Sinterit announced a new SLS 3D printer, the BIANCO2.
If you’re now wondering if you missed the BIANCO1, don’t worry, there’s a reason for all this.
Sinterit made its fame by introducing very low-cost SLS systems years ago. These at the time competed against monster industrial systems that cost up to 100X more, making them attractive, at least regarding pricing.
But there was a cost for those savings. In order to lower the component cost of the inexpensive SLS systems, Sinterit opted for lower-power IR fibre-coupled diode lasers, which are far less expensive than lasers used in industrial systems.
These lasers do work, but they have challenges when flashing powder that isn’t dark-coloured. Darker materials absorb energy more easily, so it was difficult to print white nylon powder, for example, on the inexpensive systems.
Now that’s all changed with the introduction of the new BIANCO2 system.
The BIANCO2 has the same build volume as the company’s previous Lisa X and Suzy systems (130 x 180 x 330 mm), and even the same laser power: 30W. But there is a huge difference: the laser in the BIANCO2 is a CO2 laser, not an IR laser.
This changes the capabilities significantly. The BIANCO2 is able to flash white or colourable materials easily, greatly opening up application possibilities for the system. That’s because the CO2 laser generates a different wavelength that’s more easily absorbed by typical SLS powders.
Why is this important? It’s because of coloration. Many SLS applications (in the industrial world) print in pure white powder. The white objects are then dyed using precision equipment, such as those from DyeMansion, to very specific colours. This is critical for consumer products, which require specific colours to achieve their branding objectives.
The BIANCO2 also has a wider set of possible materials, as they offer full open parameters with up to 137 adjustable print settings. That’s quite a bit more than previous systems, and should be attractive to any company looking to explore new SLS powders.
The introduction of this new machine should allow Sinterit to market products to a whole new set of prospective customers. That should be quite welcome for a company that suddenly finds itself in a rather competitive market, unlike years ago.
For costs, the BIANCO2 is listed at €47K (US$65,840), but there is a discount. If you pre-order a device among the first 30 orders (with 50% prepayment), you will get a 15% discount. Deliveries are expected in Q4 of this year.
Via Sinterit
