German RepRap Launches L320 Machine with Liquid Silicone Rubber Printing Capabilities

German RepRap has launched its latest 3D printing platform which is able to process liquid silicone rubber (LSR).

The L320 is powered by German RepRap’s Liquid Additive Manufacturing (LAM) printing process, which vulcanises liquids under heat exposure to thermally crosslink the material. This enables the material to maintain its mechanical properties and, per German RepRap, produce components that have almost the same properties as injection moulded parts. It would enable users to take insights garnered from 3D printing prototypes and attribute them directly to the injection moulded end-use parts.

LSR is a highly viscous material used in an array of products and industries and with the ability to create prototypes in the material on the L320, German RepRap believes users will be able to benefit from further time-to-market reductions. A high-temperature halogen lamp outputs activation energy to accelerate crosslinking, which thanks to precise metering and mixing ratios enabled by the machine’s printhead technology, can be done at molecular level. The L320 is also supported by Simplify3D software and boasts safety technology to monitor the curing process.

The machine is said to have proven its reliability to run continuously through extensive tests and pilot applications in practice. Those who install the machine have the opportunity to obtain a maintenance contract and receive professional on-site service delivered by trained technicians, and can also access software and hardware training.

Source: TCT Magazine