By Industrial Print Magazine Staff
Part 2 of 3
Service bureaus are often tasked with creating parts and tools via the additive manufacturing (AM) process for customers as a way to test and ensure a specific product will thrive in the marketplace. Dinsmore, an ADDMAN Group company, is an three dimensional (3D) service bureau with a focus on specialized and low-volume industrial, electrical mechanical, and healthcare solutions.
Throughout the years, when presented with requests for manufacturing parts with intricate geometries—for example medical stent cores—it was unable to meet clients’ demands. The only stents possible were scaled-up models used for visualization purposes. Dinsmore repeatedly had to turn down requests.
Knowing this couldn’t continue, the 3D service bureau turned to Axtra3D and brought its Lumia.X1 printer into the workflow to manufacture stent cores at micro-scale. The printer is a hybrid system that combines two polymerization methods—laser and digital laser processing (DLP). The hybrid system is configured so that the two technologies can be used together or independently.
Advantages of DLP
Beyond the intended benefits of the Lumia.X1, Dinsmore also appreciates the printer’s ability to switch automatically between dual and single polymerization modes, depending on the cross section being printed. This automation eliminated manual scripting, which streamlines the entire process and reduces human error.
Another advantage is the Lumia.X1’s volume software. It gives Dinsmore the ability to manipulate and customize support structures of the stent cores. The software ensures that the delicate parts can withstand the stresses of the coating process without compromising their integrity.
Axtra3D’s industry-wide materials ecosystem opened up material possibilities for the service bureau as well. It now is able to use materials like BASF 3280 Ceramic, Spot A Functional, and 3DS Med-Wht 10. Lumia.X1’s compatibility with such a diverse range of materials is well appreciated.
“The Lumia presents the best combination of print area, accuracy, surface finish, resolution, print throughput, and ease of use. I would rate this technology and system at a nine out of ten for applications ranging from very delicate, accurate medical stents to large, bulky mold inserts,” shares Kirill Tulinov, lab supervisor, Dinsmore.
Achieve More
With the Axtra3D’s Lumia.X1 in place, Dinsmore is now able to produce medical stent cores at actual scale, with the necessary thinness and strength. The result—projects once turned away are able to be taken on easily.
Read part one and three of this series.
Mar2025, Industrial Print Magazine
