voxeljet has officially launched its new High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology. HSS is an inkjet process technology, that allows the tool-less production of functional prototypes as well as final consumer parts. Examples of use include product packaging or interior fittings for automobiles.  At this year’s formnext trade fair 2017 in Frankfurt, visitors were able to view the technology for the first time live at the voxeljet AG booth.

The HSS process combines the advantages of two existing additive processes: selective laser sintering and binder jetting. While laser sintering, already allows many powder materials to be sintered into functional prototypes today, binder jetting impresses with its high printing rates in terms of size and speed of the construction site. High Speed Sintering thus allows the economical processing of larger plots and a wider selection of materials.

In the HSS process, a thin layer of plastic granulate, such as PA12 or TPU, is applied on to a heated building platform. An inkjet print head then moves over the entire surface of the platform and moistens the areas of the construction site with infrared light-absorbing ink, on which the prototype is to be produced. The building platform is then irradiated with infrared light. The wetted areas absorb the heat, which sinters the powder layer underneath. However, the unprinted powder remains loose. After sintering, the building platform is lowered by one layer thickness. This process is repeated until the assembly of a component is completed. The sintered parts are then cooled down in a controlled manner in the installation space before they can be removed and unpacked. In contrast to laser-based processes, the entire building platform can be printed in just one go, which enables a constant layertime time, irrespective of the size and complexity of the parts. Inert gas atmosphere is also not necessary for the HSS printing process. The large-area print head has a resolution of 360 dpi achieved through 3000 individually controllable nozzles, which allows the smallest details to be manufactured with high precision of the edges. In combination with a minimum layer thickness, the resolution of the print head enables the production of the finest structures with wall thicknesses of up to 0.15 mm. Since the HSS printing process requires no other fluids than ink, material costs can also be reduced to a minimum. The high quality of the components is also underlined by high accuracy and impressive definition of the edges.

The VX200 HSS from voxeljet offers unprecedented open sourcing possibilities. With the new ProPrint control software, users can program and insert customer-specific macros in just a few steps to adapt the printer to the desired material parameters and process operations. In addition, the software can also be used for individual process data mining, enabling the recording and evaluation of a wide variety of process data as required. Moreover, the user can process different powder materials, as the powder material does not necessarily have to be purchased from voxeljet. With regard to layer thickness, it is currently possible to vary between 80 – 100 µm, depending on the choice of material.

One of the first users of HSS technology is the chemical company Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH. Dr. Sylvia Monsheimer, Head of Market Segment New 3D Technologies at Evonik, has been working with HSS technology for some time: “We want to process a wide variety of materials with our VX200: from PA12 and PA613 to PEBA. However, we are generally not limited in the materials portfolio. The HSS technology from voxeljet allows the interaction between material and machine to be optimized and thus the offering of the best possible material,” says Dr. Monsheimer.  “The providing of an open machine with such a high degree of flexibility in terms of material possibillities and a rapidly adaptable process such as Binder Jetting is, definitely a unique selling point.

With regard to materials different powders can be printed, given, that sufficient flow ability is ensured. This depends on the average grain size (30 – 70 µm average grain size), fine powder content and powder composition. Powders with low thermal conductivity can currently be processed up to a melting temperature of 190 °C, provided that they have a sufficient sintering window. Due to the fact that the heat input in HSS is gentle, a much larger selection of workable materials opens up than with previous processes.

The temperature management is carried out via the external Heat Control Unit (HCU), which monitors the temperature inside the pressure chamber at all times and automatically corrects it if necessary. The HCU is operated conveniently via touch display. All five individual heat sources within the printer can be individually controlled and adapted to the individual material properties.

“The VX200 is our entry-level model and therefore particularly well suited for this new technology. It offers the opportunity to exploit the full range of limitations and applications on a resilient and industrial machine. In addition to PA12, elastomers such as TPU can be printed. The open sourcing program allows everyone to use their machines for their own individual benefit. The variety of possible applications is more than impressive,” says Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO of voxeljet. “We see enormous potential for this technology. That’s why we’re already working on scaling the technology to our larger printers to ensure an even higher plateau of productivity.”

Evonik also sees great potential for the future in this technology: “I am convinced that this technology is only at the beginning. The wide range of materials is trend-setting for this technology,” says Dr. Monsheimer.

The VX200 is ideal for material developers, research institutes and OEM’s to explore and exploit the diversity of materials in the field of thermoplastics and elastomers. In addition, it is easy to produce consumer parts that for direct use.

FRIEDBERG, October 2017 – 3D-printing system manufacturer voxeljet has announced an expanded collaboration with Johnson Matthey, (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies.

voxeljet has worked closely with JM to develop its 3D printing technology, tailoring their large format printers to JM’s specific powders and binder requirements. Coupled with a significant investment in R&D, JM is now leading the way in ceramic 3D printing, providing fast, innovative and cost effective solutions to customers.

JM is one of the most important and respected leaders in science and sustainable technologies. The company has significant experience in manufacturing catalysts and the optimisation of catalytic support media and has, for a number of years, been researching additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for printing ceramic powders. JM has been able to create complex additive manufactured designs, using voxeljet printers, to increase geometric surface area, lower weight, increase manufacturing efficiency and enable innovative designs that cannot be produced by other conventional methods.

Having tested various technologies, JM focused on binder jetting as it provides a faster, more scalable solution when compared with other AM technologies, making it the perfect economical solution for industrial applications.

Gareth Headdock, R&D Director at Johnson Matthey says, “voxeljet offers great possibilities in tailoring their large format 3D printing platforms to our specific powders and binder requirements. It has enabled us to develop our ceramic 3D printing capabilities to produce unique and innovative solutions for our customers.

“With this technology it is possible to produce complex and porous components with high print resolutions, excellent surface quality and strength comparable with conventional manufacturing. These parts are suitable for a variety of applications, including medical, automotive and aerospace.”

Dr. Samantha Thomas, Research Group Leader at Johnson Matthey says, “Today, with different scales of voxeljet printing, we have the flexibility to develop a number of products at a development scale, prove the concept at large scale through a prototyping printer, and then produce multi-tonne quantities at production level, all with the benefits of flexibility built in to the manufacturing design. With voxeljet´s broad product portfolio of different system sizes, a great level of productivity and scalability can be reached.”

voxeljet CEO Ingo Ederer: “Over the past years we´ve seen an increased demand for tailoring projects, specifically for different ceramic powders and have successfully developed solutions with JM for production. On the other hand, we´ve also shipped ceramic systems mainly used for B2C applications as well, so the business approaches are quite different. Our goal is to cooperate with JM, an experienced user and developer of different voxeljet platforms for ceramic powders, for specific tailoring projects in order to provide ideal solutions to our customers. “

Johnson Matthey is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world, with over 200-years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs that improve the function, performance and safety of our customer’s products. Our science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet’s natural resources. Today more than 13,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us. For more information, visit www.matthey.com.

October, 2017 – voxeljet expanded its subsidiary in the United Kingdom with a move into a larger facility to meet growing demand for 3D printing.

voxeljet UK has moved from its former location at Pinewood Studios to a newer and larger facility in Milton Keynes and officially opened the new 3D printing service center.

The new service center occupies an area of approx. 1000 m² (10,000 sq. Ft.) and is three times larger than the former facility at Pinewood Studios. Initially, four 3D printing systems will be installed in the production hall, with a printing capacity of approximately 10,000 liters per month. However, the site has expansion capacity of up to 50,000 liters. Both existing materials sets, sand and PMMA (Plastic) as well as a new material set, Polyamide (printed on High Speed Sintering machines) will be offered to customers from the UK subsidiary. James Reeves, Managing Director voxeljet the UK says: “The facility will be a state of the art 3D printing factory capable of high volume part production. It is located in the middle of the UK and the heart of the high-tech engineering and motorsport region”.

voxeljet UK’s new address is 20 Vincent Avenue Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0AB. The phone number – +44 1908 382 001 – and all e-mail addresses will remain unchanged.

As an innovative business, voxeljet considers itself obligated to invest into future generations. The most recent project was to invest in the International School Augsburg (ISA), located in Gersthofen, Germany.

The recognized school was transformed into a not-for-profit public company for its tenth anniversary in 2016. Businesses and private individuals can now invest into the school to not only strengthen and boost the internationally-oriented educational offering of future generations, but also into the training of highly qualified leaders of tomorrow.

After the successful installation of its sand printers like the VX4000, its largest 3D sand printer, voxeljet has now installed its first PMMA system, a VX500 at IPCL. The first PMMA system in India will also be operated in a service set-up and supply parts on-demand.

IPCL is a leading investment casting company in India. It was founded in 1975 and has become the technology leader in the Indian investment casting industry, producing very complex investment castings in a wide range of material specifications with casting weights up to 200 kg. Through collaborations with partner firms, refined by in-house research and development, as well as the incorporation of latest technologies, like 3D printing, the company can quickly produce its own investment casting patterns and thus optimize their time to market from now on. To use the full capacity of the VX500, IPCL will not only use the system for their in-house production but also take up orders from other companies to produce investment casting patterns. Besides the automotive industry, IPCL also supplies to aerospace, general engineering, machine components, power plants, electronics, and even medical implants.

Nidhi Shah Managing Director of voxeljet India Pvt Ltd in Pune: “The foundry industry in India was traditional in its approach and operations, but things are changing rapidly in the Indian foundry industry with a paradigm shift towards new technologies. With the worldwide proliferation of 3D printing technologies, the foundries in India are also beginning to take an interest in 3D printing.”

The initial operation of the VX500 was celebrated through an inauguration ceremony, where Nidhi Shah, Managing Director voxeljet India and Rudolf Franz, COO voxeljet, opened IPCL’s new 3D printing facility.