CEAD builds an additive manufacturing machine with a LUCAS axis

CEAD is a Dutch company based in Delft specialising in large scale 3D printing. CEAD develops a range of high capacity composite 3D printing machines built with poly robots, linear axis or 3-axis cartesian gantries. 3D printing is a field that is undergoing a revolution, making it easy to create unique parts with designs that would otherwise be impossible to manufacture. In this context, LUCAS linear axis serves as the 7th robotic axis, extending the reach of the poly robot and thus allowing the production of large parts.

CEAD is developing AM flexbot, a flexible solution based on a Comau poly robot for large-scale additive manufacturing. This versatile system offers many options that can be integrated to configure a specific system as needed. This system has proven to be the reference system for large-scale 3D printing implementations in industry. Thanks to its Siemens Sinumerik control system, which can drive 31 axes, there is no need to add a controller for the robot.

Our Benelux distributor, Robotics Benelux, negotiated the deal with CEAD and provided the commercial and technical interface with our teams in France.

LUCAS has already worked on a large capacity printing project with VLM Robotics, designer and manufacturer of the metal printing machine marketed by IREPA Lasers. As for this machine, LUCAS provides CEAD with a linear axis on the floor protected by a bellows with a 5M stroke that allows the movement of the Comau NJ 165 – 3.0 poly robot. The precision of our axis and their compatibility with the Siemens control system make them perfectly suitable for 3D printing operations.