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Siemens partners with ExOne for industrial 3D printing and Industry 4.0 initiatives

ExOne, a specialist provider of industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, has formed a partnership with engineering giant Siemens that the two companies say “will benefit industrial customers in the foundry, aerospace, automotive, energy and other markets”.

Siemens’ Digital Enterprise Portfolio of software and automation technology including MindSphere are fully implemented on the all-new S-Max Pro sand printer, which is said to be capable of achieving print speeds of up to 135 l/h (18 s/layer).

The S-Max Pro was launched at the 2019 GIFA International Foundry Trade Fair last week.

John Hartner, CEO of ExOne, says: “With this expanded partnership, ExOne will deliver even more value to our foundry and manufacturing customers who rely on our industrial3D printers.

“We are proud to be the first industrial 3D printer to fully integrate the latest of Siemens control, sensing and motion technologies and this new MindSphere technology, which will give our customers a new level of control and plant integration.”

Dr Karsten Heuser, vice president of additive manufacturing at Siemens Digital Industries, says: “We are proud to further strengthen our partnership with ExOne and advance the industrialization of additive manufacturing.

“Siemens brings new digital technologies and its profound industrial domain know-how to help ExOne generate further value.

“The new ExOne S-Max Pro 3D printer proves that seamlessly integrated software and automation solutions result in shorter time-to-market, higher performance and maximum availability.”

Connected ExOne 3D printing systems

The Digital Enterprise portfolio from Siemens comprises integrated hardware, software and services supporting ExOne to leverage the benefits of Industry 4.0.

In the center of this holistic approach stands the “Digital Twin” using a shared data model alongside the entire value chain: from the machine concept over machine simulation, engineering and commissioning to operations and services.

Machine operators secure their investments with shorter lead times, increased machine performance and smarter service decisions.

The ExOne APP “3D Live” runs on MindSphere – the open cloud-based IoT operating system from Siemens – to analyze machine data and other relevant information in real-time, providing the basis for automated or timely decision-making, turning data into value.

As an example, ExOne machines enable the operator to identify anomalies for improving maintenance and repair activities so that unplanned downtime can be avoided.

Hartner says: “We look forward to working with Siemens to further our capabilities in delivering production solutions for industrial 3D printing.

“Together we will help our customers integrate our systems into new smart factories and integrate with those already deploying Siemens’s technology.”

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