Formnext, in Frankfurt Germany, is coming up this month and 3DPI are starting to hear rumors about new products and developments due to be launched at the 3D printing industry trade show taking place between the 15th and 18th of November.
Last year, German manufacturing solutions company DyeMansion, revealed their DM60 machine at the fair, an automated coloring system that adds color to SLS 3D prints.
DyeMansion machines and solutions are being used by industry big players like BMW, FKM and Materialise, and in factories not only in Germany but in countries across Europe. Custom color developments based on RAL or Pantone colors are possible and can be used to print a company’s corporate design on their printed parts or work with products for the fashion industry with colors for consumer products like eyewear or sporting goods.
This year, the company is returning with an expanded portfolio of SLS surface finishes, an upgrade for their DM60 coloring machine, and a brand new product: the DyeMansion Powershot blasting system.
This development in the product range was initially hinted at in September of 2015 when DyeMansion received an investment from Dr. Hans Langer, CEO of additive manufacturing business EOS. For the SLS finishes so far we can see that they include a hydrophobic coating, as demonstrated below.
The gif above shows a rectangular component covered almost entirely by DyeMansion’s hydrophobic coating. The puddle of water in the middle shows the surface untreated by the coating, and how well the object manages to repel the moisture. The clip is taken from DyeMansion on Youtube.
The DM60 machine is upgraded with an additional reservoir that can reuse the dye of black color cartridges, and will be available to buy at Formnext.
All of the info we have about the new Powershot Blasting System so far, is that it uses a special blasting process to close the pores of printed parts that enables high quality surfaces and better dyeing results. It is an automated process and can be used on parts regardless of their geometry, however the medium they use in the blasting process will remain a trade secret and will only be disclosed to DyeMansion customers. The DyeMansion Powershot can be used with the help of a rotary basket for batch processing or manually by hand. Depending on the blasting medium, the system can be used for depowdering, too.
If you want to know more about the new technologies from DyeMansion make sure to book a ticket to Formnext and set up a meeting with DyeMansion.
Featured image shows SLS 3D printed parts finished in full color by the DM60. Image via: DyeMansion
