Precise components in large-scale production

KraussMaffei has further developed its Precision Print stereolithography printer and deliberately incorporated customer experience in the process. The technical developments are now being presented at Formnext in Frankfurt. Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process that creates a 3D part by directing a UV laser beam onto the surface of a tank filled with photopolymer resin. After a new layer of resin has been applied to the surface with a blade, the laser hardens the resin layer by layer and finally produces a 3D part. Components that have been produced with the highest resolution across the entire build platform, as with precision printing, are similar in appearance and feel to injection-molded items, but can be produced with considerably less effort - even in large series.

The KraussMaffei printer has been optimized for this purpose and, in addition to a multi-laser system, also offers an exchangeable synthetic resin tank to enable quick material changes. Changing the build platform can be automated with the help of a connected magazine system. This means that the next copy can start immediately after a printing process has been completed. The industrial system architecture revolutionizes manufacturing processes and the end-to-end process can be scaled for cost-efficient series production. The maximum build volume of the Precision Print is 250 x 250 x 400 millimetres.

Much larger projects can be realized with the Power Print 3D printer. A maximum volume of ten cubic meters is possible, i.e. 2 x 2.5 x 2 meters. Anyone who makes themselves comfortable at a printed bar table at the KraussMaffei stand will experience what this means. Visitors to the stand can also see for themselves the industrial standard of the components in a printed tool for the production of fiber-reinforced central beams for aircraft construction. The wall panels are also produced in this way - and at the SKZ stand (Hall 11.1, Stand E48), stools made from Power Print invite visitors to linger.

The Power Print processes thermoplastics in granulate form (including ABS, PA, PETG, PLA, ASA, TPU, PP) using an extruder-based print setup (nozzle range 2 to 20 mm) at temperatures of up to 350 °C. The output rate is up to 30 kg/h, which makes short throughput times possible. KraussMaffei is the only company in the industry that manufactures machines for all types of plastics processing - additive manufacturing, extrusion, reaction process machinery and injection molding - and can therefore combine its expertise to create innovative processes.

Formnext, Hall 11.1, Stand F21