Ultimaker Announces New PVA Removal Station at Showcase

Highlights at its showcase included a 3D printing material, updated Ultimaker Platform features, and a new interface for S-line printers.

The Ultimaker PVA Removal Station. (Image courtesy of Ultimaker.)

The Ultimaker PVA Removal Station. (Image courtesy of Ultimaker.)

3D printer manufacturer and software developer Ultimaker recently held its first Ultimaker Showcase earlier this month. The broadcast was conducted at the company’s Geldermalsen facility in the Netherlands and included a keynote delivered by CEO Jürgen von Hollen regarding the future of additive manufacturing. Along with a display of the newest products in Ultimaker’s lineup, the main event of the evening was the reveal of the all-new Ultimaker PVA Removal Station, which will enable designers to develop prototypes faster and speed up time to market.

Traditionally, 3D printers that deal with Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) as a support material still have to undergo post-processing to remove it. To do this, PVA is typically dissolved in water. However, depending on the size as well as the design complexity of the support structure, post-processing can take over a day to complete. This can slow down production and create downtimes. The Ultimaker PVA Removal Station aims to address these challenges by automating the removal process. This means operators no longer have to remove PVA manually or consistently monitor the dissolving process as it occurs.

Ultimaker claims that the system can successfully reduce post-processing time by up to 75 percent. It uses 13.5 liters of water in order to dissolve PVA and changes circulation direction automatically without requiring manual intervention. Operators can adjust speeds accordingly. The Station already includes a basket and a divider to fix prints and to keep them submerged. Ultimaker also added a transparent container for operators to easily view the dissolving process. In addition to that, a saturation indicator displays when the water needs to be changed.

According to Ultimaker CTO Miguel Calvo, the PVA Removal Station is currently in the final stages of development. It will be integrated into the Ultimaker Platform once it is completed.

“Our entire 3D printing platform, now including the PVA Removal Station, will allow to speed up prototyping and product development processes, enabling safe, quick, and effective PVA removal from even the most complex designs and geometries. It allows teams to visualize quicker approval processes so organizations can run smoother and be smarter,” added von Hallen.

The Ultimaker PVA Removal Station is slated to be available in the first half of 2022.

Sneak peek of firmware 7.0 for Ultimaker S-line printers. (Image courtesy of Ultimaker)

Sneak peek of firmware 7.0 for Ultimaker S-line printers. (Image courtesy of Ultimaker)

Other updates from the showcase include the introduction of the first material in the Ultimaker Certified Materials range. The new LEHVOSS Group LUVOCOM 3F PAHT 9825 NT is a strong, high-temperature polyamide-based material. According to the company, it has the strength of a PA6 without sacrificing any of its printability. The material can be used for various applications including functional prototypes, jigs, tools, and fixtures, and end-use parts. It was also created with NFC integration, allowing users to leverage seamless workflow on any printer via Ultimaker’s software. The LUVOCOM 3F PAHT 9825 NT was developed in partnership with 3D printing material developer LEHVOSS Group.

“The combination of the Ultimaker technology and LEHVOSS high-performance 3D printing materials enables end-use parts that fulfill the highest requirements of customers,” shared LEHVOSS Group Head of 3D Printing Materials Thomas Collet. “3D printed parts with the same strength as injection-molded parts are possible.”

The Ultimaker Platform will also be receiving a number of updates that will involve improved end-to-end platform workflow. New features will include streamlined CAD to print flow and remote printer maintenance scheduling, that help ensure more first-time right prints for Ultimaker users. Ultimaker will also be launching the new firmware 7.0 version for its S-line printers which will offer users enhanced visual capabilities in the printer’s interface.

For more information, visit Ultimaker’s website.