Additive Manufacturing using PI Piezo Actuators
This video looks at the concept of additive manufacturing processes. These processes are no longer a prototype niche and are on their way to establishing themselves in industrial production. Although injection molding is the preferred choice for processing plastics where the quantities are large and the demand for quality is high, additive manufacturing is predestined for efficient production of separate parts and small batch production. All business sectors from the automotive and consumer to medical technology can take advantage of this technique. Finally, it is possible to construct several different functional components layer-for-layer with minuscule plastic droplets. Piezo actuators are the driving force and thus play a vital role in creating minuscule droplets.
Martin Neff, Head of Plastic Freeforming at ARBURG, states that he is now able to produce more complex geometries inexpensively with additive manufacturing than with conventional production processes. A prototype is developed much more quickly. Piezo actuators were incorporated as they enable higher dynamics and could be controlled by electronics developed by ARBURG. Piezo actuators are significantly faster than other components, thus enabling quick material discharge.
Run Time - 5:36min
Piezo Actuators for Additive Manufacturing