LZN adopts Ricoh 3D Printing technology
Pictured left to right: Greg Plowman, Director, European AM Business Group, Ricoh Europe, David Mills, CEO, Ricoh Europe, Professor Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann, LZN and Peter Williams, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Europe, with the RICOH AM S5500P.
The renowned manufacturer of office equipment and 2D printers, Ricoh, first announced its entry to the additive industry at formnext powered by tct, and it would have been at that very show Lazer Zentrum Nord (LZN) got a first look at the technology that it has now decided to heavily invest in.
LZN is dedicated to improving industrial workflows as we push towards 'Industrie 4.0', the organisation sees itself as a connector between basic research and application. It has become one of the first European customers to implement Ricoh's first 3D Printer, the AM S5500P. The polymer sintering machine was subject to extensive research by LZN, who had set out to establish a long-term strategic partnership in order to help accelerate its AM research and manufacturing capabilities.
The first step of the agreement will see Ricoh install the machine and provide training and ongoing technical support. The second part will include cooperation in the development of new materials for SLSi as well as new applications for high functional materials. In addition to printing PA12 and PA11 materials, the RICOH AM S5500P is able to print with polypropylene - a much sought after material in industry due to its a weight to strength ratio and high flexibility.
Peter Williams, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Europe, explained that Ricoh’s presence in the market is pushing innovation to the fore. He commented: “Adding the RICOH AM S5500P to its existing infrastructure is a testament to LZN’s commitment to manufacturing innovation. LZN commented on Ricoh’s ability to push boundaries, and that is certainly something the RICOH AM S5500P does by offering multiple applications. Market response to the RICOH AM S5500P has been incredibly positive and LZN’s adoption forms an important milestone in our respective AM journeys, as well as for the industry as a whole. Crucially, the availability of the RICOH AM S5500P and relevant end-to-end services means that European businesses now have a single point of contact for everything related to AM.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Claus Emmelmann, LZN, added: “Ricoh’s ability to truly listen and respond accordingly to specific needs, along with its extensive hardware expertise, made it the perfect partner for us. We look forward to leverage our extensive AM know-how and working with Ricoh to help evolve the industry.”
You can see Ricoh's Additive Manufacturing Solutions first hand for free on stand A47 at TCT Show + Personalize 2016. REGISTER HERE.
