Traditional manufacturing methods in sectors ranging from high tech to textiles have always been haunted by their own unique sets of constraints and challenges. Some additional influencing factors cross industry lines and impact every imaginable link in the production chain, such as available materials, labor, budget constrictions, and the most valuable resource of all: time. The proliferation of additive manufacturing and its successful application to a range of diverse challenges has undoubtedly reshaped the landscape of modern industry.
Crucial tasks in the production pipeline have traditionally been performed by highly skilled artisans at enormous costs, with considerable time spent and significant waste produced. Today, while most companies continue to perform crucial tasks by traditional methods – at enormous costs – we know that this way of working is quickly becoming antiquated. These same tasks can now be achieved in a fraction of the time, on larger scales, to higher levels of precision, and with greatly reduced costs, wasted materials, and environmental footprint.
Massivit 10000 in microfactory with racing car bucket seat mould
2022 is the Year of the Large-Scale 3D Printer
Massivit 3D is eagerly preparing for the 2022 launch of their newest additive manufacturing tooling system for composite materials: the Massivit 10000. This advanced AM system truly is a modern marvel, having already garnered the prestigious ACE Award for Composites Excellence in the category of Manufacturing: Equipment And Tooling Innovation during the CAMX 2021 event in Dallas, Texas. Featuring their revolutionary patented Cast-In-Motion (CIM) technology, this next-generation 3D printer is designed to automate composite tooling and shorten mold production time by up to 80%! Replacing existing tooling methods that are slow, expensive, and wasteful, the 10000 utilizes two different printing heads and advanced dual-component, thermoset materials which allow for a low CTE, withstand high temperatures, and enable direct casting of a mold. This eliminates the need to produce an initial master, reduces iterations, and shortens conventional mold-production workflows from approximately 19 steps down to just four steps!
Although the 10000 and its unique blend of sciences have yet to make a formal entry into the market, Massivit 3D already has an impressive track record of shattering industry norms and reimagining the scope of possibilities for AM and manufacturing at large. For instance, it is the only system on the market to truly create isotropic 3D-printed molds.
Of course, the continued development of these technologies does not impact the AM sector alone; the benefits of innovation will be reaped by designers, engineers, manufacturing managers, and countless other personnel across industries that are crucial to our daily lives. Significant savings in raw materials, human resources, and of course time, ultimately result in better products reaching market faster and at a lower cost – improving value at every link in the production chain.
Building Upon Layers of Success
Earlier this year Massivit 3D introduced their newest and most advanced large-scale 3D printer to be brought to market yet – and it was quickly adopted as an industry favorite, backed by an established global installed base across 40 countries. The innovative dual-headed printing system allows operators to simultaneously print with a different material on each print head according to specific application requirements, bringing greater workflow efficiency. Operating at 30 times the speed of other 3D printers – with a linear speed of 300mm/sec - the system enables production of full-scale prototypes, molds, and parts within a matter of hours, instead of days or weeks.
In addition to printing faster than anything before them, the prodigious size advantage of Massivit 3D printers – boasting a build volume of 1450 x 1110 x 1800 mm – means the elimination of considerable time wasted on producing and joining numerous small parts to create one large part. Thanks to multiple operating modes, automated slicing software algorithms, and incredible overall versatility, the latest model is able to easily create large, complex forms and undercuts that are unattainable with other technologies. These combined features – which are currently on display with live printing throughout the Formnext 2021 event “Innovation In Progress” - ultimately result in drastically reduced production time, labor, and overall costs when compared with traditional CNC machining or manual labor.
In one real-world example, ACS Hybrid Inc. – experts in producing large molds for thermoforming for the aerospace industry – used Massivit 3D printers for a successful proof of concept (POC). Using conventional subtractive methods would have required 12 pieces to build this tool; when printed with Massivit 3D’s advanced AM system, it was achieved with just two pieces. To minimize post 3D-printing finishing time, this project was printed on the highest resolution setting, which took only 16 hours to print and used 2.75 kg of Dimengel 90 - one of several available proprietary photo polymeric acrylic gels.
The mold withstood 45 pulls of 0.063” Kydex (ABS) sheets without showing any major signs of deterioration, and it was produced with less parts, less waste, and at a lower cost than producing it with traditional subtractive methods.
The Once and Future Pioneers
Founded by a team of passionate industry leaders with a vision for innovating solutions to recognized limitations in AM production speed and size, Massivit 3D is persistent in their mission to revolutionize the world of 3D printing. Their disruptive, end-to-end tool and mold-making solution - protected by a considerable intellectual property portfolio containing over 50 active patent assets - comprises pioneering hardware, software, and chemistry. Their series of innovative printers bring to market large-scale, lightning-fast additive manufacturing for scale one prototypes, mockups, custom end parts and tooling based on proprietary technology and proprietary thermoset photopolymer print materials that facilitate speed and require only minimal support structures!
The company’s unique Gel Dispensing Printing (GDP) technology combines radical-speed additive-manufacturing technology with proprietary Dimengel printing materials and advanced pre-press software. Dimengel, a photopolymer acrylic gel, has several unique characteristics that enable rapid production of giant, hollow, durable models. The high viscosity of the printing material also allows for non-vertical parts to be produced with minimal support structures.
Massivit 3D first began disrupting traditional AM workflow patterns by introducing to market large-scale, ultra-fast 3D printing that empowers service providers and fabricators to meet tight turnarounds, gain a competitive edge, increase profit margins, and expand their business. These advanced AM systems are designed to respond to the requirements of a diverse range of industries: Automotive, Marine, Rail, Education & Research, Scenic Fabrication, and much more. With such an impressive track record already under their belt – especially the rapid adoption and integration of their newest model to hit the market – we can only imagine what Massivit 3D’s team has in store for the future!
