52 The next generation of 3D plastic printer is pellet fed, uses robotic motion, can do its own post machining, and are no longer limited to an x-y coordinate plane for building the parts. Extruders, such as those provided by Massive Dimension are typically mounted on the end of a 6-axis robot, and can be paired with 2-3 axis work holding platforms. Moving from horizontal printed layers to multi-axis printing allows a pattern to be stronger and can eliminate surface defects, while reducing the need for wasteful support structures. Additionally, the robotic arm reach can range from 2 feet, to over 10 feet in either direction, and the robot can be installed on a track allowing it to print parts over 20 feet long. Check out Adaxis Software simulations to see multi-axis printing in process. The S-Max Pro sand printers by ExOne have also continued to evolve. Doubling print speed essentially cuts the cost of the machine in half, due to the added revenue generated from the digital molding process. Investment casting has been seeing gains in performance. Systems by Admatec, Prodways, and Lithoz can print ceramic shells, cores, and integrated shells and cores out of silica and alumina ceramics. 3D Printed waxes, along with SLA printed patterns, can be invested and burned out – eliminating time and tooling costs for shells, cores, and waxes.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDI4Njg=