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Optomec Opens New EMEA Operations Center in Switzerland https://ift.tt/2xJ1kii ![]() Dave Ramahi, Urs Berger- Optomec, Harald Moder- Merconics, Lars Sommerhäuser & Pierangelo Gröning, Empa- at the Coating Competency Center at Empa in Switzerland [Image: Optomec] New Mexico-based company Optomechas been around since 1997, and has gotten a lot accomplished in those 21 years. The company is known for two major 3D printing technologies. Aerosol Jet 3D printing enables the printing of electronics, using aerodynamic focusing to precisely and accurately deposit electronic inks onto substrates. The ink is placed into an atomizer, which creates a dense mist of material laden droplets; that mist is then delivered to the deposition head where it is focused by a sheath gas, which surrounds the aerosol as an annular ring. When the sheath gas and aerosol pass through the nozzle, they accelerate and the aerosol becomes focused into a tight stream, which is then aimed at the substrate. Optomec’s other technology, LENS, is a metal 3D printing method, using a high-powered laser to fuse metal powder into dense 3D structures. The process takes place in a hermetically sealed chamber which is purged with argon so that the oxygen and moisture levels stay below 10 parts per million, keeping the part clean and preventing oxidation. The powder is delivered to the deposition head by a proprietary powder feed system which can precisely regulate mass flow.
Empa has been responsible for some big 3D printing innovations itself, especially in the materials department. It’s also the location of the DFAB House, a project involving multiple digital construction technologies including 3D printing.
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Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com September 28, 2018 at 09:33AM
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