3D Printing
Layer by Layer!
3D Print Platform
Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, encompasses various techniques for creating objects layer by layer from diverse materials. The Centexbel 3D-platform specializes in extrusion-based 3D printing, utilizing thermoplastic polymers in the form of granulate (pellets) or filament as primary input materials.
Located in Kortrijk and Grâce-Hollogne, these 3D printers are available to industry partners for rapid prototyping and R&D activities.
To promote the broader adoption of AM processes in the textile and plastics converting industries, Centexbel has developed extensive expertise in new 3D printing materials, including recycled, biobased options, composites, and functionalized materials with tailored properties like electrical conductivity.
Ultimaker S5
Raw material:
- synthetic filaments
Principle
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), also known as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), utilizes printers that work with thermoplastic filament. This filament is fed through a heated extruder head, which may feature one or more nozzles, driven by a wheel. The extruder head moves horizontally and vertically, depositing one layer at a time before adjusting vertically to start the next layer. The Ultimaker S5 is a professional FFF printer equipped with two nozzles, a large build volume, and automatic calibration.
Main specifications
- Filament diameter: 2.85 mm
- build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm
- Maximum print temperature: 280°C
- Maximum build plate temperature: 140°C
Anycubic Chiron with pellet extruder
Input material:
- Thermoplastic granulate
Principle
This modified FFF desktop printer uses a robotic pellet extruder instead of a standard nozzle, allowing it to process thermoplastic pellets. It offers a simple and effective setup for screening the 3D printability of new materials.
Main specifications
- Build volume: 400 x 400 x 450 mm
- Maximum print temperature: 260°C
- Maximum build plate temperature: 100°C
Tumaker NX Pro Dual Pellet
Input material:
- Thermoplastic granulate
Principle
The Tumaker NX Pro Series offers flexible configuration options, including filament extrusion, pellet extrusion, or dual extrusion. In this setup, dual pellet extrusion was selected to maximize the advantages of working directly with pellets. The system features two custom-designed print heads, each equipped with dual integrated temperature sensors for precise control. Pellets fed into the hoppers are melted within the extruders, and the molten material is extruded through the nozzles to form the printed object layer by layer.
Main specifications
- Build volume: 295 x 220 x 200 mm
- Maximum print temperature: 300°C
- Maximum build plate temperature: 100°C
3D Freeformer Technology
Raw material
- polymer granulates
Principle
A key feature of ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (APF) is that the same qualified standard granulates as used for injection molding can be used, enabling us to produce individual parts and small batches from original materials, but also to individualize mass-produced items.
The freeformer system is equipped with a material preparation unit featuring a special plasticizing screw. Plasticizing is followed by freeforming without the use of a mould: a high frequency nozzle closure discharges tiny plastic droplets, which are applied very precisely by means of a moving part carrier. This enables three-dimensional plastic parts to be built up layer-by-layer. This is even possible with multiple-component parts.
©ARBURG Plastic Freeforming
- Process description
Markforged X7 for Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR)
Principle of Continuous fiber fabrication (CFF):
The 3D printer is equipped with 2 nozzles.
- The first nozzle functions as in a conventional fused filament fabrication (FFF) process depositing plastic filaments (onyx, onyx FR and Nylon white) to form the outer shell and inner matrix of the part.
- The second nozzle deposits continuous reinforcements (made from Carbon Fiber, Fiberglass, Kevlar, and HSHT Fiberglass) on each layer
Technical details
The X7 3D is an industrial composite 3D printer, allowing us to print continuous carbon fibre-reinforced parts with fire-resistant, chemical-resistant, energy-absorbing, high-resolution, etc. properties in just a few hours.
Dimensions
- B: 584 mm
- D: 483 mm
- H: 914 mm
- Weight: 48 kg
Volume
- W: 330 mm
- D: 270 mm
- H: 200 mm
The Markforge 3D printer is installed in Grâce-Hollogne, the other 3D printers are operational in Kortrijk.
