Formnext, the international exhibition and conference on next generation manufacturing technologies, returns to Frankfurt next week for what promises to be another four packed days of world firsts and product debuts. The TCT editorial team's calendars are already bursting with the number of press conferences scheduled to take place throughout the show - 33 so far - and as always, we'll be bringing you up-to-the-minute news, right here.
Get tickets for the TCT conference @ Formnext here.
Visitors to Formnext 2018 can expect a wealth of launches from new additive manufacturing (AM) hardware to software and materials. Here are just some of the new machines you can see across the two floors of exhibition space at Frankfurt Messe on 13-16th November.
EOS (3.1-G50)
EOS M 300-4
Render of the EOS M 300-4 multi-laser platform.
At Formnext, EOS will present its newest EOS M 300-4 system, first introduced at IMTS, as part of an EOS Metal AM Production Cell, incorporating numerous solutions for optimised part and data flow across all production steps. The modular EOS M 300 platform comes with a configurable and scalable equipment architecture, which enables full flexibility and customised system configurations. As such, EOS says it is ideal for organisations demanding reliable and robust industrial standard equipment for AM production in a variety of manufacturing fields such as aerospace and automotive.
Sisma (3.0-C11)
Italian machine manufacturer, SISMA is introducing its latest product in professional resin-based 3D printing under the brand EVERES. Known for its Laser Metal Fusion and laser stereolithography systems, the company will introduce two DLP printers, the EVERES ZERO and EVERES UNO, designed and built to offer what the company claims will be a “user experience which has never been explored before”. Equipped with innovative technologies (patent pending) the machines are aimed at the jewellery, medical and industrial manufacturing markets. Key features include self-alignment of the build platform, non-degenerative resin vat, high printing speed, self-loading and unloading of the resin, together with Click & Make software.
Formnext 2018: The latest in additive manufacturing software and materials.
Arburg (3.1-E70)
ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
Formnext 2018 sees the world premiere of Arburg's new large Freeformer 300-3X with three components, enabling the industrial AM of complex functional parts using the Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) process in resilient hard/soft combinations with support structures.The carrier surface area is about 50% larger than the Freeformer 200-3X while the build chamber of the Freeformer 300-3X offers space for parts with dimensions up to 234 x 134 x 200 mm. Automatic opening and closing of the build chamber door, as well as optional interfaces, also enable automation of the AM process and integration of the Freeformer in complete production lines.
Fraunhofer (3.0-E70)
The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has taken its "TwoCure" process to the next level by developing it into an industry-ready machine technology. The new technique and machine, which will be presented at Formnext, uses resin-based 3D printing to produce large numbers of plastic components without support structures in an automated process. Based on a similar principle to a projector, a LED light unit projects the component's layered geometry into a liquid resin bath and the polymer hardens in the areas that are illuminated. The other areas of resin solidify through cooling, leaving the cured structures floating freely without supports within the total volume. This enables the entire 3D build volume to be used for printing. The corresponding machine offers a capacity of approximately one litre and a lateral resolution of about 50 micrometres, aimed at companies producing individual small plastic components or batches of up to 1,000 pieces.
Desktop Metal (3.0-C10)
Desktop Metal will be exhibiting its end-to-end metal 3D printing solutions on the show floor. Visitors will be able to see new variations of its Studio System including the new higher resolution Studio System+ and configurable Studio Fleet option which allows users to scale up their capabilities for low to mid volume production. The Production System and a range of parts will also be on the stand alongside examples of use cases which show how Desktop Metal systems are being applied across a variety of industries and tutorials of the company's Live Parts generative design software. Attendees will also get a preview of Desktop Metal's newest software tool, Fab Flow, a fully-customisable and integrated solution designed to streamline 3D model optimisation and equipment management.
HP (3.1-E40)
HP Metal Jet Printers.
The printing giant will be presenting the European debut of Metal Jet, HP's new metal 3D printing technology. Building on its Multi Jet Fusion architecture, Metal Jet adopts voxel-level binder jetting technology which uses low-cost off-the-shelf metal injection moulding (MIM) powders and a binding agent to build parts within a bed size of 430 x 320 x 200 mm. Once unpacked, these “green parts” are then sintered in a standard furnace to produce high-quality isotropic components which meet ASTM and MPIF standards. Visitors can get a first look at the technology which is currently being leveraged by manufacturing partners GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech to produce parts for medical, automotive and industrial equipment industries.
RIZE (3.1-C28)
XRIZE will enable functional polymer and composite parts in full CMYK colour at the voxel level.
Boston-based 3D printing company, RIZE, has announced the launch of a new full-colour desktop industrial 3D printer, the XRIZE, along with two new materials and software capabilities.
The new machine, which arrives just in time for Formnext, will enable users to produce functional polymer and composite parts featuring images, text and texture maps in full CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) colour at the voxel level. RIZE says this new full-colour capability offers a range of applications for engineers and product designers including prototypes for FEA and stress analysis, tooling with safety instructions, consumer products, package design, GIS mapping, anatomical models for healthcare and parts for marketing and the entertainment industry.
Roboze (3.1-C78)
The Italian 3D printer manufacturer is being tight-lipped about the launch of a new piece of hardware but the company says "3D printing will never be the same" when the new Roboze Xtreme Series debut at Formnext. In a short teaser, Alessio Lorusso, CEO & Founder of Roboze says the series is "the result of intense work by the entire Roboze team, that has allowed us today to create a new line of systems capable of meeting the most extreme needs of our customers, offering greater versatility in the materials and accuracy of the prints as well as better performance. We have rewritten the history of 3D printing." Bold statements, even for a company which has seen its industrial desktop machines used in the manufacture of luxury helicopter parts and also adopted by GE. All will be revealed on the show floor.
Register to attend and get tickets for the TCT conference @ Formnext here.
