Thermwood completes first LSAM 1010 system

Thermwood (Dale, Ind., U.S.) announced that it has completed the first of a new type of additive print and trim system, the large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) 1010. The fixed table, high wall system offers both a print and trim head mounted on a single, large gantry, although, Thermwood notes, it cannot print and trim simultaneously. The LSAM 1010 retains several of the same features that are standard on the larger LSAM systems, including a 40-millimeter print head, a five-axis trim head, as well as five-foot-high print and trim capabilities. The addition of both of these on a single gantry, Thermwood says, add two major new requirements.

First, the gantry must be significantly longer to accommodate the width of both heads, while also enabling both heads to cover the entire 10 x 10-foot table. Also, the gantry must be significantly stronger to rigidly support both the print and trim head, which together, weigh well over 7,000 pounds, resulting in a live load (the parts of the machine that actually move) of more than 18,000 pounds. Despite the weight, the machine can move at speeds up to almost three feet per second. This is not a small machine, Thermwood points out.

The company says the production of this new gantry has been made possible by the commissioning of Thermwood’s new M400 five-axis metal working system which can machine parts up to 35 feet long. The gantry design uses Thermwood’s slot and tab construction method which produces engineered steel structures that have high strength and stiffness.

The LSAM 1010 has no practical part weight limitation, a result of the system’s fixed table. Thermwood says it offers the same 200-pound maximum print rate capability of the larger flagship LSAM systems, but is still priced well under the LSAM 1020 (smallest dual gantry LSAM available). The LSAM 1010 is also available as a “print only” machine for companies that already have the necessary machining capacity.

In general, the LSAM 1010 is ideal for companies that have size requirements that fit the available envelope and where a sequential process production rate (print and then trim) is adequate. It is also ideal for companies that need relatively large, heavy parts but don’t need trim capability. The lower price point, Thermwood adds, also makes the LSAM 1010 easier to justify cost for a wider variety of end applications.

The LSAM 1010 is part of the LSAM product line which is said to offer the largest selection of LSAM systems available. There is a system available for all requirements, from a five x five additive (print-only) printer, to large, dual gantry print and trim machines up to 40 feet in length. Longer machines are available.