Objective3D | BLOG

Given the roller coaster of attitudes towards 3D printing in recent years, it can feel like there is a plethora of misinformation on the technology. Misinformation has led to misguidance, misuse and ultimately distrust. To fully embrace 3D printing in all its varied forms, and therefore achieve the greatest overall value from what could be a crucial project solution, we’ve gathered some of the most common misconceptions we’ve heard from newcomers and industry veterans alike and addressed where the misconception comes from and how 3D printing breaks the mold. Misconception 1:  3D printing can’t produce real functional parts. This misconception stems from early realities for the technology. In the first decade or so, 3D printed plastics were mostly relegated to photocure materials which were not durable. Most 3D printing processes did not have good tolerances or automation in place to aid in controlling the build to achieve a specific need. By about 2000, however, 3D printing...

Economic solutions for tooling and mould-making Securing competitive advantages and getting to the market faster is the name of the game nowadays in almost all sectors of industry. As a renowned supplier to the plastics-processing industry and in aluminium die-casting, Concept Laser GmbH benefits from many years of experience. The use of mould inserts with conformal cooling delivers quality optimisation while reducing the unit costs at the same time. Metal Machine Solutions using LaserCUSING® Technology, a cutting edge technology from Concept laser is now available in Australia and New Zealand from Objective3D. The term LaserCUSING® – made up of the letter C from Concept Laser and the word FUSING for „complete melting“ – describes the technology of the future. The fusion process with patented „stochastic exposure“ generates complex component geometries layer by layer using 3D CAD data. LaserCUSING® opens up unimagined possibilities. New product ideas and mould inserts which can ...

Do you require same strength but lighter weight solution?  Do you require multiple part consolidation?  Do you require injection moulding with conformal cooling?  Are you producing medical / dental implants or devices?  If you're answering 'yes" to some of the questions above then you're probably need a Metal 3D printing solution. Learn more >>

3D printing technology has been in use by the manufacturing industry for many years but many businesses which could benefit from the technology have yet to adopt it. There are many reasons for this slow adoption - many do not understand how 3d printers function, how does the technology fit into their work flow, what their long term costs and cost savings maybe, or which printers would be best for their particular businesses.  As leaders within the 3D printing industry, Objective3D understands this lack of information within the market place. Since April of last year to date, the company has hosted over 18 "Manufacturing the Future" Seminars around Australia and New Zealand focused primary at informing, educating, and inspiring local businesses, designers, engineers,educators, entrepreneurs and other professional around Australia and New Zealand on the applications and benefits of 3D Printing. These seminars have been a huge success, both in educating and driving...

Your business needs 3D printed parts. Multiple market surveys indicate that most businesses, if not already using, are evaluating 3D printing for product development and manufacturing. They are investing in training designers and engineers specifically for 3D printing and recruiting new employees with experience with additive manufacturing to prepare for the future. Most companies understand the benefits of additive manufacturing and can identify prototype and production parts prime for 3D printing, but the path to operational implementation is not always clear. Do you buy a 3D printer or order parts through a 3D printing service provider like Objective3D Service Bureau? Budget is obviously a factor, but what about the type of system(s) you need? Do you need multiple platforms? What materials are required? Will training be involved? Each route has its unique benefits and can better serve certain objectives and business models. The following considerations will help you start to weig...

The world's leading 3D Printing Solutions Company, Stratasys, has again recognized Objective3D with the 2015 Award for excellence in customer satisfaction. This year’s award is Objective3D's second for this catergory, the first was in 2013. This exciting news follows from Objective3D's recent success in its ISO 9001 certification in mid December 2015 and is a further testament of Objective3D's continued commitment to providing not only the best 3D Printer solutions in the market but also the reliable customer support that its valued customers can count on. “Customer satisfaction is the result of great teamwork,” said Matt Minio, Managing Director of Objective3D. “The Stratasys Customer Satisfaction Award is a great honor for Objective3D and we share this recognition with all our staff and thank them for their diligence in keeping our customers consistently satisfied. We would also like to thank all our customers who's taken the time and effort to com...

Objective3D is proud to announce it is now certified as a ISO 9001:2008 compliant organisation. The certificate is accredited by QAS International Limited. To become certified as ISO 9001:2008 compliant Objective3D underwent an extensive evaluation process that included quality management, management documentation review, pre-­audit, initial assessment, and clearance of non­‐conformances, all of which work to identify corrective actions that eliminate non-­‐conformance to the quality management standard. Objective3D received its ISO 9001:2008 certificate of registration on 9th December 2015. The certification of compliance with ISO 9001:2008 recognises that the policies, practices and procedures of our company ensure consistent quality in the product and services we provide our customers. With this certification, our customers can be confident that Objective3D is dedicated to maintaining the highest efficiency and responsiveness in achieving our ultimate goal – g...

If your business needs 3D printed or additive manufactured parts. You have two options: invest in 3D printing equipment or order parts through a 3D printing service provider. Each has its benefits, and often companies will use both for different reasons. In a recent Stratasys survey of 700 professional 3D printing users, we examined the top reasons why companies outsource 3D printing, top benefits of having 3D printers in-house, what processes they would want to outsource and what processes they plan to take in-house. The most common responses to the benefits of outsourcing 3D printing to a service provider were: Access to advanced equipment and materials Over the last few years 3D printing service providers have evolved from rapid prototyping with a few plastic 3D printing technologies to contract manufacturing with a broader service offering. Customers don’t just need plastics anymore; their 3D printing applications have evolved. They need a wide variety of materials fr...

Additive metals, laser sintering, extruded filament, powdered plastics, alloys, photopolymers – the list goes on and on. Today there are a plethora of 3D printing processes and materials to choose from and it’s only growing. The dynamic additive manufacturing market is often difficult to navigate, especially if you’re still learning about the processes. At the Objective3D Service Bureau, our project and applications engineers try to learn as much as they can about customer’s part application to accurately guide them to the best technology and materials. To help you start to filter out certain processes and materials, we put together a selection methodology: Application – What is the purpose of the end product? You may need to build a small volume of complex end-use parts which would require strong materials, dimensional accuracy and repeatability. Whereas a sacrificial investment casting pattern is one-time use and needs to burnout clean. Function – What does the part nee...

Objective3D Service Bureau is transforming the manufacturing landscape through revolutionary 3D printing and custom manufacturing solutions that allow organizations to innovate rapidly, move to market quickly, and compete in a dynamically changing world. Powered by Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, we cemented ourselves as a powerful technology leader, encouraging designers and engineers to challenge conventional approaches to manufacturing. Additive manufacturing allows for new approaches to design—something our team of engineers has spent more than a decade perfecting. With 16 commercial grade machines providing the widest range of 3D printing technologies and materials and together with the help of our manufacturing capabilities and expertise, our customers are able to produce complex designs, previously impossible via conventional manufacturing methods, which in turn result in more advanced and higher performing products. With more than 1500 orders recei...

Canberra para-athlete Scott Reardon has sprinted his way to gold at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha with victory in the T42 100m for leg amputees. The fastest qualifier coming into the finals, Reardon, using a 3D Printed Spike Plate, got his nose in front to stop the clock in a time of 12.13 seconds - a mere one-hundredth of a second in front of Russia's Anton Prokhorov. It was sweet revenge for Reardon, the 25-year-old having to share the gold medal two years ago at the world championships in Lyon in 2013 with Germany's Heinrich Popow​. "You come to championships to win championships and that's the most important thing," Reardon said. "I probably didn't get the time I wanted, but when people look back, how I got there won't matter. "It will just show me as world champion, and that's so exciting." The result is the culmination of more than a decade of determination and training. The Spike ...

The 3D printed plastic material that can kill 99% of bacteria could revolutionise dental implants Scientists from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have invented a type of 3D printed plastic that can kill 99% of bacteria that touches it, which could pave the way for a multitude of medical, dental, food hygiene and child safety applications. The researchers took the dental resin polymers that are used to make artificial teeth implants and embedded antimicrobial quaternary ammonium salts inside the polymers. The salts are positively charged, which causes negatively charged bacterial membranes to burst and die. The polymer was then put into a 3D printer and used to print out a range of dental items, including replacement teeth implants and orthodontic braces, with the objects hardened using ultraviolet light. When the objects were coated in a mix of saliva and Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium that causes tooth decay, the researchers found that the new mat...

Matthew Garnett, owner and MD of Merseyside-based orthodontic dental laboratory, Thermadent Ltd, has something to say about the future of digital dental technology. "Let's get digital..." Matthew has 25 years experience in dental technology, beginning as an apprentice in 1990. he went on to Liverpool Community College where he qualified in 1996 with distinctions and won the "Student of the Year Award for Excellence" in dental technology. His passion for perfection remains undimmed and he believes we must never rest on our laurels. Before launching Thermadent in 2011 he worked in a number of laboratories right across the North West as an orthodontic technician, gathering valuable experience in all aspects of the craft. He took a lot of pride in his work and he made every appliance to the best of his ability, preparing each one as if it was for one of his own children. This level of commitment runs through the work of every member of the Thermad...

When 4 year old Anthony of Shelbyville, Kentucky lost his vision after an operation to remove a brain tumor, Wayne Whitworth, a family friend and former United States marine, offered a solution to help the little boy regain his independence. Whitworth turned to 3D printing to develop a customized spoon on the Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D Printer at UPS store 0830, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Simple daily functions like self-feeding posed frustrating challenges for Anthony and his family. “Anthony is blind so finding a spoon that he liked was a real challenge,” said Anthony’s mother, Cierra Brettnacher.   Anthony celebrated his 4th birthday last month using his Stratasys 3D printed spoon to eat a piece of birthday cake Anthony was drawn to a particular spoon he encountered during physical therapy. The special curvatures and features help visually impaired children like Anthony adapt to feeding themselves. Reproducing a utensil with a unique shape would require a...