Prototyping, production and metal additive manufacturing are key focuses at MACH 2022

MACH 2022 sees Laser Lines, the UK’s most established reseller of additive manufacturing machines, materials and lasers, showing several solutions for applications such as prototyping, production and metal Additive Manufacturing (AM).

On the Laser Lines stand, there will be product specialists available to answer questions on the machines supplied by all the companies Laser Lines supports in the UK, including Stratasys, Sisma, DyeMansion, Makerbot and Xact Metal. There will also be a complete suite of laser marking and welding solutions.

Printing on the stand will be the Stratasys J35 Pro and Fortus 370 machines, while the Xact Metal 200C will also be on display. Elsewhere at the show, Laser Lines has supplied six Makerbot Sketch 3D printers, which will be running on the Digital Manufacturing Centre’s (DMC) stand (number 17-541).

Mark Tyrtania, sales director at Laser Lines, said: “We are really looking forward to MACH and catching up with colleagues, customers and suppliers after such a challenging time for everyone in the industry. MACH is always a great opportunity to see how AM technology is being used in different applications and industries.”

Stratasys products on the Laser Lines stand

Laser Lines is running the  Stratasys J35 Pro alongside the Stratasys F370 at MACH 2022. The desktop J35 Pro offers multi-material capabilities for functional design and concept modelling. One of its headlines features is support for Elastico, a rubber-like material with superior 400% elongation at break. Elastico is ideal for over-moulding, soft grip, protective coverings and seal applications, and is perfect for realistic prototyping. There will be experts available on the Laser Lines stand to talk about which materials are best suited to certain applications.

The Stratasys F370 with its four material bays allows for auto-change over of model and support spools, giving extended running periods so is perfect for flexible and efficient additive manufacturing. Featuring automatic calibration, this fast and quiet machine has a draft mode, which enables customers to produce test objects quickly, while consuming less material.

The F370 comes bundled with GrabCAD Print software that optimises each build to produce a durable finished object with smooth surfaces. With a generous build envelope of 355 x 254 x 355mm and the ability to use a unique, engineering-grade thermoplastics including ABS with standard, ESD and carbon filled options, ASA, Diran (Nylon) and PC-ABS, the F370 is perfect for production environments and more demanding projects.

The Laser Lines team will be on hand to discuss the DyeMansion suite of tools for post-production parts at MACH 2022. The suite includes cost-effective, flexible solutions for depowdering, surface finishing, uniform colour with the DM60 and a comprehensive vapour smoothing system in the Powerfuse S.

DyeMansion is the global leader in post-processing solutions for industrial polymer 3D-printing that turn 3D-printed raw parts into high-value products. Its print-to-product workflow combines industry-leading hardware with the widest range of colour and surfacing options on the market, with the ability to provide a flexible solution for both small and high-volume batch work.

Xact Metal on the Laser Lines stand

The Xact Metal XM200C Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) machine offers affordable and accessible metal powder-bed fusion capability for universities, development labs and small-to-medium businesses that need prototyping, tooling capabilities or low volume production of metal parts. The XM200C can run a range of high quality, certified and proven materials, including stainless and tool steels, super alloys, copper, titanium and aluminium.

Xact Metal’s printing technology is built on the patent-pending Xact Core – a high speed gantry system platform where light, simple mirrors move quickly and consistently above the powder-bed on an X-Y axis. With an extremely compact footprint, the Xact Metal 200C machine offers a 127 x 127 x 127mm build chamber. It features a touchscreen display, which makes it easy to use, control print jobs and change print settings, while keeping an eye on measurements such as the chamber temperature and oxygen percentage/ pressure.

Supporting Stainless Steel, Super Alloys, Tooling Steels, Aluminium, Titanium and Bronze, the Xact Metal machine can make parts in a fraction of the time that it takes with traditional casting, while the open platform means that qualified users can develop their own printing parameters and use any powder.

Industrial Laser Solutions on offer (Stand 17- 504)

Laser Lines will also be demonstrating its fibre laser marking systems suitable for users in advanced manufacturing at MACH 2022. On the stand, industrial laser marking solutions on show will include the Datalogic Ulyxe with a primary workstation and a Datalogic Arex with Laser Lines’ Prestige workstation.

These will be complemented by the Sisma LM-D Welding System, the Laserline LDM Diode Laser and OTS-3 Welding optics, together with Synrad vi and ti Series CO2 lasers and a Movia 2 axis scanner. As the premium suppliers of lasers in the UK, Laser Lines offers a comprehensive range of marking and verification systems. The stand will have experts from the team available to discuss application needs and Laser Lines’ enhanced capabilities to provide turnkey solutions to provide optimum performance in today’s manufacturing processes.

MakerBot Sketch at the DMC stand (17-541)

Laser Lines is also supporting the next generation of STEM students by supplying six MakerBot SKETCH production systems to the DMC for inclusion MACH’s Inspiration Zone. Following the conclusion of MACH2022, the exhibit will be relocated to the DMC and run as a full-time educational installation.

The MakerBot Sketch features a heated build plate for secure, successful printing and a flexible surface to make removing finished prints a breeze. The 3D printer has an intuitive interface, designed for easy 3D printing navigation and is a fully enclosed and filtered system suitable for the classroom. With an extremely compact footprint, the MakerBot Sketch has a build volume of 150mm x 150mm x 150mm. It also comes with over 600 lesson plans designed for all education levels and grades, to suit every classroom and curriculum set up.

Customers wanting to find out more about the range of products available from Laser Lines should email [email protected], or to book a meeting on the stand, call 01295 672599.