Italian engineering service bureau adds the F900 to its existing FDM capability to serve the production needs of rail, mobility and drones

Leading additive manufacturing solutions provider Stratasys today announced the sale of its large-scale F900 3D Printer to one of Italy’s leading engineering service bureaus, 3DnA SRL. Having successfully used its existing Fortus 450mc 3D Printer for both prototyping and end-use parts applications for several years, the investment in the F900 will enable 3DnA to expand its production capabilities and address the needs of new markets in transportation, including trains, buses, coaches and drones. These include both the production of large-scale tools and final parts.

Building upon the success of FDM

Over the last three years, 3DnA has been highly active in leveraging additive manufacturing for the design and production of both polymers and metals. The company has witnessed strong business growth of over 50% in industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, consumer goods, and security. 3DnA has also completed several high-level collaborative research and development projects having created a dedicated joint-lab (AMUV = Additive Manufacturing Under Vesuvius) together with the Center of Advanced Metrology and Technology Services (CeSMA) of Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.

According to Alessandro Manzo, General Director, 3DnA, the use of Stratasys FDM additive manufacturing to date has provided a strong foundation for the business.

“Our Fortus 450mc has proved to be an indispensable workhorse, enabling us to serve our customers’ applications needs in both design and production,” he says. “It gives us access to a range of advanced production-grade thermoplastics, such as ULTEMTM 9085 resin, which have strengthened our manufacturing capabilities and allowed us to meet the stringent requirements of several high-performance industries. We’ve produced 3D printed parts for aircraft cabins and luxury car interiors, right through to bio-compatible surgical guides for experimental spinal prosthesis.”

While satisfied with its current rate of growth, 3DnA is always looking to the future and has set its eyes on several new market opportunities – the key driver behind its investment in the new F900 3D Printer.

“We see great application opportunities where the requirements for low-volume production and customization make additive manufacturing compelling,” explains Alessandro. “We have already produced working prototypes for trains and drones, but to date we’ve unfortunately been unable to service customer requests for large-scale tooling and production parts”.

“The F900 opens those doors again, enabling us to cost-effectively create customized parts up to a meter long, while accessing an increased range of high-performance materials,” he continues. “Combining our in-house design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) and simulation capabilities, together with best-in-class printers such as the F900, our engineers are able to offer innovative production solutions to customers seeking to exploit the full potential of additive manufacturing.”

In fact, 3DnA has already secured new business with one rail customer to produce a range of customized tools for maintenance works on train carriages, and is also in active discussions with drone manufacturers as a result of the company’s expanded production capability.

The F900 is a large-scale production 3D printer featuring a build size of 914.4 x 609.6 x 914.4 mm, while offering extremely high print accuracy and repeatability. The system is capable of printing in 14 engineering-grade thermoplastics, including a range of ABS and Polycarbonate materials, as well as carbon-filled Nylon 12CF, AnteroTM 800NA, and ULTEMTM 9085 & 1010 resins. It also integrates with leading Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for smart factory connectivity through the MTConnect technical standard.

Giuseppe Cilia, Italy Sales Manager, Stratasys, concludes: “The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates how manufacturers can benefit from the agility provided by additive manufacturing. The installation of the F900 exemplifies the strong appetite we’re seeing from manufacturers and service bureaus such as 3DnA, who are seeking to invest in industrial-level 3D printing technology that can expand production capabilities, deliver much needed efficiencies, and help drive increased profitability.”
www.stratasys.com

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