3D printing is a fast-growing market, opening up completely new product and manufacturing options for customers and industry. The newly developed SEAM process significantly extends the options for the efficient manufacture of printed components. An impression of this is conveyed by the example of a fiber-reinforced clamping fixture.

Vacuum clamping fixture of a B-column segment, manufactured by the SEAM process 

Additive Manufacturing of Plastic Components in a High-Speed Process Using Standard Pellet Stock

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, andere

Anlagen für die Additive Fertigung

3D-Drucker (für FDM, FFF, etc.)

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, Metall

Additive Fertigung

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Ultrafast 3D Printing

Production is becoming ever more flexible, diversified and decentralized. Without doubt, additive manufacturing processes make a crucial contribution to this, also initiating the transformation from production-based design to design-driven production. In this article, the 3D printing service provider FIT outlines a best-practice panorama of current technologies.

The biggest ever 3D-printed lattice structure was assembled along over 2000 precisely fitting joints into an 8 m-high retable

What Additive Plastic Manufacturing Can Do. The View of a Full-Service Provider

Verfahren für die additive Fertigung

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, Kunststoff

Anlagen für die Stereolithografie, Kunststoff

Anlagen Selektives Lasersintern, Kunststoff

3D-Druck-Anlage, pulverbettbasiert, Metall

SLA (Stereolithografie) Kunststoff

Flüssigmaterialverfahren

3D-Druck-Anlage, strahlbasiert, Metall

Selektives Lasersintern von Kunststoff, Metall, Keramik

Pulverbettverfahren

Fused Deposition Modeling Kunststoff, Glas, Karbon, Metall

Freiraumverfahren

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Finer, Bigger, Faster

Biologic Models, US-based 3D-printed protein model and medical animation provider, is using Mimaki’s 3D printing technology to produce intricate molecular visualization models, bringing protein into the tangible world in incredible detail.

Virus model of SARS-CoV-2 produced with the 3DUJ-553 full color 3D printer

3D Printer Enables Precise Models of Protein Cells

Over the four trade-show days in November, Formnext 2021 transformed the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, into an international innovation center of global additive manufacturing and modern industrial production. At the plastics side, some of the focuses were on the manufacture of voluminous parts, the use of injection molding pellets as a material basis, and the processing of high-performance plastics.

A high-strength carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide is printed on a plasma-treated stainless steel sheet.

16:9

Formnext 2021: Successful Relaunch as a Face-to-Face Show

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

High-Performance 3D Printing

Arburg Plastic Freeforming is predestined for the additive manufacturing of medtech components. The associated Freeformer-type additive manufacturing systems process the same plastic pellets that are used in injection molding. That makes the open systems very economical to use.

In the AKF process, resorbable original materials such a plate-implants similar to bone, can be manufactured. They are gradually replaced by endogenous tissue

Medical Product Manufacturers Are Processing Original Materials Using the Freeformer

Biokunststoffe

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Arburg Kunststoff Freiformen

New Possibilities for Use  in the Human Body

Additive manufacturing processes count as future-oriented manufacturing techniques. Numerous studies and award-winning demonstrators underline the interest of the industry.

The bicycle frame (600 g, produced in 80 min) is printed directly onto a metal sheet. This combination unites the advantages of two worlds

Plastic-Metal Hybrid Cuts Costs and Time in Additive Manufacturing

Anlagen fÃ¼r die Additive Fertigung

Bleche, BÃ¤nder

Metall Werkstoffe

Verbindungstechnik, hybride

Verbindungstechnik Verfahren

Werkstoffe fÃ¼r additive Verfahren

3D Printing with Pellet Extruded Plastics on Metal

3D Systems has developed the SLA 750 stereolithography solution for additive manufacturing of large products or high quantities. It comprises the 3D printers SLA 750 and SLA 750 Dual, as well as the new material Accura AMX Durable Natural and the Post Cure 1050 secondary finishing system.

Resistant material: Accura AMX Durable Natural is suitable for applications with high elasticity and high impact strength. © 3D Systems

Harzwerkstoffe

SLA Platform for Large Parts

New printers and Nylon carbon fiber material expand applications for additive manufacturing on the factory floor.

New 3D-printers and Nylon carbon fiber material expand applications for additive manufacturing on the factory floor.

New 3D-printers and Nylon carbon fiber material from Stratasys expand applications for additive manufacturing on the factory floor.

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Two New Composite-Ready 3D-Printers

Caracol and NextChem (Maire Tecnimont group) partnered to create Beluga: a joint research project to produce the first 3D printed sailing boat prototype made in a single piece with MyReplast recycled material.

Caracol and NextChem bring to life the 3D printed sailing boat Beluga

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Caracol and NextChem Bring to Life Beluga

Flashing lights, injection molding machines and a fresh mind

A visit to Arburg in the North Black Forest.

Spritzgießen

Schröder, Susanne

Spritzgießmaschinen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Unternehmen

kunststoffe.de

On the Spot at Arburg

From aerospace and defense to digital dentistry and medical devices, 3D printed parts are used in a variety of industries. They are comprised of many thin layers of materials, plastics in this case, deposited on top of each other to form a desired shape. These layers are prone to fracturing, causing issues with the durability and reliability of the part when used in a real-world application, for example a custom printed medical device. That is why they are currently used only in the prototyping phase of materials or as a toy for display.Brandon Sweeney and his advisor Dr. Micah Green discovered a way to make 3-D printed parts stronger and immediately useful in real-world applications. Sweeney and Green applied the traditional welding concepts to bond the submillimeter layers in a 3-D printed part together, while in a microwave. 

Welding of 3D Printed Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites 

Technik Trend

kunststoffe-international.com

Stronger 3D Printed Parts 

SMS Group, Düsseldorf, Germany, introduces 3D spray heads that cut cycle time and increase tool service life in closed-die forging. 

Spray heads printed to the 3D method have less weight, are process-optimized in design and more flexible in use (© SMS)  

3D Spray Heads 

90 Percent Lighter than Steel Parts 

A new patent from 3M Deutschland GmbH, Neuss, Germany, makes it possible to process fully fluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by 3D printing. Together with its subsidiary Dyneon GmbH, 3M is driving advances in the additive manufacture of geometrically complex parts from prototypes to small-lot production. In the area of plastics fillers, spherical, hollow glass microspheres (3M Glass Bubbles) are being promoted. They are easy to process, thermally insulating, rapid-cooling or act as a white pigment, and reduce component weight significantly. They are already widely used in the automotive industry thanks to useful programs such as the "weight-volume calculator", which increase understanding of the filler and point up potential applications. In order to further optimize use of the filler in future, 3M has initiated a partner program to assist its customers in the best possible way with technical expertise and training in the use and processing of the filler. 

3D printing of fully fluorinated polymers is suitable for the production of complex components from prototypes to small lots and has been patented (© 3M) 

3M Deutschland 

Innovations and Lightweight Design 

The manufacture of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic components for automotive serial production must be fast and cost-competitive. The ideal solution would be a one-stage process. In a potential study, a selective fiber placement unit was tested that combines fiber placement, resin injection, and curing in a single process step – with placement rates of up to 1 m/s. 

Additive Manufacture of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Components Using UV Radiation 

Automatisierungstechnik

Automatisierungskomponenten

Harze

Reaktionsharze

Kohlenstofffasern / -matten

Faserverarbeitung

Fasern

Mastermind in the Fiber Placement Head 

In contrast to recent years, when particular key themes often dominated the fair exhibits of the leading injection molding machine builders, this year’s Fakuma will present more combinations of many different competences in complex production cells. Thus, Industry 4.0 not only takes slowly concrete shape, but is put into context with peripherals and controls in the development of new series. 

Re-Inventing Injection Molding Holistically  

Servomotoren

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Instandhaltung, Wartung in der spanenden Fertigung

ERP-Systeme

Steuern, Regeln

Industrie 4.0

Polyurethan

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Gasinjektionstechnik

Schaumspritzgießen

Temperiertechnik

Reinraumsysteme / -technik

Oberflächentechnik

Machines as the Heart of Production 

Software Optimizes Properties of the Components

Researchers have developed software that can adjust important parameters during the printing process.

3D printers are a flexible way to produce components. Researchers at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern are also making use of this technology: In order to optimize the printing result for plastics, the researchers have developed software that can adjust parameters such as temperature and printing speed during printing.

In 3D printing, a component is printed layer by layer along a specified path. This technique allows companies to produce their goods without much effort. However, various parameters such as temperature, printing speed, printing direction, layer height and geometry of the component can influence the printing result.

At the Institute for Composite Materials headed by Professor Dr-Ing. Alois K. Schlarb at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK), the team is working on 3D printing technologies. One of the researchers‘ goals is to optimize the properties of the printed products. “Once a layer is printed, it cools down. When the next layer is applied on top of it, it has a higher temperature than the one underneath, and the layer underneath heats up again,” explains Miaozi Huang, research assistant at the institute. “This contact temperature or local temperature between the printed part and the part to be printed influences the quality of the seam or the weld.” This plays a major role in the properties of the product. In the finished component, this is a weak spot, especially if the local temperature was not high enough when the seams were created.

Optimally Exploit of the Material Properties

This is where the work of the engineers from Kaiserslautern comes in: The team has developed a software, which during printing ensures that various constants such as the temperature of the print nozzle or the printing speed can be flexibly changed – depending on the shape of the component and the plastic used. “The aim of our technology is to optimally exploit the material properties,” says Alexander Schlicher, who is involved in implementing the concepts at the institute. “Similar processes do not yet exist.” What is special about the software is that the researchers can flexibly change the parameters for each individual movement of the printing process.

They have already tested the new procedure in the laboratory. Two samples, one printed with conventional software, the other with the new technique, differ in their structure, as can be observed under the microscope. “There is also a difference in the properties, especially in the tensile strength across the direction of printing,” adds Miaozi Huang. “This method allows the weak points in the printed products to be eliminated.” For example, with this method it is possible to keep the contact temperatures between two strands in the optimal range for the respective moulded part geometry.

Such optimizations are important, for example, for increasing the service life of a component. The method used by the team from Kaiserslautern allows weak points in the plastic to be avoided.

The engineers will present their work at the Hannover Messe from 30 May to 2 June at the Rhineland-Palatinate research stand (Hall 2, Stand B40).

Technische Universität Kaiserslautern  

https://www.uni-kl.de

Miaozi Huang‘s team uses intelligent software in 3D printing to optimize the properties of plastic components.

2022-05-30 - TUK Hannover Messe

issue 04/2022

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