Caso de éxito de implementación de tecnología SLS con Sinterit Lisa en oficina de servicios

Desde su lanzamiento al mercado, la impresora Sinterit Lisa ha supuesto una revolución. Es la primera impresora SLS asequible en formato de escritorio. Su gran calidad, facilidad de uso, bajo precio y tamaño compacto lo han convertido en un nicho en sectores donde hasta hace poco se consideraba inviable introducir esta tecnología.

Uno de estos sectores es la oficina de servicios , empresas que prestan servicios a otras empresas y que pueden ser tanto de diseño, ingeniería o consultoría. Una de las particularidades de este tipo de negocios es que generalmente se ubican en oficinas. Es por esto que tradicionalmente era imposible implementar equipos de impresión 3D SLS en este tipo de empresas, ya que no contaban con el espacio necesario ni con otros requerimientos como instalaciones de gas o suministros eléctricos de alta potencia.

Esto ha provocado que muchas empresas como estudios de diseño, consultorías de ingeniería o pequeñas empresas de prototipado históricamente hayan tenido que recurrir a la externalización de esta tecnología, con los costes que ello conlleva.

Uno de estos ejemplos son las pequeñas empresas de prototipado, generalmente limitadas al uso de FDM o SLA. Hemos entrevistado al director técnico de una de ellas y nos ha contado su experiencia añadiendo la tecnología SLS a su cartera de servicios al adquirir una impresora 3D SLS Sinterit Lisa.

F2P: Buenos días, Eloy. ¿Podrías contarnos un poco sobre tu trayectoria profesional y tu experiencia en el mundo de la impresión 3D y el prototipado?

E.B.: Desde hace 11 años soy Director Técnico de Eceleni, una empresa dedicada a la fabricación de prototipos y series cortas, pero mis orígenes vienen del diseño industrial, tanto de producto como de molde. La primera vez que vi una estereolitografía fue hace más de 20 años, cuando trabajaba como diseñador en un taller de moldes. La verdad es que el cliente que lo trajo no nos dejó ni lo tocó. En aquel entonces nadie hablaba de impresión 3D, solo de estereolitografía.

F2P: At Eceleni you work both subtractive manufacturing (CNC machining) and additive manufacturing (3D printing) and formative (fast silicone molds). What do you think 3D printing can provide over other technologies?

E.B.: In most cases, 3D printing makes it possible to manufacture geometries that could not otherwise be manufactured (for example Lattices or Voronoi) and immediacy when manufacturing short series or prototypes. Although it is true that in relatively large pieces, both the term and the cost are better for machining, and depending on the quantity, training techniques are still the best option.

Image 1:Lattice printed with Sinterit Lisa

F2P: Currently you offer 3D printing through Polyjet, FDM and SLS, what does the latter give you compared to the other two?

E.B.: SLS technology has a better surface finish than FDM technology and superior mechanical resistance than PolyJet. For example, the elastomers manufactured by SLS have a superior resistance to breakage than Polyjet's flexible resins.

F2P: Among your equipment you have the Sinterit Lisa 3D SLS printer, could you tell us why you have chosen this SLS 3D printer and not another model that is available on the market?

E.B.: Compared to other options in SLS, it is the best value for money. If instead of being an additive manufacturing service bureau, it were for our own use, we would also have one.

F2P: Sinterit Lisa stands out for being the first SLS 3D printer in desktop format, has this influenced your decision to purchase it? Has this format been of any advantage to you compared to classic industrial formats?

E.B.: Although it does not have the largest bucket on the market, that for many manufactures is a point in favor, since the minimum amount of material is wasted, and the cooling time is much shorter than large machines, so the piece in a shorter time. Depending on the type of part to be manufactured in SLS, we manufacture them without hesitation in the Lisa.

F2P: Could you tell us what your first contact with Sinterit Lisa was like? Has the installation been simple or have you had any problems?

E.B.: Sinterit Lisa comes ready to be used. It is a robust machine, and ready to go to manufacture once unpacked.

F2P: Traditionally, 3D SLS printing has been considered a complex technology, both at the user and implementation level, compared to other more common ones such as FDM. After using Sinterit Lisa, do you consider this to be true? Compared to an FDM printer, do you find using Lisa much more complicated?

E.B.: I suppose they are considered more complex because SLS 3D printers have always been large industrial machines, which, not being as visual as FDM, are understood to be more complex, but in the case of the Sinterit Lisa printer, nothing is further from reality. .

F2P: Sinterit Lisa comes with her own slicing software, Sinterit Studio. How has your experience been with this software?

E.B.: Sinterit Studio is very, very, very easy to use. Even more so than FDM slicers, as you don't have to consider where to put the brackets.

Image 2:Sinterit Studio user interface

F2P: How difficult would you say it is compared to other printers you have worked with?

E.B.: The Sinterit Lisa is a very grateful machine:it does not have complex mechanics and you do not have to worry about the material jamming. The great secret to having good impressions on the Sinterit Lisa is to put the piece in the most irregular position possible, even if it takes a little longer.

F2P: One of the strengths of Sinterit products is their conception as Plug-and-Play equipment. Would you consider this true? Since you received the printer, has it been difficult for you to adopt the workflow and start producing with it?

E.B.: Sure enough, it was plug and play. Being a closed machine, you only have to load the material and print, without further complications. In addition, thanks to the camera installed in the printer, you can verify its operation from the workplace.

Imagen 3:Supervisión de la impresión a través de la cámara integrada

F2P: After this time with Sinterit Lisa, what would you highlight about her? Do you consider it to have been a successful acquisition?

E.B.: Very successful! We are currently working a lot with the Flexa Gray material, which allows us to make TPU pieces with different hardnesses. It often happens that when a client sees the parts in PA12 in dark gray, she asks if they have been made with the MFJ. It is the same material, and the same color, although with better mechanical properties.

Image 4:Lisa and Lisa Pro 3D SLS Printers

Being able to implement 3D SLS printing equipment in the service bureaus ' own facilities can mean a very significant increase in value for this type of business. Leaving the outsourcing of 3D SLS printing services means, in addition to significant cost savings in the short and medium term, time savings that increase responsiveness to the customer.

Without a doubt, both Lisa and Lisa Pro have become a benchmark in the world of 3D printing, which has led more and more offices and service bureaus to opt for this technology with satisfactory results.