The additive manufacturing (AM) industry will get nowhere without improvements in post-processing. That’s where startups like DyeMansion come in. At Formnext 2021, the company announced several developments that signify further advancement in the world of post-processing for 3D printing. This included a new equipment line, machine integration with Siemens MindSphere, and participation in two production lines for eyewear and footwear.
The new DM60 Black Line is a special limited edition of DyeMansion’s DM60 combined with a DM60 reservoir, used for automatically dying 3D printed components. The unique purpose of this setup is to color grey powder bed fusion parts black.
Grey parts dyed black with the DM60 Black Line. Image courtesy of DyeMansion.
According to the company, users reduce part costs and cycle time by 50 percent compared to the traditional DM60. Additionally, process water can be reused for up to five dyeing cycles with the DM60 Reservoir, reducing the consumption of fresh- and wastewater. Customers have until March 31, 2022 to order the new system.
“The demand for coloring grey polyamide parts in black has significantly increased over the past years. The DM60 Black Line is our tailor-made solution to meet this demand in an industrial way with reduced cycle time and cost-per-part. Our customers can now dye their parts with this new developed process in the proven Deep Black quality in a more efficient and faster way”, said Philipp Kramer, CTO & Co-founder at DyeMansion.
The DM60 Black Line. Image courtesy of DyeMansion.
In addition to the new DM60 Black Line, DyeMansion announced the ability to integrate Siemens MindSphere into its equipment. The Industrial IoT-as-a-service technology makes it possible for DyeMansion machines to work with a business’s MES/ERP Industrial IoT operations. Using the Siemens MindSphere dashboard, users can track machine data such as status, process information, and sensor data.
The MindSphere IoT Dashboard. Image courtesy of DyeMansion.
While MindSphere integration indicates DyeMansion’s ability to operate within a serial manufacturing environment, the startup’s participation in two new production lines proves it. With YOU MAWO and AM Global, DyeMansion technology is being used for the production of 3D printed eyewear frames as a part of the Additive Scale project. The startup suggests that its scalable and reproducible post-processing has enabled Additive Scale to produce up to a million units via 3D printing.
“The application of eyewear is often underestimated in terms of quality and surface. After many years of working together, we really trust in DyeMansion technology to ensure quality and scaling in our manufacturing process,” says Sebastian Zenetti, Managing Director & Head of Sales at YOU MAWO.
3D printed, post-processed midsoles from the iAMfootwear project. Image courtesy of DyeMansion.
Additionally, DyeMansion is participating along with Arkema, EOS, framas, Siemens and Twikit in the iAMfootwear project, a non-branded footwear application that demonstrates how to 3D print footwear in a cost- and performance-competitive manner. Midsoles 3D printed with ARKEMA’s PEBAX material on EOS selective laser sintering machines are dyed colorfully and sealed using DyeMansion’s Powerfuse S vapor polishing system.
All of the above is evidence that 3D printing is advancing to the point that it can be incorporated into mainstream production lines. In this case, DyeMansion plays a crucial role on the finishing side of the equation. And it continues to grow. The startup has a global partner platform made up of 67 partners around the world, including new authorized resellers Alphacam in the DACH region and CADimensions in North America. It also continues to release new products, such as the Powershot DUAL Performance, announced this past March and being shown at Formnext for the first time. Shipment for this series is expected to begin Q4 2022.