One of my editors and I recently received an invitation from Leah Mack at CAM Logic to attend their open house. We went to CAM Logic’s new facility in Oxford Michigan just north of Detroit. CAM Logic offers 3D scanning and printing services, and sells and supports scanning and printing hardware and related software.

Upon arrival we were met by Yvonne Wiedeman who directed us to the registration table where we received our badges. We had a brief tour and were shown some of the equipment they use. We saw where the meeting rooms were and where lunch would be served.

We met Josh Kolcan, a 3D printing specialist, and were shown the 3D printers they had on display. Of the five printers, three were by 3D Systems. There were two stereolithographic (SLA) printers and one that uses a material that 3D Systems calls Visijet PXL. This is a powder material that is spread in a thin layer onto a build platform. A binder is then applied from a print head similar to an ink jet printer. The binder comes in either in a monochrome (white) or in a full color pallet. There were two models of buildings  that had been printed with this material. One model of a building that was several stories tall was about five inches in height. This particular model had the reflections that were in the ground floor windows at the time of the scan. The finish on the models was similar to sandstone although I understand that other finishes can be obtained. This material is rather fragile but a sealer can be applied to give it strength.

Another 3D printer was the EnvisionTEC ULTRA 3SP. This 3D printer is similar to SLA printers in that it uses a liquid resin bath. The main difference is that with SLA printers the build platform starts at the surface of the resin and rises as each layer is cured. With the EnvisionTEC 3D printer the build platform lowers into the resin with each layer. When the part is finished it rises out of the resin as the build platform rises.

The last 3D printer we saw was by Markforged. This printer prints in nylon or a material called “Onyx”. Onyx is a nylon filament that contains carbon fibers and produces a part that is tougher and stiffer than other plastics. The Markforged 3D printers can also embed continuous filament fibers into the nylon or Onyx. There are four filaments available: carbon fiber for highest strength, Kevlar for abrasion resistance, fiberglass (which is not as strong as carbon fiber but costs less), and high temperature fiberglass for a higher temperature resistance. As someone who has been involved in automobile racing, I was especially interested in this printer.

After lunch, those in attendance broke up for the various presentations. The first one we went to was on Teamcenter implementation and was presented by Yvonne Wiedeman with some input from Emil Kacan of Mercury Marine. Teamcenter is product lifecycle management (PLM) software from Siemens that is used by many companies including car manufacturers. PLM software allows you to track a product from when it is just an idea until the end of production. CAM Logic sells and supports Teamcenter and has an implementation program that they call “Jump Start”. The standard implementation program can take ten months or more of software installation and user training before a company is able to take full advantage of the software. Siemens offers an installation program called Rapid Start that reduces  the time needed to make use of Teamcenter to about ten weeks by only installing basic features of the software. However Rapid Start cannot be customized to the needs of different companies-the basic package is the same for everyone. Jump Start, on the other hand, can be customized to the customer’s needs. By tailoring the initial package to each customer, they can install additional features they may need to get started. This way the customer can get all the features they initially need and the software will still be fully implemented in as little as ten weeks.

The next presentation we attended was focused on the changes that were made to Siemens NX (formerly Unigraphics) CAD software. Siemens NX is high end product design graphic software used by many car companies and suppliers. Dave DeBoer was the presenter for this session. Some of the improvements include the ability to drag and drop parts in an assembly, improved rendering, and enhancements to the sketching package. There are improvements to the surfacing and drawing packages as well. Probably the most interesting improvement for readers of this blog is the ability to 3D print directly from NX.

There were other presentations that were given at the same time as the ones we attended. There was a presentation on changes to NX as it applies to manufacturing. One on Solid Edge, which is another graphic software package that is less expensive than NX but does not have all the features that NX has. Another was on 3D scanning that coincided with the NX presentation. There were also breakout sessions for those with specific questions on 3D scanning, printing or CAD and needed help sorting out their problems.

After the presentations we met Dustin Kinsler, a 3D applications engineer, who demonstrated the T-Scan laser 3D scanner by Steinbichler. This scanner consists of the T-Track tracking unit mounted on a tripod and a hand held scanner. The scanner must stay in sight of the tracking unit to record the scan. It is primarily used for larger objects. There is also a probe available for measuring individual points. Dustin scanned a fuel tank as he “painted” a path less than two inches wide to create the 3D model of the fuel tank.

Later, Chris Himburg, 3D engineering manager, demonstrated the Comet structured light scanner by Zeiss. This scanner uses a focused blue light that is projected as a beam onto the object being scanned. The object is placed on a turntable and is rotated. A camera lens that is at a specified distance from the light projector then “reads” the location of the line of light that is projected onto the object. The scanner does this continually as the object rotates. The object can be repositioned so the entire object can be scanned. The different scans can then be aligned in the software.

We were able to stroll around and look at some of the things they were either working on or have worked on. Outside, in front of the building there were two Ferraris, a Corvette and a very large motorcycle. The motorcycle was at least six feet tall. Inside there were two motorcycles, a motorized cart and a Saleen supercar. There was also a Tesla in the parking lot.

Saleen Supercar

Motorcycle waiting for new fuel tank

We would like to thank the good folks at CAM Logic. We spent an enjoyable day at their new facility and came away with some good information. All their people were friendly and knowledgeable and they have a very nice facility.