Raise3D introduced a new 3D printer — but it’s an SLS 3D printer.
The company began with FFF equipment years ago, and then in 2023 introduced a line of resin 3D printers, with the DF2. Now they’re adding a third 3D process with the new RMS220.
The RMS220 uses the SLS process, which involves a laser tracing a path across a flat bed of thermoplastic powder, fusing the particles together as it passes. This repeats layer by layer to form fully complete 3D objects.
SLS provides a number of advantages. The major feature is that the loose powder that is not fused acts as support material. This means that it is possible to print objects with no support structures at all! They merely need to be dusted off when complete, as the laser can provide extremely good resolution for smooth surfaces.
Another major advantage is that the entire build volume can be used for parts, unlike resin, SLM, or FFF systems where parts must be attached to a plate. In SLS the parts “float” in 3D space surrounded by powder. The implication is that many more parts can be “tetris-ed” into the build volume.
The RMS220 includes a build volume of 220 × 220 × 350 mm, which is somewhat larger than some alternative low-cost SLS systems.
The laser system is 75W, which is a decent power level for a small system. It uses a galvanometer system to bounce the laser beam off a mirror and toward the powder bed. The maximum travel speed of this system is 30m/s, quite fast.
The SLS engine is able to print up to 2.2 litres of powder material per hour, which should enable relatively quick 3D printing. We were told the RMS220 could consume 5kg of powder per day.
A word about thermals. When printing with SLS, the chamber temperature is critical. Typically, the chamber — and powder within it — is heated to just below the melt temperature of the powder. This allows the laser to more easily raise the temperature over the melt point. The chamber provides most of the heat required, and the laser just tips it over the top. The RMS220 can reach a chamber temperature of 220°C, which is quite hot.
The materials certified for the RMS220 include:
- Raise3D PA12 Powder
- Raise3D PA11 Powder
- Raise3D TPU90A White Powder
- Raise3D TPU90A Powder
- Raise3D PA12 GB Powder
This is quite a good range of materials, as some other systems provide only nylons. Also of note is the white powder. Alternative systems tend to achieve their lower price points by using lower power lasers. That often requires the use of “dark” materials that absorb laser energy more easily. Here, it seems that the RMS220 is sufficiently powerful to handle white powder.
White prints are desirable because they can then be dyed into different colours in post-processing.
The TPU powder is a light grey, which is also a differentiating factor.
Operationally, the RMS220 is designed for production use. That’s because the large build volume and 3D part layout allow for big quantities of parts to be made in each job.
But there is a thermal complication. The chamber reaches very high temperatures, and it must cool before it can be handled. The operational procedure is to let the chamber sit for an hour or so to cool down a bit. Then it can be removed from the RMS220 and set aside to completely cool down over twelve hours.
While it’s cooling, a second build chamber can be inserted into the RMS220 for further printing. This is a production workflow.
The RMS220 will be fully supported in Raise3D’s software platform, IdeaMaker, along with the company’s FFF and resin systems.
I asked Raise3D representatives why they decided to get into the SLS market, and was told they realized there was less competition and felt it was a good business opportunity. That’s entirely true: there really aren’t a lot of options for inexpensive SLS systems. They also wanted to provide more sale options for their resellers.
One is Formlabs’ FUSE system, and evidently Raise3D will be pricing the RMS220 competitively opposite that competitor. They say the RMS220 is currently in early access for some beta customers, but will be released for preorders later this year in Q3, with Q4 for deliveries.
Via Raise3D
