Augsburg, November 18^th, 2024 – voxeljet AG announced the expansion of its High Speed Sintering (HSS) network with the addition of a new production partner, FKM Sintertechnik GmbH, located north of Frankfurt. As part of the beta program, the two companies are working closely together to further optimize the process parameters of the VX1000 HSS, the largest ink-based polymer 3D printer on the market. The goal is to increase the efficiency and quality of the printing process. The VX1000 HSS at FKM, one of Germany’s leading 3D printing service providers, meets the requirements of industrial applications, including mechanical strength, homogeneity of the build field, and reproducibility of results.

Following the announcement of the cooperation in November 2023, the VX1000 HSS has undergone significant improvements. In addition to optimizing mechanical part specifications, there has been a successful effort to homogenize part properties and quality across the entire building platform. With a print volume of 1,000 x 540 x 180 mm (for PA12), the VX1000 HSS is one of the largest and most powerful 3D printers for polymers on the market. The powder and ink-based HSS process requires consistent and highly precise temperature management to achieve the desired part properties. The VX1000 HSS demonstrates clear advantages in terms of production speed, quality, dimensional accuracy, and unit costs, particularly in comparison to SLS systems, even for large components.

“From the outset, our collaboration with FKM was focused on optimizing the quality of components across the expansive building platform,” states Dr. Alfred Grießer, Director of Research and Development at voxeljet. “FKM has been a trusted supplier to a range of industries for decades, including aerospace, automotive, and special plant engineering. By combining our development with FKM’s expertise as a powder bed specialist, we have been able to ensure that our VX1000 HSS meets the high standards of these industries.”

VX1000 HSS has now been successfully installed, and FKM has joined voxeljet’s HSS Polymer Network as a production partner. The network operates on an interdisciplinary and collaborative basis, with the objective of generating knowledge about 3D printable materials and their sintering strategy for the HSS process, as well as qualifying new materials. Having originally concentrated on R&D, the network is now being expanded with its first production partner. This collaboration provides customers with an end-to-end solution, from materials research to parts production.

“FKM has consistently positioned itself as a leader in the introduction of advanced technologies,” states Jürgen Blöcher, Managing Director of FKM Sintertechnik GmbH. “The HSS technology from voxeljet unites the benefits of two distinct approaches: the precision and productivity of SLS as well as the reproducibility and speed of binder jetting. The investment in the VX1000 HSS 3D printer allows us to further advance our proven FKM principle: to produce large components rapidly and/or numerous small components in a short time.”

With the installation of one of the last VX1000 HSS Beta systems, future system orders will already deliver the series standard. It is now possible to order PA12 components via FKM.

November 13th, 2024 – Friedberg near Munich, Germany – voxeljet AG, Dressler Group GmbH, and Fraunhofer IPA have announced the successful completion of a material study for waste PA12 powder from laser-based 3D printing systems. In the study, waste powder from Selective Laser Sintering systems was successfully recycled by Dressler Group and 3D printed by Fraunhofer IPA at the University of Bayreuth, using a VX200 HSS platform from voxeljet. The initial results demonstrate that reconditioned PA12 waste powder can be processed effectively using ink- and printhead-based High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology enabling sustainable and cost-efficient production. The preliminary test results indicate that the material properties are equal or may even exceed those of comparable prints with fresh powder.

In SLS systems, unprinted PA12 powder loses its ability to be reused due to high temperature exposure in the build area, which causes the polyamide chains to lengthen after condensation, negatively affecting powder flowability and melt viscosity. This makes the material difficult to process again via laser-based technologies, as the energy input from lasers is too short to process longer molecule chains accordingly. Therefore, comparably high powder refresh rates are necessary, accumulating waste and associated high disposal costs.

The collaborative study aimed to reclaim this used powder by processing it through voxeljet’s VX200 HSS platform. HSS technology, using an inkjet-based printhead and infrared (IR) heating, offers selective and thermally gentler energy input, allowing the polyamide to sinter gradually, enabling the reuse of this powder. This means a real tribute to circular economy in Additive Manufacturing.

Dressler Group, experts in powder design and manufacturing, processed the used PA12 powder to homogenize and recover key powder properties such as flowability and moisture, making it suitable for reuse in HSS.

“Recycling used PA12 powder can effectively reduce costs and support sustainability efforts in AM.” says Dr. Ing. Holger Leonards, Head of R&D at Dressler Group. “Our expertise in regenerating powder properties and handling of large powder volumes enables companies to reclaim this valuable material.”

“The VX200 HSS technology is an open-source system, allowing us to quickly change and adapt process parameters to any powder.” says Jan Kemnitzer, Research Team Lead at Fraunhofer IPA and adds “We were therefore able to quickly adapt the 3D printer to the material with consistent or improved results in part properties.”

“The results of this study are especially interesting for ink and printhead based technologies such as the HSS technology. The future possibility of processing this recycled powder on production platforms like the VX1000HSS will bring immense cost savings.” says Tobias Grün, Global Product Management at voxeljet. “Typically, 50 % of the running costs are attributable to powder costs. Thus, this development provides a huge effect on cost effectiveness while boosting a circular material flow, reducing waste.”

This study highlights the growing issue of excess PA12 waste powder within the additive manufacturing industry. By reclaiming this material for use in voxeljet’s HSS technology, companies can reduce waste, lower operational costs, and improve sustainability in their additive manufacturing processes.

First parts of this collaboration will be shown at the formnext trade show in Frankfurt, Germany from November 19^th to 22^nd   and can be seen at the voxeljet booth E08 or the Fraunhofer booth C71 in hall 12.1.