Prima Industrie, parent company of Prima Power, is getting into the additive business with the launch of its new division Prima Additive and the introduction of a new additive machine, the Print Sharp 250.
The company also announced its plans to build a new Application and Technology Centre currently being built behind the main facility and expected to open early in 2019.
Gianfranco Carbonato, Prima Industrie group president, says the new additive division was a natural evolution for the company because of its history in laser innovations dating back to the 1970s.
“Back in the seventies, we followed our vision and we entered the market of laser machines for industrial applications that was just at its beginnings, and it was a winning choice. Today, we are witnessing the developing of these new applications of laser to metalworking and their disruptive potential. It is a fascinating new manufacturing paradigm, and we are ready to help our customers seizing these business opportunities.”
Prima made the announcement at its first Innovation Day at its Turin, Italy headquarters. The one-day event held October 3 brought together more than 160 regional manufacturers, academia and international media, including Shop Metalworking Technology Magazine, who was invited to the event. The Technology Centre showcased the latest sheet metalworking technologies from Prima Power, including a fully automated cell equipped with a servo electric punching machine integrated with shearing and bending machines in an integrated flexible manufacturing system. New in the company’s lineup is the Prima Power Laser Next 2141 3D fiber laser cutting machine designed for diversified markets including job shops, aerospace, agricultural and automotive markets and available in for configurations (fixed tables, split cabin, turn table and automatic shuttles).
Prima Additive’s product range will include machines based on powder bed fusion, which includes the first entry level additive machine, the Print Sharp 250 and direct metal deposition processes, which includes two machines from the company’s Laserdyne division, the Laserdyne 430 and Laserdyne 795. The additive machine offering also includes the Laser Next 2141 fiber laser machine from the company’s Prima Power laser and sheet metalworking working equipment division, designed for laser metal deposition as well as 2D and 3D cutting and welding.
While there are currently only a few machines within the additive business offering, Paolo Calefati, Prima Additive business development, says more machines with wider building volume are planned for the future.
The Prima Additive Machines
Print Share 250: Powder bed-based additive machine equipped with a 200 or 500 w fiber laser and a build volume of 250 x 250 x 300 mm (9.84 x 9.84 x 11.8 in.) and a build rate of 30 cm3/hr (1.83 in3/hr).
Laserdyne 403: Laser metal deposition platform for 3D fabrication, rework and R&D applications. Equipped with a 1 to 6 kW fiber laser with a working volume of 585 x 400 x 500 mm (23 x 15.75 x 19.68 in.) and a deposition rate of a maximum of 50 cm3/hr (3.05 in3/hr).
Laserdyne 795: Designed for large scale components and offered with a a fiber laser ranging from 1 to 6 kW, it has a working volume of 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 mm (39.37 x 39.37 x 39.37 in.) and a deposition rate of 70 cm3/hr (4.27 in3/hr).
Laser Next 2141: A large scale multi-purpose fiber laser system for laser metal deposition, 3D and 2D cutting and welding. It is offered with a 1 to 6 kW fiber laser and is designed with a working volume of 4,140 x 2,100 x 1,020 mm (163 x 82.67 x 40.15 in.) and a deposition rate of a maximum 70 cm3/hr (4.27 in3/hr).
