Italian company WASP (abbreviation for World’s Advanced Saving Project) offers the Delta WASP 4070 TECH 3D printer designed for printing with technopolymers such as PEEK thermoplastic and featuring a high-temp build chamber that heats up to 300 °C. The system is referred to by WASP as a “new technical jewel,” and rightly so.
PEEK stands for polyetheretherketone and belongs to the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family of plastics. It is a durable, high-performance material that features low toxicity and flame smoke, being a great choice for industrial applications. Its molecules are characterized by both temperature and chemical resistance. PEEK is perfect for the automotive, medical, aerospace, oil and gas, and other industries. Yet, this material is known to be rather hard to work with. Therefore, WASP also offers its own service of PEEK 3D printing to help users optimize their files in accordance with the application they need.
Developing the Delta 4070 TECH for several months, WASP equipped the machine with some outstanding features which are “supported by the precise and reliable delta kinematics.” First, it’s a brand new water-cooled extruder with a maximum temperature of 500 °C. Coupled with the proprietary FIRECAP system heating up the chamber up to 300 °C, it allows achieving prints with a stress-free internal structure. Also, it is claimed that no delamination or uneven crystallization will occur on parts printed.
The built-in camera will allow you to make timelapses as well as monitor the printing process remotely. The latter can also be controlled using Wi-Fi connection.
The printer is equipped with the proprietary drying system with the active temperature control leading filament to the print head directly from the bobbin, dehumidating it to ensure better surface quality and mechanical properties of the prints. The adhesion and print removal are improved by a controlled vacuum system supporting interchangeable build plates of various materials. Intelligent bed leveling is ensured by a mesh auto calibration, which further enhances the adhesion of the first layer.
Also included are some new firmware features: auto-check system for self-diagnostics of functionality, gCode auto analysis, and the Continuous Print function (the second extruder completes the print job in case the first one is empty).
WASP calls PEEK a “super polymer”, which truly reflects the significance of this high-performance plastic. According to SmarTech, “Technologies continue to move forward in various ways — especially in terms of end-to-end workflow automation and optimization. Some of the most significant progress and accomplishments in polymer additive manufacturing markets have been registered in material science and development/optimization of new materials for current technologies.”
