The M-FLEX 3D Printing System can increases the capabilities other 3D metal printer, offering more than seven times the volume output of machines currently in use.
It is designed for manufacturing metal parts for use in industries such as mining, automotive and energy.Eventually, additional material sets could be printed on the M-FLEX, including tungsten, glass, ceramics and a variety of materials used for the casting industry. The M-FLEX has a build chamber of 400 mm x 250 mm x 250 mm and can achieve build speeds of 30 seconds per layer. Previous build speeds are approximately one-and-a-half minutes per layer, ExOne says.
"We've made tremendous strides in 3D printing in the last decade and what our machines can do today is simply remarkable; we are printing engine castings for helicopters and replacing broken pumps in oil fields in days – not months," said Dave Burns, president of ExOne. "The M-FLEX continues our leadership in developing the 3D printing technology that has made additive manufacturing the most compelling advanced technology used in industry today."
The machine is suitable for making prototypes or short runs of multiple and/or custom parts.The complete machine system includes a printer, recycling equipment, printing materials, a furnace and a multimedia training programme. The M-FLEX uses a print head to distribute binder into beds of specially prepared and formulated materials.
At IMTS ExOne will also be showing some of the largest sand moulds and cores ever created with additive manufacturing. Also on display will be components manufactured with the company’s Orionshort pulse laser system with beam manipulation which permits the fabrication of complex shapes, including direct and inverse taper.
