Dri-Air Industries Inc. played a role in what is billed as the world’s largest 3D printer, that printed a 25-foot patrol boat at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center.
The printer will be able to print objects up to 100 feet long, when the university builds a larger facility to house its full configuration. Right now it can print objects up to 70 feet long.
The print head is mounted on a gantry that moves on rails.
The material for 3D printing was dried and conveyed to the 3D printer using a Dri-Air drying and conveying system. The Dri-Air system features two drying hoppers, allowing quick material changes.
In other news, Dri-Air, of East Windsor, Conn., has introduced SmartTouch Control with Industry 4.0 communications. The control gathers data from the dryer and shares it with various pieces of equipment, such as the injection molding machine. It is compatible with all Dri-Air dryers.
“The new control is based on an open platform and will consist of a PLC with a thermocouple monitoring system,” said Dri-Air President Jason Sears. “We want to stay on the leading edge of technology for customers who want to gather data and monitor their processes. The open platform will allow users to add new sensors, communications devices or protocols that may become available in the future.”
The SmartTouch controller is standard on the company’s HP series dryers, and they are options on the two-bed, Arid-X dryers. The controller features a seven-inch color touch screen with easy-to-use prompts for temperature, time and dewpoint display, according to Dri-Air.
Tel. 860-627-5110, www.dri-air.com.