The new InnoventPro (left) alongside the X1 25Pro and X1 160Pro systems with X1D1 automated guided vehicle.
Binder jetting additive manufacturing specialist ExOne has today unveiled an advanced 3D printer concept based on its entry-level Innovent platform.
Hailed as an “major upgrade” on the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer’s Innovent+ system, the InnoventPro will offer two new build sizes (3 litre or 5 litre) and print speeds topping 700 cc/hour for the manufacture of metal, ceramic and composite parts.
Aimed as users in research, academia and manufacturing, including MIM shops and high-volume production, ExOne CEO John Hartner promises “an updated entry-level system that’s bigger, faster and smarter than ever.”
Key to this latest update, the InnoventPro will feature the same recirculating printhead modules found in the X1 25Pro and recently launched large X1 160Pro, to allow for easy scale up from R&D to volume production. In addition, these modules also offer the ability to use particulate binders in what ExOne has described as a “pioneering move” for a commercial binder jetting system.
First patented in 2018, ExOne’s “inkjet-printable nanoparticle suspensions” are a new class of ExOne NanoFuse binders. The use of nanoparticles, which fill in the spaces between powder bed particles, allows for bonding at lower temperatures, stronger “green” parts and improved sinterability of high-demand metals, such as copper and aluminium. These binders are also said to deliver higher resolution parts featuring sharper edges and finer features.
“Just as the current Innovent+ served as the proving ground for our patented Triple ACT system, which now delivers industry-leading quality in metal binder jetting, the InnoventPro will offer ground-breaking new features in a commercial system,” Rick Lucas, ExOne CTO and VP, New Markets, explained. “Our patented approach to 3D printing particulate inks in a print bed is opening new doors in binder jetting.”
Triple ACT is ExOne’s advanced compaction technology which offers final part density up to 97+% and dimensional tolerances in the range of <1%-2.5%. The technology is said to have helped speed up qualification of new materials with NanoFuse binders expected to expand that material range even further.
Elsewhere, ExOne has also provided a glimpse at a new X1D1 automated guided vehicle, first teased in November last year, which is designed to transport build boxes through the printing, curing, depowdering and final sintering steps of the binder jet process.
Paired with the X1 160Pro and a new Siemens-enabled ExOne Scout app which presents real-time machine monitoring and analysis via smart devices, the AGV aims to give greater layout flexibility and efficiency across production floors including those with multiple printers. The X1D1 AGV will lock into place at the front of the 160Pro and will be able to roll a large 160 litre build box featuring 700 kilograms of powder in and out of the machine and transport to the next stage of the workflow.
“While ExOne’s production metal 3D printers will remain the centrepiece of our digital manufacturing vision, we’re looking to streamline the entire sequence of processes around our systems with automation, software and remote monitoring and controls,” Hartner added. “ExOne Scout and the X1D1 are moving us toward a complete digital manufacturing package that is smart and efficient.”
