Netherlands-based 3D printing start-upVeda 3Dhas launched the Veda Extrusion System (VXS), an extruder designed to significantly boost the material throughput of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) systems.
借助其内置的叶片轮和融合热台，Veda 3D的轻巧，紧凑，高流量的Printhead能够可靠地将每小时一公斤的细丝超过一公斤，而无需任何材料。该公司表示，与大多数FFF 3D打印机兼容，其挤出机一旦安装就可以使用户扩展到工具，修复，备件或自定义零件的生产。
Barriers to high-throughput FFF
Working from their base in the city of Rotterdam, the Veda 3D team specialize in developing ancillaries that make FFF 3D printers stronger, faster and more reliable. However, while the technology itself represents the most accessible and widely-adopted form of 3D printing, the firm says “a multitude of problems” prevent it being scaled into industrial applications.
FFF users seeking to raise their part throughput in this way, will likely have to increase their print speed, something that necessitates a rise in their system’s rate of material flow and printhead movement, but according to Veda 3D, “most machines are exclusively tailored to perform one or the other” of these tasks.
Another issue with extruding faster is that pushing molten plastic through a die or nozzle, requires a certain amount of force to overcome an internal friction known as ‘back-pressure.’ In the metal pinch wheel systems traditionally integrated into FFF 3D printers, if this force exceeds that exerted on the filament by the extruder, it can cause material in the mechanism to slip.
As Veda 3D points out, such slippage leads to under-extrusion, which in turn, impacts on the mechanical properties of parts produced, as they’ll suffer from poor layer adhesion. When these wheel systems slip, nozzle clogging is also more likely, as if too much filament is ground off in the process, extruders can dig in deep enough to get stuck, stopping prints in their tracks.
Veda 3D’s “industrial powerhouse”
As an alternative to tackling these issues via thinner filament or inductive heating, both of which can be expensive, Veda 3D has launched its new VXS. The extruder’s topologically-optimized melt zone enables it to achieve consistent fully-molten extrusion, regardless of nozzle size, while its 300W power output and high-tolerance heat block provide reliable heat transfer.
为了使FFF更接近注射成型，Veda 3D还将获得专利的刀片轮集成到其挤出机中。该机制通过“咬入”细丝来解决可靠性问题，并将其排斥在其中，从而防止了材料中的任何滑动，并允许以任何饲料速率流动塑料。
Designed to serve as an ‘all-in-one’ package for those seeking to boost their FFF 3D printing capabilities, the firm describes the VXS as a “no compromise, industrial powerhouse,” capable of processing 2.85mm filament at a pace of up to 150mm³/s, a maximum temperature of 450°C and a back-pressure of as much as 200N.
“Together, the VXS hotend and feeder produce one of the most reliable 3D printing platforms capable of leveraging FFF into applications such as small-scale production,” states the Veda 3D team. “The system is compatible with almost all 3D printers, and is particularly well-suited to larger, industrial machines using more advanced materials.”
Harder, better, faster, stronger FFF
Of course, the 3D printing industry is full of hardware developers working on new extruders, designed to enhance the capabilities of users’ machines. Earlier this year, for example,BIQU的H2O和H2 500℃挤出机冲击市场。喷咀的高温filament processing compatibility enable them to print engineering-grade materials such as PEI/Ultem and PEEK.
BIQU’s release closely followed the launch ofFuseLab’s novel patented rotary extruder. Introduced alongside its first FFF metal 3D printer, theFL300M, the firm’s printhead is designed to increase the points of contact between materials and the nozzle’s drive system, as a means of minimizing print failures.
Going further back to mid-2020, Canadian OEMDyze Designalso launched a newTyphoon printhead for large-format 3D printers. At the time, the company said it had managed to achieve a flow rate of 200mm3/s using the extruder, but through switching to carbon fiber or any other type of filled material, it forecast that it could be possible to print 25% to 50% faster than with PLA.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the3D Printing Industry newsletteror follow us onTwitteror liking our page onFacebook.
While you’re here, why not subscribe to ourYoutubechannel? featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts and webinar replays.
Are you looking for a job in the additive manufacturing industry? Visit3D Printing Jobsfor a selection of roles in the industry.
Featured image shows Veda 3D’s Veda Extrusion System. Photo via Veda 3D.
