Formnext 2016 is open, and 3D Printing Industry bring you the first look at the latest additive manufacturing technology.
New machines unveiled
3D Systems have a large booth with a figure 4 modular configuration running, it will be interesting to see how this solution is adopted by industry and will be listening carefully for updates.
Another large area is taken by the UK’s Renishaw with the their path to industrialization showing the AM400 and AM500 machines. Roland DG Benelux are also here and have unveiled a binder jetting ceramic process. To fabricate the intricate ceramic pieces on display requires two machines, one to grow the part and a second to act as a kiln and cure the green part. The 3D ceramic printer will be producing green parts during the show, but the sintering phase will not be demonstrated.
Another company working with 3D printed ceramics, but also metals is XJet. XJet have a large area with the Nano Particle Jetting machine ready to draw a large crowd. The machine is also certainly large and speaking with Chairman of the Board, Yair Shamir this morning he tells me the company also have big plans. The incredibly intricate parts are really quite impressive and sure to generate a similar buzz as when the company appeared early this year at RAPID.
Fellow Israeli company Nano Dimension have a smaller booth in the startup up area, their DragonFly 2020 PCB prototyping machine is in the process of launching and will be available to users beyond the initial partners in 2017. The machine at Formnext will not be producing parts, but samples of the eagerly anticipated multilayer PCBs will be available. Including a 3D printed Arduino PCB.
Another European debut
Moving additive manufacturing to the industrial level looks like a focus for many here. Stratasys are again promoting their infinite build and robotic composite demonstrators but the working displays from IMTS are absent. Instead visitors can don a virtual reality headset and be transported to Chicago where the machines were last shown to the public. For Formnext the company are putting the greatest effort into the recently launched J750. Boasting soluble supports and vivid colors, ...
SOURCE: 3dprintingindustry.com ( go on reading...)
