Het Zwitserse bedrijf Tegulas, dat zich bezighoudt met de ontwikkeling van dakpannen, maakt al vele jaren gebruik van 3D-designsoftware voor het ontwerpen van nieuwe modellen. Sinds 2019 verdiept het bedrijf zich ook in 3D-printtechnologie voor de productie van onderdelen voor de werktuigen, waarmee de dakpannen door de klanten worden geproduceerd. Daarvoor wordt een FDM-printer van het Nederlandse bedrijf FELIXprinters gebruikt.

3D-technologie speelt een belangrijke rol in het ontwerpproces van Tegulas Dachziegeldesign und Formenbau – zoals het bedrijf officieel heet. Op basis van de wensen van de klanten worden nieuwe modellen dakpannen in 3D-programma’s ontworpen en virtueel getest. Daarvoor wordt 3D-ontwerp- en simulatiesoftware Pro/Engineer van PTC gebruikt. De ontwerpen worden als digitale bestanden met de klant gedeeld en besproken, waarbij met behulp van de 3D-renderingtool Key-Shot ook een fotorealistische weergave van een compleet dakoppervlakte getoond kan worden. Na goedkeuring van het model worden tien tot twintig prototypes in kunsthars gegoten, om te controleren of het ontwerp aan de eisen voldoet.

Als het model van de dakpan goedgekeurd is, worden het productieproces en de machines in 3D ontworpen, waarbij met alle bewerkingen aan de dakpan in het proces rekening gehouden wordt. Voor de pers worden de mallen ontworpen en de handelingen van de machine worden in een simulatie getest. Tegulas is altijd aanwezig bij de oplevering en de inbedrijfstelling van de machine om het productieproces te testen. De specificaties en de kwaliteit van de eerste dakpannen die kant en klaar uit de bakovens komen worden uitgebreid gecontroleerd. Waar nodig worden het ontwerp, de mallen of de werktuigen aangepast.

Dakpannenontwerp

“Hoewel we gebruikmaken van de ervaringsgegevens en testinformatie uit het verleden is het ontwerpen van een nieuw model dakpan geen knip- en plakwerk”, legt Daniel Imhof, directeur van Tegulas uit. “Er zijn veel aspecten, waarmee bij het ontwerp van een dakpan rekening gehouden moet worden. De functionele eisen – bescherming van het gebouw tegen de uiteenlopende weersomstandigheden – wegen uiteraard het zwaarst. De dakpan – en vooral de aansluitingen – moeten zo ontworpen worden, dat ze enerzijds zo min mogelijk ruimte in beslag nemen en anderzijds geen water, sneeuw, vuil of wind doorlaten. Ook de wateropname en de vorst- en stormbestendigheid van het materiaal zijn belangrijke criteria.  En uiteraard bestaan er allerlei regels en normen waaraan we moeten voldoen.”

Dakpannen zijn in de afgelopen decennia enorm veranderd. Ze zijn dunner, vlakker en groter geworden, om materiaal te besparen; weerstand en kieren te verminderen en de dakdekker sneller te kunnen laten werken. Twintig jaar geleden gingen er 17 dakpannen in een vierkante meter; tegenwoordig nog maar tien. Daarnaast bestaan er verschillende soorten bevestigingssystemen voor dakpannen: er zijn hangsystemen, maar in sommige regio’s worden dakpannen worden vastgezet met spijkers of schroeven. Bovendien moet tegenwoordig ook rekening gehouden worden met de installatie van zonnepanelen op daken.

Het kosmetische aspect is eveneens een belangrijke factor bij het design van een dakpan. Eigenschappen als vorm, kleur en het gebruik van glazuur zijn uiteraard ook in functioneel opzicht van belang, maar ze hebben veel invloed op het aanzicht van het dakoppervlakte en de uitstraling van een gebouw.

Productie-eisen

Voor de gemiddelde woningeigenaar of dakdekker zijn de productietechnische eigenschappen van een dakpan  minder relevant, maar voor de fabrikant zijn ze cruciaal. Ze werken met leem, een natuurlijk product. Het wordt eerst gemengd en in de gewenste vorm geperst, waarna de dakpannen bij een temperatuur van zo’n 90 graden in een droogkamer drogen. Als het vochtgehalte is gedaald tot zo’n 2 à 3% gaan de dakpannen een oven in waar ze bij een temperatuur van 100 tot 150 graden worden gebakken. Daarna kunnen er bewerkingen als kleuren of glazuren plaatsvinden. Het productieproces is helemaal geautomatiseerd is. Het materiaal van de dakpan, de dikte en de afmetingen hebben invloed op de droog- en baktijd, maar het zijn vooral de details voor de bevestiging en de aansluiting die van grote invloed zijn op de productie van de mallen en het aantal bewerkingen in de pers. Omdat de dakpannen voor transport op pallets gestapeld worden, wordt bij het ontwerp ook gekeken naar de stapelbaarheid van dakpannen.

3D-technologie

“Hoewel we zelf geen dakpannen produceren, vonden we 3D-printing een interessante ontwikkeling  voor ons”, verduidelijkt Imhof. “We hebben toen onze eerste 3D-printer aangeschaft. Daarmee maakten we bijvoorbeeld kleinere schaalmodellen en testmodellen voor het verzamelen van informatie over de eigenschappen, het leggen en de weersbestendigheid. Ook hebben we wat ervaring kunnen opdoen met het graveren of drukken van logo’s en type-informatie in dakpannen. Langzamerhand kwamen we erachter dat we met een 3D-printer zelf ook onderdelen voor onze machines konden maken. We keken vooral naar het maken van modellen voor het aluminiumgieten van mallen voor dakpannen. Van de 3D-modellen die eerst van hout maakten, wordt een zandafdruk gemaakt, waar in het aluminium gegoten wordt. Omdat de mogelijkheden beperkt waren, zijn we op zoek gegaan naar een grotere 3D-printer. Zo kwamen we terecht bij FELIXprinters.”

“Het bedrijf is hier op bezoek geweest en heeft ons geholpen bij het printen van een gietmodel voor  een mal. Dat ging zo goed, dat we een 3D-printer en 11 kilometer filament kochten. Momenteel maken we zelf ook al bepaalde andere kunststofonderdelen voor onze apparatuur. Die componenten moeten bestand zijn tegen olie en bepaalde chemicaliën, maar we hebben ontdekt dat de 3D-geprinte componenten stabiel genoeg zijn.”

Printen met leem

Imhof is zeer te spreken over de samenwerking met FELIXprinters. “De prijs-prestatieverhouding van de printers is prima, maar de ondersteuning bij de ontwikkeling van de toepassingen en de productie van de eerste onderdelen was echt onmisbaar.”

Volgens Imhof is het seriematig 3D-printen van dakpannen nog niet haalbaar, omdat industriële toepassingen van 3D-printing extreem duur zijn. Er is bovendien nog weinig ervaring met het printen met leem of beton. Voor het printen van keramische tegels of kunststof afsluitmateriaal voor dakbedekking zie ik wel mogelijkheden.”

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1. EXPERIMENT INFORMATION

2. INTRODUCTION

One of the main challenges in tissue engineering is the lack of vascularization in the created tissue. Bioprinting has been one of the most promising approaches to generate high-resolution tissue models in a controlled manner. However, the printing of hollow structures and channels remains a challenge. One of the gold standards is the use of Pluronics as sacrificial ink to create such structures, yet its main drawback is that it only dissolves at cold temperature. Often larger structures also require to be placed on ice which is a limiting factor for cellular applications.  This project will focus on the co-development and characterization of a sacrificial bioink which can be removed at physiological conditions in the presence of cells. The sacrificial ink will be combined with commercially available biocompatible bioinks and will be optimized for dual-printed bioprinting on the Felix Bioprinter. In this respect, the optimal printing parameters will be determined by varying printing speed, temperature and applied pressure during printing and the development of the printed structures will be fine-tuned. The biocompatibility of the sacrificial bioink will be addressed by in vitro cell studies.

3. EXPERIMENT DETAILS

First, the printing parameters were optimized for the FELIX Bioprinter. The selection of the best parameters was done by visually inspecting and selecting the best results. The main characteristics for a correctly printed sample are a defined grid, visible pores, consistently sized edges, and fully printed lines which don’t break up. The shear thinning nature of the bioinks SUPPORT INX and STABLE INX allows the straightforward processing for deposition printing.

Figure 1. Viscosity of the used bioinks at different shear rates.

Table 1. Optimal printing parameters of SUPPORT INX.

With the above-mentioned parameters structures with high shape fidelity could be printed.

Figure 2. Printed structures using SUPPORT INX.

Complex structures containing channels were successfully printed by combining STABLE INX with SUPPORT INX as support material. More specifically, 1 mm diameter straight and branching channels by flushing and applying a vacuum. Afterwards the scaffolds were sterilized and were seeded with GFP-labelled cells.

Figure 3. 1 mm in diameter channels were printed in STABLE INX using SUPPORT INX support followed by seeding with HT1080 cells.

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3D Food printers can create beautiful culinary creations, but also increase productivity and efficiency in food preparation

FELIX FOOD 3D printer, 3D printed brocolli

FELIXprinters in IJsselstein, the Netherlands, has focused on the development and production of 3D printers since 2011. Now we are launching a series of food 3D printers. Pastes, chocolate, puree, fats and soya can be prepared in a multitude of ways using a food 3d printer. A food printer can also improve the efficiency of food preparation in the kitchen, thanks to its ability to independently complete print jobs, freeing up chefs to do other tasks. Food printers also provide a solution for eating and swallowing problems by presenting food in a more appealing way through using novel food combinations, consistencies and shapes, to ease consumption and ingestion.

Using food 3d printing, a product or dish is built up layer by layer. This provides new possibilities in the food industry and commercial and industrial kitchen. Traditionally, difficult or complex shapes are made with the help of baking moulds or ready-to-use forms that can be stacked on top of each other.  With food 3D printing, countless possibilities of forms and structures are made possible, giving food preparation a spectacular, new edge. By 3D printing names, logos or icons, a dish gets a personal touch, taking it to the next level.

Besides the large new creative freedom, 3D printing also provides the possibility to increase the productivity and efficiency of food preparation.  The food printer works independently to print the programmed 3D design.  The global problem of food waste can be addressed by implementing food 3D printing. Foods that are less attractive that would typically be discarded, can be used to create pastes, for food 3D printing.  These ingredients get transformed into tasty and beautiful food creations.

Edible materials

A number of factors play a role in determining whether a food material is suitable to be 3D printed: viscosity, texture, the size of the nozzle of the 3D printer, taste combinations and the composition of the final product. The viscosity is the most important factor. The paste should pliable enough to the easily pushed through the nozzle.  It also shouldn’t harden or stiffen too quickly, causing nozzle blockage.  Too liquid should also be avoided, if you want to print higher 3D models, as this won’t retain its printed shape. Some pastes, such as dough, can be printed in its raw form and then left to dry and harden, frozen, cooked or baked.  The ideal viscosity is between 50 and 1.000 Pascal seconds (Pa.s).

The texture is also important. A soft and smooth substance is better and easier to 3D print than a puree containing solid pieces. The diameter of the nozzle also plays a role. One could also combine two pastes with different textures into one single print. An example of this would be the simulation of meat where this technique is used to copy the structure and taste of real meat.

In general, materials such as vegetable- and fruit purees, fats such as butter, chocolate, avocado, sugar products such as marzipan, soya, seaweed and algae, pasta dough, proteins and gelatin are good materials to 3D food print.

Three models

FELIXprinters offers three different types of food 3D printers. The Single Head Food 3D printer has one syringe, allowing you to print pastes accurately in a variety of forms with heights of up to 17 cm. The Twin Head Food 3D printer has two print heads mounted in a fixed position.  This printer prints simultaneously giving you double the output and perfectly copied print objects. Great for a higher print output. The Switch Food 3D printer has two printheads that can be filled with two different materials to combine in one single print.

FELIX FOOD 3D printers line-up

To find out more, visit www.felixfood.nl

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Ten years of growth and innovation

31 October marks the date that FELIXprinters was officially registered as a company.  10 years later  the company has grown to produce innovative 3D printers across a wide scope of the 3D printing market.

How it all started

The foundation that FELIXprinters is built on is that of innovation.  10 years ago, founder and CEO  Guillaume Feliksdal, built the FELIX 1 from his home in the Netherlands.  His background in engineering and experience in the industrial automation and robotics fields were the pillars that the machine was built on.

Eventually his father, Wilgo Feliksdal, with his years of experience in process automation and production, partnered with Guillaume to establish FELIXprinters as a fully-fledged business full time.

It was obvious that there was potential to put the product on the market.  The first FELIXprinter was sold and it became clear that there are many factors to take into consideration to make a successful sale and to deliver a professional product. As a private individual seeing a gap in the market, every single detail needs to be thought of, from bubble wrap to printing a professional manual.

Guillaume and Wilgo were thrown in the deep end, but learned to navigate the waters very quickly, setting up professional IT support systems and creating a streamlined production process.

The first community

The first group of FELIXprinters customers were the early adapters of 3D printing. The FELIXprinters forum was a source of discussion, information and connection. Through mainly word of mouth, sales increased.  Through the inputs from the active community, FELIXprinters could implement the suggestions and wishes of its users.

Evolution of the printers

With each iteration, the 3D printers contained features that made printing easier and more convenient. There was a natural progression in the early years, leading to 3D printers that were able to print taller prints, finer print quality with better user interfaces.

FELIXprinters was mainly focused on the personal and hobbyist market.  This gradually changed with the introduction of the FELIX Pro 3 and the FELIX Pro L and XL.  This new printer line-up was exceptionally suitable for professional and industrial use.  On the one hand due to its size, the printers were able to handle bigger production runs.  On the other hand, the bar was significantly raised in terms of the technology incorporated in the hardware and software.

This shift in focus matched what we were also seeing happening in the market.  According to a Market Analysis Report of Grand View Research, published in May 2021, “the industrial printer segment led the market and accounted for more than 76% share of the global revenue in 2020.”

This market evolution was also a defining factor in the focus for FELIXprinters.

Way of working

A number of industrial clients have approached FELIXprinters with business challenges that require a customized 3D printing solution.  Practically this means printing with:

• New material types, like food, chocolate, high temperature exotic filaments and bio materials.
• A series of printers with the ability to print and produce 24/7 without human intervention.
• Specialized print-head formats such as multiple extruders.

Some of the highlight of our customization projects:

A delicious project

3D printing delivers on the need to mass-produce chocolate in new an intricate forms that can only be created with the use of a 3D printer. This was a challenge in which we worked with multiple providers to optimize the supply, temperature, packaging and food safety. With this project we got to showcase our leadership in product design an automation, and we couldn’t be prouder in serving this client.

Mass personalization

Mass personalization was an academic term ten to twenty years ago, but today, 3D printing is also making this a reality.  We engineered a large series of industrial 3D printers that print individualized consumer designed products.  Orders are received from clients who specify exactly what they want printed and with the use of exotic filament that require very high temperatures to ensure durability and strength, each unique product is delivered, 24/7.

Customizable 3D BIOprinting

Bioprinting is a platform that is allowing scientists and research to explore the possibilities within their field and the 3D environment imitates the conditions under which cells move and live.  The FELIX BIOprinter was launched in partnership with a consortium of universities and scientists and has been adopted by visionaries with the aim to help you to find answers to questions about what is limiting us as humans to live optimal, healthy lives.

The future

What does the future hold for FELIXprinters and for the Additive Manufacturing industry?

According to co-founder Wilgo Feliksdal, the adoption of 3D printing is becoming the norm for more and more industries with the goal of faster production, personalised output and decreased costs. There is still work to be done to bring the possibilities of 3D printing to the fore for various industries.  Creatively tackling this problem by inspiring others with the possibilities and benefits of 3D printing is a tool in overcoming this obstacle, and making 3D printing a still more obvious choice for innovators today and in the future.

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Biofabrication is the use of additive manufacturing or 3D printing technologies for the (re)generation of biological tissues. This scientific field has the potential to revolutionize modern healthcare. However, to reach the life-saving breakthroughs in this very promising field it is very important that researchers, clinicians and the industry have access to the right tools for this endeavour. Therefore, XPECT INX, a spin-off project from Ghent University focuses on the development of innovative new materials for bioprinting. The team at Xpect Inx say: “We believe that the field of bioprinting or biofabrication is in need of reliable innovative materials or ‘bioinks’. Unfortunately, as with a lot of new research fields, there are a lot of innovations happening in academic circles which never bridge the gap to the real world. Therefore, by launching XPECT INX, we aim to capitalize on the years of academic research to bring these innovations to the market. These decades of academic expertise enabled us to develop high quality bio-inks and biomaterials.”

The FELIX BIOprinter offers a reliable platform for BIOprinting, and now, we are proud to announce this new collaboration with XPECT INX.  This means a full system approach to BIOprinting with a range of materials for all research and medical needs.

XPECT INX continues: “By tailoring our high quality XPECT INX bioinks for the FELIXbioprinter, we believe that this collaboration has the potential to expand the sum of parts. Via constant mutual developments, we believe that this collaboration reaches far greater than the sum of parts. We believe that this agreement can help to consolidate the first steps towards the future of healthcare.

XPECT INX is available for sale on the FELIXprinters webshop.

For more information about XPECT-INX, visit: www.xpect-inx.com

Contact either the FELIXprinters team at info@felixprinters .com or the XPECT INX team directly at info@xpect-inx.com

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The global 3D bioprinting market — currently valued at $965 million — is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 20% up to the mid 2020s, driven by increased healthcare demands, but also to overcome the supply bottlenecks and ethical issues associated with organ donation and tissue repair. Bioprinting also caters for the increased demand for customized patient-specific healthcare solutions, a trend that is only likely to accelerate moving forward.

FELIXprinters has established itself as a key player in the supply of mid-priced highly accurate industrial additive manufacturing (AM) machines, and has been independently assessed as the only credible rival to Ultimaker in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness in industrial AM*. The company’s reputation is built upon the Pro 3, Pro L, and Pro XL platforms, which are used throughout an array of industry sectors for challenging AM production applications.

The FELIX BIOprinter has been developed on the chassis of the established FELIXprinters product line, meaning that at its heart is the tried and tested technology that has already been serving manufacturers for years. The printer is characterized by key features that are specifically designed for medical, scientific, and research applications, including syringe cooling, print bed cooling and heating, a dual head system, easy syringe positioning (ergonomic access to the machine supports researchers in their work), and automatic bed levelling.

Wilgo Feliksdal, Co-Founder of FELIXprinters says, “The BIOprinter has been designed to be the ultimate bio research instrument in a cost-effective package. It has been developed alongside the brightest minds in the bioprinting sector, and we partnered with training4crm and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme to develop the BIOprinter. Uniquely, the BIOprinter combines dual sterilizable printheads which have a modular design for easy changeovers, and separate heads are available to print different bio-inks at the same time. This integrates different material properties into a single scaffold structure.”

The BIOprinter has automatic bed levelling through the use of a unique probing systems which results in a perfect first layer, which means a quality end result. The BIOprinter also retracts with a highly precise motor for better dosage or materials and more accurate material flow versus alternative air pressure systems.

Feliksdal continues, “The BIOprinter consists of an adaptable and flexible ecosystem to ensure that it can meet a wide range of researchers’ needs without generating unnecessary costs. One major advantage is the source control system which enables the user to use standard slicing software and make changes themselves if needed. Also, syringes are not restricted to expensive brand-specific or in-house produced products that essentially drive up operating costs. The machine instead has been designed to use a standard 5ml syringe, and standardized petri dishes and culture plates, so there are no limitations on auxiliary parts and materials.

Users of the BIOprinter benefit from the fact that print heads are easy to sterilize, which eliminates the likelihood of contamination. The BIOprinter is hand-made in the Netherlands, and has undergone testing for 24 hours before being issued with CE certification. The machine is WIFI and LAN enabled, comes with a one-year warranty, and lifetime customer support.

The FELIX BIO is appropriate for all types of bio-printing research, and is equipped with strong motors that can extrude a range of different viscosity of materials. In addition, the BIOprinter has been designed to be easily upgradeable, which means that the lifecycle of the machine can be extended without compromising quality, reliability, and productivity.

* Toon Meynen, Trideus, Belgium, 2019.

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FELIXprinters had working examples of its range of industrially-oriented additive manufacturing (AM) platforms, and reinforced its position as perhaps the key supplier of industry’s most affordable, accurate, repeatable, easy-to-use, and upgradeable AM platforms.

Front and centre on the booth at Formnext were the company’s Pro L and Pro XL larger build envelope machines which were independently reviewed in 2019 as being the only commercially available AM platforms that can rival the industry-standard Ultimaker machines. The machines were both working at the show, and visitors were shown an impressive array of complex industrial builds for which the FELIX technology platforms are ideally suited.

The Pro L and Pro XL machines are respected throughout industry due to their strength, robustness, and quality of build, and today can be seen to out-perform alternatives in all important areas and for an array of exacting industrial applications. FELIXprinters’ AM platforms are synonymous with exceptional quality, and all shipped platforms are subject to a stringent 24-hour quality test before delivery to its customers.

A real show-stopper at Formnext, however, was the newly introduced FELIX BIO platform that was for the first time available for pre-order for shipping at the beginning of 2020.

Co-owner Wilgo Feliksdal says, “The FELIX BIO printer is based on the same chassis as the whole FELIXprinters product line, and is characterized by key features that are specifically designed for medical, scientific, and research applications, including syringe cooling, print bed cooling and heating, a dual head system, easy syringe positioning (ergonomic access to the machine supports researchers in their work), and automatic bed levelling.”

At the heart of the FELIX BIO is the source control system which enables the user to use standard slicing software and make changes themselves if needed. Syringes are not restricted to expensive brand-specific or in-house produced products that essentially drive up operating costs. The machine instead has been designed to use a standard 5ml syringe, and standardized petri dishes and culture plates, so there are no limitations on auxiliary parts and materials.

The FELIX BIO has some unique characteristics which include retraction capability, impossible on alternative air pressure systems. This is vital for optimized dosage of materials and accurate material flow. The FELIX BIO is also designed so that the print heads are easily sterilizable, and they are also modular units that can be changed easily. In addition, the FELIX BIO has a unique probing system which results in a perfect first layer the foundation of precise and accurate printing results.

Guillaume Feliksdal, co-owner sums up by saying, “Being present at events such as Formnext is vital for us. Not only does it provide us with an obvious opportunity to demonstrate our machines and prove their accuracy and robustness in industrial applications, but it also means we can discuss specific applications with our customers. This is central to everything that we do at FELIX. We do not sell AM boxes, we sell AM solutions, and central to everything that we do is to supply solutions that are ideally suited to customer requirements. As such, we are unique in the lower cost high accuracy area of 3D printing in offering truly customized solutions. This plays to the disquiet that everyone understands that many vendors are purely motivated by hitting sales targets rather than providing optimized customer solutions.”

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FELIXprinters (Booth A66, Hall 12.1) has ironed out a niche for itself as the provider of industry’s most affordable, accurate, repeatable, easy-to-use, and upgradeble AM platforms, and comes to this year’s Formnext with a lot to show and a lot to discuss with attendees.

Building on its recent success at the TCT Exhibition in October, the FELIX booth continues the theme of “Going Dutch”, which will be obvious to visitors as they will see a moving windmill, mini-clogs, and iconic coloured tulips all created in FELIXprinter’s machines. The company is extremely proud of its Dutch heritage, and underpinning every platform that it sells is the fact that it is hand-made in Holland, and exemplifies the characteristic quality of Dutch engineering in general.

Guillaume Feliksdal, co-founder of FELIX says, “While we are having a bit of fun with the ‘Going Dutch’ theme, visitors to our booth will see that our machines are serious industrially focussed AM solutions, and there will be a number of parts on display that show how well adapted our technologies are to complex industrial applications. Everything about FELIX rotates around quality, and we have strict quality controls in house that ensure that once a printer is delivered it works perfectly from the get go. For example, each machine passes a stringent 24 hour quality test at our HQ before it is boxed and released, and we pride ourselves on the fact that all our platforms out perfiom any similarly priced alternatives in terms of robustness, accuracy and repeatability, all of this down to our absolute focus on quality”.

FELIXprinters has an impressive array of AM platforms, and front and centre at Formnext will be the Pro L and Pro XL larger build envelope machines that have been making quite a stir in recent months, and which have been independently reviewed as being the only commercially available AM platforms that can rival the industry-standard Ultimaker machines.

Co-founder Wilgo Feliksdal continues, “We will have a Pro XL working on the booth, so visitors will be able to see the superior nature of the machine, and the impressively sized 144 litre build space. The Pro L and XL machines are extremely versatile, appropriate for numerous industrial end-use applications, and they are synonymous with strength, robustness, and quality of build. We feel that once manufacturers see this machine in action they will be re-assured that against any alternative, the Pro L and XL measure up extremely well, and out-perform any alternatives in all important areas.”

Also on the booth, FELIXprinters will be showcasing the soon to be released FELIX BIO printer. For the first time at Formnext it will be available for pre-order, with a 1-2 month lead time for delivery, and will be available from stock from the beginning of 2020.

The FELIX BIO printer has been developed on the chassis of the established FELIXprinters product line, meaning that at its heart is the tried and tested technology that has already been serving manufacturers for years. The printer is characterized by key features that are specifically designed for medical, scientific, and research applications, including syringe cooling, print bed cooling and heating, a dual head system, easy syringe positioning (ergonomic access to the machine supports researchers in their work), and automatic bed levelling. The BIO printer has already been used at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) to print optical waveguides to trigger optogenetically modified dopaminergic neural stem cells.

Guillaume Feliksdal says, “The printer has a flexible, adaptable ecosystem that will meet the wide range of researchers’ needs. One major advantage is the source control system which enables the user to use standard slicing software and make changes themselves if needed. Syringes are not restricted to expensive brand-specific or in-house produced products that essentially drive up operating costs. The machine instead has been designed to use a standard 5ml syringe, and standardized petri dishes and culture plates, so there are no limitations on auxillary parts and materials.”

The FELIX BIO has retraction capability, which is not possible with alternative air pressure systems, even when it is required to control liquid flow. The FELIX BIO can retract with a highly precise motor, which also allows for better dosage of materials and more accurate material flow.

Wilgo Feliksdal continues, “We have followed strict sterilization protocols when designing the FELIX BIO, and users will benefit from the fact that print heads are easy to sterilize, which eliminates the likelihood of contamination. Print heads are also modular units that can be easily changed, and separate heads are available as accessories for quick change over to different materials. The FELIX BIO also has a unique probing system, which results in a perfect first layer, which in turn leads to accurate printing results. The bed levelling system is not dependent on which nozzle is used because the probing is done with the nozzle being used actually against the print surface.

The FELIX BIO is appropriate for all types of bio-printing research, and is equipped with strong motors that can extrude a range of different viscosity of materials. It will be showcased alongside the company’s Tec 4, Pro 3 Touch, and Pro L and XL machines at Formnext.

Why not visit the FELIXprinters booth, and discuss with our expert team the ways in which the company works with its customers to ensure best-fit solutions for specific industrial applications.

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Arch Graphic is a 3D printing service company based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2010, the company specializes in 3D printing architectural modelsand models for interior design, but has evolved over the last decade to offer its clients a full range of prototype and small volume production services. The foundation of the company’s service offering is based on high quality models provided at competitive prices.

To enable this core company principle of high quality with accessible prices, Arch Graphichas partnered with FELIXprinters as its key 3D printing technology supplier since 2015, when the company invested in the FELIX Pro 1 system. The quality and reliability of the machine quickly became apparent and the company has continued to build its 3D printer capacity based on FELIX Pro systems.

3DP & Architecture

Architects have long used physical 3D scale models of their building designs to visually convey their vision. However, traditional scale models were often painstakingly built by hand, using fragile materials, such as paper and cardboard, that were barely fit for purpose, particularly in humid weather conditions such as those in the UAE region. It is not surprising, then, that the advent of 3D printing found a natural home within the architectural sector or that the demand for Arch Graphic’s services in the UAE was high. Architectural models and 3D printing are a natural fit.

Indeed, this is an application area that evolved quickly, particularly as the technology matured, for producing stronger and more accurate demonstration models of an architect’s vision. In this regard, 3D printing offers a relatively fast, easy and economically viable method of producing detailed models directly from 3D CAD, BIM or other digital data that architects use. Many successful architectural firms, now commonly use 3D printing as a critical part of their workflow for increased innovation and improved communication. This latter point is a particularly critical factor for Arch Graphic as architectural design models help communicate ideas to clients, planners and stakeholders more widely.

Since its inception, the goal of Arch Graphic has been to grow its Architectural Practice by providing its clients with stunning 3D printed visual models, custom designed components, with the ability to offer fast design iterations as required. To this end, the company has successfully built its 3D Print Hub in UAE supplying clients with architectural models that not only reduce the overall process time compared with handmade models, but also offer a precise finish and superior quality, with options for safe lighting systems that can avoid heating.

Arch Graphic also offers a comprehensive model making service for interior designers, making it a one-stop-service. Here too, the benefits of 3D printing can be maximized in reducing the time and expense of producing 3D models that often require highly delicate details.

Arch Graphic has continued to build its brand through the talent and vision of its leadership, including distinguished architects Alaa Younis and Rula Kaddoura, who have worked at the state level producing superior performance 3D printed architectural scaled models for a range of prestigious projects.

Arch Graphic & FELIXprinters

In 2015 Arch Graphic was searching for a distinctive 3D printer that would meet its demanding requirements as the company continued to grow in size and reputation across the UAE. Its introduction to FELIXprinters at this time proved to be the beginning of an ongoing partnership that has been mutually beneficial. According to Alaa Younis: “The investment into the first, wonderful Felix Pro 1 was a revelation. It was exactly what we needed. Working with Wilgo [Feliksdal], who worked closely with us through installation and growth, was also a key reason for us selecting FELIXprinters as a technology partner. The introduction of the FELIX Pro systems have certainly contributed to Arch Graphic becoming distinguished in the creation of architectural models produced by 3D printing in the United Arab Emirates and the GCC as well. We have completed many 3D printed projects at the local and regional level using our Pro Series 3D printers from FELIX.”

One of the earlier 3D printing projects that Arch Graphic undertook on its FELIX Pro 3D printers at this level was the first scaled model of a new mosque that was to be built in the UAE, which was designed by the Arch Graphic team. The FELIX printers were essential to this model, in terms of the precise details involved and the quality output. The project also involved some manual assembly of the 3D printed parts — a total of 755 individual  pieces were printed and assembled to produce the completed model with overall dimensions of 85 x 85 X 75 cm.

Younis states that: “The accuracy and precision of the FELIX 3D printers ensured that we were able to assemble the parts of the model easily and without errors to get the end result painlessly. At first we were surprised, but quickly appreciated the capabilities of the system we were using, and the model was a huge success whereby we received many positive responses from government authorities and non-governmental companies in the UAE as a result. It’s also why we invested in more FELIX 3D printers.”

The individual pieces were produced in different colours of PLA material, to reflect the full intent of the original digital design that proposed a building that provides harmony with the surrounding area and is harmonious with that natural environment of the UAE. As such the building design, as illustrated perfectly by the physical model, is symmetrical in nature. This is all the more impressive, considering that Younis and his team printed all of the parts, utilizing just under 6 Kg of material, without the need for supports, thereby minimizing any post processing steps and wasted material. The project was completed in two weeks.

Working in Partnership

Over the last five years, FELIXprinters has become a critically important partner for Arch Graphic. Younis explains: “The FELIX team provide us with ongoing technical assistance — both directly concerning the hardware with rapid and exceptional support and also for application development to enable us to maximize the potential of the 3D printers. This was a kind of strong friendship and a strong partnership between Arch Graphic and Felix.”

He continued:“I believe our choice of FELIXprinters has been the main reason for our success with 3D printing scale architectural models and why we have been able to offer excellence to our many clients in the local market. The capabilities of the FELIX Pro systems and are partnership with the FELIX team keeps us at the forefront in our sector and region.”

Expansion & Growth

Having quickly realized the benefits that the Pro 1 offered the business in terms of the high quality, reliable and cost-effective prints, Arch Graphic rapidly added another FELIX Pro system to the company’s portfolio. Continually evolving and adding new capabilities, today Arch Graphic is distinct through its ‘unconventional’ stereoscopic service, which combines 3D printing highly detailed models, with hand finishing skills to create miniature buildings. At the other end of the scale Arch Graphic is able to produce large scale models in new ways, combining many parts into one and incorporating highly complex internal structures.

Today, the 3D printing services offered by Arch Graphic and powered by FELIX Pro 3D printing systems, is, according to Younis: “the main engine of our work.” The company’s profile and number of projects is expanding week on week, to keep pace with the urban development in the United Arab Emirates. This is also supported by the recognition of the importance of the technical field of 3D printing by the Government of Dubai.

Arch Graphic is determined to keep building on its reputation and develop new projects in the short and long term across the UAE, and fundamental to this is the continued strong partnership with FELIXprinters.

The post ARCH GRAPHIC Partnership with FELIXprinters Drives 3D Printing Applications in UAE Region appeared first on FELIXprinters.

FELIXprinters is today recognised as a prominent AM platform developer, and is finding significant elbow room in the sector as its reputation for affordable high quality AM solutions becomes more and more widely accepted across all relevant industry sectors.

Guillaume Feliksdal, Co-Founder at FELIXprinters says, “Formnext in our eyes is by far the most influential show for industrial users of AM for production applications. As such we are excited to attend this year, prominent on our booth being the larger build envelope machines, the Pro L and XL, specifically designed for exacting industrial production projects. We are also profiling our move into the bio printing arena at Formnext, which is based on years of R&D that has now yielded a commercially viable AM technology — the FELIX BIO 3D printer. And finally, we are looking forward to Formnext as a place where we can showcase our ability to tailor-make AM platforms for specific customer demands. As a company, we are unique in the way that we work with our customers, with the ability to custom build AM platforms that are application-specific to ensure optimum output and results for manufacturers that come from an array of industry sectors.”

The FELIX Pro L and XL machines will dominate the FELIXprinters booth at Formnext, due to their scale. They have been developed with greatly increased build volumes over the existing family of Pro machines. The Pro L can build parts up to 300 x 400 x 400 mm or 11.8” x 15.75” x 15.75”, while the Pro XL has a build chamber of600 x 400 x 600 mm or 23.62″ x 15.75″ x 23.62″. To ensure the quality and reliability upon which FELIXprinters has built its reputation, both of these larger systems incorporate highly engineered print chambers, which incorporate an enclosed warm zone and a cold zone. The warm zone supports consistent temperature control during the build, which is particularly important when printing materials with a high shrinkage factor, such as ABS, carbon fiber or Nylon. In contrast, the cool zone is where the electronics are housed, to prevent overheating and subsequent machine/build failure.

Wilgo Feliksdal, Co-Founder at FELIXprinters continued: “The new Pro L and XL systems come with our specific engineering expertise built in to them, as demanded by our customers. This includes a range of automated and intelligent features that remove many of the tedious and time-consuming hurdles often associated with additive manufacturing and speeding up the overall process. For example, the design of the dual nozzle. When the dual extruders are printing together they are at different print levels, avoiding any collisions and minimizing print failure. Then, if one nozzle is idle, it is automatically rotated out of the way so that there is no interference with the printed part. This avoids damage to the part being printed, and hugely reduces (if not negates) print failure, which is one of the most frustrating issues 3D printer users tell us they face.”

“We are extremely proud of the quality of all our AM machines, and were delighted when our technology was independently assessed recently, and received some amazing results. The test was conducted by Belgian-based company Trideus, which concluded that our Pro XL machine was the first large volume printer that delivers the same quality and detail as Ultimaker. Trideus reported that this was the first time that they had tested a machine of this size that achieved that. As you can imagine, this sort of feedback is extremely gratifying, and places us in a great position to attract serious commercial specifiers at Formnext.”

FELIXprinters is really keen to work with interested parties in a unique way at Formnext. Attendees are invited to bring details of specific applications to the booth that FELIX’s team of on-site experts can discuss to advise of the FELIX AM platform that will best fit specific requirements, or discuss customized soltions.

Guillaume Feliksdal continues, “By asking companies to challenge us with specific applications, we not only position ourselves as being able to accommodate a large and diverse range of production applications, but also promote the relationship that we insist on with our customers. When it comes to the use of AM as a manufacturing and production technology, we see ourselves as a strategic partner, here to guide, and ensure the best fit and most economical use of AM for specific customer needs. We do not just sell machines off the shelf and leave buyers to figure out the rest for themselves. We ensure a level of pre- and post-sales engagement that gives companies that work with us the confidence that they are getting the best return for their investment. In addition, our machines are all upgradeable, which means that platforms grow with the needs each company has over time, without the costly necessity to buy new machines.”

Come to see FELIXprinters at Formnext, and discover the numerous AM options that are available at the sweet spot between value and quality.

The post Formnext — Important Platform for FELIXprinters appeared first on FELIXprinters.