3D printing service massachusetts

FAQ's

How much does your 3D printing service cost?

The cost of your 3D printed parts depends on factors such as part volume, part complexity, choice of material, which 3D printing technology is used, and if any post processing is required. For more details on these cost factors, see our article on the cost of 3d printing. To check the cost of your 3D printed part, simply upload a CAD (.STL) file and select your material and 3D printing technology to receive a quote within seconds.

How do you guarantee the quality of my prints?

Your parts are made by experienced 3D printing shops within our network. All facilities are regularly audited to ensure they consistently meet the Hubs quality standard. We include a standardized inspection report with every order and offer a First Article Inspection service on orders of 100+ units.

We have partners in our network with the following certifications, available on request: ISO9001, ISO13485 and AS9100.
Follow this link to read more about our quality assurance measures.

How do I select the right 3D printing process for my prints?

You can select the right 3D printing process by examining which materials suit your need and what your use case is.

By material: if you already know which material you would like to use, selecting a 3D printing process is relatively easy, as many materials are technology specific.
By use case: once you know whether you need a functional or visual part, choosing a process is easy.

For more help, read our guide to selecting the right 3D printing process. Find out more about Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Stereolithography (SLA).

How can I reduce the cost of my 3D prints?

In order to reduce the cost of your 3D prints you need to understand the impact certain factors have on cost. The main cost influencing factors are the material type, individual part volume, printing technology and post-processing requirements.

Once these have been decided, an easy way to further cut costs is to reduce the amount of material used. This can be done by decreasing the size of your model, hollowing it out, and eliminating the need for support structures.

To learn more, read our full guide on how to reduce the cost of 3D printing.

Where can I learn more about 3D printing?

Our knowledge base is full of in-depth design guidelines, explanations on process and surface finishes, and information on how to create and use CAD files. Our 3D printing content has been written by an expert team of engineers and technicians over the years.

See our complete engineering guide to 3D printing for a full breakdown of the different 3D printing technologies and materials. If you want even more 3D printing, then check out our acclaimed 3D printing handbook here.

We have an extensive range of online resources developed to help engineers improve their capabilities.

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New horizons in 3D printing with 3DVIA by Dassault Systèmes and Sculpteo

CONCORD, Massachusetts and VALEEZY VILLACOUBLE, France, June 27, 2011 – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (EuronPAext Paris: #13065, DSY. ) , the world leader in 3D design software and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), announced that more than 260,000 users of the 3DVIA.com community can now use the Sculpteo web service to print 3DVIA-created 3D models. This collaboration takes the physical production of 3D design objects to a new level, making it available to a wide range of users at an affordable price.

3D printing has previously been used for rapid prototyping. This production solution is now available to everyone, thanks to an easy-to-use online service developed by Sculpteo for 3DVIA. The user just needs to click on the "Send to Sculpteo 3D Print" button on the page for viewing his model in 3DVIA, specify the print size, select black and white or color mode. The final print version is sent directly to users' mailboxes. During online printing, the 3D model is automatically analyzed to ensure the best possible result. Digital refurbishment and optimization is just one of the possibilities offered by the partnership between Dassault Systèmes and Sculpteo.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer the 3DVIA community Sculpteo technology, a new and seamless solution for converting files into real objects,” says Clement Moreau, CEO and co-founder of Sculpteo.com. "This new alliance contributes to the inevitable democratization of 3D."

3DVIA.com is one of the premier 3D communities on the internet. It is an open platform that supports most 3D files, including CAD and other standard formats (OBJ, DAE, 3DXML, STEP and IGES), and allows community members to print almost any of their creations with the click of a button.

Members of the 3DVIA.com community, including designers, companies and students, have a long history of producing 3D content with Dassault Systèmes solutions. Users place their 3D models in virtual showrooms with 3DVIA Scenes and bring them to life with 3DVIA Studio.

The 3DVIA Platform is easily compatible with other Dassault Systèmes solutions such as CATIA and SolidWorks, which already include the Publish to 3DVIA feature (starting with CATIA V6 and SolidWorks 2009). This makes the 3D printing process even easier.

“We provide a very useful service to our creative community,” says Lynn Wilson, CEO of 3DVIA, Dassault Systèmes. “Members of the 3DVIA community will be able to literally bring their ideas to life, connecting the virtual world with the real one, thanks to the ability to print based on a virtual 3D model.”

For more information on how to use the Sculpteo service, visit www.3dvia.com

Military 3D printers - big overview

Overview: Military 3D printers.

Source: https://all3dp.com/

The military industry has always been at the cutting edge of progress: many inventions either began their life as military or dual-use products, or, in the very first years after their appearance, were involved in this area . In this age of digital technology, this fate has not escaped 3D printing.

3D printers are actively used by military contractors and direct employees of all branches of the military.
In this article, we will talk about the use of 3D printing in the military-industrial complex of different countries of the world: from providing military equipment with spare parts, to operational printing of drones and buildings at any location.

In Russia,

JSC "Federal Research and Production Center "Titan-Barricades", which develops missile systems and military vehicles, has bought and uses in prototyping a kit based on the XJRP SPS450B 3D printer. The kit consists of two devices: directly a 3D printer with a large print area, working on SLA technology, and a polymer curing chamber.

The 3D printer is planned to be used to create miniatures of future parts, cases or mechanism assemblies. The first product made on this 3D printer was a prototype wheel with a tread.

Ilyushin specialists plan to produce some simple parts for the Il-112V military transport aircraft using 3D printing.

Together with specialists from the Voronezh Aircraft Plant (VASO), PJSC Il specialists use 3D-printed parts as test samples, which will be replaced with originals made by the classical method before departure. But in the future, it is planned to master the printing of simple components that will be installed on mass-produced aircraft.

Pavel Chernikov, First Deputy Director General of PJSC Il, said: “The IL-112V is being created from scratch, and many parts and components need to be improved during installation on the aircraft. We started using a 3D printer to see how right or wrong our calculations were. Such technologies make it possible not to interrupt the finalization of finished products, which, in turn, significantly reduces the installation time of equipment and reduces the cost of the production process. ”

Research and Production Corporation "Uralvagonzavod" named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky purchased a 3D printer S-Max manufactured by ExOne.

This printer is designed for making sand molds. Molds are used for casting metal blanks. As the deputy chief metallurgist of NPK Uralvagonzavod said: “We will no longer have to manufacture expensive foundry equipment for experimental, new products and complex castings of small series. It will be enough for a designer to develop a 3D model of the required casting, according to which, also in 3D, the mold is made. The finished cores will go to the foundry. In addition, they can be transported to solve the problems of the corporation over any distance."

A sand mold produced by the S-Max 3D printer, used for casting metal blanks.
Source: http://3dtoday.ru/

This is not the first professional 3D printing system that Uralvagonzavod uses. In 2015, the company purchased a Fortus 400mc 3D printer manufactured by Stratasys Corporation. This printer is used in the production of parts for the T-14 "Armata" tank and other vehicles manufactured by Uralvagonzavod.

Representatives of the enterprise note that the introduction of 3D printing saves time and production resources. It is not required to spend forces on turning metal samples. If a part doesn't fit, it's easier to reprint it than remake it.

The Russian Helicopters holding, according to its CEO Andrey Boginsky, plans to 3D print about a hundred parts for rotorcraft by 2020.

Andrey Boginsky.
Source: © Yuri Smityuk/TASS

In 2018-2019, it is planned to conduct a series of bench tests in order to obtain all the necessary certificates for printed parts by mid-2020. In total, it is planned to test about a hundred parts and assemblies.

Compared to traditional parts, 3D-printed parts are lighter and their production will be deployed at the Kazan Helicopter Plant. As a result of the use of parts obtained by 3D printing, the holding plans to reduce the cost of products.

In the world

The road of army 3D printing is not paved with roses. When we hear about cool 3D printed military projects, we have to consider some of the challenges that come with doing them.

Quality certification problem. Many things that the army is supposed to produce using 3D printing are designed for harsh operating conditions, they are subject to high requirements for compliance with dimensions, geometry and quality, and an unsuccessfully printed part can lead not only to monetary losses, but also to the death of soldiers . This issue will most likely be resolved by certification of the 3D printers themselves.

Insufficient printing speed for the army. Even the most expensive 3D printer is not fast enough. There are also issues of privacy/security, copyright, and many other little things that are not obvious at first glance.

While these issues are being addressed, the US Department of the Navy decided to host a 3D printing hackathon. 12 organizations were invited to participate, which showed their developments in the field of 3D printing for the Navy. According to the participants, fully or partially printed inventions: “Allow to improve the ability to maintain combat readiness.”

One of the new and memorable developments was the four-legged transporter robot (MeRlin). It turned out to be quite compact and can run, jump and walk up and down stairs. Three-dimensional printing made it possible to create, right in the supporting frame of the robot, a hydraulic manifold that serves to transfer energy to the robot drives. Those interested in robotics will find Merlin similar to the transport robots of Boston Dynamics.

Aviation

A 3D-printed drone was launched from one of the British Royal Navy ships at sea, HMS Mersey. The device was created in collaboration with the University of Southampton.

Body made of nylon, laser sintered. With a wingspan of one and a half meters, the drone weighs only three kilograms. The main task of this project was to create a small drone for exploring the surroundings, which can be quickly printed on board the ship.

The drone, named SULSA, was equipped with a small video camera. Management was carried out by researchers from Southampton using video cameras. The flight, with a range of 500 meters, lasted only a few minutes, but proved that 3D printed drones could be launched from the sea.

3D printing solves the problem of ship capacity by allowing equipment to be printed at sea as needed. The only thing you need to have on board to print a drone is a 3D printer and a supply of nylon, which is disproportionately cheaper than a case made using traditional technologies, and takes up much less space.

The only drawback is the print speed, but it is expected to improve in the near future. Engineers from the American Army Research Laboratory (ARL) are trying to fight this shortcoming. They are developing drones that can be made within a day. Engineers are building drones that can be used to assist soldiers in communication, delivery, and aerial surveillance.

Drones are made using off-the-shelf motors and propellers, but their body is almost entirely 3D printed. The maximum speed of the drone is 55 miles per hour. Drones can either be controlled by the operator from the remote control or operate in a completely autonomous mode. Work continues to reduce noise and increase flight range, maneuverability and payload.

The US Army is partnering with the Marine Corps to develop an unmanned vehicle parts catalog that can be downloaded to an employee's tablet. The software of this catalog allows you to order or 3D print a product directly from it.

In addition to experiments with drones, 3D printing is also used in “big” aviation.

For example, the US Air Force has announced that it will 3D print toilet seats for military transport aircraft. The announcement comes after a scandal erupted when it was reported that each toilet seat cost the Air Force $10,000 to replace.

The public, which already believed that the government did not always save on military spending, was extremely outraged. After an investigation initiated by one of the senators, the military department announced that it would print toilet seats on 3D printers.

Why is the toilet lid so expensive? These covers were mass-produced by Lockheed Martin, and in 2001 this giant of the military industry stopped their production. In addition, the military department explained that the C-5 toilet seat is not only a cover, but also part of the lavatory wall, which is designed to protect the body of the aircraft from corrosion that can be caused by urine.

According to the manufacturer, its high cost is due to the need to suspend the production of other goods. In the case of independent production of the Air Force, the spare part will cost only $300.

The manufacturer now claims that the US Air Force does not own the copyright to this cap. It is not known how this lawsuit will end, but the Air Force says that they will no longer buy this spare part, because they can make it themselves much cheaper.

As stated by the department: “The use of 3D printing allows us to create parts that are no longer being produced, resulting in significant cost savings.”

Another example of 3D printing was demonstrated by the Maryland Marines. Using 3D modeling and 3D printing, they made a $70,000 F-35 fighter jet part for just 9 cents. The Marines were assisted by Sam Pratt, a mechanical engineer in the design office of the Carderock Additive Technology Factory.

Sam revealed that he was with a support platoon in South Korea teaching CLB-31 Marines how to design 3D models and how to use 3D printing. His main task was to test the performance of 3D printers on marine vessels. He also taught employees how to use Solidworks CAD.

When there was a problem printing a part needed to repair an F-35, a Marine officer offered to team up to cooperate. It turned out that the employees had already developed this part, but could not find the right dimensions. The fact is that they used a hobby-grade 3D printer and the free 3D editor Blender - Blender is ideal for implementing art projects, but it is difficult to create engineering products in it.

American Marine at the 3D printer.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Pratt helped with modeling and printing issues, the part was printed in PET-G.

Currently there are about 90 parts for ground vehicles that are approved for 3D printing in the military, you can download one of these parts and print it.

Large manufacturers are also moving forward and mastering 3D printing technologies. Thus, the giant of the aviation and military industry Lockheed Martin is actively investing in 3D printing.

Lockheed Martin uses 3D printing in its manufacturing processes, with over a hundred 3D printers in its arsenal for prototyping, tooling and printing finished products.

There are several reasons why Lockheed Martin uses 3D printing:

• Reducing the time of production of products - up to 80%;
• Reducing the weight of parts - up to 40%;
• Proven reliability of parts in difficult conditions;
• The most important thing is the possibility of an additional increase in production in the near future.

For example, it takes 18 to 20 months to manufacture fuel tanks for spacecraft using traditional technologies. The production of such a tank by 3D printing takes two weeks. In this case, a better uniformity of the structure of the tank elements is achieved. The tanks are manufactured using a Sciaky printer using EBAM (Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing) technology, in which a bar of metal material is heated by an electron beam.

Lockheed Martin 3D printed products have already passed the laboratory testing stage and are in active use. Some of them travel around our solar system: the Jupiter-exploring Juno satellite has eight 3D-printed brackets, and the Orion spacecraft uses printed high-pressure valves.

Fleet

In South Korea, loudspeaker grilles for aircraft carriers are printed on 3D printers. Shipping these gratings from Europe took up to seven months and cost $612 each. The printed part is made in 4-5 hours and costs about $35. Printing parts reduces their cost and production time, and localization of production reduces dependence on foreign supplies, which may be delayed or become unavailable for various reasons.

General Electric has contracted with the US Navy to develop software for rapid 3D printing of spare parts for ships, aircraft and other critical military installations. The contract, worth nine billion dollars, is designed for four years and provides for the creation of technology "digital duplicates" - a complex of software, base models and hardware. This technology will be used both for those spare parts that are no longer manufactured, and for new parts of ships and aircraft.

The project is being implemented in two stages: at the first stage, software and hardware parts will be developed, at the second they will be combined into a complex capable of quickly creating the necessary products using laser metal melting technology (DMLM).

Ammunition and small arms

The US Army designed and 3D printed a fully functional grenade launcher called "R.A.M.B.O". The development of the grenade launcher took about six months. He shoots grenades also made using 3D printing

The grenade launcher consists of 50 parts, all of which, with the exception of springs and hardware, are printed on a 3D printer.

R.A.M.B.O. demonstrated characteristics similar to the M203 underbarrel grenade launcher made in the traditional way.

A US Marine team is 3D printing and testing small explosive containers that can be used on the battlefield.

3D printed container for explosives.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The development of small arms began in the private sector, with the most primitive pistols. On the Internet, you can find drawings of products such as the sensational Liberator. The first 3D printed pistol was printed on a professional Stratasys Dimension SST printer. The gun is chambered for 9 caliber rounds.mm and is charged during assembly.

The very possibility of obtaining weapons using 3D printing so excited the public that the drawings of the "Liberator" were withdrawn from public access, and the United States introduced a ban on 3D-printed weapons.

Solid Concepts has created a replica of the .45 Browning M1911 pistol, the Solid Concepts 1911 DMLS, using selective metal laser sintering. The first sample withstood 50 shots, later ones are capable of firing 600 shots without visible damage.

Recently, the ban on the distribution of 3D printed weapons was lifted by a court decision. So, it is now possible to print weapons in the USA, with some restrictions: they can be no more than 50 mm in caliber and models cannot be freely available. This ban was easily circumvented by Defense Distributed, which posted models of their rifle for sale on one of the online services.

“Our models are not in the public domain because customers pay money for them,” a company spokesman said.

Uniforms and protection

The Vatican decided to use 3D printing technology for the production of traditional Swiss Guard headdresses.

The Swiss Guard is the personal guard of the Pope. From time immemorial, their form was made of metal, but now they have decided to keep up with the times. A 3D printed helmet will be significantly cheaper and, more importantly, lighter.

The helmets are made of PVC and bear the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, who founded the Swiss Guard in 1506.

The US military turned to the creators of the Iron Man costume, a movie character, for help in creating uniforms for the soldier of the future. The military commissioned Legacy Effects to develop and print the prototype components for the TALOS Special Outfit Kit.

TALOS will contain a cooling system to maintain a comfortable temperature in the suit, a tactical display and an integrated exoskeleton.

The studio team will join the large team already working on the project, which includes bioengineers, combat veterans and technologists.

Building

The US Army Research Engineering Team printed a large building in just 21 hours. The area of ​​the building is 47.5 square meters. The barrack-style building is the result of a three-year US Army Construction Engineering Research (ACES) program with a laboratory in Champagne, Illinois.

3D printed barracks.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Such a short construction time means that such temporary structures will become more accessible with the development of 3D printing. These buildings can be used as housing for refugees or temporary housing in case of natural disasters.

The building looks like an ordinary house, but in the future such buildings can be given any look. Such buildings are also more energy efficient than traditional ones - they require less energy for heating and cooling.

ACES cuts the amount of building materials used in half. Reducing the need for labor is 62%, compared with the construction of plywood structures.

Laying concrete mix with a construction 3D printer.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

ACES allows buildings to be printed using local materials.

Self-Sufficiency

A collaboration between the US Army Research Laboratory and the Marine Corps has led to the development of a technology to make 3D printed PET filament from waste plastics such as water bottles.

According to the military, water bottles and plastic packaging are the most common litter on the battlefield. Both US and allied forces produce large amounts of this waste, and the ability to recycle it will reduce the cost of transporting raw materials. The filament obtained from recycled materials, provided that it is properly cleaned and dried, is completely equivalent in tensile strength to its analogue from primary raw materials.

Joint work of employees of the Research Laboratory of the US Army and the Marine Corps.
Source: https://all3dp. com/

A plant is being developed, housed in a standard shipping container, that will allow the production of filament from waste.

The US Army is also developing food printers. Their advantages are obvious:

• the possibility of reducing the cost of food, compared with the traditional delivery of rations from abroad;
• the possibility of compiling an individual menu, in accordance with the preferences of each soldier;
• the possibility of individual balancing of the diet, depending on the dietary needs of each soldier.

The printer, like classic 3D printers, stacks components in layers.

The printer uses the ultrasonic agglomeration method to 3D print small snacks.

Electronics

University of Massachusetts Lowell researchers have developed a new way to 3D print conductive components for radar systems. They have created a new type of ink that allows radars to be made using 3D printing.

The development was sponsored by Raytheon, one of the defense industry companies.

According to the developers: “The use of this technology makes it possible to obtain cheaper and more versatile systems than those obtained by classical methods. This technology has obvious advantages in the military sphere, but it can also be used in civilian industry, for example, in the production of weather stations or unmanned vehicles. The main problem was obtaining ink with desired properties, capable of working with high-frequency radiation.”

The 3D printer is equipped with two heads with different operating principles. One applies the ink by spraying, the second fixes them by microvibration. Radar system components such as a voltage controlled capacitor (varicap), phase shifter (for electronic control of phase array radar systems) and frequency filters can be manufactured using this technology.

The ink material is based on nanoparticles that can be injected into molten plastic and then solidify with it, creating conductive structures.

The US Air Force Research Laboratory teamed up with American Semiconductor to create a silicon-polymer memory chip.

Using 3D printing technology, they have developed a new ultra-flexible chip with built-in sensors.

According to American Semiconductor, the thickness of the silicon wafer is 2000 angstroms. This tiny chip can measure humidity levels, temperature, muscle fatigue, and so on. This makes it ideal for use in new technologies for monitoring the well-being of wounded soldiers or the elderly.

Not only research laboratories, but also industrial giants are engaged in the production of flexible electronics technology.

Apple, Boeing and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology formed an alliance to collaborate with the US Department of Defense in the field of flexible electronics.

The goal of the alliance is to have high quality flexible electronics by 2020.

The Department of Defense plans to provide a consortium called the FlexTech Alliance with $75 million over 5 years and raise $96 million in additional funding.

The consortium includes 96 companies, 11 specialized laboratories, 42 universities and 14 state and regional organizations. The key partners of the consortium are Apple, Boeing, General Electric, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Motorola Mobility, Qualcomm and many others. Partner universities include Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Practical applications will be primarily focused on military targets such as uniforms with vital sign monitors. Pressure sensors can also be installed on vehicles to monitor deformation in key areas.

The civilian application of such microchips will help athletes control body function and improve performance, and people suffering from cardiovascular disease, control and prevent attacks. This technology will allow hospitals to monitor their patients en masse.

Concepts or Looking ahead

British scientists and engineers are working on growing military drones using chemical technology.

Military developers explore all possible and impossible technologies. In this case, they are working on a "chemcomputer". “Chemputer” is a registered trademark of BAE Systems. The technology is being developed by Professor Lee Cronin of the University of Glasgow and is a 3D printing of biomaterial drones and aircraft.

Unlike classic 3D printers, a chemputter performs chemical reactions at the molecular level, creating everything from electronics to wings.

While British scientists are inventing new technologies in printing for the military department, simple makers are creating weapons of the future using ordinary 3D printers.

So, David Wirth created a hand railgun in his workshop.

Possibly inspired by the computer game Quake, he created this weapon using CAD, a 3D printer and an Arduino platform. The railgun can use aluminum or graphite bullets as ammunition, firing them at a speed of 250 m/s. The design is based on six huge capacitors, which, with a total weight of about nine kilograms, store more than 1800 joules of energy for each shot. The railgun also consists of batteries, two parallel contact rails and a pneumatic ammunition supply system.

Conclusion

3D printing technology is increasingly used in the military. The main role in its promotion is played by the need to reduce costs. On-site 3D printing of parts helps to solve the problems of logistics and supply, allowing you to save time and money on delivery, which is important for the army and aviation, and even more so for the navy - it is impossible to foresee ashore and take with you everything that you might need, and delivery boarding at sea is expensive.

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