Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH (‘Laempe’), a global manufacturer and solution provider for core production, has developed a fully automated high-volume 3D printing line for the production of sand cores. The BMW Group foundry in Landshut Germany/Bavaria) has taken over this 3D printing line which is now available for commercialization.
The 3D printing line was developed in close cooperation with the car manufacturer and its partner R.Scheuchl GmbH. The BMW Group is already using it to produce 3D printed molds for its new six-cylinder generation components.
The six 3D printers Laempe has successfully handed over are equipped with comprehensive automation solutions that do not require any manual steps, including 3D measurement and core removal.
The solution which has been ready for series production since 2016, was developed at the Laempe technology site in Schopfheim (Baden-Württemberg) and produced in Barleben (Saxony-Anhalt) and is primarily aimed at foundries.
While it’s the first time we hear about Laempe’s positioning in the AM industry, it should be noted that the company is a global partner of SINTO, one of the world’s largest manufacturer of foundry equipment and major shareholder of 3DCeram.
We therefore understand what gives credibility to the company’s expertise in 3D sand printing.
Laempe’s 3D sand printers
With their bidirectional printing and high printing speeds, Laempe sand 3D printers are suitable for casting and utilize established industry standards.
The system takes into account the entire value chain in its development. This includes raw material storage and molding material preparation, the actual printing, unpacking, cleaning and measuring of the printed components.
In addition, the Laempe 3D printing line is ‘open’, meaning that customers are not tied to specific raw material suppliers. Even the single printer is designed in such a way that it can be expanded into a fully automated solution at any time – and at competitive costs – this modular approach is unique on the market. Laempe has also developed the ‘Laempe Printing Wizard Software’, a tool that optimizes the slicing, scaling and morphing of print jobs.
A mid-double-digit million euro sum was invested in the development project, most of which was financed from a project with BMW Group and a substantial part of which was funded from Laempe’s capital.
Thanks to the comprehensive automation solutions, the system is able to seamlessly fulfill the demanding requirements of high-volume production. This combination of technological excellence and process stability represents a decisive added value for the BMW Group and confirms Laempe as a reliable partner in manufacturing technology, a press release explains.
‘With our innovative 3D printing technology, we expect that many more applications can be economically transferred from classic core shooting to additive manufacturing in the future. We can therefore offer our customers and partners a real competitive advantage and a forward-looking solution that will open up new growth opportunities for us. We are the only supplier to develop and operate both core shooters and 3D printers, which means we know the cost structures of both technologies inside out,’ says the company.
With its solution, Laempe enables ‘hybrid core production’, which gives foundries the choice: classic shot cores, additively printed cores or a combination of both. Laempe also offers the flexible ‘pay per part’ model via the INACORE joint venture (partner: R.Scheuchl GmbH). The company in Ergoldsbach (Bavaria) has already had a range of core shooters and a Laempe printer for three years and supplies numerous customers with printed or shot cores, a press communication reads.
All images: Laempe.
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