Two new 3D printers from startup Nanofabrica are capable of printing at the micron level. This allows printing much more precise parts than was possible with previous technology.
The company is launching The Workshop System and The Industrial System, both capable of printing at micron resolution. The Workshop Systems is aimed at printing prototypes and products in small runs, while The Industrial System, with its 5 by 5 by 10cm print bed, is aimed at mass production of precision parts.
Divergent applications
With the new printers, Nanofabrica is targeting the production of various products. These include the printing of electronics components, such as connectors and housings. These parts are getting smaller and smaller, requiring increasingly precise production technologies. Nanofabrica's technology enables 3D printing of these components.
Nanofabrica also focuses on printing optical components. Development and production time and costs are a major limiting factor in the production of such elements, according to the startup. With its new 3D printers, Nanofabrica expects to reduce the production time of such components from months to days, allowing it to reduce production costs by a factor of 50.
The technology can also be used to print extremely precise moulds or moulds containing very small details. Nanofabrica claims that moulds printed with its 3D printers can withstand tens to thousands of injection cycles. As a result, moulds need to be replaced less frequently, allowing customers to produce parts at higher speeds at significantly lower costs.
ABS, PP and Ceramics
The Workshop System and The Industrial System are capable of printing a variety of materials. They include:
- ABS - a widely used material suitable for printing prototypes, optical components and microelectronics, among others.
- PP - a strong material with excellent mechanical properties used in a variety of industries, including for producing electronics components and sensors.
- Ceramics - a material incorporating ceramics. Nanofabrica previously reported having successfully printed material consisting of 80% ceramic. Currently, the startup's R&D department is working on a material composed of almost 100% ceramic that can be printed at a resolution of 1 micron.
Shift towards miniaturisation
"There is a steady shift towards miniaturisation, with many applications requiring extreme levels of micron- and sub-micron-level accuracy on macro- and micro-components, and there is a lot of potential for an AM (ed: Additive Manufacturing) platform that can support this trend," Jon Donner, CEO of Nanofabrica, told 3D Printing Industry in a comment.
Prices of The Workshop System and The Industrial System have not been disclosed. More information can be requested via Nanofabrica's website.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Nanofabrica
