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.

Following its expansion into Asia and Latin America, voxeljet Systems, a manufacturer of progressive 3D printing systems for industrial applications, is joined by Christian Träger who will be heading up the company’s international sales team. Effective immediately, the industry insider will be responsible for the global distribution of voxeljet’s 3D printing systems in his capacity as Sales Director.

Christian Träger carries the German designation of Dipl.-Wirtschaftsingenieur (industrial engineer), and began to turn his focus on additive manufacturing as early as his post-secondary studies. He already started his career at voxeljet as a graduate in 2010, and worked as a project manager in the Customer Service division after completing his dissertation. Based on his extensive experience in international customer projects, he joined the printing systems sales team in 2012. Focus: Asian markets. Since August 2016, he has been responsible for the global distribution of voxeljet’s 3D printing systems in his capacity as Sales Director.

“The demand for industrial 3D printing systems has grown worldwide. For this reason, we are expanding our capacities with printing systems for our subsidiary in the United States. In addition, we are also creating additional space for the manufacture of 3D printing systems and administration at the head office in Friedberg,” explains Christian Träger, the new Sales Director, with regard to the current plans of the 3D printing specialist. The eventual aim of this strategy is to expand and further develop voxeljet’s cold chemical 3D printing process, which is designed for speed.

Before customers of voxeljet Systems buy their own 3D printers, they usually take advantage of the services offered by voxeljet Services and its international service centers, which offer on-demand manufacturing services for molds and models for metal casting. As the advantages and opportunities offered by 3D printing become apparent over time, the order volume generally increases and an investment in their own equipment becomes worthwhile.

The most in-demand model is the VX1000, a universal 3D printer for industrial applications in the area of additive manufacturing. In addition to its considerable production speed, the VX1000 also impresses with its easy handling, and allows for the cost-effective production of models made from plastic, as well as sand cores for prototype manufacture. Even small series can be produced cost-effectively. In plastic processes, non-printed particle material can also be re-used.  True-to-detail plastic models and precise sand cores with a high surface quality up to 1,000 mm in length and a resolution of up to 600 dpi are all possible options. The layer thickness that is applied in one pass is 150 micrometers for plastic and 300 micrometers for sand. The universal VX1000 is particularly well suited for development departments, lost-wax and sand casting.

voxeljet’s 3D printing systems are used for the tool-less and fully automated manufacture of complex components, prototypes in rapid prototyping processes and small series components in rapid manufacturing. Depending on the printing system, they can also be used for true-to-detail plastic models for lost-wax casting and precise shapes and cores for sand casting. The following applies: The more complex the geometry, the more cost-effective is 3D printing.

Other advantages: voxeljet has the world’s largest industrial 3D printer measured by continuous build volume. It can be used for the flexible production of large individual components, large numbers of small components or a combination of both. In addition, the high-performance 3D printing systems also generate enormous time savings of up to 75 percent compared to conventional tooling. The robust design ensures a long service life and is adapted for continuous operations. The industrial 3D printers are developed in Germany and manufactured with a high degree of vertical integration.

After the joint venture in China and the establishment of subsidiaries in India, voxeljet has now set its sights on the Mexican market. To this end, the leading provider of large-format 3D printers and on-demand services has entered into a cooperation with ART in Mexico.

Mexico, the world’s seventh-largest car manufacturer, is an important and growing OEM market for cast parts in the automotive industry. But in addition to automotive, global player voxeljet has also turned its focus on the Mexican machine building, transportation industry and energy industry. It is expected that these sectors will experience enormous growth in the Latin American market in the next few years.

To secure market share in the automotive sector, 3D print specialist voxeljet acquired a strong partner in Mexico, the automation company Art Abastecedora Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V. (ART). During the last few decades, ART successfully placed brands such as Automatic Feed Co. and Mayfran International on the Mexican automation market. The company provides high-tech solutions for automation companies, and counts the “Big Three” in the automotive industry (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler) as well the VW Group & Nissan, among its suppliers.

“With its extensive experience in the automotive sector and its collaboration with global leaders, ART is the ideal business partner for the Latin American market. As an automation expert, the company contributes comprehensive competence for marketing our products in Mexico in the future,” is how Christian Träger, Sales Director at voxeljet, explains the idea behind the cooperation. “Our industrial 3D printing systems are front and center in our collaboration with ART. By using 3D printers from voxeljet, large foundries can optimize their production processes for molds and models.”

Foundries that produce for the automotive industry use these molds and models in the Rapid Prototyping process for prototype building and rapid manufacturing, hence in small series production. The advantage offered by 3D printing technology is obvious: Production processes become faster, more cost-effective and more precise.

The Mexican foundries profit from voxeljet’s large-format industrial 3D printers, since complex cast parts can now be acquired directly through ART. Foundries and car makers around the world value the German quality standards of the voxeljet 3D printers, which increase flexibility and efficiency, and accelerate production processes – a prerequisite for keeping up in a hotly contested global market.

Through its cooperation with voxeljet, ART will add industrial 3D printing to its product portfolio in the automotive segment. ART was founded in Mexico City in 1988, and initially made a name for itself by providing die-cutting and installation services for the automotive industry. Now the company offers an extensive product portfolio of machines, accessories and automation systems for the automotive sector. The company covers Mexico, through the main four Industrial regions with Headquarters at México City. Effective immediately, the Mexican expert for automation solutions will also be in charge of marketing the voxeljet 3D printing systems and associated services.

“We are pleased to develop the market for industrial 3D printing in Mexico together with voxeljet, while at the same time addressing the considerable market demand”, adds Dipl.-Ing. Rafael Martínez Velásquez, President of ART.

voxeljet increases its presence in the US growth market with the start-up of the largest 3D printing system in Michigan. With the VX4000 3D printer, one of the leading providers of large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services underlines its important position in the US market. This benefits in particular the US foundry industry, which is a direct consumer of these services. For example, 3D printers can be used to manufacture large rotors and turbines – and usually much more quickly and cost-effectively than using traditional methods.

No other 3D printing system for sand molds offers larger continuous build volumes. At 4,000 x 2,000 x 1,000 mm (LxWxH), the build space more or less corresponds to the size of a VW Golf car. David Tait, Managing Director of voxeljet America, commented the expanded capacities of the voxeljet equipment fleet and range of services in the US as follows: “The market for cast parts in the US has always focused on size. With the VX4000, we not only produce the largest sand molds in the world, but can also combine these with smaller mold components. The resulting flexibility provides for rapid delivery times and cost-efficient production.”

The VX4000 is very fast and easy to operate. In addition to ensuring cost-effective production processes for very large individual molds, this huge 3D printer can also be used to produce small series parts or a combination of the two. In addition, it also prints stable side walls, which means that the size of the build space can be adjusted as needed. No other comparable system is able to adjust the build speed to the build volume in such a way.

Another feature: The layer building method has been especially adapted for this printer. Therefore the building platform is not lowered during the printing process, but rather the print head is raised with each layer. The machine thus easily supports the heavy weight of the building platform, which can also be quickly replaced via a rail. This allows for virtually permanent printing.

The molds are created with the layer-wise application of the particle material quartz sand, which is glued together with a binding agent. After the printing process is complete, the mold only has to be unpacked, i.e. cleaned of excess sand. Since sand molds are created directly from CAD data, they set the trend in terms of richness of detail and precision.

Although voxeljet has specialized in additive manufacturing for the foundry industry, in general every company that uses casting processes – hence designs, processes, uses or optimizes cast parts – can benefit from voxeljet’s technology.

With the decision to introduce the VX4000 in the United States, voxeljet completes its service range for the on-demand 3D printing of large sand molds in this market. “We decided to place our largest printing system in the US in order to service growing demand in the US market directly on location. Our objective is to strengthen our most important growth market with a diversified portfolio of machines, materials and processes,” is how Rudolf Franz, COO of voxeljet AG, describes the great potential of the US market. Indirect beneficiaries of this high-end technology are the automotive industry, the special machine building sector and the spare parts industry in particular.

Demand for 3D-printed sand casting molds and plastic models has grown considerably, particularly in the US, which is considered the largest growth market for 3D printing. In terms of total costs, 3D printing is much more cost-effective than traditional methods due to the complete lack of tool costs, at least up to a certain batch size. The smaller the batch size, the greater the cost advantage offered by voxeljet’s technology. Particularly in the case of complex geometries, 3D printing is still the most economical alternative even for batch sizes of several hundred units.

3D printing: faster, more flexible, on demand

The other advantages of the 3D printing method range from shorter production periods to less post-processing work of the raw cast components. The same essentially applies to investment casting, where 3D-printed plastic models have replaced classic wax models that are very time-consuming and expensive to produce with injection tools. In contrast to the conventional manufacture of molds using injection tools, in which the production of model plates or core boxes alone can take several weeks, 3D printing makes it possible to print elaborate sand molds over night or in a few days. All that is needed are the CAD data sets, which can even be processed on demand.

• Economical production: Sand molds and cores are printed in one piece without complex and expensive tool production.
• Large-format printing: Large molds can be produced on a build platform measuring 4,000 x 2,000 x 1,000 mm (LxWxH).
• Fast availability: Express delivery in only 3 working days.
• Complex components: Nearly unlimited geometries and even undercuts can be implemented.
• Precise sand molds and cores with high surface quality: With 300 µm thin quartz sand layers.
• Familiar features: Quartz sand and furan resin with series-comparable mold and casting properties.
• Suitable for sand-casting all castable metals, such as aluminum, brass, magnesium, iron and steel casting as well as all common alloys.
• Combinations possible: 3D printed cores can be combined with traditional sand molds, and vice versa.
• Simple core removal: A low binder content means that the behavior during outgassing and core removal is similar to traditional methods.
• Ideal for prototype production and tool optimization: The development and improvement of e.g. tools using 3D printing is faster, more flexible and more economical.