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NX 7.0 P40 P41 Formlabs Form 1+ P47
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Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
WELCOME
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief
Al Dean
al@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)7525 701 541
Managing Editor
Greg Corke
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+44 (0)20 3355 7312
Consulting Editor
Martyn Day
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+44 (0)7525 701 542
Digital Media Editor
Stephen Holmes
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+44 (0)20 3384 5297
Special Projects Editor
Tanya Weaver
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DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Art Director
Rob Biddulph
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
o quote the Notorious BIG, things done changed. This struck

me while preparing a talk for a small group at one of the UKs
leading SolidWorks VAR, NTCADCAM, recently. What brought
me to this realisation was thinking about how the world of
technology for the professional designer and engineer is
changing.
At one end of the spectrum were on the brink of a shift in
how these tools are delivered, used and implemented. The
need for data to follow the user, the need for tools that are
accessible from whatever device theyre using in whatever location theyre at. And
the need for centralised data and project management.
Then at the other end of the spectrum, were seeing a revolution happen in
the tools available to physically create those products, whether for prototyping
or for end use. Its easy to dismiss it as a fad, but as things progress more, the
desktop machines are evolving at the same time that the industrial, production
ready systems are doing the same. Theres also a shift in how CNC machines are
being sold, pitched and adopted by many that havent been near a 10mm end mill in
years, if at all.
As the year is starting to draw to a close, its this that Im finding fascinating.
Compared to how things used to be, we have more tools, more accessibility than
ever and were nowhere near even started yet.
Bring it on.
Circulation Manager
Alan Cleveland
alan@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7311
ACCOUNTS
Accounts Manager
Charlotte Taibi
charlotte@x3dmedia.com
Financial Controller
Samantha Todescato-Rutland
sam@chalfen.com
Al Dean
Editor-in-Chief, DEVELOP3D Magazine, @alistardean
ABOUT
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X3DMedia cannot accept responsibility
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DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2014 3
p03_D3D_SEPTEMBER_Editor_2.indd 3
5/9/14 21:35:46
MObILE
WIN A
WOrKstAtION
D
EVELOP3D and AEC Magazine have teamed up with FujItsu and

NVIDIA to bring you a competition with prizes of epic proportions.
two lucky winners will take home a powerful FujItsu CELsIus

H730 mobile workstation, powered by NVIDIA Quadro K1100M
graphics. the runner up will receive a FujItsu stylistic M532 ultra-slim
10.1-inch tablet.
to be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is answer a few questions at
tinyurl.com/WinWorkstation
It should only take you a few minutes.
Closing date is 7 November 2014. Winners will be drawn at random and
announced on DEVELOP3D.com and in the December / january 2015 edition of
DEVELOP3D magazine
&
In association with
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p04_05_D3D_SEPT14_CompetitionB.indd 4
Terms and conditions: This competition closes on 7 November 2014 and

is open to individuals over the age of 18. Entry into the competition and
acceptance of the prize constitutes permission of entrants to use their name
inside the magazine. The winners will be selected at random by X3DMedia.
No purchase necessary. Only winners will be contacted personally.
29/8/14 16:53:38
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Simulation software, consultancy,

engineering methodology and training.
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CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE No. 61
NEWS
Autodesk brings NEi NASTRAN into the fold, a flurry of
Intel Haswell workstations, Roland DG unveils its first 3D
printer and an opportunity to design a concept for Ford
Comment
14 Jeremy Pullin on the hiked up raw material costs by 3D
printer manufacturers and its effect on the industry
YOUR DEVELOP3D
16 Tell us what you think. This month: Superiority of mass
produced products and girls jobs vs boys jobs
18
22
28
34
36
FEATURES
Product design showcase: Virtual Reality headsets
COVER STORY Ogle Models + Prototypes
Tom Kurke on distributed digital manufacturing
TCT Show + Personalize 2014
A measuring system supplied by Hexagon Metrology
REVIEWS
41 Lenovo ThinkStation P Series
47 Formlabs Form 1+
52 DEVELOP3D SERVICES
53 DEVELOP3D JOBS
58 THE LAST WORD
Al Dean has been exploring the next generation of 3D
printers and thinks an open market is driving the industry
The wood used to produce this magazine

comes from Forest Stewardship Council
certified well-managed forests, controlled
sources and/or recycled material
p07_D3D_SEPT14_contents.indd 7
5/9/14 21:36:09
NEWS
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT NEWS
NEWS
AUTODESK LAUNCHES NASTRAN PRODUCTS

FOLLOWING NEI SOFTWARE ACQUISITION
Autodesk has been making acquisitions in the simulation space for several years.
Now it is bringing NEi NASTRAN into the fold. Al Dean explores what its plans are
ews of Autodesk's
acquisition of NEi
Software's NASTRAN based
product range leaked earlier
this year, but the company
did little to publicise the move. It turns
out that the reason for this is a shift in
how Autodesk approaches acquisitions.
Rather than announcing them when they
happen, it's now taking the companies
and technology in-house, doing
something with them, concocting its plan
and working out its product strategy
then announcing the whole thing.
In this instance, this means that, from
now onwards, NEi Software's variant of the
NASTRAN solver is available in the form of
Autodesk NASTRAN.
For those that are familiar with the
software, there are various versions of
NASTRAN available (from MSC.Software
and Siemens primarily). NEi has done much
work to extend the core tools to cover more
non-linear work something that has built
its reputation amongst household names
and engineering specialists.
Autodesk is making the core solver code
available to Autodesk Simulation customers
immediately. In addition to the raw solver
technology, it's also launching two CAD
integrated tools. Dubbed Autodesk Nastran

In-CAD, they work within both Inventor and
its arch rival, SolidWorks.
Whichever avour you're discussing,
another interesting move is how the
company is integrating it with its cloud
computation plans. Autodesk has delivered
the various products with both local and
cloud-based solving capabilities and it's
simply a switch to move between the two.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The short version is that Autodesk got
serious about simulation. While, with Algor,
it had a complete set of tools that covered
a wide spread of simulation requirements,
just having the NASTRAN name gives the
company so much more credibility.
FEA specialists are a choosey breed and
they know which tools they like and which
they dont trust. NASTRANs pedigree at
NASA got things off the ground quickly,
but its use across a wide cross section of
industry since has built that pedigree into
something else. It has become a standard.
If Autodesk wanted something, it was a
pretty small pool of sh to dip its rod into.
The other is that NEis work to extend the
non-linear capabilities of an already robust
linear solver code is just what many users
are looking for particularly those pushing

the boundaries of engineering
THE FUTURE?
Autodesk is already looking beyond pure
design integrated simulation and into some
interesting areas, taking it squarely into the
type of work that is typically the reserve of
Dassault Systmes and Siemens products.
This type of knowledge-based and
template engineering approach would allow
users to have an export set-up for common
simulation tasks. Many organisations
have complex simulation tasks that are
essentially repeating variations of the same
work.
Get the experts to build in their
knowledge and best practice into a
template, sign off the inputs and results
and deliver that to the masses in the design
ofce leaving them free to work on the
really difcult and out of the ordinary
simulation work.
Autodesk has a good set of tools to
start with. That much is clear. How the
SolidWorks embedded users will react to
this is anyones guess. But NASTRAN has a
name thats respected. That's half the battle
won already.
autodesk.com
In addition to the
solver technology that
becomes available to
existing simulation
customers, Autodesk
has launched a version
integrated with
Inventor
8 SEPTEMBER 2014 DEVELOP3D.COM
p08_D3D_SEPT14_news.indd 8
5/9/14 21:36:28
Fujitsu recommends Windows.
Workstations
made in
Germany
CELSIUS desktop & rack workstations
Fujitsu workstations can handle the pressure, perform well

under high loads and are almost completely silent, even
when rendering very high quality 3D scenes. Put bluntly,
were impressed
Chris Janes, Lecturer, University Campus Suffolk
FUJITSU CELSIUS H730
mobile workstation
Fujitsus state-of-the-art CELSIUS workstations

provide the ultimate in performance and
reliability, utilising the latest NVIDIA Quadro
professional graphics and comprehensive
ISV certifications.
FUJITSU CELSIUS W530

desktop workstation
To learn more:
Tel: 0845 053 0061
Web: www.fujitsu.com/uk/celsius
Email: AskFujitsu@uk.fujitsu.com
CELSIUS W530 workstation
CELSIUS H730 mobile workstation
Intel Xeon processor E3-1270 v3

8GB RAM
128GB SSD & 1TB HDD
NVIDIA Quadro K2000 2GB
Windows 7 Professional with Windows 8 Pro Licence
Intel Core processor i7-4700MQ

8GB RAM
500GB SSHD / 8GB cache 5.4k
NVIDIA Quadro K1100M
Windows 7 Professional with Windows 8 Pro Licence
1,193
RRP, ex VAT
Product code: VFY:W5300WXP11GB
17752_FUJ_D3DAEG_Advert_Sept2014_aw - V5 (297mm, 210mm, 3mm bleed).indd 1
1,284
RRP, ex VAT
Product code: VFY:H7300WXG41GB
Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
26/08/2014 17:09:41
NEWS
Dell, HP and Lenovo Launch

Haswell Xeon Workstations
he launch of Intel's new

Haswell-EP Xeon E5 v3 series
CPUs was the catalyst for a
flurry of new workstation
releases this month.
Dell, HP, Lenovo and a number of specialist
workstation manufacturers all announced
new machines based on the new Intel chip
architecture, which promises a jump in
performance, support for DDR4 memory,
and up to 18 cores in a single CPU.
Dual CPU workstations can now have
a whopping 36 cores and 72 threads, an
attractive proposition for users of multithreaded ray trace renderers. Having this
many cores in a single CPU does reduce
clock speed though with the 18 core Intel
Xeon E5-2699 v3 only running at 2.3 GHz.
For maximum performance in single
threaded applications, the eight core 3.2GHz
Xeon E5-2667 v3 looks interesting. For single
CPU machines, the four core Xeon E5-2667 v3
pushes the clock speed up to 3.7GHz.
In addition to CPUs the new machines also
feature new GPUs from Nvidia and AMD

(see right), making this one of the most
significant workstation refreshes in a while.
PCIe Solid State Drives (SSDs), which boast
signifcantly higher data transfer speeds than
SATA 6Gb/sec, also feature highly.
In terms of machines, Lenovo thinks it has
the most to shout about having completely
redesigned its desktop workstation chassis.
The new ThinkStation P Series (P500, P700,
P900) boasts striking industrial design, toolfree maintenance and flexible upgrades (see
page 41 for our first look review).
Dell has tweaked its Precision lineup with
the Precision T5810, T7810 and T7910. The
chassis remains the same, but Dell says
acoustics have been improved due to fan
optimisation
Meanwhile, HP has introduced the
Z440, Z640 and Z840. The chassis on
the midrange Z440 has been completely
redesigned and the Z840 has now been
adapted to take up to eight 2.5-inch drives.
More next month in our workstation special.
The HP Z440, Z640

and Z840, just
three of the many
Intel Xeon HaswellEP E5 v3-based
workstations
announced this
month
AMD and Nvidia

launch new GPUs
MD and Nvidia have both

launched new professional
GPUs primarily for 3D
graphics, but some of the new
PCIe boards are also tuned
for GPU compute.
Nvidia has five new products in total the
Quadro K420 (1GB), K620 (2GB), K2200
(4GB), K4200 (4GB) and K5200 (8GB).
The Quadro K6000 (12GB), which Nvidia
launched in 2013, will remain the companys
flagship offering.
AMD unveiled four new cards to complete
its next generation family of professional
FirePro GPUs based on the Graphics Core
Next (GCN) architecture. The entry-level
AMD FirePro W2100 (2GB) and W4100 (2GB),
plus the mid-range AMD FirePro W5100
(4GB) and W7100 (8GB) join the high-end
AMD FirePro W8100 (8GB) and W9100
(16GB) that were launched earlier this year.
AMD also unveiled plans to push Mantle,
its GCN-optimised graphics API, into the
professional 3D space.
More next month in our workstation special.
fireprographics.com | nvidia.com
Remote
workstations for
casual users
ell is to expand the remote

access options for its
desktop workstations,
offering Teradicis new PCoIP
Workstation Access software
as a cost option on its Precision line.
The new software is being pitched at those
who need remote workstations access on a
more casual basis. Dell will continue to offer
Teradicis PCoIP (PC over IP) hardware-based
solution for customers who want the 'best
performing' remote access technology.
teradici.com
DEVELOP3D.COM THE BEST FROM THE WEBsite
AMD previews OpenCL ray

trace renderer for Maya
a collaboration with
Autodesk but AMD says
there are other adopters
tinyurl.com/OpenCLray
Forget Intel's Core i7 CPU,

this mobile workstation
from Eurocom boasts a
high-end 12-core Xeon
processor inside
tinyurl.com/Eurocom12
OTOY to put CAD in the

cloud with X.IO app
streaming service - for
access on virtually any
Internet-connected device
tinyurl.com/OTOYCAD
VMware, NVIDIA and

Google working together
to bring workstation-class
virtual desktops to Google
Chromebooks
tinyurl.com/ChromeCAD
Workstation Specialists and

MSI unveil new ultraslim
mobile workstation to
rival the impressive Dell
Precision M3800
tinyurl.com/MSIslim
p10_D3D_SEPT14_News.indd 10
5/9/14 21:37:18
NEWS
Roland unveils
first 3D printer
oland DG, best known for its

wide-format printers, milling
machines and laser scanners,
has launched its first 3D
additive rapid prototyping
machine, the ARM-10.
The desktop 3D printer, part of Rolands
monoFab series of desktop fabrication
solutions, incorporates a stereolithography

(SLA) process with a UV-LED projection
system. It builds models by sequentially
curing layers of resin from a liquid resin
vat. Simultaneous production of multiple
objects can be accomplished within
the same work area. According to the
company, this will reduce modelling time
in comparison to methods where lasers
expose specific areas.
Rolands imageCure resin becomes
semi-transparent when cured and postprocessing procedures such as support
removal and polishing are straightforward.
By adopting a suspended build system,
resin consumption is minimised.
The evolutionary SRM-20 desktop milling
machine is the other member of the
monoFab series. It incorporates several
subtractive rapid prototyping (SRP)
features enabling it to provide smooth
finished surfaces.
The machine also features a new milling
spindle, collet, circuit board and firmware.
The SRM-20 can mill a variety of nonproprietary materials, including modelling
board, acrylic, ABS, wood and modelling
wax, enabling users to make models in
the same material as will be used for final
production.
rolanddg.co.uk/monofab
ARM-10 desktop 3D
printer has a build
size of 130 (W) x 70
(D) x 70 (H) mm
and a build speed
10mm/h
It can run standalone or integrated with

leading CAD/CAM/PLM systems.
Visitors to the stand will have the
opportunity to receive an overview of the
steps needed to get from a CAD designed
composite part to CNC programs that drive
an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) or
Automated Tape Laying (ATL) machine.
advancedengineeringuk.com
cgtech.co.uk
Kuka robot
VERICUT Composite
Simulation
Take Edgecam Workflow for a test drive
anufacturers are invited

by Vero Software to take
its Edgecam Workflow for
a free TestDrive before
deciding whether the CAM
system can improve their processes.
A number of engineering firms are
still relying on manual or first generation

CAM systems for programming. This is
mainly because they do not want to invest
in something that they are unsure of or
risk changing an existing system, says
Edgecam general manager Raf Lobato.
edgecam.com/testdrive
Autodesk has completed

its Fusion 360 update,
which is now live. The
data management and
collaboration experience
has been revamped and
the overall usability of the
software enhanced. There
is also a variety of tool
command improvements
and new API functionality
fusion360.autodesk.com
solidThinking INSPIRE
2014, a design tool for
investigating structurally
efficient concepts, is
now available for both
Windows and Mac users.
New enhancements include
geometry simplification
tools, smoothing options,
linear static analysis and
concentrated mass parts
solidthinking.com
Date for the diary: Advanced Engineering UK

rom 11 to 12 November,
Advanced Engineering UK
will be returning to the
NEC in Birmingham. The
event features five shows
in one location Aero Engineering,
Composites Engineering, Automotive
Engineering, Auto Electronics and
Performance Metals Engineering. It's
free-to-attend for those who have
pre-registered and as well as exhibition
there is also a conference programme.
One of the 700 exhibitors will be CGTech,
a company specialising in CNC simulation,
verification, optimisation, and analysis
software technology for manufacturing.
Its stand will feature the latest version
7.3 of CGTech's VERICUT CNC machine
simulation and optimisation software.
VERICUT simulates all types of CNC
machining, including aerospace processes
such as multi axis milling, drilling and
trimming of composite parts, water jet
cutting, robotic and mill/turn machining.
ROUND
UP
The FARO Edge ScanArm HD

is a contact/non-contact
portable measurement
system that delivers rapid
point cloud collection in
a compact and easy-touse system. Capabilities
include point-cloud
comparison with CAD and
3D modelling of free-form
surfaces
faroscanarmhd.com
3D Systems has acquired

Belgium-based LayerWise,
a provider of advanced
direct metal 3D printing
and manufacturing
services. LayerWise's
proprietary direct metal
technology, including its
powder-to-solid metal
printers, will be integrated
into 3D Systems' portfolio
layerwise.com
The Altair Partner Alliance

(APA) has announced that
3-matic STL by Materialise
is now available for
HyperWorks users to
download through the
program. Users can now
make design modifications
directly on STL, scanned,
and CAD data in
preparation for 3D printing
altair.com
p11_D3D_SEPT14_news.indd 11
5/9/14 21:37:36
TO
IN
W
REINVENT THE
WHEEL FOR FORD
M
E EA
GN N T
LO IG
CO DES
TO 'S
IP RD
TR O
A ET F
E
M
NEWS
Helping to steer you

in the right direction:
Ford has provided
some example
entries of previous
wheel designs to
get you inspired
A unique chance for you to design a

concept for automotive giant Ford,
and win a trip to meet its European
design team and tour its facilities
in Cologne, Germany.
Ford of Britain and DEVELOP3D are
offering you the chance to design a
new concept that reinvents the Ford
steering wheel.
We want to hear from designers
from all industries, who do not

necessarily have experience in the
automotive industry, with the more
creative the better!
To entice you further in putting
pen to paper Ford will be offering
the winning designer a trip to
Cologne, Germany this December to
spend the day with the Ford Europe
design team and workshop.
In addition to this one-off
experience the winning designer

will have their concept featured in
the December / January issue of
DEVELOP3D, showcasing their work
to a wide audience.
The competition is open to UK
entrants only and design concepts
will need to be submitted in the form
of digital sketches or hand drawn
images sent as a PDF or JPG to
DEVELOP3D by 7 November, 2014.
Send your entries to:

competition@DEVELOP3D.com
along with your full name, age and a
contact telephone number.
All entries will be judged by a panel
comprised of DEVELOP3D editorial
staff and Fords senior design team.
As part of the prize the winner will
also be gifted a Ford design watch.
DEVELOP3D.COM THE BEST FROM THE WEBSITE
Roland DG announces its

desktop monoFab series,
including the Japanese
companys rst foray into
3D printing, the ARM-10
tinyurl.com/RolandFab
In a new report, Apple

products have been classed
by Greenpeace as being
some of the greenest
around
tinyurl.com/GreenerApple
Teach yourself surface

modelling in Autodesk
Inventor with this video
tutorial by our contributor
Paul Munford
tinyurl.com/TYSAutodesk
From October consumers

will be able to buy Fuel3D's
3D scanner as part of
a bundle deal with the
Ultimaker 2 3D printer
tinyurl.com/FuelBundle
Bre Pettis is giving up the

day-to-day running of 3D
printer company MakerBot
to set up a Stratasys
'Innovation Lab'
tinyurl.com/BreDayJob
p12_D3D_SEPT14_News.indd 12
5/9/14 21:56:41
3D Print
3D Mill
On their own theyre good.

Together theyre
Some things work even better in combination. Take Rolands new ARM-10 3D
printer and SRM-20 milling machine. Impressive enough alone, but put them
together and suddenly you can make pretty much anything right on your desk.
Find out more at www.rolanddg.co.uk/monofab or call 01275 335540
1 YEAR
UK WARR ANT Y
INCLUDED
350998_MonoFab_Ad_AF.indd 1
15/08/2014 14:31
COMMENT
In the first of his comment pieces on

3D printing issues and challenges,
Jeremy Pullin delves into the murky
waters of hiked up raw material
costs by 3D printer manufacturers
and what its doing to the industry
ould you buy a

car if you could
only ll it with
petrol or diesel
sold by the car
manufacturer?
How about a
toaster with
bread that can only be purchased from
the toaster manufacturer? These may
seem like silly questions but it is exactly
what 3D printer manufacturers are
doing by selling materials for use in only
their machines.
The reason why this has been allowed to
happen is not because of the commercial
greed of 3D printer manufacturers but rather
as an undesirable leftover from 3D printings
early years. To put it simply, manufacturers
had to supply materials for their machines
because nobody else was doing it and, to be
honest, the volumes were simply too small
to interest the established material supply
companies.
3D printing is no longer a babe in arms but
rather a young teenager and judging by the
amount of court cases and attempts by at
least one company to patent ideas allegedly
developed by the open source community,
its a stroppy one at that. There are also so
many near identical machines being released
now that each new printer calling for funding
on Kickstarter stands out about as much as a
fart in a Jacuzzi.
A good way to predict what will happen to
current and indeed new technologies is to
look at what has happened to the old ones
such as stereolithography (SLA). By the way,
its fine to call stereolithography old. I mean,
the first 3D printed part using this process
by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) was produced in the same year that
the Austin Metro was Britains top selling car,
seat belts became compulsory and the first
CD was sold in the UK.
As SLA continues to be a popular
technology, the number of material
companies and their product offerings
continues to grow. For instance, Dutch
materials sciences company DSM has been

selling third party resins for quite some time.
So it doesnt take a genius to predict that
the same will happen with other 3D printing/
additive manufacturing technologies. But
some manufacturers will do their utmost
to resist the threat to their high margin
material revenue streams. Weve seen it all
before of course with manufacturers stating
that the use of third party materials on their
machines means that the warranties will no
longer be honoured. By the magic of devious
small print they get away with this but I cant
help thinking that they are making a big
mistake.
These manufacturers need to deem third
party materials as a sales opportunity rather
than forcing their customers to purchase
materials with mark ups that would make
drug barons blush with embarrassment. In
other markets, both industrial and consumer,
manufacturers put a great deal of time and
trouble into ensuring that their products can
run with commonly sourced consumables.
The automotive industry is a good example.
Aside from the fuel example I started with,
car manufacturers dont fit their cars with
unique sized wheels forcing users to only
purchase tyres from them. Instead, industry
standard sized wheels mean that industry
sized tyres can be fitted.
A quick look around at virtually all 3D
printing websites will show that this is
certainly not the case for most machines. I
say virtually because the obvious exception is
the RepRap style machines which are almost
entirely fabricated out of proprietary parts.
Raw material prices have a detrimental
effect not just on cost of ownership but
in inhibiting wider scale adoption of the
technology both through raising the bar
of affordability and unfavourably skewing
the relative costs between additive and
conventional manufacturing. Simply put,
when parts are cheaper to produce additively
than conventionally surely it makes sense
to make more use of that process. But high
material costs often mean that organisations
that have additive equipment are using it less
than they otherwise would do.
Universities and colleges provide
They need
to deem
third party
materials
as a sales
opportunity
rather than
forcing their
customers
to purchase
materials
with mark
ups that
would make
drug barons
blush with
embarrassment
compelling evidence of this problem. I

have spoken to so many over the years
who reveal that equipment is standing idle
because they cant afford to run it. This of
course means that the whole opportunity to
extol the virtues of additive manufacturing
to their students is completely lost. It also
means that the funds used to purchase this
equipment have largely been wasted.
This scenario obviously wont go down
well with the funding organisations and
when they visit the university or college, the
machines are often screened from view with
offerings from the art departments. Whole
groups of funders are under the impression
that all university engineering departments
consist of walkways permanently lined with
painted disposable barbecue cutlery, brightly
coloured pipe cleaners and moody black and
white photographs.
The volumes and indeed variety of raw
materials being sold are at a level where
additional material suppliers are willing to
enter the market, whether it be for powders,
resins, filaments or just about anything else.
Some have already entered but certainly not
for all systems yet.
Compatibility is a good thing. Im sure users
would love to be able to take a half finished
spool from their Cube and stick it on their
Makerbot and vice versa. But, most of all,
people want to pay less for their materials
which in turn will lead to more machines
sales and more machine usage. For this to
become reality the materials market needs
to be a competitive one. Blocking of this by
machine manufacturers is both short sighted
and ultimately counterproductive.
This is of course very different to the way
that machines are being developed in the
open source community, so perhaps the
big boys should be emulating the little boys
and making compatibility of consumables
a selling point rather than deliberately
avoiding it.
Jeremy Pullin is the rapid manufacturing
manager for Renishaw, having set up and
now in charge of its pioneering Rapid
Manufacturing Centre. He can be found
tweeting as @jezpullin
p14_D3D_SEPT12_Jez Pullin Renishaw comment.indd 14
5/9/14 21:39:33
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FEEDBACK
Your DEVELOP3D
Your views on the superiority of mass produced products , a job well done, girl's
jobs vs boy's jobs, Land Cruisers in the outback and Land Rovers in the Cotswolds
Greg Corke
greg@x3dmedia.com
methods.
With mass customisation we should
be able to get away from craft designed
houses to beautiful, easily customisable
patterns of houses that just work like an
iPad or iPhone does.
Paul Reeves
Facebook
/develop3d
Letter to Al Dean + team
Got an opinion on
anything that has
(or has not) appeared
in the magazine or
online? Let us know
what you think
I have been an avid reader of DEVELOP3D

right from the start. As a direct result
of this I have landed a job with Hobs
3D setting up a new 3D print facility at
Manchester Metropolitan University. The
knowledge and information that you have
passed on is greatly appreciated and if
there is anything I can do to return the
favour, even if it's buying you a beer, just
let me know.
Ed Keefe
Twitter
@develop3d
Web
develop3d.com
Linked In
DEVELOP3D group
Letters may be edited
60 second
interview
alister
whelan
Why did you become a designer?

I always loved drawing since I was
young. I also loved cars, so putting
drawing and cars together made
sense and at 14 years old I knew
wanted to become a car designer.
Which designer or company do
you most admire and why?
No one in particular. I admire each
and every one of our designers
here at Jaguar, we have a great
team. I really admire anything
thats beautiful in its design but
critically that is a pleasure to use.
I hate an instant style hit that
later disappoints because it doesnt
function properly, or its not well
executed.
What product couldnt you live

without?
Very predictable my iPhone, iPad
and Macbook. Pen and paper too. I
think too much and Im constantly
D3D BLOG
Toyota Land Cruiser 30th
anniversary
Tanya Weaver comment: It's

different for girls
July/August 2014
Just wanted to make a small correction.

The Land Cruiser 70 series is more rugged,
more outdoorsy and far more durable
than the Hi-Lux. In the Australian Outback,
easily 90% of vehicles are 70 series Land
Cruisers, with the most popular model
being the troopcarrier (affectionately
known as the troopy). The Hi-Lux is a beast
for sure, but the troopy is stronger and
more solidly built by a significant margin,
So, in the Australian Outback there are
mostly Land Cruisers, very few Hi-Lux,
some Nissan Patrols and certainly never
any Land Rovers.
Tom
I don't often comment on posts, but this

has really struck a chord with me!
I'm lucky enough to be a parent of one
boy and one girl, however I do not see any
difference in my thoughts or opinions of
what career my son or daughter should
consider [they are only 8 and 10]. I would
be more than happy if my daughter wanted
I know where the Land Rovers are here in

the Cotswolds.
True story: I saw a Range Rover Evoque
(the one partly designed by that well
known explorer, Victoria Beckham) the
other day. It had mud on it.
Mark Young
Al Dean comment: In defence Response from Al Dean: Hi Ed! Delighted

of mass production
to hear that makes all the teams efforts
July/August 2014
worthwhile and glad it has helped you,
Interesting article and I pretty much
agree. When people talk about mass
produced products they forget that
mass production allows for far more
Design Time to be incorporated into the
end product. i.e. for each instance of the
(repeated) end product more time can be
spent (at least in theory) on the design,
since it has its cost spread over all those
instances.
As an example cars, nowadays at least,
dont have leaky roofs or rattly steamed
up windows or rust as R&D and design
time is spread across tens or hundreds of
thousands of copies. Same for the iPads
mentioned in the article. Houses though
still have leaky roofs and suffer from
damp and condensation because both the
design and the production are craft based
to pursue a career in engineering, or a

similar field, and would actively encourage
it if she showed an interest.
There are far too many girls that want to
pursue a career in hair and beauty, or think
that X-Factor/reality shows are a (good)
'career' choice. They see engineering as
a boys thing and very uncool or not what
a girl should be doing. So, it's only one
potential future female engineer, but I will
be ensuring my daughter is fully aware
of all possible career choices, and that
although not apparently the right thing for
girls to do, that a career in engineering can
be fun, exciting and financially rewarding.
Nick Harvey
even in the smallest of ways, to find an

interesting job!
Cheers and likewise, anything we can
help with in the future, just shout
and when youve got the facility up in
Manchester up and running, Id like to
come and have a nose around if possible.
scribbling ideas, sketches, flow

diagrams, lists, design philosophies
you name it. To see the big
picture, I need to draw a picture.
Sketching a car is only half the story
the rationale and journey to the
end product is equally as important.
What design would you have
loved to have designed and why?
I love Norman Fosters Millau
Viaduct for its sense of scale and
sweeping lines. Again, an object
that is functional in its prime
purpose, but is breathtaking to look
at and so beautifully finished.
Play-Doh, Meccano or Lego?
I never got on with Meccano,
too fiddly and I didnt have the
patience. On the other hand, I had
suitcases of LEGO, Id build for
hours and hours. My favourite was
building planes that had working
under carriage, flaps, cargo bays
etc. ( I secretly wanted to be a Lego

designer when I was young too
actually I still do!)
and how much should remain

authentic and true to your own
values.
What are your weapons of choice?

An energised creative team around
you. Personally finding the fine
balance between pragmatism and
tenacity.
If you were hosting a dinner party

who would you invite and why?
Nelson Mandela for a truly
inspirational starter. Sean Connery
charms for the main course with
those slightly risque James Bond
stories. Peter Kay brings dessert
then has us in stitches with a
drunken game of Twister.
What is missing from your

toolset?
Peace and serenity time to think.
What would you say is the biggest

challenge facing designers?
For car interiors the balance
of the artisan analogue vs mass
market digital
Can you predict any future trends?
Yes, I think we can to a certain
extent. The key is seeing how
much those future trends should
influence what you want to design,
Alister Whelan is chief designer of sports

cars at Jaguar Land Rover. He started at
Jaguar Cars in 2000 after a year and a
half stint at Audi and has been involved
in delivering a raft of concept, strategic
and production car programs including
the F-Type production car and Jaguar
CX16 concept.
If you want to take part please

contact tanya@x3dmedia.com
p16_D3D_SEPT14_letters.indd 16
5/9/14 21:39:53
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PRODUCT
DESIGN
SHOWCASE
VIRTUAL
REALITY
HEADSETS
Oculus Rift may be the biggest player in the
virtual reality (VR) headset market, but here
Tanya Weaver takes a look at some of the
smaller companies who are making ground
gaze in
wonder
he Altergaze is a new VR headset on the block

delivering a high quality mobile VR experience.
The user simply slots their smartphone in, adjusts
the lenses to suit and the Altergaze will then create a
stereoscopic 3D experience with a 110 field of view.
Although this may not sound groundbreaking, what
is novel is the fact that its open-source, electronics-free,
can be 3D printed (apart from the lenses and screws), is
completely customisable and comparatively cheap.
Created by London-based Romanian designer Liviu
Antoni using Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, the intention
was always to use 3D printing as the main method of
manufacture and distribution.
VR for smartphones is just starting, so making the most
accurate VR headset possible is our first goal. 3D printing
allows us to do that, says Antoni.
With the CAD files freely available, users can tailor their
headset before printing. Currently there are 8.4 million
combinations possible, with more underway.
But the variety isnt driven by aesthetics alone.
Depending on every persons smartphone model, eyesight
and facial physiognomy ,the position of the lenses changes
too in order to offer perfect stereoscopy.
Every Altergaze unit is unique and personal and we
think that is the beauty of our product, says Antoni.
Following a successful Kickstarter campaign in May
2014, Antoni is working towards a launch date.
altergaze.com
p18_19_20_D3D_SEPT14_PDG VR headsets.indd 18
5/9/14 21:40:20
PROFILE
The Altergaze is a 3D printed

VR headset for smartphones
that has a 110o field of view.
Being open source, the
product can be tailored by the
user before manufacture
DEVELOP3D MONTH 200X 19
5/9/14 21:40:23
heads up
nother product that turns a

smartphone into a VR headset is
the Vrizzmo by Polish company
De Jet Works.
The plastic case with phone inside
is strapped to the users head. Lenses
separate the display into sections for the
left and right eyes with specially designed
apps creating the stereoscopic 3D effect.
We focused mainly on providing the
best optics within a reasonable price range
and keeping it small, but packed with
features to deliver the best experience,
explains Dariusz Zolna, Vrizzmos CEO.
Zolna created his first prototype with
LEGO bricks and lenses he took out of a
toy, secured together with rubber bands.
Only following his second prototype
made of modelling foam, did he sketch his
ideas and translate them into AutoCAD.
These files were then used to make CNC
machined parts.
As we were producing new prototypes
at least twice a week, there was no need to
use slow and expensive 3D printing in the
process, adds Zolna.
With each iteration the product improved
not only in terms of design but also how it
was optimised for cost efficiency and ease
of assembly.
A launch date hasnt been set but as a
teaser on the websites homepage, it states
big things are coming so stay tuned!
vrizzmo.com
The wireless Vrizzmo VR

headset from De Jet Works
converts a users smartphone
into a computer, display and
head-tracker as they immerse
themselves in watching movies
and playing games
real deal
ontreal-based start-up Vrvana

plans to go into direct competition
with Facebooks Oculus Rift with
its Totem VR headset.
The specifications are similar a 1080p
OLED display with low persistence and
a 90 degree field of view but unlike
the Oculus Rift it will include two 1080p
cameras, positional tracking and onboard
stereo surround sound.
The aim with the creation of Totem is to
change the way we experience multimedia
content whether it is gaming, in a
classroom, as virtual tourism or to show
architecture work. The possibilities are
endless, says Vrvanas founder Bertrand
Nepveu.
The project started life as a sketch in
Google SketchUp before it progressed into
SolidWorks and prototypes made.
The team recently unveiled what it calls
its pre alpha alpha, which comprises an
1080p LCD screen and a custom PCB, all
mounted inside a 3D printed model.
From the trials with users we realised
that we still had to cut down on weight.
Although the 3D printed model is heavier
than the future mass production injection
moulded version, we still have found other
ways to cut down the weight, says Nepveu.
The plan is to launch a Kickstarter
campaign soon. If its successful, Totem
will go into full production with units
available in early 2015.
Totem from Montreal, Canada,

start-up Vrvana, is a 3D VR
mask with head and body
tracking for the PS3/4,
Xbox 360/One, PC and Mac
20 MONTH 200X DEVELOP3D

vrvana.com
5/9/14 21:40:24
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THE DEVI
THE DETA
PROFILE
p22_23_24_25_26_D3D_SEPT14_cover story Ogle.indd 22
5/9/14 21:40:48
VIL IS IN
TAIL
Ogle Models + Prototypes is celebrating its

60th anniversary this year. Tanya Weaver took
a trip to its facility in Letchworth, UK, to discover
how its using both traditional model making skills
and cutting edge 3D printing technologies to create
both tiny and huge models for its wide client base
Traditional model making is still

around, but to a lesser degree.
However, we still need it
anyone can produce components
on a 3D printing machine
Len Martin, Ogles MD
A highly detailed
1/50 scale model
of the concourse at
Londons Farringdon
Station complex
5/9/14 21:40:53
PROFILE
ho can forget Luke Skywalkers

iconic Landspeeder an antigravity hover craft that first made
an appearance in the 1976 Star
Wars film? An impressively
speedy vehicle, even though
it had to be shot from certain
angles to disguise the wheels and featured a broom attached
to its underside to create the illusion of kicking up dust.
All the Landspeeder and Snowspeeder models for the
film were built by Ogle, which actually co-operated in the
production of the film itself.
For the next 25 years Ogle was involved in both the design
and physical making of models for a wide range of clients
and industries (see below). However, in 2000 it decided to
sell the design arm of its business to concentrate wholly on
model making and prototyping.
But what exactly is model making? Essentially its the
physical representation of a product to show what it will
look like once manufactured, whether at full size or to scale.
HISTORY
OF OGLE
IDesigner David
Ogle founded
Ogle in 1954. In
its early years,
spurred by Ogles
obsession with
cars, the company
produced a variety
of design concepts
for the automotive
industry and even
embarked on small
scale production,
including the Ogle
SX 100 Mini based
on Mini running
gear of which nearly
100 were made.
However, following
the death of
Ogle in 1962 the
company ceased
car production
and, with industrial
To create this looks like, feels like model, the model

maker would traditionally have used a range of machines
CNC machines and lathes together with manual
tools including disc sanders, circular saws, even needle
and thread. It was a highly skilled, labour intensive and
lengthy process. But with the onset of 3D printing or rapid
prototyping (RP) technology, some of this skill, effort and
time was taken out of the process.
Demise of model making?

It could be argued as in the The demise of model
making? article featured in DEVELOP3Ds October
2013 issue that the continuing advancements in 3D
printing technology are replacing, or even killing off, the
highly skilled craft of model making. And, while some
traditional model making companies have had to shut
down, companies like Ogle have remained successful by
diversifying their business.
Through the continued investment in new technologies
including stereolithoraphy (SLA), selective laser sintering
designer Tom
Karen at the helm,
concentrated on
the design and
development of
household and
transport products.
Having moved
to its Letchworth
premises in 1960,
where its still
located today, the
company engaged
with a number of
new clients from a
range of industry
sectors, including
Electrolux, Paxton
and Reliant. Some
notable products
it created during
the 60s and 70s
include the TR82
Bush Radio, Raleigh
Chopper, the awardwinning T45 truck

cab for Leyland
Vehicles and the
Reliant Scimitar.
Further growth
and an increasing
workforce saw
dramatic expansion
of the facility in
the 1980s with
the ability now to
create full-scale
models. The first
large project was a
double-decker bus.
Ogles design
team had grown
to 60 strong but
by 2000 this had
dwindled and the
decision was taken
to sell the design
arm of the business
to concentrate on
model making and
prototyping.
Today, its roots
in the automotive
sector are still
evident in its work
with global brands
including Mercedes,
Bentley Motors,
Lamborghini and
Jaguar Land Rover.
5/9/14 21:40:58
I first
saw SLA
in 1993 or
1994 on the
television
programme
Tomorrows
World. We
all joked
about it
here at
Ogle saying
it wont
affect us.
But I was
convinced
that this
was the way
to go
(SLS), vacuum casting and CNC machining together with

traditional model making techniques, Ogle is able to offer a
complete service to its clients.
Traditional model making is still around, but to a lesser
degree. However, we still need it anyone can produce
components on a 3D printing machine and we dont want
to turn into a company that only produces commodities,
explains Len Martin, MD of Ogle and one of the three
directors, along with Steve Willmott, technical director, and
Dave Bennion, sales and marketing director, who carried
out a management buy-out in 2002.
Martin and Willmott cant help sharing a laugh
discussing how 3D printing is seen as new when really this
additive manufacturing technology has been around for
years. In fact, Ogle was one of the first companies to buy
a SLA machine 18 years ago a 3D Systems 350 which
is still in operation today albeit much updated. So, this
capability of printing parts directly from CAD data, one
layer at a time, is by no means novel.
I first saw SLA in 1993 or 1994 on the television
programme Tomorrows World. We all joked about it here
at Ogle saying it wont affect us. But I was convinced that
this was the way to go. It was the future and if we didnt
invest in this machine, wed go bust. And within five years it
absolutely transformed the business, says Martin.
That was just one of many investments that the company
has made. Today its 25,000 square foot facility, which has
recently undergone a restructuring to improve the working

environment, streamline the work flow and increase
efficiencies, is kitted out with a raft of machines and tools,
including a dedicated finishing and painting facility.
The first of two recent investments is the ColourPro
colouring system with the ability to offer a vibrant colour
range for SLS models and prototypes. This cost-effective
alternative to paint finishes, is a process that has been
developed in-house and is suitable for colouring large and
small parts, regardless of part geometry and complexity.
The second investment is a new 4 x 2.6 x 1.5 metre
Belotti 5-axis CNC machining centre, which will be up
and running by December. It will increase capacity but
also gives us the ability to do more technically challenging
projects for our Formula 1 and aerospace clients, for
instance, comments Bennion.
All shapes and sizes
Projects vary a great deal from small medical widgets and

e-cigarette prototypes up to a 41 seat aircraft and full-size
boat models. Clients vary too, from the manufacturers
themselves, such as Bentley, Lamborghini, Jaguar
Landrover and Glaxo Smith Kline, to product design
consultancies, such as Product Partners, Bee Design, DCA,
Forpeople and Seymour Powell.
Typically the client will provide data by converting CAD
into either STL (for 3D printing) or IGS or STEP (for
CNC machining) file formats. However, Ogle does have
the ability to translate many file types having a range of
software in-house including SolidWorks for CAD, ZW3D
for CAD/CAM and then Spaceclaim and Magics for STL
preparation for 3D printing.
With the files in hand, Ogle decides the best way to go
about developing the model. For instance, in a project
for DePuy Orthopaedic, a manufacturer of surgical
instruments, Ogle produced six bone models that would be
used to demonstrate a total knee replacement procedure.
Working with DePuy and its design consultancy partner
Skywide Design, Ogle produced the models using a
combination of 3D printing, machining and vac moulding
processes to ensure they were robust yet minimal in part.
communication skills
Most development projects are constrained by a tight time
frame and budget limitations however, Ogle manages its
clients expectations through constant communication.
One of our strongest skills is speaking to clients directly
this is really important, says Bennion.
A very recent project that showcases these skills was
carried out for Cranfield Aerospace (CAe). Based in close
proximity to Ogle in nearby Bedford, CAe, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Cranfield University, approached Ogle to
develop and manufacture motion cueing simulator seats
(in other words, ejector seats). These CAe-supplied high
4
1 Ogle has recently undergone a
restructuring to improve the working

environment and improve efficiencies
2 Today, Ogles 25,000 square foot
facility is kitted out with a raft of

machines and tools
3 Ogle can translate many file types
having a range of software in-house
4 Bone models produced for DePuy
Orthopaedic
5/9/14 21:41:05
PROFILE
fidelity replica seats are used in over 30 of the worlds air

forces to train jet pilots within a simulation environment.
CAe had used Ogle for smaller projects in the past and,
having proved themselves, CAe felt confident using them
for this larger project.
The close proximity, compared to our previous US
supplier, was also important as this allowed constant design
discussion and interaction during the build process,
explains Daniel Jackson, project manager at CAe.
The brief was to build two ejector seats that would not
only incorporate CAes motion cueing technology, which
essentially simulates the feeling of actual aircraft motion
for the pilot, but also a series of mechanical modules such
as a parachute pack and gun rails.
CAe provided data as CATIA stp and iges files as well as
through 2D CAD drawings. We read these files into ZW3D
and then modified them to create an assembly where the
various bits can be added on, explains Dave Orman, Ogles
model shop manager.
From here Ogle could start to plan which components
had to be created from scratch and which items could be
reclaimed from two old ejection seats that CAe provided.
We had to gain an understanding of what they wanted
from us really in terms of the tolerances and the fits,
comments Orman. There were parts that had to work
mechanically and others that could just be dummy parts.
We also had to work out what parts could be cannibalised
off the old ejector seats.
Once the planning stage was complete, seat cushion
and back moulds were CNC machined directly from ureol
model board before created in glass-reinforced plastic
Early
days of
model
making
Many of Ogles staff have

been in the model making
profession for a long
time seeing firsthand the
changes that CAD and
3D printing have brought
about.
Dave Orman, Ogles model
shop manager, began 30
years ago at the company
having started out as a
pattern maker at Vauxhall
(GRP). Other components that were CNC machined

included the working mechanisms and micro switches.
These were then installed onto the main frame, which was
made from sheet metal by an outside supplier, and tested to
make sure they worked as intended.
Throughout all this work, there were ongoing meetings
between CAe and Ogle. Being only 25 miles away, CAe
would periodically visit to check on the status of the project.
The logistics of this project were extremely important,
especially when coupled with Ogles ability for rapid
response to design change.
Ogle was able to keep CAe informed of progress and
build issues as they occurred to help us keep to a very tight
schedule, says Jackson.
After finalising the seat models and frames, the entire
unit was taken apart and all of the components finished to
the required specification before the final assembly. Even
the labels that appear on a production seat were applied to
make the models look authentic.
Jackson was very pleased with the quality of the final
product. Every quality decision was put to us by Ogle to
ensure that we had an end product that would suit our
clients needs, he says.
Since the project, CAe have used Ogle to create parts for a
motorsport simulator and have another aerospace motion
cueing seat in the pipeline.
5 Ogle worked with
its client Cranfield

Aerospace to produce
motion cueing
simulator seats for
fast jet pilot training
different skill set

Its evident that, despite the many high tech solutions
Ogle offers, it still requires a great deal of skill to put the
models together. Although some of the traditional bench
model making skills (see below) may no longer be required,
todays model makers need a different skill set. As well
as being skilled in the use of all conventional workshop
equipment including woodworking, milling and turning,
model makers also have to possess a good knowledge of,
and preferably be able to operate, the newer technologies
including SLA, SLS and vacuum casting.
However, finding qualified people is challenging
especially as product model making courses are no longer
offered by UK colleges and universities. Hand skills cannot
be taught overnight and, for this reason, Ogle has an
apprenticeship scheme in place.
We train people in-house, which is important because
we are all getting older and if we dont have these skills
we wont be able to offer a whole project solution to our
clients, says Bennion.
So, although some may say that the era of traditional
model making is drawing to a close, Ogle proves that its not
only surviving, but thriving. We managed to go through
the economic downturn and last year we had a 14 per cent
increase on turnover, says Martin.
We have invested in both staff development and new
machinery because you have to keep ahead of the game. Its
a race all the time.
oglemodels.com
Motors.
Similarly, Ogles MD Len
Martin also started out as
an engineer and pattern
maker before moving to
Ogle as a model maker 36
years ago.
In those days a model
maker would literally
fabricate models from
scratch. A presentation
model, for instance, was
carved out of wood based

on the clients 2D drawing.
So, it was the model
makers interpretation of
what was drawn on the
piece of paper.
If it was a plastic
component, wed fabricate
it from a flat sheets of ABS
and then form, bend and
cut out all the bits and
carefully fit all the parts
together.
I remember doing an old
handset that came with
a keyboard on it. It was a
difficult and highly skilled
job fabricating it out of
all those little bits and
pieces, which probably took
three to four weeks to do.
Whereas now, its built on
an SLA overnight, adds
Martin.
Although some of these

traditional skills may no
longer be required, todays
model makers need a
different set of skills. As
Martin says, although
the computer may have
replaced a chisel, you still
need to know how youre
going to create that model,
break it apart and put it
back together again.
5/9/14 21:41:08
Release your True Potential

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VIEWPOINT
the storm
on the hor
Tom Kurke, knows a thing or two about 3D content creation often posting
views on his website 3dsolver.com. Here, the former president of Geomagic who
currently runs his own consultancy business, mentors with the Startup Factory
and recently joined the Board of Advisors of Paracosm, tackles the subject of
intellectual property in the coming world of distributed digital manufacturing
e are certainly in the midst of a

transformation in the way that 3D
content creators and consumers
interact with, exchange, and
even make physical 3D data.
Traditional notions of what
represents content worthy of protection will be stretched,
perhaps even broken, as an acceptable solution is found
for all participants in the ecosystem. One that enables
3D content creators to properly monetise their creativity,
whilst allowing 3D content consumers to leverage quality
content, possibly even paying for it along the way. It wont
be easy, but there is a path forward.
In early 2012 I began a series of posts on my blog
3dsolver.com on the intersection of intellectual property
(IP) with the dramatic changes inuencing the 3D capture/
modify/make ecosystem. Of course, 3D printing is but
one of many possible outcomes of a 3D capture and design
process. In the first post in this series entitled The Storm
Clouds on the Horizon in February 2012, I discussed my
thoughts on how the Napster era was upon us for digitally
captured real world content.
There is a growing awareness and understanding of IP
considerations in the 3D ecosystem from consumers who
wish to use their in-home 3D printers to produce an item
to a company within a distributed digital manufacturing
chain working for a large consumer goods company.
Concerns about IP have been accelerated by the
transformative technical changes on both ends of this
ecosystem.
the technologIcal shIft

Over the last few years there has been continuing
acceleration in the hardware, software and services
necessary to empower digital design and manufacturing
processes. Earlier in 2014, I identified the following key
trends in the capture/modify/make ecosystem for object
based 3D capture and manufacture:
KEY TREND
MARKET EXPRESSION
Democratisation of low
cost 3D capture devices
and solutions
Low cost sensors + real time model and scene reconstruction (Intel
Real Sense 2H FY14, Apple/PrimeSense ecosystem, Softkinetic,
Photogrammetry, Light Field)
Additional reconstruction algorithms (e.g. Kinect Fusion SDK,
Reconstructme, Skanect, PCL Libraries + KinFu, Meshlab)
New processing and

interaction paradigms
GPU compute, a critical enabler for newest reconstruction

techniques
Democratisation of
3D printing + Makers
Movement
Sub $1K 3D printers, rst consumer resin printers, 3D print service

bureaus (in-store and remote); Makers: The Industrial Revolution,
Techshops and Maker Faires, Raspberry Pi + Arduino, Lego
Mindstorms, Minecraft we were born makers
Gamied content
capture, creation and
modication tools
123D Catch and Make, Tinkercad, SketchUp, Shapeways Creator,

Occipital Sense
Crowd sourced design and

open source 3D content
communities
Quirky, 3D content communities like GrabCAD, Thingiverse, and 3D

Warehouse (among others) as well as forward thinking companies
Accelerating investment
in 3D capture and printing
technologies
Crowd funded: B9 Creator, 3D Doodler, LynxA, Matterform, Fuel3D

VC: Makerbot, Mcor, Form 1, Occipital, Floored, more coming!
Over arching policy issues
Intellectual property, societal (e.g. 3D printed guns) and everything

in between
We are at a unique point in which both ends of the

capture to make ecosystem are being impacted by dramatic
technological changes. The change is continuing, the pace
is accelerating.
The last several years has seen many new market entrants
on the consumer/prosumer 3D printing side. But, in my
opinion, what is equally or more transformative is the
impact that new low cost/smaller form factor 3D capture
devices will have in this space. For instance, Intel now adds
its RealSense depth sense technology to every laptop it
ships, Google is progressing with Project Tango along with
its software partners, and other 3D data capture solutions
are also being developed and distributed to consumers.
I looked at some of these market players in a blog post
p28_29_31_32_D3D_SEPT14_Tom Kurke IP.indd 28
5/9/14 21:41:41
m Clouds
orizon
When
people can
more easily
digitise,
share,
copy and
reproduce
real world
3D content
how
will that
change the
landscape
for content
owners and
consumers
alike? What
existing
business
models
will be
threatened
and what
new ones
will be
created?
I wrote in November 2013 entitled Apple buys tech behind

Microsoft Kinect (PrimeSense) 3D Scanning Impact?.
Then in December 2013 I examined how new passive 3D
capture technologies, leveraging plenoptic (a.k.a. light field)
cameras, may find their way into consumers phones or
tablets in Light field cameras for 3D imaging.
The recent research paper, which is co-authored by
Microsoft Research and published during SIGGRAPH
2014 earlier in August, Learning to be a Depth Camera,
demonstrates that 3D capture and interaction can be
implemented by applying machine learning techniques
and minor hardware modifications to existing single 2D
camera systems.
With the convergence of technologies, its likely we will
see the growth of multifunction 3D capture and printing
devices that attempt to offer one button reproduction
(and transmission/sharing) of certain sized objects in
certain materials. Examples even exist today. The ZEUS, for
instance, is marketed as the first ALL-IN-ONE 3D Printer
/ Copy Machine whilst the Blacksmith Genesis recently
started a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo.
While I believe the eco-system is lagging in producing
software tools that make it easy for non-professional users
to create, find and personalise 3D content, we are only a
short time away from dramatic changes there too.
When people can more easily digitise, share, copy and
reproduce real world 3D content how will that change the
landscape for content owners and consumers alike? What
existing business models will be threatened and what new
ones will be created?
What exactly is Intellectual Property in

the Context of Digital Manufacturing?
Many things! It may be represented in trade secrets as in
the confidential, differentiated manufacturing processes
used to produce something. It may be represented by
copyright as in the rights a sculptor would have in his
latest creation. It may even be represented by patent as in
a unique and novel device. In the EU, a design can also be
protected by registered or unregistered design rights
With this in mind, what if your son broke the leg of his
favourite action figure and you decided to repair it using
something you produced and either printed on your own
3D printer, had it printed at Staples or had it printed and
shipped from Shapeways?
What if you were able to find and download a
manufacturable model (in STL format) of that action figure
that someone had uploaded to one of the many model
sharing sites and used that as the basis of the print job?
What if the person who uploaded the file had created the
model by hand? What if the person who uploaded the file
created the representation by 3D scanning an undamaged
action figure? What if you scanned, printed, and repaired
the item in your own home but did not share the files?
What if it was not an action figure, but a retaining ring for
one of the low voltage lights that keeps getting run over in
your front garden?
Do these differences matter? Absolutely.
The type of content (artistic or functional), the reason for
manufacture (new item, replacement part, etc.), how the
content was generated (from scratch, printable file obtained
from a third party, the end result of a 3D reality capture
process, from the manufacturer, etc.) and where the content
will be manufactured (in your home, at a local store, on a
third partys networked printer, at a remote service bureau
and shipped, etc.), all matter. In some instances the content
might not be protected at all, in others it might touch
multiple types of third party IP.
There is not enough space within this article to give
you a general primer on all of the IP issues in the create/
capture/modify/make ecosystem. Instead I have provided
a list of several excellent publications and presentations as
background reading (see box on page 31).
Authors in this space cover a broad spectrum of opinions
from those who believe that IP issues need to be better
understood in digital manufacturing as many objects are
generally not protectable, to those who believe that the
democratisation of capture and printing technologies
will utterly transform manufacturing supply chains and
potentially substantially devalue IP rights.
I fall in the middle ground, believing that the
fundamental technical and market changing technologies
will stretch the concept of IP and, as we have seen with
the music industry, over time the ecosystem will adapt
including the law.
Intellectual Property Concerns an

Impediment to Continuing Growth?
IP concerns have moved beyond theoretical to being
deemed by manufacturers as one of the most potentially
disruptive impacts of the broadening reach of additive
manufacturing. In June 2014, PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC) and the Manufacturing Institute published
the report 3D Printing and the New Shape of Industrial
Manufacturing (PwC Report).
The report is broad reaching and well worth an extended
read. One section in particular examines the potential for
additive manufacturing to shrink supply chains. It reads:
5/9/14 21:41:41
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VIEWPOINT
Companies are re-imagining supply chains: a world
of networked printers where logistics may be more about
delivering digital design filesfrom one continent to printer
farms in anotherthan about containers, ships and cargo
planes. In fact, 70% of manufacturers we surveyed in the PwC
Innovations Survey believe that, in the next threefive years,
3DP will be used to produce obsolete parts; 57% believe it will be
used for after-market parts.
When the PwC Report survey participants were asked
to identify what they felt the most disruptive impact wide
adoption of additive manufacturing technologies could
have on US manufacturing, the threat to intellectual
property was second only to supply chain restructuring.
This concern should not really be all that surprising.
In October 2013, the market research firm Gartner, in
conjunction with its Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, made a
series of predictions that would impact IT organisations
and users for 2014 and beyond. Several related to the impact
that cheaper 3D capture and printing devices would have
for the creation of physical goods predicting staggering
losses from the piracy of IP. A press release published by
Gartner states:
By 2018, 3D printing will result in the loss of at least $100
billion per year in IP globally. Near Term Flag: At least one
major western manufacturer will claim to have had IP stolen
for a mainstream product by thieves using 3D printers who will
likely reside in those same western markets rather than in Asia
by 2015.
The plummeting costs of 3D printers, scanners and 3D
modelling technology, combined with improving capabilities,
makes the technology for IP theft more accessible to would-be
criminals. Importantly, 3D printers do not have to produce a
finished good in order to enable IP theft. The ability to make a
wax mould from a scanned object, for instance, can enable the
thief to produce large quantities of items that exactly replicate
the original.
I do not share the dire predictions of Gartner. Firstly,
many of these hardware and software technologies have
existed for many years and secondly, the process of creating
high quality digital reproductions (either from scratch or
from a 3D reality capture process) is still very difficult, even
for experienced users. But over time, if a consumer can
manufacture something in their home at comparable cost
and quality to what theyd buy in a store, why wouldnt they?
recently Hasbro licensed a handful of artists to create

derivative works based on a toy from its My Little Pony line.
These customisations can be purchased from Shapeways.
Buoyed by the success of this launch, Hasboro and
Shapeways are now soliciting designers to create
customised 3D printable designs based on Dragonvale,
Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly, My Little Pony, Scrabble
(to be sold in the US and Canada only) and Transformers
with upload instructions posted to superfanart.com.
What will accelerate these types of projects piloted by
Nokia, Hasboro and Shapeways?
There are obviously business and technical hurdles in
distributed digital manufacturing, but there are also some
fundamental IP issues which need to be resolved as well:
ISSUE
POTENTIAL RESOLUTION
De-facto and proposed new

manufacturing le formats do not
encapsulate intellectual property
information
Rene specication to make each le selfdescribing and/or to develop a metadata

wrapper like ID3 for MP3
Inconsistent, and perhaps even

inappropriate, licensing schemes used
for 3D data
Development of a harmonised community

type licensing scheme for 3D content
Safe harbour provisions of the DMCA apply

only to copyright infringement
Statutory extension of these protections to

all forms of intellectual property
Ill examine each of these issues and potential resolutions

in more detail below. In my mind, there are clear parallels
to the music industry what lessons can be learned from
the digitisation and distribution of digital content there?
Which business methods are ultimately prevailing?
MaNufaCTuriNg file forMaT eNCapsulaTiNg

iNTelleCTual properTy iNforMaTioN
The de-facto standard for digital manufacturing is STL

(from STereoLithography a.k.a. Standard Tessellation
Language). STL benefits from being well known and
is computationally easy to read and process, but the
challenges with it are many. For instance, it doesnt scale
well to higher resolutions, there is no native support for
colour or materials properties, its unit-less and doesnt
compress well.
A new standard has been proposed to replace STL, known
as AMF (Advanced Manufacturing Format a.k.a. STL2). Al
Dean reviewed AMF and compared it to STL in his January
2013 DEVELOP3D article Alpha-Mike-Foxtrot to STL. More
iNTelleCTual properTy issues iN digiTal
useful background information can be found at the AMF
MaNufaCTuriNg
Obviously there must be a willingness of content owners to Wikispace (amf.wikispaces.com).
Without getting into a debate as to whether the current
share and distribute their IP for distributed manufacturing,
AMF specification is good enough to grow into the next
whether as part of a collapsing supply chain for industrial
de-facto standard, it is important to recognise that the
manufacturers or to authorise someone to produce a
handling of IP rights are specifically excluded. Section 1.4
licensed good in their own home.
of the ASTM AFM specification (found at astm.org) reads:
We are seeing companies test the water. For instance,
This standard also does not purport to address any copyright
Nokia experimented in early 2013 by providing STL and
and intellectual property concerns, if any, associated with its
STEP models of certain phone cases for 3D printing, in
use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to meet
early 2014 Honda released its 3D design archives, and
FURTHER
READING
A few excellent publications

and presentations as
background to intellectual
property issues in the
create/capture/modify/
make ecosystem,
principally looking at US
law, however:
Patents Meet Napster: 3D
Printing and the Digitization
of Things tinyurl.com/
digiofthings. This is a
good review of all forms

of IP in the ecosystem, as
well as proposed changes
to existing statutory
framework.
It Will Be Awesome
If They Dont Screw
It Up: 3D Printing,
Intellectual Property,
and the Fight Over the
Next Great Disruptive
Technology tinyurl.
com/dontscrewitup. A
seminal article written
by Michael Weinberg at
the Washington DC-based
public interest group
Public Knowledge.
3D Printing and the
Future (or Demise) of
Intellectual Property
tinyurl.com/demiseofIP.
Presentation by John
Hornick, a partner at the US
IP law rm Finnegan.
The Deal
With Copyright and 3D
Printing tinyurl.com/
dealcopyright. Followup article by Michael
Weinberg, does a good
job of explaining the
important nuances in an IP
analysis involving physical
items versus digital
representations of those
Whats
models.
Legal
Aspects of 3D
Printing tinyurl.com/
legalaspects3D. Whilst
the other articles and
publications deal with
in depth issues, this
article on the European
Parliamentary Service
website provides a useful
broad summary of the
various issues.
5/9/14 21:42:05
VIEWPOINT
directly commit acts of infringement.
In 1998 the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
became law in the United States. The DMCA creates
limitations on the liability of online service providers for
copyright infringement by third parties when engaging
in certain types of activities primarily relating to the
transmission, storage and searching/indexing of data.
These have become known as the safe harbour provisions
of the DMCA.
To receive these protections, service providers must
comply with the conditions in the Act, including providing
clear notice and takedown procedures that permit the
owners of a licensed content to stop access to content which
they allege to be infringing.
The DMCA provides a safe harbour to service providers
for copyright infringement. If, for example, it turns out
that they hosted or store content upload by a third party
which was found to be infringing. There are a few key
limitations: (1) the content may not be modified by a service
Inconsistent/inappropriate licensing
provider (if it is, the DMCA safe harbour protections do not
schemes for 3D data
apply); and (2) the DMCA only limits liability for copyright
Most 3D printing service bureaux and model hosting
infringement, it does not help protect a service provider
sites have licensing terms that are only concerned with
copyright, rather than dealing more broadly with the entire from other potential forms of infringement.
The first DMCA take down notice for 3D printed
bucket of potential IP ownership and licensing concerns.
content was sent to Thingiverse (now part of Stratasys)
Several rely on the Creative Commons Licensing (CCL)
scheme (creativecommons.org), or some variation thereof, in February 2011 for a Penrose Triangle that could be 3D
printed. Shapeways, Materialise and many others in the
as the foundation for the licensing relationship between
ecosystem commented on the notice and what it meant for
their content creators/contributors, content consumers/
the industry at large.
users and their own services. Being concerned only
Unfortunately, in a world of distributed digital
with copyright, or exclusively using the CCL scheme for
manufacturable 3D content (via 3D printing or otherwise), manufacturing, there is the potential for more than
just copyright infringement functional items that are
is misguided.
manufactured and used may (and I stress may) violate
Creative Commons is acutely aware of using the wrong
third party patents, trademarks, trade dress, design
license type for functional content, see the blog post on
rights, etc. This could open up participants in the digital
its website from January 2012 entitled CC and 3D Printing
manufacturing chain to claims of secondary infringement
Community. The challenge with the current CCL schemes
for rights other than copyright. These are typically much
are that they were never intended to cover functional
content, that which might be covered by IP rights other than more difficult claims to make, just by the nature of what
needs to be demonstrated under the law, but potentially
copyright. According to the above blog post:
chilling nevertheless.
With the exception of CC0, the Creative Commons licenses
What is Needed? Extension of the concepts in the DMCA
are only for granting permissions to use non-software works. The
to cover the broader bucket of IP rights beyond copyright.
worlds of software and engineering have additional concerns
In Section III(c) of Patents Meet Napster: 3D Printing and the
outside of the scope of what is addressed by the CC licenses. 3D
Digitization of Things (see box piece on page 31) a similar
printing is a new medium which encompasses both the creative
domains of culture and engineering, and often 3D printed works conclusion is reached and a framework for implementation
is proposed. Such changes need to be considered and
do not fall neatly into either category.
implemented in a way that does not create or extend
Creative Commons explored the creative/functional split
in a Wiki for the 4.0 release of licenses, but did not develop a secondary liability to more players in the ecosystem, but
rather provides a safe harbour for certain non-copyright
framework for a license covering both types of content.
claims should infringement liability otherwise exist.
I examined these issues previously in more detail in a
two part post on my blog at the end of last year The Call for
a Harmonized Community License for 3D Content. While
More Certainty Will Bring Business Model
dated, these materials can be useful background.
Exploration
Why does this matter? There is presently no licensing
Forward thinking content owners, like Hasbro, recognise
consistency among the various players in the digital
that over the next several years there will be substantial
manufacturing ecosystem potentially meaning that there transformations in the digital manufacturing ecosystem.
are tens, or even hundreds, of flavours of license grant, for IP metadata in self-describing digital files, harmonised
the same content.
licensing schemes and revised statutory frameworks will
What is Needed? An integrated, harmonised licensing
help accelerate these changes.
scheme addressing all of the IP rights impacted in the
Ultimately, there is a universal market need for an IP
digital manufacturing ecosystem drafted in a way that
licensing, clearance and payment infrastructure to support
non-lawyers can read and clearly understand. This is no
the seamless distribution and payment for manufactuable
small project, but needs to be done.
content. When content creators have an easy way to
monetise their content through licensing, content
consumers can find and pay for quality content, and simple
Do the Safe Harbor Provisions Apply?
personalisation tools have been created, we will truly see a
It is possible, via secondary or vicarious liability, to be held
transformation in digital manufacturing.
legally responsible for IP infringement even if you did not
any intellectual property regulations on the use of information

encoded in this file format.
Further, the AMF specification is lacking support for
metadata containers that would allow for the file content to
be self-describing at some level.
What is needed? A file format (AMF or other) for
manufacturing that specifically allows for metadata
containers to be encapsulated in the file itself. These data
containers can hold information about the content of the
file such that, to a large extent, ownership and license rights
could be self-describing.
An example of this is the ID3 metadata tagging system
(id3.org) for MP3 files. Of course the presence of tag
information alone is not intended to prevent piracy,
but it certainly makes it easier for content creators and
consumers alike to organise and categorise content, obtain
and track license rights, etc.
There is
presently
no licensing
consistency
among the
various
players in
the digital
manufacturing
ecosystem
potentially
meaning
that there
are tens,
or even
hundreds, of
flavours
of license
grant, for
the same
content
5/9/14 21:42:05
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MODEL MAKING
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OGLE ARE NOT JUST MODEL MAKERS.

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TCT SHOW 20
EVENT PREVIEW
Forty 3D printer manufacturers are showcasing machines at TCT SHOW 2014

at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, from 30 September to 2 October. Before you go,
get to know the basics of the different processes and what to look out for
THE FIVE KEY 3D PRINTING PROCESSES
3D
Systems
CubeX
Formlabs
Form 1+
BluePrinter
FILAMENT-BASED SYSTEMS
UV CURABLE RESINS & SLA
SINTERING FOR PLASTICS
QUICK FACTS
Tough durable parts and prototypes
Office-friendly
Very low cost of entry
Wide range of non-proprietary materials
Low energy requirements
Broad range of build sizes
Highly competitive market
Large build volume machines
Growing sophistication at entry level
QUICK FACTS
Typically high resolution parts
Low post processing requirements
Massive array of materials
Cost of entry is lowering
Special purpose materials available
Ultra fine layer size and resolution
Competition is growing
Extensive second user machine market
Costs likely to drop in coming years
QUICK FACTS
Tough, resistant parts
Advanced composite + filled materials
UV resistant
High materials costs
Stackable build chambers
Machine costs starting to drop
Large build volumes
Materials offerings growing
Finishing & painting can be troublesome
THE KEY THREE

3D Systems CubeX
MakerBot Replicator (5th Gen)
MarkForged Mark One
THE KEY THREE

Formlabs Form 1+
DWS XFAB
Envisiontec Ultra 3SP HD
THE KEY THREE

BluePrinter
EOS Formiga P110
3D Systems sPro 60 SD
THE BASICS
Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or
freeform layer modelling machines use a
filament of plastic to build parts. They are
arguably the most dynamic group in the 3D
printing industry.
THE BASICS
Stereolithography uses laser optics to solidify
UV curable resin on a build platform and
subsequent layers, typically in a vat of resin.
Theres more on the way at the desktop
with Rolands new machine and Autodesks
forthcoming machine.
THE BASICS
Sintering has its roots in the ceramics
industry, where it is described as the process
of creating objects from powders using heat
to bind together, at the atomic level, just below
the melting point of the material.
THE OPTIONS
Theres a huge range of FDM machines
available to suit even the most cost conscious
budget. While Stratasyss machines offer
the greatest level of automation, more recent
entrants into the market are catching up.
THE FUTURE
The FDM market is heaving with options,
many of which are essentially the same
machine in a different package. The key
differentiators, particularly for professionals,
are automation, consistency and reliability.
THE OPTIONS
The materials options are broad and get into
some very specialised areas from optically
clear parts and medical grade resins, to
composites and into those suitable for casting
or plating. Pretty much anything else you can
imagine.
THE OPTIONS
Theres been huge growth in the adoption of
sintering in recent
years. More recent advances are seeing
machine sizes grow and some interesting
materials become available.
THE FUTURE
Sintering is an inherently more complex
THE FUTURE
exercise with issues surrounding the
With the gradual expiration of the patents
handling of powder, the heat required to
surrounding stereolithography, we should see sinter materials together and the reuse of
more action at the entry level that will bring
excess material. That said, BluePrinter has
high resolution, ultra detailed part builds to
shown theres scope to do something new,
the desktop and design office.
rather than copy.
p34_35_D3D_SEPT14_TCT preview.indd 34
5/9/14 21:42:31
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For everything you ever wanted to know

about professional 3D printing from
model prep to manufacturing, machines
to materials download DEVELOP3Ds
comprehensive 40-page guide 3D
Printing for the Professional
develop3d.com/downloads/
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2
TCT SHOW +
PERSONALIZE 2014
Mlab
Cusing R
Mcor
Technology
Iris
PRINTING WITH METALS
ALTERNATIVES AND SPECIALS
QUICK FACTS
Its metals not plastics
Powdered metal is widely available
Rich and established post processing
Inert gas is often needed
Tough resilient components
Material costs fluctuate with market
New competition in market
Low waste/scrap compared to NC
Definitely one for the shopfloor
QUICK FACTS
Broad range of alternatives
Ability to piggieback on other industries
Growing range of specialisation
Special purpose materials development
Lower costs of entry
Greater industry process support
Novel approaches to part building
Large build volume machines
Growing acceptance of entry level
THE KEY THREE

Mlab Cusing R
SLM 280HL
Renishaw AM250
THE KEY THREE

Mcor Technology Iris
3D Systems ProJet 1200
CeraFab 7500
THE BASICS
Irrespective of the exact process for each
varying machine, the principles are the same.
A powdered metal is hit with a heat source
(laser, electron beam, name your choice),
brought to near melting point and fused
together layer by layer.
THE BASICS
In terms of technology there are many
3D printers that dont fall into a specific
category. Some are developed to support
specific materials or industry practices whilst
others offer an entirely different approach to
producing parts or prototypes.
THE OPTIONS
While most powdered materials represent
a fire/explosion hazard, powdered printing
metals, titanium in particular, are doubly
so. As a result, youll need a three phase
electricity supply to feed the lasers.
THE OPTIONS
Many mainstream technologies can be
adapted to suit the needs of specific industries
or processes. Its worth spending time to find
out whats available, and TCT LIVE will be
perfect for finding these.
THE FUTURE
Metal printing is one to watch, with the ability
to create complex forms lattice structures,
conformal cooling channels in tooling or just
plain unmachinable or uncastable shapes
from a wide variety of materials being key.
THE FUTURE
Specialisation is not new look at how the
hearing aid and dental industries took to both
metal sintering and SLA. As the technology
becomes more mainstream, investment
grows and more organisations will look to
provide new solutions.
or three days, from

30 September to 2
October, Hall 3A of the
NEC, in Birmingham,
will be home to TCT
Show + Personalize, an
annual free-to-attend
event dedicated to the 3D printing,
additive manufacturing and product
development sectors.
The big news for this years show is
that over 40 additive manufacturing
machine manufacturers will be in
attendance flaunting their wares.
Alongside the industry giants
(Renishaw, 3D Systems, Stratasys,
EOS and ExOne) and familiar faces
(Mcor Technologies, EnvisionTEC,
Voxeljet, SLM Solutions, Arcam and
Blueprinter) there will also be some
relative newcomers including Prodways
and Markforged.
On the desktop end of the machine
manufacturer scale, Formlabs,
Ultimaker and Beijing Tiertime will
be demonstrating their offerings.
MakerBot will be in attendance too with
its enigmatic CEO Bre Pettis joining
Jenny Lawton, MarkerBots president, in
the conference room on 1 October for a
talk entitled The Story, Philosophy and
Future of MakerBot.
Other speakers taking to the stage in
the conference room over the three days
include: Dr Jordon Brandt of Autodesk,
who will be discussing the companys
recent entrance into the 3D printing
hardware space; and Andy Christensen,
3D Systems vice-president of surgery
and medical devices, who will be
sharing his views on medical additive
manufacturing hardware.
Alongside the exhibition and
conference, TCT Show + Personalize
will also include initiatives such as
Bright Minds UK, the Startup Zone and
the RepRap Hub, as well as a range of
technology sessions catering for both
newcomers and pros.
Of course DEVELOP3D will be there
too. Come over to our stand and say hi!
tctshow.com
p34_35_D3D_SEPT14_TCT preview.indd 35
5/9/14 21:42:33
PROFILE
SHIFTING
GEARS
Italian gear manufacturer BP Riduttori reaps benefits from an investment

in a measuring system supplied by Hexagon Metrology
P Riduttori, a family-owned
company based in the province
of Venice, may be small but its
technical expertise has been
relied on for over 46 years by
renowned companies in the transport, railway
and pharmaceutical industries to supply a
vast array of gears and gear teeth.
Its product portfolio is wide ranging from
common spur gears and helical gears to
Gleason spiral bevel gears, differential
reduction gears, bevel gears, worm screws,
drive shafts, gearbox speed multipliers,
angled gear units and worm screw jacks.
Federico Bortolami, second-generation
owner and the companys technical director,
explains, The applications of gears in
the real world are extremely varied and
although gears may meet specifically defined
requirements, they are subject to a good deal
of variation. When the kinematic system

that the gear is a component of has relatively
simple characteristics, you can use off-theshelf gears.
However, as the system gets more complex
and accuracy requirements get higher,
dedicated gear profiles and couplings
become necessary. They allow the correct,
efficient and effective transmission of
motion and minimise the wear, noise and
loss of precision. As a result, the mechanical
designer will create the gear geometry as a
function of the characteristics of the machine
that is going to hold the gear, not vice-versa.
different requirements
From the most traditional but
demanding applications for
powertrains through to highaccuracy machines for the
pharmaceutical industry and to gyro control

mechanisms, each application has different
characteristics and requirements.
Our company did not want to step on
the throttle with mass production. On the
contrary, we wanted to make our experience
of over 40 years available to those who require
specialised components and consultancy
at the design and manufacturing stage,
comments Bortolami.
We often support the technical
departments of our customers to assess the
best solution as early as the design stage.
Less frequent, but not uncommon, are
cases in which we have to reproduce and
possibly alter existing gears whose geometric
The new coordinate
characteristics or mathematical
measuring machine is
models are unknown, and real
equipped with a Leitz
reverse engineering is therefore
LDP-X1 continuous
required.
scanning sensor
p36_38_D3D_SEPT14_hexagon.indd 36
5/9/14 21:42:59
210x297_forceindia-2014.indd 1
19/08/2014 09:43
PROFILE
Inspection challenge
As a solution to its dimensional inspection
challenge, BP Riduttori recently purchased
a DEA Global Silver 9.12.8 coordinate
measuring machine, equipped with a
TesaStar-sm indexable probe head, a Leitz
LSP-X1 continuous scanning sensor and
QUINDOS 7 software.
Before acquiring a measuring machine,
we used traditional measuring tools and
equipment. These were certainly very
reliable, but less effective, and sometimes
they struggled to provide an overall evaluation
of not only gears but also drive shafts, slots
and bearing seats, says Bortolami.
Opting for a tool like a measuring machine
has therefore been the obvious choice. Our
DEA Global Silver has a comprehensive
range of equipment as regards to both
sensors and software. We have a continuous
scanning sensor, which is essential for the
accurate probing of profiles. It is attached
on an indexable head, allowing repeatable
orientation in hundreds of positions in space.
This enables us to access and measure
even the most complex gears. With the high
degree of specialisation in the field, weve
opted for the QUINDOS measurement
software, complete with several application
modules dedicated to the various types of
gears. This gives us a full detailed analysis

of every gear type and allows us to generate
inspection reports that go with our products
and certify their quality. We can also rely on
Curve Analyzer, a very useful application
package for the quick analysis of the 2D
profiles that are typical of our daily work.
inspect not only the gear tooth characteristics,

but also the geometry of drive shafts and
wheels all with a single system, comments
Bortolami.
Learning processing
The staff have gradually learnt how to operate

the measurement system with one-on-one
training from skilled Hexagon Metrology
Full support
The measuring system supplied by Hexagon engineers.
The measuring machine and the control
Metrology supports various stages of the
and inspection software are very easy to use,
manufacturing process for the BP Riduttori
but our applications are often rather complex
gears. Some measurements are performed
and above all very varied. The advice provided
on drive shafts and bearing seats after the
turning operations that are carried out before by the Hexagon Metrology application
engineers has been essential for us. Theyve
the gear teeth are cut. After machining and
helped us to better define methods and
final processing of the gear teeth there is the
metrological sampling of the lots, and in case strategies for measuring components that
would be very difficult to analyse, adds
of very particular gears or limited quantity
runs, the certification of every individual part. Bortolami.
One of the future steps will be the
The QUINDOS software and its
inspection and reverse engineering of gear
application modules have been created with
teeth that we have only physical samples of,
attention to the specific requirements of
which our customers want to reproduce and
gear manufacturers, and this is apparent,
possibly improve. We rely on our measuring
continues Bortolami.
machine to perform these tasks in a more
It is unlike other more general packages,
efficient and accurate way than weve been
which require more processing and are not
able to do so far with traditional tools.
always capable of providing all the results
we need. Moreover, a measuring machine
bpriduttori.com
is a general purpose tool that allows you to
hexagonmetrology.co.uk
p36_38_D3D_SEPT14_hexagon.indd 38
5/9/14 21:43:20
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EXPLORING SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS

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Standardising on Teamcenter
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5/9/14 21:44:57
Special Report: Siemens PLM Software Industry Solutions

Sponsored by Siemens PLM Software
KODA AUTO
koda uses virtual commissioning with Tecnomatix to reduce
risks with time saving potential and ergonomic simulations to
enhance worker safety
Automotive OEM: Top industry
challenges that Siemens PLM
Software addresses
TRENDS
Increased cadence for the refresh

of existing or new products in the
marketplace
Constant pressure around the quality
and reliability of the product line
Ever increasing complexity of the
product to accommodate customer
demands
Increasing market price pressures
affecting profitability
SOLUTIONS
KODA AUTO (KODA) is one of
the worlds oldest automobile
manufacturers, dating back to 1895,
when Vclav Laurin and Vclav
Klement formed a partnership that laid the
foundation for more than 100 years of Czech
expertise in automotive engineering.
Now part of the Volkswagen group, employing
more than 26,500 people worldwide, the
company manufactures seven car models the
Citigo, Fabia, Roomster, Octavia, Yeti, Superb
and Rapid producing 879,000 cars in 2011.
Thanks to the Volkswagen groups substantial
investments in development and production,
koda automobiles now stand for exemplary
quality, reliability, practicality and value.
DIGITAL FACTORY SUPPORTS GROWTH

KODA management has defined ten strategic
initiatives to support business growth,
several of which will be led or supported
by the manufacturing engineering group,
including sharing and re-using modules among
multiple car models, continuously improving
manufacturing, shortening production time per
unit, optimising return-on-tools investment and
establishing new plants and production lines
overseas.
The manufacturing engineering
group decided that many of these initiatives
would best be powered by broadening the
scope of its digital factory project.
The digital factory project at KODA is
a comprehensive engineering approach,
covering a range of methods, procedures and
tools intended to support industrial production.
This includes using cutting-edge software
technologies to create a digital factory that

becomes an exact virtual image of physical
production.
The digital factory teams tasks include
creating the methodology for using digital
manufacturing tools, implementing longterm plans and setting the objectives for
this initiative, assisting in project planning
and optimisation of product development,
providing ergonomic simulations with motion
capture systems, communicating with the
Volkswagen group, jointly developing and
applying group standards, and raising internal
awareness of this initiative.
DIGITAL FACTORY BASED ON TECNOMATIX
The discovery of process deficiencies after
production has begun can lead to costly
changes. The manufacturing engineering
challenge is to identify, analyse and resolve
these issues before they are encountered on the
shop floor.
Various departments at KODA, such as
body in white (BIW) planning and tooling
and logistics planning, use a range of digital
manufacturing tools from the Siemens PLM
Software Tecnomatix portfolio. Tecnomatix
is used for process planning, simulation,
validation and optimisation.
Its tools support the analysis and validation
of the planned production concept in an
early stage of the production process before
physical equipment is built. This enables
any manufacturing engineer involved in
development to visualise the future process
and propose improvements. As a result,
key proposals based on deep analysis can
Collaborative development of
manufacturing systems leading to
predictable launches
Managed environment provides early
access to product engineering data during
manufacturing
Integrated validation of manufacturing
to optimise process productivity and
efficiency
Fast and efficient process development
Predictable program performance &
profitability
be evaluated and approved on time, so that

superfluous corrective actions can be reduced.
The digital factory includes an integrated
network of digital models, methods, simulations and 3D visualisations intended for
comprehensive planning, implementation,
management and continuous improvement of
all manufacturing processes.
The digital factory provides an up-to-date
digital image of the planned or existing
production to enable transparent and instant
communication regarding feasibility, progress
and costs of new processes and products.
KODA deploys several aspects of the
Tecnomatix portfolio, including robotics and
automation planning tools for the BIW lines,
human simulation tools for the analysis and
evaluation of shopfloor workers workload and
optimisation of ergonomics (based on recorded
moves from motion capture), and logistics
planning tools for optimising internal logistics.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensSKODA
2 www.siemens.com/plm
5/9/14 21:45:16

EISENMANN
Eisenmann shortens project delivery time for an automated
flight service cart system for New Doha International Airport by
conducting virtual commissioning using Plant Simulation
s a future hub of international air
traffic, the New Doha International
Airport (NDIA) in Qatar set out to
create a smoothly functioning,
reliable logistics system. NDIA selected
industrial automation specialist, Eisenmann
Conveyor Systems, to install an electrified
monorail system (EMS), linking all operational
stations in the new state-of-the-art catering wing
and assuring the airlines supply of flight service
carts.
These carts will provide the airplanes with
food, drinks, duty-free articles and newspapers.
Within this exceptional airport, the carts
of all arriving and departing airlines will
be processed on schedule and to rigorous
standards.
With 130 trolleys and roughly 20,000
transports per day, the 1.6 kilometre long EMS
lies at the heart of this logistical masterpiece.
The monorail will effectively and efficiently
link the various process steps involved in this
delivery system, including all the measures
necessary to clean and equip the carts with
82,000 meals per day.
Carts arriving in the incoming area will be
manually pushed onto the waiting EMS trolleys
and transported to the supply station, where
they are emptied. The empty carts on the EMS
trolleys will pass through the cleaning zone, and
then proceed to the various terminals.
The corresponding destinations will be
specified by the material flow computer (MFC)
from Eisenmann.
Eisenmann is using Siemens PLM Softwares
Plant Simulation solution in the Tecnomatix
portfolio to simulate such testing virtually,
hence the term, virtual commissioning.

The process of testing a facility or plant
to verify that it functions according to
specifications is called commissioning.
Advances in technology have made it possible
to conduct significant portions of this testing
using computer systems, which simulate in
great detail the plants operation. This can save
companies substantial amounts of time and
money by modelling and optimising operations
long before construction begins.
In the NDIA project, we have used Plant
Simulation intensively, says Dr. Monika
Schneider, simulation expert at Eisenmann
Conveyor Systems. We started with the 2D
layout of the catering building, and built a
simulation model that runs an animated
simulation on this layout. For the quotation
phase, in which we had to fix the number of
trolleys and lifting stations, the track length
and other parameters, we simulated a peak
scenario. The material flow starts from the

incoming area to the main highway, through
which all the trolleys are going. Special attention
was given to the routes of empty trolleys,
according to priority rules, in order to prevent
blockage of trolleys by other trolleys during low
profile times.
In this project, we practiced for the first time
with a virtual commissioning concept, by
connecting the MFC to the simulation model,
and thus we were able to identify and resolve
most of the problems in the MFC program. You
can actually visualise any improper material
flow in the virtual simulation model. I worked
on this side- by-side with a control programmer,
who developed and debugged the control
programs.
As we set up this connection for the first time,
we were rather impressed, because everything
worked as documented.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensEisenmann
Industrial Machinery: Top challenges that Siemens PLM Software addresses

#1 SMARTER MACHINES: The drive for more
intelligent, more connected machines means
that greater integration of software design
with electro/mechanical design using a single
platform is a key driver for innovation.
#2 GLOBAL COMPETITION: In an
increasingly global marketplace, industrial
machinery design is becoming driven by the
requirement to standardise and modularise
offerings so that they can be combined to
offer customers unique solutions that solve
their challenges more efficiently.
Intelligent use of modularisation and a
platform approach also enables costs to be
reduced, giving extra room for margin.
#3 CUSTOMISED PRODUCTS: To deliver

custom products, leading manufacturers
are looking to several methods to assist
with delivering individual solutions to each
customer.
Modularisation and a platform-based
approach also mean that theres a need to
identify, capture and test interfaces between
each module. Many are also looking to design
automation as a method of taking time and
effort out of parts of the process, where
applicable.
#4 REGULATORY PRESSURES: A global
marketplace brings additional pressures
in terms of regulatory requirements. By
integrating development into a single

platform, manufacturers can build traceability
into their processes and support traceability
through out the entire lifecycle of a product.
#5 VIRTUAL COMMISSIONING: The
ability to capture all aspects of a machines
development (from customer requirements,
through planning, geometry of components
and systems to mechatronic interaction and
into software) provides the manufacturer
with ability to test and commission a machine
virtually prior to physical installation. This
means that issues in all areas can be explored
and corrected long before arrival at the
customer site.
www.siemens.com/plm 3
5/9/14 21:45:28

HYUNDAI HEAVY
INDUSTRIES
Worlds largest shipbuilder creates first digital shipyard
environment using Tecnomatix and Teamcenter to improve
productivity in Korea
yundai Heavy Industries (HHI)

Shipbuilding Division, based in
South Korea, is the worlds largest
shipbuilding company. With ten
large-scale docks and nine Goliath cranes, it
has the ability to customise ships according
to different needs, and continues to develop
new shipbuilding technologies with its large
research staff.
HHI produces oil tankers, chemical tankers,
bulk carriers, oil product tankers, container
ships, car carriers, gas tankers, floating
production storage and offloading (FPSO)
ships, drillships, special ships, battleships and
submarines. In addition to the shipbuilding
business, HHI is also a recognised global
leader in the marine, plant, engine machinery,
electrical and electronic, and construction
equipment sectors.
In 2005, the shipbuilding division
implemented a new 3D computer-aided design
(CAD) solution, but there was no connection
between the CAD system and the divisions
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Also, most of the design data was managed on
PCs causing security problems and duplicate
work. These drawbacks highlighted the need
for a change, and HHI began searching for an
innovative strategy that would help the division
react to the fast-changing shipbuilding market
and maintain its competitive edge.
CREATING A DIGITAL SHIPYARD

The search led to product lifecycle
management (PLM) technology from Siemens
PLM Software, in particular its Tecnomatix
software for digital manufacturing and
Teamcenter software for product data
management (PDM). The implementation of

these solutions allowed the division to achieve
the integrated management of shipbuildingrelated data and create an environment for
design work and process innovation.
To deploy truly innovative product lifecycle
management, we have implemented Siemens
PLM Software, which allows integrated
management across the whole process of sales,
design, production, and after-sale services, says
Seung-Seok Kim, general manager at HHI.
Now, bills of materials (BOMs) and 3D JT data
created using the CAD system are managed
with Teamcenter, making the information
easy to share as well as quickly identifiable
for possible re-use. Also, the design process
has been standardised, creating a solid
foundation for enhanced efficiency and
better management of design changes. The
new approach minimises errors and helps
in keeping to the schedules by managing
workflows and creating to-do lists (using
Teamcenter).
PLM SPECIALISED FOR SHIPBUILDING
The strong production simulation capabilities
of Tecnomatix, in conjunction with the use
of Teamcenter, have created a truly digital
shipyard environment that has improved
design and work efficiency.
Changes to designs and schedules are
automatically managed by the system, which
also routes work to the relevant departments,
eliminating omissions that previously might
have caused extra work. HHI has also been able
to enhance the quality of its designs through
re-use of existing information.
HHI is proud to have implemented what
it understands is one of the largest PLM

deployments in the world, specialised for
shipbuilding.
Future plans include adding new
functionality over time, such as support for
mobile computing devices and bringing aftersale services under PLM management.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensHHI
Shipbuilding: Top industry

Software addresses
TRENDS
Increasing fleet modernisation

Growing poor performance on new
shipbuilding program launches
Emergence of low cost competition

Tightening budgets and investment
capital
SOLUTIONS
Implement integrated digital technology

foundation that spans the entire enterprise
Adopt a holistic approach to shipbuilding

with Shipbuilding Catalyst that accelerates
time-to-value
The Shipbuilding Catalyst from Siemens

provides shipbuilders with best practices,
process support and examples of how to
facilitate implementation
5/9/14 21:45:54

INDUSTRIA DE TURBO
PROPULSORES
Aerospace engine manufacturer consolidates two separate
Product Lifecycle Management systems with a single
Teamcenter implementation
Aerospace: Top industry
Software addresses
#1 TRACEABILITY: Traceability is
now mandated between all individual
verification test plans, physical test article,
specific test, fixtures, instrumentation and
results and specific requirements across
a global supply chain in a completely
closed loop system. At the same time,
full system verification of all customer
requirements means that all such activities
are scheduled, linked to requirements
along with planning documents and results
providing optimal utilisation of verification
assets.
ndustria de Turbo Propulsores

(ITP) is a global leader in aircraft
and industrial engines. Founded
in 1989, ITP is owned by Spanish
engineering group SENER and Rolls-Royce.
Based in Spain, it employs 3,000 workers
distributed over 18 operational centres located
in Spain, the United Kingdom, Malta, the United
States, Mexico, India and China.
ITP participates in the development of
gas turbine components and modules in
international programs for military and civil
engineering. It also offers its own in-service
support, including maintenance, repair and
overhaul (MRO) and high value-added services
to major engine manufacturers worldwide. ITP
is a partner in important civil aircraft programs
and with the European Defense Consortium
(EUROJET, EUROPROP, MTRI) in collaboration
with companies such as Rolls-Royce, General
Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Snecma and
Honeywell.
Our ambition is to become a first-rate
engine manufacturer - a highly diversified,
technological company providing
services throughout the whole lifecycle of
manufacturing and maintenance of products,
says Ignacio Mataix, chief executive officer of
ITP.
For years, ITP was using two different PLM
systems: Windchill from PTC for engineering,
and Teamcenter software from Siemens PLM
Software for manufacturing.

However, in 2010, with the aim of further
developing its successful policy of integration
between the two areas, ITP decided to use a
single corporate PLM software to manage its
organisational information globally, covering
the entire products lifecycle.
After a thorough market study, and based on
the positive experience with Teamcenter and
its good performance in the manufacturing
area, ITP chose the Siemens PLM Software
solution.
After a year of work, the first phase of the
PLM system was completed successfully. The
implementation requires us to think about how
to improve the processes and to re-engineer
them, says Iaki Fernndez Arza, manager of
design integration. When adopting a key tool
like Teamcenter, the relationship with Siemens
PLM Software becomes absolutely strategic. On
one hand, we hope to be able to transmit our
needs to Siemens PLM Software. In exchange,
we expect them to be able to understand
these needs and bring on the best solutions.
We know Siemens PLM Software is able to
gather experiences from other industries to
give us more added value regarding what we
are looking for in terms of quality, integration,
uniqueness of data and process improvements.
We are talking here about a relationship likely
to last a few years, if not decades.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensITP
#2 STANDARDISATION OF TOOLSET
AND PROCESS: The fomalisation of not
only tools but also design methods is
becoming a key driver for innvoation and
cost reduction. Using a single platform
alongside management of parts in
standards based format means greater
ease of reuse, simplified IT upgrades, lower
training costs (due to consistency) as well
as the simple fact that staff can easily be
re-allocated based on need rather than
capability.
#3 ENTERPRISE ACCESS TO DATA: Its
essential that data is made available across
the enterprise. New design work should
be carried out using the standardised set
of tools and data formats, but any legacy
information should enabled for reuse
using neutral file formats where possible.
This also has implications for CAD
version compatibility both upwards and
downwards.
#4 SECURE COLLABORATION: The
use of secure web-based collaboration
with suppliers is essential. This means
that an infrastructure that protects
intellectual property beyond the firewall
is fundamental. The use of neutral, yet
intelligent file formats also means that
conflcts in shape data between suppliers
can also be reduced.
5/9/14 21:46:11

SAMSUNG
Product lifecycle management solution built on Teamcenter and
NX enables collaboration and provides fast, secure access to all
necessary information at leading electronics manufacturer
amsung Electronics is one of the
top-ten electronics manufacturers
in the world. In terms of market
share, the company is the worldleading manufacturer of mobile and smart
phones, colour TVs, TFT-LCDs, memory chips
and colour monitors.
Innovation has been key to this success, and
innovation is what drives the company to this
day. We believe that continuous innovation
is the only way companies can achieve a
sustainable competitive advantage going
forward, says Taedong Kim, a senior engineer
at Samsungs Electronics R&D Centre.
Our goal is to maintain our market leadership
by launching innovative products in a timely
manner, and offering products that far exceed
those of our rivals in terms of affordability,
quality and design.
Samsung is a global organisation with 128,000
employees in 120 offices in 57 countries. In
keeping with its focus on innovation, nearly one
out of four employees is directly involved in
developing tomorrows products at a growing
network of 17 R&D centres located on almost
every continent. We believe innovation must
come from all members of the global, extended
enterprise, Taedong adds.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INNOVATION

In the early 1990s, realising the importance of
digital design and manufacturing, Samsung
implemented the I-deas design software
solution, now referred to as NX.
Several years later, the company began to
build the supporting infrastructure including
an in-house product data management (PDM)
system called SPDM that was implemented in
1997.
Today more than 10,000 people use SPDM in
all global business units, R&D centres, design
centres and overseas sites every day. In recent
years, the company decided to augment
this PDM system with additional product
lifecycle management (PLM) functionality
the Teamcenter solution from Siemens PLM
Software.
The company has integrated Teamcenter with
SPDM to bring the additional infrastructure
functionality needed for effective, global
innovation.
Teamcenter provides collaboration
technology to link the companys
geographically dispersed sites as well as
visualisation functionality that lets nonCAD users view and work with design and
engineering data.
Samsung has approximately 3,000
Teamcenter users. The software has been
implemented in all 13 global business units. On

average, it took about four and half weeks to
complete the Teamcenter implementation for
each business unit.
This included Teamcenter server setup and
legacy data clean up and migration, followed by
administrator and user training.
Samsung was able to maximise product
development efficiency by using NX in the full
product lifecycle from design to manufacturing.
At the same time, Samsung significantly
enhanced its product competitiveness by
implementing an auto verification system
to eliminate errors in the early development
stages using Teamcenter mockup and
clearance capabilities, resulting in improved
product quality and faster product delivery.
GLOBAL COLLABORATION
Today all CAD data and project-related
documents are stored in Teamcenter, enabling
members of extended teams to access product
information easily.
With Teamcenter, information is easily
shared between design and engineering
teams, for example, and between multiple
locations. Overseas subsidiaries also access
product information this way.
Teamcenter has removed limitations that
hindered global collaboration in the past. For
example, design and engineering teams had
difficulty sharing data in the past.
That is no longer the case now that data is
centrally stored and managed. Other product
information, which was difficult to control
(such as assembly structures and CAE/digital
mockup data), is now under Teamcenter
management for fast, accurate access.
Similarly work-in-process and released data
are stored together in one integrated system.
Other Teamcenter benefits have been
realised in the area of bill of material (BOM)
creation, validation and change.
Now that this work is being handled within
Teamcenter, the processes are faster and there
is less chance for human error.
Efficiency in BOM management has
improved as design options are linked with
model variants. And it is possible to maintain
CAD-BOM consistency during engineering
changes.
In every stage of product development, we
have been able to solve problem areas by using
Teamcenter, says Taedong.
Samsungs Teamcenter implementation has
established a concrete foundation for digital
design and manufacturing and set the stage for
effective global innovation.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensSamsung
Electronics & Semiconductor:

Top industry challenges that
Siemens PLM Software addresses
#1 INTERNET OF THINGS & CONNECTED
COMPLEX DEVICES: Conduct New
Product Development and Introduction
(NPDI) feasibility study with early and
integrated product cost / profit analysis
across business functions including sales,
marketing, engineering, procurement, and
manufacturing
#2 INCREASINGLY COMPLEX REGIONAL
AND GLOBAL REGULATIONS: The
ability to demonstrate product compliance
against material content regulations and
sustainability requirements (RoHS, REACH,
ePEAT, etc). This is accomplished using
PLM capabillity to provide up-to-date
material data, closed loops for compliance
processes, supply chain material
declaration and real time compliance
report against material content regulations
and sustainability requirements (RoHS,
REACH, ePEAT, etc.)
#3 INCREASING FAILURE RATE OF NEW
PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS : Conduct
NPDI feasibility study with early and
integrated product cost / profit analysis
across business functions including sales,
marketing, engineering, procurement, and
manufacturing
#4 EMERGENCE OF NEW COMPETITORS
OFFERING LOW COST, FUNCTIONALLY
RICH PRODUCTS: Ensure early design
for cost and environmental compliance
by providing the enterprise with a single
source for design, cost, and compliance
data in a virtual environment for quality
assessment
5/9/14 21:46:48

FMC TECHNOLOGIES
Serving the global oil and gas industry at sites across the planet
led FMC Technologs to centralise on the Teamcenter platform to
assist with management in a multi-CAD world
MC Technologies is a global
leader providing mission-critical
technology solutions for the
petroleum exploration, production
and processing industries. The company
designs, manufactures, tests and services
systems, subsystems and products for energy
clients, enabling them to produce, control,
transport and process oil and gas.
A truly global company, FMC Technologies
operates in multiple regions, including the
United States, Canada, Brazil, Africa, Scotland,
Norway, France, the Netherlands, Germany,
Italy, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
FMC partners with customers and suppliers
to develop configurable systems using globally
executable standard products.
BOOSTING ENGINEERING PRODUCTIVITY

Management focus at FMC Technologies is
aimed at providing customised solutions while
minimising the number of engineering hours
devoted to each project.
Reducing engineering hours is a big focus
of management, says Steve Joiner, manager
of Global Engineering Systems. Its critical for
profitability and for speeding time-to-market.
One key strategy for achieving this is the reuse of existing product information. This is the
goal not only within each individual facility, but
also enterprise-wide.
In the past, we had the capability of managing
product information at each site, but we didnt
have very good visibility of the global picture of
who was doing what, says Joiner. That is what
we needed if we were really going to leverage
product information across the enterprise.
FMC Technologies chose Siemens PLM
Softwares Teamcenter software, a complete
product lifecycle management (PLM) solution,
to address its global product development
needs.
The most important benefit of Teamcenter
is that it allowed us to go global, says

Joiner.
He notes that the company has
gone well beyond computer-aided
design (CAD) data management
with Teamcenter integration for NX
software and SolidWorks software.
He explains, Other CAD data,
material specifications, engineering
specifications, design documentation,
quality data, manufacturing data and
tooling test fixtures are managed using
Teamcenter across all seven design
centres and their satellite facilities.
Teamcenter is also used to manage
product review and release workflows.
When data from one of the sites is released, it
then becomes available to other sites as part
of the release cycle. Without Teamcenter, we
could export an entire database to another
facility, but we would have no control over
what we supplied to the other sites, says Joiner.
Using Teamcenter, we can send out data on an
item-by-item basis and share that information
very concisely. Teamcenter is used to manage
workflows identically at all seven sites,
advancing consistency across the enterprise.
PLM TO SUPPORT GROWTH AND
COMPLIANCE
The scope of FMC Technologies solutions has
expanded dramatically in recent years. In the
past, the business supplied point solutions such
as oil and gas wellheads. Now the solutions
range is much broader, covering a great deal of
the energy extraction and transport process.
The enhanced engineering efficiency
brought about by Teamcenter has supported
this growth. With the ability to re-use product
data from the different design centres, we
are executing more projects without a
corresponding increase in personnel, says
Joiner.
Another area in which Teamcenter plays

a critical role is regulatory compliance. In
the oil and gas business, there are numerous
regulatory agencies that dictate everything
from product design to environmental issues at
job sites.
Teamcenter is helpful here because its use
enables all engineering documentation to be
managed according to regulations. For example,
the system has been set up to limit access
to information to authorised users only, a
requirement of all regulatory agencies.
The use of Teamcenter also provides
confidence that parts are built to the correct
specifications during manufacturing. When
we design a part in our system, we determine
to what specification we must certify that part,
says Joiner.
When we make the part, it is constructed
according to the requirements that engineers
placed against those parts. Manufacturing
personnel can easily determine the version of a
specification to which the part will be audited.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensFMC
Energy & Utilities: Top challenges that Siemens PLM Software addresses
#1 COMPLEX GLOBAL
DELIVERY MODELS: Existing
information systems are
fragmented and dont provide
adequate information to make
mission critical decisions.
Energy companies have seen
the huge benefits of platform
consolidation and connecting
personnel with with the global
supply chain
#2 INNOVATION DRIVING
GROWTH IN RESERVES:
Rapidly design, test and
manufacture innovative oil
and gas equipment and deliver
to customer specifications by
leveraging modular engineerto-order that offer customisable
solutions for each customer but
in an economically manageable
manner
#3 NEED FOR SAFER MORE

RELIABLE SERVICES : Design,
test and deliver products with
high quality, velocity and
productivity with proof that
what was specified was what
was delivered. Documentation,
tracking and tracing of
compliance across product,
project and international
requirements
#4 DEMAND FOR
KNOWLEDGE WORKERS:
Rapidly identify, engineer,
deliver and execute services
and equipment contracts by
leveraging information and
expertise across the organisation
available via information
and process management
solutions. Harmonisation of the
information platform is essential
5/9/14 22:07:59

TEREX EQUIPMENT
Leader in construction equipment, Terex, is using a combination
of NX and Teamcenter to increase its competitive advantage in an
increasingly cost driven market
erex Equipment Ltd. is part of
the global Terex Corporation,
the third largest manufacturer of
construction equipment in the
world. Terex Equipment has three product
lines: five models of a 6 x 6 articulated dump
truck, five models of a rigid dump truck for
general construction, quarrying and surface
mining, and the well-known push-pull scraper.
The company has 600 employees and
manufactures 1,200 trucks a year.
What does it take to design and manufacture
a product such as an off-highway dump truck
that travels at up to 40 mph over tough quarry
and mine terrain all day every day at some
98 percent availability for up to 20 years? It
takes the right staff with the right skills and
the right tools, especially if the truck is to
be manufactured in volume, profitably and
with consistently high levels of customer
satisfaction. That is why Terex Equipment
chose to upgrade its existing CAD system to the
NX digital product development system and
the Teamcenter digital lifecycle management
system.
BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY AND LOWERING

COSTS
Alan Clark, an engineering project manager
at Terex Equipment, is responsible for new
product development for off-highway dump
trucks. Some of these models have a working
life of 20 years or longer. Its a hard life for our
vehicles and we face a number of challenges in

designing them, Clark says.
The construction business is becoming
more competitive, with our customers
under increasing pressure to reduce costs
and maintain margins. In response, we must
reduce the total cost of vehicle ownership and
increase vehicle productivity while ensuring
compliance with ever tightening emission and
safety regulations.
The company is currently devoting a lot of
time to developing and updating its trucks for

the future. In an effort to do this as quickly as
possible, one of its strategies is to reduce the
number of build problems in the prototype.
Our aim is to get the prototype right the first
time, Clark notes. To do that, we need software
that can handle assemblies of several thousand
parts. Our aspiration is to be able to view a
whole vehicle in 3D, complete down to the last
washer.
tinyurl.com/D3DSiemensTerex
Heavy machinery: Top challenges that Siemens PLM Software addresses

#1 PRODUCT COMPLEXITY:Todays heavy
machinery industry is one driven not just
by capacity and brute force, but also by
customers seeking more intelligent products
with greater connectivity for monitoring use,
capacity and capability. This is the driving
force behind many of the challenges facing
the design, engineering and manufatcuring
teams.
#2 CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT:
With customers demanding more tailored
solutions, manufacturers are looking to
modularisation to assist with offering them
bespoke solutions without crippling their
own business. Smart use of a modular
approach means that this can be achieved
in a cost efficent manner - but something
alltogether more sophisticated is required
when managing configuration.
#3 DATA REUSE: The reuse of existing

parts or sub-systems is key to effective
modularisation. To first find, then reuse
existing data requires a centralised approach
to data management and intelligent search
tools (by both text and metadata as well as
geometry-based search). Once pre-existing
parts and assemblies are found, the need
to be able to reuse not only the geometry of
those parts, but all their metadata, validation
records and traceability of their lifecycle
means that rework can be greatly reduced,
giving inherent cost savings for each
subsequent project.
#4 PART & ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING:
Again, configuration management comes
into its own on the shopfloor. At a part level,
the integration between PLM, CAD and
CAM, typically across multiple sites, means
that the correct configurations are being

manufactured using the correct CNC code.
At an assembly level, the same applies, but
ensures that not only are the correct subsystems assembled, but also that shopfloor
documentation and work instructions
are available to those that need them in a
controlled and managed environment.
#5 SUSTAINABILLITY AND
REGULATIONS: For the heavy machinery
industry, theres a drive to ensure that
products meet sustainability goals (from
both the customer and industry legislation)
as well as regulatory requirements. By
integrating development into a single
platform, manufacturers can build
traceability into their processes and support
traceability through out the entire lifecycle
of a product.
5/9/14 21:47:18
REVIEWS
HARDWARE REVIEW
Lenovo
ThinkStation
P Series
With striking industrial design, tool-free
maintenance, flexible upgrades and
advanced cooling Lenovo has delivered an
impressive new chassis for its ThinkStation
P Series workstation. Greg Corke reports
he race to design the ultimate

desktop workstation chassis is
well and truly on. The industry
has long waved goodbye to the
noisy grey box with a spaghetti
mess of wires inside. Today, its
all about sleek industrial design
(inside and out), tool free serviceability and
whisper quiet operation.
As far as Windows-based workstations go,
everything changed in 2009 when HP introduced
the Z Workstation. This made other vendors sit up
and take notice and Dell and Fujitsu responded
with their respective Precision T Series and
revamped Celsius family. Meanwhile, Lenovo, once
a pioneer in workstation chassis design, found
itself lagging behind.
Lenovo needed to address this and two years
ago embarked on a major project to completely
redesign its desktop ThinkStation workstation
chassis one that wasnt remarkably different to
the one it inherited from IBM in 2005.
The result is the brand new ThinkStation P Series,
which includes the ultra high-end ThinkStation
P900, the high-end ThinkStation P700 and
mainstream ThinkStation P500, all of which were
unveiled last month.
All three machines are due to ship in October to
coincide with the launch of Intels Haswell-EP Xeon
E5 processors, but we were lucky enough to have
a sneak preview. And, from our hands on probing,
Lenovo certainly looks to be taking the game to its
workstation competitors.
The range features an array of user serviceable
features, impressive customisation and a highly
engineered cooling system. Its exciting stuff for
geeks who like to tinker but also for CAD/CAM/CAE
users who want their workstation to grow with their
needs or, perhaps more importantly, cant afford

downtime if things go wrong. So lets have a look at
some of the key features.
FLEX appeal
The new ThinkStation P Series is all about flexibility,
where each box can be customised to individual
user requirements and components chopped and
changed throughout the life of the machine.
This manifests itself in four main features,
which go under the FLEX moniker. Theres some
excellent stuff here.
FLEX bay: Most optical disc drives (ODDs) are used
once in a blue moon so Lenovo has created the FLEX
Bay, a front sitting 5.25-inch bay that allows you to
drop the ODD in favour of more practical technology.
Additional I/O ports, card readers or storage can
all be added to the two or three FLEX Bays that
are located at the front of Lenovos new machines,
alongside four permanent USB 3.0 ports.
The most practical additions are arguably IEEE
1394, PCIe, eSATA or more USB ports. New I/O
technologies, such as Thunderbolt, will also be
made available next year.
Other FLEX Bay options include a 9-in-one or
29-in-one media card reader and, importantly,
front-loading drives.
Putting storage at the front of the workstation
makes perfect sense for convenient replacements
or upgrades. And, if data security is a concern, its
also very easy to remove drives for safe keeping
overnight, under lock and key.
Of course, with three bays to play with on the
ThinkStation P900 and two on the P700 and P500
you can still keep your ODD up front, even swap
it out for a slimline drive. The important thing is
theres flexibility should you need it and you can
have pretty much anything you want at the front of

your machine.
FLEX connector: Building on its focus on future
upgrades, Lenovo has also introduced the FLEX
connector, a bespoke, small footprint PCIe card that
slots into the motherboard, in a different location
to the standard PCIe slots.
The idea is users can add new workstation
technologies without having to take up a full size
PCIe slot.
Lenovo currently offers a RAID, I/O expansion
(PCIe, USB and SATA), or fast M.2 storage adapter,
with can host two 256GB or 512GB SSDs. Others
will follow, including new I/O technologies like
Thunderbolt. Cables are routed to ports in the front
FLEX Bays.
The FLEX connector is a nice idea, and one that
will certainly appeal to high-end users who have
compute-intensive CAE or rendering workflows.
Here, demand for PCIe slots can be high and some
users max them out by hosting multiple GPU
compute boards (Nvidia Tesla) or high-performance
Fusion I/O storage.
Lenovo says FLEX connectors will not only give
users more flexibility but will mean they wont be
burdened with the cost of technologies that they
might not necessarily need.
The ThinkStation P900 can support two FLEX
connectors: the P700 and P500 one.
FLEX Drive Trays: This is more standard fare for
a workstation chassis and allows users to add and
remove hard drives without having to reach for a
screwdriver.
Each FLEX Drive tray can host a single 3.5-inch
drive or two 2.5-inch drives, which clip neatly into
position inside each tray. Once the drive(s) are in
p41_42_43_44_D3D_SEPT14_Lenovo.indd 41
5/9/14 22:03:27
HARDWARE REVIEW
place the tray simply slots into the chassis, pushing
up against a back plane to automatically connect
power and data. Theres not a cable in sight.
Strangely, the top-end ThinkStation P900 is the
only model to come with this blind connect back
plane as standard, though it is an option on the
ThinkStation P500 and ThinkStation P700.
The beauty of Lenovos FLEX Drive trays is they
are all identical, even across the different P Series
models. This makes it very easy for enterprises to
manage a whole family of differerent machines.
All systems come fully populated with drive bays
so you can update to the maximum number of
supported drives whenever you want.
FLEX Power: This is another common feature in
modern workstations a power supply unit (PSU)
that can be swapped out in a matter of seconds.
Simply pull on the red lever and out
it comes.
In years gone by a failed PSU could
take hours to replace, as the many
power cables coming off it would need
to undone and re-routed as they were
permanently connected to the PSU.
The PSU truly earns its FLEX status
in the ThinkStation P500 and P700,
where users have the choice of three
models. Each comes with its own
power rating - 490W, 650W or 850W
to serve different types of users, but
all have the same form factor. With all
the customisation available in the machine, from
CPUs and GPUs to storage and memory, there can
be a big difference in wattage requirements.
Lenovo says this tiered approach not only saves
cash at time of purchase but also can reduce
ongoing energy costs as you get a more efficient
power delivery system.
While the ThinkStation P500 and P700 offer huge
flexibility, the P900 is all about ultra high-end
performance so the PSU is fixed at 1300W. It does
pull out just as easily though.
inspiration came from a beer keg, we are told. One

can only imagine its design team spends a lot of
time down the pub.
Unlike previous ThinkStation generations, the
handles are totally integrated into the main body
of the chassis, instead of sticking out at the top
of the machine. This certainly makes for a more
elegant design.
Other elements of the design have also evolved.
The honeycomb grille - which Lenovo says is the
most efficient shape for moving air through a
membrane - helps retain the ThinkStations classic
identity. However, instead of being flush with the
front faade its now recessed a little.
But perhaps the biggest innovation is inside
the box. Pull off the side panel and you can
immediately see the influence of Lenovos
industrial design team inside.
the workstation and expelling it from the back.

Lenovo has extended its patented tri-channel
cooling technology, which as the name suggests,
breaks down the cooling into three distinct
sections. Each has a dedicated fan.
In the ThinkStation P900 the top fan takes care
of the top two drive bays, the PSU and the top
PCIe cards. The bottom fan cools the bottom two
drive bays and other PCIe cards.
The middle fan handles the front FLEX bays,
plus the CPUs and memory. Theres also a large
120 x 38mm fan at the rear that helps pull warm
air through that central section so it doesnt heat
other components.
Its in this central part of the case that things
get quite clever. With two 160W Xeon CPUs, each
featuring up to eight dedicated memory banks,
its important that each processor is given equal
attention. In other systems the
secondary CPU might get second hand
air warmed by the primary CPU.
To engineer this Lenovo developed
a complex passive, bifurcated air
baffle that features a series of ducts
to route dedicated cool air over
each CPU and each lane of memory
DIMMS. The plastic unit, which clips
into place, goes all the way down to
the motherboard to help ensure air
doesnt leak out and flows exactly
where it is supposed to.
Lenovo is very proud of the fact
that it manages to cool the entire workstation
even one that is fully loaded with high-spec
components with only four fans . It says some
competitors can use up to ten fans, adding to the
number of possible failure points.
Should there ever be a fan failure, replacements
take a matter of seconds. With blind mate
connectors, you simply pull one out and slot
another in. This also makes cleaning out dust and
fluff very easy.
Lenovo has delivered a new bold design.

Its minimal yet still functional, with the
industrial design team placing two handles
at the front and one at the back to make it
easy to move or load into racks
Body language
With the ThinkStation P Series Lenovo has
delivered a new bold design. Its minimal yet still
functional, with the industrial design team placing
two handles at the front and one at the back to
make it easy to move or load into racks.
For a machine that can weigh up to 35kg
fully loaded this was a must, says Lenovo. The
Red touch points throughout the interior draw

the eye to all the components that can be removed
and replaced without ever reaching for a tool. This
not only includes drives and PCIe cards, but the
PSU, fans and even the motherboard can all be
removed and replaced incredibly easily. In fact,
the only components that do require a tool are the
CPU heat sinks.
Cool runnings
Like most manufacturers, Lenovo is very serious
when it comes to keeping its workstations
running cool. Carefully managing airflow inside
the machine not only reduces fan noise but also
improves system reliability as components arent
stressed as much, says Lenovo.
The ThinkStation P-Series is said to run cooler
than Lenovos previous generation thanks to a brand
new thermal design, which builds on the tried and
tested principle of drawing in cool air at the front of
The P Series models

With the introduction of the ThinkStation P
Series Lenovo has tweaked the positioning of its
workstation line up a little.
The dual CPU ThinkStation P900 is the
replacement for the ThinkStation D30 but with
new levels of expandability it addresses what
Lenovo describes as the ultra high-performance
sector, catering for oil and gas customers as
The Lenovo ThinkStation P Series at a glance
Lenovo ThinkStation P300 (tower)

Entry-level 2D/3D
Lenovo ThinkStation P500

Mainstream CAD/CAM and BIM

High-end CAE and design viz

Ultra high-end CAE and design viz
Single Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3 or Core i7,

Core i5, Core i3 CPU
Up to 32GB DDR3 memory
Nvidia Quadro (up to two single width)
Up to four storage devices
175mm x 429mm x 424mm
(Shipped in May 2014)
Single Xeon E5-1600 v3 or E5-2600 v3 CPU

Nvidia Quadro and Tesla GPUs (up to two
double width)
Up to 11 storage devices (8 internal +
2 external + 1 M.2)
175mm x 470mm x 440mm
(Ships in October 2014)
One or two E5-1600 v3 / E5-2600 v3 CPUs

Nvidia Quadro and Tesla GPUs (up to two
double width)
2 external + 2 M.2)
175 mm x 470 mm x 440 mm
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 CPUs

Up to 512GB DDR4
Nvidia Quadro and Tesla GPUs (up to three
double width)
2 external + 4 M.2)
200 mm x 620 mm x 446 mm
5/9/14 22:03:28
1 P700 interior with four FLEX Drive bays and
2
3 P900
interchangeable PsU at the bottom
interior with and without air bafe. red touch

points draw the eye to components that can be
4
6 the FLEX Drive tray
removed without a tool
can host one 3.5-inch drive or two 2.5 drives
6 the P900s air bafe features a series of ducts
to route dedicated cool air over each cPU and

7 FLEX connector:
each lane of memory DiMMs
M.2 expansion card for superfast Pcie speed ssDs
8 all power supply units can be replaced with
ease and the P500 and P700 come with a choice

9 P900 fan
of three (490w, 650w or 850w)
with a red touch point (top) to pull out, and blind
connector (bottom) to automatically connect
10 P900 interior - the FLEX connector
to power
in blue (top right) allows new workstation
technologies to be added without having to take
11 the P900 has two
up a full size Pcie slot
handles at the front and one at the back to make
it easy to move or load into racks
10
11
5/9/14 22:03:35
HARDWARE REVIEW
well as users of CAE software. This will probably
include high-end design viz users as well, though
Lenovo does not state this explicitly.
Standout features include the ability to support
three double width PCI Express GPUs, such as the
Nvidia Quadro K6000 or Tesla K40, as well as a
single width GPU.
With 16 DIMM slots, theres capacity for 512GB
RAM, rising to 1TB when 64GB DIMMs become
available later this year. Theres also room for
a ridiculous number of storage devices (14)
including up to four high-speed M.2 SSDs that slot
into two FLEX connectors.
The dual CPU ThinkStation P700 now covers the
whole of the traditional high-end market. This
means there is no like for like replacement for the
ThinkStation C30, Lenovos much loved compact
dual CPU workstation.
The C30 stood out from the crowd because of its
impressive slimline chassis but because Lenovo
wanted to standardise components in the P Series,
including the FLEX Drive bays, it had to drop this
non-standard form factor.
The ThinkStation P700 takes things down a notch
in terms of expandability, but theres still plenty
of capacity. It can host two double width GPUs, up
to 384GB RAM (rising to 712GB with 64GB DIMMs)
and up to 12 storage devices. Theres only support
for one FLEX connector in this case (meaning a
maximum of two M.2 SSDs) and two FLEX bays.
The single CPU ThinkStation P500 shares
the same chassis as the P700 but the specs
are brought down a notch. In addition to only
supporting a single CPU, there are only 8 DIMM
slots and two PCIe x 16 slots.
Storage is still plentiful (up to 10 x 2.5-inch and

6 x 3.5-inch drives) but theres only room for one
256GB SSD in the M.2 FLEX Connector.
SoFTLy doES iT
In addition to hardware, Lenovo has also revamped
its supporting software, to both optimise
performance and improve error reporting.
Considering the success of the HP Performance
Advisor and Dell Precision Performance Optimizer
(DPPO) the fact that Lenovo has introduced its own
Performance Tuner comes as little surprise.
The idea is the software helps users monitor
system resources and tune their machine for
different workflows, based on the nuances of specific
applications.
At launch, Lenovo will provide preset application
profiles for a number of systems including AutoCAD,
Maya, SolidWorks and 3ds Max, but will add to those
over time. It will also allow users to create their own
profiles, controlling things like Intel HyperThreading,
number of CPU cores, graphics driver settings or
shutting down background apps.
We havent yet seen this software in the flesh but
from discussions with Lenovo it seems to be at a
relatively early stage of development. At launch,
system changes wont be dynamic. Instead it will
detect when you run a specific application and
recommend changes that need to be made manually.
Automation will come shortly after, says Lenovo.
Lenovo Mobile diagnostics is another new
software tool, designed to make it easier to
understand and report errors.
With most workstations, if you have an error on
the system you get a four-digit code, which typically
requires you to punch it into Google or look it up in

a manual.
With Lenovo Mobile diagnostics the ThinkStation
has a dedicated, always on, USB port on the front
of the machine that enables the error log to be
downloaded to an Android or Windows phone or
tablet or a USB stick. It reports errors in plain English,
ranks them in order of severity and also makes it
easy to share this information with tech support.
Lenovo also puts QR Codes on its ThinkStation
component, which users can scan to find detailed
information about technical specifications.
ConCLuSion
Lenovo has really gone to town with its
ThinkStation P Series and our first impressions
are very positive indeed. The chassis looks to
be extremely well designed, inside and out,
airflow and acoustics well refined and theres an
incredible amount of customisation that can go on
inside the machine. But therein lies a challenge.
Some customers are sure to invest time,
carefully choosing the best combination of
components, FLEX and non-FLEX, while others
may find the matrix of options quite bewildering.
Lenovo is onto this though and will be updating
its web-basic configurator to help customers wade
through the choices. And for customers that dont
necessarily care about customisation and simply
want a good looking, quiet machine, it will also be
promoting key SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) on a
country-to-country basis to hit different sweet spots.
We look forward to getting hands on with the
new ThinkStation W Series in the autumn.
SPECapc Solidworks 2013 Results NVIDIA 2000 Class

lenovo.com/workstation
SPECapc SOLIDWORKS
2013 P500/S30 Performance Ratio
LEnovo sharEs
sPEcapc solidworks 2013 thinkstation P500/s30 Performance ratio
Based onRelative
Quadro
2000Quadro
and E5-1620
- Sandy
Bridge
to
Nvidia
2000 and Intel
Xeon E5-1620
- Sandy Bridge (higher is better)
caD PErForMancE
Higher is better
bEnchMark FiGUrEs
SPECapc SOLIDWORKS 2013 P500/S30 Performance Ratio
Based on Quadro 2000 and E5-1620 - Sandy Bridge
Higher is better
1.13
CPU composite
While its too early to get
P500 E5-1620v3 K2200
our hands on a review
S30 E5-1620v2 K2000
1.21
P500 E5-1620v3 K2200
RealView Disabled
Composite
RealView
Disabled
S30 E5-1620 Q2000
machine for long term
results show a small but
S30 E5-1620v2 K2000
testing, Lenovo has shared
signifi
cant
leap
but
the
1.21
1.62
RealView Disabled Composite
Shaded withwith
Edges Composite
Shaded
Edges
S30 E5-1620 Q2000
some performance figures
biggest boost comes from
of its own using the
3D graphics. However, it
1.63
Shaded
Mode Composite
Shaded
Mode
SPECapc SolidWorks 2013
does depend on what you
1.62
Shaded with Edges Composite
and Creo 2.0 benchmarks.
are doing. In SolidWorks
2.22
Ambient Occlusion
Composite
Ambient
Occlusion
The results compare the
RealView Disabled
new ThinkStation P500 to
(simple shaded and edges
1.78
1.63
Shadows
Composite
Shadows
Mode for
Composite
a three year old and one Shaded
mode),
example, the
year old ThinkStation S30.
ThinkStation P500 shows
1.75
RealView Graphics
Composite
RealView
Graphics
All three single processor
a small improvement, but
2.22
Ambient
Occlusion
Composite
workstations feature
its only when when you
Graphics
1.62
Graphics composite
Composite
different generations of
turn on visual effects like
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
Intel Xeon CPUs and Nvidia RealView and ambient
24
1.78
Shadows
Composite
Quadro GPUs.
occlusion
that the Intel
SPECapc
SOLIDWORKS
2013
P500/S30
Performance
Ratio
See the specs below and
Xeon E5-1620v3 CPU and
the relative performance
Nvidia Quadro K2200 GPU
1.75
Higher
better
figures to the right. RealView Graphics
really start
to shine.
Composite
sPEcapc
creo is
2.0
thinkstation P500/s30 Performance ratio
SPECapc
Creo2
P500/S30
Performance
Relative to Nvidia Quadro
2000
and
Intel
Xeon
E5-1620
- SandyRatio
Bridge (higher is better)
1.13
CPU
Composite
In termsCPU
of pure
Composite the
CPU performance

SPECapc Creo2 Results NVIDIA 2000 Class
Lenovo
think
station
24
cPU
Memory
hDD
GPU
GPU driver
s30 sandy
bridge
0.00
RealView Disabled Composite
Intel Xeon
Intel Xeon
Intel Xeon
E5-1620
E5-1620v2
E5-1620v3
(3.6GHz, 4C)
(3.7GHz, 4C)
(3.5GHz, 4C)
Shaded with Edges Composite
8GB
8GB
Ambient Occlusion Composite

NvidiaQuadro Nvidia Quadro Nvidia Quadro
2000
K2000
K2200
Shadows Composite
333.11
340.52
RealView Graphics Composite

Graphics
Composite
0.50
1.00
CPU
CPU
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composite
1.62
Higher is better
1.21
P500 E5-1620v3 K2200

P500
E5-1620v3
K2200
S30
E5-1620v2
K2000
2.00
S30 E5-1620v2 K2000
S30 E5-1620 Q2000
S30 E5-1620 Q2000
1.25
1.50
1.63
1.78
Graphics
Graphics
Composite
composite
0.00
20
2.50
1.62
8GB
Shaded Mode
1TB
1TB Composite1TB
7,200RPM
7,200RPM
7,200RPM
SATA
SATA
SATA
333.11
1.13
CPU
Graphics
Composite
s30Composite
P500
ivy bridge
haswell
2.22
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.78
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
1.75
1.62
5/9/14 22:03:36
www.thinklogic.co.uk/workstations
Lenovo Ad.indd 1
05/09/2014 07:01
TCT 2014 Register Advert_Layout 1 04/11/2013 18:55 Page 1
HARDWARE REVIEW
Formlabs Form 1+
Formlabs reignited the stereolithography industry with its lower cost, desktop
machine. Al Dean spends a month with the newly updated and more robust Form 1+
to find out what the 3D printer is capable of
TECH-SPECS
Formlabs Form 1+
Stereolithography
(SL) build process
125 x 125 x 165mm
build volume
300 x 280 x 450mm
machine dimensions
3.5kg + 1.05kg
power adapter
0.025 - 0.1mm layers
Variety of UV
curable resins
Post processing and
finishing kit included
1 year return to base
warranty (UK-based
european servicing
centre)
8kg
Price 2799 + VAT
(inc. Machine, Finishing
Kit + 1 litre of resin)
formlabs.com
1 The new Form 1+
is a high resolution
desktop 3D printer
hen Formlabs launched

its Form 1 machine on
Kickstarter, it took the
3D print industry by
storm. While much of the action at the
desktop level had, until that point,
focussed on filament based machines,
the Form 1 looked to bring the resinbased, high resolution build method
of stereolithography (SLA) to a much
wider market.
Since then, the machines have been
shipped to customers, but earlier this year
Formlabs launched an updated iteration
of the initial model, incorporating a few
changes (mostly under the hood to the
mechano-optics) to solve issues that early
customers uncovered.
DELIVERy and SET-up

The Form 1+ is delivered in a couple
of boxes. Within those, youll find the
machine suspended in cling film and
packaged up to the hilt to keep it safe.
Then theres the Finishing Kit that well
get onto shortly. Youll also find the resin
bottles in a smaller package.
Set-up takes a matter of minutes. Once
the machine is out of the box, all the
packing removed, youll need to find a
location that has enough room around the
unit and at the rear so that the upper part
of the case can be tilted back to fill the
resin tank, put in the build platform and
get things running. Its also key that the
workbench or desk is level.

In terms of connectivity, it has the ever
present power brick and a USB cable to
connect it to your workstation/laptop.
Unlike many systems, you dont need
to have the machine connected to a PC
once the data is loaded, so the space
requirements are smaller than many such
machines.
Its then a case of loading the software
(it runs on both Windows and Mac) and
filling the resin tray. This is an orange
acrylic removable unit and its suggested
that you do this away from the machine, to
avoid any spillages into the open internals.
Handily and unlike the previous generation,
it comes with a lid. This serves two
purposes. Firstly, it means you can pour
in the resin and place it in the machine
without spillage, it also means you can
store unused resin without fear of it curing
from exposure to ambient light (itll keep
for a couple of weeks).
The tray is marked with levels so you
dont overfill it again, avoiding any risk
of spillage. Once the resin has settled,
youre about ready to get working.
your FIRST PRINT

As with any machine, your first print is
always an exciting time. The good news
here is that, unlike some of the other
desktop machines in the same price range,
the Form 1+ comes fully calibrated out of
the box. Theres no build platform levelling
and theres very little in the way of

learning curve. Perhaps the only portion
of the process that presents a challenge
is getting your head around the set-up
software and learning the ins and outs of
setting up a print job for the best results.
The good news is that Formlabs
PreForm software is pretty straightforward. Its clean, fresh and clearly laid
out. You begin, as you might imagine,
with importing the STL file of the part (or
parts) you want to build. Formlabs has
licensed the STL fixing tools from NetFabb,
so even if your STL file is less than perfect,
chances are itll import into the system.
One thing thats common, particularly
with downloaded data (less of an issue in
a professional environment), is that units
are often a bit wonky. Again, the system
recognises common issues and gives you
the chance to correct the scaling.
From thereon in, youll see the model
presented as it was exported and in the
generating systems co-ordinate space.
While it might look ideal, the build process
that the Form 1+ uses means that some
orientation is most likely to be needed. To
explain further, the system builds upside
down.
While those used to most other
processes will be familiar with the
machine depositing material on top of
each successive layer, here its the other
way around. All of the laser and optics are
in the base of the unit and it builds from
p47_49_D3D_APR14_FormLabs Form1plus.indd 47
5/9/14 21:48:33
HARDWARE REVIEW
SHOPPinG LiST
UV tool steriliser (~40): The
Formlabs machine uses UV curable
resins and while theyre solid straight
off the machine, to get the best surface
finish, youll need to cure them for a
little longer. While the sun will do it, on
a tight deadline, youll need something
more efficient. A good bet is a UV tool
steriliser, as used in beauty salons.
405nm laser pointer(~6): Whether
youre joining larger builds or fixing
parts in place, a decent method is to
use a UV laser pointer to cure a little
resin to solidify the parts in position.
Should cut down on any post processing
or clean up. Its also a nice way to fill any
artifacts from support break away.
isoprophyl Alcohol (~5 per litre):
Used to dissolve any excess resin.
Get hold of 5 litres as a start. Keep it
clean and youll get nice clean prints as
a result.
novus 1 (~ 11): An acrylic cleaning
solution (such as the resin tray) thatll
give consistent results.
Microfibre cloths: These are essential
for cleaning the base of the resin tray to
keep your builds nice and crisp.
non-powdered gloves: Get them, wear
them.
2
the bottom of the build platform, through
the resin tray and curing each layer.
The machine then peels away the tray
with a mechanical action, moves the
platform up and resets the layer of resin to
the defined thickness using capillary action
to coat the previous build. Watching it work
is rather magical, as your model slowly
emerges from the resin.
Because of this build method, parts
need to be oriented so that theres not
a huge cross section of part being built
at once which might cause the part to
rip off the build platform (as it causes
suction between the tray, the resin and the
already built parts). Using the Orient parts
command does this automatically.
Here you need to look at the orientation
of the part, decide whether youll get the
results you want and perhaps tweak or
have it orient again.
Once done, you then use the Generate
Supports operation. As with all such

machines, you need to build in supports to
help the build process.
Again, the build process means that this
is key to having a reliable build and getting
the results you want. Because the machine
uses the same support material, a little
extra thought put into where the supports
touch the part and which surfaces are key
to your build, is time well spent. If they
cant be avoided, it might mean a little
post processing with some sandpaper, but
thats about it.
Handily, the supports can be edited to
a good degree, so you can remove those
where they might cause issues and add
them into other positions. The real time
feed back that shows these areas is a
benefit here and the display shows, in red,
where extra support is needed.
Also, a slider to the right hand side of the
screen lets you step through the slices or
2 The PreForm
software gives you

tools to automatically
orient your part,
generate supports and
inspect the build. itll
also let you fine tune
things to get the best
results
WORKFLOW: FORMLABS PART SeT-UP, BUiLD AnD FiniSHinG
1 When preparing data for use on a high resolution device,
its key that you pay attention to the STL export options. If
theres facetting in the data, itll show in the part
2 PreForm gives you all the tools to correctly orient, scale,
generate support and prep your model for build. The red
areas show where additional support is needed
3 When your model is ready, connect the 3D printer to your
machine, transfer the files, ensure that theres enough resin to

build and hit the button. Sit back and let it work its magic
4 As the build completes, the machine carefully peals
away from the final layer and the part rises up out of the
resin. Let it drain a little and then remove the platform
5 Now it's time to carry out the finishing process. Pry it off
the build platform, drop it in the IPA rinse tub, seal it and
give it a shake.
6 Once the part has been through the alcohol rinse and
washed down, throw it into the UV Tool Steriliser. Once cured,

you can remove the supports and cure further if needed
5/9/14 21:48:37
layers of the build I found this useful for

finding areas that might be missed or need
additional support.
Compared to the brute force nature
of support generation in many desktop
FDM systems, the PreForm software
gives you solid results that, with a little
experience, let you get the results you
want. My personal advice is to forget what
youve used before and trust it to get the
orientation. We only had one failed build
during our time with the machine and that
was down to us trying to second guess the
set-up software.
RESIn opTIonS
While its key to understand the ins and
outs of the machine, its components, its
set-up software and the basics, what really
makes any 3D printer are the material
options.
The Formlabs machines were initially
shipped with a slick grey resin, but the
colour offering has been expanding over
the last few months with the black resin
being the most recent, launched alongside
the Form 1+. Each is supplied in 1 litre
quantities, in a tidy brown bottle that
keeps the UV light out.
Grey Resin: This was the first resin

Formlabs released with its machine. The
grey gives a nice finish, builds consistently
and combines a primed look that shows
off the form of your model and detail
nicely. Its ideal for concept models, form
evaluation and parts that need finishing
with paint.
White Resin: Its ice cold white, ready
to show off form perfectly. Compared to
the clear and black resins, this is a stiffer
material thats ideal for models where
structural stiffness is essential given
those parameters, its also worth noting
that its more brittle than others that we
tried.
Clear Resin: The clear resin is, as you
would expect, transparent. When it comes
out of the build chamber, youll see a
nice transparent part, but once its been
through the IPA and curing, itll lose some
of the clarity. It is possible to get this back
5
with some polishing, however. There are
various methods described by users on the
Formlabs forum.
Black Resin: This is the latest addition
to the range. The black resin is ideal for
models that feature fine details. The black
colour means that light doesnt bounce
as much, so gives a much crisper finish
than the others. Its also more elastic than
the white and clear resins so has a little
more give and less prone to brittleness.
THE BuILD & poST

pRoCESSInG
As weve discussed, the

Formlabs machine
builds from the
bottom up, unlike
most other 3D
printers. While for
earlier machines from other
vendors, the team seem to have
got over some of the issues and the
machine works away while you just sit and
wait. The LCD display gives you a count
down on how long to expect until the build
completes and its bang on accurate. Then
its a case of tilting back the upper case,
flipping the locking lever on the build

platform and removing the parts. Then
comes the fun bit.
Once youve extracted the build platform
(and closed the upper case again to
stop that resin curing), you move to the
Finishing Kit.
This is a vac formed station that includes
a place to stand the build platform. This
gives you a sturdy place to pull out the
included scraper and pry the model off the
platform.
Because the system typically generates
a base and a set of supports, this is pretty
trivial. Locate the smaller notches that
the software puts into this base, slip the
scraper under them and the part will pop
right off. Give that build platform a wipe
down and return it to your machine for the
next print.
You now have a set of parts that are
ready for treatment in the lockable
isopropyl alcohol tubs. Its simply a case
of dropping the parts into that IPA, sealing
the lid and giving them a gentle shake for
a minute or so. Then let the parts soak
for another 10 or so (set a timer on your
phone to remind you dont leave them
much longer).
3 The sweet spot for
the Form 1+ and the

black resin is super
detailed, intricate
components. This part
has sub 1mm features
that built perfectly
4 Our test carburetor
component, straight
out of the machine.
You can see the
internal supports
automatically placed
by the PreForm
software
5 Dont get all excited
when the clear resin

parts come out of
the machine. As it
cures, it loses that
transparency, but it
can be brought back
with a little polishing
5/9/14 21:48:39
HARDWARE REVIEW
Once done, remove them (done very easily using
the included tray) and let them drain a little.
Then you need to cure the part. The system isnt
supplied with a curing oven, instead the team
suggest you leave the parts in sunlight to cure
further and harden off. What we found works a
treat is to purchase a UV tool steriliser (theyre
about 40 quid from ebay or Amazon) and pop
them into that. Itll cure and harden the parts in
about 30 minutes typically.
We also found its best to leave the supports
on while you cure you get a much better finish
when snipping them off.
Again, this process of removing the supports is
simple. While many will break away with a little
force, the included flush snips make short work
of it. For many parts, theyll be good to go and be
used for whatever purpose. If you have a heavy
support structure, it might be worth another cure
session to harden those areas off finally.
CONCLUSION
Ive written about my own frustration with
desktop, lower-end (in terms of price) machines
consistently over the last few years. These cheaper
machines are, in many cases, prone to needing
constant maintenance, calibration and tinkering to
keep them working.
What Ive found is that, unlike other machines
weve played with, the Form 1+ is a reliable beast.
As mentioned previously, weve only had one failed
build in a month and that was down to ignoring
the softwares recommendations, rather than a
machine fault. Other than that, it has worked for
20 hours a day, day in, day out and not once given
us any issues.
In terms of office friendliness, there are two
things to consider. The first is that the machine

itself, while building, is very quiet and there isnt
the smell of molten ABS or PLA that you get from
filament-based machines. That alone, in my book,
makes it much more friendly for design office use.
Where things arent quite so clean is the post
processing. Because youre using isopropyl
alcohol, have uncured resins on the builds and
platform, youre going to need somewhere thats
well ventilated and easier to clean up preferably
away from the office environment.
In terms of costs, theres the up-front investment
in the machine. The list price of 2,799 includes
the machine, the finishing kit and one bottle of
resin of your choice. Id suggest stocking up with a
few of the resins (at 125 per litre) to try them out
and a separate build tray for each.
Its also worth noting that the resin trays have a
limited life span and will probably last you a couple
of litres of resins worth of builds. Theyre also a
bugger to clean, so if youre going to run multiple
resins, then Id suggest having a separate one for
resin you run (theyre 49 a pop).
In terms of results, the machine has the
capability to run from 0.1mm layers down to
0.025mm. Considering the price point of this
machine, thats a rarity indeed. Of course, with
that resolution comes an overhead in terms of
build times.
The reality is that for most parts, unless they
feature extreme details, building at 0.1mm will
give you a nice clean model with very little in
terms of clean and finishing. Ramping that up
to 0.05mm increases the build time, but it will
be a nice trade off between replication of detail
and build time. Save the 0.025mm for the small,
intricate parts (jewellery and small electronic
connector components are good examples).

In terms of material use, theres an interesting
relationship between the volume of material used
for the part and that used for the supports. You
can see from the table below how this can vary
and the associated costs and build times at various
resolutions.
I have to admit that I was surprised at how
reliable the Form 1+ was. There had been
rumblings in the user forum about the first
generation of the machine, but those seem to have
been addressed with this latest incarnation.
Its also worth noting that the machine now
comes with a one year, return-to-base warranty
and those warranty activities are done in
conjunction with the Express Group based in
the UK, so theres no heavy transportation fees
anymore making the machine much more
attractive to the professional studio where up
time and robustness are key.
There is a learning curve but only in terms of
support placement and editing, but once youve
got a handle on it, the parts come off the machine
nice and cleanly with a little planning.
The resin isnt overly costly and it appears to be
a reliable machine, building at resolutions that are
rare at this price point. Considering that this thing
is under 3 grand once youve added on resins and
tray, then its hard to find fault with it at all.
The desktop SLA market is exploding this year,
ranging from home brew products that seem
vaguely cobbled together to well thought out,
well constructed and supported products like the
Form 1+.
If youre in the market for a 3D printer, take a
look. Believe me, youll be amazed at the bang for
buck.
SMALL intricate THIN WALLed
BULKY & TALL
SURFACE FiNISH
Test part: Test for silversmithed design

(Hamish Dobbie - hamishtdobbie.co.uk)
Test part: Cover from Lomography

Konstruktor camera (top part show above)
Test part: Amal Caburettor main body + air

intake component
Test part: Headlamp lens using the clear

resin for clarity
Challenge: This is a small component

featuring some rather extreme details as
well as larger, hard surfaces. Built to test on
detail replication
Challenge: Fills build chamber when

oriented (took some juggling to achieve).
Also features very wide, flat parts (average
3mm) and functional details
Challenge: These two components (the

main body in particular) are both bulky and
fill the build chamber, but also feature fine
details (such as hard modelled thread)
Challenge: A relatively large part that only

just fits on the build platform. Also, surface
finish is key to reduce hand polishing for
fit/function and optical tests
Material usage & cost: 2.2ml (Part) +

4.4ml (Supports) @ 0.86**

15.5ml (Supports) @ 4.49**

71ml (Supports) @ 18.78**

9.2ml (Supports) @ 7.10**
Build time:
1 hour 26 minutes (@0.1mm)
3 hours 19 minutes (@0.05mm)*
8 hours 38 minutes (@0.025mm)
Build time:
4 hours 42 minutes (@0.1mm) *
Build time:
7 hours 8 minutes (@0.1mm) *
Build time:
3 hours 38 minutes (0.1mm)*
10 hours 32 minutes (0.05mm)
27 hours 3 minutes (0.025mm)
Results: This is a sweet spot for the

Formlabs machine: detailed components,
where hand finishing would be tricky.
Interestingly, building multiples is time
efficient (6 x of part added 2 hours extra)
Results: The challenge in this part was to

build a part thats almost dead flat without
any warp, twisting or deformation. The end
result was spot on and interfaced with the
other parts perfectly
Results: The parts were dimensionally

stable and both the interior and external
dimensions were spot on. While the
threads printed perfectly, as youd expect,
they were non functional
Results: We werent too sure what to

expect of the clear resin, but the end
result is pretty good. Extra would be
needed to make this fully transparent,
however, for optical parts
* Resolution built ** Resin cost 125 per litre
5/9/14 21:48:41
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5/9/14 21:49:00
DEVELOP3DJOBS
Welcome to DEVELOP3Ds jobs section.
Every issue we will bring you the latest product development
jobs to help you kick start your career.
In partnership with CADjobhunter.com we also have a dynamic
jobs website where you can nd your dream job by searching by location,
keyword or CAD/CAM/CAE software.
Alternatively upload your CV to help your future employer nd you.
Register your details at
jobs.develop3d.com
To advertise on the website or
inside the magazine contact
Matt Wells
matt@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0) 7990 573624
BUSINESS MANAGER 3D SERVICES
HOBS STUDIO MANCHESTER
From its origins in Liverpool in 1969, Hobs Reprographics has become the biggest, most
successful independent digital printing company in Britain and Europe, with 330 staff and 29
centres.
POSITION
We are looking for an ambitious, dependable, customer focused Business Manager who understands the potential of this high growth industry and is passionate about 3D
If youre self-motivated, career minded and committed to hitting deadlines and targets, and have the skills and the ability to negotiate and build strong relationships with our
customers, this could be the role for you.
You will manage a selection of clients personally (leading from the front) and ensure your team also develop in line with targeted business objectives.
In return, youll discover a friendly and fast-paced working environment, and the chance to build a career in this exciting emerging market.
Hobs Studios specialise in providing innovative, high quality 3D solutions for architects and designers using the latest cutting technologies of 3D printing, scanning and
visualisation.
Hobs Studio is part of Hobs Reprographics, the largest privately owned reprographics organisations in Europe.
REQUIREMENTS
Experienced in developing new business and leveraging existing business relationships

Prepared to work hard to achieve the company goals
Focussed, hungry and ambitious
Energetic with a can-do attitude
Ability to resolve issues creatively and in a timely manner
Well-presented
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Strong team working, leadership skills and the ability to build robust working relationships
Knowledge of 3D modelling, scanning or printing an advantage but not essential.
If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you to grow with a company who appreciates and rewards hard working team members, we would like to hear from you. Please
email your CV and covering letter to michelle.greeff@hobsstudio.com
To
ConTaCT
MaTT Wells | MaTT@x3dMedia.CoM | +44 (0) 1252 414007
hobsadverTise
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1
p53_54_55)56_57_D3D_SEPT14_jobs.indd 53
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER
2014 53
31/08/2014
19:56:17
5/9/14 21:49:26
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
54 SEPTEMBER 2014 JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
To advertise Contact Matt Wells | matt@x3dmedia.com | +44 (0) 1252 414007
5/9/14 21:49:27
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
Where next?
Wherever you take us.
DESIGN, MECHANICAL AND RESEARCH ENGINEERS
COMPETITIVE | WILTSHIRE, UK
Whats next for Dyson? You tell us. Actually, you wont just tell us, youll show us. Because well give you
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Great things are happening here. Not only are we working on some incredible new projects, but were
continuing to invest heavily in our UK Research, Design and Development (RDD) centre. Which tells you
two things. Firstly, that were doing fantastically well as a global business. Secondly, just how vitally
important engineers are to us. In many ways, engineers are Dyson. Thats why were looking for more
like minds to join us and create the technology of the future.
So if youre unafraid to take risks and ready to turn conventional thinking on its head, we need to hear
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JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2014 55
5/9/14 21:49:27
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
56 SEPTEMBER 2014 JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
5/9/14 21:49:28
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM

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To adverTise ConTaCT MaTT Wells | MaTT@x3dMedia.CoM | +44 (0) 1252 414007
7/11/13 14:12:10
JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2014 57
5/9/14 21:49:29
THE LAST WORD
Spending some time in the workshop

once again this summer, Al Dean has
been exploring the next generation of
3D printers and comes to the
conclusion that an open market is
whats driving the industry forward
f you spend any time exploring

the 3D printing market, youll
find that its current swathe
of success is being driven
by openness rather than the
commercial protectionism that has
plagued it for years.
Let me qualify that for a moment. To
have a successful market in tools for the
professional, you need a couple of
things. Firstly, and rather obviously,
solid, reliable and robust machines that
work within their limits (and they all have
them).
You then need materials to feed those
machines. In the traditional, what used to
be called the Rapid Prototyping industry, you
find core materials coming from the machine
vendors (after all, many of them make
around a third or more of their revenue from
materials) then a separate set of vendors
that provide materials that work with those
machines.
Unfortunately, the machine vendors didnt
take too kindly to this at all and during the
1990s and early 2000s, we saw all manner
of litigation and legal entanglement that did
very little other than to line the pockets of
lawyers.
Now that were in the brave new world of
lower cost machines and lower cost materials,
youd expect things to be different. And its
currently the case that things have changed.
Take the subject of this months review on
the Formlabs Form 1+. The company supplies
four different resins built specifically to
run on their machines. While Im sure that
most customers will run with these, there
are growing number of vendors offering
alternatives.
Whether thats different colours or to serve
different purposes, there are options there
and youre free to try them and see what the
results are like.
A good example is for those working in
industries that use investment casting of
small, intricate components (jewellery springs
immediately to mind, but there are many
others). None of the Formlabs resins are
qualified for investment casting as yet but the
machines high resolution lends itself to the
building of sacrificial waxes nicely.
Enter MadeSolid (madesolid.com), a
provider of a variety of UV curable resins and
filaments, for FDM machines. At present, it
1
has two resins that are compatible with the
Form 1 a tougher resin for robust parts
thats due soon as Firecast. This has been
formulated specifically for low ash burn out,
which is absolutely essential for investment or
lost wax casting processes.
Another example is MakerJuice (makerjuice.
com), who is doing similar things, but
concentrating on providing flexible parts and
with a wider range of colour options.
Of course, then if you look at the filament
market, its exploded to the point where
there are a multitude of vendors developing
all manner of interesting filaments to
supplement the bog standard ABS and PLA
offerings. Whether you want recycled PET,
wood based filaments, filaments based on
nylon, high tensile polyester the offerings
are growing each day.
This openness is a glorious thing to watch
and for those of us that can use these types
of machines to carry out a part (ableit for
many, a small part) of our jobs, it could be of
financial benefit, even if thats through time
saving or less fragile prototypes.
One thing that I want to make sure is clear,
is that Im not talking about open source,
just openness. Open source, by its definition,
implies that the folks doing the work share
the source and allow others access to it to
rework, to improve and share back. Thats not
the same as openness.
Openness, in this instance, means that
vendors arent beholden to divulge their
intellectual property at all, but my feeling is
that everyone involved should agree not to
stand in the way of other companies looking
to offer add-on, alternative materials or
indeed, ancillary equipment.
This latter category is something that

Ive got a keen interest in. As the use and
proliferation of desktop 3D printers in the
professional realm ramps up, Id love to
see some action in terms of assisting and
enhancing the inevitable post processing and
finishing workflows.
The industrial grade 3D print market has
seen this for some time. Companies have
been founded, usually based on pre existing
expertise, to cater to those looking for quick,
clean (relatively) and efficient ways to finish,
to cure, to break out and prep 3D prints.
That has yet to happen at the lower end
of the spectrum. If you take a look at our
Formlabs review, youll see that Ive made
a recommendation that if you bring this
machine into your workflow, investment in a
UV tool steriliser is a good bet. You can gab
one for 40 quid off eBay.
The reason for that is that theyre typically
used in beauty salons to sterlise tools, rather
than cure 3D prints.
Its not ideal, its not perfect and its got
pictures of combs and scissors plastered all
over the glass door, but it works.
It wouldnt take too much work to make that
kind of product perfect less obstruction of
the UV strip bulbs, finer mesh on the grills to
support smaller parts and maybe, a slightly
less annoying timer (the ticking is driving me
bat shit crazy as I write this).
In fact, Im off to make a fancy video and
get this rolling on Kickstarter.
1 MadeSolids
tougher UV curable
resin, its Firecast resin
and some sample
parts, showing the
delity thats possible
with a desktop
SL machine and
specialised resins
Al has been playing with UV curable resins and

thats always a vaguely messy business. That
stuff sticks like shit to a blanket. And is also
wondering if that last phrase will make the
editing. Time will tell al@x3dmedia.com
p58_D3D_SEPT14_Al..indd 58
5/9/14 21:49:55
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