Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Farsoon Technologies has launched a powerful new Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) system at the TCT Asia 2021 trade show.
Farsoon’s latest 3D printer is available in two configurations, including an ‘FS721M-8’ iteration featuring eight 1000W lasers, and the similarly large-format dual 500w ‘FS721M’ version. Between them, the two machines are designed to allow users to cost-efficiently scale their metal additive manufacturing operations, and provide them with new opportunities in the automotive, tooling and industrial sectors.
“Starting two years ago, we have seen increasing demands from industrial customers who are looking to adopt this system for scaled up metal production,” explained Don Xu, Director of the Farsoon Global Business Group. “This is when we decided to take the next step to fully-commercialize the FS721M system, offering an accessible yet highly-productive tool that is unique to the market.”
Farsoon’s metal 3D printing expertise
Farsoon has established a broad metal 3D printing portfolio, including its range of FS421M, FS271M, FS121M and FS301M systems. While the FS301M was beta launched in 2019 with a 305 x 305 x 400 mm build volume, the firm has increasingly targeted large-format and high-throughput applications with its machines, and previously worked with Falcontech to set up a 50-system strong “Super AM Factory” with these goals in mind.
This partnership also allowed the company to extensively test its FS621M 3D printer, before unveiling the machine at TCT Asia 2020. Featuring a 620 x 620mm build platform and a customizable laser setup, the FS621M was designed to address metal AM’s wider challenges, including productivity, powder management and process control.
In a similar vein, Farsoon’s FS721M system has grown out of an in-house development project that started back in 2017, and having optimized its performance alongside some of its Chinese partners, the company is now ready to fully-commercialize the machine, helping its clients to attain higher throughputs and better achieve their productivity goals.
“We’ve spent the past three years testing and optimizing our multi-laser large-format metal system through continuous operation and development,” said Xu. “The machine was opened to partners in China for specialized projects in search of suitable industrial applications.”
A productivity-oriented machine
Built from the outset with productivity in mind, the new FS721M system features a build volume of 720 x 420 x 420mm, making it one of the largest on the metal PBF market. The machine’s rectangular chamber can also be optimized for creating parts that favor one specific axis, lending it particular potential within automotive and tooling applications.
When it comes to power, Farsoon’s new 3D printer is fitted with dual 500w lasers as standard, with each covering half the build plate, but users do have the option of a quad 500w upgrade. In its more powerful configuration, the FS721M’s lasers can be arranged linearly along the long axis of the system’s build plate, making it ideal for producing multiple small parts without leaving visible stitch lines.
Additionally, leveraging its vast experience of developing multi-laser 3D printers, Farsoon has managed to integrate a fully-digitized three-axis optical control system into its machine, enabling users to develop customized scanning strategies and achieve uniform performance within overlap zones, resulting in parts with uniform properties across the build platform.
Comparatively, the FS721M’s dual-laser version is capable of achieving a build rate of up to 160cm3/h, while the quad laser iteration allows adopters to boost their productivity by a further 90cm3/h, and effectively enter the series production of large-format parts such as molds and industrial components.
Making series production accessible
To make sure that the FS721’s complexity doesn’t inhibit its productivity, Farsoon has fitted it with a powder handling system that allows adopters to conveniently transport powder to and from the machine. Conducting this process in an inert environment also makes it safer for operators, while more advanced users have the option of integrating a sieve into the machine, creating a closed-loop workflow.
Similarly, Farsoon’s new 3D printer features an integrated breakout station that transfers completed builds through an internal conveyor system, enabling users to clean them without being exposed to harmful materials, while its electronic bed levelling system serves to streamline the printing process as well as allowing for advanced calibration where necessary.
Finally, the FS721 is powered by the company’s proprietary Makestar software and comes fitted with in-chamber cameras, which provide adopters with advanced monitoring capabilities. Utilizing the program’s recoat monitoring feature, users are able to record and analyze each recoat layer in real time, and if a short feed or build error is detected, they can pause the build to ensure consistent part quality.
Having unveiled its new system at TCT Asia, Farsoon is now making a limited number of dual and quad laser systems available for commercial orders. Those interested in finding out more about the FS721, can visit the firm at the trade show in hall 7.1, booth H02, or contact the company directly for further details.
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Featured image shows Farsoon’s large-format throughput-focused FS721M 3D printer. Image via Farsoon.
