“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”
– John Lennon, some hippie from an obscure English alt-rock band like a century ago. You’ve probably never heard of him. Not as big as Inconel.
1. TIL: What is a Fatigue Carousel?
Today’s matinee presents a rare machine specially designed to simulate and test the extensive wear of experimental road surfaces. DON’T YOU DARE SCROLL AWAY JUST YET! Hear me out. This is worth your time not just because the tech is quite fascinating but because it hugely relates to a hot topic in our industry: digital twin. Sure, simulation and testing software has been around forever, and yes, virtually everything can be checked via fancy algorithms that follow the word of our Lord and savior to a T – the laws of physics – but remember the “twin” part of that commonly tossed around buzzword? It means there are two! You CANNOT have a “digital” twin without a PHYSICAL baseline. Quod erat demonstrandum, fool. Scientia potentia est. Okay, I’m done with the Latin, promise.
2. Metal 3D Printing Ready for Deployment
I saw this at RAPID + TCT 2022 too! Inside a military-grade enclosure meant to be easily sent to the frontline and deployed, is a fixed nozzle spraying a fine directed mist of additive material with enough kinetic energy to bind onto a build plate and workpiece that can be articulated about multiple axes thanks to an industrial robot arm. You need to see it for yourself!
3. DMCSP
From Cat Ross: “The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103) provides $30 million for this program. This notice announces an opportunity to obtain designation as a ‘Defense Manufacturing Community’ as well as funding under the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program for Fiscal Year 2022. On the basis of submitted proposals, regional consortia will, 1) compete to be designated as a Defense Manufacturing Community; and, 2) on the basis of a Defense Manufacturing Community designation, respond to an invitation to submit a grant application and obtain funding.”
4. Vibration Suppression Software for Additive
Ulendo’s software allows FDM 3D printers to maintain a high printing speed while keeping an impressive level of accuracy. The software’s algorithm compensates for vibrations during printing, avoiding calculable deformation. They got their start spinning out of The University of Michigan, so naturally, they were at RAPID in Detroit.
5. SME + Wi3DP
“With a mission of promoting, supporting, and inspiring women using AM technologies, Wi3DP seeks to foster a more diverse industry. In just seven years, Wi3DP has grown from a simple blog to one of the largest AM communities worldwide, with over 80 chapters in 36 countries.” The new partnership with SME was a brilliant move for both parties. If you find yourself at an industry event longing to connect with a more diverse and progressive crowd, spend some time with the Women in 3D Printing! Hopefully, they open a DC area chapter soon.
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