LightSPEE3D
LightSPEE3D metal additive manufacturing system
Australian additive manufacturing company SPEE3D is heading back to Formnext, the same place it debuted its superfast LightSPEED technology just two years ago, with a new product called SPEE3Dcell.
Next week, the Melbourne-based company will be presenting what is believed to be the world’s first metal 3D production cell combining a SPEE3D metal printer with a heat treatment furnace and a computer numerical control (CNC) three-axis milling machine. To demonstrate, the cell will be live 3D printing, machining and assembling copper hammers on the show floor across the four days. Each hammer can be printed in just over six minutes at a print cost of $22.40. The aim is to demonstrate how SPEE3Dcell could enable faster, lower cost and more scalable production compared to traditional casting or other metal 3D printing processes.
SPEE3D’s technology is designed for the production of parts that are already used by industry today, largely those produced with casting. Prints tend to be solid components which require machining afterwards. The SPEE3Dcell addresses this necessary post-processing step by combining both of those processes into a single production environment.
SPEE3D co-founder and CEO Byron Kennedy said he is “excited to share the latest developments in metal 3D printing with the manufacturing world.” According to a press release, the company is also promising “other surprises and magical moments”.
SPEE3D has made a name for itself as the developer of one of the fastest metal 3D printing technologies on the market and took home a TCT Award for its LightSPEE3D hardware last year. Its Supersonic 3D Deposition (SP3D) technology employs a cold spray technique to fire metal powders at high speed onto a concentrated area. As the material hits the surface, it creates kinetic energy which binds the particles together to produce a solid part in a matter of minutes. Last year, the company also launched a larger version in the form of the WarpSPEE3D.
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.
