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This summer, Fiktech was approached by Blachère Illumination SAS with the request to provide a solution to the cooling problem associated with robotic printing with biodegradable plastics.

Blachère has been producing lighting ornaments for public spaces in several countries for 45 years. Traditionally, these ornaments are constructed from aluminum rod and tube material. On the one hand, this production method is expensive and time-consuming, and on the other it is harmful to the environment. For these reasons, after a great deal of research and a substantial investment, the company has recently switched to a highly innovative production concept: Bioprint.

The plastic granulate required for this process originates from a bio-based sugar cane without GMO, which is converted into dehydrated bioethanol in a French laboratory. When the granulate arrives at the workshop, it is dyed with clean dyes and this material is then sprayed onto a flat surface using 3D printers to produce recyclable, biodegradable and colored structures.

This process does not generate production waste and allows full recyclability of the structure at the end of its life cycle. With this new material, Blachère reduces more than 80% of the aluminum compared to the traditional production method. This has a significant impact on the company’s environmental footprint. The Bioprint manufacturing process emits 10 times less CO2 compared to the use of aluminum.

In order to optimize Bio-printing – qualitatively and in terms of production speed – a cooling method had to be applied that would not physically hinder the process. At Blachère’s request, Fiktech developed a suitable cooling system based on LD air knives with lengths of no less than 3,400 mm.
After an initial test phase on a smaller scale, this proved to be the ideal solution and the lighting company is fully ready for a productive future.