3D Printing Formnext Announcements: BigRep, Massivit 3D, Roboze, BCN3D, Henkel

Over 500 3D printing companies are expected to attend the upcoming Formnext 2021: AM live and in color exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, from November 16-19, and Digital Days will be held from November 30 through December 1 for those who may not be able or ready to travel this coming week. Many announcements continue to pour in ahead of the event, and I’m sure there will still be many more to come. Here are just a few:

BigRep Introducing New Generation of Large-Format 3D Printers

BigRep PRO. Image courtesy of BigRep.

First up, large-format 3D printing leader BigRep plans to reveal its new generation of printers, including the new and improved BigRep PRO, a versatile, meter cubed “powerhouse” of a system that can be used to print full-scale parts like molds, factory tooling, patterns, and functional prototypes for industrial applications. The printer is now compatible with many fiber-filled filaments, like PA12-CF, and thanks to the new hybrid BigRep JUMPSTART software-hardware solution, users can start printing easily within a few minutes, as it combines the removable, flexible SWITCHPLATE print bed surface with the accurate LOCKSTAGE secure extruder mounting and upgraded MXT Controls System, which uses proprietary algorithms to improve the g-code for better quality.

BigRep ONE. Image courtesy of BigRep.

BigRep will also introduce the upgraded BigRep ONE 3D printer at Formnext, showcasing its more lightweight and precise portal, making it easy to configure to the user’s specific needs. It offers single, dual, and twin extruder modes and add-ons like changeable color and enclosed housing. As the user’s 3D printing needs evolve, they can add additional features to the ONE as needed.

“We are excited and proud to present our new additive manufacturing solutions combining our diverse hardware, materials and processes, as well as software and controls expertise. The new BigRep PRO was developed with our industrial users’ productivity and ease of use in mind. The new BigRep ONE, the original affordable large-format 3D printer, is now even more accessible and customizable for all innovative users THINKING BIG,” said Dr. Sven Thate, Managing Director of BigRep.

At Formnext, you can visit BigRep at Booth F01, Hall 12.1.

Massivit 3D Showcasing Massivit 5000 and Massivit 10000 3D Printers

Massivit 5000. Image courtesy of Massivit 3D.

Speaking of large 3D printers, Massivit 3D will show off its Massivit 5000 and Massivit 10000 systems at Formnext. The industrial Massivit 5000, based on the company’s patented Gel Dispensing Printing (GDP) technology, was launched earlier this year and features a 145 cm x 111 cm x 180 cm build volume, cutting-edge computer vision features, sophisticated slicing capabilities, and a Dual Material System, so users can print simultaneously with different materials on each print head. In addition, with what Massivit says is up to 30 times the printing speed of other systems on the market, the printer can produce large, complex parts that instantly cure during the build.

Massivit 10000. Image courtesy of Massivit.

In addition to launching its DIMENGEL 20-FR and DIMENGEL 300 materials at Formnext, the company will also have its award-winning Massivit 10000, which was recently announced at CAMX 2021 in Texas, due to be released in 2022. Meant to replace the costly conventional molding processes that are slow and require skilled labor, the printer uses a patented thermoset technology called Cast-In-Motion for direct printing of industrial-grade molds within a water-breakable outer shell allowing molds to be produced in days instead of weeks.

“The additive manufacturing arena has long awaited a technological breakthrough regarding production speed, scale, cost effectiveness, and material versatility. We are excited to showcase our latest large-scale 3D printing systems at Formnext and to demonstrate the transformative nature of these innovations for the manufacturing market at large. Massivit 3D is addressing the dire need for large-scale additive manufacturing – capable of producing parts within hours, instead of days or weeks,” said Massivit 3D’s CEO Erez Zimerman.

You can meet with Massivit at Formnext in Booth C119, Hall 12.1.

Roboze Presenting Argo 1000 for Super Polymers and Composites

Another company presenting its latest printer next week is Italy’s Roboze, which will exhibit the ARGO 1000, its largest 3D printer for super polymers and composites. Roboze specializes in 3D printing for metal replacement parts. This new printer, officially launched this summer, features a heated chamber for fast fabrication of strong super polymer and composite parts in sizes up to 1 cubic meter. The Roboze Automate technological ecosystem was implemented within the ARGO 500 and ARGO 1000 printers and simplifies the workflow by remotely monitoring results with advanced sensors and reporting data during all printing stages. This automated process, which enables predictive maintenance, is highly repeatable, allowing inventory reduction, production scalability, and resource optimization.

The company also created Roboze Distributed Manufacturing, a new production and logistics model supported by a growing network of certified and specialized 3D Parts Centers, which has printed thousands of on-demand parts worldwide just in time.

“We can’t wait to return to Formnext where we will present the fruit of many months of research and development work on both the mechatronics and materials front! ARGO 1000 expresses the boldest part of our brand as no one has ever gone so large with high temperature super polymers such as PEEK,” said Alessio Lorusso, Founder and CEO of Roboze. “ARGO 1000 will be a pioneer in metal replacement applications of regulated industries such as energy, aerospace, and transport.”

Roboze will be at Booth C101, Hall 12.1 at Formnext.

BCN3D Releasing New Metal Pack for Stainless Steel 3D Printing

BCN3D Metal Pack

Barcelona-based 3D printing solutions manufacturer BCN3D will debut its new Metal Pack with Forward AM’s Ultrafuse Metal Filaments so that users of its Epsilon Series 3D printers can easily upgrade their hardware to produce solid stainless steel parts more affordably. The pack, which enables metal AM to compete with CNC and MIM technologies, includes UltraFuse 316L and 17-4 PH filament spools, along with exclusive hotends for metal printing, Magigoo 316L, and new BCN3D Brass Wipers for Metal; debinding and sintering can be completed through Forward AM’s authorized network of service suppliers. The company will also publish a dedicated metal printing add-on for the new BCN3D Stratos software, with profiles curated for the Epsilon Series.

The Metal Pack upgrade will provide BASF customers with a host of new applications, mostly in the aerospace, automotive, food, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors. The cost will be €1,099.95, excluding taxes, and the first units will be shipped in January of 2022.

“The whole AM industry is chasing metal 3D printing. But the truth is that, nowadays, affordable available solutions, if any, are very scarce. With the release of the Metal Pack at BCN3D, we are excited to leverage BASF’s decades of experience in MIM technology applied to metal extrusion and post-processing,” said Eric Pallarés, CTO of BCN3D. “In combination with our existing 3D printing ecosystem, it becomes an end-to-end and accessible solution for functional prototyping. Our customers will be able to take the best advantage of 3D printing by obtaining industry-grade metal parts, within days and hassle-free.”

Visit BCN3D at Formnext in Booth B41, Hall 12.1, and Booth E02, Hall 12.0.

Henkel Launching SLA Resin for Open Materials Platform

3D printed component uses Henkel’s new SLA resin material. Image courtesy of Henkel.

Moving on from hardware, Henkel is growing its high-performance, Loctite-branded photopolymer resin portfolio with a new addition and launching a new resin for stereolithography (SLA) printing at Formnext. The company has plenty of experience in photopolymer material chemistry, and this knowledge, paired with advancements in VAT polymerization technologies and AM’s lack of expensive tooling, are leading more industrial customers to seriously consider 3D printing as a good alternative to conventional methods of manufacturing like CNC machining and injection molding. That’s why Henkel decided to create and launch its new Loctite 3D IND408, a high-performance photopolymer resin for industrial AM applications.

Designed for stereolithography VAT printers, this new resin makes it possible to print parts with isotropic properties, low moisture absorption, fine details and features, and a smooth, glossy surface finish. In addition, Loctite 3D IND408 has a unique formulation, which can be used at fast print speeds, and the resin also features a high thermal performance at temperatures greater than 100°C. This is Henkel’s first material in a new portfolio meant to continue innovating in the SLA technology space and offer scalable customer-specific application solutions. Loctite 3D IND408 is currently available in black, and you can see it for yourself next week at the BURMS 3D Druck Jena GmbH & Co KG Booth A59, Hall 12.1.