Embraer: Innovation through Additive Manufacturing

Embraer: Innovation through Additive Manufacturing

by | Nov 10, 2020 | User Story

Embraer: Innovation through Additive Manufacturing

Embraer, the world’s third largest aircraft manufacturer, located in Gavião Peixoto in São Paulo, stands out for its disruptive innovation in additive manufacturing, using dddrop industrial 3D printers. A successful project was carried out, combining creativity and cutting edge manufacturing in composite materials through 3D printing.

Radboudumc logo
Embraer’s executive jets are varied to meet the specific and exclusive needs of customers. The interiors of these jets are carefully manufactured from composite materials and special woods. Throughout the manufacturing process, material has to be removed by using machining.
Radboudumc logo
To clean and remove debris from machining, the engineers have invented a creative solution, in which a rotational vacuum suction system was attached to the head of a robotic system. This system rotates dynamically perpendicularly towards the moving tool head. The suction unit had to be installed in a very small area and move dynamically around the Z axis, controlled by a stepper motor and a logic control unit.
Instead of opting for a traditional CNC solution, which would be costly and time consuming, the team opted for a lighter and much less time consuming solution, using the dddrop Evo Twin 3D printer and a carbon fiber nylon filament with a strength-to-weight ratio superior to steel. The result was a success.
Radboudumc logo
“For our project, the dddrop Evo Twin allowed us to use a wide variety of functional filaments ranging from wood to flexible material, soluble support material and materials with high resistance and temperature tolerance”, said José Otavio Savazzi, engineer at Embraer. “Additive manufacturing and the combination of generative design and functional composite materials play an increasingly important role in our design and manufacturing process,” he added.

Learn more about Embraer here.

Learn more about dddrop Brazil here.

Read the original article here.

Radboudumc – Technology Used To Improve Healthcare

Radboudumc – Technology Used To Improve Healthcare

by | Sep 4, 2020 | User Story

Who is Radboudumc?

Radboudumc is an academic medical center that is focused on people and their quality of life. Radboudumc specializes in patient care, scientific research, teaching and training. Their mission is to have a significant impact on health care and aim to be pioneers in shaping the healthcare of the future using personal approach and innovation. 3D printing fits very well with these ideals and is generally emerging in medicine. Radboudumc uses 3D printing for diagnostics, planning, treatment and evaluation in many different fields, such as breast reconstruction, implantology and oncology.

Radboudumc logo

3D Printing in medicine

3D printing technology is on the rise in the medical sector. More and more hospitals are acquiring 3D printers for implementation in their everyday medical practice. Imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are being used to create models based on the patient’s anatomy and aid in personalized treatment. 3D printing allows far greater possibilities due to the versatility in materials, construction of complex shapes and visualization of theoretical ideas. Radboudumc utilizes 3D printing to create personalized treatment on a daily basis.

Individualized treatment

One of the 3D printing applications at Radboudumc is the electron beam radiotherapy for non-melanoma skin cancer [1]. A dddrop Leader Twin Machine is used to efficiently create a person-specific tissue equivalent material build-up, called a bolus: A CT scan is made and with it, a bolus is designed that ensures proper coverage of the tumor. A shell is created around the bolus and is 3D printed and filled up with silicone rubber afterwards. At last, the shell is removed and the bolus is ready for use during irradiation treatment.

Radboudumc application
By using 3D printing, the process of creating a personalized bolus has greatly improved. It is more time and cost efficient and more patient friendly now. These characteristics are highly desirable for the vulnerable patient group that is commonly referred for radiation therapy for non-melanoma skin cancer. No plaster face cast has to be made anymore, which is extremely time consuming, and no additional CT scans are needed for adapting the cast, which results in a lower radiation dose and less hospital visits for each patient. Overall, 3D printing provides great advantages in the treatment of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer in comparison to the previously used techniques.

Materials

Radboudumc uses PLA for the printing of the shells. PLA is the preferred material, because of its low glass transition temperature, which makes it easy to remove the silicone rubber bolus from the shell. Printing with PLA has the advantage of almost no shrinking upon cooling, which ensures that geometrical integrity is maintained during printing. In addition, PLA is low cost and biodegradable which adds to the other advantages listed above.

Radboudumc and dddrop

Ever since purchasing the dddrop Leader Twin machine in 2016, Radboudumc has kept in close contact with dddrop. They continuously use the dddrop service plan to achieve optimal printing results and get their 3D printing questions answered. dddrop is very pleased to contribute to healthcare in this way and happy to provide the support team with an opportunity to dive into medical applications that improve the lives of many individuals.

 

Learn more about various 3D printing applications at Radboudumc at https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/research/radboud-technology-centers/3d-lab. 

 

[1] Canters, R. A., Lips, I. M., Wendling, M., Kusters, M., van Zeeland, M., Gerritsen, R. M., … Verhoef, C. G. (2016). Clinical implementation of 3D printing in the construction of patient specific bolus for electron beam radiotherapy for non-melanoma skin cancer. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 121(1), 148–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2016.07.011

VEDDAN – The New Way of Producing Sound

VEDDAN – The New Way of Producing Sound

by | Aug 3, 2020 | User Story

Who is VEDDAN?

Located in the Achterhoek region of the Netherlands, VEDDAN is set out to change the way people listen to music. The company develops and manufactures speakers with patented new technologies, which they believe is the “new way of producing sound”. VEDDAN has been utilizing 3D printing since the beginning of the company as a tool to realize the speaker design, and lately for production of custom made components for the VEDDAN speakers. 

3D Printing in the Music Industry

As 3D printing becomes an accessible and popular production technique, more and more industries turn to it for developments. The music industry is no different. The company founder, Andre Kamperman, envisioned a future where he can apply different principles of acoustics and sound engineering to speaker designs, which will ultimately lead to better sounding speakers and an immersive sound experience. The new, never seen before, sound generating technique had to be visualized from scratch, so naturally the company turned to 3D printing. 3D printing allowed experimentation, design correction, and rapid production of parts. The flexibility and versatility of 3D printing makes it a revolutionary tool in any industry, and allows visionaries from any background to make a change in their respective fields.

Efficient Production

As a start up company that focuses on developing a new product, there is a great emphasis on implementing efficient and reliable production methods in the assembly line. VEDDAN uses a powerful 3D printing unit, consisting of four dddrop EVO Twin machines, that allows cost-efficient rapid production and design iteration. The VEDDAN speakers utilize 3D printing to produce significant parts of the speaker in-house, rather than outsourcing the process. This allows them to oversee the quality of the parts and make quick adjustments if change has to take place, but most importantly save time with quick delivery as shipping and handling time is eliminated. In a matter of hours after finishing the 3D model design, a part can be assembled.

“We had short print runs when starting the business. Luckily, 3D printing is very flexible. You can draw something and have it the next day, so the R&D process is accelerated.”

Andre Kamperman, VEDDAN.

 

Cost also plays an important role in the VEDDAN production. The VEDDAN speakers are a premium product for sound enthusiasts, so naturally it comes with a premium price tag. 3D printing allowed VEDDAN to produce high quality and reliable parts on-demand, leading to lowering the production cost of the speaker and ultimately the retail cost for the customer. Alternatively, methods such CNC milling, press, or injection molding could have been used for these applications, however, the VEDDAN team found 3D printing to be the most cost and time efficient. Pushing production costs down, and revenue margins up.

Materials

VEDDAN put a lot of thought into choosing the right materials to use for the 3D printed parts. After testing different materials, and comparing different results, the team chose to use PET-G as the primary material for internal 3D printed parts. PET-G showed some acoustic advantages over the other materials while maintaining mechanical toughness. VEDDAN took 3D printing one step forward with a clever solution to add strength, weight and sturdiness to the speaker base, which is printed in PET-G. The base is printed with minimum to no infill and liquid epoxy is poured into the print, excelling the construction qualities while maintaining the customization properties of 3D printing. Alternatively, this part would have been CNC machined which would have increased cost and delivery times, a clever solution to a common design challenge.

VEDDAN and dddrop

The dddrop team is working alongside the VEDDAN team and provides assistance and expert input, and is proud to be a part of such an outstanding project. Implementing 3D printing allows innovators to visualize and bring incredible new designs to life that have the potential to change industries, just as the VEDDAN speaker is set to change the way we listen to music.

 Explore more about the VEDDAN speakers at VEDDAN.com

How do I prevent my 3D print from warping?

How do I prevent my 3D print from warping?

by | Jul 3, 2020 | Blog

From time to time our help desk is confronted with the question of how to prevent 3d prints from warping. Especially with ABS filament, but also with less common materials like nylon, the material tends to warp during printing. This leads to broken 3d prints and sometimes even to a ‘hard hit’: the printer head bumps against the curled up material. Read here why 3d prints warp and how to prevent it!

Why does a 3D print warp?

A print deforms because the material shrinks as it cools. How much the product shrinks depends on the shrinkage factor of the material. Because the print bed is nice and warm, the material will shrink the least at the bottom. The higher up the product goes, the more it shrinks. This difference causes tension in the material and ultimately a warped model. Warping can occur in the product in two ways. First, there is de-lamination. This is when two layers in the model split and a crack appears. This is usually caused by the layers not sticking together properly. If you use the right settings, de-lamination should not occur. The second variation is warping at the bottom of the product. This is a more persistent problem, but fortunately there are a few methods to prevent it.

Place a raft

When you use a raft, a few layers with little infill will be placed under your product. This causes less differences in shrinkage and less tension at the bottom of the product. And when warping does occur, this mostly effects the raft instead of your product. Therefore, it’s important that the raft is bigger than your product, to make sure that it will not cause problems when the corners curl up.

Regulate the temprature

Temperature control is very important in preventing warping. Choose a printer where the product will cool as gradually as possible. A conditioned, sealed enclosure is essential. That way you have control over the temperature inside the printer to minimize the difference in shrinkage. Our Rapid One has an enclosed print booth with fans in the back wall and optional HEPA filters. Perfect for maintaining the perfect temperature and preventing warping.

Gluing your 3D print to the print bed

In warping, two forces face each other: the tensile force of the shrinking top layers versus the tensile force of the print bed. Simply put, if the bottom is firmly glued to the print bed, it will not warp easily. There are a few tools you can use to secure the model to the bed. One common method is to use a slurry that acts like an adhesive. You can make this slurry yourself with acetone and ABS, but be careful! If you use too much of this glue, you can no longer (easily) remove the product from the print bed. Result: broken glass plates. A safer option is to use specialized tools like PEI sheets. These hold your print firmly to prevent warping, but the model is still easy to remove after printing.

Berkvens Door Systems

Berkvens Door Systems

by | Jun 24, 2020 | User Story

At Berkvens Door Systems, the entire production process takes place in-house: from idea to product, from research and development to production. Since the beginning of 2017, the dddrop 3D printer has been a part of this process, which has yielded unexpected benefits. Although the printer was purchased to produce parts for the end product, the Berkvens engineers are constantly discovering new applications for their dddrop 3D printer. In addition, dddrop helps them save time and expenses on prototyping and tooling.

Berkvens Door Systems is the market leader in total solutions for sustainable interior doors, door frames and sliding door systems. Innovative, progressive and always looking simplify the user experience. Upon entering the production hall of Berkvens, it is clear that the production happening at full speed. Every section has its own specification, each department contributes its piece of the puzzle to a complete the end product. From processing to coating, from attaching door fittings and locks to packaging. 

 

Technical Product Development Engineer Eddy Hoebergen has been responsible for the 3D printer since the acquisition of the dddrop. Searching for a 3D printer was not at top priority. The company purchased the printer to produce covers for the styles of the new Verdi frames. “The dddrop has grown into a machine that is used for all kinds of applications. Indispensable! “, Says Eddy.

Fast prototyping utilizing 3D print

Now that the printer is on the production floor, the team can experiment with new designs. Eddy and his colleagues are responsible for technical product development. When designing new products, it is important to be able to quickly translate from a screen to a tangible model. Using the dddrop 3D printer, prototypes are made at a speed that is incomparable to the outsourcing of 3D printing. Being able to produce tangible products rapidly, and optimizing the design along the way is an important process in product development. Now that this takes place entirely in-house, different design options can be tested quickly, resulting in an optimal final design.

Prototyping is just one of the phases in the production process in which the dddrop is being used. The 3D prints also support as tooling during production, in the form of drilling and milling molds. The clamps indicate where different operations must be performed on the materials. Berkvens purchased milling and drilling jigs in the past through tool makers and another part that could process MDF and aluminum. For the external production of the mold, they had to pay € 400 on average, which meant that the tooling costs could run high. A good reason to investigate whether the dddrop 3D printer could play a role in different segments of the business.

Savings in Costs and Time

Today all milling and drilling templates are 3D printed, in-house. This results in a considerable saving in time because outsourcing and delay time for delivery are no longer an issue. However, that is not the main benefit: when examining cost, a saving of more than 75 percent has been achieved. “We use around 100 molds productively. Multiply this by 400 euros and I don’t have to explain to you what kind of capital is in our closet, “Eddy says laughing. “At the moment the costs per mold, including depreciation, energy costs, and man-hours, are around 25 euros”.

What started as a test for the manufacture of cover caps has grown at Berkvens into a functional machine for prototyping, production tooling, and end products that are actually assembled in numerous doors. With 500,000 doors and frames per year, delivered completely from A to Z, Berkvens can be proud as a company. 

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