AddUp’s MASSIF (Metal Additive System, Sustainable, Industrial, Eco-Friendly) project supports a broader strategy to drive the next wave of industrial and technological innovation around large-format powder-bed fusion (PBF) metal additive manufacturing (up to 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 m). The project is designed to boost productivity, reduce costs and meet evolving sustainability goals. The first PBF machine developed around these concepts features a print volume of 750 x 750 x 1000 mm high.

The new machine will leverage the robust foundation of AddUp’s FormUp 350, a platform currently in use at customers across the aerospace, medical and other high-precision industries. According to AddUp, its MASSIF machine is set to increase productivity by 300%, drastically reducing part costs by 50-70%. Furthermore, with the capability to manufacture parts 12 times larger than current AddUp machines, the machine pushes the boundaries of scale for metal additive manufacturing.

Further benefits include powder waste below 10% and best-in-class surface finishes that minimise or eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming post-processing. Additionally, its in-process monitoring instils confidence that parts are printed correctly from the start, reducing the need for expensive QA testing.

The machine series will be developed in collaboration with companies that include Cailabs, CETIM, Dassault Systèmes, ISP Systems and Vistory. It has already been selected as the winner of the #France2030 ‘Robots and Intelligent Machines of Excellence’ programme. The first machine will be installed at CETIM’s Printing Bourges centre, where it will undergo further validation.

More information www.addupsolutions.com

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