In a partnership with Mitsubishi Chemicals, Colossus, a Genk-based machine development startup, has launched what is considered to be the largest Fused Granular Fabrication 3D printer exclusively designed to process recycled materials.
Contained within a shipping container, the Colossus boasts a build size of 2.67m in length, 1m in width, and 1.5m in height equating a volume of 4m3. Regardless of its size, developers state it is designed as a 3D printing system that is transportable and presumably in the same vein as the movable Fab Lab from the U.S Marines.
Yannick Aerts, CTO of Colossus said that the company intended to build a printing system that can adjust to customer’s needs, hence to make the system as mobile and upgradable as possible was a top priority.
Aerts further mentioned that the print bed, extruder as well as screw types are all a part of the system that are designed to be configurable by the user. The Colossal 3D FGF’s flexibility is highly relevant for various applications and industry sectors, Aerts added.
Philippe Mérillet, Co-Founder of Colossus was quoted saying that having received requests from clients to make furniture and other large-scale objects from plastic waste, Colossus scanned the market for a large-scale printer that unfortunately turned out to be too slow or expensive or unable to perform with high-temperature materials.
The Colossus FGM 3D printer supports a print speed of around 15kg per hour through a granulate fed extruder and includes a dehumidification unit to offer enhanced print quality. A heated print bed is also included that enables easy print removal.
According to sources familiar with the development, under its partnership with Mitsubishi Chemical, Colossus has finished testing 10 material compound profiles that enable optimal performance of FGM systems. After launching the first prototype, Colossus is reportedly working on improving the first 3D printer design to build a multi-head system and a higher print output that extends up to 25kg/hour.
The finished product of this development is presently available for pre-order, cite sources.
