BotFactory secures $1.25 million contract

BotFactory was selected by AFWERX for a $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract focused on ultra-fast additive manufacturing of electronics with correction and validation in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX partnered to streamline the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now, BotFactory will create and provide innovative capabilities to strengthen the U.S. national defense.

BotFactory Inc.

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

AFWERX

Helicopters relying on 3D printers

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE COMPANIES

Airbus Helicopters will use 3D printers from TRUMPF to manufacture components for its helicopters and for aircraft from its Airbus parent company. Airbus Helicopters is expanding its additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities with a new 3D printing (3DP) center in Donauwörth, Germany. 3DP will help reduce the weight of helicopter components according to Helmut Färber, site manager of Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth.

Weight reduction helps aircraft operators reduce fuel consumption and lower costs. It can also help reduce CO2 emissions in flight. Airbus Helicopters will use the 3DP process to produce components for the electric-powered CityAirbus, the experimental high-speed Racer helicopter, and the Airbus A350 and A320 passenger aircraft, among others.

AM allows entire assemblies to be printed as one component, saving weight while being very stable and meeting the strict safety requirements of the aviation industry.

Airbus Helicopters uses TRUMPF 3D printers to manufacture structural components made of titanium and high-strength aluminum. 3DP users can also reuse unused metal powder compared to conventional manufacturing processes that require up to 10x more raw material than the final product.

TRUMPF

Airbus

Printing injection molding tools

Freeform injection molding (FIM) process uses xMOLD resin to print injection molding tools that are compatible with thousands of off-the-shelf injection molding materials, including reinforced high-performance feedstocks.

The FIM process offers fully soluble tooling, enabling new design freedom and eliminating the need for time consuming design and gating considerations typically associated with conventional tooling. Users can quickly design and print tools for highly complex parts, inject with injection molding feedstock, and then dissolve away the tool to reveal the complex shape underneath.

Combining the speed and throughput of Nexa3D’s LSPc printers with the flexibility of xMOLD resin, users can go from design to complex tool in a matter of hours.

Nexa3D

Metal 3D printing with ColdMetalFusion

Nexa3D has entered sintering-based metal additive manufacturing (AM) with ColdMetalFusion, enabling customers to break productivity barriers in metal part production by making Headmade Materials’ feedstock technology compatible with its fast-cycle QLS lineup of SLS 3D printers.

ColdMetalFusion is a sinter-based 3D printing process combining the advantages of polymer laser sintering with established powder metallurgy processes. Customers can make production metal components with the QLS 230, QLS 236, and QLS 820 high-throughput SLS printers.

Nexa3D and Headmade will leverage the ecosystem around ColdMetalFusion and provide customers access to experience in sintering and traditional industrial manufacturing. The companies will offer services, equipment, materials, software, and know-how to customers in the metal manufacturing industry.

Providing a 24-hour cycle speed using one 30W CO2 laser, the QLS 230 can produce metal parts with reliable metal injection molding-like properties.

Nexa3D

HeadmadeMaterials 

3D printing service expansion

Fictiv now offers 14 new 3D printing materials for advanced engineering applications, including high-temperature materials such as Ultem 9085. The new materials are ideal for production quantities, functional assemblies, jigs, and fixtures.

Additionally, customers will enjoy new online quoting features for 3D printing via the Fictiv platform, including expanded lead time options that allow customers to select from three different production times for improved flexibility and pricing; new configuration options for infill density and threaded insert specification; and improved filtering for material selection by application.

Customers will also have access to Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (Carbon DLS) 3D printing technology via the Fictiv platform.