Ricoh and Tiger Announce 3D Workshop For Thermoset Material
Additive manufacturing specialist Ricoh has announced a landmark partnership with 3D material solutions innovator, TIGER, to make thermoset material available for Selective Laser Sintering.
Ricoh has joined forces with Austrian-based TIGER in a breakthrough move, which combines TIGER’s specialist materials portfolio with Ricoh’s print expertise to provide an end-to-end AM service.
Thermoset materials remain in a permanent solid-state, demonstrating outstanding isotropic performance. They can be used to create flame retardant parts that, unlike thermoplastics, offer self-extinguishing behaviour, low smoke formation and no polymer melt-dripping.
These characteristics make thermoset a gamechanger for industries such as electrical, rail, automotive and aerospace where most, if not all, components must be fire-proof.
Using SLS printing creates parts at an economical cost with exceptional mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical properties. The move further increases the capabilities of Ricoh’s 3D printing services and range of in-house technologies, including selective laser sintering and high-speed sintering. The technology giant expanded it’s European offering last year to provide a turnkey additive manufacturing service – from design to prototype to serial production.
This is supported by a complementary range of team specialisms, including material characterisation, design consultation, metrology and post-processing.
To celebrate the launch of this innovative partnership, Ricoh and TIGER are working together to host a series of 3D workshops in 2020 for beginners and advanced AM users. The sessions will offer a complete overview of unlocking the potential of AM, with a focus on thermosets – from design and machine competence to material processing, coating and digital print.
Colin Weaver, Managing Director at Ricoh UK Products Limited, said: “These workshops will enable our customers to realise the benefits of additive manufacturing for end-use parts; reducing their development cycles and achieving more efficient production.
“We are certain that companies adopting thermoset technology will benefit greatly from this collaboration, which combines our 80 years of manufacturing experience with the material expertise of TIGER.”
Clemens Steiner, CEO of TIGER, commented: “Under the brand name Chematronix®, we offer complete solutions uniting the fields of chemistry and mechatronics. Together with Ricoh, we’ll bring together the best of these two fields under one roof – for 3D printing results of the highest quality.
“This collaboration and series of workshops will deliver an in-depth understanding of smarter design and processes, in order to maximise these highly intelligent materials – taking 3D SLS print into the next evolutionary stage: beyond rapid prototyping to small production and ultra-high performance hybrid parts.”
Places for the workshops are limited, so to discover what 3D thermoset technology can do for your business register your interest by emailing 3Devents@ricoh-rpl.com.
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