Corporate Listings

3DCeram (France) An outgrowth of the French research institute CTTC, the company provides proprietary stereolithography technology using ceramic materials. It operates mainly as a service bureau to provide parts for a wide range applications such as medical implants, jewelry and artistic items, and industrial and electronic parts.

Afit Corp. (Japan) Afit does research and development in electrophotography (xerography) and has developed a rapid prototyping method based on that technology. Their web site shows a number of applications, especially in terrain modeling.

BluePrinter (Denmark) The company is developing a plastic powder-based technology that has similarities to both laser sintering and three dimensional printing. In this technology, the laser or inkjet head is replaced with a thermal print head. The powder bed is held at an elevated temperature so the mechanically-scanned head only has to elevate the temperature slightly above the powder's melting temperature to selectively bond it.

C.A.Core (UK) The company offers a process for forming geometrically-complex technical ceramics. Green parts are said to have comparable densities to those formed by ceramic injection molding and parts can be sintered to 99% of theoretical density. The technique is likely based on inkjet printing methods developed by company personnel associated with Manchester Materials Science Centre.

Envisiontec GmbH (Germany) Produces the Bioplotter^TM, a system to build 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. This machine is based on hypodermic dispensing of a curing material into a liquid medium. The company also makes photopolymer-based RP systems.

fcubic AB (Sweden) The company is developing an inkjet-based production system for manufacturing small stainless steel parts. Currently fcubic is operating as a service bureau. Parts are typically 2 to 25mm, and can be manufactured in volumes of one or two thousand per day. The goal is to eventually license turnkey systems for high-volume production systems capable of 10,000 parts per day for parts fitting within a 10mm cube.

H&R Technology Inc. The company provides an additive method, called Precison Metal Deposition.^TM   PMD is based on robotic laser welding of flat wire stock. Originally developed for making steel rule dies for cutting cardboard, plastics and similar sheet materials, the technology is now largely used as method of repairing and modifying high value parts for aerospace, military and similar applications. The main advantages claimed are low heat-affected zone and low distortion for thin-walled parts. The company largely acts as a service bureau for the manufacture of cut sheet products using their technology.

ITP (Germany) Commercializing MJS (Multiphase Jet System) technology developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. No web site found. Contact info: ITP, Am Brandberg 50, D-27721 Ritterhude, Germany; Tel: +49(0)421/6383-153; FX: +49(0)421/6383-190; email: pi@ifam.fhg.de

Microfabrica Inc. The company has commercialized the Electrochemical Fabrication (EFAB) technology developed at the University of Southern California. The process is aimed at fabricating mesoscale metal parts.

Sintermask GmbH (Germany) Formerly Speed Part RP AB of Sweden, was taken over by FIT GmbH, a German service bureau and technology provider, in 2008. The company is continuing the development of selective mask sintering technology (SMS) which has been in beta test for several years. This powder layer-based technology is said to be both much faster and much less expensive than selective laser sintering which it resembles. Instead of a laser, exposure is by means of a high-resolution temporary mask on a transparent plate created using a xerographic process. The technology is aimed at rapid manufacturing applications for polymer parts. Commercial introduction was targeted for 2010.

Technology Listings

Also see the Rapid Manufacturing Directory
for additional and related listings, or visit.
the directory pages for low-cost systems.

Liquid Metal Jet Printing Being developed at the University of Texas at Arlington, LMJP is similar to ink jet printing where individual molten droplets are controlled and printed to specific locations. Work is on-going to build mechanical parts and electronic interconnect systems. Similar and/or related work is also being carried out by:

MIT

University of California, Irvine

University of Toronto

MicroFab Technologies, Inc.