Mitsubishi will sell 3D metal printers in North America.. for $840,000
The price point is a bit high (ok maybe very high), but I find it interesting the Mitsubishi is getting into selling 3D Printers. I wonder if they will take it a step farther and make consumer level printers.
Quote:
Mitsubishi Corp., Japan's largest trading company, will introduce a metal-forming 3D printer to North America starting in January 2014, Nikkei news reported.
Mitsubishi will sell the Metal Laser Sintering Hybrid Milling Machine, LUMEX Avance-25 developed by Japanese company Matsuura Machinery which has so far sold specifically in the die and mold industry in Japan and Asia.
This LUMEX Avance-25 high-performance 3-D printer is the only machine in the world which realizes one-machine one-process manufacturing of complex molds and parts using fusing metal laser sintering (3D SLS) technology and high-speed milling technology. The printer melts metal powders and sinters with laser while surfaces are milled in high speed to form metal parts with complex surface shapes.
Matsuura Machinery's printer can fabricate dies and molds of very complex geometry with dimensions as large as 250 x 250 x 180 mm.
Specifications:
Laser oscillator: Yb fiber laser
Laser Power : 400W
Spindle Speed: 45,000 min
Travel (X/Y/Z) : 260/260/100 mm
Feed Rate (X/Y/Z) : 60/60/30 m/min
Read the entire article at: http://www.3ders.org/articles/201401...h-america.html
