nScrypt Delivering Factory in a Tool to Australian Defense Department

The Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group of Australia’s Department of Defence selected nScrypt’s Factory in a Tool (FiT) platform to augment its research operations. 

DST selected an nScrypt 3Dn-500 Penta-Head, multi-material FiT platform, which will be outfitted with a SmartPump microdispensing tool head, nFD material extrusion tool head, Pick and Place (for electronic components and subassemblies) and nMill tool heads (for micromilling), and UV tool head with integrated laser and Pulse Forge photonic curing for spot curing of photopolymers. The tool heads can operate in series or parallel on the FiT’s fast (up to 1 mps), high-precision (up to 10nm resolution, 500nm repeatability, 1-micron accuracy) linear motion gantry. The tool heads are monitored by multiple cameras for automated in-process inspection and computer vision routines. The system also includes a point laser height sensor for Z-tracking and mapping for conformal printing onto objects of any surface shape.

“This is one of our most advanced and versatile machines. With this tool, DST can go from CAD to a final, multi-material product with embedded electronics in a single machine, without retooling,” nScrypt CEO Ken Church said. “Although the U.S. military has been a regular customer for nScrypt’s direct digital manufacturing solutions, this is nScrypt’s first sale to a foreign government agency. We are honored that Australia DST selected our tool to help support its mission.”

The FiT’s SmartPump microdispensing tool head eliminates drooling with pico-liter volumetric control and boasts the widest range of materials available for any microdispensing system: more than 10,000 commercially available materials, ranging from a few centipoises (like water) to millions of centipoise (much thicker than peanut butter). The SmartPump’s pen tip has the smallest commercially available diameter, 10 microns. 

The nFD extruder tool head can 3D print the widest range of thermoplastics, composites, and continuous carbon fiber.