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Very Nice. Thanks Jackle.
From Pratt and Whitney's twitter:
Qatar Airways CEO confirms they have cancelled first @Airbus #A320neo (walk away clause) due to the delay from Pratt and Whitney. #IATAAGM
Interesting that Fives-Michelin is building their own metal 3D printer. It would be awesome if PrintRite3D will be an option on thier machine just like Additive Industries. No need to reinvent the wheel :) I can see why Mark remains confident to additional sales this year and look where the machines are in production one site is Louisville right in the neighborhood with 3DSIM. Sounding like a 3DSIM/SigmaLabs collab for this new machine.
Fives-Michelin wants to take 20% of world market of metal 3D printing
A joint company of Fives and Michelin unveiled its ambitions in Advanced Manufacturing Meetings salon Clermont-Ferrand. The new specialist metal 3D printing, the first machines will be delivered end of 2016, account for 20% of market share in 10 years.
The machines are in production in Fives sites Saint-Cere (Lot) and Louisville in the US .
Jackle,
Maybe we are close to getting a possible order from Honeywell FM&T
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, has partnered with Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, Kansas City, MO, to perform material analysis related to selective laser melting (SLM) in a metal-powder bed.
The five-year, $6.5-million project, using equipment purchased and installed at Missouri S&T by Honeywell, has four objectives: 1) predict properties of the built parts, 2) control microstructures to achieve desired properties, 3) maximize powder reuse and 4) increase product sustainability.
The project consists of five tasks: powder characterization, material property characterization methods, temperature effects on material properties, controlling microstructure and mechanical properties, and chemistry specifically for additive manufacturing. Type 304L stainless steel is the initial build material.
“We look at how process parameters affect the mechanical properties of the manufactured part and how to control those parameters to achieve desired properties,” says Missouri S&T’s Dr. Ming Leu, who is leading the study. “The laser’s power, the beam diameter, the traverse speed, the line spacing and the layer thickness all can affect the parts produced.”
If the Navy cannot qualify AM parts, we will never be able to procure them. Therefore it is recommended we continue to collectively fortify our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of AM as the technology progresses. This will facilitate cost-effective investments that grow our industrial base to improve the sustainability of mission readiness for the Warfighter.
A320neo with CFM LEAP engines receives type certification
A320neos, with the composites-intensive LEAP-1A engine, are expected to begin delivery in summer 2016.
Airbus (Toulouse, France) reported on May 31 that its single-aisle aircraft, the A320neo, has received, on-schedule, type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the second engine option to be certified – CFM International’s composites-intensive LEAP-1A engine. This certification paves the way for the delivery of the first A320neo equipped with this engine type in mid-2016. This award follows by six months the initial Certificate of Airworthiness received from the EASA and FAA for the A320neo, powered by the Pratt & Whitney engine option. The first A320neo was delivered in January 2016.
The two LEAP-powered aircraft assigned to the flight test campaign have now successfully accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours in more than 350 flights – including 150 flight hours completed with the same aircraft in an airline-like environment to ensure operational maturity at entry into service. Certification of the remaining aircraft/engine variants with LEAP engines will follow in the coming months. When all flight testing has been completed, the NEO development fleet (with both engine options) will have achieved a combined total of 3,000 flight hours.
Fabrice Bre´gier, Airbus’ president and CEO says, “This key milestone for the A320neo program, and its second engine option — the specially developed LEAP-1A — is a double seal of approval by the two major international governing bodies and comes after the A320neo Family had successfully accomplished a rigorous program of certification trials. We look forward to the entry into service of LEAP-powered models in the very near future.”
Featuring the latest engine technologies, Sharklet wing-tip devices and cabin innovations, the A320neo Family offers the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft delivering 15% fuel burn per seat reduction at entry into service in 2016, and a 20% reduction by 2020.
The A320neo Family offers airlines an engine choice between the Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM and the CFM LEAP-1A engines. With one aircraft in three sizes (A319neo, A320neo, A321neo), the A320neo Family, seating from 100 to 240 passengers, allows operators to match the right aircraft size to demand and seamlessly covers the entire single-aisle segment on low to high-density domestic to longer range routes up to 4,000 nm. Since its launch in December 2010, Airbus says the A320neo Family has received more than 4,500 orders from more than 82 customers, representing some 60% share of the market.
CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines
I'm sure that Dr. Dave is still a consultant as Mark confirmed on the March 2016 con call.
From the Con call in MArch 2016
Unidentified Analyst
Is Dr. Dave now completely gone from Sigma Labs?
Mark Cola
No, he's not. Dr. Dave is still and has been a consultant with the company for many years, and he remains a consultant.
From the Con call in MArch 2016
Unidentified Analyst
Is Dr. Dave now completely gone from Sigma Labs?
Mark Cola
No, he's not. Dr. Dave is still and has been a consultant with the company for many years, and he remains a consultant.
McFarlane said the company has been studying additive manufacturing technology for about 18 months. The impetus was a NASA consultant he partnered with on projects while an aeronautical engineering student in college, he said.
Despite the investment in a new building, don’t expect McFarlane AMS to begin printing out parts for NASA and aerospace customers with its completion. That won’t happen until the Federal Aviation Administration agrees the new parts are as safe as those manufactured with traditional processes.
“The challenge is FAA certification,” McFarlane said. “It’s basically a new manufacturing process with not enough history of durability or reliability. We will be working closely with the FAA to certify those processes. It’s a lot of testing and a lot of research and development.”
Safran and AFI KLM E&M to Create JV for Aircraft Engine Parts Repair
Enlarge image - Safran and AFI KLM E&M to Create JV for Aircraft Engine Parts Repair
enlarge image click to enlarge
During a ceremony at the Palais de l'Elysée today in Paris, attended by French President François Hollande, Safran Aircraft Engines and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M, part of the Air France-KLM group) signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the creation of a joint company dedicated to the repair of aircraft engine compressor blades. The new company's business will specifically concern CFM56 engines from CFM International (Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families), the GE90 from General Electric (powering the Boeing 777) and the GP7200 from the Engine Alliance (for the Airbus A380).
The two partners will invest over 20 million euros in the new company, which will be owned 51% by Safran Aircraft Engines and 49% by Air France-KLM; it is scheduled to start operations in late 2017.
Related Research on ASDReports.com:
Global Military Aircraft Engines Industry 2016 Market Research Report
The company will be based in France, at the Sars et Rosière business park in the community of La Porte du Hainaut (northern France). The new plant will cover 15,000 square meters, and offer all the machinery and equipment needed to repair engine parts, including high-tech metallurgical processes.
After reaching full production capacity in 2020, the company should have a total of 200 to 250 employees. It will apply innovative management methods, largely based on team creativity and employee empowerment.
"The creation of this joint venture marks a new phase in Safran's long-standing relationship with Air France, » said Philippe Petitcolin, Chief Executive Officer of Safran. "Our shared ambition has driven the creation of a new high-tech company in France targeting an international growth market. As two major players in French industry we are very proud of our contribution to onshoring this strategic business, which calls on highly-qualified employees. It's also an excellent opportunity for Safran to bolster our position as a major player in the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector."
Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM, added: "I am delighted to see Safran and Air France-KLM, two industry leaders, pool their expertise to develop new skills and create over 200 jobs in France. With this project, Air France-KLM continues to invest in the development of our production business, one of the world leaders in aircraft MRO. Through this new state-of-the-art unit, AFI KLM E&M will strengthen its technological expertise and increase the competitiveness of our services in a very demanding global market."
http://www.asdnews.com/news-66717/Safran_and_AFI_KLM_E&M_to_Create_JV_for_Aircraft_Engine_Parts_Repair.htm
Looks like SGLB's 3D printing services is about to grow some more.
https://www.sigmalabsinc.com/sites/default/files/job-positions/Mechanical%20Engineer.pdf
https://www.sigmalabsinc.com/sites/default/files/job-positions/Mechanical%20Tech%20Intern.pdf
A time and place for PrintRite3D that time is approaching as industry gets closer to full rate production of metallic parts which need to be verified to specs. It's important to know where it fits in the AM industry growth cycle. AM industry as a whole is still in the early stages of full rate production of metallic parts which required certification.
Meanwhile, over at Honeywell's factory hard by Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport, it is engines that dominate. The company claims the plant is “one of the highest-volume engine facilities in the world”, although that is driven by the fact all its engines – from turbofans to turboshafts and auxiliary power units – are produced under the same roof, in sharp contrast to other manufacturers.
Honeywell, in common with any number of manufacturing firms, is also exploring the possibilities offered by 3D printing. Its first production application is a splash guard for an oil tank in the APU, but this year another six or seven components – mostly nozzles and brackets – will go into production, says Don Godfrey, engineering fellow and additive manufacturing lead at the company.
“We see this technology being used for non life-critical – meaning non-rotating – parts for the next few years. What we are doing today is getting the engineering community, our customers and the FAA [US Federal Aviation Administration] comfortable with the technology,” he says.
UPS rolls out plan for full-scale on-demand 3D printing manufacturing network
By Jeff Berman, Group News Editor
May 20, 2016
UPS this week said it is launching a full-scale on-demand 3D printing manufacturing network.
This network is comprised of a multifaceted approach that will mesh its global logistics network with 3D printers at more than 60 U.S.-based The UPS Store locations and in conjunction with the On Demand Production Platform and 3D printing factory from Fast Radius, a provider of on-demand part manufacturing and an additive manufacturing company.
UPS also said it will partner up with technology powerhouse SAP to foster an end-to-end industrial offering that will mesh SAP’s supply chain offerings with Big Brown’s on-demand manufacturing services and global logistics network in an effort to simplify the industrial manufacturing process from digitization, certification, order-to-manufacturing and delivery.
“UPS is a leader in bringing industrial-strength 3D printing to reality. By building this disruptive technology into our supply chain models, we also bring new value to our manufacturing customers of all sizes,” said Stan Deans, president, UPS Global Distribution & Logistics, in a statement. “Additive manufacturing technology is still developing rapidly so ‘manufacturing as a service’ is a smart approach for many companies.”
UPS has been expanding on-demand manufacturing capabilities for the last two years beginning with more than 60 of the UPS Store’s having 3D printing capabilities for small businesses, designers and entrepreneurs.
In 2015, UPS invested in Fast Radius (formerly CloudDDM), with Atlanta-based Fast Radius putting its production plant in the heart of UPS’s Louisville supply chain campus, just minutes from the UPS global air hub, WorldPort, according to a UPS spokesman. The value of the end-of-runway locations means orders can be manufactured up to the 1 a.m. pickup time and still be delivered anywhere in the U.S. the next morning, he explained.
UPS said that 3D printing services have been offered in The UPS Store locations going back to July 2013, when it launched a pilot program at six store locations and became the first retailer to make 3D printing service available in-store. And based on the success of The UPS Store 3D Print Pilot program, 3D printing services expanded to multiple locations in September 2014 (3D printing is now available at 62 The UPS Store locations nationally).
In terms of customer benefits, UPS said this effort will benefit customers of all types and sizes, including: manufacturers wanting to reduce inventory for slow-moving parts; manufacturers with short production runs where the cost to create the mold or tooling could make these orders too expensive for traditional manufacturing; manufacturers and retailers of custom/semi-custom goods as additive manufacturing allows cost-effective customization of goods; industrial designers and engineers who want high quality rapid prototypes delivered as fast as one day; and entrepreneurs, start-ups and manufacturers who don’t currently have access to 3D printers or have limited capital and time and will use 3D printing for rapid prototyping and manufacturing of initial production runs.
As for the collaboration with SAP, the spokesman said that the agreement between UPS and SAP “marks the next stage in our on-demand manufacturing journey by connecting the critical front-end procurement process to our on-demand manufacturing expertise and delivery network,” adding that UPS and SAP began discussions in summer of 2015.
“Between now and the first quarter of 2017, UPS and SAP will be working with co-innovation partners Jabil Circuits and Moog to develop the solution,” the UPS spokesman said. “When it’s completed, Jabil and Moog would determine through their SAP software what the optimal solution is for parts inventory. It will be as simple as a push of the button for the decision. Before then, we’ll be working to digitizing inventory, test and certify product quality from 3D printing – all the things that have to be done before going full scale.”
And he explained that the planned integrated solution is made up a three key services, including:
-Order-Digitize and simplify the production part approval process through SAP. By accelerating and standardizing the process both companies believe a significantly greater number of 3D print-ready production parts will be approved and certified and can be ordered through UPS On-Demand Manufacturing with full integration into SAP’s Manufacturing and Procurement processes;
-Choose-Automatically quantify the financial viability of 3D printing vs. traditional procurement or manufacturing options on a host of real-time manufacturing and batch specific parameters (e.g. tax calculations, shipping costs, etc.) enabling real-time decisions on the optimal supply chain path for every parts order; and
-Make and Deliver-Seamlessly route the order to UPS for production and delivery. UPS end-of-runway manufacturing can get most orders sent by 7 pm manufactured and delivered anywhere in the U.S. by the next morning. Companies will be able to track their order right from their SAP system
http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/ups_rolls_out_plan_for_full_scale_on_demand_3d_printing_manufacturing_netwo
Kanya,
I'm still here and still confident that SGLB is the right long term investment for me. Good Luck.
Our time is coming. Growth is on the way. I firmly believe that SGLB will be a part of this growth.
The 2016 KPMG Global Manufacturing Outlook (GMO) Survey polled 360 C-level manufacturing executives, of which 80 were US-based. Respondents for the poll included executives from across the aerospace, automotive, medical, engineering, industrial and metals industries.
Surprisingly, 65 percent of US respondents (64 percent globally) reported a confidence that their company will grow over the next 12-24 months. Additionally, 54 percent of US respondents (46 percent globally) believe that the global economy will improve, voting either “Confident” or “Very Confident.”
Their optimism is reflected in increased investments in R&D for advanced manufacturing technologies. 39 percent of all respondents reported they would devote more revenue R&D over the next two years. 25 percent reported having already made such investments for R&D into AI, cognitive computing, and additive manufacturing technologies.
Thanks for the latest update!
Navy To Test 3D-Printed Part; Pentagon To Outspend Apple, Google On R&D
The Navy will test a 3D-printed part on a Boeing V22 Osprey in June. (Boeing)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy will test a flight-critical part made with a 3D printer in June, and the Pentagon plans to spend more on R&D than Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), Apple (AAPL) and Intel (INTC) combined.
The Naval Air Systems Command (NavAir) will test a 3D-printed engine nacelle and link attachment on a Boeing (BA) V-22 Osprey next month. The part, built with titanium powder, marks the first time NavAir has used a flight-critical 3D-printed part in flight.
NavAir wanted a flight critical part developed and 3D-printed in three years, but it only took roughly half that time, according to Elizabeth McMichael, an additive manufacturing product team leader for NavAir, at the Navy’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition on Tuesday.
NavAir doesn’t plan to start making parts but to instead develop standards for industry partners to follow. The group plans to start working with stainless steel parts later this month.
While the Navy is ahead of its schedule, 3D printing in the aerospace sector isn’t new. General Electric (GE) says its aviation unit plans to print 100,000 parts by 2020.
Boeing shares fell 1.2% in the stock market today. GE shares dipped 0.8%.
The Navy has been using 3D printing and additive manufacturing for over 20 years, but certification is one of the biggest technical issues, according to McMichael.
The engine nacelle and link attachment can be printed in three days, but it takes months to certify the part.
“That’s not right,” McMichael said. “If I were queen for a day, I would make the certification process weeks or days.”
The Navy has been experimenting with additive manufacturing for 20 years. A Stratasys (SSYS) 3D printer is onboard one of its ships. But all of the efforts at sea deal with the more mature polymer process. Metal work is newer and requires more technical training.
Stratasys shares climbed 1.9%.
Defense R&D Spending
Defense Secretary Ash Carter has been putting an emphasis on research and development and working with industry partners.
Carter said Tuesday that the Defense Department plans to spend $72 billion in R&D in fiscal year 2017, up from $66 billion in fiscal 2014. That’s more than double what Apple, Intel and Google parent Alphabet spent on R&D last year combined.
Apple stock fell 0.4%. Alphabet slid 1.4% and Intel 1.3% each.
Regarding the 2017 budget, Carter said the Defense Department was investing in ways to make weapons more lethal and make ships harder to find and attack.
“But to maintain that lethality and capability, it’s a competitive world, we need to continue to invest in innovation and think outside our five-sided box.”
Carter has sent up technology initiatives in Silicon Valley, and earlier this month he announced a project with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.
http://www.investors.com/news/navy-to-test-3d-printed-part-dod-to-spend-more-on-rd-than-apple-google/
Thanks much for taking the time to check out Rapid and share your experience with the board. I'm believing that Arcam maybe interested in us too. From the Q4 transcript
Unidentified Analyst
Okay, thank you. Another question, I noticed with Honeywell and Arcam recently, Honeywell presented at Arcam's Investor Call and last year Vivek was expressing the PrintRite3D does work with EMAP technology. Do you know if you guys are currently been invited on Arcam printer this time?
Mark Cola
We are not currently or actively working in the electron beam space. However, again such as the earlier question was asked, there is no reason that our technology will not work with the electron beam technology. It just requires the appropriate sensors to be deployed, and once that's done we feel confident that we could add value there. We're just not actively engaged with anyone that's using Electron Beam Technology although we are in discussions with some, and I'll leave it at that.
May help some understand the long timeframes with evaluations as that certification for the 3D printed rockets that Aerojet will use PrintRite3D for: Delvery is not until 2019. Should Blue Origin decide to order PrintRite3D then it would speak volumes to me. Good Luck
Blue Origin — owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos — and Aerojet Rocketdyne are both developing engines that could compete to replace the RD-180 on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, has been the sole provider of space launch services for the Air Force’s EELV program.
In March, Aerojet Rocketdyne was awarded a $115 million contract for development of its AR1 engine. Options for additional work could increase the total U.S. government investment to as much as $536 million.
The company is on track for certification and delivery in 2019, said Eileen Drake, president and CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne. The AR1 will be less expensive than the RD-180, she told National Defense.
“Our ability to use past proven technologies along with additive manufacturing and a lot of the low-cost solutions that we’ve come up with has enabled us to … [offer] the lowest risk and the lowest cost to the taxpayer,” she said.
It provides slight insight into issues with configuring these machines. They are using this for their gas turbine which is awesome! GE is using technology from their GE store to spread across their production lines. It's nice to see it taking place. It's great to see a plan coming together.
“We followed the instructions, but the metallurgy wasn’t good.” His team spent four months analyzing 200 different software parameters and made 400 hardware modifications before they debugged the machines. This spring, they used them to optimize the design of a 3D-printed fuel nozzle for GE’s latest-generation gas turbine and bring it to production. The new design lowers the machine’s nitrogen oxide emissions and increases power output and efficiency. “We were able to run through 10 design iterations in just a few months and then ship the final version into production four months later,” Goodwin says. “Normally it would take us a year.”
GE uses its Predix software platform to stream data over the Industrial Internet into the cloud, analyze it and report problems and solutions back to the team.
These feedback loops are part of a concept GE calls the “digital thread.” Clay Johnson, GE Power’s chief information officer, says the plant still shows only a fragment of what’s coming. He says the digital thread will be constantly moving data from customers and suppliers to GE and back. “The system will be getting real-time feedback from sensors on parts inside machines,” Johnson says. “In the future the part will realize it’s getting degraded, automatically can reorder itself to be made, and schedules the field engineer to be on-site to install it. It’s Uber for industry.”
Auto industry studies if 3-D printers can meet production demands
The emerging practice — also called additive manufacturing — has enormous implications for the auto business. Manufacturers spend huge amounts to tool up assembly lines to make auto parts. Tools and dies must be created to produce early prototypes of parts, often repeatedly as engineers try to get new parts to meet design specs.
Suppliers and automakers now believe they can sidestep some of that investment and time-consuming effort by using advanced printers that build finished parts to spec by building them up from digital designs.
The technology "has definitely advanced a lot over the last several years," says Deb Holton, director of industry strategy for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. "That's their dream — to make parts without using a mold."
Carbon3D hopes to supplant traditional injection molds on low-volume production runs of 50,000 units a year or less.
Until now, skepticism about 3-D printing has had less to do with the basic science than with the practicality of relying on it on unforgiving factory schedules.
Printers have been slow until now. They could work with just a few raw materials. And the durability of the objects produced was minimal. The layered component could crumble under the stress of everyday use, so they primarily were used for protoypes or display.
But the technology has evolved and is creeping into other industries, such as aerospace and medical products
From the Q4 Transcript
Unidentified Analyst
Okay. What would you say is a ballpark estimate of the revenue amount that you currently have in the sales process pipeline, just a ballpark?
Mark Cola
I don't have that on the top of my head, but I can tell you that we have sufficient cash and contracts on hand that if we got nothing new today, which of course we don't expect that to be the case, we're comfortable for the next 12 plus months. We would finish 2016 on a positive note.
3D Standards are slowly coming to fruition. These standards and guidance is needed especially to address critical metallic AM applications. This is where PrintRite3D will fit after the standards and guidance is set and mass production of critical metallic parts fully begins.
As with most types of medical devices, FDA says it expects devices manufacturing using additive manufacturing techniques to adhere to quality systems requirements in order to ensure devices perform as intended.
But because there are multiple additive manufacturing technologies, printers and materials, FDA says it is important for manufacturers to "clearly identify each step in the printing process… from the initial device design to the post-processing of the final device."
For validated processes, the monitoring and control methods and data must be
documented.11 718 Methods for ensuring the consistency of quality could include:
719
· in-process monitoring12 720 of parameters such as:
721 o temperature at the beam focus,
722 o melt pool size,
723 o build-space environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure,
724 humidity),
725 o power of the energy delivery system (e.g., laser, electron beam,
726 extruder), or
727 o status of mechanical elements of the printing system (e.g., recoater,
728 gantry)
True, production is happening but not mass production where PrintRite3D will fit. Remember that GE Aviation built the first factory for AM mass production. GE is the world leader and others are following. GE is in low-rate production at the moment. There is a difference.
“Machines have been qualified and low-rate production of the fuel nozzle tips in Auburn, using additive machines, is underway,” Rick Kennedy, the GE spokesman, said in an e-mail this week.
But 3D printing has yet to enter the realm of mass production. “Currently, 3D printing is best suited for relatively low volume, moderate variety manufacture,” says Stevens
I'm long and SGLB is right where they need to be in the AM development lifecyle. R&D is still very heavy industry wide. SGLB is being evaluated and used for AM R&D by companies who are on the leading edge of AM production. AM mass production has not begun yet. It's very important as an investor to understand where the AM industry is and where PrintRite3D fits in the AM industry. The big contracts will come when and only when industry AM leaders are ready to move to full scale production in metal applications that require certification and validation. I wish you the best. I'm very comfortable with my investment here. I feel that Sigma Labs is not in a put up or shut up situation. We are right where we need to be. Just look at where the AM industry is right now. See links below.
Nasa is funding a multi-billion-dollar, long-term project called Archinaut, intended to develop additive manufacturing and 3D printing in outer space, and Made In Space is one of the companies involved.
-Lightweight metals leader Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is expanding its R&D center in Pennsylvania to accelerate the development of advanced 3D-printing materials and processes.
A team of Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T; Rolla, MO) researchers is collaborating with Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (Kansas City, MO) on a five-year project to perform material analysis for the selective laser melting (SLM) process in metal powder bed
Reread my past posts for the DD if you like. There was no such product commercially available. Sigma labs had the closest thing to IPQA and there product was chosen to be further developed via America Makes. I'm not making assumptions anyone can verify it for themselves. It's nice to see competition starting to be developed as it proves that what SGLB has already developed is definitely need. Again this need for in process quality assurance is stated constantly in AM news articles and presentations.
Thanks for bringing this up.
German engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines to co-develop quality assurance methods for the 3D printing of metal engine components."
The percentage is shares shorted for that day. Yes, MM's short for liquidity (when folks are not selling shares) and traders who anticipate the pps going down but either way the borrowed shares must be covered within several days. You have a short squeeze when shorts are buying to cover their position. Here's a link to a quick video about it.
Shorts starting to panic hoping for a pullback. We'll see if they get one before news.
Historical Short Volume Data for SGLB
Date Close High Low Volume Short Volume % of Vol Shorted
May 05 4.65 4.75 4.635 4,042 2,289 56.63%
May 04 4.70 4.75 4.25 18,321 5,002 27.30%
May 03 4.24 4.24 3.99 2,428 1,260 51.89%
May 02 3.99 4.50 3.40 30,701 19,252 62.71%
Apr 29 3.30 3.30 3.00 10,350 5,648 54.57%
Apr 28 2.97 3.05 2.85 22,543 8,081 35.85%
Apr 27 2.90 3.08 2.80 27,680 10,134 36.61%
Apr 26 3.05 3.35 3.00 15,621 2,182 13.97%
Apr 25 3.39 3.65 3.00 10,985 8,016 72.97%
Apr 22 3.65 3.65 3.46 17,124 9,473 55.32%
Apr 21 3.50 3.70 3.40 38,760 6,580 16.98%
BuckeyeStocks, Thanks for posting. This is part of that DARPA phase 2 that SGLB is working with Honeywell. IPQA is being built right into that ICME framework. I posted about it a couple times before. Companies like Alcoa, GE, and Ford are using ICME principles. Very exciting times ahead for SGLB as this ICME framework I'm anticipating being used as a blueprint for AM in the military and commercially which aligns SGLB for great long term growth. I asked Mark about it at the last call. Here are the questions and Mark's response.
Unidentified Analyst
Another question about your DARPA phase 2 with Honeywell. I know it's starting to end in mid-2016. I was wondering if the progress is looking good for potential phase 3 with that.
Mark Cola
Yes, there is a great question. So we're actually doing quite well. We had a good review session with DARPA in the middle of February. DARPA remains pleased with the progress of Honeywell as the prime and its subcontractors, and things looked favorable for further opportunity with DARPA.
Unidentified Analyst
Okay. And I noticed on some slides that Honeywell seems to be placed in your RPQA Technology, kind of in the middle of that ICME framework. And I was wondering if you consider that to be a possible source of revenue should ACM framework continue adoption of course the AM industry, I've noticed things like GE, ICME, and places like Alcoha [ph] have adopted ICME. So I just wonder what your thoughts were on that.
Mark Cola
Yes, another good question. And so the ICME approach is quite a valuable approach. It's a bit more long term and again we remain lockstep with Honeywell and their ICME activities, specifically through the DARPA funded and sponsored program, and that's partly why we are partnering if you will with 3DSIM and others because we know that there is certain aspects of all these that modeling plays a very important role. Long-term modeling would effectively be able to reduce cycle times to do process development for all of these OEM sort of customers. Ultimately, at the end of the day, that reduces time and of course cost. And so that's why we're working with modeling folks such 3DSIM and remain closely integrated with the DARPA team and their activities.
There is a lot of other programs that are on the horizon that all play to this ICME space because they recognize the value of it. So back to your initial question, does it represent revenue opportunity for us? Yes, on all of the fronts. From involvement with these federally funded programs and ultimately downstream as they begin to adopt this technology, our technology, be rolled into their methodology and approach.
It's nice to be invested in SGLB at this time and place in the additive manufacturing lifecycle. SGLB is positioned perfectly to capitalize on the AM market for years to come.
3D printers are changing large swathes of the manufacturing industry, even though the machines are still considered at the early stages of their evolution, with early adopters looking at paying $1 million for an advanced model.
Stratasys, which manufactures 3D printers, says the technology is set to have an “imminent impact” on the way things are made.
Stratasys conducted a survey into additive manufacturing, questioning some 700 designers, engineers and executives in relevant industries.
The survey found that three-quarters of businesses expect to increase their investment in additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. And additive metal use is expected to double over the next couple of years.
“For those of us working in, around and with 3D printing, it’s an incredibly exciting time,” says Joe Allison, CEO of Stratasys, in the foreword to the report.
http://www.industrial-lasers.com/articles/2016/05/additive-manufacturing-solutions-developer-eos-opens-new-facility-in-texas.html
Additive manufacturing solutions developer EOS opens new facility in Texas
05/04/2016
By Industrial Laser Solutions Editors
EOS (Krailling, Germany), a global additive manufacturing (AM) solutions developer, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4, 2016, to mark the grand opening of their newest US facility in Pflugerville, TX. The event precedes the celebration of the company's 27th anniversary this summer.
This location will provide increased service and support for the company's growing North America market, which topped $100 million in fiscal year 2015. Among the site's special offerings are an innovations laboratory, where the company's application engineers interact directly with customers, a working showroom containing the full range of the company's AM systems, and an AM Ventures division to help bring startup ideas to reality.
The company has experienced substantial global growth in recent years, particularly within the US. "Additive manufacturing is rapidly becoming a more widely accepted solution to complex manufacturing requirements across a broad spectrum of industries," says Dr. Hans J. Langer, EOS founder and CEO. "We've recently sold our 2100th system worldwide. With almost three decades of dedication to AM technology development, our company is committed to upholding the highest quality standards in our field."
The company has over 100 employees in North America, with 30 field service engineers—and has had a US presence since 2001. Pflugerville is opening with approximately 30 employees, a number that is expected to double within the next two years. EOS Materials, also known as Advanced Laser Materials (ALM), dedicated to the production and blending of polymer powder for both EOS systems and other powder-based AM technologies, will remain in Temple, TX.
The Novi, MI site will also remain as an important regional technical center for EOS of North America, Inc. Future plans to further expand within the US include the Boston, MA and Northern California regions.
Yes indeed Kanya. That was one of my questions. Exciting times ahead!!
You sold half of the one share you had? LOL! ok Good Luck
Awesome! Thanks Jpi. PrintRite3D is being integrated into that AM aerospace supply chain. That Safran connection is looking good! It's pretty obvious for us Longs!
I agree. We have much stronger hands holding now. The Longs know what we hold and we are not selling anytime soon. Additional contracts are coming and then uplist. Good Luck Longs.
That shareholders presentation revealed that pipeline that Mark was talking about and some folks are finally starting to believe. The shorts are about to be in full panic mode. Good Luck Longs! Looking like an uptrend may have started.
http://otcshortreport.com/index.php?index=SGLB&action=view
Date Close High Low Volume Short Volume % of Vol Shorted
May 02 NA NA NA 30,701 19,252 62.71%
Apr 29 3.30 3.30 3.00 10,350 5,648 54.57%
Apr 28 2.97 3.05 2.85 22,543 8,081 35.85%
Apr 27 2.90 3.08 2.80 27,680 10,134 36.61%
Apr 26 3.05 3.35 3.00 15,621 2,182 13.97%
Apr 25 3.39 3.65 3.00 10,985 8,016 72.97%
Apr 22 3.65 3.65 3.46 17,124 9,473 55.32%
Apr 21 3.50 3.70 3.40 38,760 6,580 16.98%
Absolutely Mr pipes. Printrite3D is not needed for FAA certification. PrintRite3D is needed for saving time and costs when GE or any other company starts mass producing AM parts. It's the cost savings of not having to go through destructive testing to validate that AM parts are being made to the design intent. The AM industry is ramping up to AM mass production now and that's where PrintRite3D will fit.
General Electric (GE) received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for fuel nozzle implementation in the GE LEAP engine, and GE Aviation will produce more than 100,000 3D-printed parts via laser-based powder bed AM by 2020 [9-11]. AM replaced complex brazing of multiple components to create a lighter, simpler, and more durable product.
GE [12] demonstrated the successful certification of GE9X T25 Sensor and the LEAP Fuel Nozzle without the need for new qualification standards.
Picture
GE LEAP fuel injector [10,11]
Direct laser deposition
?For components or repairs produced by direct deposition of Ti6Al4V, AMS standard 4999 A78 [13,14] prescribes feedstock and production conditions. Minimum tensile and fracture toughness properties are also defined. So are standardized testing procedures for each production run as well as re-test and rejection criteria.
The standard also suggests a three-stage qualification route:
source qualification;
approval of deposition or deposition/geometry parameters, with mechanical test samples produced to cover the processing space and geometrical parameters;
production qualification by destructive testing.
?Upon qualification, each of the production parameters is fixed, with any deviations requiring additional testing.
This procedure is best suited for serial production of numerous identical parts. For the production of customized, repair, and low-volume components, where AM techniques are often most desirable, a qualify-as-you-build scheme [15] that encompass pre-process, in-process, and post-process data should be used to validate part quality.
http://www.insidemetaladditivemanufacturing.com/blog/qualification-and-certification-routes-for-additive-manufacturing-of-mass-produced-metal-components
Yes, indeed!
I agree and continue to believe that Sigma Labs is being managed very well. It's a very impressive list of companies that have signed NDA's and requested quotes. I was personally shocked that Mark shared that information with us. The dot connecting for the past nearly three years has been confirmed. It does not take much but a little time to research and see who there prospective customers are and what they are doing in the AM space.
Nearly every prospective company is doing business on a global scale. These are not some mom and pop local shops that SGLB is dealing with. SGLB is filling that AM need as the industry turns from prototyping to mass production of AM parts. Folks really need to do some DD to see where PrintRite3D fits in the AM space and where the AM industry currently is in it's lifecycle to appreciate what Sigma Labs is doing right now.
Mark Cola's business sense is incredible. He has foreseen the need and developed a IPQA product that meets the needs of industry. His IPQA concept was needed so badly that he was able to work with GE and Honeywell and Materialise to further mature the IPQA technology and he still keeps the patents and exclusive right to sale PrintRite3D after GE and Honeywell invested time and resources to develop Inspect and Contour.
I could go on about the brilliant moves that are being made. He is continuing to have the foresight to build product to address AM needs. I see it time and again in articles and white papers and Mark's direction has been spot on. Mark is growing a business that will be a success and exist until a major player decides to buy SGLB out.
The pps trend will reverse upward as the orders start to come in and then uplist! I will be so glad to uplist to the major markets where the major investment firms who understand AM can invest in SGLB. I feel fortunate to have found a diamond in the rough well before most knew that it existed. I strongly believe that the investors here on this board will be handsomely rewarded in the next several years as the evaluation and research stage will be done and AM is in full scale production mode. Know what you hold!
Good Luck Longs!