“I wanted to include 3D printing in my business for a long time.The new material system finally makes it possible to use the technology in my branch of industry,” said Jürgen Baumgärtner, owner of Baumgärtner Einrichtungen.
Additive Elements GmbH is a new startup out of Munich that has made it their mission to offer quality materials for those engaged in binder-jetting 3D printing who are looking toward scaleable serial production. They currently partner and work with universities, a variety of institutes, and industrial manufacturers.
Binder jetting in 3D printing has been made famous by tech titans like voxeljet and ExOne, who use the process almost exclusively for making industrial parts. Binder jetting entails using a liquid binder which is then responsible for joining together a powder material. This process is versatile and indeed can be employed for nearly any application. Additive Elements sees it as their job to realize your vision if you are engaged in this technology, and then to help bring it to fruition with quality materials, whether you are working on making one part or a series. They specialize in developing materials customized specifically to their clients.
Now, they are also introducing an ecologically friendly material for binder jetting 3D printing. The team from Additive Elements is quick to point out why there was such a need for their new material, and they are of course right on target with concerns that manufacturers and consumers have globally due to:
- Materials made from fossil fuels or limited resources
- Toxic fumes emitted during printing causing health issues
- Expensive disposal procedures due to hazard
“Here we research own materials, but also offer a development service for customers who want to process their materials using a 3D printer,” Thilo Kramer, founder of Additive Elements, told 3DPrint.com. “In our own development a completely ecological material system has emerged.”
Their new ‘material system’ is comprised of inert contents and commodities that are FDA approved. Not only that, but users will be able to look forward to recycling it in totality, with other ‘built-in parts’ being easily recycled also. This is all in line with their promise to make new materials for new technologies, and when customizing for a client, they work with them from inception, all the way to production.
According to Additive Elements, with the binder-jetting process, users are able to print volumes up to 4 meters in a single print, and they recommend the technology for applications in interior design, architecture, and furniture manufacturing.
“It has always been a dream of mine to develop an ecological impeccable material system which is also harmless to health,” said Additive Elements head of R&D Johannes Günther “After eleven months of research and development we succeeded. We are proud to make a contribution to our environment and change the way of additive manufacturing.”
“We want to address clients who don’t have a lot of experience in the 3D printing sector, like architects, shop fitters, interior designers, and many more; therefore it is necessary to provide an all-round-service,” says Thilo Kramer.
The team expects numerous limitations to be eliminated thanks to this new material which is yet to be named or offered for sale yet, but with a release date set for later this year. Additive Elements will be marketing the material as well, along with offering their usual support regarding initial forays into using 3D printing, and answering any questions about production, limitations, and possibilities.
Until the launch, Additive Elements (along with their partners, Trindo and DyeMansion) will be busy optimizing the materials for even the largest 3D printing machines, as well as researching different surface finishing options for more specialized applications—all promised also to be 100% environmentally friendly as well. Do you think they are on the right track here? Discuss in the Additive Elements New Binder Jetting 3D Printing Materials System forum over at 3DPB.com.
