3D PRINTING | INNOVATION
creation of connectors that outperform their injection-moulded counterparts by adding value through geometric complexity.” EPX 82 and EPU 41 are currently available to Carbon customers in North America only.
Bigger, faster Another pioneer in 3DP, Stratasys, is taking routes to both bigger and faster production in 3D printing. Its H2000 Infinite Build system, aimed principally at aerospace and automotive applica- tions, is said to eliminate the barriers to the production of large custom parts or panels, manufacturing aids such as large trim and drill guides and holding fixtures, and development- level or small-run layup tooling. Unlike other Stratasys FDM 3D printing systems, the H2000 does not work with filaments, but rather an extruder processing mini-granules. Also, unlike other FDM systems, which build up parts with a series of horizontal planes, the H2000 creates vertical planes on a table that moves sideways rather than up and down. “This allows unlimited part scalability in one dimension for very large, custom, multi-material tools and production parts,” the company says. The Hydra Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator
takes things a step further by putting both the build surface and the extruder on robotic arms to provide
Polyamide producer Domo Engineer- ing Plastics has collaborated with Ciceri de Mondel (an Italian plastics sheet producer that expanded into filaments a few years ago) to develop Thermec Zed filament for 3DP. It is already being used in the production of customised hulls for an innovative electric motorcycle producer. Domo says the material guarantees excellent adhesion between layers, prevents delamination and ensures minimal shrinkage during the printing process. “Up to 200°C, no known solvent affects it, and it is inherently flame retardant,” it says.
six axes of freedom. This goes a long way to overcoming problems with anisotropy inherent in FDM and FFF systems, where mechanical proper- ties within layers (x-y direction) are higher than interlayer properties (z direction). Two systems have been installed with development partners. Both are very big, but Michael Anton, Materials Business Manager, EMEA, says future models could well be smaller, possibly even with desktop dimensions. A third Stratasys development takes the group in a completely new direction – so much so that the business has been spun off into a new company. In
RP: There’s been a major acceleration in companies that are using Multi Jet Fusion for final parts production. Jet Fusion printers are now used for end-production over 50% of the time, and that number continues to grow significantly. One of the reasons behind that growth is that our customers have started placing repeat orders for HP 3D printers to fulfil a growing volume of large-scale 3D production orders. It’s not just one or two units at a time, leading manufacturers around the world are purchasing as many as 12 or 18 Jet Fusion units in a single order to increase their 3D manufac- turing capacity.
IW: What is the biggest part you can theoretically make? RP: The build size for HP’s Jet Fusion printers is 12 x 16 x 16 inches [305 x 406 x 406 mm], so any part fitting in this volume can be made. Larger conjoined parts can also be made whose components are within that size.
IW: What plans do you have to make printers for even bigger parts? RP: Multi Jet Fusion technology is not physically limited and has a very scalable infrastructure, so larger printers will certainly be possible, but our current build size covers the vast majority of plastic parts and applications in the world.
www.injectionworld.com
IW: Does it in fact make sense to use your printers for big parts? RP: In traditional manufacturing, the cost of a physical mould is commensurate with its size, so the bigger a part is the more expensive it is to produce. Multi Jet Fusion is most cost-effective for parts that fit within our build volume, which provides significant savings in fixed costs, but the competitive advantages go far beyond part size.
IW: Where would you say is the cut-off point between Multi Jet Fusion and injection moulding? RP: For physical part size, within our build volume. For production volume, we doubled the economic break-even point for large-scale 3D production to 110,000 parts with the launch of our Jet Fusion 3D 4210 printing solution, which enables the 3D industry’s lowest cost-per-part.
IW: I have seen one materials company you work with describe the technology as a form of advanced sinter- ing. Is this a valid description? RP: Unlike sintering, Multi Jet Fusion technology fully fuses plastics. This is one of our key differentiators, and the reason why our mechanical properties enable the 3D production of engineering-grade parts. �
www.hp.com
June 2018 | INJECTION WORLD 27
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