The Most Amazing Metal Solutions at Formnext 2024
At Formnext 2024, it is safe to say that metal was everywhere. Though polymers are undoubtedly still the most important material in additive manufacturing, we’ve seen a steady growth in the use of metals in the sector. This was clear at the show as many exciting metal solutions, whether printers, materials, post-processing machines or software were on display. To highlight this, we decided to look at some of the most exciting ones we saw.
Our first stop was Caracol. The Italian manufacturer is well-known for its polymer large-format additive manufacturing solutions and is now stepping into the metal sector. This Formnext, the company launched its first metal solution, the Virpra AM. We stopped by the booth to learn more about it.
Next, we were able to check out another exciting launch with Solukon’s largest metal depowdering solution, the SFM-AT1500-S, also announced just before Formnext. From there, we stopped at AMFree, which we have highlighted previously for its commitment to overcoming the constraints of XXL metal 3D printing. Here, we had the chance to look at a scaled-down version of the company’s robotic arm, as well as an aluminum part made in just 13 hours.
Moving into materials, we had the opportunity to take a look at the ATO Lab+ which allows users to create their own powders, ideal for material testing and creating new alloys. Last but not least, we stopped by WAAM, learning about the company’s MiniWAAM as well as talking about the manufacturer’s latest release which is not just the largest solution from the company but also integrates cold wire gas metal arc (CWGMA) additive manufacturing, an exciting new metal technology.
Which of these metal solutions at Formnext 2024 was your favorite? Did you see other exciting innovations at the show? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
