We’re nearing the end of the year; the nights are getting darker, the additive manufacturing elite are getting ready to pack into the halls of Frankfurt Messe and, if the frighteningly busy press schedule is any sort of indicator, are planning to lure the masses with their latest technologies. To help you make your way around the daunting Formnext floorplan, here are just a few of the shiny new metal 3D printing technologies you can get a first look at in Frankfurt next week.
Farsoon (11.1, C68)
Farsoon FS301M
Farsoon FS301M.
Farsoon has announced the launch of its latest metal additive manufacturing platform which will be debuted at Formnext. The company says it has placed a focus on productivity, safety, stability and ease of use in the development of the FS301M platform which was done in collaboration with a number of ‘key partners’ from industries such as tooling and aerospace. The FS301M boasts a build cylinder of 305 x 305 x 400 mm and offers single or dual laser options. An integrated powder feed connector prevents the operator from being exposed to potential contamination and hazards when handling powder. Similar to the rest of the Farsoon hardware portfolio, the machine’s parameters and powder options are open to enable users to have greater flexibility when manufacturing parts.
INCUS (11.1, D32)
This Vienna-based engineering company was born out of the research and development division ceramic additive manufacturing leader, Lithoz GmbH, to deliver a new approach to lithography-based metal AM. INCUS means ‘anvil’ in latin and is said to reference the company's fresh take on a centuries-old, traditional process for shaping metals. The company's Hammer Series metal printers fabricate green parts from a photoreactive, metal-filled feedstock using a high-performance projector. This allows for the production of accurate and precise green parts similar to Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) which must then undergo debinding and sintering steps to deliver final metallic properties. The company will present what it refers to as "the next generation of metal AM" on day one of the event.
Meltio (12.1, C111)
Meltio M450
New company Meltio, founded by USA-based Additec and Spain-based Sicnova, will officially present its new M450 3D printer next week. The machine features a patented metal 3D printing technology based on direct energy deposition (DED) with a high power multi-laser printhead for manufacturing with metal wire and powder. This is said to result in fully dense metallic parts with high quality material properties and a lower cost compared to other 3D printing technologies in the market. Meltio says it will offer a complete solution, from 3D file to quality control, to meet the demands of several industrial sectors.
One Click Metal (11.0, E71)
One Click Metal will use the Frankfurt event to launch its first product onto the market. The German start-up is a spin-off of TRUMPF, founded earlier this year in an effort to develop an affordable metal 3D printer aimed at SMEs, the education sector, R&D and newcomers to the industry. More details are set to be released next week but so far the company says the laser powder bed fusion system will offer high dimensional accuracy and retention of material properties alongside features such as a powder cartridge system and unpacking station for easy handling of materials.
Coherent | OR Laser (12.0, C101)
Coherent CREATOR Hybrid
Coherent will unveil its latest metal AM system at Formnext, the very same place it introduced its first machine the Coherent CREATOR (formerly the OR Laser CREATOR) back in 2016. While the company has been careful not to reveal any details about the machine before the big launch, the platform will be showcased alongside Coherent’s full range of hardware including the CREATOR, CREATOR Hybrid, EVO CUBE, and ROBOLASER. The company’s General Manager, Ludovico Camarda said the new machine “will illustrate to the industry and visitors to the event how serious we are about metal AM.”
TRUMPF (12.0, E61)
German machine tool manufacturer TRUMPF says it will present the entire additive process chain for industrial production at Formnext. In addition, TRUMPF experts will be showing applications from a wide range of industries such as the aerospace, automotive and medical focusing on its two key metallic 3D printing processes, laser metal deposition (LMD) and laser metal fusion (LMF). The company has also hinted at the addition of a new member to its TruPrint AM machine family which is set to debut at the event.
Prima Additive (11.0, C28)
Print Genius 250
Prima Additive, the Prima Industrie Division dedicated to metal AM systems, will be exhibiting at Formnext for the first time with world premieres planned for a number of technologies. In PBF technology, Prima Additive will present Print Genius 250 (build volume 262 x 262 x 350 mm) for the fabrication of medium sized components while over in DED, it will showcase the Laserdyne 430 (build volume 585 x 400 x 500 mm) which features a high build rate suitable for 3D fabrication, repairing and coatings. In addition, visitors can expect to see the Ultrafast Direct Energy deposition head and the Convergent CS450, a highly efficient fibre laser source by Prima Electro dedicated to AM.
Tritone (12.0, B72)
Additive manufacturing newcomer, Tritone Technologies has announced the launch of its Tritone DOMINANT metal 3D printing system ahead of its debut at Formnext later this month. Though few details have been revealed about the technology so far, Tritone promises a wide choice of materials from titanium to ceramics, which visitors will be able to get a closer look at during the Frankfurt event, throughput in excess of 1000 cc/hr, a powderless environment using sealed material cartridges, and real time verification and quality control of each layer.
Ermaksan (12.0, B122)
ENAVISION AM system
Building on its ENAVISION 250 metal 3D printing system, Turkish machine manufacturer Ermaksan will be showing two new pieces of hardware, the ENAVISION TWIN and ENAVISION 120. Based on selective laser melting, the machines are said to deliver parts with a density of over 99% and strong mechanical properties comparable to parts produced with conventional manufacturing technologies. The company has also been working on improving the efficiency of its additive machines with a Modular Dual Laser Technology that doubles productivity.
Formnext takes place in Frankfurt on 19-22 November. Register for your showfloor ticket here and visit the TCT @ Formnext Conference website to register for your conference pass.
