Trumpf introduced its TruPrint 5000 Additive Manufacturing system at the recent formnext 2017 trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. According to the company, the new machine is “the world’s fastest and most productive medium-format 3D printing system for metal components.” 

The TruPrint 5000 is built around a multi-laser principle with three scanner-guided, 500-watt Trumpf fibre lasers. The three lasers are fitted with optics specially designed by Trumpf, enabling them to operate simultaneously at any point in the system’s construction chamber. Using the exposure strategies and optimised process parameters developed by the company, the TruPrint 5000 is reported to cut exposure time per job by a factor of three. 

Peter Leibinger, Chief Technology Officer at Trumpf, stated, “All our new 3D printers are selling well, and we’re gaining increasing market shares in various sectors. Accordingly, we will most definitely be further investing in this highly promising field.” This will include the establishment of a new development unit in Aachen, Germany.

“As a seedbed for technologies of the future and with its proximity to RWTH Aachen University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Aachen, is an ideal location to further develop our Additive Manufacturing technologies,” Leibinger added.

Trumpf employs over 200 people in the field of Additive Manufacturing and is said to be one of only a few manufacturers to offer Laser Metal Deposition AM. “If the market for 3D printers continues to develop in line with current indications, then we see an opportunity for our company to achieve additional revenues of half a billion euros in a timescale of five to seven years. We want to gain a leading role in the market and secure a market share of around 20% in the medium term,” concluded Leibinger.