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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.

Plastic parts without expensive molds

Urethane Casting and RTV Molding are rapid tooling processes for producing low- to medium-volume plastic parts with production-level quality. This process uses rubber molds to deliver parts without the high upfront costs or long lead times of traditional injection molding. Production-grade materials provide exceptional detail and finish. Learn how the experts at TriMech Advanced Manufacturing can help you make the most of this custom part-making technology.
Learn more.

Laser paint stripping a hit for Australian Air Force

Laser technology successfully tested by the Australian Air Force's division that handles vintage restorations could revolutionize the removal of hazardous paint from military equipment requiring maintenance or reconditioning.
Read the full article.

Print 316L stainless steel on Markforged printers

316L Stainless Steel is now available for use with Markforged FX10 printers, allowing users to manufacture high-strength, accurate parts for demanding applications such as food and beverage processing, automotive, chemical and petrochemical processing, medical devices, and marine environments. This filament is safe and easy to handle. It makes machinable and polishable parts that have excellent corrosion resistance.
Learn more.

Engineering challenge: Which 3D-printed parts will fade?

How does prolonged exposure to intense UV light impact 3D-printed plastics? Will they fade? This is what Xometry's Director of Application Engineering, Greg Paulsen, set to find out. In this video, Paulsen performs comprehensive tests on samples manufactured using various additive processes, including FDM, SLS, SLA, PolyJet, DLS, and LSPc, to determine their UV resistance. Very informative. Some results may surprise you.
View the video.

Copper filament for 3D printing

Virtual Foundry, the company that brought us 3D-printable lunar regolith simulant, says its popular Copper Filamet™ (not a typo) is "back in stock and ready for your next project." This material is compatible with any open-architecture FDM/FFF 3D printer. After sintering, final parts are 100% pure copper. Also available as pellets. The company says this is one of the easiest materials to print and sinter. New Porcelain Filamet™ available too.
Learn more and get all the specs.

Researchers develop 'world's lightest material'

Researchers at HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA, announced November 17 that they have developed the world's lightest material. The material has a density of 0.9 mg/cc, approximately one hundred times lighter than Styrofoam. The results of their research – a collaborative effort between HRL, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Irvine, are published in the November 18 issue of Science.

Using an innovative fabrication process developed at HRL Laboratories, researchers created a "micro-lattice" structure of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers, 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. [Photo credit: Photo by Dan Little© HRL Laboratories, LLC]

 

 

 

 

This new material redefines the limits of lightweight materials because of its unique "micro-lattice" cellular architecture. Using an innovative fabrication process developed by HRL senior scientist Dr. Alan Jacobsen, the team was able to make a material that consists of 99.99% open volume by designing the 0.01% solid at the nanometer, micron, and millimeter scales. "The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers, 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," says lead author Dr. Tobias Schaedler.

In addition to its ultra-low density, the material's cellular architecture gives rise to unprecedented mechanical behavior for a metal, including complete recovery from compression exceeding 50% strain and extraordinarily high energy absorption. Developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the novel material could be used for battery electrodes; catalyst supports; and acoustic, vibration, or shock energy damping.

Dr. Bill Carter, manager of the Architected Materials Group at HRL, envisions the micro-lattice materials by drawing parallels to large structures. "Modern buildings, exemplified by the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge, are incredibly light and weight efficient by virtue of their architectures," he says. "We are revolutionizing lightweight materials by bringing this concept to the materials level and designing their architectures at the nano and micro scales."

Source: HRL Laboratories

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