I had a discussion with Massive Dimension, makers of large-format 3D printers and components.
The Vermont-based company provides quite a range of products, but they are all geared towards large-format 3D printing, hence the company’s name.
The foundation of their products is the MD Extruder line, which are all pellet-based. The intention is to attach one of these to a robotic arm to perform 3D printing.
The “smallest” extruder in their product line is the MDPH2, which is able to extrude up to two pounds (900g) of PLA material per hour. It can reach a temperature of 450C using a 300W power supply, enabling printing of a wide range of engineering materials.
At the other end of their extruder line is the massive MDPE50, which can deliver an astonishing 28kg of PLA material per hour, requiring three-phase 400V power. Massive Dimension said this component is compatible with ABS, PS, PC, PETG, PET, PLA, HIPS, TPU, TPE, ULTEM, PEEK, and more.
These and their sibling extruders are intended to be mounted on industrial robots, such as those from ABB, Fanuc, Kuka, Yaskawa, Universal Robots, Stäubli, and others.
However, to simplify things, Massive Dimension also offers turn-key robotic 3D print cell solutions where the integration has already been done.
Their smallest turn-key system, the MDAC1, is shown at the top. It’s based on the six-axis ABB GoFa Cobot and can hold up to a 5kg payload. I asked about safety for this system, and while it can be an enclosure, the system is designed to automatically stop when it encounters troubles.
Massive Dimension has partnered with AiBuild to provide slicing, optimization, simulation, and monitoring of jobs on the robotic 3D print cell systems. This software is well regarded and enables reliable production of complex 3D prints.
With the growing interest in large-format polymer 3D printing, Massive Dimension is in a good position to provide either whole solutions or even just components to industry.
