3DQue automates metal 3D printing for affordable mass production

Vancouver-based 3D printing startup 3DQue has announced that it has successfully proven the cost-effectiveness of upgrading its Quinly 3D printer automation to the Ultimaker S5.

Early test results indicated that the Quinly upgrade on the Ultimaker S5 reduces printer operator time by 90%, while reducing cost per part by more than two-thirds. 3DQue believes its automation upgrade proves the profitability of metal 3D printing for mass production.

“Lower upfront and per-part costs combined with reduced operator time and higher throughput without having to incur this high risk of part stack-up is a game-changer for many manufacturers,” said Mateo Pekic, co- founder of 3DQue. “Quinly makes it easy for companies to scale metal part production by automating their Ultimaker S5s that they already own and use for plastic parts.”

3DQue’s Quinly Automation Upgrade

Founded in 2018 by Pekic and entrepreneur Stephanie Sharp, 3DQue’s goal is to provide manufacturers and contractors with high-volume 3D printing capabilities. The company has already developed and launched its proprietary QSuite and QPoD product offerings, first unveiled at RAPID+ TCT 2019.

The company first installed its QPoD platform at Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers (MCPP), and the company was able to perform extensive material compatibility testing to examine its potential as an alternative to injection molding.

Essentially, the Quinly package allows those looking to run a 3D printing business to increase production without having to constantly monitor their product progress. 3DQue launched its Quinly automation upgrade kit for Creality’s Ender 3 machines in May. The kit includes subscription-free automation software, a gravity-assisted print bed, and the STL files needed to print the machine’s tilt supports.

In July, 3DQue extended Quinly compatibility to all Creality Ender 3 clones, such as the Aquila 3D printer from Voxelab, the consumer-centric brand of 3D printer manufacturer FlashForge. With this, 3DQue hopes to extend the freedoms of high-volume standalone 3D printing to thousands of engineers.

Develop metal 3D printing

According to 3DQue, the global market for metal products is worth more than two trillion dollars, but for metal 3D printing to disrupt the market, it must be able to scale to mass production in a cost-effective way. The company identified three main bottlenecks to scaling metal printing: high labor, equipment, and operating costs.

3DQue predicts that, based on current methods, for the metal printing market to achieve even one percent market share by 2025, companies would need to train more than four million skilled operators and spend some two trillion dollars on equipment.

With the company’s Quinly automation upgrade, however, it says $20 billion worth of metal prints could be made with just 400,000 skilled operators and $300 billion worth of automated equipment. 3DQue also indicates that printed parts would cost less than half the cost of printed metal parts today.

“Moving 3D printing from a batch to a continuous flow process, automating existing printers, and connecting production through digital supply chains enables companies to profitably produce large volumes of parts in-house or on-site at customers,” said Stephanie Sharp, CEO of 3DQue Systems. “By relocating production, companies have more flexibility, reduce inventory and secure their supply chain.

“And they eliminate bulk shipping and storage, two of the biggest sources of GHGs, increasing sustainability while reducing costs. It’s a win-win. »

Automated metal test results

The Ultimaker S5 industrial 3D printer is based on Fused Filament Manufacturing (FFF) technology. Early testing of 3DQue’s on-machine automation upgrade revealed that the capital required to start high-volume printing could potentially drop by 90%, reducing the initial capital costs needed to fully automate the printer for high-volume metal printing.

3DQue printed several test pieces using the automated Ultimaker S5 by Quinly and Ultrafuse 316L filaments from BASF and PolyCast from Polymaker. Part costs are said to have dropped 63% compared to those produced through 3D printer manufacturer Desktop Metal’s bonded metal deposition (BMD) system. Continuing the comparison with Desktop Metal’s BMD technology, tests revealed that fourteen Ultimaker S5s automated by Quinly would provide a similar capacity (63,230 parts per year), but cost up to 10 times less and take up half the floor space.

3DQue’s Quinly Upgrade eliminates manual tasks such as removing parts, applying adhesives, uploading files, and more. Tests on the Ultimaker S5 showed that Quinly was able to increase production without increasing the number of operators needed to run the machines, and in fact reduced operator time by over 90%.

Thus, upgrading Quinly automation has been proven to reduce labor and equipment costs while providing more flexible, on-demand production. In turn, 3DQue believes the upgrade is capable of achieving both affordable and scalable metal 3D printing.

Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Bulletin for the latest additive manufacturing news. You can also stay connected by following us on Twitter and love us on Facebook.

Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit 3D printing works for a selection of roles in the industry.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest 3D printing video shorts, reviews and webinar replays.

Featured image shows Ultimaker S5 3D printers at ERIKS premises. Photo via Ultimaker.