Anisoprint launches ProM IS 500 industrial 3D printer
ProM IS 500 is said to be the first industrial printer for continuous fiber-reinforced high-temperature plastics.
Anisoprint (Moscow, Russia) has launched the ProM IS 500, which it claims is the first industrial 3D printer specifically designed to print high-temperature thermoplastics with continuous fiber reinforcement.
The ProM IS 500 reportedly provides precise, repeatable and reliable manufacturing of mid-sized composite parts with a build volume of 600 by 420 by 300 millimeters. The ProM IS 500 is equipped with a heated chamber for printing high-temperature polymers such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyethylenimine (PEI), and also features automated calibration, material and print quality controls and high-precision motion control, supporting industrial interfaces and safety requirements. The machine is designed to run 24/7 in a factory environment.
This new product is based on Anisoprint’s patented Composite Fiber Co-extrusion (CFC) technology and represents another step towards the company’s new approach to manufacturing, which exploits the anisotropy of composites (see “Advancing additive manufacturing to exploit anisotropy”). The ProM IS 500 allows for professional-level printing of anistropic composites while its basics can be learned from the company’s desktop continuous fiber 3D printer, Composer, also based on CFC technology.
Anisoprinting technology allows manufacturing of complex-shaped composite parts without tools or molds. Due to the ability to apply fibers in topology-optimized lattices, the maximum properties of unidirectional composites are possible while spending the minimum of material for the expected loads. This significantly reduces weight, production time and part cost. Anisoprint asserts that ProM IS 500 will replace less efficient traditional technologies and materials for manufacturing mid-sized tools, spare parts and functional prototypes for aerospace, automotive, robotics and other industries.
ProM IS 500 will have up to four changeable print heads for printing composites and pure plastic, making it possible to reinforce different zones of the part with different composites (for example, carbon fiber, basalt fiber) depending on the user’s goal and part requirements.
High-temperature plastics such as PEEK and PEI will be available as matrix materials for composites anisoprinted on ProM IS 500. This expands applications for 3D-printed parts into aggressive industrial environments. ProM IS 500 printers will ship beginning from the end of 2020. Pre-orders can be made at https://anisoprint.com/product-prom.
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