3D Systems announced the introduction of a novel High Speed Fusion (HSF) industrial 3D printer platform and material portfolio. Developed in a collaboration with Jabil Inc., this HSF family of products, including the Roadrunner 3D printer, is expected to provide the best economics of any high throughput industrial fused-filament offering in the market today. Through the use of advanced electric motion control, the company claims that this system operates at speeds and precision levels well beyond current state-of-the-art production platforms. The company also notes the printer manages temperature and offers a large build area fit for demanding aerospace and automotive applications.

“By introducing our High Speed Fusion filament printer, 3D Systems will build on the organizational focus that we adopted in 2020, and expand our presence in growing markets that demand high reliability products such as aerospace and automotive,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, president and CEO, 3D Systems. “Our investments in this solution, and collaboration with Jabil, will allow our customers to increase productivity and performance by using additive manufacturing with a hardware, software, and materials platform that is uniquely designed for the rigors and requirements of an industrial setting. The value proposition, which we believe is compelling, will open new markets for our company that are estimated to be over $400 million, with the promise of new markets, beyond these current opportunities, as the economics of this new technology platform are fully demonstrated.”

Existing industrial fused filament printers have often been constrained by high costs of production and low throughput. In recognizing these constraints, Jabil and 3D Systems application and industry experts are applying their combined knowledge to bring to market a robust solution that meets the day-to-day requirements of the most demanding industries.

Specific applications include:

–Direct Printing: aerospace interiors and ducting, drone components, automotive under dash and under hood, and other general industrial applications.

–Tooling & Fixtures: manufacturing aids, automation and robotics tooling, lift assist tooling, as well as molds and sacrificial tools.

–Prototyping Parts: automotive, aerospace, medical, heavy equipment, and general industry support.

3D Systems claims that the Roadrunner solves key limitations of competitive offerings through:

–Highest deposition rates combined with the best dimensional precision of any standard industrial class of fused filament platform.

–Lowest landed part cost without sacrificing part quality.

–Capability to process high-performance, high-temp materials, like ULTEM and PA CF with a broad range of general-purpose filaments like ABS and PETg ESD.

“We are proud of the progress the Jabil and 3D Systems teams have made and the ability of this solution to overcome the historical system and sub-system level limitations of current market offerings,” said John Dulchinos, vice president, 3D printing and digital manufacturing, Jabil. “Jabil understands the needs of a large-scale manufacturing environment and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with 3D Systems to make this new system available to the marketplace while also using it within our own factories.”

Application engineering and materials development on the new platform has been underway for more than a year and will continue during 2021, with shipments of the Roadrunner system to begin in 2022.

3D Systems