World premiere: KraussMaffei presents Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) for industrial use is one of the key innovations from KraussMaffei on display at the K show. powerPrint and precisionPrint open up new applications for additive manufacturing with plastic granulate and resin-based 3D printing materials respectively, along the plastic components value chain. For modern plastics processors, but also for users from other industries such as medical technology, the construction industry and the foundry industry, this creates new market opportunities.

KraussMaffei CEO Dr. Michael Ruf explains, "KraussMaffei is opening up additive manufacturing technology for industrial production. Using our expertise gleaned from series production of plastic parts, we are designing efficient system concepts and appropriate solutions for every component, regardless of the technology. For us, this is about taking our capacity for productivity, quality and efficiency in industrial plastics processing and applying it to additive manufacturing solutions."

powerPrint – large-format industrial additive manufacturing

powerPrint is an extruder-based system for processing thermoplastic granulates. For large-format additive manufacturing up to 10 m³, it is the reliable and fast industrial solution, enabling efficient production of near-net-shape components.

Rolf Mack, Head of Additive Manufacturing, says, "The advantage for customers is two-fold: optimum component properties are achieved at favorable material costs; and short setup times and the use of common software solutions for print preparation also enable rapid implementation from component design to printing. In developing this, our goal was optimal application-specific processing of thermoplastic materials to ensure production according to industrial standards."

Compared to conventional technologies, powerPrint offers high discharge rates at fast printing speeds, enabling short throughput times for large components. Splitting printing and milling allows maximum flexibility and system utilisation at favorable investment costs. A wide variety of fibre-reinforced plastics and compounds can be processed.

At the K trade show, powerPrint will be producing a complexly structured component at the KraussMaffei booth. Application samples from the foundry industry will also be on display. With these, powerPrint scores high for efficiency at lower manufacturing costs.

precisionPrint – automated machine concept for highest quality and resolution

With precisionPrint, KraussMaffei presents a high-performance SL (stereolithography) solution, suitable for industrial-scale automated production. It is a manufacturing solution with high output rates for the cost-efficient production of plastic parts meeting the highest requirements for surface quality and detail resolution. The highly automated system uses printing resins cured by laser.

precisionPrint supports plastics processors along the entire product life cycle and opens up market opportunities for individualised products and smaller production batches. Mack says, "Production with almost no material loss and great design possibilities – we bring these additive manufacturing advantages from prototyping to industrial series production of plastic components. Together with our customers, we rethink plant concepts and find efficient additive manufacturing solutions for a wide range of application areas."

Next year, we will enter an intensive test phase with beta customers, after which the printers will be available on the market.