3D Systems showcases additive manufacturing at Hannover Messe

It begins with 3D Systems' new FabPro 1000, the company's industrial-grade, entry-level 3D printer designed for low-volume, small-part prototyping and direct 3D production. FabPro 1000 - which includes the company's 3D Sprint software - creates precise, high-quality parts at up to three-times-faster throughput compared with competing systems. General availability for FabPro 1000 has been announced for late May 2018 when it will be launched with three new materials:

• FabPro Tough BLK is a durable plastic material for producing black parts for functional prototyping and production parts
• FabPro Proto GRY is a fast, general-purpose plastic material suited for industrial applications
• FabPro JewelCast GRN is a green material well suited for small, fine featured jewelry master patterns and for gypsum investment casting applications

To produce larger parts with superior durability and finishing, 3D Systems is featuring the ProX SLS 6100, a next-generation 3D printing platform that enables customers to seamlessly scale from functional prototyping to low-volume functional production parts. This new system, which includes the printer, new materials, software and cloud-based services, addresses the needs of automotive, durable goods, and healthcare industries as well as satisfying specific needs for certifiable aerospace interior cabin parts.

Aggressively priced against similar printers in its class, the ProX SLS 6100 delivers a strong portfolio of Nylon materials:

• Six materials in Nylon 11 and Nylon 12 including white, black, aluminium-filled and glass-filled to serve a variety of aerospace, automotive and medical applications for both prototyping and production
• DuraForm PA has USP Class VI as well as FDA certification for food safety, and DuraForm FR1200 is FAR compliant to meet aerospace regulations on flame retardancy

The ProX SLS 6100 offering incorporates 3D Sprint software and 3D Connect capability for cloud-based monitoring services to address prototyping and production needs. The complete ProX SLS 6100 system combined with a competitive initial purchase price delivers a 20 per cent lower total cost of operation over similar printers - it is available as part of a complete turn-key system for less than $300,000.

ProJet MJP 2500

Continuing to demonstrate its dominance in 3D printed plastics, 3D Systems is presenting its ProJet MJP 2500. This MultiJet Printer combines professional-grade quality with an affordable price, compact footprint and easy part processing. Designed for the professional user, the ProJet MJP 2500 offers versatility with a choice of rigid, elastomeric, engineering-grade and transparent materials as well as high print speeds up to three times faster than similar class printers.

3D Systems is also announcing over 30 materials for its new Figure 4 Production offering, described as the fastest, most accurate 3D printing technology available. These include:

• Figure 4 RGD-BLK 10 - a durable material for rigid, load-bearing applications, as well as production parts for automotive and durable goods applications
• Figure 4 RGD-GRY 10 - a high-speed material for rapid design iterations providing up to 100mm/hr build speed
• Figure 4 RGD-GRY 15 - a strong, rigid material for production applications
• Figure 4 ELAST-BLK - an elastomeric black material suitable for iteration and design verification of flexible parts
• Figure 4 JCST-GRN - a castable green material optimised for investment casting of jewelry patterns

Recently released data on Figure 4 Production highlights part print speeds up to 65mm/hr, with prototyping speeds of up to 100mm/hr. The Figure 4 platform delivers part accuracy and repeatability, with Six Sigma repeatability (Cpk > 2) across all materials. The combination of speed and accuracy, complemented by a light-based UV curing process that takes minutes versus hours with heat-based curing processes, yields the world's fastest additive manufacturing throughput and time-to-part.

General availability for the Figure 4 Standalone configuration is planned for Q3 2018 and will be priced below $25,000. Manufacturers interested in Figure 4 Production can collaborate with the company's Production Printer Team to configure a system customised to their business needs.

Representing 3D System's metal 3D printing portfolio will be a variety of parts from the DMP 8500 Factory Solution. The company is launching DMP Monitoring which equips users with a toolset for enhanced quality control for its Direct Metal Printing (DMP) technology. DMP Monitoring provides technicians real-time data collection and analysis to optimise build parameters and produce quality-controlled parts. Over time, this enables reduced waste, improved productivity, and lower total cost of operation. Additionally, the ability to archive photos and images to support process traceability and documentation for highly regulated industries such as Aerospace and Healthcare. DMP Monitoring is currently available for 3D Systems' ProX DMP 320 printers and will be included with the company's ProX DMP 8500 factory system when it becomes generally available later in 2018.

Software products

3D Systems is also demonstrating its range of software products to support end-to-end additive manufacturing workflows. This includes the powerful 3D Sprint which comes free with most of the company's 3D printers for plastics and 3DXpert for preparing and optimising designs for metal additive manufacturing.

Nicole Clement, VP Marketing, Europe, 3D Systems says: "At Hannover Messe, 3D Systems is demonstrating its ability to "Make 3D Production Real' through its unique portfolio of solutions for high-quality, highly accurate plastic and metal parts. We are offering engineers and manufacturers a smooth migration path that enables them to scale their additive manufacturing capability to suit their production requirements, beginning with our entry-level FabPro 1000 and continuing all the way up to our Figure 4 and DMP 8500 solutions for automated factory environments."

For more than three decades, 3D Systems has demonstrated its industry leadership and expertise to help manufacturers across a variety of industries redefine their workflows to realise the benefits of additive manufacturing. Visitors to the 3D Systems booth (Hall 6, Booth J05) at Hannover Messe 2018 can see this expertise in action through 3D Systems' portfolio of end-to-end systems. Further demonstrating this expertise at the event is Mr Marcus Felsch, Pre-Sales Application Engineer, 3D Systems, who will be speaking on "The Impact of Metal Additive Manufacturing on Volume Production" on April 24, 2:25 - 2:50pm, as part of the 4th Additive Manufacturing Symposium, Pavilion P36, Technology Academy. For more information, please visit www.3dsystems.com.