For voxeljet, this year’s GIFA was all about inorganics. In addition to the joint project ICP (Industrialization of Core Printing) with Loramendi for BMW, the Bavarian company also presented a new, patent-pending, cold-curing inorganic process technology (cold IOB). The ICP project involves a fully automated, manufacturing cell in operation at BMW’s light metal foundry in Landshut. Within this manufacturing cell, casting cores are printed with inorganic binders and then cured using a microwave. Consequently, it is a warm process technology.

The new cold IOB technology does not require a microwave and is thus characterized by lower investment and operating costs. The use of IOB technologies opens up numerous advantages for the foundry industry, e.g. only water vapor is produced during casting instead of harmful gases. This not only reduces emissions but also improves working conditions in foundries.

“The introduction of cold IOB technology is an important step towards further adoption of printed cores and molds with inorganic binders in the foundry industry,” says Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO at voxeljet. “Our goal is to provide innovative solutions that not only increase efficiency, but also help promote the sustainability of metal casting.”

The features of the cold IOB process technology and molds and cores produced with it include high dimensional accuracy, very good detail resolution and edge sharpness, and the ability to 3D print large molds and cores. Unlike warm IOB processes, which require printed cores to be cured and dried using a microwave, voxeljet’s cold IOB technology only requires drying after printing, which takes place outside the machine. Customers thus avoid high investment and operating costs for industrial microwaves. The process can basically be used on all voxeljet platforms. It is currently being tested and offered on the VX1000 and VX1000S printers. An expansion of the offering to the VX2000 is planned soon.

The use of inorganic binder in the foundry industry, especially in the automotive sector, is gaining popularity. In view of increasing environmental regulations, demand for inorganic-bonded molds and cores is expected to rise continuously. voxeljet is committed to expanding its leading role in the field of environmentally compatible 3D printing processes and to making a significant contribution to the sales growth of the voxeljet Group through this strategic orientation.

The cold IOB technology is particularly suitable for prototyping and medium series sizes and is now commercially available. Interested customers already can order benchmarks.

After years of research and optimization, a  joint vision goes live: voxeljet and Loramendi present  their flagship project for BMW Group Plant Landshut at this year’s GIFA foundry trade fair.  As part  of our cooperation project ICP (Industrialization of Core Printing), we have developed a fully automated and integrated production  line for the inorganic large-scale production of sand cores using 3D printing.

By using 3D printing in the production of water jacket cores, the design of the cylinder head for the BMW B48 engine can be significantly improved. The inorganic process protects the environment and improves working conditions, as only steam is produced during casting. At the same time, the efficiency and consumption of the engine can be optimized due to the complex design of the component. No other technology made it possible to mass-produce such a complex element in a cost-efficient manner.  Instead of complex individual parts, BMW can now produce the core entirely in one piece using 3D printing.  The ICP production line completely automates and optimizes the once manual and tedious process. Five voxeljet VX1300-X 3D printers now produce thousands of cores fully automatically every week using the binder jetting process. These are then unpacked, hardened, cleaned and prepared for casting in unpacking stations, microwaves and cleaning cells specifically developed by Loramendi.

“The fully automated 3D production line is the standard we want to implement: for four years, we have worked hard on this project with BMW. To see the VJET X printers in full operation now is extremely exciting and a milestone not only for us but also for the entire 3D printing and automotive industry,” highlights Dr. Ingo Ederer, voxeljet founder and CEO.

The VX1300-X 3D printer is a 3D printer designed for mass additive manufacturing. A high-performance process unit enables bidirectional recoating and simultaneous printing of the build area. As a result, the VX1300-X achieves extremely short layer times and high output volumes in multi-shift and continuous operation, which makes it ideal for series production. With a fully automated post-processing cell, the complex sand cores are prepared for metal casting and integrated into the existing casting process. The tool-free construction of the sand cores enables variant changes at unparalleled speed, without any time-consuming tool changes and production downtimes.

We will be presenting further innovations at GIFA, such as a completely new type of boat propeller. For Sharrow Marine LLC in Detroit, we manufacture PMMA 3D printed models for the award-winning  Sharrow MX-1 boat propeller. This new propeller is more efficient, faster and, above all, significantly quieter than other propellers. 3D-printed PMMA models from voxeljet in combination with investment casting enable a design that pushes conventional manufacturing technologies to their limits and is only possible thanks to additive manufacturing.