Future Links December 3rd

German 3D printing pioneer is at the forefront of selective laser melting
Concept Laser, a German company, is at the forefront of high-quality 3D printing. 14 years ago, Frank Herzog, the company’s founder, worked to overcome several hurdles to make selective laser melting (SLM) work for real-life components. He took inspirations from welders and other metal workers who had figured out how to use special techniques to make the most of the unique properties of metal. Today, Concept Laser covers about one-fourth of the world market in SLM 3D printers, and is constantly developing better and more powerful machines.
More at DW

De La Rue plans to print fewer banknotes
Security printer De La Rue, the company that supplies banknotes to the Bank of England, has announced their restructuring plans recently. Now, more details have emerged. In addition to cutting jobs, De La Rue will also print fewer banknotes. De La Rue is the world’s largest banknote printer and currently has the capacity to produce 8 billion notes a year. The restructuring will reduce this to 6 billion, though this could be pushed to 7 billion if required.
More at The Telegraph

Functional and industrial print markets expected to grow
A new report from Smithers Pira, ‘The Future of Functional and Industrial Print to 2020’, examines the rapidly emerging use of printing-for-profit in novel areas outside the traditional graphics and packaging arenas. This wide range of applications in professional 3D printing, printed electronics, biomedical and more are driving market growth, in a collective industry quantified by Smithers Pira as being worth 67 billion USD in 2015 and reaching more than 107 billion USD in 2020. Printing technology is widely used to decorate items from architectural and automotive glass to ceramics, electronics and textiles with new functions including biomedical, display and photovoltaics becoming significant.
More at Smithers Pira

Formlabs introduces next generation Form 2 printer
Formlabs has made a name for itself by bringing down the price of stereolithographic printing to manageable levels. While their Form 1 printer was a success, it had its flaws. The next generation, the Form 2, has fixed most of the flaws and enlarged the print area. The printing process is quite complex so the printer is best suited for universities and small offices.
More at Tech Crunch

Siegwerk opens new subsidiary in the Netherlands
Siegwerk has expanded its international presence. After opening a subsidiary in Peru, it has now added a sales office in Utrecht to make its products more accessible to Dutch customers. In the last 10 years, Siegwerk has managed to increase its share of the printing inks market for packaging in the Benelux countries significantly. The bew subsidiary brings the number of Siegwerk’s international offices up to 70.
More at Ink World Magazine

Printing business finds sustainable options for displays
Knotty Pine Print is a business specializing in event signage and retail displays. The company is dedicated to decreasing waste and sourcing better materials for campaigns and product signage. One way of doing this is using dye-sublimated fabrics for outdoor signage. The print process is water-based and non-toxic, the color is vibrant and the materials often have the opportunity to be recycled or sold into the second-use market.
More at Sustainable Brands

New on the drupa blog: Printing holograms with an inkjet printer
Getting holograms onto cards or banknotes can be a lengthy and intricate process. Researchers from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, have now found a way to print holograms on a commercially available inkjet printer using a specially formulated nano-ink. The benefits: Considerable time and cost savings.
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