Filament Extrusion | Titan Robotics

Titan Robotics Conducting Live Printing of New and Unique Materials on Two Atlas 3D Printers at Rapid + TCT

Posted by Maddie Guillory / Company News, Industry, Innovation

Detroit, MI – Titan Robotics is partnering with top global material companies to demonstrate a wide range of high-performance materials with both pellet extrusion and filament extrusion on its newest Atlas 3D Printers during Rapid + TCT 2019. With a focus on production additive manufacturing, Titan will conduct live printing of new and unique materials from DuPont™, Infinite® Material Solutions and Push Plastic at Rapid + TCT held at the Detroit Cobo Center May 21 – 23, 2019.

As a production additive manufacturing solutions provider, Titan is pushing the boundaries with multi-head extrusion technology and increasing the number of materials that can be 3D printed. Teaming up with top materials companies in the AM industry enables Titan to continue to offer high-performance materials to make functional parts.

Titan will be printing with several unique materials on two of its newest Atlas 3D Printer models during Rapid + TCT 2019 in the Titan Booth, #527. Rapid attendees will have the opportunity to see high speed and multi-head extrusion 3D printing of materials from DuPont™, Infinite® Material Solutions and Push Plastic. The Titan Robotics Team and representatives from the material companies will be on hand to discuss printer capabilities, material properties and customers’ application needs.

Printing Schedule during Rapid + TCT 2019

Tuesday, May 21, 10am – 6pm: DuPont™ Zytel® 3D12G30PT Pellets with 30% glass fiber reinforcement

A high-performance material delivering a balance of stiffness and strength, Zytel® Glass-reinforced Polyamide Pellets is a specialty nylon material from DuPont™. Zytel® reinforced with 30% glass fiber has low warpage and shrinkage, excellent thermal performance (HDT>150C), chemical resistance, low moisture absorption during printing while still maintaining ease of printing and high-quality surface finish. Titan will conduct live printing of Zytel® Pellets with 30% glass fiber reinforcement during the first day of the Rapid + TCT Expo.

Zytel(R) Pellets — Zytel® Pellets with 30% Glass Fiber Reinforcement from DuPont™

In addition to Zytel® pellets, Titan will also demonstrate high-speed printing of Hytrel® thermoplastic elastomer (TPC-ET) pellets on its secondary Atlas 3D printer during the first day of Rapid. Hytrel® 3D printing material is a versatile copolyester that combines the flexibility of rubber with the strength and processability of thermoplastics. It blends heat and chemical resistance with strength, resilience and durability.

Hytrel(R) Pellets — Hytrel® Pellets from DuPont™

Wednesday, May 22, 10am – 6pm: Infinite® Material Solutions AquaSys® 120 Water Soluble Pellets & Custom AquaSys® High Temperature Water Soluble Test Pellets

AquaSys® 120 is a new material from Infinite® Material Solutions specifically for 3D printing applications requiring high-performance attributes, quality, ease of use and increased throughput. Compatible with a wide range of materials, AquaSys® 120 features fast dissolution rates, high thermal stability, superior adhesion and is fully water soluble. AquaSys® 120 is compatible with a wide range of engineering grade resins, such as ABS, PC/ABS, Nylon, TPU, CPE, PC and PP. Titan will conduct live printing of AquaSys® 120 in pellet form as a soluble support material with nylon as the model material on the second day of Rapid.

AquaSys(R) 120 Water Soluble Pellets — Infinite® Material Solutions AquaSys® 120 Water Soluble Pellets

Titan will also demonstrate live printing of a custom test material from Infinite® Material Solutions: AquaSys® High Temperature Water Soluble Pellets. While not commercially available, this proof-of-concept material is a high temperature, tap water only, soluble material that would be used in additive manufacturing applications requiring high processing temperatures. Titan will print this material during the second day of Rapid as a single, soluble tool demonstration.

AquaSys(R) High Temperature test pellets — Infinite® Material Solutions: AquaSys® High Temperature Water Soluble test pellets

Thursday, May 23, 10am – 3pm: Push Plastic ABS with 15% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Pellets and PETG with 10% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Filament

Push Plastic’s ABS reinforced with 15% of carbon fiber pellets and PETG with 10% carbon fiber reinforcement filament provide a production solution for additive manufacturing. Designed for structural components that require high stiffness, the CF ABS pellets and CF PETG filament feature an ease of printing with excellent stiffness, great dimensional stability and a matte appearance with exceptional surface quality. Titan will conduct live printing of Push Plastic CF ABS pellets, CF PETG filament and PLA pellets during the final day of Rapid.

ABS Pellets with 15% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement — ABS with 15% Carbon Fiber Reinforcement pellets from Push Plastic

Please stop by Titan’s exhibit booth, #527, at the Rapid + TCT Expo at the Cobo Center in Detroit, May 21 – 23, 2019.

Zytel® is a registered trademark of DuPont™

Hytrel® is a registered trademark of DuPont™

AquaSys® is a registered trademark of Infinite® Material Solutions

11
May

A Solution for Foundry: Customer Highlight & CastExpo

Posted by Maddie Guillory / Company News, Foundry, Industry

In Morelia, Mexico, one pattern shop is revolutionizing its business and the foundries it serves by utilizing Pellet Extrusion and Filament Extrusion 3D Printing on the Atlas. Proveedora de Servicios y Suministros Industriales (PSSI) is a leading pattern shop owned by the same group as Fundidora Morelia. PSSI specializes in manufacturing patterns for pumps, turbines, high-pressure valves and industrial parts.

The Challenge

PSSI’s traditional method of making large patterns required cutting the pattern out of wood. This process was time consuming, taking up to 8 weeks in some cases. Using wood feedstock was also costly, sourcing expensive mahogany that was often not a uniform size that required extensive machining.

The Solution

By utilizing 3D Printing on the Titan Atlas with both pellet and filament extrusion capabilities, PSSI was able to achieve shorter production times of the patterns, in some cases cutting the time in half. Affordable Pellet and filament feedstocks also eliminates the need to source expensive raw wood materials.

3D Printed Pattern by PSSI. Dimensions 22″x17″x14″

Case Study

3D Printed Pump Body

Print Method: Pellet Extrusion on the Atlas

Print Setting: 2mm nozzle

Feedstock: ABS Pellets

Print Time: 10 Hrs (3 parts)

Material Weight: 31Lbs

Material Cost: $89

3D Printed Pump Core Box

Print Method: Pellet (red) and Filament (orange) Extrusion on the Atlas

Print Setting: 2mm nozzle (pellet) and 0.8mm nozzle (filament)

Feedstock: ABS Pellets, ABS Filament

Print Time: 20 Hrs (6 parts)

Material Weight: 25Lbs

Material Cost: $72

3D Printed Body and Core Box Post Processing

Sanding parts to reduce layer lines and apply for high-fill primer can take one to two weeks depending on size and number of parts. Once a smooth surface is achieved, a primer and mold release paint is applied. Patterns are ready for no-bake sand casting with total manufacture time at 3-4 weeks.

Sanding and Painting of 3D Printed Pump Body

Final 3D Printed Pattern ready for casting. Dimension 22″x17″x14″

Customer Conclusions and Value

Production time to manufacture this Pump Body and Core Box Pattern was cut in half, reducing the process from 8 weeks using traditional methods down to 3-4 weeks using 3D printing on the Atlas. 3D printing also reduced raw material costs, with an estimated 15% – 20% Savings.

“Working with Titan has been the best decision we have made. We have improved in so many ways because of the flexibility (referring to pellet and filament extruders) and the speed the machine works with. We have won a lot of projects because of the efficiency of the machine. We can offer better delivery times with the same quality,” said Alonso Alvarez of PSSI.

CastExpo 2019

Titan Robotics shared this case study from PSSI and brought large-format industrial polymer 3D printing to CastExpo for the first time this year, held in Atlanta from April 27 – 30, 2019. Occurring every three years, CastExpo is the largest North American gathering of the metalcasting supply chain companies. Exhibiting at CastExpo 2019 was a great opportunity to share how 3D printing and Titan’s line of Atlas 3D printers can improve pattern making processes with lower cost patterns, faster turn around time and increasing return o investment.

Titan Robotics Booth
3D Printed Patterns
Titan Robotics Booth

14
Mar

Titan Collaborates with Global Material Suppliers for Live Printing of High-Performance Materials at AMUG 2019

Posted by Maddie Guillory / Company News, Industry

CHICAGO, IL – Titan Robotics, Ltd. will showcase for the first time its state-of-the-art, industrial Hybrid Atlas 3D Printer with Pellet and Filament Extrusion capabilities at this year’s Additive Manufacturing Users Group conference. To demonstrate printing of production parts using high-performance materials on the Atlas 3D printer platform, Titan is excited to partner with three of the top chemical companies serving the Additive Manufacturing industry: Arkema Inc., DuPont™ and NatureWorks.

As a leader in advanced, production-ready AM machines and technology, Titan’s expertise continues to grow in both pellet extrusion 3D printing and high flow filament extrusion 3D printing. As a solution provider to industrial customers, Titan continues to partner with global materials companies to offer high-performance materials to make functional parts.

Titan will be printing with three unique materials on the Atlas 3D Printer during the AMUG Expo, March 31 and April 1. AMUG Expo attendees will have the opportunity to witness high speed printing of these materials from Arkema, DuPont™ and NatureWorks. Representatives from Titan and the material companies will be at the Titan booth to discuss printer capabilities, material properties and, customers’ application needs.

Printing Schedule During AMUG Expo

Sunday, March 31, 5pm – 9pm: Arkema’s Kepstan® PEKK

A high temperature, high performance material, Kepstan® PEKK is an ideal material for production applications due to its high strength, ease of processing, flame retardancy, low outgassing, dielectric properties, and chemical resistance. Titan will conduct live printing of Kepstan® PEKK with glass fiber in pellet form during the first night of AMUG.

Monday, April 1, 10am – 2pm: NatureWorks’ Custom Ingeo™ PLA for Additive Manufacturing

NatureWorks has developed a series of Ingeo™ PLA 3D printing materials specifically designed to meet the performance requirements of industrial-use parts including high strength, heat resistance, and even clean incineration for foundry applications while maintaining printability. Expanding this portfolio, NatureWorks has recently introduced Ingeo 3D450, a breakaway material combining great printability and tailored adhesion ideal for building with supports, with a clean breakaway that minimizes the need for post-processing. Titan will conduct live printing with these materials on its Atlas Hybrid Pellet + Filament Extrusion system while also showcasing a proof-of-concept Ingeo polymer made from a blend of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials.

Monday, April 1, 5pm – 9pm: DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET

DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET 3D printing material is a versatile copolyester that combines the flexibility of rubber with the strength and processability of thermoplastics. It blends heat and chemical resistance with strength, resilience and durability. Titan will conduct live printing of DuPont™ Hytrel® in pellet form during the second night of AMUG.

Please stop by Titan’s exhibit booth, #78, at the AMUG conference and Expo at the Hilton Chicago, March 31 – April 1, 2019.

Kepstan® is a registered trademark of Arkema

Ingeo™ is a registered trademark of NatureWorks