ROCK HILL, South Carolina – 3D Systems announced innovations designed to improve customer success and catalyze industries.
The company showcases high-throughput 3D printing technologies, a new partnership to provide cutting-edge post-processing, improved additive manufacturing software, and a new production-grade photopolymer.
By combining these latest innovations with the expertise of its Application Innovation Group (AIG), 3D Systems helps customers challenge the limits to advance the performance and productivity of additive manufacturing (AM) in the healthcare and manufacturing markets. industry.
Industrial-scale SLS solution provides reproducible end-use parts
3D Systems designs and delivers AM solutions including hardware, software, materials and services to help companies accelerate their business innovations. Today, the company is pleased to introduce its next-generation Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) workflow that combines new materials SLS 380, 3D Sprint, DuraForm from 3D Systems and PostPro from AMT enabling the production of parts by Profitable batches with unprecedented levels of throughput, consistency, performance and throughput.
The SLS 380 offers high levels of repeatability, improved throughput and lower operating costs for more efficient and effective digital manufacturing. The SLS printer uses a custom algorithm that manages eight separately calibrated heating elements, as well as a built-in high-resolution infrared camera that captures over 100,000 thermal data samples per second to manage, monitor and control thermal uniformity in the chamber of construction.
As part of this new platform, 3D Systems also presents a new material quality control (MQC) system, the MQC 600. The MQC guarantees an optimal ratio between fresh and recycled materials and the MQC 600 is optimized. to deliver material to up to four printers simultaneously, minimizing material waste and eliminating operator intervention. The company anticipates general availability of the SLS 380 for the first quarter of 2022.
To complete the workflow, 3D Systems will resell AMT’s product line to provide a fully automated post-processing workflow. AMT’s PostPro industrial-scale SLS aftertreatment system features fully automated chemical vapor depolding and smoothing solutions that optimize part quality and mechanical performance while improving efficiency. PostPro enables batch cleaning and smoothing of parts, reducing manufacturing time and costs and enabling plant scalability.
Improved DMP configuration accelerates innovation for medical and industrial applications
3D Systems’ direct-to-metal (DMP) printing platform is recognized as cutting-edge technology for its ability to produce exceptionally strong parts of high chemical purity. As a result, many of the world’s largest manufacturers rely on the company’s metal additive manufacturing solutions to manufacture products, components and tools with reduced weight, increased functionality and simplified assemblies.
The company announces the DMP Flex 350 Dual and the DMP Factory 350 Dual which include two lasers that help reduce build time by up to 50% and lower costs. These latest additions to the company’s DMP portfolio retain the advantages of single laser configurations, including flexible use of applications and quick-swap construction modules (DMP Flex 350 Dual); integrated powder recycling (DMP Factory 350 Dual); and a central server to manage print jobs, materials, settings and maintenance for 24/7 productivity. Additionally, the company’s unique vacuum chamber dramatically reduces argon gas consumption while delivering best-in-class oxygen purity (
DMP Flex 200 offers exceptional quality for a wide range of dental applications
The DMP Flex 200 is designed for the additive manufacturing of high quality, small, intricate and finely detailed metal parts, making it ideal for dental applications including removable partial dentures (RPDs), crowns, bridges and implant bars. The DMP Flex 200 features a 500W laser source and larger build volume (140 x 140 x 115mm or 5.51 x 5.51 x 4.53 inches) with a clamping mechanism of the build plate which eliminates the need for managing screws inside the processing chamber. 3D Systems plans to make the DMP Flex 200 available in the first quarter of 2022.
3DXpert 17 Accelerates Production with Topology Optimization and Machine Learning
Customers integrating 3D Systems’ DMP portfolio into their workflow can also benefit from the enhanced functionality of 3DXpert 17, available from Oqton. With the acquisition of Oqton, announced in September, 3D Systems will make its entire suite of AM software platforms available to the additive manufacturing industry. 3DXpert is the industry’s most powerful integrated tool for quickly preparing and optimizing parts, enabling Rapid Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) to shorten production time and increase part accuracy. Features available in the new version accelerate part design with higher throughput and faster print times. General availability of 3DXpert 17 is scheduled for Q4 2021.
Figure 4 Rigid 140C Black opens up new automotive and industrial applications
The rapid innovation occurring in 3D Systems’ materials portfolio enables the company’s customers to respond to a variety of new production applications. Today, 3D Systems announced Figure 4 Rigid 140C Black, a two-part epoxy / acrylate hybrid material, designed to provide production-grade parts with long-term mechanical stability in a variety of environments. This innovation The material, made with a patented filler, offers toughness comparable to injection molded polybutylene fiberglass (PBT GF). Figure 4 Rigid 140C Black has an HDT of 124 ° C @ 1.82 MPa, making it a very attractive material for automotive applications under the hood and inside the passenger compartment, including use clips final, covers, connectors, housings and fasteners, electrical lock and board connectors. Under the hood components produced with Figure 4 Rigid 140C Black have demonstrated excellent reliability when subjected to High Temperature Life (HTOL) testing. These parts also exhibit good part-to-part friction, making them ideal for industrial applications such as levers, knobs, and clutches as the material retains its structural properties.
Figure 4 Rigid 140C Black Has been tested to the equivalent of eight years indoors and one and a half years in outdoor environments per ASTM D4329 and ASTM G194. Innovators who use this material in conjunction with 3D Systems’ Figure 4 technology will not only be able to create production parts with excellent surface quality, accuracy and repeatability, they will also be able to reduce the manufacturing time of the final piece thanks to the efficiency of the company. thermal post-curing process. Manufacturers will benefit from the required thermal post-cure of three hours at 135 ° C without the need to pack the parts in salt, as is required for other similar materials available on competitive systems. In addition, the cure time is approximately 75% shorter than the eight to 12 hours required for similar materials available on competitive systems.
“We are delighted to be able to meet our colleagues, associates and industry customers here at Formnext and introduce further product enhancements to our additive manufacturing portfolio,” said Dr David Leigh, Chief Technology Officer for additive manufacturing, 3D Systems. “We remain committed to investing in our core technologies that help our customers tackle the most challenging production applications. As we approach the end of the year, we look to the future with great anticipation and the realization that we cannot accomplish this on our own. We see huge opportunities to collaborate with others in the industry to bring our products and expertise together, fundamentally transforming the solutions we offer to help change the world of additive manufacturing.
3D Systems will present these new technologies and solutions on its stand (Hall 12.1 D101) at Formnext 2021. For more information, please visit the company’s website.
