New Additive Manufacturing Contenders: HIP And Centrifugal Printing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a area of ever-growing significance, with many startups and present corporations in search of to both enhance on present AM applied sciences or market new approaches. On the RAPID + TCT 2024 tradeshow evidently we obtained two extra new AM approaches to regulate to see how they develop. These are powder-based Scorching Isostatic Urgent (HIP) by Grid Logic and centrifugal 3D printing by Fugo Precision.

Grid Logic’s HIP makes use of binder-less powders in sealed containers which might be compressed and deposited right into a HIP can in accordance with the design being printed, adopted by the HIP course of. This can be a widespread post-processing step exterior of AM as properly, however right here HIP is used as the first methodology in what looks as if a funds model of typical powder sintering AM printers. Doubtlessly it gained’t be ‘hobbyist low-cost’, but it surely guarantees to permit for printing ceramic and metallic elements with minimal wasted powder, which is a serious concern with present powder-based sintering printers.

Whereas Grid Logic’s method is comparatively conservative, Fugo’s Mannequin A printer utilizing centrifugal printing is certainly attempting to tell apart itself. It makes use of 20 lasers that are claimed to realize 30 µm accuracy in all instructions with a velocity of 1 mm/minute. It competes with SLA printers, which additionally signifies that it really works with photopolymers, however slightly than messing with FEP movie and pesky Earth gravity, it makes use of a spinning drum to create its personal gravitational parameters, together with a built-in elements cleansing and curing system. They declare that this methodology requires 50% fewer helps whereas printing a lot quicker than competing business SLA printers.

Even when not instantly related to AM fanatics, it’s good to see new concepts being tried within the hope that they’ll make AM higher for all of us.