Desktop Metal launches large-format robotic system to 3D print sand castings

Desktop Metal has launched its the ExOne S-Max Flex, a large-format robotic binder jetting system that 3D prints sand tooling, which foundries use to cast complex metal designs for the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries.

The system, the company says, combines Desktop Metal SPJ technology with the sand printing expertise of ExOne (acquired by Desktop Metal in 2021). It employs a binder jetting process, in which an industrial printhead selectively deposits a binder into a bed of sand particles creating a solid part one layer at a time. ExOne S-Max Flex prints standard silica sand with furan binders and delivers final parts with dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.5mm at a build rate up to 115 l/h.

The system uses an industrial robot paired with a new end effector printhead to deposit binder into a 1900 x 1000 x 1000mm (74 x 39 x 39 in) telescoping build box. Additional build box sizes are available up to 4700 x 1000 x 1000mm (185 x 39 x 39 in), with taller versions available up to 1000 x 2500 x 2400mm (39 x 98 x 94 in).
www.exone.com