A Sense for Structure: NOWlab’s World-First ‘Smart Concrete Wall’

Construction with 3D Printing - A smart concrete wall

We were thrilled to announce news of the world's first 'smart concrete wall' via a recent article on designboom. Developed by NOWlab, the innovation department at BigRep, the smart concrete wall involved the production of large-scale 3D-printed formwork, enabling an adaptive surface through embedded capacitive sensors.

Jörg Petri, co-founder of NOWlab and lead on this cutting-edge project, said, “This functionalization of a concrete surface is the first of its kind, opening the possibility for any imaginable concrete surface to become a switch.”

The capacitive sensors are activated by the touch of a hand on the outer surface of the concrete wall, turning on and off the functional 3D-printed hexagonal light fixtures in the grid. A video by BigRep on the smart concrete wall visually demonstrates how the structure works, and how it is envisioned to be used in a larger format, such as for wall dividers, facades and interior screens. The smart concrete wall was created to be 2 m in height, 1 m wide, and 10-30 cm in depth.

3D-printed formwork for the wall was printed on a BigRep ONE large-scale 3D printer at Immensa Labs in Dubai, in cooperation with project partner Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). Ready to be used without additional certification, Petri says 3D-printed formwork enables resolutions that cannot be achieved by direct 3D printing of concrete. With large-scale 3D printing technology such as that of BigRep, companies now have the tools to produce required parts on a grand scale.

Petri and his team developed their know-how in the realm of 3D-printed formwork concrete casting in 2015 and, as 3D Printing Industry published in an article, BigRep was granted an international patent for the technology in April 2018.

As outlined in the designboom story, NOWlab believes that 3D printing can help architects reassert themselves as the master builders of the 21st century, enabling them to have direct control of the development of their designs. Techniques that once belonged to skilled craftsman, and have all but vanished from current building sites, can be reinstated thanks to 3D printing.

Well done to the whole team involved in bringing this world-first idea to fruition! NOWlab continues to work on numerous state-of-the-art applications using large-format 3D printing by BigRep, so stay tuned in the coming months for more exciting announcements and world-first projects.

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Webinar Recap: Revolutionizing Architecture and Construction with 3D Printed Formwork

Last week, we aired our very first webinar on 3D printing and its emerging role in construction and architecture. We were thrilled to have so many people joining from around the world – many people tuned in from across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific! If you missed it, never fear – you can watch a recording of the webinar here and read on for a recap of the topics explored and the ideas shaping the industry.

After a brief introduction from Abbey Delaney, BigRep America’s Marketing Manager, NOWlab’s co-founder Jörg Petri began the webinar, joined by Prof. Tobias Wallisser, co-founder of LAVA and professor of innovation construction and spatial concepts. Together they explored their vision of a unified construction process and make a strong case for the current and future uses of 3D printing in the industry. Petri and Wallisser presented various fascinating use cases, including the never-before seen sensor integration project. Below is a very brief summary of the webinar, but we do encourage you to watch it yourself for the full effect, including slides, images and videos!

Construction with 3D Printing - A smart concrete wall

New Digital Craft

The construction industry is demanding a shift towards more automation and robotic tools, which opens up the chance for architects and engineers to address and solve new topics that were traditionally addressed only by highly skilled and experienced craftsmen. The problem is that these craftsmen do not exist anymore or are too cost intensive for the average project. In this context, we coined the word ‘digital craftsmanship’, which means that the current technology in the context of Industry 4.0 has the potential to bring back the advanced skills of former craftsmen in a digital context. At the forefront for innovation in the construction industry are the materials. One user case is presented in the webinar of a 3D printed model, where the water-soluble PVA filament is used as support and is embedded in cement. The example shows the new possibilities for designing structures and molds with complex geometries, enabled by the soluble filament.

Innovative Building Construction

The first example given in this topic was the Sagrada Familia by Gaudi (Barcelona, Spain), which has been developed and built using the first notes of ‘parametric’ thinking in the form of physical models – a design method based on rules and parameters to develop the shapes and the processes behind the design (that of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, in the 1880s).

The next example Petri and Wallisser reference is the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, which was inaugurated in 2006 and was the first project successfully built through the use of CAD CAM technology directly linked to fabrication processes.

Process Chains Automotive vs Construction

Compared to construction, the automotive industry has the whole process from design and planning to assembly in-house. This is not the case for the construction industry, which utilizes an outdated linear process, meaning the demand for new digital tools is great. Industry 4.0 enables now the linking of digital fabrication to the design and CAD CAM processes.

The full process chain can be viewed in the webinar, but essentially the result is that facades and new buildings can work with 3D-printed casts, allowing for a more advanced design, increased building speed and improved building efficiency. One core example is a project conducted by NOWlab in cooperation with Geiger, to restore the facade of a monument using 3D printing. The cast models were printed, and the concrete pieces were installed on the building.

Construction with 3D Printing

Sustainability

Since the 1990s, advancements in graphic design has reached architecture, as people began designing free forms with complex geometrical structures. The only way of achieving this was with huge styrofoam blocks which were milled with CNC machines.

The example given in the webinar is the case of Frank Gehry Zollhafer in Düsseldorf, for which the formwork was milled for pre-casted elements one at a time. The problem with this method is that the milling produces a lot of styrofoam waste.

The advantages of 3D printing in this context are that you only print the material that is needed to form the concrete, and you can print high-quality polymers that are recyclable. If the strength is sufficient, you can even print PLA as biopolymer, which you do not need to recycle – you can give it back to the natural material flow.

To sum it all up, the webinar was an exciting experience for us at BigRep, as it gave us the opportunity to interact with our audience, answer their questions, and inspire new ideas and designs for construction and architecture. We can say with confidence that we will be looking forward to more webinars in the very near future. Save the date: September 6th we will be hosting the next webinar, so stayed tuned for registration details!

Many thanks to everybody who made the webinar possible, especially our illustrious hosts:

Jörg Petri / Co-founder of NOWlab Innovation Department of BigRep

Tobias Wallisser / Professor of Innovation Construction and Spatial Concepts – Co-founder of LAVA- Laboratory of Visionary Architecture in Berlin

Abbey Delaney / Marketing Manager, BigRep America

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BigRep & YES01 Team Up at Inside3DPrinting, Seoul

An exciting event has come to an end in the South Korean capital Seoul, with the close of the Inside3DPrinting conference and exhibition. Held between June 27-29 at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Seoul, this year’s event was themed around ‘Strategies for the 3D Ecosystem’. We joined our Korean reseller YES01 at their booth, where visitors were able to see a BigRep STUDIO in action and view a range of industrial 3D-printed samples.

BigRep CEO Stephan Beyer was invited as a speaker and presented BigRep technology yesterday, on Day Two of the conference, on the topic ‘Additive Manufacturing in Transportation’. He spoke to a full room about BigRep’s large-scale 3D printing solutions and how the machines enable a host of cutting-edge applications in industrial contexts. For example, Deutsche Bahn’s use of BigRep technology in developing end-use parts, as well as demonstration of this by automotive customization company Paravan, and Aalborg University’s production of a bicycle frame using the BigRep ONE.

Beyer also delved into BigRep’s work with Etihad Airways Engineering in defining a roadmap for Additive Manufacturing solutions for the aerospace industry. He talked to the crowd about the BigRep R&D philosophy of having applications informing materials, which then informs machine development. The importance of this, he explained, lies in ensuring BigRep’s large-scale machines fulfil the needs of companies to create industrial-grade prints, such as for production tooling, of rapid manufacturing of jigs and fixtures.

BigRep's team @Inside3DPrinting

Some questions followed, one about 3D printing for the aviation industry and materials certification required for it. Given BigRep and Etihad are working together on solving the challenges in this field, it was an especially relevant question, which Beyer addressed in the frame of BigRep’s development of flame-retardant materials suitable for aircraft.

Beyer also did several interviews with Korean press, for a TV station, a magazine and online news site ZDnet. BigRep conducted a media conference with numerous outlets present.

There was high traffic to the booth throughout the event, with visitors stopping to watch the large print of the electrical box that progressed on the STUDIO printer. Passers-by were representatives from a wide range of sectors including education, transportation, construction and even the industrial lighting industry stopped by the booth to find out more.

One major global automotive company approached the booth saying that they have small and mid-sized 3D printers, but are looking for large-scale solutions to make their process more efficient. A few aerospace companies also sought BigRep out, enquiring after the potential of BigRep technology to print end-use parts with high-tech capabilities.

Alex Hodik, BigRep’s General Manager for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, works out of the BigRep Singapore office and was in Seoul for Inside3DPrinting. We caught up with him to find out more about the top trends he noticed throughout the event, and what to watch for in 3D printing in APAC and globally.

BigRep's CEO Stefan Beyer @ Inside3DPrinting

“We were one of the only large-scale providers at the event, so it’s clear that there is still a huge number of smaller-scale machines. In this sense, we are very much ahead of the curve in presenting viable large-scale manufacturing options to customers in this market,” said Hodik.

“Korea is a territory representing all applications and industries applicable to 3D printing, and very representative overall of Asia as a market,” said Hodik, referring to the highly industrial needs of many of the market countries. “It was an important event for us to meet customers and potential resellers, as we continue to ramp up our partner network in the region.”

Hodik and the dedicated BigRep team in Singapore supports 15 distributors – a number that continues to grow rapidly in the APAC region.

Inside3DPrinting is the largest global 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Event series focused on innovation, manufacturing and expansion of the latest cutting edge technologies. The event is punctuated by an impressive bill of speakers, all leading their fields in additive manufacturing and adjacent spaces. With an international audience of over 10,000 people, the conference and exhibition is a major industry on the world calendar.

Stay tuned in about BigRep’s upcoming events by signing up to the BigRep Newsletter. The team could be coming to a city near you – read here about our upcoming events: /events/

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Sleek Automotive Models – 1:4 Car Model

car model

Technological developments seem to race by so quickly… But sometimes they become a part of the race. In this case, BigRep technology aided in the creation of a 3D printed car model for a racing car meant to travel at ultimate speeds.

Inspired by vehicles used in the 1950s Bonneville Speedway Salt Flat Races in the United States, German university student Maximilian Thomas designed a race car with clean lines, optimum speed and an aerodynamic shape. His model was ultimately 3D-printed on a 1:4 scale. It may not be full scale, but certainly not a size to be sneezed at – it is 1 m in length by 10-15 cm in height.

“Printing on a big printer is always an advantage, because gluing small [desktop printed] parts together always means deviation and it gets really imprecise,” said Thomas.

Thomas completed the car design and model as part of his Bachelor thesis, the aim of which was to create a reasoned countertrend for autonomous driving, with a matching look. He used a BigRep ONE to print the larger parts of his design that would not have been possible with a desktop 3D printer.

Thomas says that printing with a large-scale 3D printer improves precision and the capacity to include complex details in the print. Compared with other traditional methods of automotive model-making, 3D printing is faster, easier and more cost-efficient – all ideal aspects for companies looking to save costs and resources when prototyping, not to mention university students working on experimental projects.

So, while printing an entire functional vehicle on a 3D printer is not quite ready yet, printing the model for it certainly is! Recommended is to design the file in such a way that large parts, such as the hood of a car, the roof and doors, can be printed in one piece.

Furthermore, there are some easy ways to hide the seams by slicing the CAD file (we explore top tips for that in this video). This can help in the creation of a model with sleek lines, where an awkwardly placed seam could ruin the entire effect. Understandably, this is not what makers want for their aesthetically impressive automotive models!

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3D Printed Car Model FAQs

BigRep Wins German Brand Award 2018

German Brand Award 2018

This June has been a particularly busy month for us at BigRep, especially with the latest announcement that has us all celebrating: BigRep has won a German Brand Award 2018 for Product Brand of the Year, with a special mention in the Machinery & Electronics category!

Accepting the Award at a ceremony yesterday (Thursday 21st June) at the Palazzo Italia, Römischer Hof, in Berlin, were BigRep’s Amir Fattal, Head of Marketing and Creative Projects, and Ralf Chille, Brand Designer.

The German Brand Award pays tribute to successful brand strategies in Germany, identifying, honoring and presenting unique brands and brand builders. For BigRep, the Brand Award is recognition of the efforts that go into developing a global brand from a suite of high-quality machines.

BigRep’s large-scale 3D printers form a big part of its product portfolio, but its service, network of partners, materials development and all its hardworking company departments make up the brand.

As part of its application, BigRep submitted a video that showcased its commitment to quality – in its service and machines. German engineering, excellent branding and a strong team underscored the application and were key features in the video.

Hot on the heels of this announcement is the news from earlier this month that we have won a German Innovation Award 2018 in the Machines & Engineering category for the BigRep STUDIO 3D printer.

Both the German Brand Award and German Innovation Award are awarded by the German Brand Council (Rat für Formgebung), which honors and promotes first-rate design, and pays tribute to the best players within their disciplines.

Stayed tuned for another big announcement next week!

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Additive Manufacturing Out West: 3D Solutions on the California Coast

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It’s immediately apparent speaking to David Gurrola that he is somewhat of a guru in additive manufacturing. The Technical Director of Advanced Manufacturing at Saratech in California can boast over 15 years in the field, much of it working within the aerospace industry on projects for companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Parker Hannifin. From testing different flight structures, to business development in aerospace, to starting his own service bureau, Gurrola has now built a complementary portfolio of 3D printing technologies, seeing Saratech expand into applications for additive manufacturing.

Saratech recently joined the BigRep reseller community, and is the first West-Coast-based partner for BigRep, covering 60% of the United States with their services and sales. From their headquarters in Mission Viejo, between Los Angeles and San Diego, California, they are a 3D solutions provider with a difference – their pedigree in engineering solutions consulting precedes even their sales of 3D printing equipment and machines. Saratech assists its clients with comprehensive engineering services – “Everything from napkin-sketch designs, to full analysis, design certification, method and more,” said Gurrola.

As for California, Gurrola speaks to the merits of being on the West Coast for ready access to a huge range of industries using additive technologies. “It has always been a hot-bed for 3D printing,” he said of the Golden State, where they have operated since 2004. “We work with startups, well-established medical companies, all the core design houses for automotive in Northern and Southern California.”

BigRep America President Frank Marangell says having Saratech on board as a BigRep reseller is another huge step toward reaching major players on the West Coast. “California is a state with such a broad array of industries and huge potential for additive manufacturing,” he said. “The Saratech team has such a strong track record in offering impeccable service to customers, so we’re proud to be partnering with them offering our large-scale 3D printing technology.”

saratech

As well as scale, customers are increasingly looking for the capacity to use a range of materials. The vendor lock-in by other OEMs can be a real deterrent, says Gurrola, who thinks this has been a big part of the appeal with BigRep and its open source large-scale 3D printers. For bigger companies, especially in the aerospace industry, a vendor lock-in with materials immediately disqualifies that product from even being applicable in a lot of cases, from a risk mitigation perspective: “One of our customers has a specific custom material, which they use for their own product – they won’t share that material formulation.” Gurrola says customers like these need the capability to be able to use other materials, to retain an edge over their competitors.

Naturally, we’re always curious to know what new materials are being developed, but as BigRep develops its own 3D printing filaments – including newly released TPU-based filament PRO Flex – we understand the importance of confidentiality in development to retain competitive advantage. Furthermore, Gurrola saw the BASF investment in BigRep as a real plus, since it opens up possibilities for even more creative materials development.

Saratech’s founder Dr. Saeed Paydarfar came from an aerospace background, and worked in flight systems, so while the company has a strong track record of working with companies in automotive, medical devices and consumer products, it is aerospace that remains a core focus. Saratech is building on its various competencies to find new applications to solve manufacturers’ business challenges. Gurrola said, “We’re taking our automation skillset, and marrying it with additive to make manufacturing more efficient. We’re making it so you don’t need an operator throughout a full production run of multiple builds.”

Among the broad spectrum of cases they have worked on, Saratech has seen many a challenge presented, for which there is a perfect-fit 3D print solution. One such recent case was a customer involved in modifying aircraft with antennas. They needed to work at an extremely past pace retrofitting aircraft that were on the ground for repairs with the antennas. Time is of the essence, Gurrola says, when it’s roughly a $100,000 per-day loss that a plane is on the ground. The customer was redesigning the jigs with aluminum, but requested Saratech’s help to lightweight the jigs. When they couldn’t CNC-machine the parts quickly enough, they created a 3D-printed prototype, which turned out to be ideal for their needs. They have now produced a dozen or so of these fixtures, which the customer is using in production.

In this and other cases, Gurrola has some sage advice for customers: “Look at a design for additive from the beginning, rather than mid-way through… Understand how best to utilize additive for manufacturing or for replacing existing components.” How exactly do you do that? Well, you’ll have to talk them directly!

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June Webinar Approaching! 3D Printing in Architecture and Construction

BigRep is coming to your very own computer screen – we’re pleased to invite individuals and companies with an interest in 3D printing, architecture or construction to join our free expert webinar on June 26 2018, at 2PM EDT (Boston, Toronto) and 2PM CET (Berlin, Paris).

The international architecture and construction industries are increasingly replacing traditional methods of designing, model-making (see here a user case on 3D-printed architectural models) and building with advanced technologies.

Architect Jörg Petri, Co-Founder of NOWlab @ BigRep, is an innovator at the forefront of integration of technology into architecture. With NOWlab and BigRep, Petri works on innovative ways of utilizing 3D printing, with the aim of saving companies time, money and improving functionality. One such example is the work Petri and his colleagues did with Geiger GmbH on producing 3D-printed concrete casting molds for a heritage building project.

Cocrete-casting-1

Attendees at the webinar will learn about integrated sensors, molding, complex geometries, and more, exploring what is around the corner for additive manufacturing in construction and architecture. A range of use cases – including one never-before-published sensor integration project – will be front and center of the webinar to illustrate exactly how some forward-thinking companies are using 3D printing technology.

The webinar is free and open to anybody with an interest in the aforementioned fields, and Petri says he is looking forward to helping attendees discover approaches to designing and building that could work for their businesses and specific applications.

The NOWlab and BigRep teams are excited to welcome attendees to the webinar and encourage interested parties to register as soon as possible – spots are limited, so hop to it and register!

Register for the Webinar

BigRep STUDIO Wins German Innovation Award 2018

German Innovation Award 2018

Pop the champagne, cue up the party tunes! We’re proud to announce that BigRep has won a German Innovation Award 2018, for its large-scale 3D printing machine the BigRep STUDIO.

“We are thrilled to receive the German Innovation Award for our BigRep STUDIO printer, which has been a game-changing machine for professionals printing 3D objects in large scale,” said BigRep CEO, Stephan Beyer. “The Award reflects the overwhelmingly positive response we have had thus far to the STUDIO and underscores our commitment to excellence.”

On hand to accept the Award on 6th June 2018, on behalf of BigRep, was Naor Israel, BigRep’s Director of Engineering. His report back: a great evening at the Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology) in Berlin, where the ceremony was held, with an impressive number of innovative companies in attendance.

BigRep winner of the German Innovation Award 2018

Pop the champagne, cue up the party tunes! We’re proud to announce that BigRep has won a German Innovation Award 2018, for its large-scale 3D printing machine the BigRep STUDIO.

“We are thrilled to receive the German Innovation Award for our BigRep STUDIO printer, which has been a game-changing machine for professionals printing 3D objects in large scale,” said BigRep CEO, Stephan Beyer. “The Award reflects the overwhelmingly positive response we have had thus far to the STUDIO and underscores our commitment to excellence.”

On hand to accept the Award on 6th June 2018, on behalf of BigRep, was Naor Israel, BigRep’s Director of Engineering. His report back: a great evening at the Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology) in Berlin, where the ceremony was held, with an impressive number of innovative companies in attendance.

GIA18_HO_WINNER_RGBs

With over 650 applicants, ranging from small businesses to established corporations, across a wide variety of B2B and B2C sectors, it is a feat for BigRep to have been named a winner of this inaugural prize, in the Machines & Engineering category.

The win marks another milestone for BigRep in 2018, with the first half of the year holding several important announcements for the company, including investments, partnerships with leading global aerospace and automotive brands, and the launch of its flagship TPU material Pro FLEX. Almost at the mid-way mark for 2018, BigRep has additionally announced a host of new resellers joining its global partner network, particularly in the United States.

To top it all off, BigRep has been nominated for the German Brand Award 2018, in the category of Product Brand of the Year, with a special mention in the Machinery & Electronics category, the results of which will be announced at a ceremony on 21 June 2018. More information on the Innovation Award can be found in our latest Press Release.

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From Little Things, Big Things Grow: ImageNet’s Slice of 3D Printing

imagenet building

They say that experience is the hardest kind of teacher, testing you first and letting you find out the lesson afterwards – this must mean an A+ for seasoned service provider ImageNet Consulting. The company has been in operation for over 60 years, having started out in 1956 selling and repairing typewriters, then shifting over time into other technologies as they have emerged.

“We’ve always gone through changes, wherever the industry leads us next,” said TJ Russell, Director of Additive Manufacturing at ImageNet. “We moved into calculators, printers, copiers, and scanners, but we see 2D printing is in 2% decline each year.”

It was therefore a natural progression for the Oklahoma-based company to move across into 3D printing, to become experts in designing, printing and servicing the equipment. “It’s almost like going to school, and learning about a completely new industry,” said Russell. “Not only are we now educating our current clients, but we’re also still educating manufacturers.”

Russell says that even though 3D printing has been around for 30 years, in some ways the industry still doesn’t quite yet know its place. His perspective is that additive manufacturing has always been about manufacturing and not as much about service. Some companies that boarded the additive manufacturing train early on, he says, and they didn’t have the right training and service to use their machines to their full potential. As such, they are now sometimes hesitant to invest in new, more advanced technologies. “They have a bad taste in their mouths from previous bad experience,” said Russell. “We’ve seen people who have spent $300,000 on equipment, when they really only needed to spend $20,000.”

imagenet

ImageNet therefore sees a strong opportunity in re-training previous users of additive technologies – in essence, showing them that additive manufacturing is far better than it used to be. BigRep is one of their latest partners on this journey, with ImageNet having recently joined the BigRep global reseller network.

Though for their customers and contacts across higher education, aerospace, government agencies and other industries, there isn’t one specific angle on which they focus. It’s about upskilling companies in all verticals, across all the states in which ImageNet operates: Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri, the latter of which is the location for their new office, in St. Louis. Along with parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, the company casts its net across 20% of the United States. Their professionalism and national footprint for other products proves that their position within the additive industry will only grow.

Russell describes their customers and target audience as “anyone that utilizes CAD software”. He believes in a broad-minded approach to who can benefit from additive manufacturing technologies – everybody is a candidate in some way, whether from a marketing, educational, prototyping or manufacturing perspective.

BigRep is the first large-volume 3D printer provider in ImageNet’s portfolio, which Russell says was a logical step for them in building their “one-stop-shop” for 3D-printing equipment. “There are a lot of clients out there that needed a bigger build volume. We really liked where BigRep was headed, how they were coming out with faster printers.”

imagenet building

Like BigRep, ImageNet was a part of the recent Rapid + TCT trade fair in Fort Worth, Texas, showcasing their portfolio of machines and reaching out to the broad range of industries present at the fair. BigRep’s booth was a place for customers to see for themselves the size of the BigRep STUDIO 3D printer, and view a variety of large-scale sample prints in BigRep materials, from BigRep’s workhorse machines.

They have an array of industrial use cases that support the switch to large-scale 3D printers. One such customer case that springs to Russell’s mind is an air conditioning manufacturer that needed to be able to test their fan designs. It’s somewhat dangerous when testing RPM speeds with metal parts, so not only did they increase safety and security by 3D-printing the parts for testing, but they also ended up saving a lot of time and money in the process.

“We’re still growing on the 3D side of the business, working on building out a CAD group to help customers with designs,” said Russell. From what started as a company built by one Bobby Roberson out of his garage, working from a $50 loan from his mother, has become a company that is a very model for diversification of a business. “It’s a fun story,” remarked Russell. “From being told we didn’t belong in this industry 5 years ago, to now being an up-and-coming VAR in additive manufacturing, providing the best technologies in the industrial sector.”

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Creating a New 3D Printing Filament – How BigRep Made Pro HT

pro ht

“When 3D printing started, everybody was printing ABS. It is one of the most common materials used in injection molding. Everybody wanted to replicate it in 3D printing.”

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is a thermoplastic, and previously seen as the ideal kind of material for 3D printing extrusion. Using it is not exactly simple though, says BigRep’s Materials Product Manager Markus Bucher, “You need a very controlled ambient temperature to print ABS, which is difficult to achieve. ABS is also not so safe, in terms of the toxic fumes being emitted while melting, so we cannot tweak the machine to reach those temperatures.”

BigRep had plans for printing with a filament stronger than ABS, so the team set about engineering a solution with similar properties. The result: BigRep’s Pro HT.

They managed to find a material with thermal stability comparable with that of ABS, as well as making it easy to handle – it is printable in a similar way to BigRep PLA on the BigRep ONE, in an open build space. Bucher wanted the renewable material to present with good adhesion to the print bed, minimal shrinking and warpage, which they achieved.

Once they had the temperature resistance fixed (115°C) Bucher and the team tested their new material internally, with a new in-house materials verification system. They scouted for materials suppliers and got their certifications in order.

BigRep-car-wheel-rim-mobile-web

As well as designing and manufacturing the highest quality large 3D printers, BigRep is dedicated to material innovation of this kind. BigRep’s materials engineers look in detail at every parameter, consistently fine-tune current materials and when looking to release another 3D printing filament, feedback is always followed by more fine-tuning of the parameters. It is a difficult yet worthwhile process, particularly in the case of Pro HT and engineering-grade materials.

“We were one of the first companies to release a filament with a matte finish, and for that we received a lot of good feedback,” said Bucher, speaking on the positive response from customers who have been happy with the properties of Pro HT. Bucher says the black color filament has been the most popular product in the Pro HT range. It is also available in Nature and Silver colors.

Given its high-level heat deflection temperature, Pro HT is an ideal candidate filament for 3D-printed functional rapid prototyping in industrial settings and is a high-strength, weather-proof filament.

For example, in designing and printing an aesthetically fascinating wheel rim prototype, BigRep Designer Marco Mattia Cristofori says Pro HT was the best filament for the job. “For the angles and declination of the print design, Pro HT properties were ideal,” said Cristofori. “It allowed us to create a highly accurate model for functional testing.” BigRep True Support PVA (water-soluble material) was used with PLA for the rim prototype, then black Pro HT was chosen for the final product, due to its sleek matte finish.

BigRep continually works with clients across a variety of industries on custom material solutions for their individual business applications. As well as the recent release of TPU-based filament Pro FLEX, the materials team has much more in store for the coming months, so stay tuned!

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