This article will cover various international business developments within the 3D printing industry of the last few years.
Developments
Smart3D Multimaterial Dryer
Smart3D Multimaterial Dryer is a solution by Smart International, designed to keep moisture away from the filaments. Humidity can bring various problems during 3D printing, so this device is likely to solve the issue.
It utilizes a hybrid drying system, with the tech providing fast drying and supporting various materials, including PVA, Nylon, and TPU.
Smart International is a sub-brand of Industry Supplies, a company behind the KODAK 3D Portrait Printer. Demian Gawanski, CCO of Smart International, said that he’s sad to see high-performance materials go to waste and is sure that their solution will fix the issues of high humidity being destructive for the materials.
Ricoh Online Instant 3D Printing Quote
Japanese electronics company Ricoh, known for its cameras, started offering instant quoting for 3D printing services on its website. Uploading an STL file, selecting the printing technique, as well as materials will result in the final price. The files will be put through repairs and validation checks. There is expert support available as well.
Copper3D Materials
Copper3D, a Chile-based 3D materials manufacturer, researched dermatological disorders in the patients who use 3D printed prostheses and orthoses (both amputees and non-amputees). The results showed that the bacterial burden in 3D printed medical devices can be explained by porous materials and some geometries that make the cleaning process of the prostheses and orthoses difficult.
The company’s solution was a material based on copper nanoparticles, as well as elements to make it more antimicrobial. It’s called PLACTIVE. It’s a PLA-based material with powerful antibacterial effects. Another solution is called MDflex, it’s a PETG-based material with active antimicrobial properties as well.
Daniel Martínez, Chief Innovation Officer at Copper 3D (as well as the company’s co-founder) said that he considers their solutions a revolution in the biomedical 3D printing field. The company signed a distribution agreement with Dutch 3D printing supplier FormFutura as a plan of its expansion in the European market.
Partnerships
Thor3D and KVS Ltd
Russian 3D scanner manufacturer Thor3D, known for its Calibry handheld solutions, signed a partnership with KVS Ltd, a UK-based software developer. This allowed Thor3D to sell its 3D scanners of the Calibry line bundled with the Quick Surface software by KVS.
Anna Zevelyov, CEO at Thor3D, noted that their solution will be a good choice for those who are just getting started in 3D technologies. Quick Surface is compatible with popular CAD programs, including Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360 and SolidWorks.
BEAMIT and SLM Solutions
Italian additive manufacturing bureau, BEAMIT, will continue its long-standing partnership with SLM Solutions, German 3D printing manufacturer. The plan included buying 15 SLM machines by 2023. The devices include SLM 280, SLM 500 and SLM 800.
Mauro Antolotti, Chairman and Founder of BEAMIT mentioned that the usage of the SLM multi-laser technology allowed the company to improve productivity.
J.C. Steele & Sons Inc and BigRep
J.C. Steele & Sons Inc., an extrusion manufacturer company, and BigRep, a 3D printer developer specialized in large-sized industrial-grade solutions, partnered together in 2020. The usage of BigRep ONE 3D printer helped J.C> Steele & Sons to reduce the expenses by 75% while simultaneously boosting the levels of production.
The large-scale 3D printer allowed the company to produce complex parts that would be difficult to make using traditional solutions. In the result, this extrusion machinery company produced 60 new partners in a year.
According to a company's representative, the usage of additive manufacturing streamlined their workflow.
Croft Additive Manufacturing gets the Made Smarter program funding
Croft Additive Manufacturing is a 3D printer manufacturer based in Washington. They managed to secure funding through the Made Smarter program that supports local small and medium-sized enterprises.
Croft Additive Manufacturing is among 62 businesses that make a use of industrial additive manufacturing technologies. The funding program was runned until March 2021.
Bassetti and Senvol
French-based software developer Bassetti signed an agreement with Senvol 3D printing database. TEEXMA is a program developed by Bassetti and is aimed to support complete additive manufacturing product life cycles, while the database will be used as a source of data, in the result making a combined all-round solution for companies.
BCN3D and Printme 3D
Spanish 3D printing manufacturer BCN3D started distributing their offerings in Bulgaria through the partnership with a local company Printme 3D. This was part of the plan of expansion into Bulgaria, Balkan countries and Ukraine.
