HSS Material Network - Proof of Concept HDPE
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HSS Material Network growing further with HDPE
The HSS Material Network is an interdisciplinary network of selected experts dedicated to making the development and qualification of new polymer materials for the additive manufacturing process High Speed Sintering (HSS) more flexible and faster.
The VX200 HSS from voxeljet is designed as an open source 3D printing system and provides full access to process parameters and temperature management to best match the additive manufacturing process and material. The HSS Material Network offers customers a flexible and low-risk outsourcing option for material development of additive manufacturing technologies. The addition of the competencies of the HSS Material Network partners enables companies of all sizes to receive unique support, from an initial suitability assessment, through specific development and parameterization, to certification or market-ready qualification of the material. Here we present our partners, projects and proof of concepts.
1. What exactly is HDPE and in which industries and products is it processed?
HDPE is a high-density polyethylene (0.94-0.97 g/cm³) and is particularly characterized by its very good resistance to chemicals and greases as well as its water-repellent effect. At room temperature, HDPE has a hard yet flexible appearance and, in addition to its very good mechanical properties, has good sliding behavior and increased wear resistance.
HDPE is therefore used, among other things, for the manufacture of products for the food and packaging industries, especially for the chemical industry. Thus, containers, bottles and pipes for chemicals, fuels, water, gas or oil are manufactured from HDPE as standard.
2. What are the advantages of processing HDPE via HSS compared to, for example, laser-based process technologies?
The process window of HDPE is very small for processing in laser sintering and, furthermore, a high laser power is required to melt the powder particles. The mechanical properties of the HDPE are negatively influenced by the high thermal load due to the punctual or line-by-line exposure by laser. This results in embrittlement of the material.
In the case of HSS, on the other hand, the energy is applied to the powder bed surface by means of an infrared lamp with the aid of an ink, which is selectively applied to the powder bed surface via a print head. The two-dimensional exposure ensures that the duration of the energy input is significantly longer compared to laser-based production systems. As a result, significantly lower maximum temperatures can be realized, which reduces thermal stresses on the material and preserves the proven mechanical properties of HDPE.
3. What distinguishes HDPE from other common polymers such as polyamide 12 (PA12) or polypropylene (PP)?
Unlike PA12, HDPE is a pure hydrocarbon. This makes HDPE non-polar, water-repellent and highly resistant to chemicals. At room temperature, HDPE is therefore not attacked by many solvents, alkalis and acids. Similar to PA12 or PP, up to 100% of the unprinted powder can be reused.
With respect to PP but also to PA12, HDPE offers a significant price advantage, as HDPE is a widely used mass plastic which is much cheaper to produce than PA12 or PA11. In addition, HDPE is manufactured in Europe, which secures supply chains and times.
4. The proof of concept for HDPE was successfully carried out. The material can be processed well using HSS. What further steps are planned?
The proof of concept was manufactured from the HDPE powder DiaPow HDPE HX developed by Diamond Plastics GmbH for laser sintering, which is characterized by a very uniform particle size distribution and very good flowability. The process capability analysis and initial parameterization carried out by the Fraunhofer Project Group Process Innovation of the Fraunhofer IPA and the Chair Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technology of the University of Bayreuth demonstrate that the HDPE powder has very good processability in HSS. Therefore, the HDPE powder will be optimized and fully parameterized by the partners specifically for the HSS process. The focus will be on reproducibility, part quality and productivity in terms of reduced shift time. Finally, the adapted HDPE powder is made commercially available to the market.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that a particularly high degree of flexibility was achieved during processing using HSS. This kind of flexibility is difficult to achieve in laser sintering, for example. The reason for this is the selective thermal loading of the material. This has a negative effect on the mechanical properties of the material. With HSS, on the other hand, the powder bed is exposed over a large area, which increases the duration of the energy input and reduces thermal stress. In this way, the flexibility of the HDPE is retained.
US foundry invests in second VX4000
voxeljet AG, a leading global technology provider of industrial 3D printing solutions, has sold another VX4000 system, one of its largest 3D printers, to Tooling & Equipment International (TEI).
Covestro and voxeljet announce partnership to advance additive manufacture in series production
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Covestro and voxeljet announce partnership to advance additive manufacture in series production
Materials company Covestro and industrial 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet are collaborating to develop a material-machine combination for economic large series additive manufacturing. With High Speed Sintering (HSS), voxeljet combines the advantages of two existing additive technologies: selective laser sintering and binder jetting, giving the benefit of both SLS part properties and binder-jetting productivity.
After jointly developing and qualifying a Thermoplastic Polyorethane (TPU) powder for HSS, the two companies are taking their collaboration to the next level by bringing customers a seamless material-process solution for volume manufacturing of their specific applications.
“Typically, material and processing technology work separately in the value chain, with customers having to figure out how to make them work,” said Geoff Gardner, Innovation Director Additive Manufacturing at Covestro. “Together with voxeljet, we want to remove what we believe is still a barrier for adopting AM on the production floor. Thanks to its size and speed, coupled with the constant layer time, HSS offers manufacturers an economic solution for series production.”
Seamless material-process solution
voxeljet will contribute its knowledge with its large format VX1000 HSS printer platformVX1000 HSS, and Covestro its expertise in designing functional materials, to develop a seamlessly working material-process solution that can be deployed for large scale manufacturing.
James Reeves, Global Director of Polymer Sintering (HSS) at voxeljet added: “This is a match of two companies strongly believing in really close collaboration across the additive ecosystem. The potential of HSS to process specialty powder materials is tremendous. By offering customers material choices, we accelerate their access to pioneering products.”
Material possibilities that the companies are considering are TPUs, which are suited well for footwear and cushioning applications, as well as thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polpropylene (PP). The collaboration with voxeljet involves scaling new materials on the large-format, industrial manufacturing machine – VX1000HSS, currently accessible via voxeljet’s Early Access Beta Program.
If you are interested in collaborating in this program, please reach out – both companies will showcase their polymer powder materials and printers at Formnext 2021, Nov. 16th-19th in Frankfurt, Germany, in hall 12.1; Covestro at booth C11 and voxeljet at booth C129.
About Covestro:
With 2020 sales of EUR 10.7 billion, Covestro is among the world’s leading polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. In doing so, Covestro is fully committed to the circular economy. The main industries served are the automotive and transportation industries, construction, furniture and wood processing, as well as electrical, electronics, and household appliances industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. At the end of 2020, Covestro has 33 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Learn more about legacy-DSM additive manufacturing on am.covestro.com and Covestro on www.covestro.com
Forward-looking statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
US based Foundry invests in second VX4000
voxeljet AG a global technology leader in industrial 3D printing solutions, has sold another VX4000 system, one of the largest 3D printers, to Tooling & Equipment International (TEI).
New 3D Printing Polymer Qualification Network - HSS Material Network
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New 3D Printing Polymer Qualification Network - HSS Material Network
Fraunhofer IPA, University of Bayreuth and voxeljet AG launch new HSS Material Network for 3D printing polymer qualification. In order to accelerate the qualification of new polymer materials for High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology – as used in voxeljet’s additive polymer manufacturing processes – Fraunhofer IPA, the University of Bayreuth and voxeljet AG have initiated the HSS Material Network. The network offers customers a flexible way to have new 3D printing polymers tested, qualified and certified.
Friedberg, greater Munich, November 2021 – In order to achieve high-quality parts using additive manufacturing, the 3D printing system and the material to be processed need to be precisely matched to each other. To help customers identify the ideal material for their application and determine suitable process parameters for manufacturing, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, its Process Innovation Project Group, and the University of Bayreuth, with its Chair for Environmentally Friendly Production Technology, and voxeljet AG, manufacturer of industrial 3D printers and provider of on-demand services, have launched the HSS Material Network.
The new HSS Material Network aims to share knowledge and jointly accelerate the development of polymer materials for additive manufacturing. In the network’s workflow, voxeljet plays a mediating role and discusses the initial requirements with the customer. Subsequently, the connection is established between the customer and the Fraunhofer Process Innovation Project Group of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Döpper.
The research and development focus of the Fraunhofer IPA lies in particular on organizational and technological tasks from the field of production, while the University of Bayreuth focuses on theoretical basic research. A common focus of the two closely cooperating research institutions is the industrialization of additive manufacturing. This cooperation results in an optimal symbiosis between application-oriented and fundamental research, which can be used to answer a wide range of research and development questions from the industry.
The Campus Additive Innovations (CA.I), an inter- and transdisciplinary think tank at the University of Bayreuth in which scientists from a wide range of disciplines, such as materials engineering, production engineering and chemistry, work together and advise companies, was also formed as a result of this cooperation. The CA.I and its members have numerous different 3D printing systems at their disposal, including a VX200 HSS from voxeljet. As a completely open platform, this 3D printer with customizable parameters is ideally suited for matching printing process and material.
“Medium-sized companies in particular often lack the equipment, interdisciplinary skills and resources to conduct their own materials research and technology optimization. To close this gap, we founded the Campus Additive.Innovations,” explains Döpper. In addition to a variety of different additive manufacturing systems, the research team chose the VX200 HSS from voxeljet. It is necessary that the manufacturing systems have open software and hardware interfaces, allowing individual setting of all process parameters and free programming of the process steps. This machine park, which spans multiple manufacturers, offers the optimal prerequisite for coordinating the additive manufacturing process and the material. “The HSS Material Network offers customers and interested parties a flexible and low-risk outsourcing option for material development “, continues Döpper.
James Reeves, Global Director for Polymer Printing at voxeljet, adds: “High Speed Sintering is an additive manufacturing technology that is highly productive, flexible and also ideally suited for the production of higher volumes. But the potential of additive manufacturing has not yet been fully exploited, as long as there are materials that cannot yet be printed. Given that we can look at more than 18,000 polymer materials, there is still a lot of work to be done. That’s why we created the HSS Material Network. By collaborating and openly exchanging ideas with industry leaders and renowned research institutions such as Fraunhofer IPA, we are able to significantly accelerate the development of new materials – and at a fraction of the cost that alternative offerings claim. Customers thus receive a fast and application-oriented solution that is specifically tailored to their needs.”
The HSS Material Network is linked to voxeljet’s Material Certification Lab, and independent organizations wishing to advance the development and qualification of polymer materials for the HSS process can join it informally. Through collaboration and knowledge exchange, the development of polymer materials for additive manufacturing can thus be advanced.
US based Foundry invests in second VX4000
voxeljet AG a global technology leader in industrial 3D printing solutions, has sold another VX4000 system, one of the largest 3D printers, to Tooling & Equipment International (TEI).
Brose and voxeljet AG sign beta program for new VX1000 HSS
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Brose and voxeljet AG sign beta program for new VX1000 HSS 3D printer for additive series production of polymers
Friedberg greater Munich, October 26th, 2021 – voxeljet AG announces one of the first participants in the High Speed Sintering (HSS) Early-Access Beta Program for the VX1000 HSS. Brose, a global automotive supplier, will work with voxeljet as a cooperation partner to further develop the VX1000 HSS for use in additive series production of polymer components for the automotive industry. With HSS, voxeljet combines the advantages of two existing additive technologies: selective laser sintering and binder jetting, giving the benefit of both SLS part properties and binder-jetting productivity. The new VX1000 HSS 3D printer has a significantly larger build volume and a much faster print speed than previous systems, enabling true series production.
The aim of the HSS Beta Program is to test the features and capabilities of the VX1000 HSS in an extensively designed program for use in industrial production environments. After a joint three-month development phase at voxeljet’s headquarters in Munich, the system will be moved to the Brose Additive Manufacturing Center in Coburg, integrated into the production environment and optimized for customer-specific applications.
“We chose the VX1000 HSS for two reasons: First, this technology offers us unique productivity. The increasing trend towards ever more complex components with material-saving lattice structures, detached from the packing density in the build space, is translated into a consistently fast print time in the HSS process compared to laser-based technologies. With maximum part sizes of up to 1,000 x 540 x 180 mm, we can print door modules in one piece, for example. Another decisive factor was that both the process and the materials are open. This means that in addition to the initial PA12 configuration, we can also test and qualify materials on the system that cannot currently be processed using SLS technologies, for example,” explains Christian Kleylein, Additive Technology at Brose.
In addition to the production of prototypes and pilot series, Brose plans to implement the VX1000 HSS for series production. In particular, the company is focusing on so-called “end of life” components for 3D printing. These are spare parts for discontinued car models.
“Sustainability is a top priority at Brose. Thanks to additive manufacturing, tools for ”end of life” components no longer need to be stored and spare parts pre-produced, but can be stored digitally and retrieved and printed on demand. With the HSS technology and its high printing speeds, we can begin to reduce physical storage for both tools and spare parts,” says Kleylein.
“We are delighted to have Brose as one of our first collaboration partners for our HSS Beta program,” says Rudolf Franz, COO at voxeljet. “Ever since our foundation in 1999 and as part of our Mission M, we have been striving for the establishment of a new manufacturing standard and redefining additive mass production. We are pleased to welcome Brose as an innovative partner with whom we can continue pursuing this vision and to launch a new era of additive industrial production.”
“Here at voxeljet we recognize that true production means customizing the process around the application. We do not intend to provide an off-the-shelf solution that does quite a good job but instead provide an optimized solution that does a great job! The Beta Program with Brose is therefore an important stage for us to understand the demands in automotive production and adjust our machines to match those demands in ways that no other AM solution can achieve.” James Reeves, Global Director of Polymer Sintering (HSS) at voxeljet.
The focus of further development of the VX1000 HSS is in particular on adapting, optimizing and integrating the machine to the specific process and production conditions at Brose. In addition, the flexibility and adaptability of the HSS technology to various applications will be tested through the direct developer support on a hard- and software level included in the program.
About Brose
Brose is the fourth-largest family-owned automotive supplier. Every second new car worldwide is equipped with at least one Brose product. The company’s intelligent solutions for vehicle access and interiors provide greater comfort and flexibility. Innovative concepts for thermal management increase efficiency and contribute to environmental and climate protection. Brose’s systems understanding enables new functions in all kinds of vehicles – whether on four or two wheels. Around 25,000 employees at 65 locations in 24 countries generated a turnover of 5.1 billion euros in 2020.
US based Foundry invests in second VX4000
voxeljet AG a global technology leader in industrial 3D printing solutions, has sold another VX4000 system, one of the largest 3D printers, to Tooling & Equipment International (TEI).
TEI expands additive manufacturing capacity
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Tooling & Equipment International expands additive manufacturing capacity with second VX4000 3D printer from voxeljet
Friedberg, 28.09.2021 – voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET), a leading global technology company for industrial 3D printing solutions, has sold another VX4000 system, one of the largest 3D printers to Tooling & Equipment International (TEI). TEI is an expert for highly complex castings in the engineering and manufacturing industry.
TEI is one of the largest users of 3D sand printing in the US and runs a fully equipped aluminum foundry in Livonia, Michigan. The engineering expert decided to invest in the second VX4000 3D printer to further expand its already existing capacities for additive manufacturing and quickly and economically realize technically demanding projects for prototyping inquiries as well as production orders. The 3D printer will be installed at TEI’s Livonia facility in Livonia, Michigan.
“At our facility we cover the full workflow, from printing to casting to heat treatment and machining.” says Oliver Johnson, president of TEI. “With the second VX4000 in house, we are able to further capitalize on the advantages 3D sand printing has to offer to metal casting. By eliminating the need for tooling and thanks to the large build volume of the 3D printer we can reduce delivery times drastically, which in turn greatly benefits our customers, whether it’s the automotive or aerospace industry. In addition to that, we can produce parts that cannot be made conventionally, such as light-weight components and topology optimized parts.”
With a build envelope of 4 x 2 x 1 meters, the VX4000 from voxeljet is one of the worlds largest 3D sand printers for metal casting applications and can be used for the production of single, very large sand molds or several smaller molds with production quality.
Michael Dougherty, Managing Director at voxeljet America Inc. adds: “When it comes to castings for industries with very high standards, such as the aerospace or automotive industry, the VX4000 is the perfect tool to meet the requirements for dimensional stability and accuracy and still be able to produce the parts needed as fast as possible. We are very proud to support TEI’s growth in additive manufacturing technologies and see the potential of this technology develop further.”
About TEI
TEI is a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of prototype, pre-production and mass production equipment for the casting industry. TEI products are the highest quality and are backed by a reputation for innovation, design excellence, and precise first-run performance. TEI is a full service, vertically integrated supplier offering a complete range of services in Engineering, Tooling, Casting, Machining and Inspection complete on one site. This approach delivers TEI and its customers’ fundamental advantages in terms of timing, confidentiality, and quality.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance. Any statements that are not of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as ‘‘believes,’’ ‘‘estimates,’’ ‘‘anticipates,’’ ‘‘expects,’’ ‘‘plans,’’ ‘‘intends,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘might,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘aims,’’ or other similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, assumptions, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, business outlook, the potential application of new technology and new materials and their impact on future business, the industry in which we operate and the trends that may affect the industry or us. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, we caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control and that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations, including those risks identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and in other reports the Company files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Our portfolio of industrial 3D printers ranges from compact systems for research to additive series production.
Develop world’s largest sand binder jetting 3D printer
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GE Renewable Energy, Fraunhofer IGCV, and voxeljet AG plan to develop world’s largest sand binder jetting 3D printer for offshore wind turbines
Friedberg greater Munich, September 14th, 2021 – GE (NYSE: GE), Fraunhofer IGCV and voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET) today announced a research partnership to develop the world’s largest 3D printer for offshore wind applications in order to streamline the production of key components of GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine. The Advance Casting Cell (ACC) 3D printer under development will benefit from financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and will be capable of printing molds to cast components for the nacelle1 of the GE Haliade-X that can each weigh more than 60 metric tons, reducing the time it takes to produce this pattern and mold from ten weeks or more to just two weeks. In addition, the use of the 3D printer is expected to reduce the product’s carbon footprint by eliminating the need to transport the large parts from a central manufacturing location. The partners expect to launch the project during the third quarter of 2021 with initial printer trials starting during the first quarter of 2022.
New Highlights
- Project to accelerate and optimize the production of a key casting components2 of the GE Haliade-X Offshore Turbine
- 3D Printing provides flexibility to produce large turbine components near offshore wind projects, lowering transportation costs and bringing environmental benefits
- Trials of new technology expected to begin in Q1 2022
The project involves the development of a new, large format 3D printer capable of producing sand molds for casting the highly complex metal parts of different shapes and sizes that make up an offshore wind turbine nacelle. The modular 3D printing process, which is based on voxeljet’s core Binder-Jetting technology, can be configured to print molds for castings up to 9.5 meters in diameter and 60-plus tons in weight, dimensions.
Juan Pablo Cilia, Senior Additive Design Engineer at GE Renewable Energy, said, “The 3D printed molds will bring many benefits including improved casting quality through improved surface finish, part accuracy and consistency. Furthermore, sand binder jet molds or additive molds provide cost savings by reducing machining time and other material costs due to optimized design. This unprecedented production technology will be a game changer for production efficiency allowing localized manufacturing in high cost countries, a key benefit for our customers looking to maximize the local economic development benefits of offshore wind.”
The Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV is responsible for casting and materials technology issues as well as digital process monitoring. “We are taking a close look at thermal management during casting, and we will evaluate the ideal proportions of the printing materials,” said Dr. Daniel Günther, Head of Department Molding Processes and Molding Materials at Fraunhofer IGCV. “Also, we will develop and test new approaches to process monitoring as part of the project.” Based on prior experience the team expects to significantly improve the environmental footprint of processes involved in producing the Haliade-X type wind turbines. This sustainability aspect is a firmly established guiding principle of research at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, according to the institute’s director, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Volk, who adds: “We aim to optimize the mold printing to avoid extremely costly misprints or even miscasts, to save on binder and activator, and to improve mechanical and thermal behavior during casting. By developing a process that conserves resources as much as possible, we want to help to improve the environmental and cost balance in the manufacture of wind turbines.”
Christian Traeger, Director of Marketing and Sales at voxeljet, said, “The test mold we printed for GE in 2019 consisted of dozens of individual parts. With the ACC, we aim to print a significantly reduced number of parts for the full set. Added to that, the mold can be optimized in terms of functionality and material consumption. This optimization makes completely new casting designs possible that can further enhance the efficiency of the turbines.”
“While offsite on-demand 3D printing provides many benefits for small quantities of cast parts, running a 3D printing system on-site leverages the technology to its fullest capacity. Given the demand for offshore wind turbines, that will help a lot to fulfill project schedules and high market demands,” adds Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO at voxeljet. “With our productive “Binder-Jetting” technology in combination with our experience in large format industrial 3D printing, we are serving customers in the foundry industry for over 20 years. It is our mission to bring 3D printing into true industrial manufacturing and we are therefore very excited to be part of this groundbreaking project.”
The International Energy Agency3 has projected that global offshore wind capacity will increase 15-fold by 2040, becoming a 1 trillion dollar industry, thanks to falling costs, supportive government policies and technological progress like that behind the Haliade-X offshore turbine from GE Renewable Energy. GE Renewable Energy has been selected to supply its Haliade-X turbine for 5.7 GWs worth of projects in Europe and the US. The company is a member of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and as part of that supports various initiatives that aim at increasing the production of sustainable wind energy.
Notes
- A nacelle is a housing unit on top of the tower of a wind generator that contains its mechanical components.
- Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process.
- Source: https://www.iea.org/reports/offshore-wind-outlook-2019
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About GE Renewable Energy
GE Renewable Energy is a $16 billion business that combines one of the broadest portfolios in the renewable energy industry to provide end-to-end solutions for our customers demanding reliable and affordable green power. Combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, utility-scale solar, and grid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400+ gigawatts of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwide with its grid solutions. With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energy creates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable, and sustainable green electrons.
About Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV
Fraunhofer IGCV stands for application-driven research with focus on efficient engineering, networked production, and smart multi-material solutions. The institute drives innovation on the level of manufacturing processes and material sciences, machines and process chains as well as factory and enterprise networks. One major focus is on the future scenarios and topics of the casting industry. Our core competences in this area include indirect additive manufacturing, molding materials, casting materials, process development, analytics, and simulation.
In an effort to transfer knowledge from research and development into industrial applications, our almost 120 scientists generate individual solutions for the German industry. Our unique selling proposition lies in interdisciplinary solutions in the fields of casting, composite and processing technology. As part of the Fraunhofer Group for Production – an association of production technology institutes – we support our partners with short-term, midterm, and long-term research projects. Thus, we contribute to ensuring a sustainable competitive edge in Germany and Europe.
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AGC Ceramics and voxeljet develop 3D printing ceramics for investment casting shells and cores
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AGC Ceramics and voxeljet develop 3D printing ceramics for investment casting shells and cores
In a joint tailoring project, Japanese ceramics expert AGC Ceramics Co., Ltd (AGCC). and voxeljet AG have qualified the high-performance ceramic material Brightorb™ for 3D printing. In addition to potential applications in the production of structural components and works of art, the material is particularly suitable for 3D printing of highly complex molds and cores for metal casting.
Friedberg near Augsburg, Germany, June 2021 – To develop the new high-performance ceramic material set BrightorbTM for 3D printing, AGC Ceramics Co., Ltd. has entered into a cooperation with voxeljet AG from Friedberg in Bavaria, Germany. Brightorb was developed on a VX1000 with a build volume of 1000 x 600 x 500 mm. The 3D printing system works layer-based and bonds the ceramic particles with an inorganic binder. Targeted applications for the new, ceramic material set include high-performance cores for sand and investment casting, ceramic filters, structural components, as well as art and product design.
The ceramics material with its brand name Brightorb is composed of spherical sand with the main components Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) 80%, Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) 10%, Silicon Oxide (SiO2) 9%, the minerals Corundum, Baddeleyite and kinds of cement. During 3D printing, Brightorb is applied to the build platform with average grain sizes of 50 µm and layer thicknesses of 100 µm and selectively bonded with an inorganic binder. The inorganic binder is characterized by its high environmental compatibility as only water vapor is produced during molding. This greatly improves environmental and working conditions in foundries. To subsequently prepare the printed ceramic for the final application, the printed components get impregnated by a silica-based liquid and have to be fired in a sintering furnace for their final strength. Most of the unprinted powder can be reprocessed, recycled and fed back into the printing process.
“We have been noticing a growing demand for increasingly complex component geometries among our customers for a long time,” explains Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO at voxeljet. “The great advantage of the geometric freedom of 3D printing is, that geometric adjustments can significantly optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of, for example, engines or turbine wheels. It is rare that such complex components can still be produced using conventional molding processes. Together with AGCC, we have been able to optimize a VX1000 for ceramic powder in close cooperation, so that it is ideally suited for the challenging demands of metal casting. Both in terms of strength and surface quality”, says Dr. Ederer.
The 3D-printed ceramics are used, for example, as cores for the investment casting process in order to reproduce complex and filigree cavities within castings. In this process, the filigree cores are combined with conventional wax patterns. These are coated with a ceramic slurry and burned out before casting. What remains is a hollow ceramic mold in which the printed core is still inserted. Molten metal is then poured into the mold. After cooling, both the mold and the core are removed.
This process makes it possible, for example, to integrate internal cooling channels in turbine blades, thus increasing turbine efficiency and reducing downtimes to a minimum. Mr. Ushimaru, Additive Manufacturing Director from AGCC is also satisfied: “Brightorb is a high-performance ceramic that is extremely well suited for metal casting due to its high-chemical stability, heat resistance, thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion. We were able to optimize the material set in such a way that the shrinkage factor of the printed components during the downstream sintering process at 1,400°C is less than 1%. This means that the components are also suitable for filigree core designs. Thanks to the high-fire resistance, it is possible to cast alloys with melting points beyond 1,600°C. Overall, ceramics will continue to gain importance as a material in the future, and the same applies to 3D printing as a manufacturing technology. We are pleased to have embarked on this path together with voxeljet and look forward to further close cooperation.”
Brightorb was qualified in voxeljet’s Material Certification Lab in Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany. The powder was developed by AGCC and adapted to 3D printing together with voxeljet.
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Follow-Up order for new highspeed 3D printer
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voxeljet receives follow-up order for its new high-speed 3D printer VJET X
voxeljet delivers further VX1300X 3D printers for a German premium car manufacturer: This order confirms the company’s mission to enable cost-effective additive high-volume additive production.
News highlights
- Three additional VJET X high-speed 3D printers were ordered recently: 1 VJET X unit in August 2020 and 2 VJET X units in September 2020
- The follow-up order comes as part of a frame contract concluded in 2018 between voxeljet, its partners and a leading German carmaker. The first two VJET X units were ordered in mid-2018. This follow-up order brings the current total to 5 VJET X units for this OEM
- The follow-up order reaffirms voxeljet’ s message that its new 3D printers are making additive, serial production possible and cost-efficient
- VJET X 3D printers are 10x faster than previous models, which results in a layering speed close to 5 seconds and are integrated into fully automated postprocessing solutions
- The 3D printers use an environmentally friendly inorganic binder system for zero emissions during core printing, storage and when using the sand cores in the casting process
voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET) (the “Company”, or “voxeljet”), a leading provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services to industrial and commercial customers, announced last week that it received the follow-up order for three additional units of its new high-speed 3D printer VJET X over the last two months. VJET X 3D printers are made for industrial production: they are 10x faster than previous models and integrated into fully automated postprocessing solutions. The follow-up order comes as part of a frame contract concluded in 2018 between voxeljet, its partners and a leading German car maker.
This follow-up order is a significant milestone in VJETs mission to bring 3D printing into high-volume, industrial production and reaffirms the Company’s message that its new 3D printers are making high-volume industrial production possible and cost efficient.
Dr. Ingo Ederer, founder and CEO of voxeljet commented: “With this order we reached a significant milestone in our mission to bring 3D printing into high-volume industrial production. This is extremely exciting, as it not only highlights the significance of our technology, but also the confidence this leading German car maker has in the new solution and the players behind it. Together with our partners, we can today offer a solution for the mass production of complex sand cores for light metal parts at, what we believe to be, a fraction of the costs as compared to other players in the additive manufacturing industry. With the new environmental-friendly binder system, there are zero emissions during the casting of the sand cores. The casted, complex light-metal parts can have superior characteristics, such as less weight and new features, and can ultimately help to reduce CO2 emissions substantially.”
Industrial 3D Printing Systems
Our portfolio of industrial 3D printers ranges from compact systems for research to additive mass production.
Installation of another VX4000 in West India
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voxeljet advances its expansion in India
with another sale of its largest industrial 3d printer: The VX4000
Growing interest in Indian foundry market for additive casting
Friedberg – voxeljet AG is delighted with yet another sale of its VX4000 3D sand printer to one of the largest foundries in western India. The VX4000 is among the world’s biggest binder-jetting systems for industrial production, with a build volume of eight cubic meters (4 x 2 x 1 m).
“voxeljet has been active in India for almost ten years and of late we are seeing a paradigm shift with foundries focusing on technology to drive growth. Our customers in India started with ordering on-demand printing services for critical projects and over time gained confidence in 3D printing technology and voxeljet.”, says Rudolf Franz, COO & CFO voxeljet AG.
All current Indian system customers invested in the technology with varied end goals, for example:
- Easy and quick diversification of the business
- Manufacture multi-ton single piece castings without the need for tooling
- Quick prototype castings to gain production business
- Bridge castings while the tooling is on its way
- Mass production of critical cores
- Cater to the growing aerospace business in India
“In the last couple of years, the government of India has pushed its ‘Make in India’ initiative, thereby encouraging businesses to invest into the future. For our customers in India, it was clear that adopting new technologies would help them benchmark against international standards and fuel growth.”, says Nidhi Shah, Managing Director voxeljet India Pvt Ltd and adds:
“In India there is also a growing trend towards IoT to fine tune processes, save energy and save costs and push towards automation wherever possible. One of the intangible benefits of this development has been a change in brand image of the foundry industry in India, which means they can attract and retain talent with Additive Casting.”
With these advancements, the Indian foundry industry has positioned itself to take on new businesses, domestic as well as international.
“The Indian market has always been interesting for voxeljet as it comes with immense opportunities. We have seen the foundry industry grow in India, not only in terms of Tonnage Per Annum (TPA) but also in terms of manufacturing of quality of castings. The recent sales of our largest 3D printers to clients in India is a testament to growth, and we are excited to be a part of the Indian foundries’ growth story. We believe in the strong potential of Additive Casting in India and are looking forward to future projects.” says Rudolf Franz.
Industrial 3D Printing Systems
Our portfolio of industrial 3D printers ranges from compact systems for research to additive mass production.
Indian steel foundry buys 3D printing system
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Indian steel foundry buys
VX4000 3d printing system from voxeljet
voxeljet expands its presence in Asia, delivers lagest industrial 3d printing system to indian steel foundry.
Friedberg – voxeljet AG, a leading global technology company for industrial 3D printing solutions, is delighted to further expand its presence in India. The Indian steel casting expert Peekay Steel Castings (P) Ltd has decided to invest in the VX4000, with a Job Box size of 4000 x 2000 x 1000mm. The VX4000 system is one of the world’s largest and most productive 3D printers with a build volume of eight cubic meters and a print speed of 54 hours for one full job box. Peekay Steel has chosen the VX4000 system to quickly and economically realize technically demanding projects and to expand into new business areas.
One step ahead with 3d printing
Peekay Steel specializes in the production of high-quality steel castings, predominantly for the Oil & Gas sector, starting from 1 kg to 20 tons per casting. For most of these products they require less than four castings. As a result, the time and cost towards development of patterns can outweigh total project costs. For some complicated castings, that require non-traditional gating, the VX4000 was most suitable.
“When it comes to castings weighing several tons, the requirements for dimensional stability and accuracy are particularly high. With our 20 years of experience in the field of industrial 3D printing and the VX4000, we can offer both a wealth of experience and the right tool. With another VX4000 installation in India, we look forward to continuing our cooperation with Peekay Steel,” says Rudolf Franz, COO & CFO of voxeljet AG.
“We want to offer our customers an end-to-end solution and position ourselves as a supplier of high-quality, ready-to-install components in record times. With the VX4000, we are able to increase the flexibility of our production in order to be able to react quickly, even to complex projects. 3D printing gives us a unique competitive advantage, especially when it comes to expanding our business areas. Since the beginning, we have emphasized the importance of co engineering with our customers, most of these are Fortune 500 companies, to optimize and customize the product design, to lend better functionality and a clear competitive advantage. A specialized Design Center aligned to the VX4000 will help add value for our customers,” adds K.E. Shanavaz, Jt. Managing Director, Peekay Steel Castings (P) Ltd.
Additionally, one of the drivers was the impending uncertainty in these trying times. With the size, speed and flexibility of the VX4000 Peekay Steel can cater to new projects from their existing customers at record times while also looking for different business areas to venture into.
Peekay Steel will be setting up the VX4000 in a brand new location at Bangalore in the Airport City.
Peekay Steel has a multi-pronged approach to their VX4000. They not only want to support the foundry industry in India by providing services from their large system, but also plan to set up a high-tech Knowledge Center around their VX4000. This will include a training facility to support educational institutes and the industry alike. An open access of this kind is a means to attract more and more people towards the foundry industry- a much needed paradigm shift.
Industrial 3D Printing Systems
Our portfolio of industrial 3D printers ranges from compact systems for research to additive mass production.