3D Systems introduces technology enhancements at Rapid+TCT 2023

3D Systems will showcase its additive manufacturing (AM) solutions at Rapid+TCT 2023 that are catalyzing innovation across industries including motorsports, semiconductor equipment, aerospace, and medical device manufacturing. The company’s solutions comprising 3D printing technology, materials, software, and applications expertise are changing the landscape of design, engineering, and manufacturing. At Rapid+TCT 2023, 3D Systems is introducing portfolio enhancements — SLS Material Delivery Module, DMP Build Changeover Station, GRCop-42, CuCr1Zr — that will enable customers to expand the breadth of applications they can address with AM and enhance productivity.

3D Systems GRCOP 42 (A) combustion chamber — GRCop-42 is ideal for load-bearing propulsion applications and high-temperature (400-600° C) applications requiring high thermal conductivity, such as this thruster. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

The SLS Material Delivery Module is a new accessory for the SLS 380 platform that more easily allows customers to use multiple materials on a single platform. The SLS 380 is a high-throughput SLS additive manufacturing solution with unprecedented levels of throughput, consistency, performance, and yield to address cost-effective batch production. The ability to quickly change materials with minimum labor using the new Material Delivery Module helps increase the efficiency of the machine and thus improve productivity. Furthermore, the ability to utilize a broader range of materials with the printer maximizes the value of the platform for end users to expand the applications they can address. In addition to being compatible with SLS 380, the SLS Material Delivery Module also enables multiple material functionality on 3D Systems’ ProX SLS 6100 and ProX SLS 500. This product is planned to be available for ordering in the second half of 2023.

3D Systems’ DMP Build Changeover Station is a standalone module that facilitates quick turnover of a DMP Factory 500 removable print module with a finished build to prepare it for a new build. The DMP Build Changeover Station allows the user to depowder a finished build, remove the base plate with a printed part, add fresh powder, install a new base plate, and prepare a removable print module to launch the next job. Changing materials on the DMP Build Changeover Station proper can be achieved in a matter of minutes, and thus it can serve multiple printers running different materials in parallel. The Build Changeover Station is a lower-cost accessory as compared to 3D Systems’ full peripheral chain, thus making metal AM more accessible to a broader range of customers. As production demands increase in an organization, customers can move to the full peripheral chain. The DMP Build Changeover Station is currently available for ordering.

The company is also announcing the addition of two copper alloys to its portfolio — Certified GRCop-42 and Certified Copper-Chrome-Zirconium (CuCr1Zr). Certified GRCop-42 is specifically designed for high-temperature, high-thermal transfer applications found in rocket engines, where high strength is also required. Parts produced in GRCop-42 maintain their mechanical properties at highly elevated temperatures (typical service temperature range of 400 to 600° C, depending upon the strength and creep requirements for the sustained duration of the load). The addition of this material to 3D Systems’ portfolio expands the range of applications customers can address with the DMP platform to include high-performance combustion applications in aerospace and space.

3D Systems DMP CuCr1Zr heat exchanger segment — CuCr1Zr is ideal for heat management applications with a structural component where both high thermal conductivity and strength are required, such as heat exchangers. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.

Certified CuCr1Zr (A) is a common copper alloy offering high strength and high thermal and electrical conductivity. Heat treatment can be used as a post-processing method to enhance the strength and conductivity of parts produced with this material. Customers using this material can collaborate with 3D Systems’ Application Innovation Group (AIG), which has deep expertise in tuning heat treatment parameters to meet specific application requirements. Marrying strength and electrical conductivity renders CuCr1Zr an ideal solution for complex heat management systems as well as electrical applications that also serve a structural function, such as heat exchangers, cooling systems, induction coils, and electrical contacts.

Due to its unique vacuum chamber architecture, which maintains a low-oxygen environment (<25 ppm), 3D Systems’ DMP 350 platform — especially the DMP Factory 350 — is ideal for working with copper alloys, which are susceptible to oxygen pickup.

Both materials are available for immediate ordering.

“Our customers’ innovation fuels ours,” said Marty Johnson, vice president, product & technical fellow at 3D Systems. “With the collaboration between our application engineers and our customers’ engineering teams, we are collectively pushing the boundaries of what is possible with additive manufacturing. To meet these ever-changing needs, we must constantly evolve our solution portfolio. The addition of the new accessories and materials we are announcing today are the latest examples of customer-centric innovation that are enabling competitive advantage.”

3D Systems will showcase its full portfolio of additive manufacturing solutions, including these latest innovations, in its booth (#4212) at Rapid+TCT 2023, May 2-4 at McCormick Place — West Building, Chicago. In addition, the company will be involved in several speaking sessions: Regulatory Considerations for Hospital-based 3D Printing, May 2 at 1 p.m., Bridging the Biomaterial & Bioprinting Gaps Facing the Industry, May 2 at 3 p.m., and Bringing Implant Manufacturing to the Point of Care, May 3 at 11:30 a.m.

3D Systems
3dsystems.com