Aurora Labs reaches ability to print complex parts at speed.
Australian metal 3D printing company, Aurora Labs has announced what it believes to be the “most important” step in the company’s history, the ability to print complex parts at market speed.
Aurora Labs defines “market speed” as the standard speed of a machine of comparable size with the ability to print titanium at a rate of 81.7g/hr (1.96kg/day). Initial tests using the company’s Large Format Technology (LFT) achieved speeds equivalent to 662 g/h (15.88kg/day), eight times faster than market speed which the company says “proves out at a fundamental level, the potential for the technology to revolutionise the metal manufacturing market”.
The tests were carried out on Aurora Labs’ first fully functioning LFT machine, the Alpha model, which features a build envelope of 200 x 200 x 200 mm. The goal is to scale the technology up to create a full-sized Rapid Manufacturing Printer with a print speed of a 1000kg/day.
“The nature of the Large Format Technology and its ability to be scaled allows us to understand at this stage in the development cycle the potential for this technology to be able to print at our target rate of 1000kg/day,” David Budge, Managing Director at Aurora Labs commented. “Moving forward the company expects to have the pre-production model of the printer ready for sale to one of its industry partners before the end of the calendar year.”
With the ability of its core technology proven, the company is now working on scaling the process by increasing speeds and build areas as it gears up to the planned commercialisation of LFT.
Aurora Labs will be exhibiting at TCT Show at the NEC, Birmingham next week on 25-27th September. To attend, register for your free ticket and conference pass here.
