I recently stumbled upon a new company developing a solution that I found intriguing: SLS PEKK 3D printing. So far, the use of this high-performance thermoplastic material has widely been associated with FDM 3D printing, for obvious reasons: in addition to its maturity, FDM 3D printing can reach very high temperatures during the extrusion / material deposition phase, which is crucial to process high-performance materials.
Verne Additive Manufacturing Labs (aka Verne AM Labs or Verne) is developing an an SLS 3D printer that would process PEKK. Backed by a team that cumulates over 30 years in AM, the recently founded company (2024), targets labs and OEMs with their solution called STROM.
Don’t miss this: The growing use of polymers in Additive Manufacturing : The particular case of PEAK materials.
The company explains that “one of the biggest barriers to the adoption of new technologies has always been the economic factor. A standard SLS printer, and often for good reasons, [is ten times more expensive] than an FDM equivalent, and the same is true for high-temperature laser sintering printers, making the initial investment prohibitive for many research centers and OEMs. Add to this the cost of the powder itself, and the fact that the only SLS printers capable of printing PEKK currently have volumes well above 80 litres, and it is easy to understand why most users opt for FDM solutions.”
Verne STROM
While it promises to be affordable, no information has been shared yet regarding the price of this SLS 3D printer. We do know that it can be accompanied by a sieving, mixing and powder transfer system called SM-1.
Key features of the machine include: a build chamber that can go up to 380°C, 40W CO2 Laser, Theta-lens focusing (with fiber laser configuration available as an option), a build size of 220 x 250 x 400 mm (8.7 x 9.8 x 15.7 in), a build rate that goes up to 2 L/h – 35 mm/h – 1.4 in/h or even AI-enhanced scanning strategies and laser power management.
I am very curious to discover more about the capabilities of this machine. In the meantime, I will keep an eye on their development roadmap.
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