Evolve Additive Solutions Ships First STEP System
The first 3D printer for Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process (STEP) has been shipped to an Alpha partner, who will help Evolve further develop the technology.
Evolve Additive Solutions has announced the shipment of its first STEP system. The system is in the Alpha development stage and is being sent to a strategic partner. This partner will help Evolve further develop the technology for use in a manufacturing environment versus a laboratory setting, and will also test the applicability of the STEP technology for new manufacturing strategies to reduce time to market and expand product design capabilities.
“As the co-inventor of STEP and being the executive in charge of development over the last nine years, it’s not only exciting but critical that we get the technology into a customer’s hands for development of real-world applications,” says Steve Chillscyzn, CEO of Evolve Additive Solutions. “The Alpha stage is key to our progress and provides the necessary feedback to R&D to get to commercialization.”
STEP, designed for automated manufacturing and factory-floor integration, allows users to utilize production-grade thermoplastics for volume manufacturing applications across multiple industries, including consumer, automotive, industrial and medical. The scalable and extensible solution combines Evolve’s proprietary technology with electrophotography to produce additive manufactured parts.
“Although we cannot disclose the name of our strategic partner for our first Alpha system, we can say with extreme confidence that it will be put through the paces to ensure STEP is ready to perform in a manufacturing environment,” says Bruce Bradshaw, chief business and marketing officer for Evolve. The Alpha program tees up the organization for the next phase in the process which is Beta.”
Evolve is actively discussing participation in the STEP Beta program with companies across many industries including automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, industrial manufacturing and medical.
Chillscyzn adds, “We are really looking for Beta partners who want to produce true manufacturing with additive at volume and is looking for the right technology. We believe STEP is unique in many aspects, such as material offering, automation capabilities, part quality and we are looking for Beta customers whose management are as passionate as we are about the future of manufacturing.”
The STEP process combines 2D imaging technology with proprietary IP developed by Evolve to precisely align incoming layers and bonding techniques that create final parts that are fully dense with isotropic properties said to be equal to or exceed injection molding.
