Characteristics of true industrial 3D printers

With its promise of compressing the time for getting a real part from a CAD drawing from weeks to hours, Additive Manufacturing has proliferated with a variety of technologies being now offered and dozens of companies claiming to offer industrial 3D printers.

However, caveat emptor – relatively few of the machines on the market today are true industrial 3D printers – here’s why: an industrial 3D printer is a type of 3D printing machine that is specifically designed for use in a manufacturing or production environment. These printers are typically larger and more robust than consumer-grade desktop 3D printers, and are built to handle higher production volumes and larger print sizes. Some of the key features that differentiate an industrial 3D printer from a consumer-grade printer include:

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Additive Manufacturing
True Industrial 3D Printers

Size and build volume:

  • Industrial 3D printers are often larger than consumer-grade printers, with build volumes that can accommodate larger objects or production runs.

Material capabilities

Industrial 3D printers are capable of printing with a wider range of materials, including engineering-grade plastics, metals, and composites. The same features that make these materials meet stringent application requirements (temperature resistance, durability) can also make them difficult to process – for instance, highly abrasive composite materials can quickly wear down a consumer-grade printer nozzle.

Precision and dimensional accuracy

  • Industrial 3D printers are designed to produce high-quality prints with a high level of precision and dimensional accuracy, making them suitable for use in manufacturing applications.

Speed

Industrial 3D printers are generally faster than consumer-grade printers, allowing for higher production volumes and shorter lead times.

Durability and reliability

Industrial 3D printers are built to withstand the rigors of a production environment and are designed for long-term use.

Repeatability and reproducibility

Industrial 3D printers can deliver repeatable and reproducible performance, time after time.

Ease of use

  • Many industrial 3D printers include advanced features and controls to make them easy to use and maintain, even in a high-volume production setting.

Traceabilty

Industrial 3D printers allow the production of end-use parts while logging process parameters and raw materials, enabling quality monitoring via traceability along the production process.

The 3DGENCE INDUSTRY™ F421 and F350 production systems

Have been specifically designed for industrial manufacturing and meet all of the above requirements, featuring:

  • • Large, generous build volumes featuring actively heated chamber technology.
  • • Capable of processing engineering-grade, advanced materials and composites – unlocked, open systems.
  • • Very fast print speeds of up to 400 mm/s and idle travel speeds up to 1000 mm/s.
  • • Designed and engineered for long service life.
  • • Excellent part dimensional accuracy.
  • • Modular printhead system and human-machine interface and slicing software.
  • • Advanced air filtration system for removing micro-plastics and potentially harmful outgassing chemicals.
  • • Full process traceability when integrated with 3DGENCE Connect™ suite.
material management system

Ensure maximizing part quality and integrity