Sodick OPM 3d printer
The Sodick OPM250L was launched in Septmeber 2016. Since, Sodick has introduced Parallel Mode.
Metal 3D Printer Manufacturer, Sodick, has announced the development of a new high-performance 3D Printing technology, ‘Parallel Mode’.
Sodick first launched their 3D Metal Printer, the OPM250L, last September at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). The company has since introduced Parallel Mode, a new productivity boosting technology, which redefines the machine’s process speed.
Sodick’s unique technology, unlike competitor systems, does not rely on the costly solution of simply adding more laser units to the machine. While Parallel Mode grows parts at three locations simultaneously, the OPM requires only a single beam to accomplish this task. That is because laser sintering equipment must take fumes and shape deviation into consideration when generating the laser path. For this reason, the laser unit is not necessarily utilised at full capacity during processing. In parallel mode, the OPM makes optimal use of the laser unit by targeting multiple locations simultaneously, revolutionising productivity.
Sodick Parallel Mode
Parallel Mode automatically optimizes the laser path, enabling three locations to sinter simultaneously, even on the same work piece
In addition to efficiency considerations, Parallel Mode is suited to a wide variety of applications and can be used not just to create replicas of the same part, but also to produce singular large parts in less time. Unlike multi-beam designs, which often utilise separate work envelopes, parallel mode is not limited to one beam per quadrant. This means that a workpiece covering only one part of the work table will benefit from parallel mode just as much as if it had covered the entire table.
Parallel Mode additionally benefits from a recently upgraded fume collector issued standard with the OPM. Sodick’s newly available fume collector lasts significantly longer than the previous iteration, allowing it not only to run longer between maintenance cycles, but also to easily accommodate the fumes produced by parallel mode’s increased productivity.
Altogether, these advancements fit within Sodick’s larger strategy of optimising the central technologies of Metal 3D Printing, allowing the user to reliably print finished, high-density parts that would otherwise be impossible to produce.
Sodick Parallel Mode
When the OPM was released in September, the expected sinter time for this part was 22:05 hours. Today, with Parallel Mode, the expected sinter time is below 9:50 hours.
Meanwhile, Sodick has named Evan Syverson as its new Additive Business Development Manager. He brings with him a wealth of marketing and business development experience that will support Sodick’s growing status in the metal 3D printing space.
In this role, Syverson will be responsible for cultivating new opportunities in Sodick’s AM business, as well as ensuring that Sodick customers, partners, and employees have access to the resources necessary to succeed.
Sodick Inc. is a manufacturer of Metal 3D Printing, EDM, and High Speed Milling machine tools. Since 1976, Sodick has been a leader in advanced manufacturing technologies, and today operates worldwide with well over 3,000 employees, including vertically integrated factories in Japan and Thailand.
