#3 Can't see it yet, but something fishy is happening beneath the surface...

At first glance, everything seems fine. The sun is shining, and it’s nice and warm. But you can feel that something strange is happening. Something is accumulating, building up. Beneath the surface. Bits of information are appearing that don't mean much on their own, but suddenly you discover the connections between them. You see the whole picture, and it becomes... terrifying…

Working as an insider in a given industry has its pros and cons. The good part is that you know more than others. Confidential information is more valuable than money, powerful friends, or weapons. The bad part is that you can't disclose it. If you just reveal it, it loses its power. Additionally, reckless disclosure of confidential information makes people stop trusting you, and you stop receiving such information.

The key to possessing confidential information is discretion.

Sometimes this really frustrates me…

This week, I received some difficult and disturbing news that I have to keep to myself for now. But when selecting the topics for today's newsletter, I tried to say something to you (perhaps except for the first and last stories).

In less than three weeks, 3D printing will officially celebrate its fortieth anniversary. I wrote a special article about it, which was published on 3DPrint.com . I think most of you have already seen it, but just in case, here’s the link because it's really cool: https://3dprint.com/311301/beyond-chuck-hulls-legacy-the-unsung-heroes-who-paved-the-way-for-3d-printing/

What am I getting at...? Soon, four decades will have passed since this technology entered the consciousness of the industrial world. And I feel like it keeps going in circles. Every few years, we find ourselves in the same place.

We were supposed to be enjoying the delights of Rapid Manufacturing long ago, yet we are still mostly talking about it, sitting in the trenches of Rapid Prototyping.

And I think more and more people are seeing this pattern. And they start making difficult decisions. Something fishy is happening...

So much for the introduction. And now, without further ado...

I'm still trying to put it all together nicely.

This week, I completed advanced rebranding to the 3D Printing Journal brand. I still don’t know where this will lead me? I definitely don’t intend to create another 3D printing portal and compete with all the existing ones. That phase is long behind me.

I’m exploring various tools and internet solutions, and we’ll see where that takes me? For example, I launched my own platform on Substack (if you know what that is?). It’s still too early to boast about it – if you happen to come across it, remember that it’s still a “work in progress.”

I hope you enjoyed the interview with Jaros?aw Kozak from Technology Applied ? I’ll be continuing this format and gradually inviting more guests. This week, I’ll be sharing this way the story of my company – GREENFILL3D . It’s quite interesting and instructive (I mean the mistakes I made), so it’s worth checking out.

Starting next week, all my new articles on Medium will be publicly accessible, without a paywall. The reason is simple – 3D printing simply and literally doesn’t exist on Medium. And I don’t think it can be monetized there. So, why pretend otherwise?

But for now, I invite you to read:

? 4 articles on Medium

? TOP 7 news of the week

? TOP 7 historic events in the 3D print world.

#7. Kidoodle MiniBox A1 – the micro Bambu Lab from Kickstarter

Let's start with a very surprising story - I know some of you might find this an engagement killer, but please read through to the end…

There's a Kickstarter campaign by the Chinese company Guangdong Dale Technology, offering the Kidoodle MiniBox A1 - a 3D printer specifically designed for children aged 6 to 14. "The device aims to stimulate creativity and spatial thinking in young users, allowing them to transform their ideas into three-dimensional objects." Yeah, right...

The campaign ends in just over a week. The goal was set very low, at 1920 USD, but as of the time of writing, the company has raised an impressive 38,000 USD. So, the campaign has already officially succeeded!

The 3D printer costs 160 USD at the lowest early bird option, and 260 USD with a few extras. So, ridiculously cheap.

The build area is also ridiculously small – just 100 x 100 x 90 mm. But the Kidoodle MiniBox A1 has an enclosed printing chamber, and opening the door automatically pauses the 3D print and lowers the nozzle temperature. It's very easy to use and primarily works with PLA. So it is really targetet for kids.

Now the most important part – the highest 3D printing speed is 600 mm/s. Which is the current standard of Bambu Lab. We'll come back to that shortly…

Why am I writing about this? For two reasons:

• this campaign is as confusing as it is hilarious; it feels like going back to 2016, when the colorful, plastic da Vinci printers from (the now-defunct) XYZPrinting were all the rage; haven’t these people learned anything? 3D printers for kids had their moment in history and it ended with unequivocal failure!
• that said, the Kidoodle MiniBox A1 looks like a micro version of the Bambu Lab Carbon; it looks as if someone redesigned the Bambu Lab flagship 3D printer with children in mind and retained the same functionalities (minus the materials).

So, only one scenario is possible:

1. The Kidoodle MiniBox A1 will turn out to be a flop, and we’ll never hear about it again.
2. The Kidoodle MiniBox A1 will become a huge success, reviving the trend (and belief) in consumer 3D printers. These micro Bambu Labs will start being bought en masse for children, who will start miraculously using them.

If the second scenario happens, remember that you read about it here first! Hey!

Read full story: www.kickstarter.com

#6. Sygnis vice president suddenly leaves the company just before new share issuance on the stock exchange

Let's move on to much more serious topics. Gloomy ones…

Two weeks ago, in issue #1 of my newsletter, I wrote that Polish company Sygnis SA – listed on the Polish NewConnect stock exchange – is going to issue series E shares by private subscription. The company aims to raise PLN 6 million (~EUR 1.4 million) this way. I also subtly mentioned that the company could really use this money.

So, last Friday, late in the afternoon, Sygnis announced that Joanna Danaj – the company's vice president and Chief Financial Officer – had resigned without stating her reasons.

It's always tough when a vice president suddenly resigns, but it's even worse when that vice president has been in charge of finances from the beginning. And it's the worst when the vice president of finance resigns just before a share issuance aimed at raising much-needed funds for the company.

I know this story might seem unimportant to most of you, as few have heard of "Sygnis from Poland", but let me tell you a couple of three things:

1. Sygnis acquired Zmorph SA in 2022 – a very well-known company worldwide that manufactured multitool 3D printers. Unfortunately, this acquisition turned out to be disastrous. Zmorph is now a dead company. When everything becomes clear and dust will settle, I might write about it. It’s a very frustrating and depressing story – one worth telling the world.
2. Aside from Zmorph, Sygnis is creating some buzz globally with its proprietary products – F-NIS and Syglass. These are pretty nice products – very niche, but interesting.
3. Currently, Sygnis is the most important 3D printing brand in Poland. At least according to mainstream media. No one remembers Zortrax anymore, and no one is interested in Sinterit, 3DGence, or the others. Today, in Poland, “3D printing” equals “Sygnis.” At least according to mainstream media.

Therefore, the problems of this company will have significant consequences for 3D printing in the country. And it's quite a large market in Europe.

And there are problems. For now, you can only hear about them unofficially from insiders or read about them on internet forums or social media. So officially, they might not be true.

Then the vice president of finance leaves overnight.

Read the official statement (Polish only): www.newconnect.pl

#5. Sinterit receives $1.85 in new financing from existing shareholders

Another Polish company, Sinterit , has secured new funding! 7.5 million PLN (approximately US$ 1.85 million or EUR 1.73 million). Hooray! Bravo! This is so superb!

Well, is it...?

Sinterit is one of the largest Polish companies producing 3D printers. Right now, it might even be the largest. They produce exceptional machines – low-budget SLS 3D printers, which in this price range have only one significant competitor worldwide – Formlabs Fuse. They have been manufacturing them continuously since 2014. They collaborate with the most important material suppliers globally.

It’s truly a well-organized and reliable company. I met its founders at the very beginning, in 2014. They are very down-to-earth, modest guys. The opposite of some other CEOs I've mentioned here before.

But the official press release included the following statements:

• the money comes from existing shareholders – mainly FIT AM; not from new ones
• the funding amount is 7.5 million PLN (~1.85 million USD)
• it is to be allocated to marketing, improving manufacturing productivity, and the development of a new generation of 3D printers.

Listen, 7.5 million PLN in Poland is really good money for a small to medium-sized Polish company. Honestly, even the largest Polish companies, if they received 7.5 million PLN (which they would probably spend within an hour of receiving it), would be pleased.

But when you divide that 7.5 million PLN by the EUR or USD exchange rate, the resulting amount is not so impressive. Especially if it’s supposed to cover global marketing, optimize production, and still be enough to develop a new 3D printer.

If you’re competing globally with Formlabs, even 7.5 million dollars would be a bit tight... 75 million dollars, yes – even Formlabs would frown reading it. But 7.5 million PLN...?

I wonder if this was about something more [ekhm!] ?obvious”? If not, I’ll officially write about it. But I’m just speculating...

Read full story: www.3dprint.com

#4. Velo3D struggle continues as the company received another noncompliance notice from NYSE

Velo3D - American manufacturer of 3D metal printers, has received a noncompliance notice from the New York Stock Exchange because its average total market capitalisation and stockholders equity over a consecutive 30-day period were both less than 50 million USD.

As of July 5, 2024, the company's 30 trading-day average market capitalisation was approximately 36.6 million USD and its last reported stockholders deficit, as of March 31, 2024, was approximately 45.4 million USD. The notice has no immediate impact on the listing of the company’s common stock and does not affect the company’s reporting obligations with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

However...

Per Section 802.01B of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, public companies must ensure their total market capitalisation - measured by the current market price of their shares and the total number of outstanding shares - are above 50 million USD. In accordance with NYSE procedures, within 45 days from receipt of the notice, Velo3D will submit a plan advising the NYSE of the definitive action(s) the company has taken, is taking, or plans to take to regain compliance.

Should the NYSE accept that plan, Velo3D's common stock will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE during an 18-month cure period, subject to the company's compliance with other NYSE continued listing standards and continued periodic review by the NYSE of the company's progress against its plan.

Velo3D's problems on the NYSE have been ongoing since the beginning of this year.

In January 2024, Velo3D received notice from the NYSE for failing to meet minimum average closing share price requirements for a period of 30 consecutive trading days. The company said it intends to take steps to regain compliance with this requirement within a six-month recovery period.

In June Velo3D announced that the management board has approved a 1-to-35 reverse stock split, which entered into force on June 13, 2024. As a result of the reverse split, each group of 35 current Velo3D shares was automatically converted into one new share. The reverse split reduced the number of shares outstanding from approximately 297 million to approximately 8.5 million.

Yet it didn’t worked out as planned. Or at least it didn’t resolve NYSE’s issues.

Read the official statement: www.velo3d.com

#3. Materialise acquired FEops to expand Mimics Planner software with AI-based features

After this trio of depressing news, now something good for a change...

Materialise has announced the acquisition of Belgian company FEops , which develops AI-driven simulation technology to improve the efficiency of procedures and clinical outcomes in structural heart interventions. The acquisition will allow Materialise to expand its cardiovascular solutions with predictive simulation capabilities, contributing to more personalized treatment of patients with heart diseases.

FEops combines predictive simulation technology with AI, enabling clinicians to more accurately predict how transcatheter structural heart devices will interact with a patient's anatomy. Now, it will be integrated with the Mimics Planner software developed by Materialise, which allows the creation of accurate virtual 3D models based on medical imaging data.

The integration of FEops with Mimics Planner will enable a comprehensive solution for 3D anatomical planning and AI-based simulation, allowing clinicians to simulate the interaction between a medical device, such as a heart valve, and a patient’s unique anatomy.

Read full story: www.voxelmatters.com

#2. The French Navy has officially validated Meltio' DED technology

Spanish company Meltio is one of the most active players in the industrial AM market. They are developing DED (Directed Energy Deposition) technology—an advanced additive manufacturing technique primarily used for producing metal parts, repairing components, and adding features to existing structures. This week, Meltio announced that the French Navy has validated the use of their technology for real maneuvers.

It is the third approval of Meltio’s metal 3D printing technology for the defense sector. The French Navy joined the US Navy, which has successfully installed a Meltio system on board a military vessel, and the Spanish Army, which already uses Meltio 3D printers in its manufacturing and repair processes for metal parts.

Meltio’ DED involves the use of focused energy to fuse materials in the form of wire as they are deposited. The blue laser melts the material, which is then deposited layer by layer to build up the desired geometry.

The advantages of the technology? In brief:

• simplicity
• wide range of materials
• high availability of materials at low prices (it’s wire – no need to atomize it into powder)
• the deposition process is quite common, long known, and widely used.

But there are also drawbacks (also briefly):

• poor quality and accuracy of 3D prints – they need to be additionally milled to achieve precise geometry
• low efficiency, which can only be compared to FDM/FFF; the material is applied path by path, layer by layer.

DED technology is excellent for prototyping, as well as for repairing, expanding, or modifying existing parts. However, for mass/serial production, it is not the best solution.

Nonetheless, it now turns out that its most significant advantage is the relative ease of validation in the production of critical and high-performance applications in sectors such as military, aerospace, aviation, and automotive. Because parts are made by melting a metal wire, there are no issues with internal structure homogeneity, known from PBF method.

DED is a derivative of the casting process, whereas PBF is akin to welding (in very simple terms!)

I can’t write more, but it may turn out that due to the above reasons, the popularity of the DED method could significantly increase. Or put differently—the proportion of DED usage in demanding industrial areas may shift in its favor.

This is a highly developmental topic. Despite its obvious limitations, the DED method should not be underestimated. PBF - conversely. I'm trying to tell you something...

Read full story: www.meltio3d.com

#1. Rosotics announces the creation of brand new technology for AM of metal parts

All the major, original 3D printing technologies were developed in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. After 2010, the only truly new innovation that was actually commercialized was HP's Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). Two years ago, another method called Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) emerged, created by BCN3D (and further developed under the brand Supernova), but it has yet to be commercialized.

Therefore, every genuinely new AM technology is always welcomed with hope and attention. This is the case now with Rosotics .

Rosotics is Arizona-based American startup, which has announced the launch of Halo, an innovative manufacturing platform for producing metal parts. This technology involves melting metals using three electromagnetic printheads installed on proprietary multi-axis gimbals. The company claims that its manufacturing process outperforms similar techniques used by competitors such as just discussed DED, utilized by Meltio or Relativity Space.

A key feature of the Halo system is its innovative multi-phase electromagnetic process, developed over years of intensive research, which replaces traditional laser techniques. This process is executed by the printhead named Mjolnir (referencing Thor’s hammer).

Mjolnir can pre-heat, intricately fuse material at high feed rates, and undergo a prolonged thermal cycle before achieving a smooth “net-shape” finish. It is described as "the most advanced, complex metal additive process ever devised; at least three years ahead of any other effort to compete."

The maximum working area in the Z-axis is 6 meters. It also supports complex geometries and can perform inspection and servicing tasks post-printing. The system is equipped with three printheads mounted on freestanding towers with multi-axis gimbals. The entire process is controlled by a system that uses "industrial intelligence" to stabilize the complex deposition process.

Halo is designed to handle a wide range of metals and alloys, particularly those used in the aerospace and naval sectors. The company claims that the material performance of aluminum meets or exceeds standard tensile and yield strength, even before any treatment. Additionally, the system can be equipped with a "Controlled Atmosphere System Enclosure" to create inert environments for sensitive materials such as titanium.

The system achieves an 86.74% reduction in carbon footprint per 500 kg of deposited mass compared to WAAM, a common DED method.

Halo is priced at $950,000, with deliveries starting on August 26, 2024, in the United States and Europe through distributors.

Read full story: www.voxelmatters.com

Summary of the most important events in the history of the 3D printing industry published last week:

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