bearings and the NV20 slide from our GV3 linear guide system was an ideal
solution,” explains Völkers.
HepcoMotion’s slimline bearings are directly mounted to the two changea-
ble printer heads, and along with HepcoMotion’s NV20 slides, they ensure
that the printer head is moved up and down at a speed of 2.5m/s with ab-
solute precision. The x-y movement is achieved by three ball screws; two
on the x-axis and one on the y-axis. The Z movement for the print happens
via two ball screws. The ExAm 255 uses two print heads in order to easily
deal with possible material changes. During the printing process, the second
print head that is not being used, is constantly being lifted by 10mm so it
does not collide with the object to be printed.
One important benefit of the GV3 range is the ability to readjust the bearings
and therefore to remove play that develops from wear over the life of the
product. “So instead of having to dismantle and change the linear guide and
the bearing you can simply readjust our bearing which is obviously much
more time efficient and low cost,” adds Völkers. “The ability to adjust and
readjust was extremely important for us since even the smallest deviations
in the range of microns are unacceptable in the end product,” adds Zielke.
The GV3’s self-cleaning action, was also an important feature in this en-
vironment where dirt and debris are a constant presence. Thanks to the
specific shape of the V guides, dirt particles are constantly being pushed
away through the movement of the bearings during the print process. This
self-cleaning feature ensures a long system life even in dirty environments
like the printing process.
Set to go
It took two years of development work to complete the ExAM255 but now
AIM3D GmbH are ready to move into serial production and are awaiting
the patent for their CEM E-1 Extruder print heads. The printer can process
almost any injection-moulded granulate up to a diameter of 3mm. “The re-
ally special thing about the E-1 Extruder is that the customer does not have
to purchase expensive polymer filaments or metal powders,” explains Mr
Radon, who worked as a research assistant at the University before found-
ing the company. The ability to use standard injection granules makes the
process a lot less expensive. Additionally, the same material can be used for
prototypes and final manufacture, making the transition from prototype to
finished product more economical and faster for the end user.
A notable feature of AIM3D’s printer is the separation of shape and fusion
during the printing process. During printing, only the thermoplastic carrier
material is fused to give a component its shape. Following this, the com-
ponent may be reworked before the actual sintering process. This in turn
reduces tooling and machining costs during post-processing. The binding
material is then removed from the thermoplastic carrier (in a two-stage pro-
cess) and finally sintered in an oven thus creating the final product.
The prototypes have been well received, particularly from the automotive
industry where glass-fibre filled plastics are commonly used. In this industry,
margins are low and there is a constant need to adapt. Here we have a 3D
printer that no longer relies on its own ecosystem, but works with readily
available, standardised materials and tools, bringing the potential to signifi-
cantly reduce the costs of additive manufacturing. A central part of the sys-
tem, Hepco’s GV3, has been working well for over a year in the prototypes.
Feature: Linear guidance system
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