The large-scale 3D printer powerPrint produces products with a volume of up to ten cubic meters and made its debut at the K trade show. It is now available for purchase; alternatively, KraussMaffei also offers a print-on-demand service.
KraussMaffei 3D printer
KraussMaffei says that the powerPrint large-scale printer opens up new fields of application for additive manufacturing. Since its introduction at K2022, it has been successfully tested for a wide variety of fibre-reinforced and compounded materials. According to Rolf Mack: (Vice President Additive Manufacturing), "The powerPrint is ready to produce custom parts for the customer at the customer's facility with the highest industry and quality standards."
The basis for the cost-effective production of 3D objects is the use of thermoplastics in granulate form and extruder-based pressure build-up (nozzle area 2 to 20 mm). As an international company, KraussMaffei manufactures systems for extrusion, injection moulding and reaction process machinery and can use this extensive process knowledge to develop new technologies, such as additive manufacturing.
The company claims that the powerPrint thus offers a high output rate (up to 30 kg/h) with high product quality at the same time.
The large-scale printer produces components with dimensions of up to 2 m x 2.5 m x 2 m independently and without manual intervention at a temperature of up to 350 °C. The parts are removed from the machine from the front through a door or by crane via a folding roof in the heat-resistant enclosure. Print jobs can be changed quickly thanks to vacuum-fixed printing plates. KraussMaffei says that a specially developed human-machine interface ensures intuitive and simple operation of the device. The intelligent machine design also ensures a high level of work safety.
The powerPrint is suitable for all industries that require large-format objects with consistently high product quality, such as tool and mould makers, packaging and logistics, and the automotive industry.
For companies that want to see for themselves whether the powerPrint is of interest to them, KraussMaffei also offers the print-on-demand service as an alternative to purchase. In this service, applications are designed according to customer specifications and technical possibilities and then printed, with KraussMaffei also handling post-processing. The powerPrint has already implemented several components in this way, such as a moulding tool for the vacuum infusion process, a sand casting mould and a charging column, among others.