Page 65 - Plastics News January 2017

Technology 10

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Patented Advanced Fusion Plastic Modeling likely to replace FDM

Mumbai-based 3D printer startup Divide By Zero about, the Mumbai-based 3D printing startup has distilled
has introduced its patented Advanced Fusion its APFM 3D printing process into its three most important

Plastic Modeling 3D printing technology, a new additive features: layer feature size recognition and temperature

manufacturing process capable of precisely controlling the estimation and control; material flow deposition estimation

temperature and flow of material and control; and extrusion failure repair and control. These

Divide By Zero has been around for a few years now, providing features are used to dynamically adjust printer settings in
some of its country’s most advanced 3D printing technology response to the specific shape and level of complexity in
the layer being printed, and Divide By Zero claims that this
in the form of its dynamic approach delivers noticeable results in terms of
Accucraft, Aion, strength, resistance to stress, and appearance.
and Aeqon 3D

printers, as well The first step of the APFM process, layer feature size

as a number of recognition and temperature estimation and control, involves

printing materials. the slicing software reading various aspects of the print, such

The company can as the length and temperature of the layer embedded in the

now also claim a gcode, to work with the PID controller and heater to put the

place in India’s 3D printing history, having registered the first extruder to the optimum temperature.

patented 3D printing process to come out of the South Asian During the second step of the APFM 3D printing process,
country. Billed as a more precise, dynamic, and reliable form material flow deposition estimation and control, the slicing
of plastic 3D printing than Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), software determines the length and flow rate of the layer
Advanced Fusion Plastic Modeling (APFM) uses changes in embedded in the gcode to affect the flow control subroutine,
temperature to produce high-quality plastic parts, and improving extrusion movement for accurate material
could soon begin to oust traditional FDM 3D printing both deposition. In the third and final step of APFM, extrusion
in India and abroad. According to Divide By Zero, its APFM failure repair and control, the slicing software reads aspects
3D printing technology was created specifically to address such as length and extrusion length for the current line to
the problems inherent in other processes, including metal monitor how much material is being used by the machine.
3D printing. Based on this information, the machine can run diagnostic

Many 3D printer users who swear by FDM might dispute the tests to repair errors or safeguard the extruder head by

claim that the technology inflicts issues like “compromised notifying the user with an error message.

quality and finish,” at least in high-end machines, but Divide Divide By Zero acknowledges that Selective Laser Sintering
By Zero nonetheless claims it can do better. Specifically, (SLS) 3D printing, an established technology for printing with
its APFM 3D printing process goes about the deposition of metal powders, is also capable of producing strong, precisely
plastic in a somewhat different way to FDM, by controlling printed parts. Given the price tag attached to most SLS 3D
the temperature and flow of the build material depending printers, however, the Indian start up believes its APFM
on the geometry of the part. This, according to Divide technology gives 3D printer users a more reasonable option
By Zero, helps to improve part strength, tensility, and for creating high-strength, high-performance 3D printed parts.
accuracy. Divide By Zero explains how this temperature APFM technology has been integrated into Divide By Zero’s line
and flow technology works: “This technology by Divide large-scale (500 x 500 x 500 mm build volume) Aion 500 3D
By Zero relies heavily on intuitive automation and smart printers, industrial-grade machines that have reportedly been
software application to automatically [determine] potential adopted by a number of technology companies and design
pitfalls, take corrective measures, and minutely calibrate firms in India. Divide By Zero recommends that APFM could
the extruder to optimize the movement and flow to deliver be used for any application where prototype development is
an output quality far superior to all other FDM and FFF 3D done on a daily basis, and estimates that the technology can
printers currently available [on] the market.” If that doesn’t print at as low as $0.09 per cubic centimeter.
paint a clear enough picture of what Divide By Zero is all

65 • January 2017 • Plastics News