Germany has developed a resin material screw extrusion additive manufacturing system to significantly increase the speed of additive manufacturing

According to the 3ders website, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tool and Forming Technology (IWU) in Chemnitz, Germany, have developed a screw extrusion additive manufacturing system (SEAM) with a molding speed of 3D. Eight times the print. According to the researchers, the SEAM system can produce 30 cm high resin parts in just 18 minutes, while some traditional fuse manufacturing (FFF) 3D printers take an hour to make an exit bag size sample.

The SEAM system combines additive manufacturing technology with advanced machine tools and is equipped with a specially designed extrusion head that melts and ejects the resin material at a high rate. The extrusion head is mounted above the six-axis construction platform. The molten resin is deposited layer by layer on the construction platform, and the six-axis motion system slides the construction platform under the extrusion head to create a programmed shape. The construction platform can be moved along the X, Y and Z axes at a speed of 1 m/s or at a maximum of 45 degrees. This design makes the SEAM system 8 times faster than conventional 3D printing technology, which can significantly shorten the manufacturing time of the resin structure.

In addition, the SEAM system can also complete complex structural additive manufacturing without the need for a support mechanism. The rotatable construction platform can be moved only on the Z-axis to enable continued additive manufacturing on the injection molded structural member. SEAM is suitable for additive manufacturing of a variety of resin materials, including thermoplastic resins and resin-based composites containing 50% carbon fiber, which are widely used in the industry but are difficult to manufacture using conventional 3D printing equipment.

“In testing, we were able to handle a wide variety of resins,” he explained. “They range from thermoplastic elastomers to high-performance resins with 50% carbon fiber content. These resins are particularly relevant to the industry and cannot be processed with conventional 3D printers.” SEAM Ultra High Speed ​​3D Printer will be available on April 1, 2019. The Hannover Industrial Fair, held from the 5th to the 5th, was exhibited for the first time.