In 2019 TCT Asia, AM technology innovator Farsoon Technologies first introduced Flight® Technology, or Fiber Light® Technology addressing the needs of industrial-scale series production with plastic laser powder bed fusion. To further enhance the production speed and volume, in May 2022 Farsoon announced the development of large-format Quad-laser Flight® HT1001P-4 system to the market. With more customers taking advantage of the powerful fiber lasers for volume production, the demand of operating specific materials for industrial applications is rapidly growing.
Farsoon Flight® Dual-laser HT403P-2 in BASF Forward AM AMATC facility. Image courtesy: BASF
As a strategic partner since 2013, Farsoon has been collaborating with BASF Forward AM on numerous R&D projects that focus on high-temperature and specialized engineering materials development for laser powder bed fusion technology. Recently, BASF Forward AM invested in Farsoon’s Flight® Dual-laser HT403P-2 machine, which is located in the new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Application Technology Center (ATC) in Detroit, Michigan. This investment aims to strengthen regional service capabilities and co-innovation efforts with Farsoon in the development of new material targeted for fiber laser SLS technology. With the high throughput dual-laser machine configuration, the facility and equipment allow for quicker and more in-depth material validation such as PA11 CF, PA11 ESD, TPU, and PP. Our collaboration with BASF Forward AM emphasizes our commitment to developing scalable machine and material combinations that provide reliable printing solutions for our customers.
With the growing numbers of Farsoon Flight® SLS platform users in the U.S, quite a few have seen great success operating BASF Forward AM specialized engineering materials from functional prototyping to scale production runs. Sofos Robotics Co. located in Ham Lake, MN is currently using BASF Forward AM Ultrasint® PA11 ESD, Ultrasint® TPU 88A Black and Ultrasint® PA11 Black CF in their robotic integration and automation projects. Bru Tek LLC in Shelby Township, Michigan, has been using BASF Forward AM Ultrasint® PA11 ESD and Ultrasint® TPU 88A Black in a number of industrial projects.
“We chose the Farsoon Flight® for our Detroit Application Technology Center because the platform offers the speed and flexibility our customers are looking for. That speed combined with the build box size make the Farsoon Flight® technology a winning combination for our customers who are industrializing additive manufacturing.” Says Todd McInally, Head of 3D Printing Technologies BASF Forward AM Americas.
“Farsoon is proud to partner with material leader BASF Forward AM for nearly 10 years, keep supporting industrial customers with our truly open, productive machine solution. The combination of great machine operational flexibility and high-quality engineering material options will allow users to achieve their industrial application success sooner.” Says Jim Braddick, Director of Sales Farsoon Americas.
In the upcoming Rapid+TCT event in Chicago, IL next month, Farsoon Americas will be displaying a variety of industrial parts produced with BASF Forward AM Ultrasint® series powders, produced by Farsoon Flight® technology at booth 2224, contact us: contact@farsoonam.com to set up a private meeting with Farsoon! BASF Forward AM will be exhibiting at booth 2445 at Rapid – customers interested are welcome to contact: sales@basf-3dps.com for more information.
About Flight® Technology
Employing industrial fiber lasers in place of the standard CO₂ lasers found in standard laser sintering systems, Farsoon’s Flight® Technology opens many new possibilities for production-targeted additive manufacturing. An industrial fiber laser can deliver greatly increased power to the powder bed, thus enabling extreme sintering speeds that pushes the SLS productivity to a new level. Due to the more robust and stable nature of a fiber laser system it also provides increased laser longevity as compared to a CO₂ system. In addition, with its increased power and energy absorption characteristics Flight® Technology will be capable of accessing a much different range of process-able materials and operational flexibility as compared to standard laser sintering systems, which allows for increased freedom for AM material and application development. Visit www.farsoon-gl.com for more info on Flight® plastic laser sintering systems.
About BASF 3D Printing Solutions
BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business under the Forward AM brand with advanced materials, system solutions, components and services in the field of 3D printing. BASF 3D Printing Solutions is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF and with research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing. Typical industries include automotive, aerospace and consumer goods. For further information please visit: www.forward-am.com
