Desktop Metal
Desktop Metal's Shop System Forust Edition.
Desktop Metal has announced the broad availability of its Shop System Forust Edition, with the machine set to be debuted at the upcoming Formnext event.
The Shop System Forust Edition is a binder jet 3D printing platform that enables the additive manufacture of end-use wood parts using upcycled sawdust from the wood milling industry. It is based on much of the same technology as the standard Shop System launched in November 2019.
Forust was first announced in May 2021, with Desktop Metal delivering a select number of beta printers and otherwise serving customers with custom parts. After refining the process off the back of the beta programme and service offering, the company is now shipping its ‘turnkey wood printing systems.’
Desktop Metal says the technology behind Forust can deliver high-resolution 3D printed wood parts with ‘realistic grain patterns’ and ‘previously unobtainable’ complex designs. The Shop System Forust Edition is equipped with a build envelope of 350 x 222 x 200 mm and a print speed of up to 1,600 cc/hr – the equivalent of 21mm inches in Z-height per hour. It is supplemented by the Forust Powder Station for part removal and powder recovery; the Forust Binder, which comes in clear and brown colours to bind wood powder particles and create natural-looking wood grain patterns that flow across the entire part; and the Fabricate MFG build prep software, which enables users to print parts with no grain patter or four grain patterns that replicate ash, mahogany, and more. Users can also access a wood parts post-process guide that walks customers through a recommended workflow for infiltrating parts after 3D printing with USDA certified bio-based resins.
The company believes the Shop System Forust Edition has a play in home décor and lighting applications, as well as consumer products, architectural design and the automotive space.
Desktop Metal
“Our new Shop System Forust Edition makes it easy to create custom and complex wood designs with a 3D printer on demand, circumventing supply chain challenges and delivering all-new design possibilities,” commented Ric Fulop, founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “One of the great things about binder jet 3D printing technology is it can transform virtually any powder material into functional, end-use parts. Beginning with an ample supply sawdust by-product from the traditional wood milling industry, we are using technology to build cradle-to-cradle manufacturing for wood. We believe this concept has the ability to deliver a meaningful sustainability impact and expand to other powdered waste materials over time.”
Currently, the Shop System Forust Edition printer processes Desktop Metal-provided wood powders from verified and consistent supply sources. Guidelines are said to be in development to allow customers to print their own recycled sawdust powders in the future.
