日本技術情報センター Company Overview

Recently, next-generation large-scale resin, metal, and ceramic 3D printers that achieve astonishing high-speed molding and low-cost, high-precision molding have been developed and launched in the market one after another. These printers are rapidly being adopted and utilized by advanced companies in fields such as aerospace, automotive, industrial machinery, plants, defense, and social infrastructure for the manufacturing of large parts and products, production of components for large resin molds, as well as for parts and mold repairs and reverse engineering. In this seminar, we will discuss the development trends, features, and utilization technologies of the latest cutting-edge machines from Lobotics, a leading company in large resin 3D printers, along with domestic and international case studies and challenges. We will also cover the overview and features of the large ceramic 3D printer from SKEFINE, which can create the world's largest large parts, including its short-term molding technology and application examples. Additionally, we will present the short-term molding technology and case studies from Fuji High Frequency Industry, which is energetically utilizing the rapidly growing large metal 3D printer from Meltio, along with examples of low-cost and material reduction achieved through topology optimization. Lastly, we will provide a clear and concrete explanation for beginners about the latest molding technologies and case studies seen in Sankou Gousei, which has been utilizing a large hybrid 3D printer from Matsuura Machinery for eight years to produce various high-functionality and high-quality components for large resin molds, as well as mass production examples using those molds.

At the beginning of the seminar, we will introduce Canon's latest developments in a groundbreaking high-performance ceramic material that excels in selective laser melting (SLM) for 3D printers, which suppresses "shrinkage" during firing, as well as the characteristics of parts that can be created using this method, layer manufacturing technology, target fields, contract manufacturing services, and our collaboration with Metal Research Institute, which has started a high-precision ceramic parts manufacturing service using metal 3D printers with this material. Following that, we will provide a clear explanation of the development trends of various ceramic 3D printers from world-class companies such as SKEFINE, Lithoz, and Sinto Advanced Ceramics, and how the latest manufacturing technologies enable the creation of innovative parts, rapid development, prototyping, and manufacturing of parts with complex shapes that were previously impossible with conventional processing methods and techniques, as well as hollow, porous, and lattice structures. We will also discuss various use cases, including the recent attention on high-speed, large ceramic 3D printers for the short-term and low-cost manufacturing of large parts and products. With the remarkable advancements in ceramic 3D printing/AM technology, manufacturing ceramic parts with 3D printers will become commonplace in a few years.

With advancements in technology, a variety of ceramics 3D printers have recently been developed and introduced to the market, enabling the creation of complex shapes and integrated structures that were impossible with traditional methods and techniques. This includes the production of porous and hollow structures, lattice structures, and the innovative creation of ceramic parts, leading to short-term, low-cost, high-quality manufacturing, a significant reduction in the number of parts, and a substantial decrease in production processes and workforce. The adoption and utilization of these technologies are rapidly progressing. On the other hand, Canon has developed a high-performance ceramic material that excels in selective laser melting (SLM) using metal 3D printers, which suppresses "shrinkage" during firing. In June of last year, Canon and the Metal Research Institute collaborated to officially launch a contract manufacturing service for high-precision, complex-shaped ceramic parts using Canon's innovative ceramic materials and the 3D Systems metal 3D printer. In this seminar, we will provide a practical and easy-to-understand explanation of the development trends of Canon's ceramic materials compatible with metal 3D printers, the molding technologies using these materials, the characteristics of the parts that can be produced, the physical properties and features of the molded products, target areas, collaboration with the Metal Research Institute, and future material development and market strategies.