Daimler acquires Ricoh AM S5500P industrial SLS 3D printer
Daimler, one of the world’s leading car manufacturers, has become the latest adopter of Ricoh’s first branded Additive Manufacturing (AM) printer. Renowned for its use of innovative 3D printing solutions, Daimler has chosen the RICOH AM S5500P – a high-end polymer sintering production machine – to further advance its rapid prototyping by using innovative advanced materials.
“AM innovators are rightly demanding the highest quality of PP and PA6GB material printing. The RICOH AM S5500P allows Daimler to extend its impressive range of 3D printing applications, while ensuring that prototype parts are printed as needed to aid product development. This agreement forms another landmark in the AM industry, demonstrating the ambitions that can be realised through a shared commitment to innovation.” Greg Plowman, Head of Additive Manufacturing Business, Ricoh Europe.
In addition to installing the machine, Ricoh will provide training and work closely together with Daimler engineers to support their continued innovation.
The RICOH AM S5500P features:
- Substantial build size of 550 x 550 x 500mm
- Advanced thermal control (the machine is able to keep temperature gradients small, which enables the printing of PP and PA6 materials)
- Eight infrared lamps plus heating of the build chamber from all six sides (keeping the thermal gradients to a minimum)
- Dual powder distribution
- High machine reliability (engineered for production).
In June 2016. Mercedes Benz Trucks, a division of Daimler, has announced the introduction of 3D printing technology to produce on-demand genuine spare parts for Mercedes-Benz trucks which are ordered and delivered even after many years
In the Mercedes-Benz Trucks after-sales service this had already been reality for a long time now. As the next step, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is using the latest 3D printing processes for plastic spare parts as the standard production method in the Customer Services & Parts sector. As of September already, 30 genuine spare parts can be ordered and supplied at the press of a button from the 3D printer, quickly, economically, in any quantity and always in consistent genuine manufacturer’s quality (“one-piece demand”).
