Multec and Reichenbacher Hamuel present M1000 3D printer

In high-tech industries, the demand for large, printed components made of high-performance plastics such as ULTEM® is constantly increasing. Systems that meet the high demands of industrial machine construction in terms of their building space dimensions, insulation, building space heating and innovative printing head technology, are central to economical production.

In close cooperation the partners have succeeded in presenting the M1000, a large-format industrial 3D printer that brings together the expertise of two worlds by teaming Multec‘s patented HexaMove 6-fold printing head with a high-end machine from the special machine manufacturer Reichenbacher. This system also permits the printing of ULTEM or PEEK, i.e. of plastics that combine exceptional strength with temperature resistance. The ULTEM filament also possesses a high impact strength and good resistance to chemicals.

The aerospace, medical engineering, railroad and military industries prefer these materials mainly for their technical applications. The demands placed on these high-performance components, such as wheel housings, air ducts or prototype components, for example in the engine sector of the defence industry, are immense. On the one hand, they must have a high temperature resistance of over 150 °C in continuous use and, on the other hand, good mechanical properties in terms of density, elasticity and yield stress.

Apart from its exceptional insulation, the strengths of the new system include effective heating of the printing space combined with powerful cooling of the printing head and drive components. For a good bonding of the first layer, heating of the building platform to 250 °C is possible, and heating of the building chamber to 350 °C. This prevents stresses when printing high-performance plastics processed with hotends that can be heated up to 400 °C. The cooling of the printing head, axes, and electronics – in fact of all components that without insulation and cooling are subject to rapid failure at high temperatures – as of 80 °C is important for the long-lasting functioning of the machine.

The patented multiple printing head transfers the flexibility, precision and efficiency of modern machine tools to 3D printing. The filament change takes place fully automatically via a magazine in which the printing head acts like a tool changing head. Multec has developed and had patented a special closing technology for the nozzles to prevent them from dripping and thus to avoid uncleanliness on the surfaces. This means that the printing head no longer needs any cleaning cycles and one hotend after the other can work without interruption. This magazine permits not only a wide variety of material combinations, but also the use of different nozzle types and sizes in a single printing process.

After all, the size of the installation space is a decisive criterion for the high-tech industries, too. There is a great demand for large components, for example in the orthopaedics or aviation and rail vehicle industries. When you print smaller component geometries, you have to join them together afterwards, which means an additional work process. This step is often no longer necessary when the building space is 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 mm (W x L x H) in size. It is, however, important to be capable of filling a large building space quickly. The high-speed printing head with 6 hotends of the M1000 generates 3 to 5 times higher volume flows.

With its high degree of automation, the new M1000 industrial printer built to highest mechanical engineering standards guarantees flexibility in production, short lead times and low investment costs, both in terms of acquisition and follow-up costs, above all with regard to energy prices. The system can be used 24/7 for prototyping, but also for the small series production of large components. It is also just as interesting for the production of casting moulds or autoclave tools as it is for the use in tool, ship, aircraft or vehicle construction.