Nine Innovations From Additive Manufacturing

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:12

With the Tru Print 2000 , Trumpf has introduced a 3D printer that is particularly well suited for medical technology and tool and mold making. Two 300 watt lasers illuminate the entire installation space in parallel. With the small laser focus diameter of 55 µm, components with a particularly smooth surface and filigree lattice structures can be built. The quality of the powder bed and the melt pool is automatically checked during printing. In addition to titanium implants, model cast prostheses for teeth or injection molds with complex cooling channels on the inside can be made from cobalt-chromium alloys.

Print minimal wall thicknesses

With FDR technology (Fine Detail Resolution), EOS has presented a solution for powder-based industrial 3D printing of plastics using a CO laser. With FDR technology, a CO laser with a laser output of 50 watts generates a very fine laser beam that has a focus diameter that is only half as large as that of existing SLS technologies. Completely new exposure parameters and thus very fine surfaces as well as filigree and at the same time stable components with a minimum wall thickness of only 0.22 mm are possible. In the first step, the certified material PA 1101 is used. This is processed in layer thicknesses of 40 µm and 60 µm.

Industrial components at an affordable cost

Maker Bot expands production capacities for desktop 3D printing with its Method X manufacturing station . With this FDM printer, plastic components should be possible that were previously only possible with expensive traditional industrial high-end 3D printers. Method X is based on Stratasys' 30-year-old technology - including a construction chamber that can be heated to 100 ° C and soluble SR-30 carrier materials that enable manufacturers to produce high-performance tools (e.g. for robots) and production parts at low costs. There are eight industrial grade plastics for the platform. Recently nylon has added to the material portfolio.

Grayscale printing for different degrees of hardness

Voxeljet's so-called grayscale printing is a technology update of the HSS process in which the ink input within a layer is varied in stages. Target properties of the polymer components such as degrees of hardness can be assigned to each level. With grayscale printing, components can be made to measure, regardless of geometry and load-specific. For example, shoe soles can be set softer in certain areas and harder in other areas. Voxeljet has applied for a patent for the technology. In addition, the material portfolio was expanded to include polymers such as polypropylene and elastomers such as TPU.

Reinforce components with continuous fibers

With the Freeformer 300-4X , Arburg wants to enable continuous fiber-reinforced components in Arburg plastic free molding (AKF). It was developed on the basis of the Freeformer 300-3X and also has three discharge units. The new centerpiece is a four-axis component carrier. It not only moves in the x, y and z directions, but can also perform rotational movements thanks to the additional c-axis. This enables fiber-reinforced, resilient functional components to be built. Continuous fibers made of glass or carbon are fed on a roll, placed specifically on the component carrier and immediately bedded with plastic and cut to the desired length.

Continuously working 3D printer

At Formnext, Altana and dp polar presented AM polar i2, the first 3D printing system with a continuously rotating printing table. In contrast to previous methods, it is not the print head that moves, but the area on which printing takes place. This creates high-precision components up to 20 times faster with a construction volume of approx. 700 l. In addition, a wide variety of customer-specific materials can be processed in one pass using the multi-material jetting process. The technology also enables the resulting parts to be fitted with electronic components, for example, without interruption.

New process for metal 3D printing

Lithoz transferred its stereolithography process from ceramic to metal and founded it with the Incus company. It was presented for the first time at Formnext 2019. The Hammer series machine uses photopolymerization for the additive manufacturing of metal components. The new printer series should make it possible to produce very small, complex components with the finest surface structures. It is advantageous that metal powder mixtures that cannot be welded can also be used. Similar material properties will be achieved as in metal injection molding. Two beta machines have been in development for over a year and show that the expectations of the technology are met.

Powder made from recycled raw materials for additive manufacturing

6K has developed a process technology that can produce high-quality powder for additive manufacturing from certified turning and milling chips and already used powders. In the future, raw materials from additively manufactured support structures and faulty 3D printed parts will also be added. Powders can also be produced from non-eutectic alloys, such as high entropy alloys or designer aluminum alloys. The 6K Uni-Melt microwave plasma system has a homogeneous and precisely defined plasma zone. The powders have a high sphericity, are non-porous, free of satellites, have good flow properties and a high tap density.

Functional prototypes in high temperature environments

3D Systems has expanded its portfolio of engineering plastics for the Printer Pro Jet MJP 2500 Plus with the material Visi Jet M2S-HT90. It should offer a heat distortion temperature of 90 ° C and meet the USP Class VI 93 standards. The rigid, transparent material was developed for durable goods and automotive applications - ideal for the functional prototyping of parts that are used in high-temperature environments such as devices and housings as well as for the testing of parts or assemblies with heated liquids and gases. Due to its biocompatibility, Visi Jet M2S-HT90 is also suitable for applications in the medical field.