Thanks to the new partnership with AMT, CIPRES, which provides SLS 3D printing and e-coloring services, will be the very first European company to exclusively provide its users with high-speed surface finishing – a ‘finishing touch,’ if you will. This will be achieved through its proprietary e-coloring technology and AMT’s PostPro3D system.
“We are already producing several different wearable products but our main focus has always been in the eyewear industry,” said CIPRES co-founder Ingrid Prestien. “The combination of PostPro3D and e-coloring is an ideal multi-functional technology as we see post-processing as an additional and highly strategic bunch of production in the future of the AM industry.”
The automated surface-finishing PostPro3D system is able to process 3D printed nylon parts (PA12, PA11, PA6.6) on all major powder bed fusion platforms, and can also be used with composite materials and elastomers. The user sets the required surface smoothness for whatever end-product the technology will be applied to, and six-axis robotic arms are used to handle the parts. AMT plans for future versions of the system to use its proprietary machine leaning algorithms to provide feedback during processing.
As more high-speed 3D printing systems continue to be developed, the market for 3D printed, mass-produced and mass-customized goods is growing quickly. Product development and time to market can both be accelerated with the ability to rapidly 3D print fully finished parts, which helps companies respond to market demands and product design iterations. CIPRES’ clients will be able to leverage the benefits that result from a more direct, flexible digital manufacturing approach, and offer unique, high quality consumer products, as well as customization and limited collection series.
By combining e-coloring with smooth surface finishing, an important step is added in to the digital production value chain. CIPRES will be using the technology to produce unique, customized eyeglass frames – the combined solution will offer color and surface quality that matches eyewear manufactured using traditional methods. The company’s collaboration with AMT will also allow CIPRES to offer manufacturers other high-performance 3D printed products that feature high aesthetic properties.
CIPRES is launching the high-speed, automated surface finishing and e-coloring service at the TCT Show in Birmingham this week; you can also visit AMT at the show at Stand H66P.
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