AM-Flow, a provider of manufacturing solutions for automation of AM post-production, will unveil its new AM-BAGGING module at the use upcoming Formnext Connect event. Central to AM-Flow’s technology proposition is its mission to reduce the costly, labor-intensive aspect of post-processing within the 3D printing workflow. By automating processes at this stage, the company enables manufacturers to realise their ambitions to drive Industry 4.0 production in high-volume multi-printer environments, while also delivering a full track-and-trace solution.
Using machine learning and an Industry 4.0 approach from the ground up, AM-Flow’s modular systems combine to provide a complete end-to-end solution that overcomes the inherent challenges faced when producing what can often be hundreds of different geometries, sometimes within a single batch. These comprise the identification, sorting, quality control, handling, transportation and packaging of 3D printed parts.
“The beating heart of the AM-Flow ‘stack’ is AM-VISION, which uses 3D shape recognition to enable rapid and reliable identification of 3D printed parts based on their geometry,” explains Carlos Zwikker, Chief Commercial Officer, AM-Flow. “Once these parts are identified, they can be sorted (using AM-SORT), handled and picked with state-of-art gripper technology (AM-PICK) and transported via the use of fully autonomous cobots (AM-ROUTE).”
Formnext has provided the stage for AM-Flow’s evolution over the last couple of years, starting in 2018 with the presentation of an AM-VISION prototype. This was followed by last year’s unveil of AM-SORT, while the 2020 event is set to be doubly significant for the company. As well as being recently named a winner of the Formnext Start-up Challenge, AM-Flow will once again use it as a platform on which to announce a new product.
“We’re delighted to be introducing AM-BAGGING at Formnext Connect, a module that – as its name suggests – provides fully automated bagging and labelling capabilities to AM environments,” continues Zwikker. “The new solution perfectly bridges between AM-pick and AM-Route and exemplifies our continued quest to provide a full ‘end-to-end’ post-processing solution to manufacturers and service bureaus.”
