Robotics & Automation News

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3D printed diamonds: Large companies forecast to spend $3 billion on 3D printing by next year

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Sales of products related to 3D printing by large public companies is expected to grow by 12.5 percent to top $3 billion by 2020, according to a study from Deloitte.

Much of it will come from greater use of metal parts in applications beyond rapid prototyping – manufacturing and / or repair.

As background, the global manufacturing sector’s revenue as a whole totals approximately $12 trillion annually. [Read more…] about 3D printed diamonds: Large companies forecast to spend $3 billion on 3D printing by next year

Siemens partners with ExOne for industrial 3D printing and Industry 4.0 initiatives

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ExOne, a specialist provider of industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, has formed a partnership with engineering giant Siemens that the two companies say “will benefit industrial customers in the foundry, aerospace, automotive, energy and other markets”.

Siemens’ Digital Enterprise Portfolio of software and automation technology including MindSphere are fully implemented on the all-new S-Max Pro sand printer, which is said to be capable of achieving print speeds of up to 135 l/h (18 s/layer).

The S-Max Pro was launched at the 2019 GIFA International Foundry Trade Fair last week. [Read more…] about Siemens partners with ExOne for industrial 3D printing and Industry 4.0 initiatives

HP opens 3D printing and digital manufacturing centre of excellence in Spain

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HP has opened a new 3D printing and digital manufacturing centre of excellence in Barcelona, Spain – one of the world’s largest and most advanced research and development facilities for those technologies.

The new centre brings together hundreds of the world’s leading additive manufacturing experts in more than 150,000 square feet of space.

The 3+ acre facility at HP’s Barcelona campus is dedicated to the development of HP’s industrial 3D printing portfolio and provides a large-scale factory environment to collaborate with customers and partners on digital manufacturing technologies.

[Read more…] about HP opens 3D printing and digital manufacturing centre of excellence in Spain

HP and Siemens deepen additive manufacturing alliance

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HP and Siemens have announced an expansion of their strategic alliance in industrial additive manufacturing (AM).

The two companies will incorporate new systems and software innovations including overall product life-cycle management (PLM), AM factory optimisation and industrial 3D printing.

The expanded additive manufacturing solution from Siemens and HP integrates hardware, software, data intelligence, and services to optimise the efficiency of the entire manufacturing process.

[Read more…] about HP and Siemens deepen additive manufacturing alliance

NextGenAM 3D printing pilot successfully completed

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The “NextGenAM” project, what began as a vision in May 2017, has now reached a successful conclusion.

The aim was to develop a digitalised next-generation manufacturing line to produce aluminium components for the automotive and aerospace sectors significantly more cost-effectively than is currently possible.

The successful outcome was that, in terms of the overall production process, manufacturing costs could be reduced by up to 50 percent compared with existing 3D printing systems.

[Read more…] about NextGenAM 3D printing pilot successfully completed

Formlabs launches new generation of 3D printers

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Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of 3D printing systems, has launched two new advanced professional Low Force Stereolithography 3D printers to its hardware lineup: Form 3 and Form 3L.

LFS 3D printing is an advanced form of stereolithography (SLA) that delivers consistently flawless parts.

The LFS process uses a flexible tank to drastically reduce the forces of the peel process, providing incredible surface finish and detail, and linear illumination to deliver accurate, repeatable parts.

[Read more…] about Formlabs launches new generation of 3D printers

Xyrec painting robot to bring a world of colour to aircraft

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Dutch robot manufacturer Xyrec has successfully demonstrated a breakthrough in aircraft painting technology by printing a large digital image on an Airbus A320 fuselage. The demonstration took place in Hamburg, Germany.

This new and unique solution for decorating aircraft uses inkjet technology for digital printing and ink instead of paint.

The printer will be introduced in Xyrec’s Automated Paint Robot for aircraft, and will be the largest robot in the world, says the company.

[Read more…] about Xyrec painting robot to bring a world of colour to aircraft

Top 10 additive manufacturing and 3D printing companies

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Although we’ve called this a top 10, it’s not really in any particular order – it’s just a list of 10 of the most well-known and perhaps most highly regarded additive manufacturing or 3D printing companies. 

If anything, it’s an impressionistic understanding of the market, taking into consideration size of the company, number of clients and general reputation.

We have not included software-only companies or providers of marketplaces without any hardware of their own – we’ve tried to concentrate on companies which manufacture 3D printers and the materials that they require.  [Read more…] about Top 10 additive manufacturing and 3D printing companies

Airbus chooses Stratasys system to 3D print components for new aircraft

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Stratasys has been chosen by Airbus to supply 3D printing and additive manufacturing systems for the production of components for aerospace company’s new plane. 

Airbus has already used the Stratasys FDM 3D Production System to produce 1,000 flight parts for use on its A350 XWB aircraft.

The 3D printed parts use a resin called Ultem 9085, which is certified to an Airbus material specifications to have a high strength to weight ratio and to be resistant to flame, smoke and toxicity – necessary for aircraft interiors.  [Read more…] about Airbus chooses Stratasys system to 3D print components for new aircraft

3D printing startup Desktop Metal raises another $115 million in funding

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desktop metal 6 DM Studio System-2

Additive manufacturing startup Desktop Metal has raised another $115 million in funding, bringing the total amount of financing to more than $200 million.

The company’s backers include Google, General Electric, and Techtronic Industries, the holding company for vacuum cleaner brands Hoover and Dirt Devil.

Desktop Metal was founded by four MIT professors, according to TechCrunch.com, which says its metal 3D process is “probably the most efficient” on the market.  [Read more…] about 3D printing startup Desktop Metal raises another $115 million in funding