High-speed sintering: an alternative to injection molding

It is called the VX1000 HSS, is one of the latest models in the portfolio of system manufacturer Voxeljet and has enriched the machine park at FKM's sintering plant for a few days now. "By investing in this highly innovative 3D printer, we are one of the first companies in Germany to enter the world of high-speed sintering. We are thus raising our performance in the field of additive manufacturing to a level that was previously reserved for plastic injection molding," explains Jürgen Blöcher, Managing Director of FKM.

The new high-performance 3D printing system is designed for continuous use under industrial conditions and implements generative layering technology through the intelligent interaction of polymer powder, ink, infrared energy and a fast, bidirectional linehead print head. It offers high flexibility combined with high output, consistently achieves very short layering cycles and fulfills important product requirements such as repeatable precision, exact edge definition and high surface quality.

The VX1000 HSS has a large installation space of 1,000 x 540 x 400 mm and enables fully automated and virtually uninterrupted series production of medium and large batch sizes. Thanks to its speed and optimized use of materials, the printer works more efficiently and cost-effectively than other 3D printing processes. "From our point of view, this HSS printer is currently the optimal solution for the production of large quantities of functional series components that could previously only be produced using injection molding. It achieves a performance that significantly reduces the unit costs of additively manufactured polymer components even further and does not have to shy away from cost comparisons with conventional processes, even for larger series - especially when complex structures with undercuts have to be realized and an order requires frequent variant changes," says Jürgen Blöcher.

New peak performance at the FKM plant

As a representative of a new generation of machines for additive manufacturing, the new HSS 3D printer fits organically into the overall concert of the FKM sintering factory's technology park. Thanks to its high productivity, it represents the new peak performance above the plant's 30 plastic sintering systems and 17 metal sintering systems. "Thanks to Voxeljet's modular and very flexible production concept, the scalability of the printer and modern sensor technology, the VX1000 HSS could also be harmoniously integrated into our established production environment," emphasizes Jürgen Blöcher.

PA 12 and other plastics

FKM currently primarily produces small and medium-sized series of components made from polyamide 12 using high-speed sintering. However, many other technical plastic sintering powders can also be processed on the VX1000 HSS at the customer's request and after appropriate qualification. Depending on the order situation, the large installation space of the 3D printer is used for a few large or many small molded parts or - as indicated - several series of variants. Occasionally, the new system is also used to produce prototypes, pre-series or spare parts on demand. "The system's integrated sensors and intelligent process monitoring prove their worth here," reports Jürgen Blöcher.