DWK Life Sciences will reveal a new labware product at ACHEMA 2018 manufactured using metal 3D printing.
3D printed four port connector cap
DWK Life Sciences, part of the DURAN brand, is known for developing innovative glass labware products. The company has been able to successfully design a fully functional 4-port GL 45 bottle connector cap using metal 3D printing for the first time. This component is manufactured from a medical grade 316L stainless steel.
“Development of new lab ware, especially glass products, is traditionally a slow process,” says Alistair Rees, DURAN® product manager. “In contrast, the development time for the 3D printed connector cap was very short: from the first idea to the final printed product only took about two months.”
Previously, the stainless steel connector GL 45 caps have been manufactured using conventional machining and welding processes. Previously a similar welded component weighted over 150 grams, but now the 3D printed connector weighs just 50 grams, which is more than a two-thirds weight reduction.
Each batch takes around 51 hours to print using an EOS system, with a software controlled 400-Watt laser which melts the stainless steel powder into the exact shape defined for the product. The material cools immediately and the connector is finished using physical and electro-chemical processes.
The new DURAN Stainless Steel 4-Port Connector Cap GL 45 will be available for demonstration on the DWK Life Sciences Stand B7 Hall 4.1, at ACHEMA 11 - 15 June 2018, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.