TÜV SÜD, commissioned by the LEHVOSS Group and Ultimaker, has certified the 3D printing process in the combination of LUVOCOM® 3F filament and Ultimaker printer. This includes the material properties, the test specimen production - including the dimensional tolerances, the production of the filament and the printing process. Furthermore, emissions during the printing process were measured.
In all points, the printing process meets the requirements set by TÜV SÜD. The test basis "Reproducible 3DP construction process" references existing and emerging 3D printing standards. This makes the tested LUVOCOM 3F Filament PAHT® 9825 NT, a non-reinforced high-performance polyamide, and the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, the world's first system certified by TÜV SÜD in the field of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF).
Based on its more than 30 materials for FFF to date, the LEHVOSS Group offers four materials as its own filament. The certification of all four filament variants is being worked on. The focus is on the development, production and distribution of materials which are sold in filament form by well-known established manufacturers under their own brands.
"This is an important step for the industrialisation and scalability of FFF. The certified system increases security in parts production and is intended to accelerate the equal use of 3D printing with already established production processes such as injection moulding," says Dr. Thiago Medeiros Araujo, Business Development LUVOCOM 3F. "We are proud to be the first filament supplier in the world with this certification".
"We are delighted to have received this certificate from TÜV SÜD and look forward to further cooperation with the LEHVOSS Group" says Jos Burger, Managing Director at Ultimaker. "This certificate proves that components printed with the Ultimaker S5 Pro bundle and LUVOCOM 3F PAHT 9825 NT can be produced accurately and reproducibly. Many of our customers attach great importance to this, especially when it comes to demanding applications with technical materials. We are delighted that our customers have access to this sophisticated production process".
"The certification of the reproducible 3DP building process is a decisive milestone on the way to competitive production using 3D printers. The test basis, with the standards behind it, will help all market participants to see the difference between 3D printing for prototyping and 3D printing for production purposes. The certified reproducible printing process helps users in particular to reduce technology integration costs. Minimising integration costs for production purposes creates more willingness to integrate and trust. We hope that it will benefit many applications and industries for cost-transparent, safe and high-quality implementation", says Gregor Reischle, Head of Additive Manufacturing at TÜV SÜD.
"Many of our industrial customers want to further establish and scale additive manufacturing. The cost and efficiency benefits are to be exploited not only in the typical application areas of rapid prototyping or rapid tooling. Above all, small-batch production and spare parts production are becoming increasingly relevant, so that ensuring high accuracy and reproducibility of components is crucial for an optimal production process. We are therefore all the more pleased that with the TÜV SÜD-certified FFF system, we will be able to offer our customers a solution that provides proof of reproducibility and traceability of product quality, thus enabling many more fields of application", comments Athanassios Kotrotsios, Managing Director of IGO3D GmbH, one of the leading distribution companies for 3D printers and accessories.