Mass Manufacturing: Industry Leader 3D Systems Leads Again

On Sept. 12, 3D Systems announced that “evolutionary step,” with a full-blown strategy detailed by 3D Systems’ President and CEO Vyomesh Joshi as told to Accucode that included solutions, partnerships and an updated management team. It’s the leap to the next level that the 3D Print industry has been trying to crack for nearly two decades: evolving from “prototyping” to profiting from “mass manufacturing.” Joshi announced to Accucode in a communication: “Rapid prototyping was the original application for 3D printing and will continue to be an important part of our business. However, we believe we have the technology and assets today to make 3D production real and provide profitable growth for our company.”

Accucode3D is a national “reseller” of the full line of 3D Systems products.

3D Systems, the originator of the 3D printer, has been breaking ground in the industry for three decades. It provides comprehensive 3D products and services, including 3D printers, print materials, on-demand manufacturing services and digital design tools. Its ecosystem supports advanced applications from the product-design shop to the factory floor to the operating room. 3D Systems’ precision healthcare capabilities include simulation, Virtual Surgical Planning, and printing of medical and dental devices as well as patient-specific surgical instruments.

 

Joshi told Accucode how 3D Systems’ “ecosystem” enables customers to digitize, design, simulate, manufacture, inspect and manage as they transition towards end-use part production. As a part of his “roll-out,” he introduced a new product -- 3DXpert™ -- a software solution for streamlining and automating pre- and post-production processes for Direct Metal Printing.

3D Systems' 3D Printer collection ranges from mass-production to the desktop "Cube 3" model (above) for $999. With wireless connectivity, instant-load material cartridges, pre-loaded filament jets, and auto-leveling of the print pad.

3D Systems, PTC partner in 'Mass' approach

Per the release that CEO Joshi sent to Accucode: 3D Systems has forged a long-term strategic partnership with PTC, a leading provider of CAD, PLM, and IoT technology. “PTC alliance expands our partner ecosystem,” said Joshi. Jim Heppelmann, PTC’s President and CEO, announced on his company’s Web site: “Partnering with 3D Systems allows our users to take full advantage of the power of 3D printing and work seamlessly from digital design to the physical part. The 3D Sprint SDK integration into Creo is just the beginning of what our two companies can accomplish across the digital manufacturing value-chain.” Both leaders echo the synergy of the two companies: Working together to integrate 3D Systems’ 3D Sprint™ SDK into PTC’s flagship Creo® CAD platform. The collaboration will provide Creo-users with seamless CAD-to-print functionality as well as a full set of print management tools.

Figure 4 technology provides digital alternative to injection molding

Per the 3D Systems statement for Accucode: “Throughout IMTS, 3D Systems will demonstrate the latest advancements in its Figure 4 technology, the company’s ultra-fast, modular Stereolithography (SLA) system designed for the production of plastic parts on the factory floor."

"Featuring print speeds of up to 50-times faster than conventional systems as well as the ability to integrate with secondary processes such as finishing and coating, the productivity and flexibility of the Figure 4 platform make it a viable and intelligent digital alternative to injection molding.”

As part of 3D Systems’ latest developments, the company has expanded Figure 4 capabilities to incorporate automatic, in-line 3D inspection of parts for closed-loop manufacturing. Simultaneous to part inspection and measurement, the system also generates a real-time, detailed report with go/no-go feedback. This process provides users with immediate confidence in part compliance while enabling highly diversified production. 3DXpert is a new, comprehensive all-in-one software solution that simplifies and streamlines the metal printing workflow. 3DXpert covers the full workflow in one software – importing data, optimizing the geometry and lattice creation, calculating the scan-path, arranging the build platform, sending it to the printer and even machining the final part when necessary.

To learn more about 3DXpert, click here.

3DXpert allows users to import and work with any geometry (STL, Surfaces, Solid). This helps save valuable time and maintain greater flexibility on change handling. Structure-optimization tools within the software allow users to save weight and material with the lightening-fast creation and editing of micro-lattices, based on the groundbreaking Volume Representation (V-Rep) technology. The software also enables optimal printing strategies to be assigned to different zones of a part and automatically fuses separately assigned zones into a single scan path, resulting in minimized print time while maintaining part integrity. New management team to drive operational excellence through experience Along with recently-announced CFO John McMullen, new additions to the 3D Systems’ management team include:

• Herbert Koeck, SVP, Go-to-Market, EMEA
• Christopher Morgan, SVP, Go-to-Market, Americas, and APAC
• Jim Ruder, SVP, General Manager, Plastics
• Phil Schultz, SVP, On Demand Solutions
• Doug Vaughan, SVP, Marketing and Demand Generation
• Reinhard Winkler, SVP, Supply Chain

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Accucode Inc., located in Centennial, CO, with offices and warehousing in Louisville, KY, and Dallas, is a software developer and solutions integrator specializing in the application of mobile computing, wireless infrastructure, and automated data collection technologies. The Company is the 104th fastest growing IT Service Provider in the U.S. over a two-year span (2014-15). Accucode pioneered the Hardware-as-a-Service model under which fully managed tablets, software, and managed services can be delivered at a fixed subscription rate, removing capital barriers and mitigating maintenance and other life-cycle risks for customers. Accucode was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the US by being included in the Inc500. Additionally, Accucode was included in the Inc5000 seven times and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 five times.