Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH
Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH has developed a fully automated high-volume 3D printing line for the production of sand cores to the BMW Group foundry in Landshut.
The 3D printing line was developed in close collaboration with the automotive manufacturer and R.Scheuchl GmbH, a fellow solution provider to the foundry industry.
BMW is already using the 3D printing line - which consists of six 3D printers, as well as 3D measurement and core removal solutions, to produce printed moulds for components of its new six-cylinder generation.
Laempe will now launch sales of its sand 3D printing solution to other customers. The company's 3D printers use bidirectional printing and are said to boast high printing speeds. Designed to meet established industry standards of casting, Laempe's printers are modular and can be expanded into a fully automated solution at any time, according to the company. The printing line is open and therefore does not tie customers to specific raw material suppliers and is supplemented by the Laempe Printing Wizard Software, which optimises the slicing, scaling and morphing of print jobs.
A mid-double-digit million euro sum was invested in the development project of Laempe's 3D printing line, most of which was financed from a project with BMW Group.
A Laempe press release read: "With our innovative 3D printing technology, we expect that many more applications can be economically transferred from classic core shooting to additive manufacturing in the future. We can therefore offer our customers and partners a real competitive advantage and a forward-looking solution that will open up new growth opportunities for us. We are the only supplier to develop and operate both core shooters and 3D printers, which means we know the cost structures of both technologies inside out."
