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VJET X 3D printers installed at major carmaker » 3dpbm

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Voxeljet, a German leader in large format 3D printing, received three more orders for its high-speed VJET X 3D printers: 1 VJET X unit order was placed in August 2020, and two more units were ordered in September 2020. This brings the total to five units installed for metal automotive part production.

Dr. Ingo Ederer, founder and CEO of voxeljet commented: “With this order, we reached a significant milestone in our mission to bring 3D printing into high-volume industrial production. This is extremely exciting, as it not only highlights the significance of our technology, but also the confidence this leading German carmaker has in the new solution and the players behind it.”

The follow-up order comes as part of a frame contract concluded in 2018 between voxeljet, its partners and the leading German carmaker. The name of the carmaker remains undisclosed. The first two VJET X units were ordered in mid-2018. This follow-up order brings the current total to 5 VJET X units for this automotive OEM and reaffirms voxeljet’s message that its new VJET X 3D printers are making additive, serial production possible and cost-efficient.

The VJET X technology is already being used in the foundry industry by Loramendi, a major Spanish group. Last year voxeljet presented 3D printed parts for an electric engine housing at eMove360 (one of the largest shows for e-mobility) together with German electric bus manufacturer Qantron AG. The company has established multi-year relationships with all major German carmakers for its binder jetting technology and services.

“Together with our partners – Mr. Ederer added – we can today offer a solution for the mass production of complex sand cores for light metal parts at, what we believe to be, a fraction of the costs as compared to other players in the additive manufacturing industry. With the new environmental-friendly binder system, there are zero emissions during the casting of the sand cores. The casted, complex light-metal parts can have superior characteristics, such as less weight and new features, and can ultimately help to reduce CO2 emissions substantially.”

VJET X 3D printers are 10x faster than previous models, which results in a layering speed close to 5 seconds and are integrated into fully automated postprocessing solutions. The 3D printers use an environmentally friendly inorganic binder system for zero-emissions during core printing, storage and when using the sand cores in the casting process.

The resulting process, Hybrid Additive Manufacturing (HAM), is a combination of 3D printing and casting: HAM combines the advantages of 3D printing (product & process innovation) with those of conventional manufacturing of metal parts via casting (cost advantages, a high degree of automation). This combination makes additive series production possible (even for more than 100,000 components per year).

When combining VJET X and conventional casting lines, the technology is already able to deliver mass manufacturing of complex metal parts (in aluminum, magnesium, etc.) at a fraction of the costs of more direct additive manufacturing technologies. With tightening regulations on pollution and fuel consumption, the evolution of CO2 regulation remains the main driver for changes in vehicle technology. The use of lightweight materials like aluminum in manufacturing is expected to double by 2030 and the use of hybrid processes such as VJET X can accelerate the transition to geometrically optimized parts by making their production sustainable in terms of costs as well.

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voxeljet Receives Follow-Up Order for its New High-Speed 3D Printer VJET X for a Premium German Car Maker: This Order Reaffirms the Company’s Message, That its New 3D Printers Are Making High-Volume Industrial Production Possible and Cost Efficient

  News highlights

  • Three additional VJET X high-speed 3D printers were ordered recently: 1 VJET X unit in August 2020 and 2 VJET X units in September 2020
  • The follow-up order comes as part of a frame contract concluded in 2018 between voxeljet, its partners and a leading German car maker. The first two VJET X units were ordered mid-2018. This follow-up order brings the current total to 5 VJET X units for this OEM
  • The follow-up order reaffirms voxeljet’s message that its new 3D printers are making additive, serial production possible and cost efficient
  • VJET X 3D printers are 10x faster than previous models, which results in a layering speed close to 5 seconds and are integrated into fully automated postprocessing solutions
  • The 3D printers use an environmentally friendly inorganic binder system for zero emissions during core printing, storage and when using the sand cores in the casting process

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VJET X 3D Printer (Photo: Business Wire)

FRIEDBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--voxeljet AG (NASDAQ: VJET) (the “Company”, or “voxeljet”), a leading provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services to industrial and commercial customers, today announced that it received the follow-up order for three additional units of its new high-speed 3D printer VJET X over the last two months. VJET X 3D printers are made for industrial production: they are 10x faster than previous models and integrated into fully automated postprocessing solutions. The follow-up order comes as part of a frame contract concluded in 2018 between voxeljet, its partners and a leading German car maker.

This follow-up order is a significant milestone in VJETs mission to bring 3D printing into high-volume, industrial production and reaffirms the Company’s message that its new 3D printers are making high volume industial production possible and cost efficient.

Dr. Ingo Ederer, founder and CEO of voxeljet commented: “With this order we reached a significant milestone in our mission to bring 3D printing into high-volume industrial production. This is extremely exciting, as it not only highlights the significance of our technology, but also the confidence this leading German car maker has in the new solution and the players behind it. Together with our partners, we can today offer a solution for the mass production of complex sand cores for light metal parts at, what we believe to be, a fraction of the costs as compared to other players in the additive manufacturing industry. With the new environmental-friendly binder system, there are zero emissions during the casting of the sand cores. The casted, complex light-metal parts can have superior characteristics, such as less weight and new features, and can ultimately help to reduce CO2 emissions substantially.”

About voxeljet

voxeljet’ s (NASDAQ: VJET) roots reach back to the year 1995 with the first successful dosing of UV-resins. In the context of a "hidden" project, initial 3D-printing tests are performed at the Technical University Munich. Our company was founded on May 5, 1999 as a spin-off from TUM in Munich with a clear vision in mind: to establish a new manufacturing standard by developing new generative processes for the series-production of complex components using 3D printing. In the beginning, operations are launched with four employees at the TUM. Today, we are a globally acting, leading provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand 3D printed parts to industrial and commercial customers. Components manufactured with the help of our technology are flying in space, make mobility more efficient and the production of new engineering solutions possible. For more information, visit www.voxeljet.com.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance. Any statements that are not of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as ‘‘believes,’’ ‘‘estimates,’’ ‘‘anticipates,’’ ‘‘expects,’’ ‘‘plans,’’ ‘‘intends,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘might,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘aims,’’ or other similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, assumptions, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, business outlook, the potential application of new technology and new materials and their impact on future business, the industry in which we operate and the trends that may affect the industry or us. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, we caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control and that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations, including those risks identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and in other reports the Company files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

ProJet 4500:

Full Color Plastic 3D Printer The

ProJet 4500 is currently the world's only full color 3D printer capable of printing with plastic. It is able to create parts with excellent surface quality, ready to use flexible and durable colored products. The ProJet 4500 is highly productive and has an intuitive control console.

ProJet 4500 Benefits

  • Capable of producing durable full color plastic models straight from the build chamber without any post-processing.
  • A unique feature of the 3D printer is the ability to print in different colors up to a million shades, and each pixel of the model can have its own color, which gives designers and designers a wide scope for creativity.
  • High print speed.
  • Material savings: ProJet 4500 does not use support materials, model material can be reused for printing.
  • Combination of ergonomics and reliability: The ProJet 4500 fits perfectly in a typical office, it does not require special conditions and is easy to use.
  • Eco-Friendly: This 3D printer does not require a water connection or the use of any chemicals.

Applications

The capabilities of the ProJet 4500 are used in a wide variety of applications. It is actively used by professionals in various industries, wherever it is necessary to obtain high-quality color products in a short time.

ProJet 4500 Applications:

  • design;
  • architecture and construction;
  • fashion industry;
  • production of souvenirs;
  • advertising production and marketing communications;
  • development of consumer goods;
  • health care.

The manufacturer can always be sure of the quality of the printed models. The ProJet 4500 creates durable, full color plastic products.

Printing technology

The ProJet 4500 creates models using CJP technology, which uses two components in its work: the base material of construction and the binder. The build material is spread across the chamber in a thin layer, then the inkjet printheads apply a coloring binder in accordance with a predetermined geometry, which causes the material to harden. The working platform is lowered with each layer applied until the model is completely built.

Using the VisiJet C4 Spectrum material, the ProJet 4500 3D printer allows you to quickly create prototypes that match the original model, transfer its critical characteristics, as well as receive custom-made finished products with high resolution.

Materials

The ProJet 4500 is the first 3D printer in its class to produce full color plastic products using color inkjet technology. The 3D printer uses VisiJet C4 Spectrum acrylate-based heat-curable materials and has a pixel-by-pixel coloring feature that allows you to produce strong, flexible plastic products and paint them in almost one million unique user-selectable colors. If necessary, a simple additional processing can enhance the brightness of the colors.

VisiJet C4 Spectrum is a plastic material with excellent flexibility and strength for long-term testing of concepts, prototypes, and final products. The material is ideal for manufacturers in a wide range of applications requiring wear resistant parts. From homewares and toys to healthcare, science and design accessories.

ProJet 4500 or ProJet 660Pro: Which Should You Choose?

In the 3D hardware market, you can often find machines with similar features. For example, the specifications of the ProJet 4500 3D printer are very similar to the ProJet 660Pro. Which of these 3D printers is best for your needs?

The main difference between these two printers is the materials they use: the 660Pro is a gypsum-based powder, while the 4500 is a resin compound (plastic). Due to the strength of the modeling plastic, the ProJet 4500 is able to print products that are more durable than those made on the plaster 660Pro. However, the detailing of plaster prototypes is better, and the heat resistance is higher, which allows you to create molds with the ProJet 660Pro.

Increased product strength gives the ProJet 4500 a wider range of applications than models built on the 660Pro. Given the quality of the surfaces, the ProJet 4500 3D printer is more versatile and finds application in many areas of manufacturing and design.

Some businesses are successfully using both models of these 3D printers. According to Steve Corey (Objex Unlimited), the ProJet 4500 is the perfect complement to the 660:

“With the ProJet 4500, we can complete any model that would be too complex for the Projet 660Pro. It allows you to create products that are more durable, with thin walls and geometry that is not always available to gypsum.”

Corey also notes that the 4500 is more reliable and does an excellent job of printing thin-walled complex structures for mechanical and architectural needs.

Digging into the internals of the ProJet 4500 3D printer, Steve also commented on the manufacturability of the print head: “The printer runs with virtually no downtime, and the head wears out for a long time, avoiding costly costs.”

Eco-friendly use of 3D printers in the home and industry

Vegetarianism, electric cars, green energy. Increasingly, people are beginning to think about the destructive impact of humanity and production on nature.

Global warming (this is especially noticeable in the last decade), pollution of the world's oceans, garbage dumps, the extinction of some animal species or even entire ecosystems. If you do not start to fight this today, then in a hundred years, hardly anything will remain of the former natural greatness.

3D printing, due to its versatility, helps many scientists and enthusiasts in various fields in solving large and global problems, for the conservation and ecosystems of our still green planet.

Sustainable production

First of all, 3D printers help to make production more environmentally friendly. Using 3D printing instead of traditional manufacturing methods helps reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Air Emission Reduction

Smoke, garbage, gases, toxic fumes are frequent "companions" of traditional production methods. However, they can be significantly reduced or completely eliminated if a 3D printer is working in the workplace or at home.

Mass production versus 3D printing

At first glance, it seems that mass production is less harmful to nature than piece-by-piece production on a 3D printer. But it turned out that this is not entirely true. Joshua Pierce and colleagues traced the life cycle of three household items - an orange juicer, parts from a children's designer and a drainpipe segment.


Joshua Pierce Scientist at Michigan Technological University USA

It turned out that the production of, at first glance, such ordinary household items consumes a huge amount of resources - the extraction of raw materials and their processing, production, storage and delivery to the final consumer. In mass production, stamping or casting is usually used, after which plastic scraps are sure to remain.

3D printing can significantly reduce the production chain, and consequently, energy costs (by about 40-60%). After all, 3D printing (provided that the client has his own printer) does not require delivery - it is enough to send a digital 3D model. Printing can be more accurate and leave less plastic waste behind. A 3D printer can even produce hollow or lattice parts that are technically impossible to mass-produce by injection molding or moulding.

Reduced fuel consumption

In the world, more and more manufacturers of cars and motorcycles are beginning to develop the direction of electric motors. There are new and more affordable electric vehicles, the infrastructure for the maintenance of electrical engineering is developing. Many countries set themselves the goal of reducing the use of fossil fuels as much as possible in the near future.


3D Printed Strati Electric Vehicle

But unfortunately, abandoning fossil fuels in the next few decades is a utopia. But 3D printing is already helping to at least reduce the amount of fuel consumed. This is achieved due to the maximum lightening of the weight of both the machine itself and the mechanical components of the internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine).

Engine hood hinge, 3D printed on the left and sheet metal on the right

Sustainable production

3D printing helps not only to reduce industrial emissions into the atmosphere, but also helps to find and implement new ideas. After all, each owner of a 3D printer can himself model and manufacture a device or object that, in his opinion, will help to resist climate change.

Eco glasses

Disposable plastic cups are a headache for environmentalists around the world. According to statistics, the average person uses a plastic cup for 15 minutes, and it will take from 400 to 450 years to decompose in the garbage.

Plastic, due to its properties, is difficult to replace, especially in the food industry, but some enthusiasts are trying to do it. Jun Aizaki thinks he can solve this problem with pumpkins.


HyO-Cups or natural cups

Even prehistoric people adapted to use bottle gourds as reservoirs for water. Thanks to the 3D printed shapes, you can give almost any shape to a growing pumpkin.


gourd in the form of a jug

Animal rescue

3D printers are actively helping our smaller brothers. In addition to medical uses such as prosthetics, 3D printing helps preserve and restore entire ecosystems.

Animal prostheses

The biggest challenge in animal prosthetics is the creation of an often miniaturized but lightweight and precise prosthesis. Manually or by other methods, this is sometimes impossible. In this case, the only way out is 3D printing.

Curano Cat

Curano the cat lived a full life for 9 years, delighting his owners, until he got cancer. Curano's owners did everything possible to save their pet and although the cancer receded, Curano's back left leg was badly damaged. Amputation of the leg could create new problems and it was decided to try to replace the patella with an implant.


The miniature implant was 3D printed from a cobalt-chromium alloy using DMLS (Direct Laser Sintering) technology. It was impossible to manufacture by any other means, because the implant must not only be miniature and durable, but also completely repeat the complex relief for high-quality integration into the bone.

Holly horse

Holly is a ten year old mare who suffered from laminitis.

Laminitis is a disease of artiodactyls resulting from poor circulation of the hoof plates. Due to laminitis, Holly experienced severe pain in her legs, not only when walking, but also when standing.

Veterinarian Luke Wells-Smith heard of successful attempts to make custom titanium horseshoes for racing horses.

3D printed titanium horseshoes

The guys from the Australian National Science Center were imbued with Holly's misfortune and decided to help. In collaboration with a equine orthopedist, special horseshoes were created for Holly. They made it possible to lighten the hoof and more evenly distribute the load on the legs.

Holly's hoof scan

The new shoes helped Holly start not only walking without pain, but also running.

Akut sea turtle

The collision with the propeller of the boat was unfortunate for the Akut-3 sea turtle. Most of the upper and lower jaws were missing. This meant almost guaranteed slow death for the tortoise, but she was lucky.

The Tortoise Research and Rehabilitation Research and Rehabilitation Center, where the turtle ended up, turned to the Turkish company Btech, which specializes in medical 3D printing. Btech was able to scan and fabricate the missing part of the Akut jaw from titanium.


3D model of the prosthesis for Akut on the left and the finished prosthesis on the right

The surgeons succeeded in implanting the turtle's titanium jaw, and after a successful rehabilitation, it can be released into the wild.

Turtle with denture in place

Cleopatra tortoise

Nicola Novelli picked up and left a small land tortoise. But due to malnutrition, the shell of the turtle, Nicola called her Cleopatra, was deformed (had the shape of a pyramid) and thinned. If the shell had cracked, then Cleopatra could have died from an infection.


Cleopatra's deformed, pyramidal shell

Nicola approached Colorado Tech University with a request to make a prosthesis for Cleopatra. Specialists from the university and a 3D printing company in Denver scanned and produced a shell overlay from polylactide, a biodegradable, biocompatible polymer. Due to the complex relief of the shell, the model had to be printed in parts.


Cleopatra with escutcheon

Since Cleopatra is still a teenager and will continue to grow with age, the “prosthesis” will have to be changed periodically.

Hermit crab houses

In the wild, it's bad to be small and weak. But hermit crabs were able to adapt and use empty shells of gastropod mollusks as a reliable shelter.


Hermit crabs

Due to the pollution of the beaches, many hermit crabs, in search of a new "house", fell into deadly traps from plastic bags, bottles, canisters and died. And natural shelters are becoming less and less. Hermit crabs have to use plastic garbage, which is not at all suitable for this.


Hermit crabs use rubbish as a home

Some enthusiasts are trying to help the unfortunate crustaceans and are trying to make them a worthy replacement house.

For example, MakerBot employees created the project "Shelter", where they offer anyone who wants to design a 3D model of a shelter for a hermit crab. The best works will be 3D printed and tested by crayfish.


From concept to implementation of 3D printed crayfish houses

But the Japanese artist Aki Yamomata, inspired by the idea of ​​a peaceful exchange of land between countries, implemented a project of printed transparent houses for hermit crabs in the form of small towns.

Cancer in a new home made with photopolymer printer

To make sure that the new inhabitants liked the houses, they were based on tomographic images of shells, finalized in a 3D editor. Finished models are made from transparent resin on a photopolymer printer.

Conservation and support of ecosystems

In addition to prosthetics, 3D printing helps, although not to avoid some environmental disasters, but at least to slow them down. And this can give scientists more time to figure out the reasons and reach out to people.

Great Barrier Reef

It is the largest and oldest coral reef in the world. It is so huge that it can be seen from space (the area of ​​the Great Barrier Reef is about 344,400 square kilometers). In addition, corals are home to many species of fish and other marine life.


Great Barrier Reef from space

But despite its gigantic size, it is endangered. Due to rising water temperatures, pollution of the world's oceans and climate change, the endosymbiotic algae that give the corals their bright color are slowly dying out.

Scientists from the University of Sydney are using 3D scanning and 3D printing to save the Great Barrier Reef. Using 3D scanning, a detailed map of the reef was built. With it, you can track and predict the most vulnerable places.

Using a 3D printer, scientists are making a variety of structures that can support the Great Barrier Reef. For example, sections are printed that serve as a home for algae-eating fish that kill corals. Previously, special blocks or prepared, sunken ships were used for this purpose, but 3D printing makes it possible to imitate the natural structure of the reef much more accurately.

Sandcrete mix artificial reef

Restoring dead ecosystems

Scientists plan to use this technology not only to maintain existing ecosystems, but also to restore those that have disappeared. After all, to date, about a third of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed.

Thanks to 3D printing, there is a chance to at least slightly improve the situation. Using the new Modular Artificial Reef Structures (MARS for short) technology, scientists are trying to introduce 3D printed structures that can become a home for reefs.


Artificial "reef" on the left - recently installed, on the right - after some time

The advantage of such block structures is the ease of installation. Indeed, for their immersion and installation, cranes or other equipment are not required. Several divers can deliver them to the bottom in separate blocks. Each block has hollow sections that are filled with rebar and special concrete for durability.

Modular system installed

One of the largest 3D printed "coral reefs" has already been placed in the Maldives.

Waste reduction

In addition to restoring ecosystems, it is necessary to reduce household waste emissions. And here 3D printing becomes a valuable assistant.

Cora Ball

Cora Ball is a development of the Rozalia Project. The Cora Ball is a small plastic ball that picks up the microfibers that spill from our clothes during the wash. This way, dirt and fibers that may have entered waterways and oceans will remain in the bin. After all, these microparticles can be eaten by fish and other animals.

Prototype Cora Ball

Although mass production was planned to be done by molding, the first batches and prototypes of Cora Ball were made on a 3D printer.

The second life of broken things

Any mechanism wears out and fails over time. Often, to restore the working capacity of the mechanism, it is enough to make a small plastic part. So thanks to 3D printing, many things do not end up in a landfill, further polluting our planet, but get a second life.

RU machine

Radio-controlled cars have long become not only children's toys. Many adults do not mind remembering their childhood and racing on an impromptu track.


RU machine

The weak point of all RC machines is the plastic suspension. For expensive replica models, you can almost always find spare parts, but for rare or Chinese models, they are not.

Instead of throwing away an almost working toy, you can make a broken element on a 3D printer. When modeling, you can even increase the strength of the part by adding stiffeners in weak places.

1/18 scale car rear hub

Some enthusiasts 3D print the entire chassis. This makes it easy to replace broken elements and quickly refine and correct design flaws.


3D printed RC car chassis

The second life of the meat grinder

Even such seemingly eternal things as a metal meat grinder can break. The most annoying thing is that a part that does not have a strong load has broken.

Clamping nut for a meat grinder, made on a 3D printer

A variety of materials allows you to print on a 3D printer a replacement for almost any plastic part. It can be a gear for a blender, a plastic handle for a washing machine and much more.

In some situations, when the model is rare and old, there are no even original used spare parts. 3D printing allows you to give your favorite home appliance many more years of life, instead of rotting in a landfill.

Vehicle seal

Sometimes a small, cheap piece breaks in an important node. But the manufacturer sells the necessary spare part only in the collection. Because of this, you have to not only overpay for the necessary part, but also throw away the unnecessary, albeit almost working, mechanism.


Washer nozzle for Toyota Avensis - 3D printed on the left, original on the right

A 3D printer becomes a “lifesaver” if you need to make a spare part that is already difficult or impossible to get. For example, this part is no longer produced, but the BU option could not be found, or delivery will cost more than the part itself.

Green energy

The transition to green energy is an important step in reducing emissions of greenhouse (and not only) gases into the atmosphere.

Wind energy

Wind energy is a renewable and “clean” energy source. Despite some disadvantages (variability of wind power and therefore uneven power generation), it is promising for some countries. For example, in Denmark, in 2019, windmills generated 48% of the electricity consumed.

There are several options for wind turbines - with a vertical and horizontal axis of rotation.

Main types of wind turbines

Vertical-axial wind turbines have a lower efficiency compared to horizontal-axial ones, but their use requires that the wind speed be more than 6 m/s. In Russia, the average annual wind speed does not exceed 5 m/s, so wind turbines with a vertical axis are more often used.

Home wind turbine

In Russia, "clean" energy sources are not very popular because of their high price. 3D printing helps enthusiasts design and build low-cost models of wind turbines.


3D Printed Home Wind Turbine

In an apartment building, there is hardly a place where a wind generator will be effective, but for example, in a country house, it can be a good helper in case of a power outage.

Wind turbine production optimization

An industrial wind generator is a complex mechanism of gigantic size.


Industrial wind turbine blade

Using only 3D modeling techniques, it can be difficult to correctly calculate all parameters. Thanks to 3D printers, it is possible to create a miniature copy of a wind turbine and test it in a wind tunnel. This helps to optimize and refine the design of wind generators, making them more efficient.


Prototype wind turbine being tested in wind tunnel

And some companies offer to print towers for wind turbines on a 3D printer. GE Renewable Energy, 3D printing specialists COBOD and LafargeHolcim (a manufacturer of cement and other building materials) have teamed up to develop the world's tallest wind turbine towers. This will reduce the cost of installing wind turbines and make them higher (200 meters instead of 100) than from other materials.


3D printed wind turbine tower

After all, the higher the wind generator, the more electricity it can generate in a year. For example, a 5 MW turbine at a height of 80 meters will generate approximately 15.1 GWh per year. The same turbine at a height of 160 meters - 20.2 GWh per year, which is 30% more.

Solar energy

Solar energy is obtained using special panels, consisting of photovoltaic cells, in which a series of physical and chemical processes take place under the influence of sunlight. There are several types of solar cells - monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous (flexible, film).


In Russia, solar panels are not very common due to the unprofitability of use in high latitudes.

Currently, developments are underway for the production of panels on a 3D printer, but the main use of 3D printing in solar energy is to print prototypes and accessories for panels.

Accessories for solar panels

South Dakota-based Peppermint Energy created FORTY2. FORTY2 is a portable solar panel with enough power to run a laptop, lighting, etc.


For the production of a prototype case, 3D printing was used on an industrial Stratasys printer. Thanks to 3D printing, it was possible to quickly produce several functional prototypes of the case and remove all the flaws.


For example, the first version of FORTY was too bulky and inconvenient to transport. The original design was greatly simplified. The use of a 3D printer has reduced production costs by about $250,000.

Hydropower

Most renewable energy sources (solar, wind) are fickle. Electricity obtained in this way must be “stabilized” - stored in batteries.

Water in this regard is more predictable. Industrial hydroelectric power plants have a number of disadvantages. For example, flood risk, desertification, human migration, etc. Small hydro-generators, in general, are devoid of the shortcomings of their industrial counterparts and do not have such a devastating effect on the environment.

Vortex turbine

The Belgian startup team Turbulent is trying to create a compact hydroelectric generator that is enough to provide electricity to 1-2 private houses. This will help people who are far from the power grid to provide their homes with electricity using the energy of streams or small rivers.


Hydro generator prototype from Turbulent

To make the turbine more accessible and cheaper, 3D printing has been chosen as a manufacturing method. According to statistics, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity networks, even more residents have constant power outages and are forced to use other, not environmentally friendly, energy sources (for example, gasoline / diesel generators).

River turbine

Ted Christopher spent several years developing a prototype river turbine capable of generating electricity without impacting the environment. The result of his developments was the Volturn system, named after the god of the river in Greek mythology.

The Volturn has a horizontal design that generates power and deflects river debris such as rocks, plants or logs.

The prototype was 3D printed and tested in local rivers. 5 turbines combined into a single system will be able to provide electricity to about 40 houses.

Plastic recycling

Plastic. Its properties, for the modern world, become both a salvation and a curse for the environment. On the one hand, plastic products are light and durable, you do not need to spend a lot of time on their manufacture. At the same time, not all types of plastic can be recycled. On average, a plastic product can decompose from 400 to 700 years, and unfortunately plastic rots not only in landfills, but also pollutes nature and the oceans.

Filament recycling

During 3D printing, plastic debris is inevitably left behind. These can be model supports or broken products, during the printing of which something went wrong.


3D printing failed

But used plastic can be shredded, mixed with fresh pellets, and reused (as long as the plastic is not biodegradable). In this case, 3D printing becomes almost waste-free.

On the Internet, you can find many options for home machines for the production of plastic thread. It can be a self-assembly machine, partially printed on a 3D printer.


Home self-assembly filament machine

Or a finished machine made at the factory. Pellets for plastic production can be easily ordered online.


Home filament machine

Plastic bottle filament

In addition to recycling used filament, enthusiasts have learned to print even from plastic bottles.

Learn more