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Stratasys unveils new fully-automated Origin 3D printing production cell at Formnext

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3D打印机OEMStratasyshas demonstrated a new fully-integrated 3D printing and post-processing platform at theformnexttrade show.

Stratasys’ P3 Automated Production Cell incorporates a string ofOrigin One系统以及机器人技术,输送机和部分整理设备。一旦准备就绪,该单元的机械臂就可以将相关的构建板收集和运输到内部制造的后处理设施中,并具有紫外线固化和干燥功能,以清洗,冲洗和治疗必要。

Developed withCalvary Robotics, the setup was initially designed to show how it’s possible to harness robotics as a means of driving down manufacturing costs and scaling 3D printing. That said, the system is also directly configurable to customer needs, and Stratasys’ partner has said it’s hoping that the drawing attention to the setup at Formnext, will attract new clientele to its automated production portfolio.

Stratasys' P3 Automated Production Cell at Formnext. Photo by Mael Duportal.
Stratasys’ P3 Automated Production Cell at Formnext. Photo by Mael Duportal.

Stratasys’ P3 Automated Production Cell

Debuted at Formnext, Stratasys’ demonstrator production cell revolves around the P3 technology bought via itsacquisition of Originnearly two years ago. Origin’sProgrammable Photopolymerization (P3) processallows for the printing of parts with voxel-level control, in a way that enables users to extract different mechanical performances from a material, and customize parts for specific applications.

The P3-powered Origin One is also built to facilitate production at scale. Origin says its system does so through pairing “unmatched part-to-part consistency” with a high throughput, and the incorporation of a modular design which is both optimized for batch production, and enables capacity to be increased where needed.

With its P3 Automated Production Cell, Stratasys is now attempting to fully realize the machine’s high-throughput promise, via its incorporation into a fully-automatic production workflow. In practice, the setup operates with a robotic arm, which picks up build plates full of prints on demand, and transfers them for post-processing or sorting via a winding conveyor.

The conveyors connecting up Stratasys' demonstrator at Formnext. Photo by Mael Duportal.
连接Stratasys在FormNext上的演示器的输送机。照片由Mael Duportal。

一旦完成周期,该平台的机器人臂就可以清洁,清空和将构建板返回相关的打印机,准备下一批开始。尽管Stratasys表示,该单元已成为“示范项目”的一部分,以“提高原产地运营机队的一台3D打印机的效率”,但Calvary Robotics确实在商业基础上提供了类似的设置。

Stratasys unveiled its uniquely-integrated platform as part of its ‘Let’s Talk Manufacturing’ display at Formnext. This also saw the firm announce the validation of new materials from the likesArkema,VictrexCovestrofor its systems, and the introduction of the‘UILA’ EV concept, a partially-3D printed four-wheeled two-seater designed as a sustainable transport solution.

“Over the last two and half years, our focus has expanded from building up our hardware portfolio to working with key industry partners to develop a wide range of use-case-specific solutions,” said Andy Langfeld, President of EMEA at Stratasys. “These complete solutions encompass hardware, software, materials, and services that create new business opportunities for our customers.”

“We continue to accelerate cutting-edge developments in additive manufacturing and advance our strategy of providing the best and most complete polymer 3D printing portfolio in the industry.”

The Stratasys Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator at RAPID + TCT 2017. Photo by Michael Petch
The Stratasys Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator at Rapid+TCT 2017. Photo by Michael Petch.

Of course, Stratasys’ P3 demonstrator isn’t its first to be unveiled at a major trade show. In 2017,Stratasys’ Continuous Build 3D Demonstratorwas introduced atRapid+TCT. While designed to work with FDM systems rather than resin ones, the setup was built in pursuit of the same goal: chaining machines to unlock the fully-automated 3D printing of parts.

Elsewhere in the industry,3D系统’Figure 4生产系统可以肌萎缩性侧索硬化症o be connected into a 3D printing production line, with just one control unit operating multiple cells at once. According to the company, its machines allow users to “grow capacity alongside demand,” from a standalone printer for rapid prototyping and low volume production, to a “fully-automated, integrated factory solution.”

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Featured image shows Stratasys’ P3 Automated Production Cell at Formnext. Photo by Mael Duportal.