Oct 27, 2015 | By Alec
Over the past few years, the Tokyo-based technology company Ricoh – which operates globally – has been increasingly incorporating 3D printing technology into its line of products, and now seem ready for a big splash. With an eye on the high end market, the company’s has just announced the release of the powerful RICOH AM S5500P 3D printer, the first under its own brand. An impressive Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printer, the RICOH AM S5500P is capable of working with a wide range of polymers and powders and has been especially designed to manufacture large, highly detailed and functional objects in a single piece. The machine will also be integrated into the companies high end 3D printing services, which started operation a year ago.
Ricoh is a well-known technology developer with a global footprint. Specialising in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services, they have a presence in just about every corner of the world and are successful: over the last financial year, their sales were worth approximately 18.5 billion dollars. While still far away from a main branch of the services, the company has been looking into the 3D printing industry for some time; in the beginning of the year, they announced a partnership with Dutch 3D printer developers Leapfrog.
But the only thing they didn’t have, was a product of their own and that is what the RICOH AM S5500P will be. And as the company reveals, it is an impressive machine. In essence, it’s an industrial SLS 3D printer for high-definition and durable 3D prints. But this particular 3D printer functions with a wide range of materials as well. ‘In addition to the polymer powder materials mainly used with the SLS method, such as PA*211 and PA12, universally applicable and highly functional materials PA6 and PP*3 can also be used,’ the Japanese developers reveal. ‘This product can fabricate automobile parts for functional tests, as well as the parts for end products.’ And with a very large build area of 550 mm × 550 mm × 500 mm, the RICOH AM S5500P 3D printer is perfect for creating large or multiple parts in a single session.
This impressive 3D printer was developed in collaboration with Aspect, Inc, who will also be involved in the creation of proprietary material and possible enhancements for the RICOH AM S5500P 3D printer. The Japanese company will begin taking orders on October 30, 2015 from the Japanese market, before expanding it to Europe and elsewhere in the near future.
What’s more, this 3D printer will also be incorporated into Ricoh’s 3D printing services. Back in September of last year, the Japanese engineers opened their very own Additive Manufacturing Business (or AM Business), that is – up to now – selling 3D party equipment and 3D printers, while also operating as a 3D printing service provider (from consultation, to 3D design and printing). ‘Ricoh will add the new RICOH AM S5500P to the services it has been providing and promote introduction of the product to customers’ design departments and manufacturing departments in order to even more strongly support the efforts of its customers for innovation in manufacturing,’ they now announce.
If you’re interested and happen to attend, Ricoh will also be present at the formnexy trade fair, which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany from November 17 to 20 this year. ‘We will exhibit this new product as well as design and manufacturing support solutions,’ they say.
The RICOH AM S5500P is priced at JPY 75,000,000 (USD 622,665 / EUR 563,515 / GBP 405,873).
Specifications:
- Laser output: 100W
- Scan speed: 15m / sec.
- Layer thickness: 0.08mm~0.20mm
- Build envelope (W × D × H): 550 × 550 × 500mm
- Printer dimensions (W × D × H): 2,100mm × 1,520mm × 2,400mm
- Power supply: 3-phase AC200V ± 10% 50A 50 / 60Hz
- Materials: Nylon 12, nylon 12, nylon 11, Nylon 6, polypropylene
Posted in 3D Printer
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