Founding A3DM Technologies Corp in 1996, Steven Adler has contributed to the development of numerous OEM additive manufacturing technologies. His expertise targets precious and refractory metal applications for both investment casting and direct metal additive manufacturing processes.
Current research and development at A3DM Technologies is directed to the synthesis of Spherical Platinum Group & Refractory Group Metal Powders by RF plasma and the specific laser parameter development required for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing systems. A3DM plasma processing is suitable for a broad array of metals and ceramics with applications in advanced materials science
-2017-
Refractory Group Metals CRADA
PRESS RELEASE
FARMINGTON, Conn., October 15, 2017 – TRUMPF and A3DM Technologies have entered a collaboration agreement for the development of specialty metal powders and laser parameters.
As part of the agreement, A3DM Technologies will have a TRUMPF TruPrint 1000 installed in their research facility located in Burlington, VT. With its open parameters and several cylinder sizes to choose from, the TruPrint 1000 is perfectly suited for material and parameter development.
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Micro LPBF
A3DM welcomes the opportunity collaborate with Trumpf in the development of operating parameters for our spherical refractory powders targeting SmallSAT thruster applications
Research in Single Vector Scanning ( SVS ) have provided significant advances in Catalyst Bed production for the NASA Green Propellant Infusion Mission program.
A3DM work in Tantalum and Niobium alloys for next generation medical implants has been supported by our RF plasma systems and the Trumpf TruPrint platform leading to significant advances in parameter development and LPBF metallurgy
-2015-
RF-Plasma Spheroidization
In 2014, at the completion of a four year celebrity project in Platinum, research began for the development of Additive Manufacturing systems for Platinum Group Metal Powders and focus on Iridium.
When atomizing micron powders at higher melting temperatures, the ceramic materials used in the melting crucible and nozzle can potentially break down and become inclusions in the metal supply.
For potential PGM catalysis applications, purity of our feeding stock was to be a high priority which ruled out most of these traditional technologies in use
Tekna Plasma Systems, which specializes in inductive plasma, developed a Spheroidization process used for Refractory Group Metals which showed a potential for purity in our application
A collaboration with A3DM for research configuring a small laboratory size reactor system suitable for Platinum Group Metal experiments in 2015.
In June of 2015, A3DM and Tekna Plasma Systems entered into an exclusive agency agreement to facilitate the sales of the Tek15 plasma systems for precious metal applications.
A3DM provides plasma research campaigns for US government laboratories and industrial clients interested in process development and equipment purchases
Plasma research campaigns have been considered for Bulk Metallic Glass Alloys, Rare Earth Elements, and Carbide, Oxide, and Nitride materials ( Boron,Tungsten, Silicon, etc )
PRESS RELEASE
-2014-
Precious Metal DMLS
PRESS RELEASE
Birmingham, England –March 1, 2014 –Cooksongold, worldwide supplier for precious metals in the jewelry and watch industries has announced a strategic alliance with A3DM Technologies, a consultancy firm with deep roots in 3D printing technologies.
In partnership with EOS, the worldwide market leader in Additive Manufacturing equipment for powdered metals, A3DM and Cooksongold are launching the new M 080 DMLS machine and its associated precious metal powders.
Says Adler, “ The Cooksongold – EOS development of a turn-key solution for direct printing of precious metals will enable designers to produce unique luxury products unconstrained by conventional production techniques”.
A3DM collaborative work with EOS and Cooksongold focused on the development of DfAM principles for luxury products in Gold and Silver alloys.
A3DM also organized an international design competition with the support of Gemvision, the premier CAD software for jewelry design
Entry cost and productivity concerns in the luxury sector would however limit implementation in North America
DfAM opportunities in the industrial and technology sectors have been developed
The nobility of precious metals and thermal characteristics have opened opportunities in applications for aerospace and nuclear R&D
Light weight precious metal hollowware has shown some success in DMLS as well design methods that provide labor savings in articulating designs used in fine jewelry
Silver and Gold parameter development has continued simultaneously on additional LPBF platforms for a variety of luxury alloys
This project celebrates our work for the contemporary artist Jeff Koons and his iconic sculpture "Rabbit" c 1986.
In May of 2019, "Rabbit" was sold at auction for a record breaking $91.1M, currently the highest price ever paid for a work by a living artist
A3DM digitally engineered and produced an edition series of platinum "Rabbit" sculptures in collaboration with Jeff Koons and LVMH designer Stella McCartney
DfAM Expertise
Design for Additive Manufacturing ( DfAM ) as an engineering concept was driven by the 3D photo-polymerization process and practices of support generation. For any single material AM process this would become the critical guide in product engineering
As an early Bureau Service ,A3DM was plagued by the repair and pre-processing of Stereolithography files ... many from CAD engineers with little experience in Additive Manufacturing .
Over 20 years of expertise and training MagicsRP....
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The transition of optical connectivity for telecommunication technologies typically requires significant investments in hard tooling.
A3DM Rapidtoolmaker technology saved Teradyne over $2M in outfitting OEM manufacturers with customized fiber connections for compliance testing
Teradyne Introduces HD-Optyx Connector; Industry's First Modular Optical Interconnect Architecture
-2003-
DLP
Digital Light Processing
In 2003 A3DM was the first Envisiontec Perfactory development site placed in North America.
The Texas Instruments DLP process was differentiated from the legacy laser based systems by potential increases productivity with a significant reduction in cost
3D Voxel Printing
The DLP layer mask process adapted for photo-polymerization required significant ongoing research in collaboration with Materialise and Envisiontec in both processes and material science
Unlike 3D Systems process systems, patterns inverted are pulled from a shallow vat requiring new support strategies to overcome stresses in peeling each layer from a surface.
With increased adaptation by the jewelry industry, methods of gating for investment casting were incorporated as part of the DfAM criteria
For more than a decade, A3DM has provided direct OEM support for the development of new Envisiontec photopolymer resins and process parameters for the investment casting process.
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As an early adopter and contributor to the Wohlers Report, Steven is published and has been a speaker at numerous events on Additive Manufacturing for precious metals
-1996-
The RapidToolmaker
Founded in 1996, A3DM pioneered design of "Rapid Prototyping" systems and processes for precision applications. Our mission statement to focus on the development of advanced piezo-electric multi-material additive process for investment casting patterns
Platinum / Ruthenium Casting
Funded by a NASA research grant and founder of Sanders Associates, the RapidToolmaker launched A3DM as one of the first Bureau Services for precision casting patterns by "Rapid Prototyping"
The unique precision capabilities of the A3DM "RapidToolmakers were supported by our development of proprietary thermal materials. A3DM patterns could be dissolved or pyrolyzed cleanly, mitigating challenges in the investment casting of other Rapid Prototyping materials .
UAV SuperAlloy Research
The A3DM RapidToolmaker fleet process remained “State of the Art” in this precision application for more than a decade launching......
Over 50,000
Additive Manufactured Products
Aerospace, Telecommunications, Healthcare, Fine Art, and Luxury Applications.
As an early adopter and expert resource, A3DM has guided the development of Design for Additive Manufacturing ( DfAM ) for hundreds of companies exploring process development in direct digital manufacturing
-1993-
Stereo-Lithography
The Bleeding Edge of Technology
Computer Aided Design ( CAD ) provided SAENT product development with a precise surface area forecast of a design from which we could tailor precious metal content to meet client cost requirements
Digital design also provided a mirroring capability to create identical left and right earrings at a significantly reduced cost over "by hand" sculptors
Stereolithography ( SLA ) patterns for our geometries were well suitable as masters for wax injection molds. The waxes were then used as sacrificial mandrels in the karat gold electro-forming or metal investment casting processes
-1985-
The Early Additive Years
SAENT E-FORMING
A serial entrepreneur from an early age, Steven began a career path in additive manufacturing by ionic deposition of precious metals. Having made prior investments in the development of electrolytic processes for precious metal refining, applications for karat gold electro-forming was an opportunity to be explored
SAENT research in digitally pulsed electrolytic processing at specific current densities was used to target individual elemental deposition on the surface of a sacrificial mandrel. Algorithms were established in order maintain consistent legal alloy content for gold on assay
The thickness of deposits is sufficient to establish a self supporting hollow structure after dissolution of the sacrificial mandrel. Resulting karat gold electro-forms were found to be significantly harder than die-struck products and retain a shape memory.
The World Gold Council supported development and promotion of our work at SAENT in North America in collaboration with Oxy Metal Industries in Geneva and Degussa Galvanotechnik GmbH in Germany.
SAENT E-Forming developed products for several renowned jewelry brands including Charles Garnier, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co in the launch of a new technology and category of manufacture for fine jewelry
From a design perspective, the karat gold electro-forming process allowed young designers to create bold asymmetrical hollowware earrings that were lightweight and thus comfortable to wear.
© Tiffany & Company.
Limited Edition Christmas Ornament 1990
925 Sterling Silver
The World Gold Council continued in 1990 and 1991 to promote karat gold electro-formed jewelry in North American markets with advertisement in Vogue, Town & Country, and the New York Times
SEEKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN 2020
As an early adopter and expert resource, A3DM has guided the development of Design for Additive Manufacturing ( DfAM ) for hundreds of companies exploring process development in direct digital manufacturing