AON3D Launches the AON-M2 2020: Large Volume 3D Printer Built for High-Performance Thermoplastics

AON3D announces the launch of their AON-M2 2020, the latest industrial 3D printer in their flagship product line. The AON-M2 2020 has been designed to print a continuously expanding array of melt-processable thermoplastics, including PEEK, ULTEM™, PEKK, polycarbonate, and hundreds of other materials.

Customers can realize the most demanding applications, since the extensive material compatibility offers the opportunity to 3D print parts that can resist harsh chemicals, stand up to extreme temperatures, and withstand intense mechanical stress.

The AON-M2 2020 is ideal for fabricating parts for a wide range of applications, including tooling, jigs and fixtures, end-use parts, or rapid prototyping.

Open Materials 3D Printers Unlock More Applications

Since its founding, AON3D has committed to the open materials standard in contrast with many 3D printing companies that restrict customers to a limited selection of costly, proprietary materials.

In addition, AON3D has focused its materials engineering expertise on developing optimized process parameters for vendors that provide the highest quality materials on the market. These include notable brands such as Solvay, SABIC, Kimya, DSM, Infinite Material Solutions, and many others.

Designed for Part Accuracy and Repeatability

The AON-M2 2020 industrial 3D printer improves upon the original design with its focus on part accuracy and repeatability, as well as reliability. “From the all stainless-steel frame to minimize thermal expansion, to the chamber heater redesign that offers precise control of the thermal environment and heats up in less than 15 minutes, the AON-M2 2020 is an exciting step-up for AON3D,” said CEO, Kevin Han. “We are thrilled to continue offering customers the widest range of material options for their applications and materials expertise that goes well beyond the machine design.”

Parts made on the AON-M2 2020 using SABIC ULTEM™ AM9085F filament and AMS31F support material.

Reach the Maximum Potential for Your Material

With its higher chamber temperature of 135°C (275°F), and bed and hot end temperatures of 200°C (392°F) and 470°C (878°F) respectively, the AON-M2 2020 unlocks an even wider range of high-performance materials that are in demand by industries such as aerospace, defense, R&D, and manufacturing. Operators can achieve better mechanical properties for printed parts with its precision thermal control, enabled by the innovative chamber heater design and engineered convective flow path. Also, its huge 454 x 454 x 640 mm (18 x 18 x 25 in) build chamber accommodates larger parts, and its dual independent tool-heads can print support material for complex designs with ease.

AON3D pairs its industrial 3D printing platform with a comprehensive process expertise offering; application engineers, trainers, and PhDs combine forces to support users in achieving exceptional part outcomes.

“We are seeing a growing demand for an additive manufacturing platform that can print the strongest thermoplastics, as well as an increasing recognition that reaching the maximum mechanical property potential for any part-material combination is a challenge best met with expert support,” said Director of R&D, Andrew Walker. “The AON-M2 2020 is the bedrock of a complete solution we offer customers for getting from CAD file to end-use parts, without sacrificing affordability.”

The AON-M2 2020 is already shipping and you can get a quote today.

A part made from Solvay KetaSpire® AM FILAMENT CF10 LS1 – a carbon fiber-loaded PEEK material.

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Formnext 2019, ROBOZE Innovations are Ready to Revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing World

ROBOZE, an international player that designs and produces the most precise 3D printers in the world for industrial applications, is getting ready to amaze Formnext 2019’s visitors with its new 3D printing solutions that will revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing world.

A constant investment in the materials engineering field and in the development of new technologies has allowed ROBOZE to introduce in the market, since the beginning of its activity, a wide range of 3D printing solutions, capable to offer real advantages in terms of precision, performance, flexibility and personalization for those companies working in extreme sectors like Aerospace, Motorsport and Oil & Gas.

Product innovations from ROBOZE over the last few years have included our Beltless System, which removes belts from FFF 3D printing – and the HVP extruder – a mechanical gem able to print successfully high viscosity super polymers like PEEK, Carbon PEEK and ULTEM™ AM9085F. Today ROBOZE aims to become the leader for the production of finished parts with composite materials and high temperature super polymers thanks to continuous product innovation, result of the R&D team’s hard work.

Additive Manufacturing has a key role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, that will drive us to the development of those smart factories capable to benefit from the technological advantages resulting from the integration of machines, production processes, and final products; this has the aim to create new business models and increase the productivity of the involved companies. ROBOZE constantly analyses the global market’s changes in order to meet the real needs of the final customers.

At Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt, ROBOZE portfolio will get wider with a new printer in the Production line, having a 350X300X300mm build plate: ARGO 350.

A controlled heated chamber, capable to reach 180°C in just over an hour, allows ARGO 350 to reduce the thermal shock of the material it is extruding and to cool it down more slowly in order to attenuate the mechanical stress and any residual tension, caused by the thermal treatment.

The HVP Extruder, designed to reach 450°C for the extrusion of composite materials and high-temperature super polymers, in ARGO 350 presents a double gear system to better dissipate heat, reduce wear phenomena, get the feeding system stronger and optimize the pressure on the filament.

Like in the ARGO 500, here the Beltless System has a positioning precision of 10 microns and guarantees continuous movement repeatability. The ARGO 350’s build plate presents an automatic leveling system that, in addition, to eliminating any external interventions, increases the repeatability of the parts even if they are produced in different cycles or times. Moreover, the introduction of the double extruder system lets you print more complex parts thanks to the use of a support soluble material, available on the Production systems.

These innovations, provided by ROBOZE R&D team, include the recent introduction of the Heat Treatment Process, a system developed to manage the entire manufacturing process – from pre-printing procedures to post-processing finishing – on those systems that are not equipped with heated chamber like the Desktop series (Roboze One and Roboze One+400) and the Desktop/Production series (Roboze One Xtreme and Roboze One+400 Xtreme). This approach is definitely focused on the management of the entire manufacturing process of high-temperature super polymers and composite materials, in order to guarantee great advantages in terms of processing time and costs for those companies using ROBOZE solutions. However, ROBOZE has in store even more news for Formnext, in fact declares that they are going to launch, very shortly, a new revolutionary solution in the materials engineering field, demonstrating its extreme innovation nature.

“We are proud of contributing to the continuous innovation in the 3D printing technology market, thanks to the hard work of our engineers’ team and our global partners in research and development activities”, states Alessio Lorusso, Roboze CEO & Founder. “Our presence at Formnext in Frankfurt will give us the chance to showcase our new 3D printing solutions to the global manufacturing market. The innovations we will showcase during this edition address the needs of all those entrepreneurial realities aiming at increasing their productivity thanks to high temperature super polymers and composite materials for the production of finished parts with the highest precision.”

Production optimization and competitive advantages for the final customers are the added values that ROBOZE will demonstrate during Formnext 2019, from 19th to 22nd of November, at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt.

ROBOZE team will be ready to print strong like metal at booth 12.1-C61.

#PrintStrongLikeMetal

roboze.com

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Interview with Scott Sevcik, VP Aerospace Stratasys, on 3D Printing for Aviation and Space

Out of all the possible industries that are deploying more 3D printers, aerospace is probably the most exciting. By reducing the weight of aircraft components, by iterating more, by integrating components and reducing part count and by making parts others can not, we can have a real impact on aerospace. From rocketry to commercial aviation, we’re seeing new applications grow across the board with OEMs and Tier 1 through 3 investing in qualifying parts and moving carefully into production. Stratasys has had a long history in making polymer aviation components, mainly for military applications. We interviewed Stratasys’ Vice President for the Aerospace Business Segment, Scott Sevcik, on what was happening in 3D printing for aerospace. Sevcik is an aerospace engineer who spent eight years at Lockheed in various engineering, project management, and business roles. He next worked in trying to deflect asteroids from hitting the earth and later worked at UTC aerospace, managing teams of 100 or more engineers and significant budgets before becoming their Manager Program Management. He then worked on MRO with 3D printing before working in various roles at Stratasys. He now manages their Aerospace business.

Sevcik was very enthusiastic about the prospects of both polymer and metal 3D printed parts for aviation and aerospace. Although Stratasys has worked behind the scenes extensively for military customers they were now really for the first time able to share some more public business cases. He really enjoyed working with Boom on their supersonic passenger plane initiative, for example. Sevcik connected with Boom over two and a half years previously. What started as a simple tooling engagement using Fortus systems evolved into much more.

“They were building up their factory” and “for the sake of speed started deploying 3D printing more extensively.”

He was happy that “very quickly it became a real partnership” and that he and his team were able to “work right there with them” and “dive in deep.” From the initial tooling, jigs and fixtures were also added to the project as was work on parts of Boom’s simulator aircraft. Now they’re looking at putting 3D printed parts on the actual model and later on the Boom aircraft. On the test vehicle alone there were “100’s of potential 3D printing applications, especially once the Boom team understood the technology comprehensively.”

Sevcik maintains that there is a “level of maturity with additive adequate for prototyping, tooling, and some parts on aircraft” but that many customers “see the risk on additive and see it as an unproven technology.” Now the industry is entering a different phase though, increasingly “you’re dealing with procurement people, the conversation is about risk reduction.” Especially for some applications, the combination of “Ultem 9085 for aircraft interiors with the Fortus 900mc system has a high level of maturity.”

“9085 is very useful when looking at the heat release from larger aircraft interior parts”, if “you’re looking at a foot by a foot parts or parts with more volume then let’s say a fist the heat release requirements of those parts makes 9085 a good material to use.”

As examples of such parts Scott cites “luggage bins, bulkheads, panels.”  The company also has examples of parts being flown in business aircraft including serial production parts. Commuter aircraft parts, speaker enclosures and many more applications exist.

“Around 15 years ago Stratasys first got into tooling for aerospace and later into cabin interior.”

Other applications can be wholly new but Sevcik likes it when customers “challenge us” or “form a strong team with us.”

Sevcik can’t tell us much about Stratasys’ defense business lines. What is known is that the company has a strong defense base working with Lockheed, NASA and others. In military aviation repeatability on the 900mc has been demonstrated by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and certified for parts for the Air Force. This year and a half process has led to “C5 and C130 parts being made.” Additionally, the United Launch Alliance, Atlas rocket has seen 3D printed ducting. 

One other thing the company has been able to talk about is its Antero PEKK material. Sevcik says it’s especially useful for aerospace “because PEEK crystalizes so quickly” but with “Antero you have much more control over crystallinity” which lets you “make large PEKK parts.” Antero is “best suited for applications outside the cabin while Ultem is ideal for in it.”

“Filled Ultem grades can also be brittle and in some cases, semicrystalline PEKK can give a better fit depending on what you’re looking for.”

Antero can also be ESD safe which can extend its usefulness. He’s buoyed by their materials partnership with Solvay and thinks that Strategic Materials Partnerships strike the right balance between “open and closed.” It will “help expand the portfolio of materials….and give customers access to fully tuned closed systems.” Additionally, the company is looking at unlocking aerospace for “TPU” and “working with DSM on materials for SLA.”

Along with machine sales Stratasys is approaching the aviation market through its Stratasys Direct Service business and the Harvest unit which is AS 9100 certified. Many OEMs have “15% in house fabrication and outsource the rest to partners” and for these cases, OEMs want multiple partners. This means that in some cases Stratasys will work with partners and in some technically compete with them. Stratays wants to “support OEMs and help its partners and customers move into production” in this way it “meets OEMs and customers where they want to be met.”

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Interview with Hexcel on PEKK for 3D Printing

PEKK is one of my favorite 3D printing materials. With very high service temperatures, high strength, and chemical resistance it is a high-performance polymer that has applications in very demanding areas such as aerospace. PEKK is much less known and used than PEEK and PEI in 3D Printing. Where the former is the high-performance material with the irresistible brand and the latter has been used to make thousands of aerospace parts for decades PEKK is little known or understood. The material is on the march however with new capacity being made available by Arkema en Gharda, while exciting medical applications being explored by Oxford Performance Materials and Kimya. Companies such as 3Dxtech also offer it as a filament for FDM. Meanwhile, Intamsys, Roboze, Stratasys, and Minifactory have added the material to their arsenal in FDM while EOS is doing so for sintering. Tantalizingly PEKK may offer performance similar to that of PEEK but some grades could be easier to process and be more versatile. One firm with big plans for PEKK is Hexcel. Hexcel is a $2 billion revenue company that makes carbon fiber materials, carbon fiber parts, other composites, and composite structures. Used in commercial and military aviation as well as space Hexcel is used to making complex structures with very demanding requirements. It acquired OPM’s aerospace business and went on to develop the material and resulting structures for 3D printing. We asked Dr. Whitney Kline, Engineering Manager at Hexcel, to tell us more.

A HexPekk cubesat frame.

Why is PEKK so exciting?

PEKK is engineering grade top-level polymer with a wide usable temperature range qualified from -300F to +300F, 600F melt high performance, great chemical compatibility, and it performs well in tests that are important for aircraft applications such as flammability tests and measurements of smoke and toxicity.

What products do you make?

Hexcel globally supplies products including carbon fiber, woven composite fabrics, prepregs and specialty aerospace products such as honeycomb core and our Acousti-Cap product family. Specifically with additive products, we offer our Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) PEKK-based materials—HexPEKK™-N which is a pure resin material and HexPEKK™-100 which uses Hexcel’s high-performance carbon fiber alongside the PEKK. We supply build-to-print, ready-to-fly parts for our customers, and all of them are manufactured in our ISO9001/AS9100 approved facility based near Hartford, CT.

Why should I work with you?

Hexcel is a global leader in advanced composites technology with an extensive portfolio and proven performance in delivering composite solutions that are stronger, lighter and tougher. Moreover, we have deep technical expertise and a history of supporting the largest aerospace and defense companies with high quality, high-performing products. Combining that expertise with the excellent properties of HexPEKK™ and the extensive material characterization we have, our team provides a proven, high-performance material at aerospace-quality levels.

What advantages does PEKK have over PEEK?

PEKK has a wider processing window than PEEK, a better compressive strength, and increased wettability.

What about PEI?

We are frequently asked to replace PEI in customer applications. PEI is a great material for prototyping and development, but when you look at a production environment in aerospace applications it’s often incompatible with the chemicals and fluids that are used, including jet fuel, cleaning and defumigation solvents and oils. PEKK is also stronger and has a higher usable temperature range than PEI.

Integrating functionality into parts can reduce part count as well as weight

For what applications is it most suited?

There’s a lot of ductwork required in aero/defense applications and those are often in tight envelopes with high structural performance. We also supply brackets and a variety of part types that traditionally would be made out of cast aluminum or magnesium. Any application where there is a need for weight savings, envelope savings, and high performance is a great candidate for HexPEKK™

An aerospace AEC ducting example.

What kinds of customers do you have?

Hexcel supports customers in the commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets.

What kinds of people would you like to work with?

We are interested in many types of customers not only within our current markets, but we also are continually looking for new opportunities.

What do you see as emerging applications in your field?

We are excited to see the impact additive manufacturing will have on retrofits and upgrades, which are very important parts of the defense and commercial aerospace markets. It is also exciting to support space customers as the frequency of satellite and commercial space launches increases, driving the need for quick and innovative parts.

What capabilities do you have?

With our expertise in additive manufacturing, our Hartford site offers selective laser sintered parts as a contract manufacturer. We offer end-use components, as well as coordinate secondary processes, such as machining, NDT, painting, plating, and bonding.

Why is PEKK so interesting in aerospace?

It is a chemically robust, high strength, and wide temperature ranging polymer which lets it be used in some of the most challenging applications in the industry.

What advice do you have should I be a company looking to manufacture using 3D printing?

When using 3D printing in applications that support manned applications or high-performance systems, it’s important to remember the fundamentals of good manufacturing: process, quality, repeatability and traceability.

There is a lot that goes into bringing a new material and process to market in the aerospace industry. The process for qualifying a new material for aerospace often takes more than a year and there is a large investment that goes into the process and machines. It’s important to consider whether your company needs to be in-house experts on every kind of 3D printing technology or material, or whether it is more valuable to rely on the experience of established parts and materials suppliers who know how to get quality product out the door so your company can focus on making cool end products.

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Industry Experts Interviews with Alessio Lorusso of Roboze

Alessio Lorusso

Alessio Lorusso

Alessio Lorusso is the CEO of Roboze. Roboze is a 3D printer manufacturer that has done a lot of work within the additive manufacturing field. Roboze makes high-temperature 3D printers capable of working with high-performance materials such as PEEK and PEI. These are used in demanding applications such as the aerospace industry.

Explain your life experience and how it has lead you to this point.

My name is Alessio Lorusso, I am 28 years old, I was born in Bari in Italy, I’ve always been interested in 3D Printing technology since I was a kid. I grew up in an entrepreneurial environment, my father taught me to work hard and never give up in front of any obstacle. My dream was to establish a company in order to revolutionize the Additive Manufacturing business. That’s what I am trying to do with Roboze today.

Image result for Roboze

Roboze

 

In different articles I have read it says that you built your first 3D Printer when you were 17. 

That’s exactly right. My huge passion for motorsport, manufacturing and technology led me to build the first 3D Printer by myself. I was only 17 years old, my factory was my bedroom. That’s when I built the first FFF 3D Printer with a Beltless System in the world.

The technology used for the Roboze is different than typical printers on the market. Can you shed light on these differences?

We design and produce 3D Printers with a Beltless System. At Roboze we have changed the rules of the game, bringing mechanical precision to the FFF 3D printing technology. We decided to rethink everything, starting from the most important aspect: the kinematics of the axes. We eliminated the belts and we introduced a direct mechatronic movement of the X and Y axes entrusted to a hardened steel rack and pinion. Doing so, we have finally introduced real precision. You can’t rely on rubber belts because they are subject to deformation, wear, tear and they need continuous calibration. Thanks to our Beltless System, the accuracy and repeatability of the movements are guaranteed ensuring smoothness, quietness and positioning precision equal to 0.025 mm.

Roboze One +400

Roboze Beltless Printer

You were able to run your organization without the need of capital investment from outside sources. How liberating and handicapping was that initially when you started?

It was not easy. Roboze was founded in 2013, we were only a few people back then but we were deeply focused on what we were going to achieve. We felt free to explore and research new ways to improve our 3D Printing solution technologies. Those initial years were very liberating but full of hard work and late nights too. There is still so much work to be done, we are at the beginning of something bigger for us and for the entire Additive Manufacturing sector. And I want Roboze to play a big role in this upcoming and evolving 3D Printing revolution that the world is witnessing.

How do you view additive manufacturing on the global scale?

The industry is changing quickly. The most difficult part is to be on track with all the latest technological developments. That’s why we invest a lot of work in R&D. Most of our employees are engineers, about 80% of our team. We are aware that the 3D Printing field is evolving each day rapidly, that’s why I want Roboze to be agile and learn quickly from the changes this market is experiencing.

Roboze Partners

What issues and practices need to be thought of consistently in order to advance the field of additive manufacturing?

We believe that R&D is the secret for advancing the field of Additive Manufacturing. That’s why we are continually increasing our investments in the field of materials engineering, new technologies and industrial services. Our mission is to provide through continuous product innovation the best professional 3D printers with FFF technology for extreme industrial applications in the Oil & Gas, Automotive, Motorsport, Aerospace, Manufacturing and Defense sectors. Doing so, we can create real advantages in terms of precision, flexibility and customization for our customers.

Roboze seems to have a focus on the aerospace industry in particular. What benefits does Roboze give to aerospace companies compared to other organizations?

Additive Manufacturing is changing the future of aviation and defense supply chains and the way these industries are designing and manufacturing their solutions. Roboze technologies – especially PEEK which is the most advanced semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer with excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance in a wide range of conditions – allows companies in the aerospace sector to get closer to Metal replacement. One of the biggest challenges in the aerospace industry is to reduce aircraft weight thanks to lighter components. Super polymers like PEEK instead of light alloys, like Aluminium, guarantee high performance with a consequent reduction of weight, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. That’s why Roboze FFF 3D Printing technology is essential for our customers in order to save time and money during manufacturing processes.

What cities are the best for additive manufacturing globally?

As a matter of fact, manufacturers are increasing more and more their reliance on 3D Printing alongside CNC machining, another strong indicator of how essential additive manufacturing is becoming to the production process. I believe Europe, United States and Asia are certainly the fastest growing regions where Additive Manufacturing is developing internationally today. That’s where we are focusing our efforts to increase Roboze’s commercial growth.

What are key areas of concern for the additive industry as a whole?

Additive Manufacturing requires a new set of skills like machine maintenance, material handling and post-processing knowledge, that’s why I believe education and training to be essential in order to drive the right development of 3D Printing solutions. Roboze wants to give manufacturers the opportunity to learn and drive innovation through such advanced technologies.

3D Printing PEEK parts for Aerospace

How surreal was it for you to be named a Forbes 30 under 30?

In 2018 I had the pleasure to be named by Forbes one of the 30 under 30 most promising CEO in Europe. I am deeply proud of this achievement but I keep looking forward in order to improve our 3D Printing Technologies. Today our Roboze 3D Printers are used by companies such as GE, Bosch, Dallara, KTM and Airbus. Our main goal is to make Roboze 3D Printing solutions a key player in the Industry 4.0 advancement by offering high performance materials suitable for Metal Replacement and the production of functional prototypes and finishes parts.

What do you believe your key to success has been?

I am always thinking as a maker, I like things done and I have always worked hard in order to make them real. Passion for what we are trying to achieve at Roboze is huge. But passion itself is not enough: determination and huge listening skills are essential for my professional growth. That’s why I put together a very talented team of young professionals at Roboze with diverse backgrounds, experience and skills.

What is your biggest goal and or hopes for the future personally as well as professionally?

I like thinking in terms of goals and not hopes. I feel proud for what we have achieved at Roboze so far, but there is still a lot to do, a lot to learn, a lot to go. One of the main goals in 2019 will be to increase our team to about 60 people and to open two subsidiaries around the world by 2021.

Where do you see yourself and your organization within the next 5 years?

5 years is such a huge time window, especially in the Additive Manufacturing field where changes happen so quickly. I would say I see Roboze as one of the main FFF 3D Printers manufacturers in the world within the next 5 years.

INTAMSYS Launches its Customer Applications Enabling Program

In order to better meet the market and the customer’s needs, INTAMSYS, a Shanghai-based leading industrial 3D printer manufacturer, is launching its Customer Applications Enabling Program.

Current issues:

1. Customers know little about materials and applications. It is difficult for customers to choose suitable materials and 3D printers for their application. Some specific industrial applications may require customized filaments.

2. There are some gaps between filament manufacturers and 3D printer manufacturers, it is difficult for customers to immediately run a 3D printer for specific filament material.

Solution:

  1. Qualify and test high-quality filament. Then provide application and a filament database in collaboration with filament manufacturers.
  2. Smart selection program to choose suitable filament and 3D printer based on customer requirements.
  3. Provide optimized printing profiles for each qualified filament and printer. Pre-configure this information in the INTAMSYS slicer software.

Not only will the settings be optimized for a large number of filament manufacturers, but this will also enable customers to have better quality prints thanks to perfectly accurate printing settings that don’t have to be manually selected.

By extending the field of applications, this program will enable INTAMSYS customers to get the most out of 3D Printing & of INTAMSYS printers.

Every manufacturer filaments will be tested according to their best settings & will be required to meet the highest quality standards of the industry.

Even though pre-defined profiles will be available for each material & application, customers will still be able to use their own settings with the filament of their choice, following our open materials machines policy.

INTAMSYS is proving once again it is continuously trying to deliver innovative ways to ‘’customize our future life’’.

Tethers Unlimited Recycler and 3D Printer Refabricator Operational on Board the ISS

Soace manufacturing start-up Tethers Unlimited has had a tumultuous time of late. The firm which aims to develop in space manufacturing technologies and has successfully seen its Refabricator put in use on board the ISS space station now. The recycler has been installed and is now being put to use by astronaut Anne McClaine. At the same time, Tethers has had to lay off a fifth of its staff due to cash flow problems stemming from the government shutdown in the US.

Astronaut Anne McClain installing the Tethers unlimited FDM 3D printer and recycling unit on board the ISS. She appears to be wearing a rugby shirt which would be fitting since she participated in the rugby world cup as well as being a helicopter pilot with 216 missions in Iraq, engineer, a mom and an aerospace engineer.

Tethers as a firm has always been a bit of a wild ride. The company started in 1994 looking to commercialize space tethers. Tethers in space are long (tensile) cables that can be tied to satellites and other space vehicles. Long dreamt about rarely used successfully the idea is that a long tether tied to a satellite could be used for propulsion or power generation in space. An Electrodynamic tether, for example, conducts and by passing through a planet’s magnetic field. This kind of tether can use the Lorentz force (electromagnetic force) of an electrified tether against the magnetic field of a planet to push the spacecraft into a new orbit. This would save on fuel and perhaps let craft slingshot around planets more efficiently. Momentum exchange tethers may actually let the spacecraft slingshot itself into space through spinning. A bolo of a tether tied to a craft may be used to spin and propel other craft onward in their journey.

Marko Baricevic of Tethers Unlimited testing the Refabricator

Skyhooks would do the same but at much higher speeds. A space elevator is a tether tied to a craft in geosynchronous orbit above 35,000 KM in altitude which could be used to life payloads potentially inexpensively (once you build the most expensive thing ever which is also the biggest thing ever and also would need advances in material science to even be remotely feasible). Meanwhile, several 20 kilometer long tethers could together form an electric solar wind sail propelled by an electron gun shooting at these tethers to keep them in high potential while the craft spins giving the extended tethers centrifugal force and letting them stay extended enough for them to harvest force from solar wind plasma. Tethers could also be used to generate power. Tethers are amazing dream mayonnaise for making any insane space idea  palatable. Tether dreams are way beyond Elon Musk’s comparatively quotidian dreams of cities of Mars and reusable rockets without Elon’s magical capital sourcing ability and media presence.

A momentum exchange tether courtesy of Tethers Unlimited

So for Tethers, the firm, going since 1994 a 3D printer and recycler onboard ISS may seem like a bit of a climb down and limited technical challenge compared to what they want to be doing. Nonetheless, for us, it is a great leap. If we conceive of astronauts spending many years in space and journeying through the solar system we know now that many unforeseen things will go wrong. Accidents will happen and valves not opening properly and nonfunctional O rings have killed astronauts. Just a few years ago a design flaw nearly caused an Italian astronaut to drown in space. If we extend our proposed space journeys to years then we know things we will not have foreseen will go wrong beyond any imaginary tolerance for failure that we can engineer away through redundancy. The perfect spacecraft may exist on the platform but it will not exist underway.

In essence, we need a magic satchel with stuff that could repair all the things in ways that we could not imagine them breaking. A combination of a 3D printer and a recycler is that magic satchel. A recycling unit can take food packaging, waste and things no longer need it and turn it into 3D printer filament which then can be printed into solutions for problems. Nonworking solutions can be recycled into iterations of better ones and all of those failures and the winner can be recycled into future solutions waiting to happen. We commonly refer to those as 3D printer filament. A spool of filament is really a seem of ideas not made yet or a roll of problems unsolved. The reason I love 3D printing and am completely obsessed with it is this idea of a recycler and 3D printer combo remaking our world forever letting us consumer while we reuse so please excuse the much more than efficient stream of words. NASA itself says that 95% of spare parts in space will never be used but they don’t know which 95% and that on the 13 tonne ISS they predict 450 Kilograms of failures each year. This in itself makes for a very compelling case for 3D printing spares.

Graphical representation of ISS logistics.

Tethers has now made an Express rack compatible recycler that is being used on board the ISS as we speak. The Refabricators objective is to,

“The Refabricator demonstrates a unique process for repeatable, closed-loop recycling plastic materials for additive manufacturing in the microgravity environment of the ISS a minimum of seven times. Samples consisting of sections of filament and standardized material testing specimens are collected from each cycle in order to quantify any degradation of material that occurs during the recycling and printing process, and enhance the understanding of the recycling process in space.”

The Refabricator

This would be quite the polymer 3D printing challenge here on earth but at least NASA is being realistic on the number of recycling cycles and material degradation of plastics which a lot of people don’t seem to know. The Refabricator is meant to show,

“Integrated recycling/3D printing capability thus provides significant cost savings by reducing the launch mass and volume required for printer feedstock while decreasing Earth reliance.”

Tethers CEO Rob Hoyt said,

“It will provide future astronauts the ability to manufacture tools, replacement parts, utensils and medical implements when they need them, and greatly reduce the logistics costs for manned space missions by reusing waste materials and minimizing the amount of replacement parts that must be launched from Earth,”

The printer was made for $2.5 million so that’s a good amount to spend on engineering a printer that works well in space and can also recycle. Tethers has additional expertise via a $10 million FabLab project to make a fab lab in space but this is separate from Made In Space‘s own 3D printer initiative. Tethers Refabricator is meant to recycle ABS and they will do it through a process that they’ve called positrusion.

As well the Positrusion effort by Tethers NASA is also developing the CRISSP both as apart of NASA’s ISP (In Space Manufacturing) program. CRISSP is focused on recycling packaging but is also being carried out by Tethers while Cornerstone Research Group is doing a similar effort (but with creating reversible copolymers that can take antistatic bags and turn them into parts) and Resonetics has been tasked with making a sensor and monitoring package. Meanwhile Made in Space is working on its printer and 3D printed metal printing for NASA. Ultratech Machinery (with ultrasonic 3D printing), Techshot and Tethers again are also working on metal parts. With Tethers opting to use its Positrusion system for metals and then combine it with a robot arm and CNC. In metals Techshot wants to use low powered lasers with metal wire in its SIMPLE technology (which is far from it). Techshot’s SIMPLE will use an induction coil around an FDM nozzle to extrude a metal filament which is then sintered by a low power laser.  Techshot itself is also working on recycling and separately biofabrication. whats better than astronauts? 3D printed astronauts. Weirdly GE isn’t apparently working for NASA on metal even though its EBM process has been evaluated thoroughly by NASA. Tethers is also working on medical printing in space while the Marshall Space Flight Center itself is trying to print electronics and circuits. NASA also has efforts underway to print structures in space outside of the vehicle which Made in Space, Loral, Orbital ATK and Tethers are working on. NASA also 3D printing structures on MARS so Elon has a place to live. This MARS effort has a contest element as well as a cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers here on earth with the ACES initiative which we’ve covered extensively. Additionally, NASA is printing engines and more parts for space systems themselves.

Positrusion is a new filament extrusion technology that Tethers came up with specifically for space based recycling. The system can acceptmiscellaneous ABS parts, it will dry and degas the input material before melting and extruding it through a die, and the cross-sectional dimensions and feed-rate of the cooling extrudate will be tightly controlled in a continuous analog of closed-die molding.”  

NASA diagram of the Positrusion recycling system

In closed die molding, material is injected into a closed cold mold at high velocity while degassing removes material and creates voids that must be filled while the build material is often quickly cooled. If the Refabricator can control the gas removal and make the filament free of voids while at the same time making sure that there is no bubbling on the surface then they could have a very small form factor recycling process. Tight control of that process could give them high-quality polymer parts as well. If they could tightly collapse the system they make have a really amazing nozzle based print head that can dose and deposit accurately at one point in the future.

Dr. Allison Porter Missions Manager at Tethers Unlimited with the Refabricator

As well as ABS the system is being tested for use with Ultem 9085 this SABIC material is a UL 94-V0 rated low flame, toxicity and smoke high-performance polymer which you can here on earth get on your Stratasys system and is used widely in aerospace. For space use the Ultem would be significantly safer than ABS and a better bet going forward I should hope. Would this mean that NASA would be inclined to increase its use as build material across the space craft or in other material applications? Ultem Tang packaging anyone?

Developments as the Refabricator would seem to be absolutely essential for the future of space exploration and travel. By recycling what is on board and what is no longer used astronauts could develop solutions for many of the problems that they can encounter and extend the life of the craft that they are traveling on. Here on earth, refabricator-like devices could extend all of the things that surround us. What do you think will homes see refabricators or will this just be a tool for spacefarers? In the meantime here on Earth Tethers has just shed some very experienced people and is hoping to avoid another shutdown, a rather humdrum problem for a company that wishes to conquer the stars.

Interview with Mike Valentine on How BuildTak Was Invented

One of the biggest issues with desktop FDM 3D printers is layer adhesion. First layers are often deposited incorrectly and then the build fails. The part could deform, warp, fall over, become dislodged from the platform or become a leaning Tower of Pisa version of its intended self. Often you look back at your 3D printer with hope only to see the print head flailing about twirling filament like it is a marionette. Layer adhesion has been a problem since the very beginning of FDM printing. There are lots of causes that can be ameliorated by doing regular 3D printer maintenance and calibration but for many issues still remain. In that case are lots of different possible solutions depending on which materials you use and what platform you have. You could mix up gooey substances or use a spray to solve your problem. One of the most widely adopted solutions is to use BuildTak, a sheet that comfortably lets your build adhere to the platform. We noticed that BuildTak had opened European offices and was expanding into more products. So we thought it high time for 3DPrint.com to interview Mike Valentine a Co-Inventor of BuildTak about the company and the product.

What is BuildTak?

BuildTak is our flagship 3D print surface designed for desktop FDM 3D printers to provide stability in both 3D print adhesion and removal. It consists of a thin textured top surface and a high performing yet non-permanent adhesive on the lower surface. BuildTak is composed of high quality, heat-resistant raw materials that are designed to withstand the high temperatures of a typical FDM 3D printer. Following the global success of our BuildTak sheets and other ensuing products, the BuildTak brand has evolved into more of an ecosystem that prides itself on easing the overall process of 3D print adhesion and removal.

How does it work?

BuildTak adheres directly to the existing print bed of 3D printers and provides a stable printing surface for 3D prints by minimizing the chance of warping or shifting when printing, but still allowing for builds to be cleanly removed. There are 2 intentional features of our original BuildTak sheets that specifically contribute to the product’s success. First is the top surface texture that, when printing at the optimal nozzle height, allows for just the right amount of adhesion for the 3D prints, but still allowing for easy removal. The second is the high-quality adhesive we use, which performs extremely well on heated print beds. The best part is that when it’s time to remove and replace the BuildTak sheet, it will still come cleanly off the print bed leaving no residue behind, even after months of use.

How did you come to co-invent it?

While I wish I could say BuildTak was something we set out to achieve after years and years of R & D, it was not the case. Instead, like many inventions, our original BuildTak sheets were the indirect result of another experiment. I am the Vice President at Ideal Jacobs Corp in Maplewood, NJ, USA, where BuildTak sheets were developed and are still produced today. Our core business is commercial (2D) printing and manufacturing, serving many tech industries including telecom and now, of course, 3D printing. Back in April 2013, the company invested in a newly affordable desktop 3D printer for the office to use for prototyping. The company owner, Andrew Jacobs, runs the operation with a true entrepreneurial spirit and as a result is frequently looking to invent products that solve problems big and small. One of the many hats I wear for the company is to bring in new technology, and so I was tasked with the responsibility of learning how to use the 3D printer. The experience, as with many others who were new to 3D printing in 2013, was immediately frustrating.

The printer came with 5 sheets of polyimide tape, some ABS and several sample files to print. With a bit of tinkering (and some ABS slurries) I was able to get many of the easier sample parts to print, though they were still very difficult to remove from the print bed. And there was that infamous chain-link sample part that failed every time. One day, while tinkering, my boss brought me a collection of raw sheet material to experiment with to see what would happen if I 3D printed on top it. One of the goals he had in mind was to see if we could print Braille. Many of Ideal Jacobs’ products feature embossed Braille and the tooling can be quite expensive, making small runs and prototyping extremely inefficient from a cost standpoint. While experimenting with these new materials, I came to the realization that it was much easier to print on them than the polyimide. With a little more testing and fine-tuning I discovered that not only did the ABS prints adhere well to the material, they also removed from the new surface with very little fuss. The prints just peeled right off. It became clear that we were on to something, so I went back to that chainlink sample part – my nemesis – and gave it a shot on the new surface material. Sure enough, it printed successfully on the first try. Needless to say, I never went back to polyimide again and we now had a reliable office 3D printer.

With a little research, it did not take long to realize that our initial struggles with our 3D printer were not only common, but accepted as the norm. We saw an opportunity to present a new solution to the industry that could really help make the 3D printing experience a little more user friendly, and began testing/fine-tuning our material components for the best combination of texture and adhesive. By July 2013 we had the formula that is now our original BuildTak sheets. We manufactured some 11” x 11” samples and started circulating them at a 3D printing trade show in Chicago. Just about everyone we gave a sample to (including several major 3D printer manufacturers), came back to us within only a few weeks saying it was better than anything they were using and that they wanted more. Fast forward to 5 years later and I’m proud to say that our original BuildTak sheets are now an industry standard and sold all over the world.

What’s it been like to be in this business?

BuildTak has been going strong for 5+ years and I still find it extremely exciting and humbling. We feel very fortunate to have been able to come up with a much-needed solution at a time when the fast-growing 3D printing industry really needed it in order to take the market to the next level. Of course, working for a company like Ideal Jacobs Corp has everything to do with why and how we are able to achieve success in our BuildTak brand. The culture and vision that the owner has instituted in our company has taken us well into the 21st century. We love tinkering with new technologies and excel at solving problems on a day-to-day basis. With our resourceful team of 30+ employees at our NJ facility, we achieve a lot with a little. Even after 5 years of exponential growth, we are proud to say that BuildTak sheets are still produced 100% in the US.

Ideal Jacobs today has a global presence with various manufacturing locations in Asia and small sales offices in Belgium, Mexico, Canada and Thailand. In fact, Andrew’s daughter, Kayla Jacobs, now represents the 4th generation and for the last several years has been heavily involved in helping to expand the BuildTak brand to make it what it is today.

How long can I print with one BuildTak sheet?

Ah the million dollar question, to which I reply how long can you wear a pair of shoes? There are so many variables and exposure situations that could affect the wear and tear of the sheet, making this question nearly impossible to answer effectively. As with all 3D printing, the key to using our original BuildTak sheets is learning the optimal settings (nozzle height, printing temperatures, etc), which can be different from one material to the next and from printer to printer. I tell new BuildTak users all the time that the best thing they can do is to pretend they are using a 3D printer for the first time. Our happiest customers are the ones that use BuildTak on day one and learn how to use it the right way and just know that this is what works. Occasionally we will hear from a frustrated customer who undoubtedly went from printing directly on glass or polyimide to using BuildTak thinking all settings should stay the same and either printed the first layer too close and/or with too much smoosh resulting in an unpleasant first experience with BuildTak. While I cannot say for sure how long a BuildTak sheet will last for everyone, I can say that we do have power users out there who have achieved 1500+ hrs in printing on a single sheet.

For what materials is it suited?

PLA is by far the easiest material to print on our original BuildTak sheets, and people who print primarily with PLA tend to also get the most use of their BuildTak sheet. With that said, BuildTak often excels with materials that are known for warping. ABS and PC prints adhere extremely well to BuildTak – admittedly sometimes too well and the sheet wears out faster as a result. However, that’s a necessary trade-off with materials that would inevitably fail on any other bed surface. Other materials that work on BuildTak include: PVA, HIPS, PET+, Flexible (TPE) filaments.

You also have PEI sheets now?

Why yes we do! In the desktop 3D printing market today I would say most people are printing on either PEI or BuildTak (or one of our flattering imitators). You really don’t see blue tape or Kapton very much these days. PEI certainly has its place in this market, and many customers have been using PEI since they began printing. The problem we saw was that most PEI was being offered to consumers with a separate permanent adhesive sheet that users had to apply themselves. It works but if you’ve ever tried to remove a PEI sheet with with this adhesive then you know all about the residue it leaves behind and what a chore it can be to get that print bed clean again. We thought we could help by combining our tried-and-true BuildTak adhesive with a consistently high-quality PEI surface. Our users like to know that they are getting a top-quality product every time – not some mystery material they found though an internet search.

Did you make a spatula?

From the first day we started selling the original BuildTak sheets the same question kept popping up: what is the best tool for removing prints? In 2014 just about everyone was using a tool that was designed for some other purpose (putty knife, pallets knife, etc). Oftentimes the tools featured sharp corners which, if used improperly, could easily gouge the BuildTak sheet and wear it out faster. They were also dangerous for the users, and at that time you did not have to search very far to find a 3D printer owner who hadn’t at least once slipped with their removal tool and cut themselves. I started thinking about the problems with existing tools and came to the conclusion that the primary culprits were handle orientation and the angle at which the handle approached the finished print. I thought about a typical spatula and saw that the benefit of sliding a blade horizontally across the BuildTak sheet was much more effective at getting under the print in a way that did not dig into the BuildTak sheet. A typical spatula handle is not designed to push horizontally with adequate leverage – your hand would tend to slip off. So after many design concepts, which I prototyped with our in-house 3D printers, I finally concluded that an ergonomic vertical handle was the way to go. This design allowed the user to apply leverage under and across the bottom of a print with very little chance of one’s hand slipping off. The result is our BuildTak Spatula.

How does the Flex plate System work?

The BuildTak FlexPlate System enhances the existing print bed of a 3D printer. It features a magnetic mounting base and a specially-coated spring steel FlexPlate to be used with either BuildTak original, PEI, or your preferred printing surface. The magnetic base has an adhesive backing that permanently mounts to the existing print bed (usually glass or aluminum). Once the magnetic base is installed you just need to mount a sheet of your favorite print surface to the FlexPlate, adjust your nozzle height and start printing. Once your print is done you can remove the FlexPlate from its magnetic base and flex the plate. Assuming that the print is rigid, the flexed plate will force the print to separate from the print surface making the removal process much less of a hassle.

The clever use of a flexible steel plate with BuildTak was not originally our idea. One of the great things about the desktop 3D printing market is that it is fueled by its savvy maker community. Some of our early users brought this innovation to our attention – we had heard as far back as 2013 that people were adhering their BuildTak sheets to old road signs and using those as a print bed. After the successful release of the BuildTak Spatula I started to really focus on developing new innovations, and the steel plate concept was at the top of the list. The big challenge was finding a way to make the product universally compatible with and easy to install to the wide range of print beds out there. We could simply sell it with a handful of binder clips and hope for the best, but that felt like an unprofessional, half-developed product. We started testing magnetic options – “refrigerator magnet” sheets and some off-the-shelf rare earth magnets – but neither was sufficient in strength nor able to handle heated bed temps up to 110C without losing magnetism. So we had some high temperature magnets custom-made for our application and determined the optimal layout for each size of magnetic mounting base.

Will you solve other 3D printing problems?

We certainly hope so. Our goal is to continue to make the 3D experience more user-friendly and in turn more accessible to a broader community of users. It is my belief that someday 3D printers will become as common as inkjet printers. But in order for that to happen it really does need to become a ready-to-print solution, right out of the box. In the meantime, we will continue to come up with new ideas that help make existing 3D printers easy to use.

Our head of Business Development, Kayla Jacobs, has been working hard to ensure we never stay idle. As a result we have a few new tools and accessories in the final design stages and coming out in the next year. And as the market continues to expand the palette of printable materials we will look to stay at the forefront by offering new surface solutions.

What are your top 3D printing tips for beginners?

Never underestimate the need for a level print bed and find your printer’s optimal nozzle (Z) height for each material and bed surface you use. You will be surprised what a difference a fraction of a millimeter can make. Master the art of making precise incremental adjustments – your patience will pay dividends.

In many ways, successful 3D printing involves hitting a moving target. In other words, there are many fluctuating variables (material, room temperature, humidity, air flow, nozzle height, etc). Very few desktop 3D printers on the market today can 100% control all of these variables, so the best you can do is adopt solutions that help to minimize the fluctuations as best as possible and understand that the tweaking is never done.

Get your feet wet printing some vases and fidget spinners, but make it a point to learn 3D modeling. Only when you can design and model your own parts have you truly tapped into the power of 3D printing and what it can mean for the inventiveness and creativity in all of us. There are many free software programs available and plenty of online tutorials to go along with them. Before long you will be fixing things around the house or office with your newfound ability to manufacture custom solutions. Who knows, maybe your idea will become the next big thing.

INTAMSYS Releases Its FUNMAT PRO 410 to Provide Smart Multiple Functional Materials 3D Printing All-in-one Solutions

Today, during Formnext 2018 in Frankfurt in Germany, INTAMSYS has released their FUNMAT PRO 410 3D printer. This printer features smarter design and is multiple functional materials 3D printing all-in-one solution ideal for industry additive manufacturing. This industrial 3D printer, with its 12x12x16 inches printing volume, will expand INTAMSYS’ current FUNMAT series product line.  INTAMSYS now has a complete line up of high-performance high-temperature printers to meet the growing demand for these industrial systems capable of processing multiple functional materials such as PC, PA, PA+CF, ULTEM, PEEK, etc.

INTAMSYS has always led the functional materials 3D printing market in terms of value and ease of use, the FUNMAT PRO 410 is no exception. However this time INTAMSYS has gone further in meeting customer’s needs through innovations in design and engineering. The new FUNMAT PRO 410 has Advanced Thermal Design which includes a heated build chamber up to 90, a high-temperature nozzle to 450and a heated build plate up to 160. This leads to fewer print failures, less warping, better control over crystallization, better layer adhesion and better surface quality. All these features enable FUNMAT PRO 410 provide customers with multiple functional materials 3D printing all-in-one solution.

The 410 also includes Dual Nozzle giving users dual nozzle 3D printing capabilities which expands their design space. There is one dedicated support and another dedicated build material nozzle. The support material nozzle can be moved up and down during printing to avoid scratching in normal dual nozzle design. This coupled with the high speed and high precision that the printer is capable of will increase user performance and satisfaction. Build plate leveling is automated and done through the help of advanced sensors. There is also an automated jam warning system, a filament detection system and a power failure recovery function. The 410 also has WiFi, network cable and USB connectivity. Furthermore, this printer has a very nice industrial design. All these features above make the 410 an office friendly and smart industrial 3D printer as well as an ideal solution for factory usage.

The FUNMAT PRO 410 is not only easy to use but also has been made to high safety standards. It has also been optimized for continuous production. This is a workhorse of a printer that is meant to be used day in day out, no idle desktop slouch the 410 is a machine meant for the enterprise. 

The 410 Tri design means that the printer, nozzles and profiles have been optimized for three distinct groups of materials. PLA, Engineering Plastics and High-Performance materials have very different considerations and settings while being printed. With the Tri design philosophy, performance has been optimized for each of these groups of materials. Each group also has their own support materials for easy printing with support. The 410 should work well as a printer for the quotidian PLA and also for ultra-high performance materials such as CF PEEK and PEKK.

The FUNMAT PRO 410 has been created in order to print multiple functional materials. PEEK and PEI, for example, have very high abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and strength. These materials let you print real-world parts with high performance. For ABS, PC, PA, PA+CF etc., very frequently used engineering materials in industry, this printer can also provide a perfect big size printing solution with dedicated support materials. The printer is also suitable for office application like R&D functional test during new product development. With a seven inches smart panel, the printer feels intuitive. Key information is easy to see and adjust as well. For experienced 3D printer operators working with the FUNMAT will be a breeze. For companies new to 3D printing this tool will be relatively easy to master. Whether you are printing single prototypes or doing a continuous production of series of parts the 410 will be your reliable smart multiple functional materials all-in-one solution provider and 3D printing application exploration partner. 

Minifactory Releases the Minifactory Ultra High Temperature Printer for PEEK and PEI at the TCT Show

Fins have this concept called Sisu. Sisu is a kind of hail mary pass, fatalistic almost, belief in one’s own toughness, resilience and survivability in the face of adversity. It’s kind of a gritty gumption with a side of never give up. Its this inner strength that shines through in what Minifactory does. Minifactory is a small but dedicated team of 3D printer builders in Finland. They’ve got Susi in spades. Often confused with MyMinifactory this one is not a download site but a builder of some of the world’s best high-temperature printers. The team is now releasing the Minifactory Ultra.

Joris

A Minifactory Ultras part in PEI (Ultem)

The Ultra is a new high-temperature 3D printer optimized for PEEK, PEI, PEKK and other ultra-high-performance materials.

  • The printer has a 330 x 180 x 180mm build volume.
  • Nozzle temperature can go up to 480°C
  • Chamber temperature of up to 250°C
  • Servo motors instead of steppers.
  • An on-board annealing system so you can post process and strengthen your parts on the machine.
  • Fully automated calibration
  • Two independent extruders
  • Seven-inch touchscreen
  • A vacuum table print bed so that print sheets can easily be added to it or removed.
  • Carbon filters.

A PEI part as it comes off the printer right, and once its annealed left.

The 100 x 80 x 100cm printer is a proper industrial device that displays good build quality. The parts that come off of it are very high quality. It is extremely difficult to 3D print PEEK. The material is difficult to process and one can get lots of issues with trying to obtain crystallization and build a part. Many 3D printers essentially ‘wick’ heat with a lot of heat flowing out of the chamber during builds. Operators and OEMs solve this by raising the nozzle temperature higher and higher. This is akin to you putting your oven on high in order to try to heat your house. Therefore many PEEK parts fail due to the temperature being too high or there being insufficient thermal control over the chamber. By focusing on good thermal management and thermal control Minifactory seems to have solved many of the issues affecting PEEK prints.

A Minifactory 9085 Ultem part

Another issue is that incomplete or improper crystallization can lead to poor part performance. This they seem to be actively trying to solve. By optimizing the machine so that it can anneal on the machine itself users can bake their parts after printing to improve the results. This removes a handling step and would be easier for operators but at the same time is not super optimal in machine utilization. The fact that they’re focussing on this though means that they understand the needs of their customers. Annealing itself is a controlled heating of the part so that stress is relieved this then can combat warping, dimensional issues and improve physical properties of parts.

The Minifactory Ultra

Sales and marketing director Olli Pihlajamäki told us

“miniFactory is an industrial 3D printer manufacturer driven by passion for ultra-polymers and the best results for industry class 3D printed parts. miniFactory Ultra is our third endeavor into 3D printing. A culmination of our years of experience, industry know-how and our perfected madness for 3D printing.” 

“Biggest advantage in the miniFactory Ultra is the real capability to 3D print ultra-polymers with high strength without warping. It’s possible with the heated chamber up to 250 celsius. ULTEM (PEI), PPSU and other amorphous polymers require printing chamber temperatures above the polymers glass transition temperature (Tg). Tg is one of the most important thermophysical properties of amorphous polymers. In that temperature, polymer chains are oriented randomly and have freedom to move and polymer is in structural relaxation and cools down smoothly and evenly. From there comes the strength and dimensional accuracy to our printed ultra-polymer parts.”

“PEEK, PEKK and other semi-crystalline polymers require a really sensitive printing process for optimal crystallization. For that the Ultra has unique integrated and automated annealing system which means that after a print job, the machine calculates and perform the optimal annealing process for semi-crystalline polymer parts. High quality servo motors in all axes takes care of the printing accuracy.”

Only a few years ago high-temperature desktop 3D printers didn’t exist. Now there is an expanding and growing market of credible working machines that are being used to test and make parts in some of the most high-performance materials in the polymer world. The potential market for these things is huge with many companies turning to these materials to replace metal, lightweight things and make implants. I personally believe that these kinds of systems are the future. A system that is accurate and has good thermal control and management will print any material well. Carbon filter, servos, linear guides and annealing are all features that I want on my home machine too. $45,000 is far away from the RepRap kits we started with but it’s not a lot of money if it prints high-performance parts reliably for business users. The Minifactory Ultra is available now at minifactory.fi and if you’re in Birmingham for TCT, then they’re at J18.