3D Systems and SWANY have announced a collaboration intended to promote the adoption of large-format pellet extrusion in Japan. Through this collaboration, SWANY is opening a new demo centre that will include a 3D Systems EXT 1070 Titan Pellet printer (formerly the Titan Atlas 2.5 HS), which the companies say is the first of its kind in Japan.
With this printer, 3D Systems and SWANY say they will showcase capabilities to enable efficient additive and subtractive production of large-format parts. SWANY will also provide 3D printing services including design support to the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate prototyping and production for a range of applications.
3D Systems says that the companies will also jointly develop new printing parameters to enable the use of additional mass production and recycled pellet materials to more sustainably address a broader range of applications with UCWS; Upcycling Workspace.
The global install base of the 3D Systems EXT Titan Pellet printer includes companies in industries such as automotive, aerospace, foundries, consumer products, and general manufacturing. 3D Systems says that by using pelletized feedstock, this machine offers up to a 10x reduction in material cost and a wider range of functional materials than traditional filament-based 3D printers.
“In the production of large plastic parts for our customers, we continually found ourselves challenged to produce moulds with dramatic speed and in a cost-efficient way,” said Yoshihiro Hashizume, President and CEO of SWANY. “As a result, we often couldn’t meet these requests and turned away business. We believe that 3D Systems’ EXT 1070 Titan Pellet printer is the only tool that can overcome this challenge. Through our collaboration with 3D Systems at our new Demo Center, we are confident that the EXT Titan Pellet printers will facilitate a major change in Japan’s domestic manufacturing environment for mass production.”
Dennis Jung, VP, APAC Sales at 3D Systems added: “We’ve seen a dramatic rise in interest for our EXT Titan Pellet printers from many industries and geographies. There is an increased desire amongst manufacturers to adopt more sustainable business practices, and additive manufacturing can play a strong role in these efforts. Our extrusion technology enables manufacturers to quickly produce tooling, patterns, and end-use parts from low-cost thermoplastic pellet feedstocks.
“SWANY’s engineers have extensive knowledge and experience in additive manufacturing and manufacturing know-how, pellet feedstocks, and milling as demonstrated by their “Digital Mold” 3D printed injection moulding application. The combination of Digital Mold with the EXT Titan Pellet capabilities showcases why our first machine in Japan will be installed at SWANY. I’m pleased that SWANY is adopting this technology and look forward to seeing the unique applications our collaboration with them will uncover.”
The opening of the new Demo Center is planned for October 2023.
3D Systems recently made an attempt to acquire Stratasys.