3D Printing News Briefs: November 5, 2019

We’ve got some formnext announcements to start off today’s 3D Printing News Briefs – atum3D is introducing its newest DLP 3D printer, while Incus GmbH plans to launch its new metal AM technology at the event. Moving on, Additive Industries has delivered its first MetalFAB1 system in China. Finally, we’ve got a 3D printed spare parts case study from Kodak.

atum3D Introducing New DLP Station 5-365 at formnext 2019

Digital Light Processing (DLP) specialist atum3D introduced its DLP Station 4 at formnext 2016, followed by the DLP Station 5 at formnext 2017. Now, the Dutch company has announced that it will introduce the newest version of the 3D printer at formnext 2019 – the DLP Station 5-365. As the first DLP system to support the use of functional, high-performance build materials, like DSM’s SOMOS resins, the printer will be setting a new standard in affordable industrial 3D printing. The DLP Station 5-365 has a new, powerful 365 nm light source, a highly accurate 70-micron x,y resolution, and the new Self-Traversing Integrated Resin Homogeniser (STIRH), which automatically and continuously homogenizes multi-component or particle-infused resins with additives for consistent results.

“We’re very excited to present DLP Station 5-365 and the opportunities it holds in Frankfurt,” said Juan Vertelman, Commercial Director at atum3D. “Both existing as novel high-quality build materials used to exclusively available for use on a few high-end printers. At atum3D, our goal is to help incorporate additive manufacturing in existing production processes. Two important prerequisites are the availability of resins with functional characteristics that fit a specific application and the availability of industrial grade hardware and software for an investment that’s feasible for smaller businesses and institutes as well. It’s exactly the combination of properties we’re introducing with the combination of DLP Station 5-365 with STIRH and high-performance third-party resins.”

You can see the new DLP Station 5-365, along with the latest Operator Station features, at atum3D’s formnext booth B19, in Hall 11.1, from November 19-22.

Incus GmbH Launching Metal 3D Printing Technology at formnext 2019

Another company is introducing its latest AM technology at formnext this month – Vienna, Austria-based metal 3D printer producer Incus GmbH, which evolved from ceramics AM company Lithoz GmbH. The Incus Hammer Series machine uses photopolymerization to print complex metal components, such as heatsinks and drill heads. The process, which combines cost-efficiency and increased manufacturing speed with fine structures and great surface aesthetics, uses metal feedstock, which negates the need for protective gas atmosphere solutions, and it can be applied to many different materials, like precious metals and iron-based alloys.

“We are excited to be exhibiting our machine at Formnext and to present our technology to the industry,” stated Incus CEO Dr. Gerald Mitteramskogler. “We are looking forward to meeting prospective partners and customers who are looking to bring their production to the next level.”

Visit Incus at its formnext booth D32, in Hall 11.1, to see its Hammer Series technology for yourself.

First MetalFAB1 System Delivered in China

L-R: Mike Goh, General Manager, Additive Industries Asia Pacific; Daan Kersten, CEO, Additive Industries; Wim van de Donk, Commissaris van de Koning van Noord-Brabant; Wu Zheng Long, Governor, Jiangsu Province, China; John Jorritsma, Mayor of Eindhoven.

Dutch company Additive Industries has just handed over its first industrial MetalFAB1 3D printing system in China, to the Marine Equipment Technology Institute (METI) at Jiangsu University of Science and Technology. The 3D printer, which has been purchased by customers in the automotive, aerospace, and racing fields, will help METI to increase its production of heat exchangers for applications in Liquefied Natural Gas and maritime. The handover ceremony was held in METI’s additive manufacturing center, and many university personnel were present, in addition to the Mayor of Eindhoven, regional and local governmental VIPs, and the Governors of both the Provinces of Jiangsu and Noord-Brabant, which is home to Additive Industries’ headquarters.

“We are grateful to welcome METI as a leading partner in marine technology. Not only are they a frontrunner in marine applications but also a visionary in additive manufacturing by being the first in China to own a MetalFAB1 system,” said Mike Goh, General Manager of Additive Industries Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. “The system will be used also for research but mainly to transfer their innovative heat exchanger technology to series production.”

King Agro Uses KODAK 3D Printing to Fabricate Spare Parts

Recently, KODAK 3D Printing published a case study about the work it completed with international company King Agro, a top agricultural manufacturing plant in South America and Europe that’s part of the John Deere corporation. The King Agro engineering team needed a way to improve and lower costs for its manufacturing process, in order quickly validate and manufacture spare parts for its machines, and chose to use KODAK’s Portrait 3D printer for the job.

“Within the first ten days, engineers from different company departments were able to use the printer validate more than 15 different parts in a variety of engineering materials including ​auxiliary tools, supports, jigs and prototype parts,” the case study states. “The printer was proven successful in allowing engineers and designers of the team with little or no experience in 3D printing, to have a rapid learning curve, and obtain results in the printing of parts with engineering materials.”

King Agro used the KODAK 3D Slicer to prepare models for parts like jigs and fixtures, and validated the design concept with PLA+, though ABS was used to print the final part in order to increase its strength and lower costs. Overall, KODAK helped the company reduce part costs from $750 to $5, and production time from 96 hours to just 18.

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