Zetamix extrusion die : Customized object in record time thanks to 3D printing

 Since 2018, Nanoe produces metal and ceramic filaments for 3D printers. In order to improve their R&D process, they adopt their own technology to produce on demand and customized extrusion dies. Thanks to their brand new H13 Zetamix filament, they solve many production issues.  

zetamix spools

Nanoe produces 5 different filaments: three types of ceramic filament and two types of metal filament. For each material, Nanoe provides 1.75 or 2.85 cm diameter. Thus, the company needs extrusion dies that fit with each filament and each diameter. Moreover, because ceramic and metal filaments are more fragile and less flexible than those of polymer, the production team needs to customize not only the angle of the extrusion die cone but also the length of the cone to extrude filaments properly. This constraint leads to a double problem: Not only Nanoe has to find a solution to procure customized extrusion die, but the R&D team has also to define the angle and the length of the cone by testing different models.

Zetamix 3D printing solves these both issues: the technology makes it possible to highly customize objects easily and in a record time. Finding the best design for the extrusion die would take months by ordering parts made by conventional processes.  Either R&D team orders a large number of extrusion dies with a large choice of models, or they order progressively new extrusion dies. The first option would be very costly and it would not ensure the presence of the perfect fit extrusion die in the batch.  However, the second option would be time consuming in addition to being costly: Indeed, the team cannot expect receive it in less than 5 weeks. If the new extrusion die doesn’t fit, the team has to order a new one, and take the risk to lose 5 additional weeks, and so on.

sintered zetamix extrusion die

Producing a part thanks to Zetamix costs only five days, which includes printing, debinding and sintering the part.  H13 filament doesn’t need any chemical debinding to reach 90% density, only a thermal debinding is required and can be operated in the same furnace as for sintering, Thanks to Zetamix, obtaining a new extrusion die to improve the production process is 6 times shorter than with injection molding or casting and makes possible the release of new products faster.

Finally, because Nanoe R&D ‘team have to try different designs of extrusion die, regular processes would be expensive and time consuming. By using Zetamix, Nanoe R&D team can fully customized objects without the concern of the price or the time..

Finally, because Nanoe R&D ‘team have to try different designs of extrusion die, regular processes would be expensive and time consuming. By using Zetamix, Nanoe R&D team can fully customized objects without the concern of the price or the time..

Zetamix