Sauber Motorsports, a Swiss motorsport engineering company, has selected 3D Systems’ latest polymer 3D printing technologies to accelerate innovation. Sauber intends to add 10 3D printers from 3D Systems – eight SLA 750 Dual and two PSLA 270 models – to its manufacturing workflow. The combination of these technologies – along with 3D Systems’ Accura Composite PIV, Accura Xtreme and Figure 4 ceramic-filled materials – will increase Sauber’s production capacity for wind tunnel parts.

3D Systems says that its SLA 750 Dual is the fastest stereolithography (SLA) solution available. The platform delivers a combination of print size, speed, accuracy and resolution. The two-laser configuration of this printer provides increased throughput in a smaller footprint, delivering a higher return to Sauber on its investment. 

The PSLA 270 is a high-speed, projector-based SLA additive manufacturing solution that produces high-quality parts with stable mechanical properties. Sauber is the first Formula 1 team to incorporate the recently released PSLA technology, delivering the flexibility needed to execute quick, time-sensitive changes to wind tunnel parts.  

“As a race team, Sauber is driven by its desire to win and we want to work with the latest and most innovative technologies,” says Marco Gehrig, head of mechanical & AM production at Sauber Group. “3D Systems is a pioneer in additive manufacturing, and the inventor of SLA. The benchmarks conducted on the SLA 750 yielded parts with better surface quality and required less post-processing than the current machines in use. Our team is looking forward to using the industry’s most advanced SLA technology to increase our production speed, quality and flexibility for wind tunnel parts, and accelerating our speed to track.” 

More information www.3dsystems.com

At the annual AM Forum Conference in Berlin earlier this year, HP showcased 3D printed parts using a new material qualified for the company’s industrial 3D polymers solutions. Developed with Arkema, HP says the new PA 12 S material sets the standard for surface aesthetics, while reducing costs for customers using the company’s Jet Fusion 5200 and 5600 series 3D printing solutions.

“From design to parts production and post processing, HP is committed to delivering a broad range of innovative materials and programmes for more sustainable production,” says Francois Minec, global head of 3D polymers at HP. “We’re thrilled to join our colleagues across the industry at AMUG as we collectively look to accelerate scale and adoption of additive manufacturing.” 

The introduction of PA 12 S is set to boost the industry by reducing variable costs per part and significantly lowering the total cost of ownership. In conjunction with HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, the material offers an optimised production process that streamlines post-processing steps, saving time and further reducing costs.

According to HP, its PA 12 S material also has the highest reusability ratio versus other PA 12 materials on the market. In fact, up to 85% reusability ratio, minimising waste.  

The newly launched material is being used by customers including Accel Digital Solutions, Decathlon, Erpro Group and Materialise for aesthetic parts with enhanced surface finishes and lower production costs. 

“Working with HP, as a beta customer for PA 12 S, is an important element in our strategy to make additive manufacturing more accessible through an extended industrial grade materials offering,” says Pieter Vos, marketing and product director at Materialise. “PA 12 S has proven its processability, delivering consistent parts with a great surface quality.”

More information www.hp.com

A new additive manufacturing (AM) machine, the third generation of the LaserTec 30 SLM, is now available from DMG Mori. The company says that the selective laser melting (SLM) platform has been completely redesigned to combine robustness and repeatability with thermal stability. It features a fully overlapping quad-laser working area and a build volume of 325 x 325 x 400 mm.

The latest LaserTec 30 SLM builds on the strengths of previous versions, while accommodating suggestions from customers in an ever-changing AM market. A notable feature is – unusually in the field of AM – a rigid cast structure based on the material and design principles of the majority of DMG Mori’s milling and turning machines.

Unlike with metal-cutting machine tools, there are no appreciable forces transmitted to the structure of the LaserTec 30 SLM from movement of the axes. The rationale for using a casting in this latest AM machine is to resist thermal expansion due to unavoidable temperature changes. DMG Mori has many years of experience in minimising the effect of, and compensating for, temperature changes within its products.

Care has been taken to ensure that the process chamber is an isolated unit within the machine and free to expand and contract in all directions as the temperature varies. In contrast, the optics are mounted on the rigid cast frame. The distance between the optics and the surface layer of the powder bed remains constant by calibrating the bi-directional re-coater and actively compensating for any displacement in the Z axis.

To reduce the time delay between successive builds and to increase flexibility, DMG Mori’s rePLUG units simplify and speed the changing of materials.

More information www.dmgmori.com

Stratasys is collaborating with AM Solutions, a brand of the Rösler Group, to launch Stratasys PowderEase TI, a 3-in-1 post-processing solution for the Stratasys H350 SAF powder-bed printer. The new post-processing system drives towards important customer milestones, including shorter time to finished parts, more efficient powder use, and the ability to handle the outcome of multiple printers at one time with a single T1 system. Manufacturing of the PowderEase T1 will take place at the German location of AM Solutions.

PowderEase T1 combines multiple post-processing steps into a single, streamlined unit, simplifying workflows, reducing operational costs and improving overall productivity for users. Advantages include: 3-in-1 functionality (automated powder breakout, retrieval and dosing); scalable efficiency (a single system can serve up to six H350 printers); time savings (up to 50 minutes of time savings per build compared with manual processes); powder utilisation (maximises powder retrieval and efficiency); and consistent and ready to use parts with each build.

“Working with AM Solutions, we’re poised to deliver significant advancements that will benefit our customers and simplify work routines on the production floor,” says Birk Ploennigs, director of SAF product management at Stratasys. “This solution will allow customers to use Selective Absorption Fusion technology for the manufacture of parts, taking production efficiency to a new level.”

David Soldan, head of AM Solutions, adds: “The key focus of the partnership between Stratasys and AM Solutions is the delivery of maximum value and to establish additive manufacturing as a primary production technology. Automated post-processing, which ensures cost-effective, high-quality, consistent results, is crucial to this objective.”

More information www.stratasys.com