Formnext 2022: iFactory3D meets familiar faces and opens up new perspectives

iFactory3D GmbH was pleased to welcome numerous visitors, including private investors, who came to see the latest version of the belt printer as well as some impressive printed objects created on the One Pro for the trade show. One example: a rocket weighing just under 5 kg that towered over every visitor, even the tallest, by several centimeters. Many companies had specific requests for 3D belt printing, resulting in some innovative research and development projects. Among them were major German car manufacturers, but also one of the largest transport companies in Europe.

Some pioneers of belt technology, who had opted for the first 3D printer model from the Düsseldorf-based startup about two years ago, also visited the iFactory3D booth and were enthusiastic about the new possibilities that the One Pro has to offer. Especially in professional small-batch production meeting industry standards, nothing can match the all-rounder in terms of reliability and continuity so quickly.

International strategy

In general, Formnext provided a lot of inspiration for iFactory3D, especially for application examples and industries in which the use of 3D belt printers brings added value. The company sees great potential in the international sector in particular. For example, next year the marketing of iFactory3D printers will extend far beyond the European / Western market. The focus of this international campaign will be on industrial applications. For different requirement profiles, iFactory3D is already working on a concept for modular solutions in each application area. A first contact for a promising cooperation was made directly at Formnext: the potential new business partner is a manufacturer of a novel extruder with which a multiple of the otherwise usual amount of filament can be processed in a fraction of the former production time – we are talking about approx. 1 kg of filament per hour. With the help of 3D belt printing, this extremely high material flow can be used and processed in a reasonable way.

Goodies for Formnext soon to be made of chocolate and from the assembly line?

In addition to this extruder-hotend combination, attention also fell on a new type of hotend that heats up fully within a few seconds. According to the manufacturer, this can save up to 50% of the print time previously required, and it is also suitable for processing rather unusual materials for 3D printing, such as acrylic glass, clay or even chocolate. For the latter, iFactory3D would be virtually predestined, because the specially developed belt is inherently food-safe. So nothing stands in the way of delicious news from the 3D belt printer.

These potential collaborations promise increased productivity while maintaining quality and precision. iFactory3D is convinced that these collaborations will mark another milestone in automated additive manufacturing.