by bridging the gap between those who innovate and those who manufacture. My M-Link proactively leads member companies to commercial opportunities in the medical market, providing market intelligence and supporting businesses through introductions, networking opportunities and a commercial tender service.

TCT Live and MM Live feature the very latest manufacturing techniques. Suppliers from the sectors of inspection, scanning and digitising, CAD/CAM/CAE software and materials, laser cutting, welding, micro machining, injection moulding, handling and assembly, will be demonstrating how these technologies can be utilised in the medical industry. The shows are ideal for medical devices manufacturers looking to source the latest materials and techniques.

A key focus of this year’s shows is Education for the Industry. The exhibition features several seminars and two conferences, the Additive Manufacturing Conference and the Micro Manufacturing Technology Conference, which feature a range of interesting and informative case studies of how these cutting-edge techniques have been used in medical applications.

Duncan Wood, Group Director at Rapid News commented, “We are delighted to have the support of the leading regional and national medical expert organisation. The technologies that TCT & MM Live cover are integral to the medical sector and we look forward to welcoming many more medical visitors through this association.”

Chris Dyke, Connectivity Director from MedilinkWM will present a paper in the Advanced Prototyping Seminar entitled Emerging Opportunities for RP&M in the Medical Arena. A new one-day seminar has also been introduced for 2009 called Digital Manufacturing & Materials for Dentistry in collaboration with Attenborough Dental and others.

"We are happy to be a part of these highly-regarded technology shows as they attract some of the most cutting-edge developments soon to be on the market. We hope to open attendees' eyes to the possibility of applying their innovative technologies to medical and healthcare products and processes, and make those vital first introductions." Concluded Michelle Dalton, MedilinkWM.

For full conference and seminar programmes, please visit www.tctshow.com or www.micro-show.com, where registration can also be completed quickly and easily.

TCT Live Presents Digital Manufacturing & Materials for Dentistry Seminar

2009-07-06T12:31:00.002+01:00

Rapid News Communications Group, the organiser of TCT Live and MM Live 2009, is delighted to announce the addition of a full day’s seminar programme for Digital Dentistry technologies at this year’s events. Recent years have seen impressive advances in technology suitable for dentistry and more and more laboratories are recognising the advantages of incorporating cutting-edge techniques into the manufacturing processes of custom devices, prosthetics and cranial facial surgery.

Taking place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20th October 2009, this FREE to attend Digital Manufacturing & Materials for Dentistry Seminar is organised in conjunction with Attenborough Dental, one of Europe’s largest dental laboratories, which is actively advancing the use of digital technologies for modern-day dentistry. The seminar also benefits from the full support of Medilink West Midlands, Health Technologies Knowledge Transfer Network, the Healthcare and Bioscience iNet, and Meditech.

The morning session will focus on Rapid Manufacturing Materials used in dentistry and will feature presentations from CERAM, University of Sheffield, Sandvik Osprey and 3T RPD Ltd. These papers will take an in-depth look at the various materials used in the dental laboratory.

The afternoon session will take an in depth look at Digital Dentistry. Papers will be presented from some of the most knowledgeable experts in this arena including: Attenborough Dental, Nobelbiocare AB, Straumann UK, Digilea SA, and De Monfort University, Leicester.

TCT Live and MM Live feature over 200 technology suppliers. On the TCT show floor visitors can see rapid manufacturing machines and technologies and the latest in inspection, scanning and digitizing, CAD/CAM/CAE software and materials, all of which can be used within a progressive dental laboratory. Additionally within MM Live exhibits include micro laser cutting, milling & turning, micro injection moulding, photo etching, measurement & inspection of micro components, handling & assembly of miniature parts

Duncan Wood, Group Director commented, “For some time now our exhibitors have been talking positively about the uptake of technology in the dental sector. This seminar in partnership with some of the key organisations in this arena is proof positive of this – we hope to welcome many dental professionals to the event in October.”

“TCT Live has teamed up with the Digital Dentistry Seminar series to provide a unique opportunity for clinicians, technicians and all the dental team to see tomorrows 3D mass customisation and manufacturing technology under one roof at the Ricoh Arena – miss it at your peril!” concluded Ed Attenborough, Managing Director, Attenborough Dental.

The Digital Manufacturing & Materials for Dentistry Seminar is just one of a number of industry-focused seminar programmes being introduced at TCT Live and MM Live 2009. Visitors to either shows will have full free of charge access to all seminars.

For full conference and seminar programmes, please visit www.tctshow.com or www.micro-show.com, where registration can also be completed quickly and easily.

Additive Manufacturing Conference Programme Announced

2009-06-05T11:39:00.003+01:00

The programme for the world leading TCT Additive Manufacturing Conference has now been finalised. The organiser, Rapid News Publications plc, is pleased to announce that the 2009 line-up is first class in its content, with many leading experts yet again gathering at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on 20th-21st October, to take part.

This year is a landmark for the TCT Conference as for the first time in its 14-year history the registration fee has been removed – making it completely free of charge to attend. This unprecedented step has been taken to aid designers, product developers and manufacturers who are looking to source cutting-edge techniques and gain expert knowledge to help them stay ahead of the competition. By removing all financial barriers, TCT is underlining its complete commitment to the development of the rapid product development and additive manufacturing industry.

TCT is particularly excited to announce that Ian Risk, Vice President and Head of EADS Innovation Works, Airbus UK, will give the keynote address on Day 1. Airbus is a key player in the commercial use and development of Additive Manufacturing technologies. The presentation will take a look at the sound business reasons for adopting this technology.

Following the keynote address, an impressive array of speakers will take to the stage from some of the industry’s leading innovators including: Converse USA; Rolls-Royce; Junior & Tacke; AMRC with Boeing; Crucible Industrial Design; RMRG Loughborough University; Renishaw; Ecolateral ALM/EADS; UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme; Team Invictus Catamaran Challenge; Biomet Europe; and Cobra UK Automotive.

The conference programme has been specially formulated to address key issues including the business reasons for adopting additive technologies, definitive manufacturing applications of additive fabrication, and future considerations such as economic, environmental and corporate social responsibilities.

TCT welcomes back Dr Bill O’Neill from the Centre of Industrial Photonics, University of Cambridge, as Conference Chair. Dr O’Neill will kick off the conference with an overview of the latest technologies on display in the exhibition hall. Called ‘What’s New at TCT Live 2009’, this begins the conference with a positive outlook at how the industry is continuing to innovate despite the challenges it currently faces.

For the final session of the Conference on Day 2, the organisers are bringing together knowledgeable representatives from the leading technology developers, in order to stimulate lively debate and provide delegates with the opportunity to pose questions on current and future additive fabrication issues.

For the full conference programme and to pre-register, please visit www.tctshow.com. Only pre-registered delegates will be admitted, as places are limited.

Rapid 2009 - Event Review

2009-05-28T10:57:00.021+01:00

Rapid 2008 took place last year amid the early signs of the impending economic crisis. Twelve months on touching down stateside for the 2009 edition in Schaumburg, Illinois my visit was couched more in hope of a great event rather than expectation.

Although attendance seemed to be down a little there were still good reports from many exhibitors, with good contacts and good conversations taking place.

It might be that exhibitors in the current climate lower their expectations in terms of visitor quantity, and the organisers SME may have benefited from some latitude as a result of this which I think is entirely fair assuming the quality of enquiry is still of a good standard. Many exhibitors I spoke to, particularly those selling capital equipment know that one or two quality enquiries is worth a thousand literature and freebie magpies!

The scene in the US is further complicated by the launch of TC Expo from Gardner Publications, the new owners of Time-Compression Magazine in the US. TC Expo will take place alongside NPE later this month and it is true to say that some visitors faced with the prospect of two similarly focused shows in the same state inside 5 weeks will have opted to visit only one.

That said RAPID attracts the great and the good from the industry and is a valuable networking opportunity on the calendar. A roll call from the dinner table on the first evening helps to demonstrate this, Airbus, Boeing, MTT and ARRK were all present. A diverse and in some instances surprising group but this is the type of situation that good new ideas and partnerships emanate from.

Add to this mix the heads of state from the likes of 3D Systems, Stratasys, Z-Corp, EOS and Geomagic, some established industry experts such as Terry Wohlers, Todd Grimm and Graham Tromans and add some newer names from the European circuit such as Dan Johns and Max Ruffo and you start to see why the event remains a focus for the industry.

As usual the range of presentations available at Rapid is vast and cover almost every technology you can think of. Mike North of The Discovery Channel programme Prototype This presented the keynote address on day one, which went down very well. Keynote presentations on subsequent days came from luminaries such as Ping Fu, Terry Wohlers, Chuck Hull and Carl Deckard, proof positive that this event is taken seriously by those in the industry who are instrumental to it's direction.

The SME Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Community presented its Industry Achievement and Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Awards during the event. Worthy winner of the RTAM Industry Achievement Award was Andy Christensen, President of Medical Modeling Inc. Christensen’s work with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center has enabled it to build and successfully implant more than 30 custom porous titanium implants into wounded soldiers. I've seen the implants first hand and they really bring home the power these new technologies have to make a difference to the way we think and operate.

Frank Liou, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Mary Kinsella, PhD, Chief, metals processing section at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, received the Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Award for their technical paper on applications of a hybrid metal manufacturing system, which combines the best traits of additive manufacturing processes and conventional machining operations.

It is not the first time I've heard the phrase hybrid machine in the last few weeks, it's a interesting development as such a process can produce finished products or parts for high-performance applications, such as high stress or high temperature that can't be achieved using purely additive techniques...watch this space.

Out on the show floor all of the major machine manufacturers and materials players were there, the ranges of equipment and materials are still moving forward, some incremental improvements, some new innovations but it is fair to say that even with the tough conditions the industry we operate in is still pushing the boundaries and improving the techniques, parts and finishes.

Satish Mysore of 3D Digital was presenting the EScan and Optix product lines, in particular a new modular system that enables multiple cameras to be attached to a single scanner and operated by a single interface, the beauty of the system is that you can switch cameras without re-calibrating enabling the user to scan small objects (25 x 25mm) and large objects up to 1.5m dependent on the requirement, entry level options on this with 2 megapixel scans start from around $29,000. Satish was positive about the his RAPID experience as was Ali Siblani, CEO of Envisiontec Inc who launched their new ULTRA machine at the event.

Tony Moran, CEO at RPDG echoed these thoughts "We had a successful introduction of our new Rapid Injection Tooling (RIT) service at the RAPID Show."

The proliferation of model plating/coating companies that started to appear last year has also continued with no less that five offerings on the floor VacuCoat, Repliform, Fini Finish, Metalise It and DSM's MC2 process all apply metal coatings to RP models - all with varying degrees of thickness of coat and method of application.

Star exhibit of the show was the amazing SLS tree which greeted you on arrival into the exhibit hall, this fine example of what is possible was produced by FIT - Fruth Innovative Technologien, and designed in their netfabb Selective SPace Structures software. You can see it in the image to the right. Ulf Lindhe, International Business Development Manager of FIT commented "The SLS tree was a great attraction and really caught peoples attention as it demonstrates how complex structures can be designed with the right tools. People told me there were fewer visitors than last year, not in our booth, we had plenty of traffic"

In conclusion RAPID was and is a good event, maybe it was down on attendance a little but business was still being done, ideas were still being shared and projects still being initiated - sounds like a success to me!

There are rumours that we'll be off to California for 2010 but nothing confirmed yet!

TCT Live & MM Live - Key Focus on Education for the Industry

2009-05-26T14:25:00.001+01:00

At the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 20th – 21st October 2009, the TCT Live and MM Live show will have a key focus on Education for the Industry. The shows will boast three seminar theatres covering a wide range of technologies and two auditoriums dedicated to advancing knowledge within the Additive Manufacturing and Micro Manufacturing industries.

This year more than ever before, companies are looking to source cutting-edge techniques and gain expert knowledge to help them stay ahead of the competition. With this in mind all seminars and conferences at TCT Live and MM Live are completely free to attend and are accessible to all visitors.

The Additive Manufacturing Conference is one of the most renowned conferences on the subject in Europe. Professionals from all over the world travel to TCT to hear from the leading experts who strive to advance the use of additive manufacturing technologies throughout industry. As a way of underlining its complete commitment to the sector, TCT has removed all registration fees and is opening its doors to all visitors. The quality of papers already confirmed suggests that once again the TCT Conference will be a huge success.

Following its successful launch last year, the Micro Manufacturing Technology Conference has been expanded to run over the two days allowing a broader range of topics to be discussed by even more of the industry’s most accomplished professionals. A variety of topics relevant to all manufacturing sectors will be covered — from a state of the industry overview to in-depth discussions on micro moulding, micro milling, micro EDM and assembly.

TCT Live and MM Live 2009 will also see the return of the successful Technology for Jewellery Seminar, which will take designers through the full design-to-market cycle, from effective use of CAD (computer aided design), to prototyping models, casting, micro cutting, milling and welding. Also returning is the ever-popular RP&M Technology Introductory sessions, presented by industry expert Graham Tromans, who will give newcomers to ‘rapid’ technologies an overview of what’s available and how to access them.

New for 2009 is the exciting introduction of four new seminars: Inspection, Digitizing and Metrology Seminar; CAD/CAM/CAE stream; RP&M in Architecture; and Technology for the Dental Industry. These seminars will highlight the technological breakthroughs in these sectors with case studies and demonstrations.

Visitors to either shows will have full free of charge access to all seminars. Visitors to the Additive Manufacturing Conference and Micro Manufacturing Technology Conference must be pre-registered online to be guaranteed access on the day.

By offering a blend of live technical experience on the show floor coupled with a huge range of live educational seminars, TCT Live and MM Live are breaking the mould for engineering and manufacturing events.

For full conference and seminar programmes, please visit www.tctshow.com or www.micro-show.com, where registration can also be completed quickly and easily.

One to Watch - eServ, a Perot Systems Company

2009-04-29T13:53:00.013+01:00

Discovering new and innovative companies is one of the interesting parts of this job. Many are cast from the same mould, but every now and again something pops up that is a little different to the norm, isn't a "me too" copycat and can be said quite legitimately to be offering something different to the market.

As we all know and have discussed here before service operations come in a wide variety of forms in this industry. It's only when you look a little closer that you start to see the differences between those who have an old SLA250 in the back room and deliver poorly finished resin models and those who rail at being described as a bureau and who can act as a effective product development partner and add tangible value.

eServ, a Perot Systems Company are one I'd place in the latter category. Never heard of them? No, neither had I but with over 500 employees, $43 million in revenue, and customers worldwide it's only a matter of time before you do.

Quite simply they can do everything you might expect an engineering company to be able to do and a bit more. The corporate strap-line says True Product Engineering Partner but that is only the half of it, speaking to the guys you find out they work with everyone from Terex and CASE to Harley Davidson, and have done everything from complete new product introductions (example here) to cost reduction exercises, many of the projects are quarterbacked from the rather cool mission control eOps Center shown in the picture which enables global collaboration in real time - looks like something you'd find at Kennedy Space Centre...

eServ use a model they call ValueSourcingTM. It essentially means clients allow them to become a major part of their design and engineering process, performing all tasks related to a particular project. The means that clients only pay for specific expertise when they need it and have no labour and overheads, in this era of cost savings it certainly resonates.

Good news for us in Europe is that eServ have landed over here and are now taking their very switched on project management and holistic approach to market. They suggest that their process results in "faster time to market, fewer mistakes, less waste, and increased profit". That is pretty much the holy grail of us all, maybe it's worth testing out the theory....?

BTMA Joins MM Live 2009 as Supporting Partner

2009-04-14T17:00:00.003+01:00

Rapid News Publications plc, organiser of MM Live 2009, is delighted to announce that the BTMA (British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association) has become a supporting partner of the show.

Held at the prestigious Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21st October 2009, MM Live is a global showcase for everything to do with the mass manufacture of small to micro precision parts, whether a company can make them to order or supply the machinery to mill, turn or mould. The theme of this year’s event is Business Critical Technologies for Micro, Precision and Nano Manufacturing, demonstrating the need for micro and precision manufacturers to adopt the latest technologies to help them stay ahead of the competition.

The BTMA represents companies whose core activity is the manufacture of precision machined components within the UK, with at least 50% of their turnover being supplied on a sub-contract basis. BTMA members deliver tens of millions of turned parts and machined components in various batch quantities every year to buyers throughout industry in the UK and overseas.

The endorsement of BTMA underlines the significance of the show to the precision turned parts sector and highlights the importance of its members to the engineering community.

Mark Blezard, Sales Director for MM Live commented, “I am delighted to welcome onboard the BTMA as a supporting partner. There is a significant number of BTMA members who have the capabilities to supply small to micro precision components, and it is these ‘technically demanding’ areas of manufacturing that are proving to be pretty robust.”

Visitor registration can be completed quickly and easily at www.micro-show.com.

Economic Stimulus Package - TCT Live 2009 Style

2009-04-06T12:36:00.009+01:00

Q: When times are tight and travel and training budgets even tighter what should leading media and event organisations do to underline their commitment to the sectors they work in?

A: Make access to their leading Additive Manufacturing Conference completely free for anyone who wants to attend!

Thats right! In an unprecedented step TCT has decided to remove the registration fee for this years Additive Manufacturing Conference which will take place October 20/21 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK. It's fair to say that this year more than ever before, designers, product developers and manufacturers are looking to source cutting-edge techniques and gain expert knowledge to help them stay ahead of the competition.

As a media operation, that in many ways is as old as the technologies themselves, we have a part to play in growing this industry. This year travel and training budgets are under ever-increasing scrutiny and by opening this Conference to all we hope to stimulate new converts to the technologies and help drive the industry forward.

Over the years, The TCT Conference has pioneered knowledge exchange within the industry and to this end the quality of papers being presented in 2009 remains at the forefront of technological advancement in Additive Manufacture.

Papers already confirmed include: Brian Cioffi, Converse; Steve Wilkinson, Rolls-Royce; Volker Junior, Junior & Tacke; Iain Todd, AMRC with Boeing; Mike Ayre, Crucible Industrial Design; Neil Hopkinson, RMRG Loughborough University; Jeremy Pullin, Renishaw; and Cyrille Peignot, Ecolateral ALM on behalf of EADS. We are particularly delighted to announce that a Senior Executive of Airbus will present the keynote address.

The theme of TCT Live 2009 is Business Critical Technologies for Product Development and Manufacturing. This gives the 2009 conference the opportunity to explore more deeply than ever before the realities of additive manufacture and will look at whether the promises and reported benefits are actually fact or fiction.

The conference programme has been specially formulated to address key issues including the business reasons for adopting additive technologies, definitive manufacturing applications of additive fabrication, and future considerations such as economic, environmental and corporate social responsibilities.

As a conclusion, the last session of the second day will draw together equipment and material vendors and end-users to discuss the practicalities of this technology and how they can really be used to reduce cost, increase speed and improve efficiency.

The conference is expected to be heavily subscribed therefore any visitor wishing to attend the TCT Live Additive Manufacturing Conference must be pre-registered to be guaranteed entry. Visitors registering on the day cannot be guaranteed entry. Registration can be completed quickly and easily at www.tctshow.com

One to Watch - Melotte NV

2009-04-05T15:04:00.009+01:00

Every now and again a new company comes to the fore, either by creation, or through good marketing or sometimes just because the world catches up with what they are offering. It might be that Melotte NV are one of the latter.

Established in 2004 Melotte are a Belgian engineering company focused on state of the art technologies, more recently they have been making some considerable noise in the Rapid Manufacturing arena, specifically in metals. Their blog "The World of Layered Manufacturing" gives you flavour of what they can do with the array of technologies at their disposal.

I'm often struck by the disruptive nature of RM and how it completely changes the way people go about their daily tasks, we all know that designing for RM has a complete set of new rules, but imagine the change in thinking for a surgeon if within 36 hours of having a CT scan the patient in question can be the recipient of bespoke, ready to use, titanium heart valves. Sounds good doesn't it? Well Melotte have done this and plenty more besides with their Selective Laser Melting, Direct Metal Deposition and Electron Beam Melting technologies.

Melotte have a an interesting take on things. Yes they expound the business case for RM, reducing time-to-market, reducing cost and improving efficiency but they also take this to a natural conclusion, and one that is gaining more and more momentum in this sector as we move forward. The conclusion is that RM is also good for the environment with less material use, less energy used and less waste.

Mario Fleurinck, General Manager, pictured above, is a true believer, and if you attend one of the multitude of RP&M events around the world this year you will get the opportunity to hear him explain the Melotte philosophy and why adopting these technologies is so important for the global community.

Envisiontec Launch the Aureus Modeller

2009-03-27T13:24:00.006Z

As mentioned last week in my post from the Materialise Seminar Day, Envisiontec were due to drop a major machine launch this week.

Well, we can now exclusively announce that Envisiontec GmbH have launched their latest machine at the World Watch and Jewellery Show. Baselworld in Switzerland this week. The Aureus (which means golden in Latin) is a new high resolution desktop machine designed for the jewellery market. It will have the capability to produce between 25 and 50 rings a day which will address the needs of most small to medium sized jewellers.

Accuracy on this machine is improved to 43 microns and the build envelope is 60 x 45 x 100 mm - it will be priced at €35,000

I spoke to Martin Forth, Vice President of Sales about an hour ago direct from the Envisiontec booth at the show. Martin reports a fantastic response to the machine and estimates that several months worth of stock of the machine has sold in the first day and second morning of the show.

"We knew it would be well received. It represents a major breakthrough as it combines low acquisition costs with high quality but the response has been much better than we expected and we are having to quote lead times a little longer than we would normally such has been the reaction to the launch"

Nice to hear such positive noises and results.....

Irish Eyes are Smiling...Mcor Technologies Stack Up More Awards

2009-03-24T20:10:00.006Z

Sometimes good things come to good people, and it's absolutely fantastic to be able to report some good news. Hot on the heels of winning the Intertrade Ireland Seedcorn Emerging International Award last November Ardee based Mcor Technologies have done it again!

Earlier this month they picked up two awards at the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards, Mcor triumphed in the "One to Watch" category and also picked up the Overall award beating off competition from six other category winners. Not content with the rather splendid trophies that can be seen in the picture they then followed it up with an appearance on prime time network television in their native land the very next night. The Late Late Show on RTE is the No.1 rated show...how often can we say that RP&M technologies have made prime time, other than a fleeting glimpse in CSI!

Mcor Technologies launched their Matrix printer last year to quite a fanfare, making it's debut at TCT 2008 it has garnered a great deal of interest. The reasons are clear, the biggest barriers to many RP machine purchases are price and materials and the Matrix can shoot them both down, it uses paper and costs a lot less to run than most, if not every, machine on the market.

As with all start ups the key to really getting off the ground is to have a plan, and this is where Mcor score heavily. They have a marketing plan and resultant press coverage that will take some beating. They are already stepping outside of the usual engineering media routes and as a result have received coverage in media as wide reaching as the New Scientist and Irish Times along with a couple of slots on TV. They aren't afraid to try the unusual and the clever as those of you who attended TCT last year, particularly those who stayed in the HQ hotel will know.

As mentioned on this blog before, the more accessible platforms that emerge the sooner 3D printing, or whatever we are calling it this week, will be a mainstream technology and we can move towards the day when I cease to get incredulous looks when I explain what RP is and how it works. Mcor have a significant part to play in this process.

Materialise Deliver the Latest from the RP&M World

2009-03-18T19:51:00.006Z

So where do you go if you want to get the low down on all the latest RP&M technologies, and TCT Live isn't until October? Well you could have attended the Materialise organised event that took place today at the splendidly shiny and new International Digital Lab on the Warwick University Campus.

All of the major RP&M platform manufacturers had an opportunity to showcase their latest developments and by the look of the audience which included F1 Teams, FMCG giants and several service bureau the thirst for this knowledge needed quenching.

First up was 3D Systems with newly installed UK Manager Simon van der Crommert, as he rightly pointed out 25 minutes to cover the breadth of 3D's range is not really doing it justice but amongst the incremental developments across the ranges I did spot a the new ProJet 5000 with it's extended build platform which will be online this year along with the full launch (not announcement!) of the V-Flash, Simon did point out that the V-Flash is already online in hearing aid manufacture which should put the "vaporware" jibes to bed once and for all. A replacement technology for the Thermojet is also just around the corner.

Stuart Jackson of EOS updated us all on the ever improving EOS range, all EOS systems are continually being upgraded in terms of speed and the materials they can use and the clever bit is that if you own a P385, then it can be upgraded to a P390, so no issues with being gazumped by the next new piece of kit, assuming you have the need and the finance you can always have the latest version. Aside from a couple of new polymers, one akin to rubber, another with high ductility EOS have the new P800 machine designed to use PEEK high performance polymer which although launched at Euromold is still big news.

What else was on show? Well I got to have a look at the Dimension UPrint from Laser Lines, it looks as good up close as it does in the pictures, and apparently they are selling well already, no real surprise there, it's a good price and trusted technology...where's the downside?

MTT also presented the imminent arrival of the SLM125, full launch is a cautious 3 monthsaway with a SLM500 also in development, no date on a launch for this yet but with a build envelope of 500 x 500 x 500 there are sure to plenty of interested parties. HK Technologies had the very cool Alaris from Objet onsite, it's vying with the UPrint for belle of the office...I'm not sure that should matter but you don't want ugly in the your new, modern, metropolitan design studio do you?

Other honorable mentions go to the rather clever online quality control system on the Concept Laser machines which allows you to monitor everything from build speed to beam width from the comfort of your armchair at home and Envisiontec were excited but coy about something new, you might have to go to Basel next week to get that first hand, I have been assured that TCT will be able to break the news so make sure you add this feed to your RSS reader and you'll know before anyone else!

Huge thanks to the Materialise crew, Luke and Carl in particular, top effort chaps!

Honesty is the Best Policy....Desktop Factory Latest

2009-03-17T18:34:00.006Z

Bad communication or sometimes no communication at all is just about at the root of all customer dissatisfaction. The key of course is to face up to the issues, keep your customers aware of progress and above all be honest.

Not all companies in our sector always comply with these simple home truths! However one company is setting about things a little differently. Desktop Factory are disarmingly upfront and brutally clear about the challenges they face and the financial issues they have encountered in what can only be described as difficult trading conditions.

The latest newsletter from Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis outlines the issues that this California based start up faces, technology issues would appear to have been surmountable, however financially there are some hurdles which are not helped by the current economic climate.

Now before we get into a discussion about how good the technology is lets be clear, it isn't a substitute for the latest offering from EOS, Stratasys or 3D Systems but it is a 3D printing technology aimed at breaking down the barriers that we all face in terms of technology adoption and that is a very worthwhile thing to support.

So if you have a spare $1 million lying around then there are a group of hard working and dedicated people in the Golden State who would be delighted to hear from you. However if your name isn't Branson or Gates dont hammer them for taking longer to get to market that originally planned, admire them for their transparency and hope they succeed, it's in all of our interests.

TCT Live 2009 On Track for Success — 50% of Exhibition Space Reserved

2009-03-17T15:01:00.002Z

An optimistic outlook for TCT Live 2009 has been ensured with a high demand from companies for exhibition space. With seven months still to go before the doors open, the floor space is already 50% allocated with many organisations taking the opportunity to increase their stand size for this year’s event.

Off the back of the highly successful 2008 edition it has been necessary to enlarge the total floor space to over 4000 square metres to accommodate bigger stands with more live working machinery than ever before.

The organiser, Rapid News Publications plc, is delighted to welcome back Headline Sponsors Huntsman Advanced Materials and EOS. Other companies who have already confirmed their presence at the 2009 event include: Concept Laser/ES Technology, Laser Lines/Stratasys, Objet Geometries, ProtoLabs, Z-Corporation, Ebalta, DSM Somos, Materialise, Envisiontec, Wenzel, Datron, Delcam, GOM UK, Exceltec, Inneo and FARO.

TCT Live focuses on business critical technologies for rapid product development and manufacturing. Adoption of these technologies is of vital importance for companies wishing to stay ahead of their competitors, reduce product development time, reduce cost and improve efficiency.

Exhibits cover the full spectrum of rapid prototyping and manufacturing machines and technologies. In addition, the exhibition brings together major players from the sectors of scanning and digitising, CAD/CAM/CAE software and materials sectors.

A focus on visitor experience and education for this years show sees the introduction of several new seminars including: Advanced Prototyping, RP&M in Architecture, CAD/CAM, and Inspection & Metrology. These will be accompanied by the previous years’ successful seminars RP&M Technology Introduction Sessions and Technology for Jewellery.

MM Live Welcomes Return of Headline Sponsors for 2009

2009-03-12T11:54:00.001Z

Rapid News Publications PLC, organiser of MM Live, is delighted to announce the return of its two Headline Sponsors — Rainford Precision Machines and SmalTec International — for the 2009 event being held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21 October 2009.

MM Live 2009 is the only UK event dedicated to Micro, Precision and Nano Manufacturing and the endorsement of UK-based Rainford Precision Machines and US-based SmalTec International underlines the importance of the show and its featured technologies for the micro and precision manufacturing sectors.

Arthur Turner, Managing Director of Rainford Precision Machines, commented on the company’s return to the show in 2009, “Having sponsored the MM Live 2008 show it was a very simple decision to both re-book the stand space for 2009 and agree to sponsor the show. I felt the effort put in by the MM Live team to promote the show and make the exhibition days useful both to exhibitors and visitors certainly paid off. The interest shown and the commitment by all the customers who attended the exhibition I thought was tremendous and shows the need for a focused exhibition in our industry to develop the market place further.”

Jerry Mraz, President of SmalTec International said, “SmalTec International has always been dedicated to promoting the micro-manufacturing industry and we like to support and sponsor events that have the same dedication to our industry. Our products are well received worldwide and Europe is a market that has embraced micro manufacturing. Last year’s MM Live event demonstrated the need to maintain focus on the UK and EU and to continue support growth of the small technology industry.”

Mark Blezard, Director of Sales for MM Live concluded, “It is a great pleasure to welcome both headline sponsors back for the second MM Live. Both companies took a leap of faith supporting a new show but clearly it worked for them, and we look forward to working with Rainford Precision Machines and SmalTec International as we go forward and double the size of MM Live in 2009.”

Visitor registration for the 2009 event is now open and can be completed quickly and easily at www.micro-show.com.

TCT Live & MM Live Visitor Registration Now Open

2009-03-09T12:22:00.003Z

It is with great pleasure that the organisers of TCT Live and MM Live, Rapid News Publications plc, announce that visitor registration for the 2009 events is officially open. More than 3000 visitors attended the shows during the 2008 editions, prompting the organisers to open registration even earlier for visitors’ convenience. Situated once again at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, from 20th –21st October 2009, entrance to TCT Live and MM Live is completely free of charge.

Registration can be completed quickly and easily at www.tctshow.com and www.micro-show.com

TCT Live and MM Live have been specially coordinated to bring together the latest developments in a wide range of technologies and will give visitors the opportunity to source the very latest solutions and innovations for design, development and manufacturing.

Free of charge seminar sessions will take place on both days of the show, these seminars will be held in purpose-built theatres within the exhibition halls and will cover topics such as: An Introduction to RPD&RM Technologies; Advanced Prototyping; Technology for the Jewellery Industry; RP&M in Architecture; Inspection & Metrology; and CAD/CAM.

Alongside the industry leading exhibitions and free seminars will be two world-class conferences. TCT Live will stage the Additive Manufacturing Conference, which will take an in-depth look at the true issues businesses face in adopting this technology. In the MM Live hall, the Micro Manufacturing Technology Conference will host expert papers covering all of the key technologies and techniques employed in making and verifying precision micro components

TCT Live and MM Live are dedicated to the very latest in design and manufacturing technologies. By offering a blend of live technical experience coupled with a huge range of live education seminars — TCT Live and MM Live are breaking the mould for engineering and manufacturing events.

Current exhibitor lists can be found on the respective websites along with further details about the shows and features.

TCT Live 2009 - Dedicated to Visitor Experience & Visitor Education

2009-03-05T12:34:00.003Z

The year 2009 looks set to be especially exciting for the TCT Conference & Exhibition. Building on the success of previous editions, the organisers, Rapid News Publications plc, has re-branded the show TCT Live 2009. The aim is to continue to ensure the event offers more attractions for more visitors than ever before in a focussed interactive environment. The re-brand to TCT Live will also bring the show in line with its co-located event MM Live — the micro, precision and nano manufacturing event.

Held once again at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21 October, TCT Live focuses on business critical technologies for rapid product development and manufacturing. Adoption of these technologies is of critical importance for companies wishing to stay ahead of their competitors, reduce product development time, reduce cost and improve efficiency.

The “Live” aspect of both events is essential to this success. In both the product development and micro manufacturing worlds…seeing is believing! By creating an interactive forum for the visitor, TCT Live is breaking the mould for engineering events — offering a blend of live technical experience coupled with a huge range of live educational seminars. This powerful combination will ensure that both shows are an essential part of any engineering and manufacturing organisation’s calendar.

Exhibits cover the vast range of Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Manufacturing machines and technologies giving visitors the perfect opportunity to compare, contrast and experience machines in an interactive working environment. The exhibition also brings together major players from the sectors of Inspection, Scanning and Digitizing, CAD/CAM/CAE Software and Materials all of who showcase their latest offerings.

TCT Live is proud to be the leading product development and manufacturing show dedicated to both Visitor Experience and Visitor Education.

The Next Generation of Virtual Interaction from Worldviz and Virtalis

2009-03-03T20:55:00.005Z

This is a rather cool story. Comes to us by way of Virtalis who resell Worldviz in the UK. Worldviz is a leading US based VR player and recently they have improved the functionality of their Vizard software by launching Live Characters, a feature that allows real-time virtual interaction.

Vizard is a 3D toolkit enabling the creation of interactive content. With its avatars known as Complete Characters and Soldiers, the new software plug-in enables full human presence for both first person and third person view points. Vizard was designed for rapid prototyping and lets the user choose between two scripting levels. Users with no programming experience can create interactive 3D content and instantly interface with a broad range of hardware devices via the simple scripting language, Python. Programming experts can utilise a C++ interface in the Enterprise Version of the software.

Live Characters allows users to interact with a virtual Vizard environment and the system accurately mimics their movements in real time via motion capture. Observers can view the avatar's movements both in the virtual world and those of the user, thanks to a split screen

David Heesom, course leader for the University of Wolverhampton's Architectural Visualisation degree and recent Vizard convert, explained: “Our students love these avatars. They can have fun with them and even populate their designs with virtual versions of themselves and their contemporaries. We bought 20 licences plus additional light versions which allow the students to work in Vizard on their own PCs at home. This means they can develop their work on PCs and then display it to others on our 3D projection system.”

Wolverhampton's Architectural Visualisation course is the first in the world offering this specialised discipline. It grew out of its previous course in VR Design in 2006 when the University noted that many graduates of this course were being snapped up for careers in construction, architecture and planning. The University therefore decided that the time had come to design a course devoted entirely to architectural visualisation.

“Originally, we approached Virtalis to buy a different software package”, commented David, “but after listening to our requirements they felt Vizard would give us the best results. I am glad we had their impartial advice, as our students, for whom the programming isn't the ultimate aim, are able to achieve great results and tackle real-time VR modelling.”

Stratasys Rebrand FDM as FORTUS 3D Production Systems

2009-03-02T15:24:00.008Z

Fresh from delivering the UPrint, which has to be one of the coolest looking desktop machines ever made Stratasys continue to forge ahead with the announcement that their FDM technology range will be rebranded as FORTUS 3D Production Systems.

Previously the range has been informally called the FDM Group or the High-End Systems line. Stratasys says that the growing market strength of this group of machines has been the catalyst for this change.

The interesting thing about this rebrand is that Stratasys seem to have moved away a little from Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), a phrase they have done much to articulate over the last few years, and in contrast to other players in the market have removed "Manufacturing" from their straplines and marketing for this product range almost completely.

The FORTUS machines are firmly positioned as 3D Production Systems....how long till the rest of the industry catches up?

Proto Labs Global Domination - Part III

2009-02-24T17:05:00.010Z

Here's an positive story for a change, the chaps at Proto Labs are about to embark on the next stage of their plan to take over the world!

They have announced two areas of international expansion which in the light of all the doom and gloom around is worth pointing out, it's a shame the mass media can't focus on the good news that is out there, we'd probably all feel a little better if they did.

The first new operation is a new Japanese subsidiary named Proto Labs K.K. The facility will be located near Tokyo and is scheduled to be fully operational by mid-2009.

They are also planning to open a sales office in France in the second quarter of 2009. Given the success of the German office you can bet this one will fly too!

3D Printing for the Masses

2009-02-19T18:50:00.005Z

This first caught my eye in the summer of last year, Shapeways is a spin out from the Lifestyle Incubator of Royal Philips Electronics, yes that Philips. Its aimed at budding 3D artists, architects, product designers and consumers and enables anyone with any skill level to order a reasonably priced model of their 3D design.

The whole transaction is carried out online and enables users to create and to modify their designs, or import them from popular 3D modeling software. Then In a few clicks, Shapeways checks whether the object can be made and provides a real-time cost estimate.

10 days later, wherever you are in the world your model arrives to your home or office....simple as that.

Looks like the system is starting to take off, if the forum traffic and examples on the site (www.shapeways.com) are anything to go by. I still can't see the day when everyone has a 3d printer in their house, but this kind of thing does open the technology up to everyone and that is a rather cool thing indeed.

Araldite Composites - Breaking the Mould

2009-02-19T14:04:00.006Z

News has just arrived regarding the new Araldite® Highly Flexible Composite. This is a fibre re-inforced composite from Huntsman that, it is suggested, has the potential to break into a wide range of different markets, from car panel manufacture where speed and cost are of paramount importance to sports protection and fashion clothing.

The new material is described as having outstanding flexibility and strength as a result of a unique thermosetting resin system. It has similar material characteristics to elastomers - impact, abrasion and tear resistance with elongation and tensile resistance, but is very different in terms of material and production time costs.

Only a few consumable materials are required – resin and fibre – and, most importantly, just a single shell mould is required for component production.

Standard, well established direct composite production processes such as wet-lay up and infusion can be used to produce parts from this single shell mould quickly and cost effectively. The parts can then be cured for 24 hours at room temperature or in an oven for 1 hour at 60oC. Highly detailed parts can be rapidly produced using no specialist equipment and only a single mould.

The parts look good in the pic!

Pay As You Go RP&M

2009-02-18T17:10:00.006Z

A new, purpose built centre has opened in London to offer rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing facilities on a ‘pay-and-go’ basis. Engineering and manufacturing companies, large and small, as well as individuals in business or education, are being encouraged to use the facility. It is also open to designers from all fields, for example in the jewellery and furniture sectors, and to architects that may wish to build scale models of their new designs.

The four-story building will be an extension of the activities of Metropolitan Works, London’s first creative industries centre which currently operates on London Metropolitan University’s city campus in East London. Two additive layer manufacturing machines from EOS, one for laser-sintering plastic powders and the other for metal powders, were delivered during 2008. They joined other rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing processes on site from Z-Corp and Envisiontec.

An example of an engineering project currently being assisted by Metropolitan Works is a stainless steel component around one centimetre thick that has a mesh of sub-millimetre wide holes with material between them of 0.1 mm wall thickness. According to the Metropolitan Works technicians making the components from EOS GP1 powder, it would be very difficult to make the component in any way other than using EOSINT laser-sintering technology.

While the purpose of the previous component is confidential, another design produced in the same material is not. Created by acclaimed silversmith, Marianne Forrest, it is a watch with an innovative strap that takes inspiration from prehistoric vertebrae. Although hand finished, it would be almost impossible to make entirely by hand to such high precision.

Matthew Lewis, Manager of Metropolitan Works suggests “The new, pay-and-go centre offers a leading-edge, digital design and manufacturing workspace that is a flexible, economic alternative to renting workshops and studios on a fixed term basis. It is accessible to everyone – established businesses, creative practitioners, innovative thinkers and graduates – who can work alongside each other and feed off each other’s ideas."

We think it's an interesting spin on things, now not only can you get your RP model on demand, nothing new there, but you can also locate your office and workshop for the duration of your project right next door so you can keep an eye on it as it's produced - if it takes off the networking possibilities are really quite interesting indeed.

DSM Somos® Introduces Software to Produce Reduced-Density Parts

2009-02-14T16:18:00.003Z

This is an interesting one, DSM Somos®, one of the leading resin suppliers to the RP&M industry has announced that it will introduce a new software application allowing SL users to create light-weight prototypes having enhanced structural integrity.

Based on patented technology from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), TetraShell™ hollow build software will use MSOE's TetraLattice* technology to facilitate the manufacture of hollow stereolithography parts with variable skin thicknesses, supported by a patented and proprietary TetraLattice™ support structure. Potential application areas include investment casting patterns, reduced- density metal clad composite structures and light-weight large, thick-sectioned parts.

"Until now, hollow build SL software has been restricted primarily to investment casting pattern applications," says DSM Somos Product Development Manager, Brian Bauman. "The TetraShell software will allow SL part builders to widely vary wall thickness, as well as to adjust support parameters-and consequently opens doors previously closed to SL because of cost or weight considerations. Due to overall reduction of mass, the TetraShell hollow build style will create considerable material savings for customers with bulky parts, while at the same time increasing part accuracy."

The TetraShell software is a proprietary DSM Somos application module supported by Materialise's Magics™ software and can easily be used on all current SL equipment. Beta testing is now underway, with widespread availability of the software in conjunction with Somos resins expected by year end.

ARRK Deliver on Husqvarna Flymo Project

2009-02-12T21:02:00.004Z

Leading manufacturer Husqvarna recently called upon ARRK to assist in the development of their new rear collection lawnmower, the Multimo 360XC.
Husqvarna were in the process of designing a new lawnmower for their Flymo® range and needed a prototype model. Based on the brief ARRK proposed an ABS fabricated CNC model and within 14 days supplied a model comprising 25 CNC components in ABS and clear acrylic.

Following delivery the prototype was used to prove the design and fit of the components. An additional benefit was that Husqvarna were able to conduct actual field trials to cut grass and confirm the performance of the lawnmower. The use of ABS, with its high impact properties, allowed the lawnmower to endure the physical demands of the trials. This was vital to the success of the project and allowed the design team to optimise the cut and collection of the Multimo.

After successful trials ARRK was then commissioned to produce vacuum castings of all the components, resulting in 15 fully assembled lawnmowers being supplied. As all the models were going to be used for photo shoots and marketing meetings, ARRK used its PremCast* service to produce exhibition standard, reproduction castings. This ensured the model communicated the important product features to major retailers.

The vacuum castings were produced using colour matched polyurethane resins that were as close to final production material as possible. The components were fully finished, textured, assembled and then delivered to the client within four weeks.

The TCT Additive Manufacturing Conference 2009 – Final Paper Call

2009-02-09T14:41:00.003Z

This years TCT conference will explore more deeply than ever before the realities of additive manufacture and will look at whether the promises and reported benefits are actually fact or fiction.

Taking into account the recommendations of the steering committee and to better address the needs of industry, this year’s conference will reflect the true issues facing businesses that adopt such technologies.

The theme of this years TCT event is business critical and advanced technologies for product development and manufacturing and to this end the event organisers welcome paper submissions from parties who would be able to present a dynamic and original paper on the following key subjects:

• The business reasons for adopting additive technologies, looking at companies’ business models when using or considering using the technologies within the manufacturing process and how this affects ROI.

• Papers that present a definitive manufacturing application of additive fabrication.

• Technical and practical case studies that examine the day-to-day issues associated with the implementation of additive technologies within business— what can they be used for and how to get the most out of them, the realities of using and adopting these machines.

• Future Considerations including: economic, environmental and corporate social responsibilities. Looking at the implications of adopting this technology and the new business models that evolve from additive manufacture.

As a conclusion, the last session of the day will draw together equipment and material vendors and end-users to discuss the practicalities of this technology and how they can really be used to reduce cost, increase speed and improve efficiency.

The conference will once again be held at the prestigious and centrally located Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 20-21st October 2009.

All submissions must be non-promotional in content and presented by companies that are utilising and/or researching the technologies for an industrial application. All papers will be reviewed by the conference steering committee to ensure that they meet the necessary and exacting requirements of TCT.

No vendor papers will be accepted from companies that sell machines, materials or associated services. Interested parties are initially requested to submit a detailed abstract (around 300 words) of their proposed paper on or before 6th March 2009. This should include the working title, all authors/contributors and their affiliations.

Please submit abstracts to Jenna Reid via email: jenna@rapidnews.com

Is this the One? Minneapolis Strikes!

2009-01-27T08:25:00.005Z

Our friends in Minneapolis have taken the next step in breaking down the barriers to using RP, RM, 3D Printing...or whatever you want to call it this week.

Launched yesterday (Monday 26th) at Dimension's annual reseller conference in Anaheim, California the uPrint breaks $15,000 barrier offering, so the press release states, "a fully functional, desktop-sized 3D printer". Now we've heard these claims before but Stratasys and its business groups rarely take a wrong turn.

The key thing here, and the reassuring thing, is that the system uses Dimension's proven FDM technology which removes the worry about how and if the process works, It already does in hundreds of machines around the world. The only real difference is in the size of the machine, and Stratasys have previous here too!

It's designed purely for the desktop, the uPrint requires only a 25 x 26 in. footprint and features an 8 x 6 x 6 in. build envelope. It builds models with Stratasys ABSplus — a material claimed to be on average 40 percent stronger than the company’s standard ABS material, which should make it ideally suited for form, fit and function testing. The models have a soluble support removal system which saves you getting your paws dirty.

Stratasys are understandably excited about this launch, Jon Cobb, vice president and general manager of 3D printing for Stratasys explains “uPrint is an important advance for Dimension’s product line, providing users a networked, desktop-sized 3D printer capable of building durable, accurate models ready for testing.....uPrint will appeal to designers, engineers, architects, artists, teachers and others working in CAD. With uPrint, they can get an affordable, high-quality 3D modeling system that’s available today.”

They've produced a nifty little video to go with the launch that you can view here: www.dimensionprinting.com - we are looking forward to seeing it action in real time soon!

MM Live 2009 - Demand for Exhibition Space Exceeds Expectations

2009-01-16T14:43:00.002Z

Following the highly successful first edition of MM Live 2008, the UK Micro Precision and Nano Manufacturing Event, demand for exhibition space has proven extremely high.

With nine months still to go before the doors open at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on 20th–21st October 2009, many companies have already reserved exhibition space with other organisations still in the process of choosing a stand for the show. This dedicated support from across the micro industry demonstrates that MM Live is set to become the industry-leading event for manufacturers of micro, precision components.

The 2009 edition has increased its floor space to over 2000 square meters, giving exhibitors the opportunity to operate even more of their machines in live working conditions. Companies who have already confirmed their presence at MM Live 2009 include: Rondol, SwissTec, Rainford Precision Machines, Kern, Tenable, MicroBridge, Sarix, Vision Engineering, Accumold, Laser Micro Machining, Tecan and Steec, to name but a few.

MM Live is a global showcase for all aspects of the mass manufacture of small to micro precision parts, whether a company can make them to order or supply the machinery to mill, cut or mould. Exhibits cover the full spectrum of micro manufacturing techniques from laser cutting, welding, and micro machining to injection moulding, inspection & measurement, photo etching, handling and assembly.

More than 1000 visitors attended the debut UK micro manufacturing show in 2008 demonstrating that this exhibition has provided the industry with a much-needed platform to share its products and knowledge with micro manufacturers. Visitors attended from all over the UK and Europe, even coming from as far a field as Canada, USA, Japan and Israel.

MM Live 2009 is co-located with TCT Live, the UK’s number one product development and manufacturing technology exhibition.

Rapid Manufacturing Conference Call for Papers

2009-01-07T09:35:00.005Z

The Rapid Manufacturing Conference will be a featured highlight of the TCT Live 2009 programme. A successful and much-respected event, now in its 14th year, the conference will focus solely on the application of rapid manufacturing — the production of end use parts using additive layer manufacturing technologies. With more and more companies realising the benefits of rapid manufacturing in terms of time and costs of production, there has never been a better time to share and learn about this technology.

The event organisers are now invitingpaper submissions for its 2009 programme. The conference, which will once again take place at the prestigious and well-positioned Ricoh Arena in Coventry 20th–21st October 2009, will be fully dedicated to the applications of Rapid Manufacturing technologies together with the associated business issues.

The Conference Manager would welcome any paper submissions from parties interested in presenting at the TCT 2009 conference. Only papers that present a definitive application of RM — using additive fabrication — should be submitted. The paper should consider the design issues, the business benefits in terms of time-to-market and financial objectives, material issues and part performance.

All submissions must be non-promotional in content and presented by companies that are utilising and/or researching the technologies for an industrial application. Furthermore, all papers will be reviewed by an external committee to ensure that they meet the necessary and exacting requirements of TCT.

No vendor papers will be accepted from companies that sell machines, materials or associated services.

Interested parties are initially requested to submit a detailed abstract (around 300 words) of their proposed paper on or before 1st February 2009. This should include the working title, all authors/contributors and their affiliations.

Please submit abstracts to Jenna Reid via email: jenna@rapidnews.com

Huntsman Launches a Machine for Rapid Manufacturing

2008-11-21T10:15:00.004Z

This machine was announced a month or so ago, and Huntsman has given TCT an insight into what this machine is about and what to expect.

Specified as a new rapid manufacturing (RM) machine, it has been developed by Huntsman Advanced Materials with the capability of producing large numbers of parts simultaneously at speed and with high accuracy. Huntsman is claiming a breakthrough on the premise that this system is based on entirely new micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, which affords the Araldite Digitalis a superior technique compared with other laser based processes on the market. And in this respect it is fundamentally different to other technologies as it is neither based on lasers nor on light reflecting MEMS as used in 3D printers.

At the heart of Araldite Digitalis is an MLS MicroLight Switch, a new exposure system operating via a computer controlled micro-mechanical shutter system. Using UV light, the Araldite Digitalis selectively exposes a larger surface area of radiation curable resin in a single step. The exposure of 40,000 pixels at a time, rather than a laser that exposes one point at a time, enables much faster and accurate manufacturing even of very complex parts (one of the major advantages of |RM) butl at relatively low costs. So, the three key elements are: the operating console, the vat enclosure with a re-coater and the exposure system. UV light from UV lamps is distributed through fibre optics onto the exposure bar where there are 16 MLS Switch units which distribute UV light pixels on to the resin surface. The 40,000 computer-controlled shutter mechanisms steer the exposure of the UV light to avoid scattering. Importantly the illuminating angle is 90˚ which guarantees that uniform and pinpoint accuracy is always achieved. Micro lenses refocus the UV light after leaving the MLS.

According to the company, initial tests at customer sites have proven the enormous potential of the new technology. Regardless of where a company is based, the Araldite Digitalis offers the potential to produce almost any part at a lower cost and should be considered not just as a machine, but as a complete production philosophy.

After a full introduction at Euromold last week, the system is expected to be fully commercialised in 2009, and it remains to be seen just how this system will impact the market.

Objet Has Done it Again

2008-10-15T13:31:00.002+01:00

As I mentioned previously, at this time of year there is nothing particularly surprising about new product launches into the RP/RM market. However, more surprising is the fact that for the second year running Objet Geometries is launching a completely new machine. Euromold 2007 saw the introduction of the Connex500 by the company, and the fourth quarter of 2008 brings with it the launch of the new Alaris30 desktop 3D printer, announced just an hour ago — and the machine will be on show at TCT next week in Coventry for the first time.

The technology itself is not new, the Alaris is based on Objet’s proprietary PolyJet process, similarly there are no new materials, currently the standalone material for this RP platform is VeroWhite, with its mechanical characteristics that are proven and well suited to functional RP. What is new is the size of the machine and the price/performance ratio, and it is intended to make anyone considering an entry-level RP machine sit up and take notice. And so they should. Objet is offering the Alaris with the same quality and resolution promises that it gives with its other higher spec machine ranges.

This machine cannot be placed in the same category as the Connex was last year with the “revolutionary” and “ground-breaking” adjectives attached to it, but it could just have a similarly profound effect in shaking up the market place. New entry-level RP users are the foundation for the whole RP / RM user base. Think of it in the same way as the housing market — when the number of first-time buyers increases, the market flourishes, and vice versa. So too with the RP / RM market, when first time users start buying their own machines and find real added value in using them, experimenting with them and building their businesses with them the rest of the market will benefit as the word spreads, new applications are developed and the number of machines purchased — in the same or a higher category — increases.

I am seriously looking forward to seeing this technology next week, and watch out for a more detailed update!

‘Tis the Season …….2008

2008-10-07T22:04:00.004+01:00

And so it begins!

Today 3D Systems has announced the launch of its new iPro 9000 XL SLA Centre for the production of extra-large, high-definition ‘Pro Parts’ for prototyping and end-use. The company plans to present this new system during its World Conference later this month and begin commercial shipments of the system soon after.

I must apologise for the reference to Christmas while still in October — but if my local high street is anything to go by, you would think it was next week! Another soap box for another time. But, as thoughts do turn that way the RPD sector is gearing up for the fourth quarter influx of new products. The number of highly publicised trade events such as TCT, Euromold and the 3D Systems event, which all take place towards the end of each year tend to coincide with the new marketing campaigns of companies launching new machines and materials as it gives them an excellent platform on which to do it with a captive audience.

Mcor Technologies is another example, and this Irish company is using the TCT Event in a couple of weeks as the launch pad for its new 3D printer. There will be more on that once I have had a chance to see it in action.

It will be exciting to see what is headed our way, and the new processes and technologies that will be available throughout 2009 for RP / RM applications.

Watch this space though, there will be more announcements in the coming days, I would bet my last pound on it ………

Collaboration & Innovation

2008-09-26T11:58:00.000+01:00

At the Materialise Innovation Forum, which took place in Leuven (Belgium) last week, there was, not surprisingly, a great deal of talk about innovation and it made me think.

Innovation was discussed within a number of contexts: designers striving to design and produce the most innovative products; how innovative companies operate, and the most innovative uses of rapid product development technologies. Regardless of context however, it seems to me that when you talk about ‘innovation’ it throws up something of an anomaly; wherein it is competition that forms the main driver behind developing innovative products and companies. Competition, however, particularly between competing companies, demands a level of secrecy and withholding of information in a bid to get products to market first and claim a bigger share of that all-important pie. And yet — and this is the anomaly — the meeting last week showed me that collaboration is also a great driver of innovation in a very real way — the sharing of the very best ideas and moving industries forward, whether that be the RP&M machine manufacturers, materials specialists, auto manufacturers or medical device manufacturers, true and ethical collaboration is a really good thing for everyone involved.

Call me idealistic, but I am fully subscribing to this idea. And credit must be given to Materialise for hosting the Forum. I mentioned in the magazine last year that this company advocates and upholds really strong ethics. That view has been reinforced even more strongly this year.

Rachel Park

Is Manufacturing Coming Home?

2008-09-23T14:50:00.001+01:00

There are rumblings, albeit distant at present, around the manufacturing industry that a number of western companies are starting to bring back their manufacturing facilities from the Far East. There are a number of reasons behind this, which if momentum builds could see a seismic shift for the European / US economies.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The truth is that over the last month I have heard of two specific companies that are already making the move, and numerous suggestions from other companies that are carrying out feasibility studies.

The key reasons for this departure are exponential increases in wages in the Far East and the rise in fuel costs, which result in astronomical shipping costs. Throw in the carbon footprint impact, which matters more and more, both to companies and consumers, and the argument starts to look pretty convincing, and one that at least needs some serious consideration. While the wage increases in China and India, will take a long, long time to catch up with the higher wage economies of Europe and the US, these increasing costs are having a significant impact on bottom lines. Furthermore, the benefits of having manufacturing facilities on your doorstep are obvious, and when the cost issues becomes less convincing the reasons for reassessment are harder to ignore.

This is one situation that will be fasinating to watch over the coming months and years, if you are considering the move yourself, please add your voice as to when and why, I would be very interested to hear your views.

Rachel Park

Leuven, Molndal....Hotbeds of RPD

2008-09-18T19:17:00.005+01:00

Whilst discussing the lovely city of Leuven in Belgium at the Materialise Innovation Forum this week it struck me just how talented that city is, the University has spawned two of the most successful companies in the RPD sector, namely Materialise and Metris, who both enjoy a global reputation and brand presence. The new kid on the block, Layerwise, has also emerged in recent months to add potential to the rich pedigree.

It got me thinking about where else in the world RPD technologies seem to be prevalent. Molndal in Sweden has a good claim with Arcam, Sintermask and FCubic all clustered around that city. But where else in the world could claim to be a centre of Rapid Technologies, and more importantly what do they put in the water in these cities....

Rapid Manufacturing Tie Up..

2008-09-18T12:45:00.000+01:00

News reaches us of a growing relationship between the Italian SLS material Windform experts and Paramount Industries of the USA. CRP report that "Paramount Industries has decided not only to use Windform on its machines, but also to promote the high-performance material to their customers"

Jim Williams, CEO of Paramount, (first class chap by the way!) has indicated that Windform XT is ideally suited to applications in national defense and aerospace technology, where there are stringent demands for materials with extraordinary strength and durability. This marks a departure from the usual Automotive applications that CRP are famed for - further evidence that RM is taking root as a viable technology across industry

Education Education Education …!

2008-09-12T13:48:00.002+01:00

Whatever your opinion of how well (or not) the Labour Government has followed through on its promises for the general education system in this country since coming to power, it is impossible to escape the truth associated with just how important education is for the future in every sector of global industry. The manufacturing sector is a particular case in point, and there are currently many initiatives being driven by a host of organisations in the UK, and further a field, to find and encourage the next generation of engineers and designers and to introduce them to many of the advanced manufacturing technologies that they would be expected to employ in the ‘real’ world.

Undoubtedly universities are, and will continue to be, the key to unlocking great engineering capacity for the manufacturing sector. Beyond, or rather before, the university years, however, is a wealth of talent in our schools that without knowledge, encouragement or direction may very well miss out on a great opportunity that is available to them.

Just a couple of the initiatives that are well under way in this area are detailed here. The Digital Design & Technology scheme, managed by the Design & Technology Association (D&TA) [http://www.data.org.uk is a scheme that promotes the use of CAD/CAM software in primary and secondary schools and the results from one high school in Lancaster are reported in the upcoming edition of the TCT Magazine. Another such initiative is the F1 in Schools programme [www.f1inschools.co.uk], undertaken by a not-for-profit company that was established with committed partners to provide an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the appeal of Formula One. A truly global educational programme, it raises awareness of Formula One among students and school children in every region, in every country, on every continent between the ages of 9 and19. Its main objective is to help change perceptions of engineering, science and technology by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, Formula One, science, marketing and technology.

As a media group, the team at TCT has also taken a role in this area with the introduction of the TCT Bright Minds UK Mentor Programme, following its successful implementation by the SME in the US (see previous post, 22/7/08). The TCT Group will continue to promote these initiatives to the engineering community. It is vital that we do so, similarly, it is important for industry sectors, companies (large and small) and individuals to also play their part by taking notice of these enterprises and to contribute where possible, whether that be time, money, expertise or just some advice.

Wenzel Group....Possibly the Best Company Video in the World

2008-07-30T20:17:00.009+01:00

Wenzel, who celebrate 40 years this year are known predominantly for their CMM's. But they are also heading for TCT 2008 with the Smart Scan CMM and the Shapetracer non contact scanning system from the newly acquired Knotenpunkt GmbH. This complete solution enables non-contact scanning and data processing for either reverse engineering or comparing nominal CAD files. Definitely worth a look at Stand D14 come October 21/22.

They've been pretty busy recently with that acquisition and also another in the shape of computer tomography company Volumetrik GmbH, but they've also found time to put together what we at TCT Towers think is possibly the finest company profile video we've ever come across from a company in this industry..it is just brilliant and well worth a few minutes of your day.

If you think you can better it we'd be delighted to add you to the TCT YouTube channel aswell!

TCT Bright Minds UK Mentor Programme - Inspiring Tomorrow’s Engineers

2008-07-22T11:01:00.004+01:00

In a bid to inspire young engineers of the future, The TCT Magazine has announced the launch of the TCT Bright Minds UK Mentor Programme.

The aim of TCT Bright Minds UK, based on a programme run by the SME in the USA, is to motivate and inspire a group of specially selected secondary school students — potentially tomorrow’s engineers — to enter a career in the world of engineering when they finish their studies.

As an industry we are in a unique position to influence the choices these students make. TCT showcases the exciting and cutting edge aspects of today’s engineering world and by engaging with students at an early stage and introducing them to these technologies hopefully we can encourage this next generation of school leavers to choose engineering as a career.

I'm interested in talking to anyone who feels that they can assist with the programme as we go forward. Please do get in touch.

Price or Quality, Apparently You Cannot Have Both...

2008-07-19T17:11:00.007+01:00

It's funny how two companies in the same line of business, separated by only 25 miles, can have such a diametrically opposed view of things. Having spent a fair bit of time out and about visiting clients recently it has become clear that there are two distinct camps that you can put most of the service operations market in the UK into.

One train of thought is that the market demands quality and service above all other considerations. The other is 100% confident that the product is a commodity and that price is the only thing that matters to it's customers.

What are we talking about? RP models of course, it's a debate that has been rumbling on since I first got involved with RP back in 96, there didn't seem to be any middle ground then and it seems that there still isn't.

Your choice if you buy RP seems to be good quality models at realistic prices or lumps of resin or sintered plastic at an ever decreasing price.

Who is driving this? RP buyers with decreasing budgets, or RP bureaux with spare capacity, high targets and a rapacious desire to sell at any cost, and by any I mean the lowest.

Some say that the only way the RP&M industry will continue to grow and continue be adopted by new users is if the product is of sufficient quality to be of use to the designer or do we put too much store in the finish, it is a prototype after all.....

Orange County Calling....Rapid 2008

2008-05-23T02:42:00.018+01:00

As I type this rolling news reports of the $4 gallon of gasoline and other bleak economic indicators on US television seem to lend credence to the suggestion that the US is facing a recession

It was against this gloomy backdrop that I arrived in Orlando to attend the annual SME RAPID event this week. I was intrigued to see if the economic slow down was going to have an impact on the event, and on the industry we operate in.

I'm pleased to report that it was a good success, plenty of visitors and the majority of exhibitors reported a good deal of enquiries. I'd venture to suggest that the sector we operate in might well be insulated against the worst vagaries of a recession. Companies are not going to stop developing products in competitive sectors such as Automotive and Consumer markets and people don't stop getting injured so Medical markets will need to continue to push forward - the result I believe and hope is that the technologies we cover and that you use and sell will enable us to emerge unscathed.

As for the event itself....all the big guns were present and correct, EOS, (Kralling, Germany) as event sponsor made a big splash as you will see from the picture. Stratasys (MN, USA) and 3D Systems (SC, USA) also had their full ranges (which really are vast these days) on show.

Some of the most interesting developments are emerging in the area of model enhancement, VacuCoat (MI, USA) presented a vacuum metalizing process for RP&M models, XLAform (NC, USA) have a new resin infusion process for Z-Corp models which is already gathering serious interest.

Amongst the plethora of presentations on offer, the opening keynote speaker, Retired US Army Brigadier General Nick Halley gave an entertaining take on leadership drawing on his years in service. On that basis his book "Leadership Under Fire" might well prove to be a useful read if you are one for that type of reading material.

RAPID 2009 takes place next year on May 12-14, located in Schaumburg, IL , worth putting on your Outlook calendar now I think.