MetalFAB1
It’s been a year since Dutch manufacturer, Additive Industries first teased us with the prospect of a new metal additive manufacturing system and now all can finally be revealed with the grand unveiling of the MetalFAB1 at formnext powered by tct.
In development since 2012, the MetalFAB1 is Additive Industries’ first truly industrial 3D metal printing system and offers substantially improved performance over typical midrange systems. In fact the company claims the MetalFAB1 and integrates Additive World software delivers 10x better reproducibility, productivity and flexibility of similar current systems.
The improved performance is achieved by robust and thermally optimised equipment design, smart feedback control and calibration strategies, elimination of waiting time and automation of build plate and product handling. The modular design of the MetalFAB1 system allows for customer and application-specific process configuration.
What’s more, multiple build chambers with individual integrated powder handling make this industrial 3D printer the first to combine up to four materials simultaneously in one single machine. The MetalFAB1 can also be equipped with a maximum of four full field lasers, thereby eliminating the need for stitching when printing large objects. MetalFAB1 is also the only system to include a furnace for integrated stress relief heat treatment. The size of a single build envelope (420x420x400 [mm]) places the MetalFAB1 among the top 3 largest 3D metal printers available.
Additive Industries will start its Beta test programme next month and four Beta machines have already been reserved by customers from demanding markets like aerospace, high tech equipment and tooling.
Daan Kersten, co-founder and CEO of Additive Industries, commented: “We are eager to work closely together with our Beta customers. We will team up to further develop the process, new materials and applications as well as testing the performance to substantially improve the business cases of our customers.”
Visitors to formnext powered by tct can learn more about the MetalFAB one on stand E28 on 17th-20th November.
