Italian building system manufacturer WASP has added no less than eight new products to its large-format 3D printing product portfolio at the Formnext 2021 trade show.
Among WASP's 6 new printers, 5 are polymer machines that have been newly optimized to deposit specific types of filaments or particles, allowing medical or construction users to cut costs and shorten delivery times.
To help unleash the potential of its existing DeltaWASP 40100 system, the company also introduced a continuous feeder and robotic arm for the machine, as well as an "industrial clay" variant. Allegedly, these new products together provide adopters with a more unified and automated workflow, whether in the deposition of fluid concrete and plastic, or in the creation of precise clay car prototypes.
WASP lively AM business
Founded in 2012, WASP is a company dedicated to the development of circular 3D printing technology that can open up sustainable buildings on a large scale. Since launching the original PowerWASP system, the company has been building a powerful liquid deposition modeling (LDM) driven DeltaWASP 3D printer portfolio, including its latest 3MT, 4070 TECH and 2040 iterations.
Although each of these machines has the same delta coordinate settings, where the stepper motor runs in a triangular form to closely control the XYZ coordinates of the nozzle, they are optimized for 3D printed concrete, PEEK, and ABS, respectively.
In addition to "Delta" machines, WASP also sells its "clay" and "industrial" systems for ceramics and high-end materials, as well as its modular "crane" construction units. The company worked with Mario Cucinella Architects and Dior and others to continue to deploy the latter to reach new heights in sustainable housing, first with the 3D printed "TECLA" eco-house, and then Dubai's waterfront pop-up store.
On the other hand, in its clay product portfolio, the company launched a unique hybrid prototyping method last year, which it claims that car users can shorten the time to market of their products without losing any artistry in vehicle design , So it has now released a series of new products in Formnext, designed to allow users to further explore this potential application.
WASP dedicated one of its Formnext booths to showcase its latest LDM developments, including the launch of a new version of the 40100 machine. The 400 x 450 mm system is called "40100 Industrial Clay" and is equipped with a screw-driven extruder, compatible with 4, 6 and 8 mm nozzles, and can print 1 mm layers at speeds up to 150 mm/sec.
The company describes it as a "collaborative 3D printer." Industrial Clay was developed in cooperation with Honda, specifically for automotive prototyping and product design applications. At its booth in Hall 12.0, WASP demonstrated how the technology enables it to work with the Japanese car company to create practical models in a way that allows "unprecedented manufacturing freedom."
According to Lorenzo Filipponi of WASP, the clay-printed motorcycle model on display was built as part of an ongoing project between the companies. one third.
Filipponi also stated that one of the main disadvantages of using its 40100 machine in the past has been its limited powder capacity, which means that users usually have to refill multiple times when printing larger parts. In doing so, manufacturers are not only forced to spend precious time on a laborious manual task, but they also risk damaging the integrity of the model due to bubbles.
To help solve this supplementary problem, WASP also launched a continuous powder feeding system at the exhibition. The titanium alloy 11-liter smart water tank weighing 30 kg is compatible with nozzles up to 8 mm wide, controllable material dosage and nylon wheels at the bottom, allowing users to conveniently refuel the machine in a space-saving manner.
With automation as the theme, the company also launched a robotic arm system at its LDM booth that is capable of depositing fluid-intensive materials such as concrete and plastic particles. Filipponi claims that it aims to accelerate the prototyping of large parts, and has previously Used to optimize yacht components in maritime research and development.
New industrial FDM lineup
At the same time, WASP improved its FDM products at another booth on the 12.1 floor and launched five new industrial line systems: 3MT HDP, 4070 HDP, 4070 TX, 4070 FX and 4070 ZX. For the first two, the company launched two large-capacity pellet extruders designed to process recycled polymer pellets in a fast, precise, cost-effective and ultimately more sustainable way.
Essentially, the 3MT HDP and 4070 HDP printers can achieve this, thanks to its built-in HDP extruder, which relies on capacitive sensors to continuously deposit particles where needed. Thanks to their integrated Firecap system, these machines can also reach 250° without overheating, and their vacuum active control panels can quickly replace parts without compromising build quality.
WASP's Camilla Bruno explained in a speech to the 3D printing industry at the booth that these features allow the machine to produce huge environmentally friendly buildings and demonstrated 3MT HDP to make real chairs during the exhibition.
Elsewhere, Bruno suggested that the company's other four FDM 3D printers are "simpler" versions of its Industrial X machines. Given that each system is now designed to handle specific types of carbon, pellets, PEEK or polycarbonate, she adds that “no adjustments are needed” to switch materials, making it ideal for specific medical or architectural applications.
In practice, this means that the industrial FDM machine contains a single dedicated extruder instead of Industrial X's dual extruder setup. In addition, although each system contains the same print bed, their layout has been optimized for certain materials. For example, the 4070 TX has an in-line filament drying system, while the 4070 FX can print soft materials with a Shore hardness of 50A. .
For more information about WASP's latest release, please visit its store page.
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Featured pictures show the new Flex and PEEK optimized machines displayed by WASP at Formnext 2021. The photo was taken by Paul Hanaphy.
Paul is a graduate of history and journalism and is keen to find exclusive news about the latest technology news.
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