Bossard enters the emerging market of additive manufacturing

The Bossard Group is entering with three partners the emerging market of 3D printing. Together with its subsidiary KVT-Fastening, Bossard will present three different technologies at the Additive Manufacturing Expo in Lucerne from March 6 to 7, 2018. Cooperation partners for the Swiss market include TRUMPF (laser metal fusion), German RepRap (fused filament fabrication) and Henkel (stereolithography). These partnerships will allow Bossard to sell 3D industrial printers and related consumables (metal powder, filaments, etc.). Bossard will also act as a partner in consulting customers up to designing complex parts for 3D printing.

The Bossard Group views 3D printing as a forward-looking technology that will transform some areas of industrial manufacturing. Our involvement relies on partnerships with three manufacturers of premium industrial 3D printers and related technical support services. The Group contributes with its technical expertise, vast experience in solving industrial manufacturing problems, and an established sales network. Our consulting services extend to the design of prototypes and complex customized components; application engineering and prototyping will act as a competence center.

In cooperation with its partners, Bossard will continually expand the new 3D printer line. The devices are based on three different technologies and are designed for professional use in various areas, including product development, prototyping, model- and mold-making, architecture, product design, and creation of complex components with functional integration. Here is a brief introduction to the three cooperation partners and their advanced technologies:

The TRUMPF Group is a market and technology leader in the development of machine tools and lasers for industrial manufacturing. In the field of additive manufacturing, the company is the only one to offer both relevant laser technologies, laser metal fusion and laser metal deposition. Its product portfolio covers complete solutions from a single source that combine digitalization, machines and services, including proprietary laser sources. The right machine solution makes the production of complex molds and individual components fast, flexible, and cost-efficient – even for the smallest lot sizes.

In the field of fused filament fabrication (FFF), Bossard is cooperating with the German manufacturer German RepRap, which has been developing 3D printers based on this technology since 2013. The FFF process is the most widely used 3D printing method. The method is comparatively easy to handle with relatively modest investment costs. The German RepRap product line includes 3D printers for professional use in product development, prototyping, model- and mold-making, architecture, and design.

In addition, Bossard sees stereolithography as a promising field over the long term. Bossard is partnering with the German adhesive manufacturer Henkel, which offers its Loctite PR10 DLP printer and a selection of synthetic resins for additive manufacturing. KVT-Fastening already has a long-standing partnership with Henkel in the adhesives field. Stereolithography is suitable for printing objects with very finely layered surfaces whose individual layers must be indistinguishable from one another.

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