Thermwood Releases 60-mm Melt Core for Higher Print Rates

Thermwood’s 60-mm melt core can 3D print layers 250 ft. or longer with most polymers, enabling a higher output capability for the print process. The 60-mm melt core, tested with different polymers, has achieved print rates from 480 to 570 lbs/hr., which translates to more than 100 ft. of bead per minute, almost double that of a standard 40-mm melt core, according to the company.

With Thermwood’s room temperature “continuous cooling” print process, the cycle time for each layer is determined solely by how long it takes a particular printed polymer to cool to the proper temperature to accept the next layer. Only by printing when the previous layer is within the proper temperature range can operators achieve a solid, void-free printed structure that maintains vacuum in an autoclave without a secondary coating. The print-head output then determines how much material can be printed during the time it takes for the layer to cool. The high print rate of the new melt core, even when processing high-temperature materials, along with Thermwood’s Vertical Layer Printing method, enable the print bead to be oriented along the length of the tool, even for tools that are as long as the machine table itself.