Category Archives: News
Artec 3D Scanners Used by Hyundai Europe to Develop Automobile Seats
Leading 3D Scanner Company Artec Delivers Automotive Solutions
In our coverage of 3D printing, there is increasing interest in 3D scanners as a key source of digital input for both rapid prototyping and product development. From simple Kinect-based scanners to the MakerBot Digitizer to Kickstarter campaigns, it seems like more and more 3D scanners are coming to market.
In this article we profile Luxembourg-based Artec Group, a leader in 3D scanning and 3D facial recognition technology that has partnered with Hyundai Europe to help develop automobile seats.
Related: Will 3D Scanners Usher in a New Era of Copyright Infringement?
Two different Artec scanners are being used by Hyundai Motor Europe to create 3D models of automobile seats for new cars. These models can then be tested and modified for maximum safety and comfort.
The Artec L scanner captures the geometry of a seat from different angles. Then the smaller, intricate details of a seat are scanned with the Artec MHT scanner and the data is combined to make a complete, highly precise 3D model of the car seat.
Both scanning devices are portable and easy to use which means that they can be taken to different Hyundai locations.
Watch this narrated video to see how the Artec 3D scanners are used by Hyundai.
Learn more about Artec at www.artec3d.com.
Related articles:
- Radiant Fabrication Wants to Be the iTunes of 3D Printing
- Fuel3D Handheld 3D Scanner Closes in on $300,000 Kickstarter Funding
- MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner Goes On Sale for $1400, Video from Bre
- 3D Scanning for 3D Printing: How Kickstarter is Changing the Game
- Video: Burning Man Team Offers 3D Prints of Burners in the Desert
- Do The Mutation: 3D Printed Masks Take Art to a New Level of Personal
- The MakerBot Met Hackathon Spreads with Art Derivations
You Can Now 3D Print in Bronze at Shapeways
3D printing marketplace Shapeways is ever expanding its materials and today announced the availability to 3D print in bronze.
3D printed Bronze at Shapeways is a high-detail metal with a deep red color similar to rose gold. It has a subtle marbling effect, and the silvery highlights give each piece their own unique character.
There are two types of bronze available: raw and polished.
Raw Bronze has a rustic matte look with some rough surfaces. It is great for antique-looking objects, vintage and steampunk jewelry, functional parts, and more. Coloration may vary across a single object, and as with all Bronze it may tarnish over time, in a cool way.
Polished Bronze goes through an extensive hand polishing process to give it a super smooth, glossy finish. It is great for miniatures, precious objects, and shiny, modern jewelry.
Compare the two finishes in the photo below.
Related: 3D Printing Materials Overview
As with 3D printed brass, be sure to follow the design rules so that objects will survive after being 3D printed.
Raw Bronze costs $10.00 + $16.00/cm3, while Polished Bronze costs $20.00 + $18.00/cm3. The lead time for either material is 15 business days.
Shapeways is offering a coupon code to get 10% off purchases in bronze through October 15. Use the code qferw at checkout to get the discount.
voxeljet Plans $91 Million IPO (VJET) to Compete with DDD SSYS XONE
3D printer company voxeljet sets terms for $91 million IPO
Germany-based voxeljet is a leading provider of 3D printers and on-demand parts services. Earlier this week, the company announced terms for its planned IPO, where it plans to list under the symbol VJET on the NYSE.
voxeljet is raising $91 million through an offering of 6.5 million shares priced at $13 to $15 per share. This would give voxeljet a market cap of over $300 million.
A deeper look at voxeljet (NYSE:VJET)
For a deeper look at voxeljet, we combined our own research with data from an in-depth analysis by 3DPrintingStocks.com contributor Gary Anderson.
voxeljet AG was founded in 1999 and its headquarters is located in Friedberg, Germany, about 60 kilometers outside of Munich.
The company sold its first 3D printer in 2002 and has installed 52 printers worldwide as of June 30, 2013. 53% of sales to date have been outside of Germany and major customers include Ford, 3M, Daimler AG, BMW, and Hyundai. 3D Systems has also been a distributor of voxeljet printers since 2011.
“voxeljet printer systems and services are aimed squarely at commercial applications in the automotive, architecture, aerospace, medical/orthopedic, engineering, and defense industries,” wrote 3DPrintingStocks.com. The vast majority of 3D printing industry sales comes from these industrial sectors, and therefore voxeljet competes with companies such as 3D Systems and Stratasys, who have multi-billion dollar market capitalizations.
voxeljet operates two primary business divisions:
- voxeljet SYSTEMS business division focuses on the development, production and distribution of the market´s fastest and most powerful 3D printing systems. Today, voxeljet has a well-coordinated product range that reaches from smaller entry models to large-format machines, and therefore offers the perfect 3D print system for many application areas.
- voxeljet SERVICES custom parts service centre creates sand moulds and plastic models based on CAD data on demand. Small-batch and prototype manufacturers appreciate the automatic, patternless manufacture of their casting moulds and 3D models.The company’s customer base includes well-known automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, foundries as well as innovative companies from the arts design as well as the movie and entertainment industry.
voxeljet booked $11 million in sales for the 12 months ended June 30, 2013. This is quite small compared to Stratasys ($359mm) and 3D Systems ($354mm), but within the ballpark of ExOne ($29mm) and Arcam AB ($22mm).
The company’s production facilities now stand at 16,000 square feet and are undergoing expansion to over 40,000 square feet. Proceeds from the IPO are for the establishment of new service centers in North America and Asia, research and development, sales and marketing initiatives, and “general corporate purposes including potential acquisitions”.
The video below showcases the VXC800, the world’s first continuous 3D printer.
voxeljet received some fame in 2012 for fabricating stunt-double Aston Martin cars used in the James Bond action flick “Skyfall.”
For more details on the company’s technology and patents, products and services, and key financials from their recent F-1 filing, read more analysis at 3DPrintingStocks.com.
Inventor of 3D Printing Chuck Hull Receives Award
“From the get go, I imagined that 3D printing would significantly change design and manufacturing as we know it, but I could not have anticipated the profound impact the technology would have on everything in our lives. It is both humbling and exhilarating to be apart of this incredible transformation.” — Chuck Hull
Chuck Hull, the inventor of 3D printing and founder of 3D Systems, was honored with the George R. Stibitz Computer and Communications Award by Montana State University on October 3, 2013, in Bozeman, MT.
Hull invented the original 3D printing technology, Stereolithography (SLA), and led the development of the .stl file format, which continues to be the gold standard in ultra high-definition 3D printing and CAD connectivity to this day. Hull set to develop additive layer manufacturing to help an ailing automotive industry regain competitive advantage. After years of failed attempts Hull’s perseverance and inventiveness paid off when he successfully printed a teacup on March 9, 1983, and went on to file a patent for what he called Stereolithography and found 3D Systems in 1986.
Photo: Chuck Hull speaks on the “Pioneers” panel at the Inside 3D Printing San Jose conference
Hull continues to lead the 3D printing revolution as 3D Systems’ Chief Technology Officer, celebrating 30 years of continuous 3D printing innovation and presiding over 7 different 3D print technologies, over 100 materials and 1,200 patents.
The award program was established in 1997 by George Keremedjiev, founder and director of the American Computer and Robotics Museum in Bozeman, MT. Hull is being honored along side the late Walt Disney and John Holland, an expert in complex adaptive systems. MSU will also be honoring primatologist Frans de Waal and 3M executive Jean B. Sweeney with the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award.
Photo: Chuck Hull receives his Cube 3D printer
“Seemingly a week cannot pass by without the mention of 3D printing for advanced manufacturing in both the general and technical media,” Keremedjiev said. “It is, bar none, the ‘hottest’ technology for modern and future manufacturing in the world. In fact, much of President Obama’s and the Congress’ manufacturing initiatives center themselves around the proliferation of Mr. Hull’s invention (3D printing).”
“I am deeply honored to receive the distinguished Stibitz Award alongside innovators who have changed the world and improved the human condition in unimagined and powerful ways,” said Chuck Hull, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, 3D Systems. “From the get go, I imagined that 3D printing would significantly change design and manufacturing as we know it, but I could not have anticipated the profound impact the technology would have on everything in our lives. It is both humbling and exhilarating to be apart of this incredible transformation.”
3D Printing Week: Viral Toothbrush, Crowdfunding, Staples Challenge
3D Printing News
Here is a roundup of the top 3D printing news from September 30 to October 6.
We get a view into the distribution of 3D printers courtesy of 3D Hubs; MakerBot and Ultimaker are top of the list.
A lot of action in crowdfunding this past week. FABtotum is a 3D printer, CNC machine and 3D scanner in one. The Open Hand Project looks to close the gap to build its 3D printed robotic prosthetic.
Staples partners with CGTrader for a 3D printing design challenge, specifically for the Mcor paper 3D printers.
And a 3D printed toothbrush goes viral!
Tuesday, October 1
Wednesday, October 2
Thursday, October 3
Friday, October 4
Saturday, October 5