GM, GE, Ford Begin Delivering Ventilators; MakerBot Joins Face Shield Making

Teaching AM Using 3D Systems 3DXpert

With schools and universities moving online, can you still tech additive manufacturing? We spoke to professor Guha Manogharan, who teaches a graduate lab course on metal additive manufacturing (AM) and design.

Dr Guha and his students use 3DXpert, a simulation software program from 3D Systems. It's available in CAD-specific versions, such as 3DXpert for SolidWorks.

3DXpert lets you simulate what happens during the printing process, including the warping and distortion that occurs.

The ability to predict the distortion that happens is important for Dr. Guha and his students, as they no longer have access to hardware to test-print objects during the statewide lockdown. Currently they are using data from the past courses as case studies.

To listen to the full interview, go to "Can You Teach AM under Lockdown?"

MakerBot Joins Face Shield Making

MakerBot, known for its consumer-friendly desktop portable 3D printers, is now joining the face shield making initiative. The company says its output is currently at 460 units per day. The overall team production is 1,000 units per day.

The company’s dedicated page for Covid-19 has downloadable STL files, printing instructions, and the assembly process.

There’s an order form for hospitals and healthcare providers to fill out. The incoming requests are filled by MakerBot and its partners.

Carmaker GM began producing ventilators at its Kokomo plant to fill the supply shortage due to Coronavirus outbreak. Image courtesy of GM.

GM, GE, and Ford Race to Deliver Ventilators

Carmaker GM is on track to deliver the much needed ventilators. According to the company, it has been mass-producing the Ventec Life Systems V+Pro ventilators in its pant I Kokomo, Indiana, in an effort to fill the ventilator shortage resulting from the rise of Coronavirus patients.

The very first unit has already come off the assembly line.

Ford and GE Healthcare have struck a partnership to produce and deliver 50,000 ventilators in Michigan in the next few of months.

The units are produced in Ford’s Rawsonville plant, in round-the-clock operations involving 3 shifts.

GE healthcare licensed the ventilator design from Airon Corp. It’s an air-pressure-based system without the need for electricity. It’s already FDA-cleared.