Categoría: Geovanny Vicente

WAYNE, Pa., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Evolve IP, the world’s leading provider of Work Anywhere™ solutions; today announced that it has integrated the omnichannel Evolve Contact Suite with Microsoft Teams and the company’s virtual Workspaces solution. The powerful combination allows agents to be fully immersed in all parts of the business while supporting clients and prospects anywhere on the devices of their choice. Leveraging a powerful, Web-based identity and access management portal, agents and managers can take advantage of the productivity benefits of Microsoft Teams, access all of the business’s applications, including legacy on-premises applications, while delivering a world-class customer experience with Evolve IP’s analyst-acclaimed omnichannel contact center software.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on contact centers forcing businesses to quickly spin up patchwork, work-from-home solutions or dramatically alter their physical contact center footprint. Now, with businesses evaluating a long-term strategic change toward work anywhere users, IT and contact center leaders are looking at better ways to connect agents not only to the contact center solution, but to the critical applications they need to do their jobs.

The Evolve Contact Suite, which has been noted by Gartner in three consecutive CCaaS Magic Quadrants, was designed from the start to enable contact center agents to work anywhere. And new enhancements to the platform further those capabilities, all at a cost that is 30-40% less than other solutions that lack its remote work capabilities and Microsoft Teams integration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px1n-MmSsUs

Major advantages of the Evolve Contact Suite include:

• Robust omnichannel features – ECS provides all of the features required by contact centers to deliver a world-class customer experience, including voice, email, text, chat, and more.
• Integrated with Microsoft Teams – For businesses using Microsoft Teams for collaboration and video conferencing, contact center agents can take full advantage of Team’s productivity features while also interacting with the rest of their company’s associates.
• Work and Hire Anywhere (Agent & Managers) – The Evolve Contact Suite runs on all major Web-browsers with easily navigable, attractive modern user interfaces that improve agent productivity and empower a great customer experience. Real-time dashboards help users, no matter where they live and work, stay on top of KPI and key business metrics.
• Work Anywhere (IT) – Agents and Managers need nothing more than a web browser to securely access Contact Center, SaaS, and critical legacy applications from the same Web portal. This frees IT from deploying and managing PCs and supporting clunky VPNs to get agents access to the tools they need.
• Unified Solution / Leverage Current Phone Investments – ECS can be deployed as a unified solution with Cisco / Broadsoft VoIP software. This cloud-based delivery provides superior reliability, higher call quality, and in many cases, can help businesses further reduce costs by keeping current handsets.
• Superior AI Speech Analytics – Using Evolve RECAP, agents and managers can easily identify call sentiment, receive automated notifications, and document, review, and train via multi-media call transcriptions.
• Advanced Reporting – Evolve IP offers a wide variety of easily customizable ‘out-of-the-box’ reports and can provide a standard API for businesses to build their own reporting via its Data Warehouse.
• Quickly Customize Call Flows – With more dispersed agents, working under tougher conditions than ever, call routing more has become even more challenging. ECS offers a powerful GUI (Graphic User Interface) to easily build advanced routing call flows.
• Maintain Compliance – The Evolve Contact Suite is compliant for organizations needing  HIPAA / HITRUST, GDPR, PCI-DSS, SOC2, and more.

«When agents and their managers were forced to move home, businesses struggled to deliver all of the functionality required for them to be successful,» said Scott Kinka, Chief Technology Officer of Evolve IP. «Some CCaaS solutions provide a remote way for agents to join the omnichannel contact center, but they fall short in securely delivering the rest of the applications agents need to be successful.  IT is still burdened with shipping computers and managing VPNs.»

Kinka continued, «No one in the contact center market, besides Evolve IP, can provide a complete solution for agents and managers that delivers award-winning omnichannel features, secure access to SaaS and legacy applications, and integration with the rest of the business via Microsoft Teams; all from a web browser on nearly any device.»

WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE EVOLVE IP

Businesses can Work Anywhere™ with Evolve IP. We take the tools you’d typically use at the office, like a phone and the apps on your desktop, and deliver them from a single portal that users can access on any device. Employers are increasingly aware of the importance of a ‘work anywhere’ mindset where employees want to be more productive and collaborate in meaningful ways no matter where they are, or what time it is. Evolve IP enables employees to contribute to the business in ways that fit their lifestyles while their company’s IT becomes more secure, more dependable, and much easier to manage.

Follow Evolve IP on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/12832730

Press release distributed by PRLog

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SOURCE Evolve IP

AURORA, Colo., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In preparation for the return to school this fall Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) has released a guide for how schools, parents and caregivers, and local public health officials can effectively manage students and staff with COVID-19 or who have been exposed to people with symptoms. Recommendations were informed by Children’s Colorado infectious diseases experts who have helped lead the response to COVID-19.

The Guidelines for Managing COVID-19 with Schools Reopening is available on the Children’s Colorado website, along with the previously released guide and Charting Pediatrics podcast designed to help school administrators and board members determine how they can most safely re-open their schools for in-person learning. These materials provide considerations and recommendations based on the most current COVID-19 medical guidelines.

«As we continue to move through these challenging times where increasing cases of COVID-19 impact our ability to plan for a safe return to school, it remains critical to build a thoughtful approach to supporting student, staff and family safety, while recognizing the long list of rich benefits associated with in-person learning,» said Heidi Baskfield, vice president of Population Health and Advocacy at Children’s Colorado. «Our goal is that schools, parents and local public health partners can use this document to develop successful plans to support appropriate levels of in-person learning, while preserving the flexibility of all of our partners to address their own localized needs.»

The Children’s Colorado protocols clarify definitions for exposure, symptoms, testing, isolation and quarantine and also urge schools to have a clearly agreed upon screening process in place to help ensure that sick students and staff don’t come to school.

The guide then addresses what happens when someone has symptoms or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms with scenarios for when to stay home and/or contact the school, when to get a test, how to monitor and identify symptoms, when to isolate, and how to plan for a safe return to school. Scenarios include:

• Scenario 1: What happens when a student, staff or family member experiences COVID-19 symptoms?
• Scenario 2: What happens when someone doesn’t experience symptoms until they are at school?
• Scenario 3: What happens when a person is exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
• Scenario 4: What happens if someone tests positive for COVID-19 but doesn’t experience symptoms?
• Scenario 5: What happens when a student or staff person is asymptomatic but has been exposed to someone who has symptoms and who hasn’t gotten test results?
• Scenario 6: What happens when someone is exposed to someone who is exposed to someone who tested positive with COVID-19 (two layers removed)?

«It is important to remember that schools’ ability to safely engage in re-opening for in-person learning is directly tied to the circulation of COVID-19 within a community. When a community is consistently engaged in safe practices like social distancing and wearing face coverings, it is more likely that community can support a safe return to school,» said Sam Dominguez, MD, infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

In addition, Children’s Colorado medical experts continue to lead regular School Town Halls that provide real-time data, support, and evidence-based, pediatric-focused guidance on managing kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s Colorado has a robust School Health team that provides school nurses and health services in seven Colorado school districts, 34 charter schools, 16 private schools and 100 preschools and camps. 

About Children’s Hospital Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the nation’s leading and most expansive pediatric healthcare systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and recognized as a top 10 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative and groundbreaking treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric healthcare worldwide. Children’s Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Colorado, including its location on the Anschutz Medical Campus, and across the region. In 2019, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, opened as the first pediatric-only hospital in southern Colorado. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Children’s Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-720-777-9800.

CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-720-777-9800.

http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557 

Media Contact:
Jaime Berg, 720-777-8713
jaime.berg@childrenscolorado.org 

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/childrens-hospital-colorado-releases-updated-guidelines-for-parents-and-school-officials-to-manage-covid-19-and-in-school-learning-301106683.html

SOURCE Children’s Hospital Colorado

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — iClicker, a Macmillan Learning Company, announced today a new partnership with Perusall, the interactive, digital content company to address two of the most pressing concerns for higher education in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: student engagement and affordability.

According to an Inside Higher Education study, higher education faculty are most concerned with ensuring student engagement in virtual learning environments, and the potential for online classes to have an inequitable impact on underrepresented students. The study revealed 87% of respondents are concerned over the impact of virtual classes on students from low-income backgrounds and 77% view the ability to maintain student engagement when teaching online as ‘somewhat challenging’ to ‘very challenging’.

Instructors can use iClicker to take attendance, facilitate active learning and complete in-class quizzes using mobile devices or iClicker remotes. iClicker was developed by teaching professors and is currently used at more than 1,200 institutions by more than 5,000 instructors and more than 10 million students.

«Student engagement is in both iClicker and Perusall’s DNA, as both were created by educators who are recognized as leaders in researching and using active learning and peer instruction methodologies. This new partnership will help make iClicker’s polling, quizzing and assignments even more accessible with Perusall’s content engagement platform and will ultimately support deeper learning, wherever it happens,» said Steven Ray, Vice President of Macmillan Learning Institutional Solutions.

The iClicker and Perusall partnership will make it even easier to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and deep content engagement in virtual environments, at an affordable price. There is early proof that the partnership can help foster deep connections with content and peers in an online learning environment. Last spring, amid the outbreak of COVID-19 that demanded a quick pivot to teaching virtually, University of Louisville Psychology Professor Edna Ross, PhD, used Perusall and iClicker to deliver the same active, peer-to-peer learning methodologies she has become known for delivering in her face-to-face classes.

«Before iClicker, it was very difficult to get input from all of my students and before Perusall it was a struggle to get students to read the material,» explains Ross. «Once class moved online due to COVID-19, students in my class quickly found a rhythm of beginning discussions with Perusall asynchronously and then responding with iClicker questions during synchronous sessions to dive deeper into opinions in class. Using both together really impacted learning and engagement for the entire class.»

The partnership will enable Perusall customers to purchase access to iClicker’s student mobile app at a discounted price, delivering course content and engagement capabilities to support deep learning in both synchronous and asynchronous learning methodologies common in online courses.

«We are excited to partner with iClicker to combine our affordable, digital learning solutions to help students engage more fully with the course content and one another. With so many courses needing to move online this fall, this is important now more than ever,» said Brian Lukoff, Perusall co-founder and CEO.

Click here for more information on how iClicker and Perusall are being used at University of Louisville.

About Macmillan Learning
Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family-owned company that improves lives through learning. By linking research to learning practice, we develop pioneering products and learning materials for students that are highly effective and drive improved outcomes.. To learn more, please visit macmillanlearning.com or or join our Macmillan Community.

About Perusall
Perusall is a free social learning platform that delivers reading and video assignments to students before they come to class. The platform incorporates content delivery with collaborative annotation tools to ensure students read more, come to class prepared, and are more engaged in the learning experience, enabling instructors to teach more effectively. Automated reports document where students struggle the most to understand course content, allowing instructors to specifically address these issues in class. More than 500,000 students at over 2,000 educational institutions in 75+ countries use Perusall. To learn more visit http://www.perusall.com.

 

SOURCE iClicker

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have joined together to create a new program, Respite Relief for Military and Veteran Caregivers, which will offer family caregivers of veterans access to no-cost, short-term relief with the help of CareLinx in-home care professionals. The CareLinx donation of $1 million will provide more than 40,000 hours of non-medical home care for more than 1,600 caregivers and their wounded, ill, or injured. The program is being developed as the urgent need for respite care among military caregivers has become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation is made possible through the generous contribution by Generali, CareLinx’s parent company, who created a fund to support various relief efforts in countries significantly impacted by COVID-19. AARP has also joined as a key collaborator for this effort to help spread the word to military and veteran caregivers. 

«Since the Foundation first began its work, we have seen the desperate need for short-term relief among veteran caregivers. The lack of affordable, convenient professional respite care takes a significant toll on the emotional and physical well-being of these hidden heroes and the limitations created by the COVID-19 pandemic have further reduced their respite options,» said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. «We are grateful CareLinx has stepped up in such a generous way to make this program possible. We look forward to working with the VA to use CareLinx’s and potentially other contributors’ donations to provide urgent relief to those who need it most, and working with AARP to reach millions of veterans and military families nationwide.»

The COVID-19 pandemic has further strained veteran caregivers who have lost the in-person support of family and friends because of social distancing regulations. Even as states begin re-opening, some of the nation’s most critically wounded or ill veterans and their caregivers will have a long journey back to the pre-pandemic world as their vulnerable immune systems require families to take every precaution against exposure.

«Caregivers charged with caring for our nation’s Veterans face new challenges during the pandemic. They are becoming increasingly isolated and are hindered from getting reliable outside help,» said U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie. «This compassionate and thoughtful program will give them some much-needed relief during this stressful time.»

Today marks the program launch date for eligible caregivers in select regions in California, Florida, and Texas to apply for services. This program will be able to offer selected veteran caregivers approximately 24-hours of respite care by providing a qualified in-home care professional for their veteran. These care professionals will be able to perform tasks such as companionship, grocery shopping, cooking, mobility assistance, transportation, bathing, and other activities of daily living.

«CareLinx is honored to support our military families and veteran caregivers during this unprecedented time,» said Sherwin Sheik, CEO of CareLinx. «This program is a win-win for our nation’s caregivers; it will give family caregivers a much needed break, enable vulnerable veterans to minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19, and provide new rewarding work opportunities for professional caregivers.» 

Depending on availability of hours, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation seeks to further expand the program to other regions of the country later on in 2020. The Foundation has established a Respite Relief Fund where organizations can contribute funding to support expansion to other regions of the country. Individuals seeking to learn more about the Respite Relief Fund should contact RespiteRelief@elizabethdolefoundation.org.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. You must be a family caregiver to a wounded, ill, or injured veteran or service member (and submit proof of service).
2. Requested relief support includes one of the following: companionship, light housekeeping, grocery shopping and meal preparation, transportation, mobility support/transferring, exercise, toileting, bathing, dressing and grooming. If you and your care recipient need more assistance such as assistance with administering medications, in home physical therapy, or any other type of specialized medical care, you will not be eligible for this service at this time.
3. The military/veteran family must seek respite care relief in Florida, California, and Texas (and only in those zip codes with available services).

For more information, please visit hiddenheroes.org/respite.

About the Elizabeth Dole Foundation
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring our nation’s 5.5 million military caregivers – the spouses, parents, family members, and friends who care for America’s wounded, ill, or injured veterans at home. Founded by Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the Foundation adopts a comprehensive approach in its support and advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, and faith communities to recognize military caregivers’ service and promote their well-being. Learn more about the Elizabeth Dole Foundation at hiddenheroes.org.

About CareLinx
CareLinx is the leading nationwide online home-care platform. Professional caregivers leverage proprietary digital care plans to better assist the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and people with chronic health conditions with activities of daily living. The CareLinx platform helps families and caregivers easily manage all the administrative tasks of their caregiving needs, including scheduling, time tracking, care coordination, and payroll processing. To date, CareLinx has a nationwide network of over 400,000 tech-enabled caregivers who provide personal in-home care for families and support safe transitions of care. The CareLinx platform revolutionizes transparency and facilitates active coordination in the post-acute care environment, leading to increased quality of care, better health outcomes, and significantly reduced total cost of care. Visit us at https://www.carelinx.com.

About Generali
Generali is one of the largest global insurance and asset management providers. Established in 1831, it is present in 50 countries in the world. With nearly 72,000 employees serving 61 million customers, the Group has a leading position in Europe and a growing presence in Asia and Latin America. Generali’s ambition is to be the life-time partner to its customers, offering innovative and personalized solutions thanks to an unmatched distribution network. Learn more about the Generali group at https://www.generali.com/.

About the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was established to provide veterans the world-class benefits and services they have earned – and to do so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and stewardship. The Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 174 VA Medical Centers and 1,062 outpatient sites to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program.

About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elizabeth-dole-foundation-and-us-department-of-veterans-affairs-launch-emergency-veteran-caregiver-respite-program-with-carelinx-1-million-donation-301106670.html

SOURCE Elizabeth Dole Foundation

BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Today, Sightline Security, in collaboration with Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), announced the launch of a members-only community forum for nonprofit organizations. The community forum is designed to address the unique needs of nonprofits, provide critical and relevant cyber and information security news, updates, and discussions explicitly to help them solve their distinct cyber and information security challenges. The community forum is a cornerstone of Sightline Security’s approach in working alongside nonprofits to embrace cyber and information security best practices with confidence.

«During normal times, nonprofits face many protection challenges, ranging from a lack of cybersecurity talent to budgets that are stretched very thin, as cybersecurity typically sits low on the funding priority list. Add in our current crisis to the mix, and nonprofits are even more susceptible to security breaches – all while they need to remain focused on responding to the welfare of its constituents and keeping the business going.» (Nonprofit Executive Director, 2020)

«We are thrilled to collaborate with the Global Cyber Alliance to bring this important and needed community space to our members,» said Dr. Kelley Misata, Founder and CEO of Sightline Security. «Thanks to their support and resources, we can welcome more members into Sightline and help them supplement their defenses at a time when they are increasingly vulnerable to attack.»

Sightline’s unique and proven approach ensures nonprofits can easily identify and prioritize the current state of cybersecurity inside the walls of their organizations. The new community forum provides Sightline’s members with critical and timely information, early-stage assessment guidance, introductory learning to security best practices such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and safe and secure discussion space to bring their unique issues to the table. In addition to accessing the community forum and other Sightline Security resources, nonprofit members can also share critical insights into their cybersecurity efforts and provide a vital feedback loop for security experts and vendors – removing a crucial blind spot into the specific risks facing this expansive community.

«Sightline Security’s work to support the nonprofit community comes at a critical time. Nonprofits are under attack because of the communities they serve and their access to data about them. Cyber attacks on nonprofits undercut their ability to address social issues and needs, and can affect life and death,» said Philip Reitinger, GCA President and CEO. «GCA is proud to support this effort and help bridge the cybersecurity gap for these critical organizations.»

Support Sightline Security and be at the forefront of helping nonprofits improve cybersecurity and reduce risk. As a security start-up organization, Sightline Security is continuing its «Founders Club» fundraising campaign for the remainder of 2020 — to learn more contact the company at hello(at)sightlinesecurity.org.

About Sightline Security
Based in Boston, MA, Sightline Security Corporation takes a holistic and community-centric approach necessary to address the lack of information and cybersecurity capabilities and awareness in the nonprofit sector. Addressing a critical need for these organizations, Sightline is the first solution provider to tailor its approach to providing nonprofits with access to the security tools and expertise that were previously only attainable by commercial businesses or government agencies. Through its innovative combination of assessment, consulting, and training capabilities, Sightline has created a basis for nonprofit organizations to confidently implement information security best practices while removing a crucial blind spot that currently exists in information technology and security industry. https://sightlinesecurity.org/

About Global Cyber Alliance
The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) is an international, cross-sector effort dedicated to eradicating cyber risk and improving our connected world. We achieve our mission by uniting global communities, implementing concrete solutions, and measuring the effect. Learn more at http://www.globalcyberalliance.org.

 

SOURCE Sightline Security

ERIE, Colo., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Elementum 3D, a developer and supplier of groundbreaking metal additive manufacturing (AM) materials, has published a white paper, Powder Recycling in Laser Powder Bed Fusion: Improving Processing, Maintaining Quality. It outlines how the company’s blended materials provide powder recycling benefits while maintaining particle size distribution without component desegregation. The findings come from three different studies, each using a different material.

Elementum 3D aims to provide quality products with our customers’ interests and needs in mind. The introduction of our patented Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technology allows for a wide variety of materials systems not printable by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) to be created. Along with bringing new materials to the market, RAM technology has equivalent and improved mechanical properties compared to traditional wrought alloys.

RAM technology utilizes micron-scale additives blended into powder feedstock that react in situ during printing to form sub-micron inoculants. These inoculants lead to grain refinement and contribute to the eliminating defects like hot tearing in aluminum, a hurdle for many alloys in AM. Elementum 3D’s uniquely designed alloy feedstock for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) generates light-weight, high-strength AM parts. Consumers are interested in powder recycling and using our products for multiple builds. In response, we performed three studies on three different RAM materials.

Benefits & Challenges of Powder Recycling
Powder recycling is economically and environmentally beneficial, increasing the number of builds performed with the same feed stock. It also reduces material wasted per build. Powder processing also allows blending multiple components for production of materials like metal matrix composites (MMCs).

However, there are concerns about physical and chemical changes that may occur under processing conditions in L-PBF, along with components segregating during handling. The layer-by-layer L-PBF building process involves thermal cycling that can lead to loss in chemical composition [1]. Changes in particle morphology can lead to variances in mechanical behavior [2], while changes in particle size distribution can affect flowability and inhomogeneous powder distribution over the build platform [3].

Improper powder handling can expose powders to moisture, oxidizing particle surfaces and inducing impurities, altering the mechanical performance of a part [4]. Another concern is segregation during handling due to differences in powder component size and relative density [5-6].

Despite these concerns, many alloys retain chemistry, particle size, morphology, and mechanical properties after multiple builds with the same powder [2-3]. Powder processing provides improved homogeneity in multi-component materials (e.g. MMCs) compared to liquid processing, where dendritic solidification and agglomeration of added particles encourages segregation [7].

Our Materials: The RAM Advantage
Considering all these factors, we wanted to ensure our material provides the benefits of powder recycling while maintaining the quality we promise to customers. Using three different studies of our A6061-RAM2, A2024-RAM2, and IN625-RAM2 materials, respectively, we were able to confirm our materials stand up to the challenge. This powder processing technique also allows for larger, safer particle sizes for storing and handling that form the beneficial sub-micron reinforcements during the printing process.

Powder Segregation Study A6061-RAM2
We emulated a «worst-case scenario» to push the limits of our material: segregated particle constituents. Smaller, higher-density particles tend to settle to the bottom with time or movement [5-6]. For example, in a jar filled with material of varying sizes like sand, pebbles, and rocks, finer materials (sand) tends to settle to the bottom, while larger material (pebbles and rocks) stay in relatively the same place.

While our multicomponent powder mixtures aims to minimize this by using similar size matrix and additive particle sizes and relative densities, we wanted to ensure segregation does not occur through multiple handling cycles and builds. We took used powder from a build and sieved it 20 times consecutively with no re-blending. Powder was consistently fed into the sieve from the bottom of a collection bin to maximize component segregation (Figure 1).

We did two additional prints: one using the top of the final powder blend; and another using the bottom half of the powder in the bin. That was followed by tensile testing each part. The results (Figure 2) show consistent performance by our powder, even with handling that encourages component segregation.

Figure 1. Twenty sieving cycles maximized potential segregation of A6061-RAM2 powder (left), as well as the sources of powder feedstock for three different builds (right).

Consistent Particle Chemistry & Size Distribution in A2024-RAM2
With a development partner, we ensured maintenance of particle size and chemistry after multiple builds in an SLM 280 printer with a powder supply unit (PSV). After multiple builds using our A2024-RAM2 powder over five months and 70 sieving cycles without refreshing with new powder, our material had a similar particle size range as new powder and preserved chemistry that was in-spec (Figure 3). This confirmed our material achieves consistent strength and remains well-mixed, with the same particle characteristics as new powder.

Figure 2. Strength and elongation values of as-built tensile bars of A6061-RAM2 after initial build with new powder (labeled new powder) and two builds done with reused powder following 20 sieving cycles: one with powder taken from the top half and one with powder taken from the bottom half of the sieved powder. Results fall within Elementum 3D specifications for A6061-RAM2 and are within statistical variation for expected results. Each data point represents an average value for multiple specimens and error bars represent one standard deviation for that sample set.

Figure 3. Measured chemistry of A2024-RAM2 new powder versus the same powder after multiple uses over five months and 70 sieving cycles with no new powder refreshment.

Retaining Mechanical Performance in IN625-RAM2
Students at Colorado School of Mines (CSM) performed a study on our Inconel 625 nickel alloy with two percent ceramic reinforcements (IN625-RAM2). Evaluation was based on tensile properties of bars and impact energy of Charpy specimens printed with recycled powder.

Following the first build with new powder (labeled 0 in figures below), used powder was topped off with new powder to maintain 25 kg for each build. The mixture was tumbled for 10 minutes to ensure proper blending. This was done for each build for nine builds (eight reuses). Each was performed on an EOS M290 L-PBF printer at Elementum 3D.

The resulting tensile properties of bars taken from the first, second, and eighth reuse (second,third, and final builds) in Figures 4 and 5 show consistent strength values above 1,225 MPa for ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and 850 MPa for yield strength (YS). Both are higher than those reported for wrought plate of the same material according to the manufacturer’s data sheet (827-1103 MPa for UTS and 414-758 MPa for YS) [8]. Charpy specimens were also found to have similar impact energy (Figure 6) up to the final (eighth) reuse. These results indicate resilience of our material over multiple builds, as well as our material and methods out-performing other manufacturing techniques.

Figure 4. Engineering stress vs. engineering strain curves for as-built IN 625 with 2 percent ceramic reinforcements (IN625-RAM2).

Figure 5. Ultimate tensile strength, 0.2 percent offset yield stress, and elongation values for as-built specimens after the initial build (0 reuses), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th reuse (or 9th total build). These samples show consistent values in both strength values across multiple builds. Each data point represents an average value for multiple specimens and the error bars shown represent one standard deviation for that sample set

Figure 6. Impact energy values of as-printed Charpy specimens of IN625-RAM2 for initial build with new powder (denoted as 0); and builds using recycled powder through eight reuse cycles. Each data point represents an average value for multiple specimens. Error bars represent one standard deviation for each sample set.

Investing in a Sustainable Future
Each study explored and confirmed the quality and performance of our powder feedstock over multiple builds. The resulting consistency of mechanical properties and powder characteristics helped us assure customers of the resilience and reliability of our unique materials.

The reusability of our powder stems from the reactive powder design using micron-scale reactive powders to achieve sub-micron products that act as grain refiners. The similar size and relative density of these additions and our matrix alloy powder prevent segregation even after multiple cycles of powder handling and sieving.

The reactive process of our RAM material, with dissolution of our reactive additives in the melt and reprecipitation of the products as sub-micron inoculants, occurs during printing and encourages homogeneous distribution of constituents in the final product. These results help showcase the economic value and sustainability of our product, as well as our commitment to providing quality solutions. For additional information, contact: Anthony@elementum3d.com or Jacob@elementum3d.com.

References
[1] F. H. Froes, Additive manufacturing for aerospace applications-part I, Advanced Materials and Processes (July/August) (2017) 36-40.
[2] H. Asgari, C. Baxter, K. Hosseinkhani, M. Mohammadi, On microstructure and mechanical properties of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg_200C using recycled powder, Materials Science and Engineering A 707 (2017) 148-158.
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About Elementum 3D
Elementum 3D was founded by Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein in 2014. Elementum 3D’s mission is to significantly expand the selection of metals additive manufacturing materials by introducing advanced metal alloys, superalloys, and composites, optimized printing processes, performance data, and expert guidance that saves time and money and reduces AM frustration. Find more on Elementum 3D at elementum3d.com, and on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

 

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