Rapid Prototyping | Additive Manufacturing

RAPID PROTOTYPING

Short time-to-market

With 3D rapid prototyping, design errors can be detected at an early stage. The development time and thus the time-to-market is shortened, the design and product quality is improved and your flexibility increases.

Experience in Additive Manufacturing

Turn our experience and versatility of the various additive manufacturing processes to your advantage! Depending on the application, surface finish, accuracy, quantity, or material, we will determine the appropriate 3D printing process. Whether demonstration models, prototypes for functional testing, pilot series or exclusive small series for field tests, we support you in the development process and manufacture prototypes according to 3D data sets: Fast, cost-effective and tailored to your needs. The findings from the tests and pilot series flow directly into the development and subsequent tool making. This in turn guarantees a short time-to-market and massively reduces costs.

Stereolithography (SLA) Plastics

Additive manufacturing SLA uses a liquid starting material (resin) which is solidified by irradiation with laser light. The 3D prototypes have high accuracy, detail resolution and a smooth surface. This makes them suitable for functional and fit testing and when design is the primary concern. The process requires support structures and is more expensive and slower relative to the SLS process.

High accuracy

High-precision functional models

Selective laser sintering (SLS) plastics

The 3D printing rapid prototyping process SLS uses a powdery starting material (plastic, wax, sand) and builds the desired shape by fusing. In this process, the laser is activated at the desired location, thus melting the starting material and re-solidifying it by cooling. Since no support structures are needed, very complex shapes can be printed. SLS is cost-effective and suitable for prototypes, functional tests and pre-production runs. Material properties are strong and light, but the surface is rough and exact tolerances cannot be achieved.

For complex shapes

For functional tests and pre-series

Fused Deposition Modeling (FFF / FDM) Plastics

In the FFF/FDM 3D printing process, a solid filament is used as the starting material (ABS, PLS, PETG, etc.), which is melted in the print head and then built up in liquid form, layer by layer, to form the desired part in the printing chamber. The process is suitable for early functional tests that are to be produced cheaply and quickly. The surface is rough (staircase effect) and, in contrast to SLS, needs a support structure depending on the shape.

Cheap and fast

Coarse surface

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) Plastic

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is a powder-based 3D printing process with high density and lower porosity compared to laser sintering. It can produce high-precision parts with smooth surfaces that closely resemble an injection-molded part. The powder particles to be fused are sprayed with a heat-conducting liquid (agent), heated and thus fused.

Gehäuse im Multi Jet Fusion 3D Druckverfahren

High-precision parts with smooth surfaces

High stability and load capacity

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Metal

A thin layer of metal powder is selectively melted by a laser, building up the mold layer by layer. Metal laser sintering can achieve shapes that have more complex structures, unlike milling from solid material. Due to its higher strength, the 3D printing process is suitable for prototypes with higher quality requirements or small series.

Complex structures possible

For small and pilot series

Milling and turning of aluminum solid material

As an alternative to metal laser sintering (MLS), in the case of die-cast aluminum housings, it is possible to mill the housing prototypes from solid aluminum for field tests or pilot series. We have a large machine park for this purpose. This process has the advantage over MLS in that high tolerances and fine surfaces can be achieved. It is also faster and less expensive. The material properties are close to the series product.