Center for Additive Technology: Industrial 3D Printers 3D Systems, Stratasys, SLM, EOS

Hello friends! With you, Vasily Kiselev and today we are in Voronezh. Voronezh is one of the largest industrial centers in Russia. In particular, here is the "Design Bureau of Chemical Automatics", which develops rocket engines used in intercontinental ballistic missiles and astronautics.

Today we will visit JSC "Center for Technological Competence of Additive Technologies" , also known as the Center for Additive Technologies (CAT) of the Voronezhselmash group of companies, the largest manufacturer of agricultural equipment, supplying it to Russian and foreign buyers. We will see how DAC helps enterprises to develop digital production. At DAC, equipment from manufacturers such as 3D Systems , Stratasys , SLM , EOS and many others is presented .

With us, TsAT CEO Alexei Mazalov, who will tell us about the organization and activities of the center.

What is TsAT

TsAT is a public-private partnership project, which began in 2013.

Now we are one of the country's largest organizations for the operation of equipment in the field of additive technologies, these are 12 industrial systems, 10 of which are 3D printers working on all sorts of 3D printing technologies with all kinds of materials.

There is also an industrial 3D scanner and a vacuum casting system.

We have two production units, the first and main one is a service delivery unit using additive technologies.

The second block develops and builds its own desktop 3D printing systems.

SLM

Our center presents 3D printers with SLM technology (selective laser fusion), such as the installation of 3D Systems ProX 100 with a construction area of 100x100x80 mm. These 3D printers print the details by fusing the layers of metal powder with a laser beam.

There are also two similar systems from SLM, the SLM 280HL .

Samples are made of domestic materials. This is important, as domestic materials are much more affordable and the possibility of a quick purchase.

High-quality powders for metal printing using the SLM technology are developed and supplied by Polema JSC, VILS OJSC, VIAM Research Institute, NITU MISiS and Rusal.

The main customers of TsAT in this profile are large state-owned enterprises, enterprises from Rostec and Rosatom corporations, and in the near future we hope to begin cooperation with Roskosmos.

We work with a large list of domestic steels and alloys, but also use imported, made in Germany, England and China.

From domestic now we use stainless and tool steel, two heat-resistant nickel alloys, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy, there are developments in titanium and aluminum alloys.

SLM is valued by customers in cases where quickly and with a minimum of preparatory work, without accessories, it is required to produce products of complex configuration with high mechanical characteristics.

This technology is especially valuable and comes to the rescue when it is impossible to create a prototype of a project developed by the designers that corresponds to the design documentation using traditional methods.

Design and Technology Service

Here we have engineers, designers, operators of our systems.

You can observe the casting scanning process by our specialist.

This is a small-scale order of one of the industrial enterprises of Voronezh.

We deliver the casting part, we carry out its locksmithing, cleaning, then scanning and comparison with the digital model of the customer. So we check the quality of the parts. Next, we build a deviation map and provide it to the customer for improvements.

EOS polyamide machine

Polyamide laser sintering machine. The sintering of the layers of material is performed in the volume filled with not sintered powder, which allows you to build models of complex geometry without support and in the entire volume of the chamber.

The machine allows you to work with materials such as pure PA 12 and mixed with fillers - aluminum, glass, carbon. The use of filled polyamides allows you to create parts from sintered dispersed composites, which gives enhanced physical characteristics.

Also used materials based on polystyrene, which can be printed burning models for casting.

ProJet 660 Pro

We have two ProJet 660Pro machines that print using 3DP full-color 3D printing technology.

The technology allows you to quickly and accurately create color layouts and layout elements.

Stratasys Connex500

Industrial SLA printer. The system works with UV-curable liquid photopolymers. It has two powerful UV lamps. One of the most accurate systems.

Layer thickness up to 16 microns. An extensive list of materials used, including, for example, mechanically similar rubber and ABS. In one operation, you can make a functional prototype for testing ergonomics, constructive, assembly.

Helps to determine the feasibility of ordering an expensive metal prototype. Also used for the manufacture of high-precision master models for casting in silicone.

EnvisionTec Perfactory 4 Mini

A small high-precision photopolymernik with DLP technology. Here you see the made set of burned-out master models for the subsequent creation of molds and metal casting.

EnvisionTec Ultra 3SP

Another photopolymer machine. It has a larger construction area, allowing to produce more different prototypes and models for casting. The output is a smooth soft-touch surface. Often used for the manufacture of equipment for forming aligners - corrective cap used in orthodontics to correct the bite. Also, the apparatus is used for the manufacture of master models for vacuum casting.

Vacuum casting

The TsAT equipment park has equipment for vacuum casting into silicone. Recently we had a separate article with an interesting case of vacuum casting in industry.

The vacuum casting system does not directly relate to additive technologies, but to a large extent it works in conjunction with them, significantly expanding the capabilities of the center.

With this system, you can quickly produce small batches of polymer products for end use, including complex configuration.

Used a large number of different materials for casting.

It is possible to create very complex shapes. One of the most interesting orders is the case of an electronic device, a remote control for controlling special equipment, which was molded into this form.

Casting orders a very wide range of customers. We had to open the second shift in vacuum casting. The main customers are small and medium business, instrument makers, the automotive industry, large enterprises.

Desktop 3D Printers

We develop, produce and sell our own FDM printers.

Now these are two models of the most simple in the study and operation of printers. Alpha 1 is an entry level printer.

Alpha 1

Closed acrylic case
Heated table
Print speed: 50 mm / s
Minimum layer thickness: 0.03 mm
Maximum layer thickness: 0.3 mm
X / Y positioning accuracy: 4 microns
Z positioning accuracy: 10 microns
Printing area: 190x190x150 mm
Auto-calibration by 9 points
Price: 65 000 rubles

Structurally relatively simple 3D-printer. Designed for training and hobby printing, however, provides decent quality models.

Alpha 2

Closed aluminum hard case
Two extruders
Auto-calibration by 9 points
X / Y positioning accuracy: 4 microns
Z positioning accuracy: 10 microns
Layer thickness: 30-300 microns
The diameter of the nozzle: 0.2-1.0 mm
Table working temperature: 0 - 105 С °; nozzles 0 - 280 С °
Print resolution: 30-300 microns
Construction area: 250x250x250 mm
Price: 160 000 rubles

More advanced and designed for more serious work, the Alpha 2 has a closed case, for stable printing, and a two-sop print head, for printing with two differently colored materials or a base material and a soluble support material.

Then go to the office.

About prospects

We meet with the chairman of the board of directors of the Voronezhselmash group of companies, Yegor Koblik.

We ask Egor a few questions about the near future.

Please tell us about your strategy for the near future.

In the next three years, we would like to develop the achievements that we already have. It is about cooperation with enterprises of the military-industrial complex, with design offices, such corporations as Rostec and Rosnano, with which we are already working. In addition to large industrial enterprises, I would like to introduce additive technologies in small and medium business, because not everyone uses these tools yet.

What advice would you give to businesses that aren't using additive technology yet?

Just try. Trying to print with any materials, implement different ideas, give us tasks of any complexity, try to introduce new technologies in our own production.

Technologies seem to be known to everyone, but few are ready to apply them on a daily basis, and that’s what they are intended for. There are whole branches of medium-sized businesses that order various parts with us for production in 24 hours. I would like to advise newcomers to additive technologies not to be afraid to delve into and order as much as possible different and interesting, because only such experience allows the whole industry to develop.

Total

Many thanks to the state, which organizes such centers of additive technologies, enables businesses to integrate into digital production. Thanks to TsAT Voronezhselmash for receiving us and showing their fleet of equipment.

This center is about five years old. During this time, the equipment has seriously advanced in its characteristics and has become more affordable. This applies to technologies such as SLA, SLS, FDM, in which personal devices are closer in quality to professional ones.

If you are considering the purchase of such devices, please contact Top 3D Shop : write to sales@top3dshop.ru or call during business hours at 8 (499) 322-23-19.

See you again!