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.