At Formnext 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany, ArburgAdditive showcased its broad portfolio for industrial production based on plastic granules, filaments and liquid silicone (LSR) with a total of six machine exhibits and numerous component examples. Highlights included the premiere of the Freeformer 550-3X, the "Medical" exhibition area, and new materials for industrial 3D printing. Innovative applications and research projects from the fields of medical technology, mobility, aviation and electronics rounded off the thoroughly successful trade fair appearance.
"With our variety of processes, materials and applications, we have a suitable solution for a wide range of additive manufacturing requirements. We were very satisfied with both the number of trade visitors and the quality of the discussions and interest in specific solutions to problems," summarised Martin Neff, Director Sales APF at ArburgAdditive. "Customers from both the injection moulding sector and industrial additive manufacturing are interested in the solutions we offer worldwide."
Expanded range of materials
As of Formnext 2024, two new materials are available for use in Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) with the Freeformer: TR 90, which is approved for food and drinking water, and Lmpaek as an alternative to another available material, Peek. For the medical technology sector, the company also presented implants made of resorbable materials and a cartilage replacement made of TPE that can eliminate the need for major knee operations.
Capacitive sensors were a highlight in the electronics segment - a first result of the "Seestern" (Starfish) research project, which aims to combine the APF process for plastic components with StarJet technology for metal printing in a Freeformer and develop it for industrial applications. One customer project presented, for example, were hollow valve housings that can be produced with a Freeformer 750-3X in an airtight and resilient hard/soft combination. The fast and cost-effective production of grippers and operating materials was also demonstrated using many application examples and was very well received by the trade visitors.
On the topic of sustainability, there were presentations on recyclable support material, the processing of Arboblend bioplastic, and the Oram research project, which aims to create a material cycle from plastic aircraft components. The advantage of the APF process is that flakes and granules can be processed, with no further process step required for the production of filaments.
Machine premiere
A prototype of the Freeformer 550-3X with the latest technology for processing a wide range of different original plastic granules using the APF process celebrated its machine premiere at Formnext 2024. The machine was also equipped with the Gestica control system's new production assistant, designed to actively support operators so that even non-experts can additively manufacture components in a reliable, error-free process and to a high standard of quality. The additive manufacturing of complex components from original LSR is unique. For this purpose, the LiQ 5 3D printer from innovatiQ is now equipped with a second print head for the discharge of support material. A Freeformer 750-3X equipped for high temperatures processed Ultem 9085 with support material, which is of interest to the aerospace industry, while a TiQ 8 filament printer demonstrated the additive manufacturing of components made from flame-retardant materials such as PC and PEKK. In turn, the TiQ 2 entry-level machine is ideal for the 3D printing of grippers and operating materials.
