Following the release of the Riverbase industrial-grade SLA machine, Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Zhuhai CTC unveils its new Walnut family of metal 3D printers based on selective laser melting (SLM) technology.
The manufacturer sees a huge application potential for metal 3D printers, especially for key components produced for high-end products in aerospace and the automotive industry. Due to the lack of proprietary metal 3D printers in China, foreign manufacturers are still dominating the market, as a report by market research company IDC revealed.
Zhuhai CTC PR Manager Yoyo Hee said: “We are the first and, to date, quite possibly the sole manufacturer in China to have built the dot-scan 3D operating system on our own, and, at variance with other domestic makers, we do not rely on technologies developed by foreign outsourcing firms. SLA and SLM are based on the same software algorithm, enabling rapid research and development.”
The new series includes a total of three SLM 3D printers with different build volumes: Walnut 26, Walnut 18 and Walnut 11. According to CTC all devices ensure a stable printing process, precision in the dimensions of the formed parts as well as mechanical properties and strength performance. The printers are equipped with an infrared high-energy fibre laser and a Scanlab high-precision scanning galvanometer.
Technical specifications CTC Walnut 26:
- Type of laser: fiber laser IPG (water-cooling)
- Wave length: 1064nm
- Power: 500W
- Laser Scan System Harry Scan20
- Valid spot diameter: 0.06-0.12mm
- Scanning galvanometer: F-THETA-LEN system
- Parts scanning speed: 6.0-12m/s
- Dimensions: 260mm×260mmx260mm
- Gas shield: argon shield
- Printing materials: stainless steel, die steel, cobalt-chromium alloy, nickel alloy, aluminium alloy and iron-base alloy, among other metals and metal-based materials
- Software: SOFTWARE
- Operating system: Windows 7, XP
- 3D software: Riverside-walnut OS
- Data format: Gcode
- CAD interface: 3D design software, STL file format
So far, CTC Zhuhai hasn’t announced the release date nor the price of the new machines.
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