The nozzle combination of the manipulator and FDM 3D printer can form a manipulator 3D printer, which can bring many advantages. 1. Large size printing can be realized; 2. With the multi axis system, more printing degrees of freedom can be obtained without the need for supporting structures.
However, as FDM 3D printing technology is mainly used for education and personal enthusiasts, there are few industrial applications. Therefore, the mechanical arm 3D printer is not too many. However, with the increasing application of wire made of plastic and metal, and the increasing number of plastic furniture with large size for 3D printing, the demand for 3D printing of mechanical arm is also increasing. Now let's take a look at the robot arm 3D printer on the market.
KUKA
KUKA is a German company that provides automation solutions. The robots they provide are widely used in production lines in many industries, such as electronics, automotive and medical. As the world's leading automation company, Kuka also developed a mechanical arm for 3D printing, which can be used to print various parts such as metal, plastic and concrete.
ABB
ABB is a multinational company that produces mechanical arms. It also has a variety of mechanical arms for various production tasks. In particular, their supporting software is the most popular off-line programming and simulation tool for robot applications in the world. With strong basic capabilities, they also developed a set of mechanical arms for 3D printing.
Comau
Comau, an Italian industrial automation company, specializes in developing systems, products and services compatible with Industry 4.0. They can build complete robots and also provide mechanical arm solutions. At present, they have also introduced a mechanical arm for 3D printing, and have a variety of loads to choose from.
CEAD
CEAD is a 3D printing company in the Netherlands, mainly developing large-scale 3D printers. In order to meet different engineering requirements, they combine 3D printers with different production systems such as CNC milling and mechanical arms. In particular, their mechanical arm 3D printer has 31 axes, which can realize multiple function expansion, such as rotary table, CNC milling system, etc.
Weber Additive
Weber Additive, a German company, is committed to the development of different manufacturing technologies, and also has mechanical arm solutions for 3D printing. Weber's DXR robot system has a high-quality extruder capable of 3D printing. The extruder is driven by a 6-axis industrial robot, which enables it to move precisely, manufacture the variable angle of the head or overprint the existing parts.
Hyperion Robotics
Hyperion Robotics was established in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, in 2019. It is a company specializing in the construction industry. In order to achieve a more economical structure and improve the degree of automation during construction, they cooperated with Kuka by installing an extruder on the mechanical arm of Kuka, which can use special concrete mixture to print houses.
Massive Dimension
The name of Massive Dimension clearly indicates the business direction of the company. It is a company that manufactures large 3D printers. Their 3D printers are mainly used to make various kinds of furniture. The materials used are various recycled plastics. In order to improve the printing size, they cooperated with ABB to install the extrusion system on ABB's mechanical arm. Moreover, these mechanical arms are customized and can achieve different sizes.
Orbital Composites
Orbital Composites believes that robot technology is the answer to the limitations faced by the 3D printing industry, such as scale, speed, strength and design. Their Orbital S is designed for large-scale 3D printing. Its maximum speed is 2m/s, maximum payload is 10kg, and maximum antenna is 1.1m. The construction platform is 1m × 1m × 1 meter, enabling it to create relatively large end use assemblies.
Daize Design
Daizer has designed an advanced large-scale high-speed plastic particle extruder Pulsar. They hope to print large parts in 3D as quickly and cheaply as possible. To this end, they have made the extruder and mechanical arm compatible and can print at a speed of up to 500 cubic millimeters per second. Pulsar is also equipped with a water cooling circuit system, which can withstand a high temperature of 200 ℃.
Branching technology
The company combines 3D printing, prefabrication and digital technology. With their patented technology, designers and architectural teams can try structures that cannot be realized by traditional architectural methods. When building an exhibition hall, they used the mechanical arm of Kuka to solve the final structural construction problem.
MX3D
MX3D, a Dutch company, is the world's best at WAAM 3D printing technology. They use WAAM 3D printers to print a variety of large metal parts, such as large metal bridges. In order to facilitate printing, they also used ABB's industrial manipulator system.
Source: Bering 3D 3D printing service
