Stratasys has launched SAF ReLife, a software-based answer designed to rework waste PA12 powder from different additive manufacturing applied sciences into high-quality components.
Described as a possible breakthrough in making additive manufacturing extra sustainable, SAF ReLife is alleged to have the ability to repurpose waste PA12 powder from powder mattress fusion machines to be used on the Stratasys H350 3D printing system.
Stratasys says the brand new expertise will assist to ‘considerably decrease the cost-per-part’ of additive manufacturing, whereas additionally lowering the general carbon footprint per construct.
Since growing the software program platform, Stratasys has supplied early entry to Spanish service bureau Wehl Inexperienced, with the corporate reporting financial savings of 20% in whole value per half, a ‘substantial’ discount in waste, and turnaround occasions of round 48 hours. To additional assess the SAF ReLife’s environmental impression, Fraunhofer IPA has carried out a third-party Life Cycle Evaluation (LCA). The research is alleged to have revealed that repurposing PA12 waste from powder mattress print processes in SAF manufacturing can cut back carbon footprint as much as 89% in comparison with customary manufacturing with polyamide 12 materials.
“SAF ReLife provides clients a singular capacity to make high-quality components with powder thought of waste from different polymer powder mattress fusion processes,” mentioned Neil Hopkinson, Vice President, Additive Manufacturing Expertise, Stratasys. “Our patented unidirectional print-and-fuse structure and thermal management uniquely allow this functionality at manufacturing volumes.”
“By utilising the SAF ReLife expertise, we’ve lower manufacturing prices whereas producing components that meet strict industrial specs. It’s a game-changer for our competitiveness,” mentioned Javier García, Supervisor and Co-founder, Wehl Inexperienced. “Due to Stratasys’ SAF ReLife undertaking, we’ve been capable of flip PA12 waste into high-quality components. This round financial system strategy has diminished our environmental impression whereas sustaining top-tier product requirements.”
“Our life cycle evaluation demonstrates that Stratasys’ SAF ReLife PA12 answer can cut back the carbon footprint of the reference print job by 43% with the German electrical energy combine and by as a lot as 89% when powered by renewable vitality sources, in comparison with customary PA12,” mentioned Chantal Rietdorf, M.Sc., Analysis Affiliate at Fraunhofer.
A Stratasys press launch included the next analysis knowledge and assumptions:
- The system boundaries have been outlined as cradle-to-gate, with the practical unit specified as one reference print job*.
- Power consumption measurements have been taken on the Fraunhofer IPA for the reference print job.
- Materials consumption knowledge was obtained from the construct report. For the usual PA12 a brand new powder share of 30% was assumed and for ReLife PA12 a share of 100%.
- The background knowledge modeling for HAF and vitality consumption utilized the Ecoinvent 3.9 database.
- The emission issue for normal PA12 was sourced from the literature, whereas the environmental impacts of SAF ReLife PA12 have been accounted as zero, as it’s a byproduct of one other course of (London, Michael B. (2020): Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Evaluation of Multi-Jet Fusion 3D Printing. Grasp’s Thesis, College of Michigan, Michigan).
- The greenhouse fuel emissions have been calculated utilizing the GWP100 IPCC2013 impression evaluation methodology.
