Additive technology has proven its value in prototyping, yet factors like material quality and unit costs have so far hindered its feasibility for end-use parts. Evolve has succeeded in removing these barriers. The company’s SVP (scalable volume production) platform is equipped with a full B&R system that integrates motion control, process control, safety, and HMI as well as IIoT-connectivity.
At the core of Evolve’s platform is its STEP (selective thermoplastic electrophotographic process) technology, which lays down layers of material – not unlike a 2D laser printer – and then fuses them into three-dimensional parts with uniform density and quality. This approach achieves speeds up to ten times faster than any industrial 3D printer and offers the ability to create multi-material and multi-color parts.
Material properties have also been obstacles to the use of additive technology for serial production. With its B&R motion control solution, Evolve can precisely synchronize the alignment of the 2D-printed layers between the reciprocating platens and the moving belt. Combined with high-performance pressure and temperature control during the fusing stage, Evolve achieves an average surface roughness of four microns, even without post-processing.
The Evolve platform offers its customers connected factory solutions. With digital molds stored in the cloud, customers can produce identical parts anywhere in the world and implement new designs without having to produce new physical molds. Advanced maintenance solutions and machine upgrades can be implemented remotely to optimize availability while reducing costs.
