Carbon
Carbon has announced the general availability of its L1 Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) additive manufacturing platform.
The company first introduced the machine alongside its Riddell partnership in February but was initially only offering it to customers whose production needs required its larger format system, rather than an M1 or M2. Since its launch, the L1 has been implemented to mass produce Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision Diamond helmet, Adidas’ Futurecraft 4D running shoe, and Specialized’s S-Works Power bike saddle.
It will now be more broadly available with customers able to acquire L1 platforms via Carbon’s subscription model without having to justify their production requirements to the vendor. With a build volume approximately five times larger than the M2 machine, users can print bigger volumes and bigger parts, while a materials portfolio encompassing rigid polyurethane, elastomeric polyurethane, epoxy and silicone materials facilitates the production of end-use components. The company is taking orders immediately for the L1 printer, which is set to ship in the first half of 2020, at a cost of $250,000 per year over a three-year term.
“The L1 printer has made history with the innovation it has enabled and the quality and production scale it has achieved,” commented Dr Joseph DeSimone, co-founder and CEO of Carbon. “It is an extremely efficient and capable machine, transformational for product designers and engineers looking to make what’s next, and rugged enough for production environments and versatile enough to produce a range of parts – from precise dental models to impact absorbing helmet liners. Its most exciting days are still ahead of it. We can’t wait to see what our customers do with it.”
Carbon says the L1 platform is suitable for designers, engineers, 3D printing labs, centres of excellence and contract manufacturers. Adidas’ Director of Future Technology Innovation Marco Kormann believes the L1 has contributed significantly to the company's Futurecraft project, which has seen them go from a conceptual design to mass producing the shoe in two years, while Dentsply Sirona VP and General Manager Dominique Mondou has highlighted the speeds and volumes the L1 machine is capable of. Adidas was working towards a target of producing 100,000 pairs of shoes in 2018, while Dentsply Sirona’s SureSmile clear aligner business has been able to produce thousands of aligners a day using the L1.
Set to join these companies as users of DLS technology is contract manufacturer Jabil who has been announced as the latest addition to the Carbon Production Network. It has been confirmed healthcare applications will be a central focus of Jabil’s partnership with Carbon.
“We are excited to become a valued member of the Carbon Production Network,” commented John Dulchinos, VP of Digital Manufacturing at Jabil. “This will further strengthen our ability to drive adoption of additive manufacturing across an integrated ecosystem of printers, materials and processes tailored for the growing application demands of heavily regulated industries, including healthcare.”
Carbon will be exhibiting at Formnext in Hall 11.1, Stand E21 between November 19-22.
