Recap of the launches at TCT Show in Birmingham!

Today, TCT Show is coming to a close. The last three days have been greatly exciting for the world of additive manufacturing, with many industry players showcasing and launching innovative 3D printing solutions at the event. In order to wrap up the show, we will give you an overview of the launches we witnessed here in Birmingham!

This year TCT Show opened its doors to nearly 10,000 visitors and welcomed almost 300 exhibitors such as HP, Ultimaker, Trumpf, Formlabs, Siemens and Renishaw. The event also launched some new programmes such as TCT Summit, a user-led conference, TCT Insights Stage, which included a workshop on the fundamentals of additive manufacturing led by Graham Tromans and TCT Connect, a networking platform for professionals that wanted to exchange ideas to facilitate business growth – amongst many more additional features! 

Recap of the launches at TCT Show 

Zortrax, manufacturer of comprehensive 3D printing solutions based in Poland debuted its 3D printing platform called Endureal. Endureal is a third generation industrial solution that has been designed for advanced engineering and medical applications. This solution targets those looking for a machine capable of high-volume production. This is the reason why the manufacturer has integrated many features to its 3D printer such as a build plate made of ferritic stainless steels covered with PEI film, or thermally-shielded extruder compartments, etc. 

The Endureal 3D Printer from Zortrax

Another 3D printer to hit the market is Ultimaker’s S3 solution. The S3 is based on the Ultimaker 3 model and is meant to be a high-quality, composite-ready desktop solution, perfect for the office or studio. One of its main benefits is its ease of use, the manufacturer has taken great care to offer an easy touch interface and seamless software integration. It supports dual extrusion, a build volume of 230 x 190 x 200 mm and can achieve up to 20 micron layer resolution. 

The complete S5 Pro Bundle from Ultimaker | Credits: 3Dnatives

Another launch from Ultimaker at the show was the S5 Pro Bundle, it includes an ‘Air Manager’ solution and a ‘Material Station’ to optimize material management for the S5 3D printer. We had tested and reviewed the Ultimaker S5 3D in 3Dnatives’ Lab last October. The machine seduced us with its large volume, heating plate, color touch screen and dual extrusion system. The Air Manager solution is a filtration system designed to improve air quality and provide a safer working environment. As for the Material Station, the aim is to enable continuous 3D printing. For example, the user will be able to store and manage materials (up to 6 spools of filament). Additionally, the chamber can keep the relative humidity below 40% while each of the 6 compartments are equipped with a sensor to automatically load another spool when the one used is finished.  

Other showcases at the show included Photocentric’s Liquid Crystal Magna solution. The LC Magna delivers a combination of large build volume with accurate printing making it an appropriate tool for custom mass manufacture. You can also use the machine for casting, prototyping, dental aligners, automotives, figurines and more. 

Of course, Raise3D was also present, its new E2 3D printer launched on the 16th of September and was on show at the event. This machine is reserved for the education sector in Europe and will be available from November. 

Last, but definitely not least, we were excited to see the METHOD X from MakerBot. When the 3D printer launched at the beginning of August it attracted quite a lot of attention, so we had to check it out for ourselves. The main selling point of the METHOD X is that it is capable of working with real ABS material. According to the manufacturer, real ABS can withstand up to 15°C higher temperatures, is up to 26% more rigid, and up to 12% stronger than modified ABS formulations used on other manufacturers’ desktop 3D printers. Additionally Makerbot explains that the platform prevents warping or cracking that typically occurs when printing modified ABS on desktop platforms without heated chambers.

 In terms of materials, Desktop Metal recently added the tool steel, H13 to its range of compatible materials for hot and cold tooling applications. 3D Systems also released 5 new materials compatible with its Figure 4 3D printing platform, these materials have been designed for the production of plastic parts without the need for tooling.

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