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Metal 3D printing: EOS adds four new materials

Industrial 3D-printing supplier EOS has added four new metal additive manufacturing materials to its portfolio: an iron-nickel alloy that boasts stability under fluctuating temps, a nickel alloy with high strength and extreme corrosion resistance, a low-alloyed steel prized for its high toughness and strength, and an industrial-grade stainless steel. Each has been optimized for EOS Laser Powder Bed Fusion systems.
Get all the details.

New materials and finishes from Quickparts

Quickparts has introduced DuraKor, ThermaKor, and vapor smoothing to expand its production-capable materials and finishing portfolio. The new plastics provide polypropylene-like toughness, chemical resistance, and high-temperature stability, while vapor smoothing improves sealing and surface quality. Together, these capabilities help engineers validate designs, refine performance, and transition efficiently from prototypes to scalable manufacturing.
Learn more.

What's the latest in SLA 3D printing?

Learn about the latest offerings in SLA printing from 3D Systems, including the introduction of SLA 825 Dual, the company's most advanced large-frame Stereolithography printer. Other new products include ArrayCast investment casting software that allows users to effortlessly create customized casting trees (complete with configurable runners, sprues, and end effectors), Accura SbF (the latest SLA casting resin), and Accura Xtreme Black (which delivers low shrinkage, large, functional SLA prototype parts with sharp detail).
Learn about all the new 3D Systems products.

meviy cuts CNC milling lead times to just 4 days

meviy, the on-demand custom parts manufacturing service developed by MISUMI Group, has upgraded its Expedite+ service with improved lead times for CNC Milled parts. Customers can now have their parts shipped in as few as four days through meviy's fastest delivery option. The enhanced service helps manufacturers and engineers stay on schedule when projects are behind or production is interrupted. Supported materials include steels and aluminums. Check out their instant quoting too.
Learn more.

Top Tech Tip: How do you 3D print STL files?

Learn the basics of 3D printing STL files -- the files that serve as the digital foundation for 3D printing -- and a whole lot more from the experts at Xometry. These files have advantages, of course, but did you know they have disadvantages too? Also learn about STL tools and programs, and how to reduce file size or even repair a file you are having trouble with.
Read the Xometry article.

When metals can't survive: Machined ceramics as an alternative

Technical Ceramics are so hard and wear resistant that they cannot be machined with conventional tools -- but they can outlast and outperform other materials in demanding or harsh applications. INSACO's proprietary diamond grinding process and specialized techniques developed over many decades allow the company to produce and document parts to exacting specifications consistently. Learn all about the alternatives you have when metals just can't take it.
Read the INSACO article.

Metal 3D printing: Right at your desktop

From prototyping to tooling or batch production of end-use parts, the Studio System 2 from Desktop Metal brings metal 3D printing to any office, studio, or lab setting. This powder- and laser-free system consists of an easy-to-adopt two-step process: print using pre-bound metal rod feedstock and then sinter. It requires minimal training and operator intervention. Combined with next-gen Separable Supports and a software-controlled workflow, the Studio System makes metal 3D printing simpler than ever. This platform offers more materials than any other metal extrusion 3D-printing system on the market. They include Inconel 625, titanium (Ti64), copper, tool steels, and stainless steels.
View the video and learn more.

New lightweight compound for structural car parts

Following four years of collaboration with the University of Toronto, Axiom is proud to announce the creation of AX Gratek PP40 -- a groundbreaking lightweight, high-strength alternative to heavy glass-filled 40-60% PP components. This hybrid composite features graphene nanoplatelets with glass fibers. Patent pending, this material has achieved up to 20% improvement in tensile strength while achieving an impressive 18% weight reduction compared to commercial PPGF60% parts.
Learn more.

Print parts in M300 tool steel: Starter kit

Take your 3D printing to the next level with M300 Tool Steel Filamet™ -- a high-strength and wear-resistant material. Virtual Foundry has released a brand-new M300 Tool Steel Kit packed with everything you need to get started, including: 0.5-kg starter filament spool, Filawarmer, 1 kg of steel blend, 0.5 kg of sintering carbon, and an alumina crucible. From the company that brought us 3D-printable lunar regolith simulant.
Learn more, including print instructions.

New laser-weldable PPS plastic

Polyplastics has launched a laser weldable DURAFIDE^® PPS grade with high transmittance. DURAFIDE PPS 1120LW1 (tentative name) utilizes a unique transmittance improvement technology. Although PPS has traditionally been considered difficult to use for laser welding, this new material expands the possibilities for applying laser welding to parts that previously had limitations in terms of heat and chemical resistance. This material is so new you may want to talk to someone at the company.
Learn more.

Expert design tips and tricks for 3D printing

Join Xometry's 3D-printing experts, Greg Paulsen and Matt Schmidt, as they reveal practical strategies to help you optimize your designs, improve print quality, and reduce costs across your 3D-printing projects. Learn about file-prep best practices, how to reduce costs on 3D prints, key design considerations when working on tolerance or resolution, and much more. Lots to learn here.
View the video.

New sheet metal capabilities for faster, cost-efficient builds

meviy, the on-demand custom parts manufacturing service developed by MISUMI Group, has expanded its sheet metal processing capabilities -- a game-changer for engineers and designers working under tight timelines and budgets. The upgrade includes support for thicker materials (up to 0.5"), bending up to 0.25", and new tapped and countersunk hole options -- all while maintaining meviy's trademark speed and simplicity. From fixture plates to machine frames, this opens the door for faster, low-precision structural builds.
Learn about meviy's many new service offerings.

Did you know etching is a machining option for Inconel?

In engineering, the materials that are hardest to work with are often the ones you want most in your design -- and Inconel is no exception. The very qualities that make this family of nickel-chromium superalloys so valuable also make the materials extremely difficult to machine. There is another option, though, for some applications.
Read the full article.

How to cut EMI gasket costs for military projects

Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) says it is enabling defense contractors to reduce EMI gasket costs without compromising quality or performance. In addition to cost-effective nickel-graphite materials, SSP provides molded or bonded EMI frame gaskets that maximize yields and reduce waste. SSP also makes continuous rolls that are less expensive to produce and faster to fabricate into finished parts.
Read the SSP blog.

New steel alloy for 3D printing features ultra-high strength, exceptional weldability

Sandvik has introduced Osprey MAR 55, a highly versatile tool steel powder for 3D printing that bridges the gap between maraging steels and tool steels. With this new alloy, manufacturers no longer have to choose between good weldability of carbon-free maraging steels and the performance of carbon-bearing steels. It provides good mechanical properties and wear resistance. This alloy could be considered for general tooling applications. The exceptional fracture toughness at ultra-high-strength levels also paves the way for use in defense and aerospace.
Learn more.

Air Force funds development of titanium-replacement materials for engines and aircraft

By Timothy Anderl, Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Office

Developing better, faster, stronger, and more sustainable aircraft requires the discovery and successful manufacturing of advanced, high-temperature materials. Additionally, the best new materials solutions meet environmental, health, and safety regulations and are non-toxic alternatives to their predecessors.

Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory and PROOF Research Advanced Composites Division (formerly Performance Polymer Solutions Inc., P2SI), in Moraine, OH, are developing and maturing computationally derived materials, manufacturing, and engineering solutions, including advanced high-temperature polymer matrix composites (PMCs) that are used to replace titanium.

Applications for these materials exist on the F135 and F110 fighter-jet engines; B-2, F-117, and F-22 aircraft; missile structures; and sixth-generation engines.

PROOF Research Advanced Concepts Division engineers work on a polyimide composite structure. [Photo courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

 

 

As a replacement for titanium structures, high-temperature PMCs offer up to a 40 percent weight savings, resulting in annual fuel savings of hundreds of dollars per kilogram of titanium replaced per aircraft in addition to potential increased service life and improved fatigue resistance.

The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program office is providing an additional $750,000 to PROOF ACD (P2SI) to help transition these technologies in support of the Air Force's Technology Program for Integrated Computational Methods for Composite Materials (ICM2).

"This maturation effort supports the warfighter by providing new capabilities and performance at a reduced cost," said Dr. Brent Volk, the AFRL researcher managing the effort. "It completes development of an advanced materials 'toolbox' that includes a higher temperature polyimide matrix composite, a computational process model for the material integrated into a commercial, off-the-shelf software package, validation of the process model on complex geometries, and a materials design-allowable database."

In addition to the SBIR funding, this program leverages more than $1.6 million in funding from industry partners, including Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, and Triumph Aerostructures. These funds will help ensure the SBIR Phase II effort graduates into a program that successfully transitions its technologies into military or private sectors.

The Air Force SBIR and STTR programs provide more than $300 million in funding for research and development activities by small businesses annually. With this budget, the Air Force funds research from the early stages of concept development until it transitions to military or commercial use.

For more information about these programs, please call the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Office at 1-800-222-0336, email info@afsbirsttr.com, or visit their website at www.afsbirsttr.com.

Published September 2015

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