U.S. Navy to use Xerox’s newly-launched 3D printer, ElemX

Last year, Xerox announced the acquisition of startup Vader Systems, which specializes in liquid metal additive manufacturing. It clearly stated the ambition to enter the 3D market, convinced of the technology’s potential. One year later, Xerox has introduced its first liquid metal 3D printer, ElemX. The machine uses metal, specifically aluminium, wires that are melted layer by layer to produce the final part. The manufacturer hopes to appeal to the aerospace, automotive, marine, and oil & gas industries. Already, the Naval Postgraduate School in California has commissioned a machine as part of a new collaborative research project into the applications for 3D printing for the U.S. Navy.

Currently the majority of metal additive manufacturing processes use powders to design more or less complex parts. These materials can represent a risk both for the user’s health and safety. The INRS had moreover published a complete report on the possible risks when handling metal powder. These include chemical risks, explosion and fire. Accordingly, Xerox placed their bets on a machine that relies on metal wire rather than powder. The company thus created the ElemX, measuring 2.7 meters wide by 2.1 meters high. The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in California were one of the first to receive the first ElemX as part as a collaborative research project into additive manufacturing with Xerox. The NPS will use the machine to research new capabilities for the Navy and Marine Corps.

The ElemX’s build plate. (Photo Credit : Xerox)

The Xerox ElemX is based on a liquid 3D printing process

The Liquid Metal process is based on a metal wire, in this case aluminium: the coil is placed on the machine and the wire is fed into a tank which is heated to over 800°C. The metal is melted, forming droplets which are then projected onto the tray using a magnetic field. According to the manufacturer the machine is capable of depositing up to 1,000 drops per second. Therefore, the manufacturing process is faster than that of powder-based solutions and requires less post-treatment. The exact print volume of the machine is unknown, but it is thought that it can produce parts measuring up to approximately 300 x 300 x 127 mm.