Essentium Unveils IDEX 3D Printer to Transform the Factory Floor
Leading innovator of industrial additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, Essentium Inc, has announced the launch of the Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSETM) 280i HT 3D Printer, the first true independent dual extrusion system (IDEX) designed and developed for the demands of the factory floor. Unlike other IDEX 3D printers on the market, the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer features true independent dual extruders whereby each head is fully independent on both the X and Y-axis. This enables manufacturers to speed time to industrial-scale production of parts, even for complex geometric shapes, while significantly reducing post-processing costs.
The HSE 280i HT 3D Printer delivers world-class print speeds of more than 500 mm/s, which is five to 15x faster than competitive offerings, by utilizing a non-slip, high torque extrusion system with all linear servo motors. Differing from most FFF processes that rely on a heated build chamber, the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer uses a multimodal heating method designed to heat the part, eliminating the need for manufacturers to wait for the chamber to heat up to start printing.
The 3D Printer is built to transform manufacturing floors and solve the AM issues of speed, strength, and scale, which have held back the shift from prototyping to full-scale production runs in industries including aerospace, electronics, automotive, contract manufacturing, and consumer goods.
In addition to introducing the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer, Essentium announced a new high-performance material to help manufacturers realize the full potential of industrial-scale AM and deliver on its commitment to creating a global, open ecosystem that puts customers in control of their innovation.
Developed in partnership with LEHVOSS Group, Essentium PP-CF is a 20% carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene filament made with LUVOCOM® 3F resin from LEHVOSS. This material is designed to deliver excellent mechanical performance combined with outstanding printability. It offers excellent chemical resistance and low surface energy, making it useful for silicone and urethane molding applications. Essentium PP-CF allows manufacturers to print chemically resistant, low surface energy parts with greater strength and stiffness than unreinforced polyolefins.
Said Blake Teipel, Ph.D., CEO of Essentium: “The manufacturing industry is increasingly moving toward a leaner and more agile future enabled by AM. This is the beginning of radical change, where billions will be saved through new economic and production models. But this change requires continuous and unrelenting innovation to be able to do things not done before, to make parts that haven’t been made before – and manufacture things that haven’t been manufactured before. This is our goal with the launch of the industry’s first true IDEX machine– we believe the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer is a game-changer giving manufacturers the ultimate machine tool to 3D print at scale.”