Wematter
Wematter Gravity
Swedish 3D printing firm Wematter has announced the launch of its Gravity 2021 Selective Laser Sintering additive manufacturing system.
The company believes its office-friendly 3D printing platform is user-friendly with much of the typical maintenance requirements removed, while also exhibiting improved temperature control and the capacity to print thin walls. Using proprietary software algorithms, the Gravity machine also promises a ‘smoother’ sintering process.
Wematter’s Gravity platform boasts 300 x 300 x 300 mm build volume, a print speed of 1.2cm/ hour, a 0.2mm laser spot size and is supported by a water-jet cleaning cabinet called Density and a unsintered powder collection unit called Inertia. Gravity can currently process PA 11 and PA 12 powders, while polypropylene and fibre-reinforced materials are in development.
The company has ensured even heat distribution throughout its printing process, thanks to a combination of sensors and extensive software updates which provide more accurate reading of temperature deviations that occur during the build. The Deep Space software that Wematter provides also enables print preparation, job queueing, remote print monitoring and stacking tools to maximise productivity.
Wematter
Taking steps to ensure the usability of the machine, Wematter has placed much focus on the recoater mechanics. Its recoater is said to boast smooth and fine running, resulting in smooth and fine surface finish, while also operating without its moving parts being worn down. This helps to reduce the set-up time for each job, per Wematter, and saves ‘two out of ten steps’ during each clean of the machine’s build chamber. The company likens its recoater to a snow plow that ‘doesn’t stop for any obstacles’ and says it is now moving towards never having to stop production because of the recoater.
“Many of our competitors let the user control the process parameters of the machine, forcing customers to hire pure operators. We want to change that,” commented Wematter founder and CEO Robert Kniola. “We want to lower the thresholds for AM in development organisations and product-owning companies and make it more accessible by reducing the demands on the user. Through Gravity 2021, we hope that we take another step in that direction. One hour of training should be enough for anyone to be able to print, regardless of previous experience.”
Wematter believes the Gravity 3D printing system is suitable for functional prototypes and the production of small complex parts, housings, mounts and gears when using its PA 11 material, while applications with the PA 12 include automobile parts, medical supplies and other industrial components. The machine is available via a 36-month-long subscription.
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