New VXC800 Continuous 3D Printer Available

By DE Editors

voxeljet technology has released the VXC800, a 3D continuous printer.

"Our presentation of the concept study was so well received that we decided on a rapid implementation of the project. Our development team worked at full speed for an entire year. The result is the VXC800 "the world's first continuous 3D printer that lays the foundation for a completely new generation of equipment. The building and unpacking process steps now run in parallel, without a need to interrupt the operations of the system," said Ingo Ederer, CEO of voxeljet technology.

While the printing process is active on one side of the system, unpacking can take place simultaneously on the other side. All of this can be done without interrupting operations. In particular, it raises the patternless small series production of moulds and models for metal casting based on CAD data to a higher level of speed, profitability and flexibility, the company says.

The solution incorporates a patented design with a horizontal belt conveyor that controls the layer building. The layers are built at the entrance of the belt conveyor, while the unpacking takes place at the exit. The core of the process is the printing, which is done on a level tilted to the horizontal.

The printing process is similar to conventional 3D printing. First, the coater generates a layer of powder. This layer is at an angle to the horizontal that is smaller than the repose angle of the powder. A high-definition 600 dpi resolution print head then selectively bonds the layers. The conveyor system moves the entire fill toward the unpacking area by one layer thickness. The finished component can simply be removed from the rear end of the system when it has gone through the entire material.

According to the company, the length of the moulds is "virtually unlimited with this type of system," as there are no restrictions with respect to the length of the belt conveyor.

The machine works with layer thicknesses ranging from 150 µm to 400 µm.

For more information, visit voxeljet technology.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.