CREAT3D is Seeing an Industrial Revolution in 3D

Industrial Revolution in 3D with CREAT3D

When speaking of the first Industrial Revolution, it’s easy to conjure images of buzzing factories in northern England – the gritty, profitable frontier of development in production. It was a watershed time for small industries learning how to mass produce. Much of the technological development that wowed the world during this time (late 1700s - early/mid 1800s) came out Britain.

A couple of centuries on, cities like Manchester and London have changed exponentially – skyscrapers, trendy cafes and start up hubs seem to dominate the landscape and culture. However, as additive solutions provider CREAT3D reminds us, the UK is still a manufacturing powerhouse and a global innovator, particularly when it comes to 3D printing for production. In fact, their little corner of the UK along the M4 corridor in Reading, Berkshire, has become a hub for start-ups of all kinds, and is set to be the fastest-growing city in the UK between 2017-2019, according to an EY study.

Since 2012, CREAT3D (pronounced ‘created’) has been offering additive manufacturing equipment and advice to customers across the UK. From traditional industrial engineering and manufacturing companies, through to robotics firms, aerospace businesses, and consumer design companies, there is a broad variety of UK companies wanting their share of additive technology. They are starting to see it as a “no brainer” to have 3D printers in their industrial environments. Now CREAT3D offers BigRep ONE and STUDIO machines as part of their printer portfolio.

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Their UK automotive customers have provided particularly good use cases for the value of large-scale additive in the production line. CREAT3D has seen that by bringing this kind of 3D printing technology in-house, companies see up to 90% cost saving, as well as faster leads times and the chance to become more economical in the way they innovate.

CREAT3D Managing Director Simon Chandler says his company takes pride in its independence and consultative approach, in ensuring customers buy the right equipment. “Our customers use CREAT3D to support them in implementing an Additive Manufacturing strategy to streamline their processes, reduce costs and maximize investments.” He says it’s about assessing a customer’s needs, their desired applications and sharing industry knowledge with them to find the ideal solution.

Chandler says, “We are thrilled to work with BigRep, and to provide our customers with all the advantages of in-house, large-format AM. This capability opens up a wide range of opportunities to our customers, for them to benefit from access to low-cost prototypes, manufacturing and production aids, and even end-use parts.”

Among their customers are forward-thinking companies in industries as diverse as automotive, food production, bio-tech, aerospace and a wide range of manufacturing applications. From robotics, through to consumer design products and architecture, they can go from working on grippers, to enclosures the next day.

BigRep is thrilled to have CREAT3D as part of its reseller network in a great position between London and Wales, and in a prime spot on the new frontier in additive manufacturing.

Visitors can see CREAT3D at stand L44, and BigRep STUDIO at TCT Birmingham, from 25-27 September, to see the large-scale printers and talk to Chandler’s team about how they can scale their production using 3D printing technology.

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Webinar Recap: Large-Scale 3D Printing – Realizing Value from Design to Production

Last week’s webinar on the value of large-scale 3D printing was incredibly well received by BigRep’s network across the world. If you joined us for it – thanks for your company! If you missed it, never fear –you can watch a recording of the webinar here and read on for a recap of the main topics explored.

The webinar was hosted by Frank Marangell, President of BigRep America, following a short introduction from Marketing Manager Abbey Delaney. The main focus of the webinar was large-scale 3D printing and what its power means for a variety of industries, including exploration of the specific use cases.

What is Large-Scale 3D Printing?
The BigRep ONE large-scale printer has a print volume of one cubic meter, making tooling, prototyping and production processes much faster and more effective. So too are 1:1 scale prototypes, which can give designers more valuable information about their own projects by letting them test it in terms of fit, flexibility or strength. That means a short production runs of smaller parts can be achieved in a single print. Without large-scale 3D printing, the larger parts of the projects would never be printed in one piece, making it more difficult for technical staff to develop and visualize market-leading ideas. Compared to the process of gluing together separate components, large-scale 3D printing increases accuracy and strength of big prints. Moreover, it can reduce post-processing time. Large-scale 3D printing offers new end-use product possibilities at full specification.

Large-Scale 3D Printing For Industrial Objects
As Marangell underlines in the webinar, large-scale 3D printing is used in four major applications in industry. Starting with prototyping and modelling, every end-use part can be primarily 3D printed and used as the prototype before the production starts. This method is widely used, among others, in aerospace, automotive, architecture and many additional industries.
Tools and jigs are the second application and probably the most growing area for both BigRep and large-scale 3D printing in general. Adding many benefits for manufacturers, such as speed, flexibility and reduced costs of production, it improves the quality and outlook of the end-use parts of the projects. Large-scale 3D printing can also significantly improve the safety of manufacturing operators, which greatly influences the safety of employees.

The third application, patterns and molds, makes the designs much more accurate and effective comparing to the manual production processes or other alternative technologies. It is widely used not only in metal casting or architecture, but also in marine or wind power.

Short production runs, such as Deutsche Bahn’s headrest, is Marangell’s final additive manufacturing application example. It may have been last, but it is certainly not least – it was said to be potentially the biggest opportunity for large-scale 3D printing. Since additive manufacturing is no longer limited by size, the industry has no limits when it comes to effective short production runs.

Industrial 3D Printing Use Cases
Steelcase, founded in 1912, is the largest global B2B contract furniture company in the world, and they have been using their BigRep ONE since 2016. The Steelcase Munich Learning + Innovation Center has successfully produced full-size, full-specification furniture with a faster turnaround time – producing prototypes in just four days, rather than two months. Hint: our next webinar will delve deeper into this exciting user case!

Steelcase is one of our customer for which 3D printing brought them from design to production

Etihad Airways Engineering is part of the Etihad Aviation Group, with a team of more than 3,000 professionals all over the world. The key barrier to using additive manufacturing technology for production of aircraft cabin interior was the lack of EASA and FAA-certified materials. The BigRep-Etihad partnership was mainly focused on jointly developing AM-suitable polymers that pass the certification process. Large-scale 3D printing not only reduced the costs of producing the aircraft cabin interiors, but it also brought the on-demand production in-house.

Teignbridge Propeller International is a high-performance marine engineering components company producing its signature custom-designed propellers for luxury yachts, ferries and fishing boats. In 2017, the company invested in a BigRep ONE, which helps them manufacture sand cast patterns in two days instead of three. Furthermore, it reduced costs for the pattern maker of up to 90% and decreased the risk of labor shortages, of being out-bid by low-wage locations.

We look forward to following up with another webinar on 29th November. Many thanks to everybody who made the webinar possible, especially our illustrious hosts:

Frank-Marangell-bigrep

Frank Marangell is President of BigRep America Inc. and Executive VP of Global Sales at BigRep. He has been operating at the top level of the additive manufacturing industry for over a decade.

Connect with Frank on Linkedin HERE.

Adding to the Manufacturing Discourse in Chicago – Our IMTS Wrap-Up

Adding to the Manufacturing Discourse in Chicago – Our IMTS Wrap-Up

The Talk of the Show

 BigRep’s large-scale 3D printers attracted a lot of attention, positioned front and center of the additive section.  Both the BigRep ONE and STUDIO were running 24/7 printing high quality parts throughout the show.  We talked with engineers, product designers, professors, managements and C-levels about both the benefit of 3D printing and the value that large-scale can provide.

When attendees learned how big the build platform was, we could immediately see the wheels start turning and attendees imagining all that they could do.  Many challenges we heard throughout the week was – “My printer is too small and I’m spending lot of time gluing and combining parts.”  “I’m not getting quality parts off my larger-scale 3D printer.”  “The strength of my parts isn’t adequate.”  These challenges and more can be solved with a BigRep solution.  From jigs and fixtures to 1:1 parts for prototyping and one off parts to patterns and molds, the possibilities are endless and can help get products to market faster and edge out the competition.

In 2018 and beyond, if companies want to continue innovating, getting bigger and better, then additive needs to be in their portfolio.

A Changing Landscape for Additive & BigRep

No BigRep booth visitor could have missed our enormous banner promoting our next-generation additive machines – our soon-to-come industrial large-scale printers. They’ll be unveiled at formnext (so don’t miss that announcement). While the excitement and interest was evident around the next generation of BigRep printers, we know there are many more to come when we unveil the new machines.

BigRep America president, Frank Marangell had this to say, “IMTS was a great show for BigRep and the additive community. It’s come a long way in the past years and by IMTS 2020, I expect BigRep and additive to be helping reshape manufacturing.”

The BigRep America Team at the booth, IMTS Chigago 2018
Thanks to all our team, partners and visitors for making IMTS 2018 a spectacular success for us!

Stay tuned with 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.

Imocom set to sell BigRep 3D Printers

BigRep is delighted to announce another reseller in Latin America—IMOCOM S.A.S —will begin selling our printers in Colombia, Central America, Ecuador and Venezuela. It’s another milestone for BigRep, as we continue to expand globally and partner with innovators in regional markets, where large-scale 3D printing is about to take off.

Since 1952, IMOCOM has been at the forefront of technology, contributing in a significant way to the development and growth of the manufacturing industry in Latin America. In Colombia alone, their work has impacted at least 10,000 companies—across all sectors—specializing in metal-mechanics and plastic industries. After reaching market leadership in Colombia, the company has built a strong presence in other countries of South and Central America.

In the 1960’s, IMOCOM was the first company in Colombia to import CNC machines; underpinning their commitment to providing the customers with the latest, high-tech machinery on the market. Another milestone was reached in the 70’s when La Sociedad SIG awarded the company with exclusive mining sector representation. As the largest distributor of machine tools, equipment, and accessories for the metalworking industry in Colombia, obtaining their ISO 9001 certification —the international quality management standard—supported their mission to supply machines that exceed regulatory requirements. In addition, IMOCOM was the first company in Colombia to import a 3D printer and continue to supply industry 4.0 ready machines.

It was this commitment to bring the world’s best technology to local Latin American markets that brought BigRep to their attention. The BigRep PRO and the BigRep EDGE are advanced industrial machines that enable large-scale printing with state-of-the-art metering extruder technology (MXT®) and print speeds on the PRO that exceed 600 mm per second. The EDGE—which was teased at Formnext—will redefine additive manufacturing when it is released in Q2 2019—with speeds of up to 1000 mm per second.

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“BigRep is a good solution for our market, our customers can produce tooling and functional parts in a quality that was not possible before. One of the other advantages of BigRep is the open-choice for materials, a fact that reduces costs considerably for end-users,” said Jorge Dueñas Vargas, Application Engineer for 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing at IMOCOM.

In terms of hardware, the PRO and the EDGE are unrivalled with CNC control systems by Bosch Rexroth, which deliver high-performance and high-repeatability. The new BigRep MXT® technology featured on both new printers will push maximum extrusion rates to 5x compared to standard FFF technology. It’s this powerful combination of new tech and advanced hardware that influenced IMOCOM to switch from a leading FFF 3D printing company to BigRep.

There is a lot of talk of additive manufacturing going mainstream and that is exactly what is happening in Colombia, as the industry leaders discover the potential to shorten lead times, reduce material waste, and lower energy usage. Consequently, additive manufacturing is reshaping existing manufacturing methods, enabling on-demand and lean manufacturing. Manufacturers across industries are reaping the benefits of improved productivity, efficiency and component quality by using bespoke jigs and fixtures.

This is an area where Dueñas sees additive manufacturing adding real value. With a 3D printer, parts can be made on-demand for short production runs at speed and with high repeatability. This repeatability is reducing scrap and labor costs for manufacturers globally. For instance, car manufacturers like Ford are producing components with integrated functionality—replacing the need for tools—thus reducing cutting development and production costs. Indeed, Colombia builds its primary metal-mechanic industry around the automotive sector, spawning a group of companies that manufacture parts; both for assemblers and for the replacement market—which has acted as a catalyst for growth in the industry.

IMOCOM who boast conglomerates like Siemens, Mazda, and GM, will now have a large-scale arsenal of advanced 3D printers to entice other major manufacturing companies to leverage the potential of additive manufacturing.

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Next Generation Large-Scale 3D Printing Webinar

Large-scale 3D printing is on the brink of transforming additive manufacturing (AM) and BigRep’s next generation of engineering-grade printers—discussed in detail during the webinar—set a new standard for the industry. If you joined us for the live webinar, we hope that you enjoyed it, however, if you missed it, you can still watch a recording of the full webinar here or read on for a summary.

Frank Marangell, President of BigRep America hosted the webinar with the help of Abbey Delaney—Marketing Manager.The webinar took guests on a journey from traditional FFF technology and its limitations to BigRep’s next generation of industrial 3D printers: the BigRep PRO and the BigRep EDGE, both equipped with new MXT®—Metering Extruder Technology, which solves two of the fundamental limitations of FFF technology: low throughput and low repeatability.

The BigRep Strategy

The question was posed: what makes BigRep different from other AM manufacturers? First, BigRep is application led and customer-centric. That means that value-added, and innovative parts are identified, designed and built before materials and systems are put in place. Presently, new applications are coming on the market from functional prototyping, jigs and fixtures, to end-use parts. The evolution of AM from experimental prototyping to industrial end-use parts happened at lightning speed—and Fortune 500 companies now see the commercial benefits. As companies like Ford, Daimler, Etihad, Toyota and Boyce Technologies—customers of BigRep—turn to AM for faster product development, on-demand spare parts, and futuristic applications; it’s clear that AM has shifted in its utility for the manufacturing sector.

Traditional FFF Technology

“If it melts, we can print it,” said Moshe Aknin, Chief Technology Officer, referring to standard FFF/thermoplastic extrusion print technology. Indeed, FFF can produce very good dimensional repeatability with good dimensional stability. It’s on these pillars that additive manufacturing progressed from small, basic printed models to the latest revolution—large-scale industrial AM.

However, with disappointing throughput, and low repeatability, FFF’s functionality beyond experimental design, has until now, disappointed engineers. Moreover, with the relatively low surface quality of printed parts, the industry plateaued—since the commercialization of FFF in the early ‘90s.

Metering Extrusion Technology

Why the Low Throughput?

In order to understand why throughput was previously low, you need to look at the basic concept of FFF: either a gear/wheel mechanism pushes a filament into a hot nozzle, or a screw mechanism pushes polymer pellets into a hot nozzle.

So, you have a very fast reaction process—the movement—and a very slow process—the melting. They need to be synchronized to have a precise deposition of the material. Thus, the previous solution was to slow everything down—to a speed that the thermal melting process allowed. Thus low repeatability is a consequence of producing a 3D object without controlling the flow of the material. With many industrial 3D printers, the volume of material extruded is unknown.

New Frontier in Additive Manufacturing

Evidently, the market demanded a solution, so BigRep pioneered the MXT® (Metering Extruder Technology.) The result: transformative throughput and high repeatability; two unique selling points of BigRep’s next generation of large-scale 3D printers—the BigRep PRO and the BigRep EDGE.

BigRep’s MXT® (Metering Extruder Technology) is set to redefine additive manufacturing. When compared to traditional FFF technology, the new innovation by BigRep, is capable of printing speeds of 1,000 mm /s—on the BigRep EDGE and exceeding 600 mm /s on the PRO. Importantly, these print speeds are achievable without diminishing the accuracy of the print. Marangell, who has decades of experience in additive manufacturing, explained in detail how MXT® works and why, with controlled extrusion and a Bosch Rexroth CNC system—a new level of throughput is possible.

Furthermore, BigRep’s materials are developed in partnership with BASF—the largest chemical producer in the world. Engineering-grade materials, now possible on the BigRep PRO extend the possible applications for large-scale 3D printing—once a major barrier in industrial AM. Thermoplastic materials can now be used in both new printers, but the BigRep EDGE, due to be released in Q2 2019 has an even wider range of high-performance materials such as ABS/ASA, PC, PP, and PEI (Ultem.)

New Printers: The PRO and the EDGE

BigRep has set a new standard for the industry, with the release of the PRO and the EDGE, our next generation printers—that respond to industrial demands. Now built with a state-of-the-art Bosch CNC system, enclosed build chambers, and MXT® technology.

The EDGE, which is due to be released in Q2 2019, promises to reshape AM as we know it—with high-performance materials, speed, and precision extrusion. The webinar drew to a close with a ten-minute questions and answers session, with questions rolling in from industry enthusiasts, across the globe.

Watch the full webinar here.

Frank-Marangell-bigrep

Frank Marangell is President of BigRep America Inc. and Executive VP of Global Sales at BigRep. He has been operating at the top level of the additive manufacturing industry for over a decade.

Connect with Frank on Linkedin HERE.

Etihad Airways Engineering to use BigRep 3D Printers in their Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair facility

3D Printed parts on site and on demand: Etihad Airways Engineering to use Bigrep 3D printers in their Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair facility.

Etihad Airways Engineering to install large-scale 3D printer BigRep ONE to print parts and tooling, followed by a next generation BigRep EDGE industrial 3D printer to develop, test and certify material for aircraft parts.

BigRep, the global leader in large-scale 3D printing, and Etihad Airways Engineering have announced today that the airline MRO will deploy a BigRep ONE 3D printer in its Maintenance, Operations and Repair facility at the Etihad home base in Abu Dhabi. The printer will be used in daily operations to print jigs, fixtures and (non-flying) parts on site and on demand.

Its arrival highlights the first phase in a partnership between BigRep and Etihad Engineering established earlier this year, with the aim to jointly develop, test and certify new materials for 3D-printed aircraft cabin parts. With the introduction of the new industrial 3D printer PRO, BigRep is moving forward to the production of end-use parts for the aerospace industry.

Find out how automotive industry leaders have upscaled
their in-house tooling using BigRep 3D printers in our
case study with Ford Motor Company:
Read Now

 

Bernhard Randerath, Vice President Design, Engineering & Innovation of Etihad Airways Engineering says: “We are at the forefront of bringing this exciting technology into aviation and will work with our partners to ensure a successful certification of 3D printing technology, and with it towards the vision of a 3D-printed cabin.”

Stephan Beyer, CEO of BigRep GmbH, says: “Thanks to our 3D printers, we will accelerate the use of Additive Manufacturing in the aviation industry. With the BigRep PRO and EDGE, we will be able to unfold the full potential of our technology, together with Etihad Airways Engineering. These machines offer an unprecedented level of precision, quality and speed, and enable us to use the high-performance, innovative printing materials the aviation industry requires.”

As an innovation leader, Etihad Airways Engineering will leverage its experience around the aircraft cabin and will provide its design organisation approvals, as well as production organisation approvals and in-house flammability lab to test the 3D printed parts. In particular, BigRep’s large-scale 3D printers are suited to printing large cabin parts with the possibility of a high level of customisation – one of the most challenging requirements in the airline industry.

In addition, the aim is to jointly develop and test new material grades in accordance with EASA and FAA criteria, as there is a need for a wider spectrum of AM-suitable polymer materials that can pass the aerospace certification process.

About Etihad Airways Engineering

Etihad Airways Engineering is the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East. As a subsidiary of the Etihad Aviation Group, the company offers maintenance services around the clock, including design, advanced composite repair, cabin refurbishment and component services, from its state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art facility adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Contact

Maik Dobberack
Marketing Manager
T: +49 30 208 482 638
E: [email protected]

Etihad Aviation Group
Duty Media Officer
T: +971 50 818 9596
E: [email protected]

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Formnext 2018 Recap: New Printers, New Technology, New Possibilities

Our team at Formnext 2018

Four days, 550 exhibitors, and 36,000 square meters of additive manufacturing made Frankfurt buzz with excitement. The third edition of Formnext—the world's leading exhibition for additive manufacturing— showcased state-of-the-art printers, groundbreaking new technology, and insight from the world’s leaders in additive manufacturing.

Day one started with pomp and ceremony, as we unveiled our next generation industrial large-scale 3D printers—the BigRep PRO and EDGE, drawing a large crowd to the booth for the ribbon cutting. The PRO is an advanced machine that pushes the boundary of what is possible with industrial 3D printing. The BigRep EDGE, which will be available to order in Q2 2019, is set to redefine additive manufacturing with unrivalled high-performance material capabilities for an ever-wider range of industrial applications. High throughput and repeatability are now possible as a result of BigRep’s, new metering extruder technology—MXT®, plus speeds at up to 5 times faster than any FFF printer currently on the market. Both printers which are equipped with MXT and Bosch-Rexroth motion control system excited visitors about what can now be achieved.

The sheer size of both printers was enough to force passers-by to stop and find out what kind of print volume they can handle. The PRO is a gargantuan printer; it stands almost two and a half meters and it dwarfs any person that stands beside it. Fascinated 3D printing enthusiasts peered through the glass doors to observe the impressive speed of the machine.

Many visitors were drawn to the booth by our Nera e-motorcycle, the world’s first fully 3D printed e-motorcycle. The motorcycle is a brainchild of NOWLAB—BigRep’s innovation and consultancy wing. Designed by Marco Mattia Cristofori and Maximilian Sedlak—under the direction of NOWLAB co-founder and managing director Daniel Büning. The bike is a triumph of design and innovation; taking just 12 weeks to go from whitepaper to functional e-motorcycle. Guests waited their turn to sit on the bike and take a customary selfie. And I’m pretty sure it was spotted driving around the booth.

“The NERA combines several innovations developed by NOWLAB, such as the airless tire, functional integration and embedded sensor technology,” explained Büning. “This bike and our other prototypes push the limits of engineering creativity and will reshape AM technology as we know it.”

BigRep also presented the current range of materials, including the brand-new Pro FLEX filament and the new materials available on the BigRep PRO like PA 666 and Nylon. “There was a lot of excitement about the TPU, specifically seeing the wheels turning in people’s heads about what they could do with seals, gaskets and the like,” said CEO Stephan Beyer, PhD. “People were telling us they aren’t necessarily thinking about what they’re going to use it for tomorrow – they’re thinking about the future, they’ve all got their five-year plans.”

BigRep CEO Stephan Beyer was in exuberant form, delighted to answer questions about the new printers and the full range of printed parts that were proudly displayed at the booth. Beyer also talked about BigRep’s work with Etihad Airways Engineering, who together with BigRep are defining a roadmap for additive manufacturing solutions for the aerospace industry. Beyer explained how BigRep’s industrial machines meet the needs of production tooling, end use parts and the rapid manufacturing of jigs and fixtures—a market value added in the manufacturing space.

Beyer added, “There continues to be a lot of interest among industrial users in the aerospace and automotive sector, but we spoke to many different industry representatives that are excited about where BigRep can add value in the future.”

After a wonderful week at Formnext and the start of an exciting time for BigRep, we would like to extend a special thanks to everyone who made this event a memorable one, especially our hardworking team. The event was a great chance for us to chat with partners, customers and industry enthusiasts about our next generation of 3D printers and what innovative new applications that can be applied to. The fun doesn’t stop now though, as we gear up for the next events, which are just around the corner! The show must go on.

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Opening a new dimension for Additive Manufacturing

E-Motorbike - Additive Manufacturing Applications

BigRep premieres innovative 3D­ printed prototypes for E‐Mobility and automation applications: showcasing a new dimension of additive manufacturing.

3D printing thought and innovation leader BigRep showcases the world’s first fully (FFF) 3D printed, functional E-Motorcycle and bionic passenger seat, as well as an adaptive robotic gripper and 360° mobile industry platform for automation applications.

Opening a new dimension for Additive Manufacturing, these prototypes designed by NOWLAB the BigRep innovation consultancy, and printed on BigRep’s large-scale 3D printers, include two groundbreaking prototypes for e-mobility applications: the world’s first fully 3D-printed and functional electric motorcycle, the NERA, and a bionic passenger seat, the Aero Seat. Advancing applications in AM are two other new prototypes, the Adaptive Robotic Gripper, designed for flexible handling applications, and the Omni Platform, a 360° mobile industry platform for fully automated manufacturing environments.

"These exciting prototypes not only demonstrate the unprecedented capacity of FFF large-scale 3D printing technology in Additive Manufacturing”, said Stephan Beyer, PhD, CEO of BigRep GmbH. "They also emphasize our unique ability as the market’s innovation and thought leader to bring cutting-edge technologies from design to reality, providing a market value added lead for our industrial customers.”

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NERA E-Motorcycle
Lead Design: Marco Mattia Cristofori with Maximilian Sedlak

nowlab-blog-2

Using 3D printing technology for cutting-edge e-mobility solutions, NOWLAB has developed the world’s first fully (FFF) 3D-printed and functional e-motorcycle, the NERA e-motorcycle. As a distinction from similar prototypes, all NERA parts, excluding electrical components, have been 3D-printed, including tires, rims, frame, fork and seat.
"The NERA combines several innovations developed by NOWLAB, such as the airless tire, functional integration and embedded sensor technology”, explains Daniel Büning, Co-founder and Managing Director of NOWLAB. "This bike and our other prototypes push the limits of engineering creativity and will reshape AM technology as we know it.”

NERA illustrates the massive benefits that 3D printing offers for the production of end-use parts, particularly for batch sizes between lot size one to small series by reducing lead times and costs, optimizing supply chains, and limiting dependency on supplier networks.

In building NERA, the engineers didn’t simply adapt existing motorcycle designs, but instead envisioned a bike for large-format FFF technology, setting a benchmark for truly creative design; breaking the limits of traditional mechanical engineering. Among the many innovations featured in NERA are the airless tires with customized tread; a lightweight rhomboid wheel rim, flexible bumpers (instead of suspension) and the electric engine, which is fitted in a customizable case.

Aero Seat
Lead Design: Maximilian Sedlak

nowlab-blog-4

Another prototype for an e-mobility application is NOWLAB’s Aero Seat, based on aerospace developments and game-changing passenger seat designs for autonomous driving technology. This exciting seat shell design has an almost bionic touch, look, and feel as the seat adapts to the driver’s individual body shape: using a 3D body scan prior to the seat production, the shell will provide its users with an unprecedented level of comfort to reduce the stress and physical discomfort of long-distance travel. Last but not least, flexible material (TPU) was used for printing the seat cushions, which molds to the passenger’s body shape. In addition, they are attached to the shell using only a few fixing points to reduce vibrations.

Adaptive Robotic Gripper
Lead Design: Tobias Storz

nowlab-blog-4

The Adaptive Robotic Gripper has been designed to advance the full integration of robotics into automated AM, more specifically to grip finished parts from BigRep printers. Created on a BigRep STUDIO large-scale printer, the bionic gripper is mounted on a robotic arm. The gripper has three modular fingers and an opposable thumb and is capable of handling objects of any shape by wrapping its fingers around it instead of using excess force. It is responsive to pressure with a force-monitoring system that automatically adjusts its grip.
The bionic design of the robotic finger tips is inspired by the lamellae of geckos that help them climb walls. Each finger segment of the robotic gripper has an additional pad made of flexible lamellae. When force is applied these fine rib structures gently hold the gripped object by their restoring force.

Omni Platform
Lead Design: Marco Backenhaus with Mirek Claßen

nowlab-blog-5

The equally innovative Omni Platform is a 360° mobile industry platform (size: 100 by 80 cm) for highly flexible applications in automated manufacturing environments and smart factories. It can both serve as an automated logistics carrier (loading capacity: up to 200 kg) and as a platform for additional devices such as robots, for example, to be mounted.

The 3D-printed platform has a fully integrated design, i.e. any bearings or electronics can be integrated during the printing process. Two key elements are special 3D-printed omni wheels with two different materials, allowing the platform to move sideways, and an integrated safety feature (human detection antenna), which was also 3D-printed.

Learn more about NOWLAB

BigRep Unveils Two New Industrial 3D Printers With MXT- Metering Extruder Technology

BigRep next generation

Powered by BigRep MXT® and state-of-the-art CNC control systems and drives by Bosch Rexroth, the PRO and EDGE deliver unprecedented speed, precision and quality for industrial applications and full connectivity to integrate additive manufacturing with Industry 4.0

BigRep, the global leader in large-scale 3D printing, today at formnext, the world's leading exhibition for additive manufacturing, unveiled a significant breakthrough in Thermoplastic Extrusion (Fused Filament Fabrication – FFF). BigRep’s new proprietary MXT® will power its two new 3D printers and set a new standard for and redefine additive manufacturing.

The BigRep PRO and BigRep EDGE are the German-engineered company’s next-generation 3D printers, promising to provide engineers and designers with the ability to create functional prototypes, as well as composite tooling, end-use parts and small-number serial production. Capable of printing with high-performance materials, the PRO and EDGE will firmly establish 3D printing as an innovative, added value production technology in industries such as automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, manufacturing and more.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the new printers are embedded with BigRep MXT®, an exclusive Metering Extruder Technology, and equipped with a state-of-the-art Bosch Rexroth motion control system – delivering unprecedented speed, precision and quality and IoT connectivity that fully integrates with Industry 4.0.

BigRep PRO is available to order immediately. BigRep EDGE is scheduled for release in Q2 2019.

“This new technology delivers the type of innovation that the industry has been awaiting, as our groundbreaking MXT® system makes our new printers five times faster – with greater precision and quality – than current extrusion speeds,” said BigRep CEO, Stephan Beyer, PhD. “This is one giant leap for additive manufacturing, allowing BigRep customers to make full use of today’s most advanced large-scale 3D printing technology.”

BigRep PRO is specifically designed for 3D printing of large-scale industrial parts and features a build envelope of one cubic meter and a large, temperature-controlled spool chamber allowing for continuous printing with high-performance materials, like ASA/ABS, nylon and more. The insulated, enclosed metal frame ensures an optimal even temperature control, while glass doors offer a view of the print. The heated print bed is mounted with polyimide foil for enhanced adhesion during the printing process, and an integrated inductive sensor allows for semi-automatic leveling.

BigRep EDGE, with a build chamber measuring 1500 x 800 x 600 mm, is specifically designed for high-end, high performance materials in large-scale format, allowing for end-use parts, functional prototypes and composite tooling. Its heated build chamber provides a controlled, high-temperature environment of up to 200° C in the chamber and 220° C in the print bed. The EDGE also features a premium user experience with automatic, upward-moving doors and an easy-to-use graphical interface on a large screen that enables full control over all print settings.

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The new technology powering these 3D printers is significant because extrusion technology has largely been unchanged for a quarter-century. The first major advancement is a result of the development partnership announced earlier this year between BigRep and Bosch Rexroth, one of the world’s leading suppliers of drive and control technologies. Through this partnership, the PRO and the EDGE will be the first 3D printers by BigRep incorporating a state-of-art CNC control systems and drives by Bosch Rexroth, making 3D printing a truly IoT-ready machine with full connectivity and data.

Thomas Fechner, General Manager of the Business Unit New Business at Bosch Rexroth, commented: “Thanks to professional control systems technology, 3D printing is establishing itself as an industrial manufacturing application. In terms of hardware, the CNC control system by Bosch Rexroth is delivering the necessary performance, precision and durability. In our development partnership with BigRep, we are advancing the potential of 3D printing for its use in the environment of the Factory of the Future.”

The second major advancement is BigRep MXT®. Unlike its predecessor, BigRep MXT® establishes a clear separation between filament feeding and melting and molten extrusion, which allows for full control over the amount and speed of material extruded at any given time. This new technology is also designed to make full advantage of the innovative printing materials BigRep, in its partnership with BASF, continues to develop.

PRO and EDGE are equipped with two MXT® modular extrusion heads, which manage and synchronize the extrusion and printing operations. This translates into:

  • Printing speeds of >600 millimeters per second (mm/s), when the PRO is used with its finest 0.6 mm nozzle, making it five times faster than any FFF printer on the market. The EDGE surpasses that with speeds of up to 1,000 mm/s with the finest 0.6 mm nozzle in place.
  • Demonstrated filament throughput rate of 5x at the maximum extrusion rate and 3x at the average extrusion rate, compared to FFF technology, delivering material deposition control that allows for unmatched quality, repeatability and precision.

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To the Moon and Back with Bigrep on the set of the First Man Movie

first man movie and the Bigrep ONE

In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to land on the moon, saying “that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was a historic moment, that would forever change our perspective on what is possible with new technology.

The First Man, directed by Damien Chazelle, is showing in movie theaters around the world and we can proudly say that Bigrep took a small part in its production. It’s unlikely that Bigrep will be the next Ryan Gosling or Claire Foy, but who knows, given how quickly artificial intelligence is developing.

“With new slicing software you can take a big scale model, chop it up and print it overnight on 18 3D printers. We literally ran those printers 24 hours a day for six months. This German company called BigRep developed a metre-by-metre print bed and they loaned us two of their machines so we could print an Apollo 11 capsule in one go,” said Nathan Crowley, the Production Designer for the film to the animationmagazine.net.

For Crowley, the four-time Academy Award nominee, it was important to have the real parts during the production process, to get a proper impression of their form on the set. Recording these key scenes using miniatures made it look more realistic, for the whole audience. Crowley believes in combining additive technology with old techniques. The results can be seen on big screens around the world. So what was actually printed? Well, the answer is not so obvious.

Remember the Saturn V rocket from the trailer? We are the only company capable of producing objects this size. The model was 3D printed on two Bigrep ONE printers! In addition to the rocket, the Apollo Command/Service Module and Lunar Excursion Module were also 3D printed. Amazingly, it is impossible to see the difference between the 3D printed objects and the ones created with traditional computer graphic techniques. Crowley and his team know how to blend both techniques, so the viewer cannot spot the difference. (To be honest, if the movie crew didn’t tell us, we would also be in the dark.)

From automobile parts for BMW to Hollywood movie sets, what’s next for additive manufacturing? Without a crystal ball, we can’t say for sure, but what we do know is that’s one small step for the movie industry, one giant leap for Bigrep!

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