Aurora is targeting print speeds of one tonne of material deposited per day
For now, Aurora is taking things slow – by its standards – with its large format metals 3D printing technology prototype now able to print simple parts at a printing rate comparable to existing technology in the market, but much slower than the theoretical printing speed being targeted by the company.
It is a critical milestone for Aurora, the Australian start-up we first uncovered in 2014 with its sub £3k offering is now aiming for producing truly large parts at speed – printing masses at a tonne a day.
“When we talk about printing simple parts slowly, this is equivalent to the same speed of other metal 3D-printers currently in the market, while printing complex parts rapidly is targeting speeds that are approximately 100 times faster than existing 3D-printers,” said Aurora managing director David Budge.
“We look forward to announcing the achievement of additional goals along the way as we advance the development, and ultimate commercialisation, of the technology.”
Initial testing of the technology indicate that the targeted print speed of one tonne per day is a possibility with this technology, with an early speed of at least 3kg/ hr reportedly being achieved at a ‘slow’ printing speed.
A forward looking statement estimates that commercial machine production will begin Q4 2018, after a full year of development and certification.
