September 2019

47 www.drivesncontrols.com September 2019 Slimline bearings move the 3D printer’s extruder with a high degree of precision. Come and learn! Looking for answers on your IIoT journey? + Buy this starter kit for only £250* when you attend one of these two events * (normally £370) SPECIAL OFFER! Register online today - www.flexthink-seminars.biz Who should attend? Those responsible for business development or in a technical role. Cost This event is FREE to attend, but places are going quickly! Dates & Locations 15th October - National Conference Centre, Birmingham, B92 0EJ 17th October - Cedar Court Hotel, Huddersfield, HD3 3RH Schedule 9.00 - 13.00 Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided For further information please contact MAC Solutions T: 01527 529 774 E: sales@mac-solutions.co.uk www.mac-solutions.net Book on one of our FREE TECHNOLOGY SEMINARS! make the printing process as accurate as possible, it is crucial that the two print heads are perfectly aligned, even at fast speeds,”explains Zielke.“To avoid shocks during printing, the support of the print bed must also be constructed so that it is completely stable. In addition, since the mechanism for raising and lowering the print heads is such a visible interface between the user and machine, it was important to us that the linear guide looked and felt high-quality.” While the AIM3D engineers were aiming to cut the cost of additive manufacturing dramatically, they did not want to compromise on quality. However, finding the right combination of functions at an acceptable price proved a challenge. They looked at several suppliers of linear guidance systems but nothing met their demands until they looked at HepcoMotion’s portfolio of guides and bearings. “There was not much space in the printer and the guides are subjected to considerable loads under high acceleration, while still needing to work reliably and accurately,”recalls Hepco sales representative, Mark Völkers, who advised the AIM3D team on the most appropriate products for their application. He suggested using slimline bearings and NV20 slides from Hepco’s GV3 linear guidance system. Absolute precision The bearings are mounted directly to the printer heads. Together with the slides, they ensure that the heads move up and down with absolute precision at speeds of up to 2.5m/s. X-Y movement is achieved using three ballscrews; two on the X-axis, and one on the Y- axis. The print heads’Z movement is achieved using two ballscrews. The bearings can be adjusted to remove any play that develops as a result of wear. Being able to re-adjust the bearings rather than having to dismantle and change the linear guides and the bearings, saves time and money.“The ability to adjust and re-adjust was extremely important for us since even the smallest deviations in the range of microns are unacceptable in the end-product,”Zielke explains. The guidance systems’self-cleaning action was also an important factor in an environment where dirt and debris are a constant presence. The guides’V shape means that dirt particles are constantly pushed away as the bearings move during the printing process. This ensures a long system life, even in dirty environments like the 3D printer. Prototypes of AIM3D’s 3D printing machines have been well received, particularly from for automotive industry processes where glass-fibre-filled plastics are commonly used. Margins are low in this sector and there is a constant need to adapt. The new 3D printer that is no longer dependent on its own ecosystem, but works with readily available, standardised materials and tools, offers the potential to cut the costs of additive manufacturing significantly. n