We’re starting off with materials news in today’s News Briefs, as Fabulous has qualified a food-safe SLS powder for the Formlabs Fuse 1+.Moving on, Embry-Riddle has installed the first Lithoz CeraFab Multi 3D printer in the U.S., and IRPD’s “Made in Switzerland’ additive machine tool has hit the market.Finally, a 3D printed biodegradable fungal battery could pave the road to more sustainable power supplies.
Fabulous Qualifies Food-Safe PA11 Detect Powder for Fuse 1+ French company Fabulous, based in Lyon, is an expert in powder 3D printing materials, and announced that its food-safe PA11 DETECT SLS powder has been successfully qualified for use on the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 3D printer.This is a major milestone for the firm, which is a third-party supplier of polymer materials all over the world and is committed to developing sustainable materials.Its powders are compatible with 95% of SLS 3D printers on the market, including the Fuse 1+.
The bio-sourced PA11 DETECT, which is part of the company’s “Safety and Security” range and ideal for food and pharmaceutical industries, is FDA-approved, and compliant with EU food contact standards (EU 10/2011 – 1935/2004), as opposed to petroleum-based options like PA12.Now that it’s been certified as compatible with the Fuse 1+, this opens up new opportunities for cost-effective, on-demand production, and makes Fabulous the first global supplier of a third-party material qualified for Formlabs’ SLS Open Materials Platform (OMM).Arnault Coulet, the Co-Founder of Fabulous, said, “This achievement is the result of three years of collaboration with Formlabs, paving the way for further material innovations.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Installs First CeraFab Multi in the U.S.
Global ceramic 3D printing leader Lithoz, based in Vienna, has installed its first CeraFab Multi M230 3D printer in the U.S.at the Daytona Beach Campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.The multimaterial machine can combine high-performance ceramics with another ceramic or metal, and is being used to support university research in aerospace and lunar exploration technologies.
The printer is capable of achieving prints with complex geometrical features at scale, and is helping with the development of advanced lunar exploration systems at the university.The campus C.R.A.T.E.R.team used it during NASA’s Human Lander Challenge to develop bio-inspired ceramic patterns—modeled after hydrophobic surfaces like the lotus leaf—that can help mitigate dust adhesion on lunar surfaces.
The CeraFab Multi M230 will also help drive research into functional sensors to support in-situ resource utilization.“The Lithoz CeraFab Multi 2M30 enables our researchers to manufacture ceramics with intricate geometric features across scales with remarkable precision,” said Dr.Seetha Raghavan, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle.
“Its capability to print combinations of ceramics tailored for specific needs is pivotal in accelerating material design.” IRPD’s “Made in Switzerland” Additive Machine Tool Hits the Market The IMPACT 4530 is the first industrial additive machine tool “Made in Switzerland” for the production of metal components.(Image: IRPD) This summer, United Grinding subsidiary and AM machine manufacturer IRPD introduced the IMPACT 4530, which it calls the first industrial additive machine tool “Made in Switzerland.” With a footprint of 450 x 300 mm and a high level of autonomy, the multi-laser system uses metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology, and is also equipped with a thermostabilized machine core and a vacuum-capable process chamber, and opens up new potential for the automotive, aerospace, and medical sectors.It has now officially reached the market, as the system was recently unveiled at a celebratory event held at the Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB).
The SIPBB—a private non-profit organization that supports and conducts industry-related R&D—is part of the national and international network of the “Switzerland Innovation” foundation, and generates research investments, supports startups, promotes Swiss innovation performance, and drives the translation of research results into marketable products, like the IMPACT 4530.Representatives from IRPD, SIPBB, and the United Grinding Group attended the event to acknowledge the importance of the IMPACT 4530, which should send a strong signal for Switzerland as a workplace.“Market analyses had shown that we could fill a gap with the development and construction of the first Swiss additive machine tool.
This was a clear opportunity and motivation enough for the Group,” said Christoph Plüss, CTO of United Grinding Group and a member of the IRPD Board of Directors.Empa’s 3D Printed Biodegradable Fungal Battery The grid-printed electrode contains the fungi that is used in the anode chamber of the battery (Photo: Empa) As part of a three-year research project, researchers from Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory developed a 3D printed biodegradable fungal battery.This living battery could one day supply power to sensors for agricultural purposes, or research in remote regions, and then digest itself from the inside once the work is completed.
It’s not so much a battery as it is a microbial fuel cell, converting nutrients into energy and capturing part of the energy as electricity; until now, these cells have mostly been powered by bacteria.Here, a yeast fungus on the anode side releases electrons, while a white rot fungus on the cathode produces an enzyme that allows the electrons to be captured and conducted out of the cell.The fungi are part of the battery from the beginning: fungal cells are mixed into a cellulose-based ink, which is used to 3D print the battery’s components.
This way, the team can structure the electrodes so the microorganisms can easily access nutrients.These fungal batteries are biodegradable, non-toxic, and can produce enough electricity to power a temperature sensor for several days.“You can store the fungal batteries in a dried state and activate them on location by simply adding water and nutrients,” explained Empa researcher Carolina Reyes, a microbiologist.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
