The ExOne Company (Nasdaq: XONE), the global leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, today announced the launch of a new desanding station for use with the industrial S-Max® and S-Max Pro™ sand 3D printers, the company’s most popular family of printers.
The new desanding station features two vacuum-powered wings that flank the job box and help easily remove excess sand as the build platform rises and parts are removed from the job box. The semi-automatic system is ideal for printers processing furan and CHP binders with fine or coarse grain silica sands or Cerabeads®, a premium ceramic foundry sand.
This newest accessory dramatically improves throughput times by up to 50% and reduces costs associated with removing sand molds, cores and other parts from the job box. Additionally, it enhances the cleanliness of the production environment and simplifies the capture of used sand for reuse.
“Following on the heels of the ExOne Scout app, our new desanding station is another step forward as we work to deliver smart, complete and sustainable 3D printing solutions for our customers,” said John Hartner, ExOne’s CEO. “We have an exciting new portfolio of automation solutions in development and on the way for our industrial sand and metal 3D printers.”
Product in Use at Swiss Production Foundry
The new desanding station is being successfully used by Eisengiesserei Mezger AG, an iron foundry in Switzerland that is part of Camponovo Holding AG and produces about 2,500 metric tons of cast parts each year. A video demonstrating use of the system can be viewed here.
Mezger is also using the new desanding accessory with a number of other features that simplifies production, including a Fluidmatic material supply system, and the Jobmatic automatic jobbox replacement function.
“It was very important to us that ExOne supplied us with an almost completely automated printing system. Switzerland is a country with high salaries, so it is worthwhile to invest in automation technology,” said Silvio Camponovo, CEO of Eisengiesserei Mezger AG.