With RAPID + TCT well underway, French industrial 3D printer provider Prodways has made a series of announcements, including the pre-launch of a new 3D printer, the ProMaker P1000 X, alongside two new materials.
Designed for industrial use, the ProMaker P1000 X SLS 3D printer builds upon the company’s standard ProMaker P1000 system, with an increase in size and speed. Extending the P1000 line, the P1000 X is planned for release in Q3 2019.
Prodways has also announced two new materials. PP 1200 Polypropylene, will be compatible with the P1000 X. The second material, PLASTCure Denture resin, is designed for use with the company’s line of dental 3D printers.
Expanding the capabilities of the ProMaker P1000
Compared to the 27 liter printing volume of the ‘classic’ P1000, the P1000 X presents a moderate increase, with a printing volume of 32 liters. However, significantly, the P1000 X is able to achieve double the production speed with a volume build rate of 2 liters per hour at 0.1mm layer thickness, compared to the P1000’s 0.9 liter per hour.
The new 3D printer also features a 24-point-grid thermal field control system and a ten-zone IR heating system for increased thermal control, with the aim of delivering consistent mechanical properties in its 3D printed parts. Furthermore, Prodways has developed a new realtime slicer for the P1000 X, said to enable the production of 3D printed parts with smooth and detailed surfaces.
Upon release, the P1000 X 3D printer will be compatible with a total of seven materials offered by Prodways, including TPU 70-A, PA12, 3 different grades of PA11, and the new PP 1200. The seventh material, the Stark 3200, is yet to be released. Targeted towards high-performance applications, the unreleased material will be made available soon by Prodways, however details are yet to be announced.
Materials for SLS and dental 3D printing
The PP 1200 SLS powder was initially previewed at Formnext 2018, designed for use with all SLS 3D printers within Prodways’ catalogue. Featuring a 136°C melting point, the PP 1200 is designed for easy processing, suitable for applications requiring ductility, like snap-fits or living hinges. Other key features of the new powder includes a high chemical resistance and a low friction coefficient, suitable for either small or big parts.
The new PLASTCure Denture resin is designed for 3D printing denture bases and teeth models. Prodways has developed the new resin for use with its ProMaker LD10 and LD20 dental 3D printers, specifically within the US market. Using the PLASTCure Denture resin with its line of LD dental 3D printers, it is said that 30 full denture bases can be printed in less than 5 hours. With this, Prodways aims to provide high volume production for dental labs that require large quantities of denture bases and teeth models per day.
Continued growth for Prodways
Prodways’ portfolio of SLS systems consists of the P1000, P2000 and P4500 series of 3D printers. With the unveiling of the P1000 X at RAPID this year, the company is expanding upon its offering of industrial SLS 3D printers.
Unveiled at RAPID in 2016, the standard P1000 3D printer was released with the intention of making industrial plastic powder laser sintering performance accessible to a wider market and with the P1000 X, Prodways is continuing to pursue this goal.
The release of the P1000 X comes after a recent 120% growth for Prodways in 3D printing for FY2018. Going forward the company is focusing on the production of hearing aids and eartips, following its recent acquisition of hearing aid manufacturer Surdifuse-L’Embout Français which was completed post-year end in January 2019.
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Featured image shows the ProMaker P1000 X. Image via Prodways.
