ExOne Launches X1 Tooling Industrial-Grade 3D Printed Tooling Solutions
X1 Tooling offers manufacturers fast, affordable and local tooling options for the final production of metal, plastic and composite designs.
X1 MetalTool was used to produce tooling for Sweden-based Celwise’s molded fiber products.
The ExOne Co., a global provider of industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, is launching X1 Tooling, a broad portfolio of industrial-grade 3D printed tooling that includes new solutions for plastic injection molding or forming, laying up composites, casting metals, and more.
The X1 Tooling line is designed to offer tooling options that speed up delivery times and bring tooling closer to the point of final production. Users that 3D print their tooling can help eliminate supply chain issues and make themselves more sustainable, with less shipping and other forms of waste. This fast, flexible tooling portfolio includes six new, affordable tooling applications, the company says.
For plastic production, X1 offers two options: X1 MetalTool is a new 3D printed metal tooling option which has passed preliminary tests to replace standard steel or aluminum tooling for plastic injection molding, blow molding and other plastic forming applications. It is available in 420i (said to be a highly durable and affordable steel-bronze matrix), as well as 316L stainless steel, M2 tool steel and more. This tooling can be finish machined, acid etched and polished to a diamond finish, and is well suited for complex inserts. The second option is X1 ThermoForm which involves a 3D printed sand form infiltrated with a durable resin and coated to create small- to large-format molds for a variety of thermoforming applications, such as vacuum forming, compression molds, foam molding and more.
For composite production, X1 offers X1 Layup and X1 Washout. X1 Layup involves a 3D printed sand form infiltrated with a durable resin and coated for high-precision, high-temperature composite layup applications. It offers dimensional tolerances of ±0.025" and the tooling can be precision machined if needed. X1 Washout is a 3D printed sacrificial tooling that washes out with tap water after traditional layup and autoclaving of composite materials, including carbon fiber. It is a sand form 3D printed with a water-soluble binder and surface coated. It is well suited for ducting, mandrels and other designs with trapped geometries.
For metal production, X1 offers three options: X1 SandCast delivers sand tooling in a variety of sand types and binders, including sustainable inorganic formulas for high-quality aluminum castings. X1 MetalTool, a tool for plastic forming applications, can also be used to directly 3D print end-of-arm tooling, and rugged, perishable or consumable tools in a variety of metals, including tool steels. While still in development, X1 DieMold is used in rugged die molds 3D printed in H13 tool steel and is currently being fast-tracked with several global manufacturers after passing proof-of-concept tests.
All sand- and sand-infiltrated tools are produced using ExOne S-Max series printers with build volume measuring 1,800 × 1,000 × 700 mm (70.9" × 39.4" × 9.84"). X1 MetalTool and X1 DieMold tools are 3D printed in an X1 25Pro with build volume of 400 × 250 × 250 mm (15.75" × 9.84" × 9.84"); development is underway for printing in the larger X1 160Pro.
Related Content
Beehive Industries Is Going Big on Small-Scale Engines Made Through Additive Manufacturing
Backed by decades of experience in both aviation and additive, the company is now laser-focused on a single goal: developing, proving and scaling production of engines providing 5,000 lbs of thrust or less.
Read MoreHow Norsk Titanium Is Scaling Up AM Production — and Employment — in New York State
New opportunities for part production via the company’s forging-like additive process are coming from the aerospace industry as well as a different sector, the semiconductor industry.
Read MoreDMG MORI: Build Plate “Pucks” Cut Postprocessing Time by 80%
For spinal implants and other small 3D printed parts made through laser powder bed fusion, separate clampable units resting within the build plate provide for easy transfer to a CNC lathe.
Read MoreAdditive Manufacturing Is Subtractive, Too: How CNC Machining Integrates With AM (Includes Video)
For Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, succeeding with laser powder bed fusion as a production process means developing a machine shop that is responsive to, and moves at the pacing of, metal 3D printing.
Read MoreRead Next
How Avid Product Development Creates Efficiencies in High-Mix, Low-Volume Additive Manufacturing
Contract manufacturer Avid Product Development (a Lubrizol company) has developed strategies to streamline part production through 3D printing so its engineering team can focus on development, design, assembly and other services.
Read More3MF File Format for Additive Manufacturing: More Than Geometry
The file format offers a less data-intensive way of recording part geometry, as well as details about build preparation, material, process and more.
Read MoreCarnegie Mellon Helps Industry, Students Prepare for a Manufacturing Future with AM and AI
Work underway at the university’s Next Manufacturing Center and Manufacturing Futures Institute is helping industrial additive manufacturers achieve success today, while applying artificial intelligence, surrogate modeling and more to solve the problems of the future.
Read More