Divergent Technologies doubles its 3D car printing capabilities
Divergent Technologies, a California based start-up aiming to shake up the automotive vehicle manufacturing industry, has doubled its 3D printing capacity. Divergent announced the purchase of three more NXG XII 600 metal production printers from SLM Solutions. These will be delivered early in 2022, at which point Divergent will have six in total, making it the most prolific user of NXG XII 600 systems.
SLM Solutions, which has been in a joint development partnership with Divergent for several years, launched the metal printing NXG XII 600 machine in November 2020. The NXG XII 600 has 12 x 1 kW lasers operating in a 600 x 600 x 600 mm (~23.6 x 23.6 x 23.6 in) build envelope, making it one of the fastest printers of its kind. SLM claims that it can print 5-20 times faster than other printers, making it perfect for high-volume production lines.
Divergent's core product is the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS), used to design and print parts for vehicles. DAPS is "designed to replace traditional vehicle manufacturing... the machine automatically computationally engineers, manufactures and assembles any complex structure" in the company's own words. Divergent has claimed that DAPS could reduce the environmental impact of car manufacturing while also reducing costs.
With six printers now available to it, Divergent can print thousands of tons of vehicle parts. Industry leaders are predicting the first 3D printed structures from Divergent could be on the road within the next two years.
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