Itrencotech
R&D

Next-Gen PAM 3D Printer

Pellet Additive Manufacturing — Large-Scale Industrial 3D Printing Technology

PAM 3D 프린터
Research Background

Why PAM?

Limitations of Conventional FFF

  • Only filament-processed materials are supported — engineering plastics not actually usable
  • Including processing costs, material cost is ~6× higher than pellets
  • Spool changes required every 1–3 kg — forced interruptions during large-part printing
  • Small nozzle (Ø1.75mm) structure is inefficient in speed and cost for large industrial parts

Advantages of PAM

  • 1/6 Material Cost — Direct use of industrial pellets — zero processing cost
  • Up to 2,000mm Build — 2,000×1,500×1,000mm large-structure fabrication
  • CF Composites Supported — CF composites (ABA-CF) available; super engineering plastics not yet supported due to screw strength limitations
  • Continuous Printing — Automatic compressor feed — complete large parts without material changes
CategoryFFFPAM
Material FormFilament (Ø1.75 / 2.85mm)Industrial Pellets
Material CostHigh (6× with processing)Low (raw material, direct)
Max Build SizeUnder 600 mmOver 2,000 mm
Extrusion Rate< 0.1 kg/hUp to 10 kg/h
Material VarietyLimitedPEEK · ULTEM · CF composites
Technology Overview

Technology Overview

PAM Working Principle — Pellet Additive Manufacturing

DRYER90~120°C · 2hSTEP 01HOPPERSCREWmax 450°CNOZZLEØ5~10mmSTEP 02BUILD PLATFORMHTeflon RingHot Bed 110°CSTEP 03POST PROCESSCNC FinishingSurface TreatmentSTEP 04Build Size : 2,000 × 1,500 × 1,000 mm
스크류 압출기가열 구간 (최대 450°C)적층 레이어재료·신호 흐름
STEP 01

Pellet Drying & Feed

Dried at 90–120°C for 2 h per material, then auto-fed to hopper via compressor

STEP 02

Melt Extrusion

Single-screw extruder (max 450°C) melts and plasticizes pellets for precise discharge

STEP 03

Layer Deposition

Large nozzle (5–10mm) deposits precise layers; Teflon ring compresses inter-layer voids

STEP 04

Post-Processing

After cooling, CNC finishing or surface treatment secures final part quality

Research Roadmap

Research Roadmap

2020–21Completed

Year 1·2 — Basic Research

  • Screw extruder element module development
  • Basic extruder design for ULTEM·PEEK
  • High-temp chamber (150°C) module development
2022–23Completed

Year 3·4 — Prototype

  • 300×300×300mm PAM machine completed
  • 2,000×1,500×1,000mm large machine developed
  • ABS·PLA·ABS-CF material printing verified
2024–25Completed

Year 5 — Enhancement

  • 10kg/h 25Ø screw extruder developed
  • Cooling-compression (Teflon ring) system developed
  • Furniture design print → UK exhibition delivery
2025–26In Progress

Year 6 — Commercialization

  • Flow & pressure correction algorithm applied
  • CF·GF composite jam-prevention mechanism developed
  • Mass production service launch
Expected Impact

Expected Impact

1/6

Material Cost

Pellet vs. FFF filament cost

10kg/h

Extrusion Rate

Year 6 extruder spec

2,000mm

Max Build Length

2,000×1,500×1,000mm build

300°C

Max Extrusion Temp

Super engineering resin support

Achievements

Achievements

Patents (2)

  • Screw-type 3D printer extrusion device and operating method (Application No. 10-2022-0029336)
  • Method for processing pellets and pellet additive-subtractive manufacturing device (Application No. 10-2021-0000561)

Awards & Recognition (2)

  • GRRC Technology Transfer — 2 cases (cumulative) to participating SMEs
  • Furniture design print order → delivered for UK design exhibition (2024)

Interested in Joint Research
or Collaboration?

We welcome joint research and partnership proposals related to PAM technology.

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