Live demonstrations feature large-scale additive printing capabilities

Live at CAMX 2023, Thermwood Corp. (Dale, Ind., U.S.) is printing high-temperature autoclave aerospace tooling on a large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) Additive Printer 510 with material from multiple suppliers. The Additive3D simulation module from Purdue University’s LSAM Research Laboratory will also be on display, with Purdue representatives on site for demonstrations.

Thermwood takes this opportunity to demonstrate its LSAM Additive Printer system, which features a single-fixed gantry, a 5' × 10' moving table, a 4' maximum print height and a maximum print temperature of 450°F. Two printer configurations are available — 5' wide with 10' of front-to-back motion, and 10' wide with 5' of front-to-back motion. Choice of configuration depends on several factors, one being fitting the system to existing factory floor space.

LSAM Additive Printers’ specially designed, highly rigid tab and slot, structural steel gantry also incorporates a fume extraction system that pulls print fumes through activated charcoal filters to remove them and “sweeten” the air. They are said to use the exact same print head mechanism as all of Thermwood’s other 3D printers, ensuring high print quality, as well as the company’s advanced Ultra 6 control with all its exclusive, patented print features and capabilities.

The systems come standard with a single hopper polymer dryer for applications that don’t change print material very often. For installations that print a wider variety of materials, a dual hopper dryer is available as an option.

An enclosure that surrounds the machine is also available. The machine with the full enclosure can also be built to meet European CE standards.