DSM and JuggerBot 3D partner to advance FGF 3D printing
Global sciences company Royal DSM has announced an expanded partnership with JuggerBot 3D, a 3D printer manufacturer based in Youngstown, Ohio. The aim of the collaboration is to advance fused granulate fabrication (FGF) and drive its industrialization by developing high-performance pellet-based 3D printers and materials.
Pellet materials are something of an untapped area in 3D printing. The materials, which can have filler ratios of up to 50%, can meet industrial performance requirements—such as strength, stiffness and heat resistance—and are not bound by many of the limitations of other 3D printing technologies.
For these reasons, DSM and JuggerBot 3D are teaming up to investigate the potential of pellet materials and FGF 3D printing and to create solutions that meet the demands of industrial end-users. As part of the collaboration, JuggerBot 3D has introduced a new 3D printing system designed specifically for processing performance materials like DSM’s glass-reinforced Arnite AM8527 (G) material. The companies worked together in the development of JuggerBot 3D’s P3-44 printer, which has a large build volume of 3 x 4 x 4 feet and a speed up to 200x faster than competing systems.
Dan Fernback, Co-Founder at JuggerBot 3D, said: “We’re addressing the largest barriers to the adoption of 3D printing with fused granulate fabrication. The P3-44 is truly a reliable, industrial-grade machine that allows users to tap into a plethora of production materials and scale their additive manufacturing efforts. We’re thrilled to further align our process expertise with DSM’s material expertise and serve as the go-to team for companies looking to take 3D printing to the next level.”
DSM recently became one of the first companies to purchase JuggerBot 3D’s P3-44 3D printer, which is scheduled to launch in April 2020. The addition of the pellet-based 3D printer to its workflow contributes significantly to DSM’s plan to scale up its additive manufacturing and help push its industrialization. The materials company also says it plans to add additional pellet products to its portfolio of 3D printing solutions.
“The need for pellet materials and printers that are able to produce large-scale applications is evident,” said Hugo da Silva, VP Additive Manufacturing at DSM. “Working side by side with innovative printer manufacturers like JuggerBot 3D allows us to create material solutions while ensuring manufacturers have access to reliable machines. Materials or printers alone are not sufficient for OEMs to adopt the technology. That is why a smoothly running ecosystem is so critical for additive manufacturing to be accepted on the production floor.”
The partners will work together to advance FGF 3D printing by leveraging their respective areas of expertise in additive manufacturing and materials. Specifically, the companies are establishing a development program for companies interested in FGF using the P3-44 3D printer and DSM’s material formulations. In January, the partners launched a free hardware trial program for industrial-grade 3D printing applications.
