Just as Stratasys was starting to get into the 3D Systems home lawn, 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) is taking such a step with the introduction of a fused-filament 3D printer called the Roadrunner. Roadrunner was developed in collaboration with contract manufacturer Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL) and is based on what the partners call High Speed Fusion (HSF). They claim that “[t]Thanks to advanced electrical motion control, this unique system operates at speeds and levels of precision that go well beyond current state-of-the-art production platforms. It has a “temperature capability and available building areas that are larger than those of the competing systems”. With this, 3D Systems and Jabil are targeting the aerospace and automotive industries.
“With the introduction of our high-speed fusion filament printer, 3D Systems is building on the organizational focus we took on in 2020 and expanding our presence in growing markets that require highly reliable products such as aerospace and automotive,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President and CEO, 3D Systems. “Our investments in this solution and the collaboration with Jabil enable our customers to increase productivity and performance through additive manufacturing with a hardware, software and material platform that is specially tailored to the requirements and requirements of an industrial environment. The value proposition we believe compelling will open new markets for our company valued at over $ 400 million, with the promise of new markets beyond these current opportunities as the economics of this new technology platform are fully demonstrated. ”
3D Systems claims that the new machine, of which no images have yet been publicly released, the[h]Highest separation rates combined with the best dimensional accuracy of all industrial standard classes for melted filament platforms. It is also said that the system will have the “lowest cost on landed parts” and the ability to 3D print using high temperature materials such as ULTEM and carbon fiber reinforced nylon, as well as filaments for general use including ABS and PETg ESD.
3D Systems headquarters. Image courtesy of 3D Systems.
Roadrunner is capable of 3D printing end pieces for aircraft interiors and ducts, drones, under the hood and dashboard of vehicles, and for general industrial purposes. This applies in addition to tools and devices as well as prototypes.
“We are proud of the advances made by the Jabil and 3D Systems teams and the ability of this solution to overcome the limitations of current market offerings at the historical system and subsystem level,” said John Dulchinos, vice president of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, Jabil. “Jabil understands the needs of a large manufacturing environment and we look forward to continuing to work with 3D Systems to bring this new system to the market and use it in our own factories.”
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This is an exciting time for industrial 3D printing indeed. The last time 3D Systems had an extrusion-based system was the consumer-centric Cube line, which was scrapped with the company’s entire consumer division in 2015. Now the company appears to be re-entering this segment with an emphasis on industrial applications.
No specs have been released, but the Roadrunner sounds big and fast, reminiscent of machines like Cincinnati Inc.’s BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) system or its competitors. In this case, however, the system prints with filaments rather than plastic pellets, which does not seem intuitive for fast processing. Many in the industry have said that pellets are the future as it may be easier to work with material that is already available to the injection molding world. Michigan Tech’s Joshua Pearce also points out that directly recycled material is easier to use through pellet extrusion, as it bypasses the step required to turn plastic waste into new filament.
The 3D printing industry is in the midst of an interesting change. In particular, Stratasys is now manufacturing stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers through the acquisition of Origin and RPS. This was the territory of 3D Systems when 3D Systems invented SLA in 1984. Now 3D Systems is taking Stratasys into its own game of material extrusion. Desktop Metal and EnvisionTEC are now under one roof. Interestingly enough, Executive Editor Joris Peels just mentioned that someone like Jabil could start making their own 3D printers.
This is a time of mergers, acquisitions, and other surprises. What will happen next? In the meantime, we will certainly learn more about Roadrunner in the near future. The partners have been developing this platform for over a year and want to deliver Roadrunner from 2022.