Brose and voxeljet AG sign beta program for new VX1000 HSS

Friedberg greater Munich, October 26th, 2021 - voxeljet AG announces one of the first participants in the High Speed Sintering (HSS) Early-Access Beta Program for the VX1000 HSS. Brose, a global automotive supplier, will work with voxeljet as a cooperation partner to further develop the VX1000 HSS for use in additive series production of polymer components for the automotive industry. With HSS, voxeljet combines the advantages of two existing additive technologies: selective laser sintering and binder jetting, giving the benefit of both SLS part properties and binder-jetting productivity. The new VX1000 HSS 3D printer has a significantly larger build volume and a much faster print speed than previous systems, enabling true series production.

The aim of the HSS Beta Program is to test the features and capabilities of the VX1000 HSS in an extensively designed program for use in industrial production environments. After a joint three-month development phase at voxeljet's headquarters in Munich, the system will be moved to the Brose Additive Manufacturing Center in Coburg, integrated into the production environment and optimized for customer-specific applications.

"We chose the VX1000 HSS for two reasons: First, this technology offers us unique productivity. The increasing trend towards ever more complex components with material-saving lattice structures, detached from the packing density in the build space, is translated into a consistently fast print time in the HSS process compared to laser-based technologies. With maximum part sizes of up to 1,000 x 540 x 180 mm, we can print door modules in one piece, for example. Another decisive factor was that both the process and the materials are open. This means that in addition to the initial PA12 configuration, we can also test and qualify materials on the system that cannot currently be processed using SLS technologies, for example," explains Christian Kleylein, Additive Technology at Brose.

In addition to the production of prototypes and pilot series, Brose plans to implement the VX1000 HSS for series production. In particular, the company is focusing on so-called "end of life" components for 3D printing. These are spare parts for discontinued car models.

"Sustainability is a top priority at Brose. Thanks to additive manufacturing, tools for "end of life" components no longer need to be stored and spare parts pre-produced, but can be stored digitally and retrieved and printed on demand. With the HSS technology and its high printing speeds, we can begin to reduce physical storage for both tools and spare parts," says Kleylein.