3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced today that its end-to-end digital
design and manufacturing solutions led to the enhanced mobility of
a disabled African penguin at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT. In a
collaborative endeavor led by the aquarium’s veterinary staff,
students at Mystic Middle School worked with technical experts from
ACT Group, a Connecticut-based 3D Systems partner, to make a
lightweight, custom-fit boot for Yellow/Purple (AKA “Purps”), a
resident of Mystic Aquarium’s endangered African penguin colony.
Using 3D Systems’ 3D scanning, design and printing solutions, the
group improved upon previous efforts by providing Purps with a more
efficient and effective boot.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c26b9da-9a21-498b-95db-cdda5104adaa
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/050012ab-ea22-4194-97be-19b8cd1d74b6
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0922e15-d144-4b73-9177-57db78a45ac4
Watch a video to see how 3D Systems’ technology helped Purps the
penguin regain mobility.
Purps was left with a nonfunctional flexor tendon in her ankle
following an altercation with another penguin. In an initial effort
to immobilize, support and protect the site of injury,
veterinarians at Mystic Aquarium fashioned a boot for Purps from
moldable plastic material. While adequate, the animal care team at
Mystic Aquarium knew there were more modern solutions available for
the boot that would not only be more durable and less cumbersome
for the small bird, but also would require less time than
handcrafting a boot.
Interested in taking advantage of the design freedom and
customization benefits of 3D printing for Purps’ rehabilitation,
Mystic Aquarium contacted its long-standing partner Mystic Middle
School, which had just acquired a 3D printer through ACT Group. A
new partnership formed among these three entities, and through
their joint efforts a superior boot was fabricated for Purps using
3D Systems’ Geomagic Capture® 3D Scanner, Geomagic® Sculpt™
software and multi-material ProJet® MJP 5500X 3D printer.
With support provided by ACT Group, the students of Mystic
Middle School successfully executed the majority of the design to
manufacturing workflow. Following a workshop facilitated by ACT
Group, the students used 3D Systems’ Capture 3D Scanner to scan an
existing cast of Purps’ foot, then imported the scan data into
Geomagic Sculpt for modification and customization. The boot they
created not only enhanced Purps’ mobility, but also provided the
students with a meaningful, goal-oriented framework from which to
develop a design within a digital workflow.
“The students truly amazed us in how their creative thinking,
imagination and intuitiveness led this process,” said Nick Gondek,
Director of Additive Manufacturing and Applications Engineer, ACT
Group. “It was rewarding to provide them with a technology that
could keep up with their ingenuity, and to watch them pick up the
software so quickly. It further demonstrates the need to have
students learning to digitally design and manufacture at a younger
age.”
The final boot was printed on a 3D Systems ProJet MJP 5500X, a
multi-material 3D printer that enables both flexible and rigid
materials to be printed and blended simultaneously at the voxel
level for custom strength and elasticity. 3D printing the new boot
led to a final product that was better fitting, lighter weight and
more durable, allowing Purps to walk and swim like the rest of her
peers.
“Our goal is to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean
planet through conservation, education and research,” said Kelly
Matis, Vice President of Education and Conservation, Mystic
Aquarium. “In this project we achieved each of these desired
outcomes while benefiting the health and well being of one of our
endangered species.”
“This project not only helped a member of an endangered species,
but it gave our students a hands-on understanding of the 3D
printing process and how to carry an idea through from a concept to
a design to a usable object,” said Sue Prince, Library Media
Specialist, Mystic Middle School.
“This project demonstrates how our end-to-end 3D printing
solutions provide a seamless workflow that can enable enhanced
results from the classroom to the lab to the factory floor,” said
Derek Johnson, Director, Product Management, Professional Printers,
3D Systems. “With the right tools and the right focus, no problem
is too big, or too small, to solve.”
About Mystic Aquarium
A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Mystic Aquarium is counted
among the nation’s leading aquariums with more than 300 species and
an extensive collection of marine mammals, including New
England’s only belugas. Mystic Aquarium has been a pioneer in
offering guests a variety of up close encounters with a wide range
of marine animals. The mission of Mystic Aquarium is to inspire
people to care for and protect our ocean environment through
conservation, education and research. Mystic Aquarium
receives major support from The Coca-Cola Company, Foxwoods Resort
Casino, Resorts World Sentosa, and United Technologies Corporation.
Learn more at MysticAquarium.org.
About ACT Group
ACT Group 3D Equipment & Services is Connecticut’s expert
resource for additive manufacturing equipment, service, and
support. ACT Group is the top 3D Production Dealer in New England
with customers ranging from small manufacturers to Fortune 500
companies. On-staff engineers and dedicated development team
continuously collaborate with UCONN, CT Innovations and CCAT on
educational programs, as well as being a resource center for this
ever changing and expanding industry. Members of the ACT 3D
team have received professional education on additive manufacturing
from MIT. They have also traveled to France for an exclusive,
in-depth training on direct metal 3D printers. ACT Group has
been featured in Forbes Magazine three times and
has received back to back Metro Hartford Alliance/Hartford
Business Journal’s Business Champions Award for Innovation. ACT
Group is proud to be a certified women-owned and family business.
Learn more at GoACTGroup.com.
About 3D Systems
3D Systems provides comprehensive 3D products and services,
including 3D printers, print materials, on-demand manufacturing
services and digital design tools. Its ecosystem supports advanced
applications from the product design shop to the factory floor to
the operating room. 3D Systems’ precision healthcare capabilities
include simulation, Virtual Surgical Planning, and printing of
medical and dental devices as well as patient-specific
surgical instruments. As the originator of 3D printing and a shaper
of future 3D solutions, 3D Systems has spent its 30 year history
enabling professionals and companies to optimize their designs,
transform their workflows, bring innovative products to market and
drive new business models.
More information on the company is available
at www.3dsystems.com
Investor Contact:
Stacey Witten
Email: investor.relations@3dsystems.com
Media Contact:
Timothy Miller
Email: press@3dsystems.com
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