TiQ 2 Developed by InnovatiQ, a company that shares the same ownership group as Arburg GmbH + Co. KG, Lossburg, Germany, this fused-filament-fabrication 3D printer has been conceived with a special mission — to give injection molders a way to build their own end-of-arm tooling (EOAT). To that end, it’s designed to handle carbon- and glass-fiber-reinforced materials, as well as an array of other materials, available from any supplier users choose. It also can handle soluble materials, making it ideal for creating tubes that can carry out functions, such as air handling or suction, critical to EOAT performance. In addition to EOAT, the printer, which can handle complex geometries, can make jigs, fixtures and other parts. While still looking for resellers of the technology, InnovatiQ offers its printers through three companies in the U.S.: 3DChimera, Dynamism and iMakr.
What’s new? The printer, which joins a handful of other technologies in InnovatiQ’s portfolio. It will be available in the U.S., starting in about the second quarter of 2023.
Benefits Reliable, convenient, automated printing of high-quality functional parts. Because it can handle reinforced materials — which are abrasive and a challenge for many printers — the TiQ2 can help processors make EOAT as they need it, allowing them to adapt amid a trend toward smaller, more customized batches and freeing them from their reliance on suppliers. The printer is equipped with many smart features that allow easy one-button-press operations.
3DChimera, Miami, Fla., 786-701-0700, www.3DChimera.com
Dynamism, Chicago, 800-711-6277, www.dynamism.com
iMakr, Brooklyn, N.Y., 718-737-7061, www.imakr.com
InnovatiQ GmbH + Co KG, Feldkirchen, Germany, 49-89-2488-986, www.innovatiq.com
Vital Statistics
Price | $24,700 |
Print space | About 1.1 feet by 1.1 feet by 1 foot |
Temperature of printing plate | 284 degrees Fahrenheit |
Filament / nozzle diameters | 1.75mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm |
Maximum dual-extruder | 572 degrees Fahrenheit |
Outer dimensions (without dryer) | About 2.9 feet by 2.1 feet by 2.9 feet |
Weight | About 352.7 pounds |
Recommended materials | Carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon, glass-fiber-reinforced PP, polyvinylidene difluoride TPU, PET-glycol |
Karen Hanna | Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.