Xact Metal is to introduce two new low-cost and high-precision metal 3D printers at RAPID + TCT in Fort Worth next week.
Located in State College, PA, the start-up presented its first machine at last year's event where TCT got a closer look at the technology which replaces expensive galvo servers - used to direct the laser - with a cheaper solution.
The first is the new XM200S, high-performance metal powder-bed fusion 3D printer priced at $130,000 and ideal for printing small high-performance parts, quickly.
Juan Mario Gomez, CEO of Xact Metal commented: "The introduction of the XM200S is another example of how Xact Metal continues to combine the requirements of metal powder-bed fusion and breakthrough technology to establish a new level of price and performance for additive manufacturing."
The compact XM200S printer features a build volume of 127x127x125 mm and a 200W Yb fiber laser and a digital galvanometer mirror scanner with a jogging speed of 12 m/sec. Designed with an open architecture to allow users to use their own parameters or powders, the machine can print with a range of metals including aluminium, stainless and tooling steel, super alloys, and titanium
"Precision digital optical systems provide active thermal drift compensation which eliminates warm-up times and minimises long-term drift during printing operations. The 24-bit command resolution gives industry- leading positional accuracy," Matt Woods, CTO of Xact Metal explained. "In addition, the patent-pending recoater uses a unique "bulb" shape element to spread powder like a blade, yet provides compaction similar to a rolling element, and the compliant design allows the recoater to negotiate out-of-plane growth and continue printing."
Also on the booth will be the new XM200C, an $80,000 metal powder-bed fusion 3D Printer aimed at universities and small to medium businesses for small part prototyping, casting and tooling applications.
The open architecture system features a build volume of 127x127x127 mm, a 100W Yb fiber laser, patent-pending scanner which fuses at speeds up to 500 mm/sec and can prints a wide range of metals including stainless steel, super alloys, and tooling steels. Gomez says unlike other low-cost "FDM-like" metal printing processes, the machine's powder bed fusion process eliminates the need for debindering and sintering equipment.
"Making metal powder-bed fusion less expensive requires innovation," said Matt Woods, CTO of Xact Metal. "Xact Metal's printing technology is built on the patent-pending Xact Core, a high-speed gantry system platform that uses light, simple mirrors to move quickly and consistently above the powder bed on an X-Y axis and lowers the overall system cost. In addition, the Xact Core technology avoids the use of complex rotating galvanometer mirrors and F-theta lenses, maintains a constant laser angle across the whole build plate, and provides a simplified gas flow over the powder bed."
Xact Metal are currently taking orders for both machines which will be on display on booth 1705 at RAPID + TCT in the Fort Worth Convention Centre, Fort Worth, Texas on April 23- 26.
