Voxeljet reveals first details about fully automated VJET X-IOB 3D production line
The new automated 3D production solution boasts 10X faster print speeds
Industrial 3D printer manufacturer Voxeljet has offered a glimpse at its newest development, the VJET X-IOB additive manufacturing system. The innovative product, says the company, is the world’s first fully automated 3D production solution and can offer manufacturers an alternative to traditional serial production processes.
The VJET X-IOB, which boasts ten times faster print speeds than Voxeljet’s existing 3D printers (reaching speeds of up to 400 liters per hour), enables industrial users to turn out components for the casting process of critical automotive engine parts. Impressively, the new system does not require any many intervention, as all pre- and post-process steps are automated.
Voxeljet UK’s managing director James Reeves made the announcement in a recent post. In it he writes: “Together with our partners, we have taken a major step to reinvent the manufacturing landscape by developing the world’s first fully automated 3D production solution capable of replacing conventional manufacturing in serial-production. The integrated solution allows for the automated production of components used in the casting process of critical engine components.”
Not much information about the new VJET X-IOB can be gleaned from Reeves’ post, but he does emphasize that the automated production solution enables cost-effective, high volume manufacturing while simultaneously providing users with the design and flexibility benefits characteristic of additive manufacturing.
For engine part production, Voxeljet’s new system can ultimately enable better engine performance, as well as improved fuel efficiency, reduced cost per part and increased production flexibility. This last point, says Reeves, allows for “multiple variants on the same line.”
With dramatically increased build speeds, full automation and production capabilities, Voxeljet’s new AM system is aimed at the automotive sector, where it could impact and streamline engine component production lines. The details of the new system sound good so far, and we’re eager to hear more from Voxeljet. The company has promised more details about the 3D production line system and its first application soon.
