A new 3D printer makes it possible to print much faster than existing 3D printers. In just 18 minutes, the printer can print an object 30 centimetres high. This makes the system eight times faster than conventional 3D printers, according to its makers. Also notable is the raw material the printer processes; SEAM does not use filament, but standard plastic granules.
This is the Screw Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (SEAM), developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (Fraunhofer IWU). Traditional 3D printers such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Fused Filament Modeling (FLM) are relatively slow. For example, printing a pocket-sized object quickly takes an hour. This low printing speed limits the technology's usability for mass production of components.
Motion technology from mechanical engineering
With SEAM, researchers believe they have found a solution to this. SEAM is a printing technology developed by the Fraunhofer IWU that combines motion technology from mechanical engineering with 3D printing technology to enable higher print speeds. The printer uses a specially designed extruder, which melts the raw material and can extrude at a significantly higher speed than a conventional extruder. This extruder is installed above a print bed that can be moved using six axes, using technology from mechanical engineering.
The molten plastic is printed layer by layer on the print bed, moving the print bed to shape the layer. The printbed can move along the X, Y and Z axes at a speed of one metre per second, and can also be tilted up to 45 degrees. "This allows us to print up to eight times faster than with conventional processes, greatly reducing the production time for plastic components," explains Dr Martin Kausch, a scientist at Fraunhofer IWU.
Up to 7 kilograms of plastic per hour
The higher printing speed allows the printer to process substantially more material per hour than traditional 3D printers, such as FDM and FLM printers. Whereas FDM and FLM printers can print around 50 grams of plastic per hour through a 1 mm nozzle, with SEAM this amount rises to seven kilograms.
SEAM does not process filament, unlike traditional 3D printers, but standard plastic granules. This material is significantly cheaper than filament, significantly reducing the production costs of printed components. SEAM can print objects up to several metres in size. It is also possible to print directly on existing injection-moulded components and print complex geometry without support
Suitable for many relevant materials
"Because our build platform can be tilted, we are able to print on curved structures by moving the Z axis loose," explains Kausch. "During tests, we managed to process a wide range of plastics. These range from thermoplastic elastomers to durable forms of plastic that are 50% carbon fibre. These plastics are materials that are very relevant to industry and cannot be processed with traditional 3D printers."
More information on SEAM is available here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Fraunhofer IWU
