Zortrax Endureal: The new industrial 3D printer


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The latest third-generation Zortrax Endureal industrial 3D printer allows for advanced production with high-performance filaments.

Zortrax Endureal: The new industrial 3D printer for high temperature polymers

The latest third-generation Zortrax Endureal industrial 3D printer allows for advanced production with high-performance filaments. 3D devices have been divided into a generation based on their design and specificity of operation. The first generation relies on room temperature performance, while the second generation introduces a closed printing chamber that can reach a temperature of around 80 °C.

Zortrax Endureal: The new industrial 3D printer for high temperature polymers

The third generation of 3D printers offers advanced thermal management capabilities. The user can precisely define the temperature of the printing chamber up to 200 ° C. In 2019, Manuel Garcia-Leiner, one of the leaders in the 3D printing industry, proposed to divide 3D printers into three generations. It fits perfectly with the latest Zortrax Endureal printer. It is an industrial grade printer designed for printing with advanced materials.

Temperature management solutions

The Zortrax Endureal 3D printer is designed for the industrial sector. It allows printing with high-temperature materials such as Z-PEI 9085 or PEEK, which offer excellent properties comparable to metal alloys, having lower density and weight. Printing with advanced materials requires trouble-free operation of device components and excellent conditions for printing at very high temperatures. Zortrax Endureal will be able to print at a temperature of up to 480 ° C and will maintain a stable temperature of 200 ° C in the printing chamber.

Zortrax engineers had to very carefully select materials and components for the Zortrax Endureal printer, as well as carefully consider the principles governing the printer's processes. For this reason, the Endureal 3D printer has been designed around three thermally insulated zones: the printing chamber, the extruder chamber and the filament chamber. Thanks to advanced technological solutions, maintaining a constant temperature in one zone has a minimal impact on the other two. The temperature difference between the chambers can reach over 100 ° C. It also enabled the user to precisely regulate the temperature at three key points in the printing process, namely the extruder, the printing platform and the printing chamber. This allows you to get the best performance when printing with high-temperature materials.

Zortrax Endureal

Performance under control

The Zortrax Endureal printer allows you to maintain full control over each stage of printing a model and the condition of hardware components. The printer is equipped with a number of sensors that allow it to monitor the operation of key parts during printing. The proven Blackout Response System in previous Zortrax M Plus and M300 Dual printers allows you to save the printing progress when a power failure is detected. This system allows you to recover the exact position of the collector and continue printing from the same place. The user can constantly monitor the progress of printing by checking the image from the built-in, heat-resistant camera in real time.

Zortrax Endureal Performance under control

The printer is equipped with many sensors that are responsible for detecting filament problems, which means that the user will be immediately notified of a filament jam or missing filament. Temperature sensors ensure trouble-free operation by preventing the printer from overheating. The printer also has capacitive and optical sensors that accurately measure the position of hardware components. The filament zone creates a closed environment with the most optimal temperature and lowered humidity levels that are suitable for storing materials with high hygroscopicity. To ensure uninterrupted and efficient printing with advanced fibers, the Zortrax Endureal 3D printer has been equipped with all safety measures.

Comprehensive processes for high-temperature materials

When printing from high-temperature materials, specific pre- and post-printing treatment is required. In addition to the printing process, which must take place with appropriate thermal parameters, the material processing has been limited to two stages, which help to achieve the desired printing results and the final properties of the models. The first is to dry the filament. It should be done before printing to reduce the amount of moisture in the material, which, if not removed, could adversely affect the thermal and mechanical properties of the printed model.

The finished prints undergo a controlled process in which they are heated to their glass transition temperature (below the melting point), held at this temperature for a while, and then slowly cooled down. This process dissipates the stresses accumulated in the models during the printing process and significantly improves the physical and mechanical properties without changing their original shape. Both of these procedures are performed in the main Endureal chamber and have dedicated menu options. The solutions introduced in this industrial 3D printer have made the processing of demanding filaments as easy as working with standard ABS or PLA. With very little effort to process the material, users can simply start printing and over time remove supports from the printed model.

Supports in a double extruder

Supports in a double extruder

The Zortrax Endureal 3D printer has been designed to process filaments with exceptional strength and increased mechanical properties. This required a thoughtful solution. The printer couldn't just use the same material for both models and supports. This would generate unnecessary costs and make the post-processing of the model difficult. Therefore, the printer has been equipped with a double embossing system, which allows the user to print supports.

Breakaway and soluble materials have been thoroughly tested. They are designed to facilitate 3D printing with all types of supported filaments. The support materials can withstand high temperatures and provide adequate stability to the models. In addition, the adhesion during printing is even better thanks to the aluminum construction platform covered with PEI foil. The platform maintains very good mechanical properties in a wide temperature range, even 220 ° C.

Zortrax Endureal Breakaway and soluble materials

Many industrial uses

The Zortrax Endureal 3D printer is compatible with the Z-PEI 9085 filament, which is designed for high temperature printing. This material is used in the aviation industry, where it is used by the world's leading manufacturers to print fireproof elements of the interior of aircraft. It has thermal and mechanical properties comparable to aluminum 6061. Z-PEI 9085 has also been used in the space industry. The cubesat structural frame made of the same polyetherimide blend as we use in Z-PEI 9085 has successfully passed the vibration tests necessary for space clearance. Z-PEI 9085 is also one of the few 3D printing materials that has been approved for use on board the International Space Station due to its low FST (flame, smoke, toxicity) and good degassing test results.

Zortrax Endureal Many industrial uses

Another material that the space industry has already tested is PEEK. Components made of this polymer have been tested in a variety of conditions, including low Earth orbit environments outside of the International Space Station. The samples showed minimal degradation under vacuum or exposure to radiation and extreme temperature changes. Therefore, scientists were able to adapt PEEK printed structural elements with very good properties in terms of strength, stability and temperature resistance to their work. PEEK materials are also biocompatible, which opens up the possibility of 3D printing of fully functional, implantable medical devices.

Zortrax Endureal is an innovative machine that fits perfectly into all of the above-mentioned industries and areas. It can perform all the necessary procedures required to process high-performance filaments, from drying and printing to annealing, and offers ease of use and versatility. Most importantly, in most cases, users can perform maintenance and servicing themselves without voiding the warranty, greatly reducing downtime as there is no need to wait for qualified service technicians. Thus, it is a unique solution, precisely tailored to the needs of the advanced technology industry.

Source: zortrax.com