Encompassing hardware, software, and materials, the UnionTech booth was a varied display of all things 3D printing.
UnionTech, a pioneer in 3D printing technology with more than two decades of industry experience, recently showcases its latest products – including innovations in hardware, software, and materials – at the Formnext 2023 event in Frankfurt, Germany.
Introducing the RSPro Series of Industrial SLA 3D Printers
The spotlight of UnionTech’s showcase was the RSPro Series – a versatile lineup of SLA 3D printers tailored to professional use. The series includes the RSPro600, RSPro800, RSPro1400, RSPro1800, and RSPro2100 – each of which help manufacturers achieve small-batch manufacturing and obtain swift market feedback.
At UnionTech’s booth, visitors could see a 2m prototype of a car’s dashboard that was printed with the RSPro2100, leveraging UnionTech's self-developed multiple galvanometer scanner system to ensure the stable and precise calibration of multiple scanners.
This technology guarantees precise molding accuracy by correcting scanning distortions and ensuring that deviations are less than half a light spot. UnionTech's splicing technology further ensures that mechanical properties are nearly identical, resulting in the production of precise, high-quality, and robust one-piece components. These technologies prove that UnionTech is at the forefront of innovation in providing efficient solutions for large-part production.
The Martrix520 ‘Quasi-industrial’ 3D Printer
UnionTech's Martrix520 was another standout product at Formnext. The machine is a “quasi-industrial” desktop mSLA 3D printing solution designed with professional users in mind.
Boasting a large build volume of 298 x 165 x 320 mm and impressive precision of up to 0.02 mm, the Martrix520 is an ideal choice for a wide range of industry applications. Its user-friendly design simplifies the identification of design changes and enhances scalability – significantly reducing the risks associated with transitioning to high-volume production for prototyping and full-scale manufacturing.
Revamped Dental Brand – EvoDent
At Formnext, UnionTech also showed it has taken a significant step forward in the dental industry by redesigning and developing 3D printers for the EvoDent brand, with LCD and DLP desktop dental 3D printing solutions tailored to dental clinics and labs.
For example, the E Series – consisting of the E128 and E230 – is a lineup of 3D printers designed for dental clinics and small labs. Both printers feature a high-resolution light source, resulting in a large build volume and exceptional accuracy. This makes them perfect for a wide range of dental applications – especially those requiring high precision, such as restoration models and dentures.
The UOne, meanwhile, is a DLP 3D printer boasting a 2K resolution, ensuring a relatively large 3D printing size and high precision down to 56 microns. The UOne is versatile and can handle various dental applications with a full range of resin materials.
The Next Breakthrough in 3D Printing Materials
In 2015, UnionTech set up a core materials team – establishing Synthestic, a subsidiary company dedicated to materials – and constructed a material center laboratory for the research and development 3D printing materials.
These materials were on display at this year’s Formnext, with a focus on polyurethane, thiol-ene, and special epoxy materials. In total, the materials match the needs of a wide variety of applications in footwear, orthodontics, dentistry, automotive, and other industrial markets.
Photopolymer materials, especially DLP materials, are one of the most widely used 3D printing materials. In recent years, the global material giant Evonik UnionTech have jointly developed a series of photopolymer materials suitable for 3D printing, which has greatly promoted the development of DLP printing.
INFINAM® RG-SLA is a high-performance material that prints on SLA 3D printers, which exhibits mechanical properties similar to those of the engineered plastic, ABS. It has extraordinary aging performance and durability, and is characterized by good surface quality, high tensile strength (ranging from 50-55 MPa), high impact strength (ranging from 50-60 J/m), and high elongation at break (ranging from 20-30%).
INFINAM® TI-SLA is an exceptional resin known for its remarkable toughness, offering an impressive elongation at break of 200% while maintaining precise and intricate details, with a feature size as small as 0.07 mm. It can also endure bending and impact – even in extreme conditions.
Although it is not as soft as rubber, TI possesses a suitable tensile modulus (1500 MPa) for functional components and exhibits favorable thermal properties, with an ideal temperature resistance of 55 °C, making it well-suited for indoor applications. Moreover, this material enables the printing of intricate and delicate designs, and can be easily colored to meet specific requirements.
3D Printing Software for Professional Data Preparation
UnionTech also provided Formnext visitors with a front-row seat to its varied software offerings. First up was its professional data preparation software for 3D printing, Polydevs.
Polydevs enables users to prepare 3D CAD models with an intuitive user interface, user-friendly workflow, and easy operation. The software works to speed up model preparation for prints that are superior quality, increasingly reliable, and more efficient.
Additionally, UnionTech spotlighted Unionfab ONE – a free, one-click, fast, and collaborative automation tool for the 3D printing industry. The software simplifies the printing process, lowering the print threshold and improving print quality by integrating hardware, software and intelligent parameter settings to make it easy for engineers to get started.
UnionTech’s Industrial 3D Printing Digital Solution for Tire Molds
UnionTech’s industrial 3D printing digital solution for tire molds was also shown at Formnext. The entire solution comprises 3D printing equipment, printing materials, pre-processing solutions, and a 3D printing cloud platform system, effectively integrating 3D technology into the tire mold manufacturing process.
The UnionTech RA600 3D printer exhibits high precision when printing tire molds, with a remarkable fidelity in reproducing pattern details. Dimensional deviations are kept within a range of 0.1 mm; circular alignment accuracy is controlled within 0.05 mm; and the accuracy of patterns and fine details is maintained within 0.02 mm. This enables the integrated formation of intricate patterns, significantly expanding the designer's creative possibilities.
3D printing technology satisfies the diverse and complex design demands of the tire mold industry. This resolves industry pain points to a significant extent, freeing tire mold factories from the complexities of pattern design and manufacturing. 3D printing also enhances the speed of tire product design iterations – and elevates the production capacity of the tire mold industry.
Looking Toward the Future with UnionTech
UnionTech is deeply engaged in 3D printing, finding strengths in all areas of the industry as it continues to collaborate with internationally renowned brands. The company is also constantly working to expand the global ecosystem of additive manufacturing, as well as empower global factory automation, and intelligent transformation and upgrading.
At present, UnionTech has set up branches and service teams in the United States, Germany, Vietnam, and other countries. It has also established a strong relationship with channels in Europe, North America, the Middle East and more, to provide specialized, localized and refined services for global customers.
This goes a long way toward cultivating 3D printing-related innovations across industry, including automotive, electronics, investment casting, education, and beyond. To learn more about these innovations.
