iFactory3D launches disruptive 3D Belt Printer Technology that will automate AM

Published on : 09 September 2022

iFactory3D releases a new disruptive additive manufacturing technology – 3D  belt printing – that breaks length limitations of 3D printing.

September 2022 – iFactory3D, a German 3D printing company founded by Artur Steffen and Martin Huber in 2020, announces the launch of its innovative belt printer technology shaping the future of manufacturing. Historically the manufacturing process has been expensive, tedious, and prone to waste. While additive manufacturing combats most of these issues, it has size and batch automation constraints – which is why it hasn't been implemented in larger-scale manufacturing yet. iFactory3D is bridging these procedural gaps for the production teams of businesses in Europe and America with their new product, the One Pro, the most advanced 3D belt printer in the world.

The One Pro results from a decade of experience in 3D printing and 4 years of tweaking its initial 3D belt printer prototype. They designed it with great attention to detail using input from clients, the community, and industry experts, using the finest industry standard components from mostly European manufacturers. This makes it a world-class 3D printer made in Germany.

This novel belt printer technology was developed with the conveyor belt as the build plate to solve the prevailing printing issues. It can print long objects with its infinite length threshold. It enables simultaneous mass production in a process that involves minimal human-machine interaction and automated levelling. Also, it can print various geometries with its 45-degree angle – hollow shapes can also be printed. Commenting on this, Artur Steffen co-founder and CEO of iFactory3D said, "We have a client who placed a large spool of filament material into the printer and went on a one-week holiday. When he came back, the basket was full of the items he had printed. We also have clients who want to print their entire product line or mass produce for months. This can be achieved with our proprietary belt printer."

Besides its mechanical capacity, it helps curb the manufacturing industry's environmental impact, which has been a widespread concern.

With this technology, businesses can drastically reduce waste by producing only the necessary items. Furthermore, they can save up to 40% of their production budget as they no longer have to pay for injection moulding and the salaries of people who usually perform the mundane task of manually loading the printer each time.

Currently, they are the only B2B company developing 3D belt printers worldwide. They aim to expand their international market reach and achieve greater heights with future iteration plans, enabling customers to manage the printing process remotely with remote control.

Reflecting on their novel technology, Martin Huber, co-founder and CTO of iFactory3D said, "I remembered in 2018, I needed a larger quantity of long components for a specific project, but I was unable to do so with the limited space provided in regular 3D printers, and it wasn't cost-effective to place an injection moulding order for just a couple of hundred parts for development. I had to create an enhanced printer to perform the task. We made the 3D belt printer available to the public because we wanted to provide countless businesses worldwide the opportunity to manufacture their products affordably."

Source - Industrial Automation Magazine