Digital Metal is part of Höganäs, a Swedish metal powder production group. On October 15, 2018, the company has launched a fully 3D automated production concept for metal 3D printing.
Last year, Digital Metal started producing DM P2500, a high-precision adhesive-jet metal 3D printer that can mass produce tiny custom objects and high-precision components. The company claims that it can print metal parts with a thickness of 42 microns at a speed of 100 cubic centimeters per hour. To date, this adhesive spray technology has been able to produce more than 300,000 components. Some Digital Metal DM P2500 3D printers run in mass production, producing series of up to 40,000 series.
Now things are changing. Although Digital Metal will continue to provide 3D printing services to new and existing customers, it now also adds automation to the production process.
Digital Metal general manager Ralf Carlström said: "Most AM technologies show very low levels of automation, and our goal is to change that. With new unmanned production lines, our customers can further increase productivity and reduce production costs. Almost all Manually intensive work can be eliminated, and in addition, the powder removed in the washing machine can be recycled in the process, thereby minimizing waste. As we have seen, Digital Metal technology is now suitable for high-volume components. Mass production. "
According to Digital Metal, most of the process steps will be handled by robots, which will "almost eliminate all manual work, thereby further increasing productivity". The robot will use the build box to load the 3D printer and then move the box for post-processing. Post-processing of powder removal is automated using a CNC-operated powder remover and pick-and-place robot. Once the remaining metal powder is removed and recycled, the part is then placed on a sintered plate. The main robot then moves the plates into a sintering furnace for combined degreasing and sintering, batch or continuous production.
Digital Metal said the introduction of automation in the powder removal step is the first step to fully automated production. During the powder removal process, the CNC-controlled movement is based on information from the printing process. Collect and recycle all the removed powder without any performance degradation.
"We believe in the potential of our unique technology," Ralf Carlström said. "Not only is it very fast and cost-effective, it also prints complex, highly detailed designs with a wide choice of materials."