FREEFORMER 300-3x

The Arburg FREEFORMER

The production of components and assemblies for medical devices and implants using injection moulding is widespread. Manufacturing using various rapid prototyping processes (RP, also known as ‘3D printing’ or ‘additive manufacturing’) is also state of the art. However, certified or approved materials that can be used independently of the selected RP process are particularly important in medical technology. The Arburg FREEFORMER 300-3x is capable of processing up to three thermoplastics in granulate form simultaneously. This means that native materials can be used.

The device can be used to address numerous problems in medical technology (e.g. implants for automated wound closure, radiolucent drives, multi-axis force sensors for haptic user interaction, etc.). It enables these constructions and systems to be manufactured in a single step and subjected to experimental testing without extensive reworking.

The machine is used for the additive manufacturing of parts from thermoplastic granulate. This ensures that any untreated thermoplastics (not formed into filaments or powder) can be used. This means that plastics with special properties (elastic, electrically conductive, resorbable, translucent, magnetic, etc.) can also be used, which cannot be used with other systems. In addition, a device is required that dispenses the material in droplets rather than in the form of a thread in order to achieve the most isotropic properties possible for the component. Conversely, anisotropic properties of components or porous components can also be achieved in a targeted manner.

The Arburg Freeformer was acquired with the support of the German Research Foundation (DFG, FK INST 41/1123-1 FUGG).

The Freeformer 300-3x can process three different materials simultaneously, enabling it to process both support and geometric structures and special materials (see above). Components with dimensions up to approx. 120×120×200 mm³ can be produced. An excessively large working space is not useful, as the temperature gradient in the build chamber can cause warping of the components.

Offen für Kooperationen!

The FREEFORMER is available to cooperation partners from the University of Stuttgart. Please contact us. Use in industrial cooperation projects is also possible and we are happy to support this.