Industrial additive manufacturing solution leader Essentium, Inc. has launched a High-Speed Extrusion (HSE) 280i HT 3D printer, which is expected to transform factory production speeds and boost build volume for industries like aerospace, electronics, automotive, contract manufacturing and consumer goods.
Calling it the industry’s first actual dual extrusion system designed to meet the demands of factory conditions, the 280i HT features both X- and Y-axis extruders that work entirely independently of each other. This feature allows duplicate or different parts to be printed simultaneously.
The independent dual extruders and the utilization of a non-slip, high torque extrusion system with all linear servo motors allow print speeds of industrial parts production that clock above 500 millimeters per second—5 to 15 times faster than similar printers, according to Essentium.
Additionally, unlike most fused filament fabrication (FFF) processes that depend on a heated build chamber, the HSE 280i HT 3D printer takes a multimodal heating approach that bypasses the need for the chamber to warm and instead targets the part itself.
“The manufacturing industry is increasingly moving toward a leaner and more agile future enabled by [additive manufacturing],” said Blake Teipel, Essentium CEO. “This is the beginning of radical change, where billions will be saved through new economic and production models. But this change requires continuous and unrelenting innovation to be able to do things not done before, to make parts that haven’t been made before and manufacture things that haven’t been manufactured before.”
Essentium is positioning the HSE 280i HT as a manufacturing “game-changer” that can not only speed up production time, but also reduce post-processing costs even for the most intricate parts. With its new printer, Essentium boasts faster speeds, higher strengths and bigger scales for 3D-printed parts.
A high-performance 3D printer isn’t much without suitable materials to match. Essentium, in partnership with LEHVOSS Group, also developed a new PP-CF filament reinforced with polypropylene and made with LUVOCOM 3F resin. The goal was to create a material with impressive mechanical performance and printability. It’s described as chemically resistant with low surface energy and suitable for silicone and urethane molding applications. The result is printed parts with low surface energy and higher strength and stiffness compared to unreinforced polyolefins. However, the HSE 280i HT printer is compatible with a wide range of materials, not just those produced by Essentium.
The printer’s specs are geared to be competitive. The build volume is 695 x 495 x 600mm with a throughput of up to 220g per hour for single head printing. There’s also a maximum nozzle temperature of 550°C and a build chamber temperature of up to 200°C. Printer warm-up times range from as little as 15 minutes to 120 minutes. Simplify3D is the slicing software compatible with the HSE 280i HT printer.
The printer marks the latest effort by Essentium to disrupt the world of traditional manufacturing by working to elevate the 3D printing industrial manufacturing model with speed, strength and scale.