Binder Jetting (BJ) 3D Printer that can rapidly print out large products by using multi-nozzles is localized.
BJ 3D Printer uses a method of spraying liquid adhesives to powders and attaching them. Although there can be a different in price depending on a size of a printout and materials that are being used, it usually costs about $858,000 (1 billion KRW) per printer.
Only some leading global companies such as 3D Systems and ExOne from the U.S. and Germany’s Voxeljet are currently producing BJ 3D Printers.
CNC and Sentrol (CEO Hong Soon Hwan) that specializes in 3D printers made an announcement on the 15th that they succeeded in manufacturing a prototype of BJ 3D Printer that can print out a maximum size of 150 x 150 mm with a degree of precision of 96 dpi by using Taiwan’s jet printer’s monochrome binder and plaster powder.
A prototype of BJ Printer manufactured by Sentrol. It has 12 nozzles and can rapidly manufacture a 3D product with a size of 150 x 150 mm. Picture = Sentrol
With this, Sentrol became the first company in South Korea that has BJ 3D Printer technology.
Internal circuit of BJ 3D Printer
Although it used 12 nozzles in a prototype, it is planning to develop a product with 302 nozzles to expand maximum size of a printout to 600 x 400 mm and use color inks as adhesives so that it can print printouts in color. It is planning to release this product next year when MIT’s patents are lifted.
Although this product is a compatible of 3D Systems’ ‘Project x60’ series, Sentrol is planning to develop a cheaper version that has cost reduced by 5 times.
It laminates by spraying adhesives on top of plaster powder. After printing is done, a finished product can be obtained by dusting off surrounding plaster powder. Picture = Sentrol
It is planning to expand a size of a printout to 1800 x 1200 mm in second half of next year by increasing number of nozzles to more than 2,000. This is a size where it can be used as a equipment for mass-production in industries.
Unlike a method of melting material and attaching it according to programs that were inputted by one or two nozzles, BJ 3D Printer has hundreds of nozzles move at the same time that can greatly reduce printing time.
A picture of a printout that is manufactured by Sentrol’s prototype of BJ 3D Printer. Picture = Sentrol
One can see that its method is similar to that of 2D inkjet printer’s method. However it applies variety of materials in powder form instead of printing papers and sprays adhesives on top of it and laminates it. Because a material that is applied remains firmly, it does not collapse even if it does not have a separate support and can implement colors very freely.
Its strength is that it can increase speed of printing and size of a printout as an area where adhesives are sprayed becomes wider as number of nozzles increases. If there are thousands of nozzles, it is possible to laminate it in a form of cotton like scanning.
“Development of BJ 3D Printers can lead to possibilities of ultra-fast and extra-large printings.” said Vice-Chairman Ju Seung Hwan of Sentrol. “If it is used properly along with robots, it can greatly contribute in producing large quantity of casting and mold.”
Staff Reporter Kim, Soonki | [email protected]
